Is there a reasonable substitute for nail guns when installing baseboards? What are the alternatives to nail guns? I need to install new MDF based baseboards and trims. Buying a new nail gun with air compressor or a battery powered nail-gun is quite costly. I see there is also nail tacker or hammer tackers available. Will they do the job, or they tend to be for other purposes? For example, I'd like to use brad nails 1-1/2"

You could get something called a trim screw. They also sell them in white if you wish to match the color and not cover the hole with putty.

It sounds like you don't feel comfortable with trim nails as you might damage the surface of the material with your hammer. Quite frankly, that will likely happen if you're a novice.
A brad nailer is great for speed but if you have time then screw in a few trim screws and call it a day.
The only downside is that if you ever need to remove the trim and re-use it then you will likely need to know where to unscrew the screws. I would imagine that pulling the trim off without unscrewing the screws would damage the trim beyond re-use.


Extend AC hose and install an additional fan I have an AC in my dorm which works great. During summer I connect the AC via a fitting to the window to cool the room. Due to restructuring of my chamber I want to move the AC in one of the corners of my room. However the hose is not long enough and I suspect the power of the integrated fan is not either.

Can I install an additional fan which sucks air "through" the AC? Intuitively I would say the additional fan has to be as large as such that the volume flow is the same as if the AC is placed directly near the window?
Is this consideration correct?
And how is it best realized?

Since there is not any option to vent without extending the length of the vent hose I would try using a variable speed duct booster fan.

You want to be sure you are not restricting the flow of warm air at all.
To help ensure this check the temperature of the vented air on a hot day before adding any length.
Then add your extension and booster.

Adjust the speed until the temperature of the exiting air is  the same or a bit cooler than original temp.
Running faster speed than this may cause premature failure of the integrated fan so be careful.

If your unit runs continuously this set up may be fine. If it cycles on and off you will need to think about how to get the booster fan to cycle with it.


Should my stove's spark plugs all fire at once? I bought a second hand Bosch gas cooktop/stove and when I test its igniter - without having connected it to a gas supply, it only seem to spark for a single burner. If I move its igniter module wires around I can confirm that they all can spark. So I presumed this was an igniter module issue and replaced it with a brand new one, but it still does the same thing.

What do you think is the problem? Is it possible that this cooktop does this by default?

They all spark at once since there is only one spark module.


Is it OK to put hardwood flooring over 3/4" particle board that's over 1/2" wood subfloor? We want to install either laminate or hardwood flooring throughout most of our home. The home is about 35 years old. I pulled up all the carpet and found 3/4" particle board over 1/2" plywood board subfloor underneath the carpet. It is particle board and not OSB.  The particle board does not run under the walls. The walls rest on the 1/2" wood board and the joists. Since carpet was laid over the particle board they were not so concerned about one board being level with the next so they are uneven. We've been told it was OK to put flooring over the particle board if we level it up and by another to remove the particle board and replace with 3/4" plywood.  So I'm seeking a confirmation of one or the other or another suggestion.

1/2" subfloor is definitely insufficient, so I get why it was reinforced.

3/4" particle board... that is not structural.  It's paper dust and glue.  A little water and it loses all cohesion.

Simply for peace of mind, if it were me, I'd remove the particle board and put down either OSB or plywood.  Probably OSB, only because it's a little stronger (not much) but it's also more expensive so if budget were a concern, I'd go with equal thickness plywood.  Either will do you.

But the particle board?  Get rid!  Its probably not gonna fall apart on you, unless you have a spill... but why even keep that worry?


How do I remove a brass pipe that has been jammed into a larger iron pipe? I was replacing the sink this afternoon when I noticed that the p-trap would not reach the drain pipe.  No biggie, right?  I'll just buy some extensions from the local big box and be on my way.

I attempt to take off the drain pipe so I can fit an extension on and what I can see appears to be someone who took a 1.25" pipe, shoved it into the 1.5" hole (with the threads "holding it in") and then tightening everything up.

Now, I'm trying to unscrew this mess (literally) and I can't get the pipe out of the 1.5" drain.  I'm wondering if I should try to heat up the system with an acetylene torch to try to make everything a bit more pliable or if I've got no other choice than to get a plumber to come and rerun the drain in the back of the wall.

The input of this community would be most appreciated.

Here are some photos:

I'd slip a cheater bar into the drain and see if you can pop it loose by turning it clockwise (so you don't unscrew the tail-piece).  If you can get it to turn without twisting it you should be able to get it to pull out. If you can't and it starts to twist the pipe without breaking it loose, cut it off with a hacksaw close to the tail-piece leaving enough of outside to grab with a pair of vise-grips.  Then take a hacksaw blade and carefully cut through the pipe from the inside.  You should then be able to use a vise-grip or pliers roll it in to a smaller diameter and pull out the last bit.


Can I use a ballast that is rated for four 32W T8 bulbs with a different number of 15W T8 bulbs? If so how might I figure out how many? I don't know how the math would apply in this situation.

No. A ballast provides a method of creating an arc to ignite a plasma; once the strike happens, the resistance of the tube dives, so the ballast controls the maximum wattage. If one lamp failed to ignite, the other lamp would be allowed to be driven at 2x the current, and this can cause the driven lamp to explode.
Each lamp needs to be controlled by the proper sized ballast.


I dropped a thumb tack down the drain, should I be worried? It’s a small plastic one like you would use to hang a poster or calendar. Sink drain

I can't imagine it doing any harm and it's not worth the effort to remove the trap to try and find it as it probably has already passed the trap and is in the sewer.
If you like to fish, you could fasten a magnet to a piece of string and lower in into the drain and try to snag the tack. Just don't lose the magnet down there. You could also remove the trap but that can be messy and why take it apart if it's not leaking.


How can I tell if a contractor is trying to scam me by charging more after starting a job? I have a remodeling project for about $2,500 and I have already signed the contract. When the contractor was making a new door on the wall he found a wire inside the wall. Now he is asking for an extra $600 to remove the wire; otherwise he cannot continue the project. We orally agreed before that I would pay him an extra $300 for hidden wires. But now he says he needs to charge $600 instead of $300 because the wall is solid. I have no problems paying him $600 but I do not want to be ripped off. I also do not want to terminate the contract and leave a hole on my wall. Is $600 a reasonable number? What are my options?

First, find out what the law is in your jurisdiction concerning hidden wires.  It may be that removal is not required. If removal is required, or if you want to have it done for safety reasons, option A is to call another contractor or handyman service and ask for a quote.  If the job can be done cheaper by someone else, it is ok to bring that person in for that purpose.

If you want the present contractor to do the job, option B is to say "I'll pay $300 after we sign a contract change document, and if you want to quit rather than do the job for my price, I can't stop you."

Option C is to pay the $600 provided that a contract change document is signed.  I wouldn't choose this option without knowing that the removal is legally required.

You can find out whether removal is required by law in several ways.  First, ask your contractor to tell you what law requires it, then look it up.  Or you can ask any other licensed contractor.  Or you can visit the county engineer (or whatever that department is called where you live) and ask.  Another good question for the engineering department would be whether it would be acceptable to leave the wire where it is if both ends are properly terminated.


Should I replace my septic tank if I don't need to? Our house is 40-50 years old, and we've recently discovered that our drain field is shot. We're getting that replaced, and figured we may as well replace the tank while we're at it.

Are there any down sides to replacing a functioning septic tank? The thought process is that the cost is cheaper to do it now than later (already digging things up, etc) and that we already have the permit approved (included with the drain field repair).

Specifically, I want to know if older septic tanks are characteristically better than newer tanks. For example, was the cement used 50 years ago better quality? Would I be replacing it with a comparatively shoddy replacement?

For instance, I wouldn't replace a door while renovating the wall around it...even if a new door was free: the old doors are solid wood and wonderfully built, whereas newer doors are cheap and flimsy. I realize that's a broad generalization, but you get the idea.

Have the tank inspected. They should be able to give you an estimated remaining service life expectancy, based on the age and condition of the tank. This might make the decision easier.

Comment converted to an answer


Can I put dimmable LED bulbs in a ceiling fan fixture and wire it to a dimmer switch marked LED compatible? Would there be any problems with putting dimmable LED bulbs into a ceiling fan fixture that holds three bulbs and wiring it to a dimmer switch marked LED compatible? The fan itself will be on just the pull chain, not the dimmer.

I don't think there would be, but from what I've read LEDs bulbs are more "picky" than incandescents and want to be sure. No buzzing, glowing, shortened life, etc.

Additionally, what about LED bulbs and an illuminated switch (not dimmable)? Would there be any unexpected glow at the bulb or switch?

Dimming LEDs

For a typical ceiling fan, the light fixture is exactly that-- a light fixture. It is nothing more than wires, a chain switch, and bulb socket(s).

Dimming LED bulbs in a typical ceiling fan fixture will be completely dependent on ensuring a few things:

The LED bulbs are dimmable
The dimmer switch is rated for use with dimmable LED bulbs
The particular models of dimmable LED and LED dimmer play nice together (this doesn't always happen)

If you have a fancier ceiling fan with integrated remote features, fade on/fade off lights, etc., the actual fan fixture could come into play. However, from your question it does not sound like this is your case.

Illuminated Switch with LED load

First, see here: How does an illuminated switch light up without a neutral

You have a few options:

Look for an illuminated switch designed for use with LEDs (would
need a neutral wire). I've never looked for these before so I can't say for a fact they even exist in production.
Buy whatever illuminated switch you want and hunt for LED bulbs that will just so happen to operate correctly with the switch you buy.
Buy whatever illuminated switch and whatever LED bulbs you want and use a single incandescent bulb in your fan. The remaining bulbs can be LED.

As you've probably noticed, there could be a bit of trial and error in this process. LED bulbs are not like incandescent bulbs where all bulbs were virtually the same and therefore behaved the same. LEDs are driven by electronics within the bulb housing, and these electronics can and will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, and even from product to product within the same manufacturer.


What do I do with the neutral and ground when wiring a transfer switch? I know there are a lot of questions about wiring a generator to a home electrical panel, but I can't find the answer to the questions that I have.

I would like to wire a generator that has the neutral bonded to the frame, to my main panel. The GE panel that I have has no "MAIN", It has four 240 volt breakers that are labeled "MAIN SECTION", and eight 120 volt breakers labeled "LIGHTING SECTION". One 60 amp breaker from the MAIN SECTION feeds the LIGHTING SECTION.

I have a manual two pole 60 amp transfer switch that I would like to use and wire the 60 amp MAIN SECTION breaker to the switch, then back to the LIGHTING SECTION buss.
What's confusing me is how to run the ground and neutral wires. I wanted to included a wiring diagram with this, but I can't figure out how.

Do I bond the neutral to the transfer switch with the bonding screw?
How do I run the neutral and ground from the generator to the main panel with a bonded generator?
Do I wire the generator frame to a ground bar?

There can only be one point in the system where neutral and ground wires are joined, and this is usually in the main panel.  Therefore, you must lift the bond from the generator, or disconnect the ground wire from the generator to the transfer switch.

If you lift the bond on the generator, you can run both ground and an insulated neutral back to the transfer switch.  You will also run ground and insulated neutral from the main panel to the transfer switch, and ground and insulated neutral to the subpanel from the transfer switch.  Note that neither neutral nor ground are switched in the transfer switch.  The generator can optionally be grounded to a rod.

If you cannot lift the bond, disconnect the ground wire to the transfer switch at the generator (or don't run a ground wire at all).  The subpanel will still be grounded from the unswitched ground wire from the main panel.  The generator cannot be grounded to a rod because this would tie the neutral to ground in a second location through the bond.


Toilet gurgling when another one is flushing: 6-way joint I have 2 adjacent bathrooms, with toilets opposite of each other. I recently upgraded one older toiled that took a minute to flush with 3.5 gallons of water to 1.2 GPF model with "aquapiston" marketing blurb. All nice and dandy, except this piston started shooting stuff up another toilet's pipe on the other side of the wall, causing it to gurgle.

This is what it looks like from below:

So the obvious reason is that vent pipe is one of the 6 pipes connected here (the house was built in 1960-s). Toilet 2 shoots stuff through the pipe directly into Toilet 1 drain. This blocks the vent, and causes Toilet 1 to gurgle until stuff starts flowing AWAY.

So, what creative solution can I apply in my situation to eliminate the problem, without completely redoing the junction? Preferably one that does not require custom fabrication of fittings :)

EDIT: White PVC pipe is a vent pipe for a sink that drains into a basement septic holding tank (not vented outdoors... Not sure why)

EDIT 2: One solution I considered was adding a Tee to the downpipe from Toilet 1, and connecting it to the vent above the 6-way connection. But space constraint makes it hard to add it, plus it looks like it'll cost me $100 in parts to add those 2 Tees. Is there a more economical way to add, say, 1" pipe connecting those? Would it fix the issue?

Move the clean out trap up to where the right toilet is,right toilet to the clean out.

This will stop cross flow from too large systems.

This should reduce cross flush and vent clogging, I think.

This looks to be the easierest think to help reduce your issues but I dont know.

That 90 in the waste after you puzzle nut can't be helping either... how far does it travel before the main stack?

Keep in mind that thing is grandfathered, touch one bit of it and it's not anymore.

Not a plumber, just a dude with a internet connection so take my advice with a grain of salt.


Need Help Identifying Strap Securing Dryer Vent Hose I have existing clips or straps (I'm not sure which is the correct term for these) that holds a dryer vent hose in my laundry room. It almost looks like a flat chain where the holes allow for screws to pass through to hold it in place. I'm interested in getting more, but have no idea what they're called. Does anyone know what these are called?

I've typically just seen that called metal strapping or steel strapping.
Home depot sells a similar thing in their ventilation accessories section, and they call it 'perforated metal hanger straps': https://www.homedepot.com/p/Master-Flow-Perforated-Metal-Hanger-Straps-3-4HS/100396917

Most metal strapping I've seen has straight sides, instead of wavy ones like yours has, but for this application there should be no difference.


Ceiling material to use on cold joists Finishing off our large attic space and we went with 3" of closed-cell spray foam (hot roof application) on the slanted ceilings.

My concern is heat transfer through the joists. We live in MN and the winters get cold. Some options I've considered for the ceiling:

1) Just drywall. Pros: It's easy and less expensive. Cons: I'm concerned that the heat transfer through the joist will somehow show on the drywall and instead of a nice smooth ceiling, you'll see joist lines.

2) 1/2" of rigid foam (R-3) and then drywall. Pros: Creates a buffer between the visible drywall and the cold joists. Cons: May not be enough R-value to really protect the drywall and ideally rigid foam should go on the exterior side of spray foam. So maybe it's just a waste of money.

3) Drywall and then covered with a layer of shiplap. Pros: I'm not sure this has any pros other than that this is a look that the wife likes and provides another layer of material that might stand up to cold spots better. Cons: I don't really think it's any better than just drywall in terms of heat transfer on the joist.

What's the smart thing to do in this situation?

This tends to be a common sales pitch from insulation companies. You have now insulated your shingles. The danger is build-up of moisture in the sealed cavities. At least you are in a northern climate.

You are correct on #1. Dust and dirt will begin to form at the joists and studs on both the drywall and on the roofing surface (over time). You just need to paint more often.

Your option #2 is logical, but reduces the size of your room (as does #3)

Current thinking is to insulate your roof from the exterior with 2" foam panels. You then have air ventilation (in case of moisture build-up) both inside and outside (when using furring strips) of the roof substrate. Here is a sample of the design (see Figure 7): https://buildingscience.com/documents/reports/rr-0108-unvented-roof-systems/view

It's also in the current IBC code, so if you go to your building permit department, they should know the design or be able to look it up.


How to fix a squeaky electrical dryer Here's a self-explanatory video of my squeaky electrical dryer that's driving everyone in household crazy.

The squeaking is clearly in sync with the rotation frequency, but that's all the insight I have at this point. Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

The model of the dryer is FSE447GHSO.

This is probably due to a bad or unlubricated drum roller. Look up the service manual for your dryer to get access to these rollers, but a generic diagram is below.

Note that many dryer drums are not suspended from the center, but rather rest on a few rollers, front and back, beneath the drums. If there's friction in the roller, it might not contact the drum for the whole rotation but makes periodic, squeaky, contact.

Inspect the rollers. If the rubber wheel is deteriorated, a replacement roller and belt kit might be about US$40, depending on dryer model, or look for just individual rollers. If the wheels look good, you could apply one or two drops of motor oil to the shafts. Caution: oil, lint and heat can lead to a fire, so vacuum the dryer thoroughly, and be sparing with the oil, which could also destroy the rubber belt.

If the dryer is more than a few years old, I'd suggest getting the correct roller replacement kit, rather than an individual roller, whatever the condition of the roller wheels, replacing only the bad one(s), keeping the rest until another breaks.


How do you estimate the probability of failure in this case? The fan relay draws 6.0A. That is a safe current for 16 gauge wire. The safety fuse is tripped at 15A which is too much 16 gauge wire.
This installation guide shows the Installation Instructions for my thermostat.  On page 2 in the specification section shows Safety Fuse Amps at 15A. Fan Relay Amps is shown as 6.0A for 120 VAC which is what I have.
Background: My building superintendant installed three of these thermostats to control our fan coils in various rooms. So far we have had no issues. Recently, a Fan Coil tech came in to replace the motor and told me that the wires that is being used are too small in diameter and therefore dangerous. The length of these wires are about 2-3 feet. The work was done 4-5 years ago.
My Questions: a. Given that there has been no failures for so 5 years for 3 units, how would you estimate probability of failure in this case? I don't think it is possible.
b. Practically thinking, as shown in the assembled picture, all the wires are contained in a metal box. In case of failure, wouldn't flames in this case just fizzle out?
Thank you for your time and feedback.
P.S. Just to be 100% clear, the fan coil originally did not come with a thermostat. It came with a off-or-low-or-high fan dial and a radio dial from hot to cold. I had the thermostat installed to control room temperature. The thermostat's control box was installed on the wall nearest to the unit. The factory wires that came with the thermostat were only a few inches long. So my super came up with the additional 2 feet of wiring needed to connect the thermostat box to the fan coil's original switch box. This 2 feet of wiring is the focus of my question and what is circled in yellow in my picture attached. In some pictures you will see all the wires exposed which happened when fan coil tech started changing the blower motor. There are pictures that show all the wires tucked in a metal box which is the steady state condition.

The bigger problem is there's no such thing as #16 wire that is certified for use in AC mains wiring inside houses.  Look at the NEC Chapter 3 wiring methods, which enumerates each and every allowed wiring method.  All of them call out wire or cable types that do not exist in 16 AWG.
So if 16 AWG is being used, someone is doing something illegal.

Using 16 AWG cordage as a substitute for permanent wiring (NEC 400.8)
Using 16 AWG speaker, automotive, etc. wire not approved for AC mains (NEC 110.2).

The only exception is wiring that is present inside appliances.  Those follow a different Code body called the UL White Book, authored and maintained by Underwriter's Laboratories.  Because of the very short distances inside appliances, and dependent on the wires' ability to cool inside the machine (or alternately approved use of high-temp wire where it has no chance of burning a user), it is possible to use smaller wires inside an appliance.
There's another Code out there called NESC which applies to utility company wiring outdoors (i.e. their side of the weatherhead).  They can overload wires in ways NEC does not allow, but remember, those wires are not inside a structure.  And the electric company has financial incentive to keep those wires cool, since it's on their side of the meter, so they pay for heating the great outdoors :) They also have direct real-time observation of the load level on those wires due to smart meters, which can be programmed to "phone home" if draw exceeds safe limits for the service drop.  Often when they upgrade someone's service, they will not upgrade the drop wires, betting that the customer won't actually use all the service they have, until the meter tells them otherwise.


Wiring two lights and two switches using a single 14/3 Trying to wire 2 fixtures with power coming in at one of them. Can I run a single 14/3 from powered fixture to 2 gang switches, then branch from the powered fixture to the remote one?  Thanks for any advice!

Based on your description, this would be the wiring setup. The yellow 'smudges' are wire nuts and the black ones are re-identified wires, grounds are not shown. Power coming in with /2, feeding down to the switch box with /3, and then going over to the secondary light with /2. I'm only showing this based on perhaps if you're trying to reuse existing wiring with a new setup as this is a working solution.

However, code-wise [ 404.2(C) ] this is no longer allowed. You are required to have a neutral splice at your switch box unless this lighting circuit will be located in a location where the switch does not serve a habitable room or bathroom, such as in an attic. So, as long as your lights aren't in a "habitable room or bathroom", you are able to go with this wiring diagram. [ 404.2(C)(4) ]

The other exception would be as long as you are able to get back to the box later on to add a neutral without disturbing the finish of the wall. [ 404.2(C)(2) ]


GFCI in kids' room...good idea or not necessary? We are updating the receptacles in our kids' room. The current ones accept two prong plugs so I doubt that there is a ground wire.

Since we're upgrading, for the kids' safety, does it make sense to put GFCI's in the room?

What age are the kids?

Most kids have been surviving without GFCI protection for many decades now. But a GFCI has very few disadvantages other than adding a bit of cost.

On the other hand, once you go that far, the question does arise of whether their own room is the only place a problem might arise and whether you might as well invest in protecting the whole house.

In the end, this is a cost/benefit judgement call that only you can make.


3m Lead Test negative for days then turned positive? I tested some dust for lead using a 3m lead check swab. The test was negative, and I left the testing fluid on the surface for several days because I hadn't gotten a chance to clean it up. I know it was orange minutes after testing, and also orange a couple days after testing. It's maybe a week after testing now and I just found that it has turned pink. Does this mean lead is present?

The 3M site says this

  3M™ LeadCheck™ Swabs have no shelf life. Unless the ampoules/vials are cracked, they will have an indefinite shelf life.

In other words, once the vial is broken (which you did to use the tester), it does indeed have a shelf life


How can I accurately measure the angle of my walls? I have a lot of walls that slant inward. To measure the angles at which they slant inwards, I used an app that looks like:

Was this the correct tool? Assuming it was, do I need to make sure I get the Y value to be as close to 0 as possible before taking the reading of the X value (which ultimately gives me the wall angle)?

You could maybe use the phone App tool but you would still have to translate the angle reading into lines on the pieces of wood. A far better tool was invented long long ago that direct measures the angle and then allows for direct transfer to the wood. It is called a carpenters bevel or a bevel square.


Cleaning and staining a fence with segments of different color and age I have a fence that I share with my neighbors and I have a couple of questions related to how to properly clean and stain this fence. You can see it in the picture below. There is another segment perpendicular on what you see there and to make the things more complicated that side is shared on a small segment with one neighbor and the rest of it with another neighbor.

These being said here are my questions:

What is the best way to clean and stain this fence considering that the color and the ages of various segments are different. To be clearer, in the picture you have the only two colors and ages present in my fence.
This is more of a legal, procedural question: how do I do the above without having problems with my neighbors. I think that the fence is on the property line so the ownership is shared. The newer looking segment separates me from my left side neighbor while the worse looking segment separates me from the two back side neighbors (back to back properties). One of the back neighbors has a vegetable garden there and I do not want to pollute his garden but I still want to stain/clean my fence. I am planning to use a power washer and an air pressure gun for staining but I am afraid that these might get beyond the fence and that might be trouble. Are there any ways to prevent this ?

The best thing you can do is try and reason with your neighbors. Good fences do make good neighbors and having been in the fence business for 30 years I know how it can be.

Try to explain to your neighbor's that you would like to stain the fence to preserve it. And that you will be paying for the stain and supplying all the labor.

Treating the fence will indeed add many years to the life of the fence. They might consider it if you approached them that way.

But no, you have what is called a shadow box style fence with lattice. Treating one side will not preserve it and there is no way to not get treatment on the other side. It will also look horrible from their side having partially stained areas. Even if your doing it just for aesthetics the same problem will arise.

If they agree when you use the pressure washer be sure and adjust the flow so the stream does not cut into the wood leaving what will look like scrape marks.

The product I use is Preserveawood. It is found only in Home Depot stores. There are three colors, Redwood, Pacific Redwood which is a bit darker and Cedar. Right next to where they sell the Preservawood they sell those little sprayers like bug sprayers. They put them there for a reason. The sealer comes in 5 gallon buckets. One bucket is good for a 400 lf.' of 6' high fence. Cost is about $125 for 5 gallons, $17.00 for the sprayer. DO NOT get the $10.00 sprayer it will clog up.

Just be sure and mix it well, pour it in the bug sprayer and spray it on. The sprayers come with 3 fan tips that give an even spray. Use gloves because it is oil base. The wood sucks the treatment up. Very easy and effective. It will last for 5 years or more actually.


Outdoor faucet's indoor shutoff valve not working - OK to drip water out of faucet through winter? We have an outdoor faucet on the side of the house with a shutoff valve that no longer appears functional. (Thankfully, the house's main water valve does shut off water, but many other valves appear to not shut water off at all or at least not completely.) Obviously this needs plumbing, but for various reasons that might come later rather than sooner, and I wonder what can be done about that outdoor faucet in the  mean time.

I'm shocked it has not frozen already, given continuously below freezing temps here in the northern stretches of northeast USA. When we open the outdoor faucet, water pours out with full force whether or not the indoor shutoff valve is cranked as far closed as it will go.

The simplest solution to ease our nerves about this pipe freezing in the mean time seems to be letting the outdoor faucet run a little bit - a very slight stream / steady drips - until we fix this or temperatures rise. Steadily pouring water a couple of feet from the side of the house seems like an iffy idea to me though, at least if doing it for more than a few days (I may be talking 2-4 weeks.) Is it OK to let an outdoor faucet drip overwinter to prevent freezing when the pipe can't be shutoff from indoors?

Faucet pops out of cedar siding above rim joists, a couple feet above ground level. Below the faucet's pipe is a basement with painted concrete floor & walls. I'm weighing risk-benefit to some extent, because even if this particular pipe froze, that might not be too disastrous. Then again, maybe it has ripple effects I'm not considering.

Heat tape is going to be your best bet until you can repair the hose bib. Leaving it dripping that long is incredibly wasteful, plus you'll get a mound of ice piling up where it hits the ground, and you still run the risk of the pipe freezing.


Why does my bath faucet drip for a few minutes after it's shut off? I have a traditional two handled (one hot and one cold and they are separate) bath faucet. I recently had it reseated and the washers replaced, however, what I noticed was that immediately after shut off, there is still water coming out of the faucet, but slowly after a 3-5 minutes there eventually will not be any water dripping out of the faucet. All my other faucets in the bathroom do not drip at all immediately after shut off. I can't figure out why. I really want to understand if this is normal or whether this is fixable. It's annoying to me now because every time I use the bath I tend to stare at the faucet until it stops dripping.

This picture looks very similar to my bath faucet.

I have an American Standard Cadet 2-handle faucet which does precisely the same thing.  And don't feel lonely, I do the same as you too. lol I bet the final pesky dripping has to do with the associated residual layer of water on the inside of the pipes after the handles are turned off.  Just like an upended ketchup bottle which is empty enough to no longer squirt, but left inverted will eventually cease dripping once gravity has removed the layer of ketchup from the inside surfaces.  I realize this is opinion, however I've pondered the pesky drips while sitting in my tub many, many times over the years.  That's pretty personal experience...


Question to code-legal of space between walls where circuit breaker box is located I have the following challenge. The building I am in is undergoing a 40 year recertification which also involves each apartment. The breaker box had been build in the a small closet which is located between the kitchen and the entrance door. The space from the box to the opposite wall is 25", the wall itself has a length of 27" the height is normal room height. If by code the distance breaker to opposite wall must be 30" it seemes that I might have a problem. Any advice?

I tried to show the layout - see below, is not 100% accurate, just for illustration. For example the entrance door and the wall to the left from the door is about 12" inside the apartment so to speak!

The code reference 110.26 requires 30” wide and 30” in front with 6-1/2’ head room as a minimum.
If this is an original instillation it will be allowed to stay. If there was a remodel making the small area they may require removal.
Most of the inspections for moving a home (the electrical must meet all current code after the move) The inspectors were looking at:
GFCI’s, AFCI’s, Tamper resistant outlets. Verification that the bathrooms and kitchens had the current code required branch circuits.
I have only done 3 of these in my career but all 3 were similar. The last one the panel was in the bathroom (not allowed now & I did not have to move it).I did add a door that when open blocked access to the sink and tub.


No ground on any receptacles in my entire house? I noticed one of my surge protectors didn't have the ground indicator light on. I tested each receptacle with a tester and every single one in the house said "bad ground". I confirmed the tester worked fine by testing at another location. I visually inspected each ground screw and wire nut connection on the receptacles and switches. Nothing was visibly wrong. The utility company said everything was fine on their end.

Here's a photo of the main box heading into the house. Note the 2nd from the top bare copper wire connects to the rod in the ground. The ground rod does seem a little loose though. Could that cause this issue though?

Photo of the inside breaker box.

I have not done any work inside the panels & the home is a manufactured home built in 1996.

Google drive for higher quality images. https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=1dxc5dioE0HfCzEHA32i5dFQ-wqAYTe2i

From looking at your photo's, I see your main breaker (first pic) is connected up properly, and I am assuming the bare conductor is your system grounding conductor. What I don't see is a properly sized ground conductor coming from the main beaker to your subpanel. It should be attached to your ground bar in the subpanel. That would be the buss on the left and attached to the large lug on the bottom.

So when your subpanel was installed someone pulled two phase conductors and a neutral conductor but no ground conductor. That would mean your panel has no ground and neither do any circuits coming out of the subpanel.

Needless to say this is not a good situation. In fact potentially dangerous. Assuming this is a 100A service you need to pull a minimum #8 ground wire between the Main Disconnect and the Subpanel. If you want to be safe pull a #6 ground and that would cover everything up to a 200A service. Of course this should be corrected immediately.

Good Luck.


Are the washer drain and electrical outlets underneath up to code? My daughter got her washer and dryer only to find out that the water supply/drain is 6 feet from the ground.  Obviously none of the hoses can reach.  I am aware that the maximum height for washer drain is 36"....anything higher can cause overflow/backflow.  The 2 outlets underneath....the left one is the dryer outlet and other is standard non gfci.  The Landlord is crappy and wont put ANY money into ANY repairs.  He said to buy extra long water supply hoses and hang the washer drain pipe into a large trashcan.....being since you don't typically find them that long.  Please breakdown Which code specifies potential problems for this setup.  The Landlord asked why it wasn't code.

What needs to be done to correct this?

As mentioned above, I'd consider putting the washer on a platform (can be built pretty quickly), with room for the operator. It's low cost and solves the issue. Have the landlord do it. :) Unless he wants to risk his basement being flooded by backflow from the washer. The basement should support a standard washer.


How can I get this elbow off my shower drain, or do I need to replace the entire assembly? I've had a shower that drains extremely slowly. I added an air admittance vent. After doing so, apparently I was too rough on the connections b/c the shower started leaking like crazy the next day. Luckily the floor in the bathroom was already ripped out b/c of the toilet leaking 2 weeks previous! Behind the shower,the water was evident at the top of the elbow. It did not leak from the work I did the previous day. Apparently it's been leaking just slightly for a while (as you can see all the rust on the concrete below) and I aggravated it just enough to open the flood gates.

Now I've gotten new ABS pieces to replace the old ABS and that old iron(?) elbow. However, I can't get the elbow off AT ALL. I've been using an extremely large set of channel-locks and WD-40 Rust-Release Penetrant but no-go. Additionally, the brass(?) drain assembly it's all connected to shifts as I attempt to twist the elbow off.

It also doesn't even look like I've got enough clearance to get an ABS elbow in there in the first place. Is there going to be a way to do this without taking the entire tub out?

EDIT: With the old work still on:

Yes there is a way to do this with out removing the tub. You will need to be very careful doing it though as you could end up doing more work if you do not use care.

Get yourself a 3 inch cutoff wheel and cut a slot on the outside of the elbow perpendicular to the threads, take care not to cut all the way to the threads - you only want to get CLOSE - like a 1/16th or 1/8th away from the threads of the inner pipe.
You will need to do this in at least 2 places but given that elbow (thanks for posting a picture) - most likely 4 places. Once you do that you can use a pry bar or screw driver to push the lip of the elbow away from the threads - this will break it free enough to allow you to remove the elbow. Kind of like peeling back an onion ...

Remember when you are close to those going through the elbow to the threads - STOP. That way you do not harm the threads on the other pipe. A small nick will not be a problem but cutting those threads might create a leakage issue.


LG TROMM washing machine says door is open but it is closed I suspect it is some kind of mechanical or electric connection that is not working but am at a loss on how to find out how to fix it.  It is a few years old but works fine.

I sometimes get it to work by opening or closing it or pushing on the door.

the door shuts tightly even when the error code says it is open.

EDIT
The problem is intermittent.

TROMM Steam washer
Model number:
Wm2688HWM

According to this parts page: http://www.searspartsdirect.com/model-number/wm2688hwm/3204/0153200.html

you probably need a new washer door lock switch: http://www.searspartsdirect.com/lg-washer-parts/6601ER1004C/0026/795/model-WM2688HWM/3204/0153200.html

Part number 6601ER1004C; it's available from Amazon, both quickly (and more expensive) and cheaper (and more slowly).

To confirm, see if you can figure out how the door latches closed, and where the switch is, and then try operating it by hand.


Can I extend my sump pump outlet and dig it down in the ground? I attached an image of what I want, but essentially the water pools 6 feet from the house and ends up creating a swampy area for my dog to run though right out side the door.
Can I add a 45 degree and tilt it down run a 4 foot pipe, add another 45 and run another ~10 foot pipe, all graded slightly down towards the front of my house and essentially bury it under the ground and have it come out under my fence into a trench into the middle of my neighbors yard and mine?
Another option could be to do a 90 down, do like 1 inch then a another 90 just to get it in the ground a bit... and just do a 45 and run it to the corner of the fence under ground. I'm just worried to many joints will impede the flow.
So my question is, what is the drawback of extending this pipe that long if there is any, and am I going about this the right way?
Top Left corner is what it is now, purple pipe is what I want to add.

There really aren't any hard-and-fast rules here as long as you don't work the pump too hard. Plenty of homes in my area have sump lines running all the way to the street gutter at 100 feet or more. You're right that you want to minimize bends, but a few won't hurt. The critical point is that the pipe is large enough. If you're talking about standard 1-1/4" pipe you're fine. Smooth-wall rigid pipe is best.


How can I wire an array of ceiling lights for easy reconfigurability? I want to put in 16 new recessed lights (roughly a 4x4 grid), and I want to control them with two panels (one on each entrance to the room) of switches.  But since we are constantly rearranging the furniture, I don't know which groups of lights I want to control with each switch, as it is subject to change.

How can I wire this up in such a way that I can (relatively) easily reconfigure which switches control which lights?

While you are talking about switches, I would suggest using dimmers, if your light source allows you.  Incandescent, low voltage, LED and some screw in CFLS can be dimmed and that would really change the look of your room.  Straight plug in PL's like 4 pin compact fluorescents in most cases wont be dimmable.  Also, watch your wattage, but from the sounds of what you want to do, it probably wont be a problem.  You can get dimmers from probably $5.00 to $50.00, depending on the quality and the light source.  Lutron is my favorite dimmer, but there are other brands that are well made.
Here's another way that won't be cheap, but it's probably the cheapest in 'home automation'.  There are many systems out there, most are easily customized for zones or scenes.  They come in switches and dimmers, even some can be set up as a switch and dimmer.  All of these wire up like a switch of dimmer would, and are easily expandable. It just depends on what is in your wallet, the rest is up to your imagination. Here is the Insteon brand;

Here are some of the brands that I can think of, Leviton Viziz RF, Cooper Wiring Device Aspire RF or as shown in the pictures, Insteon.
All are good but Insteon is backwards compatible with X10 and has more security, garage door monitoring, remote monitoring and as with all above, you can easily access your system from your browser, anywhere in the world.


Would it make sense to have a bathroom without a sink? I had this idea to maximize the amount of space in my small bathroom, to redo it and the kitchen in one go, put the kitchen sink next to the bathroom, and skip the bathroom sink.
A quick internet search doesn't give me any examples of this being done, but I can't think of a reason not to do it. Sure, it's a little strange, and guests might think I'm crazy, but hand-washing is just a door away...
Is there a reason not to do this, beyond "not normal", or resale value, because I've already considered this ? Are there examples of this being done anywhere ?

Unless every one of your guests wipes the inside door knob down (and disposes of the cleaning material) each time, you have no guarantee of hygiene, assuming you do the same thing. Each time.

And, it's a kitchen. We humans have evolved to that point where we generally don't allow (or try not to allow) fecal bacteria to commingle with the stuff that we eat.

What if you need to clean up a little kid who's not quite potty trained? Would you go back and forth between sink and toilet? How about vomit in the bathroom? How would you clean that up without needing to rush back and forth? So many other use cases come to mind.

Yeah, I wouldn't recommend this.


Why do my garage door opener remotes need to be reset frequently? The remote for my garage door opener needs to be reset frequently.  I have two different remotes and they both need to be reset frequently so the problem seems to be with the garage door opener.  Is there something I can do to fix this problem?  Can I replace just a circuit board or something?  It's a pain to reset the remotes once a week or so. Does anyone know what causes this problem and how to fix it?

What is the condition of the batteries in the remotes? Make sure that you have good fresh batteries so that a strong signal gets to the garage door opener base unit.

Also evaluate if it is possible that something has changed in the area around the garage door main unit. Have you recently placed some large metal object nearby that may affect the RF signal path from the remote to the base unit. Maybe an alumimum extension ladder or a metal storage cabinet.

Lastly is it possible that a neighbor may have a similar model opener to yours and it uses a "rolling code" security feature. Your opener could be picking up some stray signals from their opener and making yours get out of sync with your transmitter dongles.


off grid solar connecting mixed panels best options Recently I bought a 35 watt 12v solar panel, I have a small pond 5 watt panel that supposedly is 12v as well. I wanted to combine and use both of these panels for an off grid application.
I want to install these in parallel to keep the voltages the same, I know that I will lose some output wattage due to connecting/mixing panels of different amps.  My confusion comes in on how to connect them together, what is the best possible way.

Should I connect them together in parallel first then run one positive and negate wire to the controller?  Or should I run both panels, 2x positive and 2x negative wires to the controllers +  and - terminals?  Right now I’m looking at a PWM controller but I’m not sure how well this will handle what I’m trying to accomplish. Should I use a MPPT controller instead? I rad that its better to keep batteries that are not of the same specs separated, for example using two controllers since most controller only have one + and – terminal. I could plug the 5 watt into one controller and the 35 watt into the other then run the wires from both controllers to the 12v battery. This seems a little excessive for what am doing but im looking for a safe way to do this and get the most watt output possible.

Also have have these panels mounted on a fence post, the post is obviously in the ground, should I be grounding any of the other components ? Im assuming since the post is in the ground that its grounded and so I are the panels attached to it via a metal bracket?

One last thing, I know that panels have many voltage ratings and one is VOC, when I tested the 35 watt panel the VOC was 21 volts as stated in the panel, however the 5 watt was only about 10v, there is no specs sheet on this panel. I know they produce difference amps but is this VOC reading on the 5 watt normal?

My last question is where should the load plug into, I know the charge controllers have a load terminal, but if I want to plug in more then one load I read that I should be connecting directly to the battery, is this correct? I know I might need a bus terminal if this is the case.

I would appreciate any responses and thoughts to this, this is my 1st time doing something like this and I want to get it jut right.
Thanks, Paul

10 VOC for the 5 Watt panel means there is a problem with it.
Clean the panel, test again.
If still under 12 V it will not help your system anyway.


Sink clogged completely when using NaOH drain cleaner I used a drain cleaner containing sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to unclog it. I followed the drain cleaner's instructions to the letter:

pour the NaOH into the pipe entrance.
pour hot water.

As soon as I started pouring hot water, it started pooling. No water would pass through. The sink was completely clogged now, because the NaOH formed a solid "bathtub plug" inside the pipe! (I could see solid white NaOH)

Pouring more water had no effect, so I carefully threw citric acid grains (a weak acid, contained in lemons), hoping the acid would react with the base (NaOH). Initially, the acid reacted with the NaOH (I could see bubbles coming out), but then it stopped completely.

WARNING: Acid and NaOH reactions can be very violent. In my case there was enough water to act as a heat-sink preventing boiling and splashing, and I was adding acid slowly. I can't emphasize enough how dangerous NaOH is. Use full face protection and gloves, otherwise you could go blind or get severe skin burns.

I don't want to open the pipes (if flow is restored it could splash NaOH solution on me).

Is there any other way to safely unclog the NaOH?
What exactly happened? Why did NaOH block the pipe completely, and why did the acid become ineffective after a while?

Sidenote on why I did it:

My partially clogged kitchen sink would allow small amounts of water to pass through the pipe. I've been using a plunger when it was getting clogged (snake was ineffective).

A plumber had told me in the past, that the problem is deep inside the wall (about 3 meters into the pipe) and is very hard to fix. He also suggested using NaOH a couple of times a year to keep it clean.

Top view and side view respectively:

How to unclog it

!!! WARNING !!!
Put on gloves, and full face protection gear! NaOH can cause severe burns or even permanently blind you. You wouldn't want even a droplet on your eyes, since (unlike your skin) they have no protection at all.

(Before trying my method below, give a try to the other suggestion by @Jaroslav Voller. Try not to pierce the pipe if you use a screwdriver, though.)

Take 2-3 straws and insert each one into the holes. No I'm not joking.

Then pour hot water through them using your tap. The hotter the water the more soluble NaOH and the salts you created, will be. Which will make the whole process faster. Just let the water run until it is unclogged.

Be careful with this water since it contains large amounts of NaOH and is corrosive.

This will remove the NaOH layer, but your initial problem will probably not be solved so you will have to try using the drain cleaner again, but this time use less NaOH.

Why it happened

The grid at the entrance of the pipe reduces water flow. My assumption is that the excessive amount of NaOH you used, along with the reduced water flow right after, caused the NaOH to boil instantly the small amount of water that was already present and formed the solid NaOH layer which you described.

Pouring water doesn't work because the water already present, along with the grid, reduces the flow above the NaOH layer, meaning it will dissolve very slowly or perhaps not at all.

When you started throwing the citric acid, it dissolved in the water and reacted with the NaOH, increasing the temperature locally and also creating a sort of "salt", sodium citrate.

Initially it was soluble but as soon as it's concentration increased and the temperature dropped, it's solubility dropped as well, forming a layer of salt (blue color in the figure below), which actually separated your acid and base. This is why they stopped reacting.

Using the straws to guide the water flow directly on those layers will do the trick. The layers will be dissolved within a few minutes.

Note: Colors in the figures do not represent the actual colors of the substances used.


Replacing Door Header After Pocket Door Removal I'm in the middle of opening up a doorway where a pocket door once lived. This is in the first floor of a single story home in a wall that runs along the I-beam (which is below this floor in the basement), so I'm 99% sure it's a loadbearing wall. I know the pocket door framing members weren't really supporting any load even when the pocket door was in there, but I'm still worried about the current configuration . Now that it is removed I can see the pocket door framing was installed by cutting into the header.

My ultimate goal is to just leave this entryway open so I am not planning installing another door. I'm looking for some insight on where I should go from here? Should I hire an engineer to look at it? Should I remove some more of the plaster to see what the header looks like? What type of contractor would I hire if I wanted to get the header replaced?

You indicate there is an “I-beam” located above the pocket door. (I presume that’s a steel I-beam.) The I-beam will support all vertical loads from above and transfer them to the footings. The wood beam above the pocket door is merely for supporting the pocket door.


Can I install recessed lighting in vaulted ceiling with 6" rafters? I would like to install recessed lighting in my vaulted ceiling.  One contractor I spoke with suggested not doing that because the rafters are shallow (only 6 inches), which does not leave much room for the light housing and not much room for insulation and a channel for moisture to escape.  Basically it will compromise the insulation of the roof. I already have ice dams that build up when there is heavy snow, so I don't want to add to the insulation problems. Any ideas as to if this can be done safely with 6" of roof to work with?  I would be using insulated lighting (ICAT).

You can install a shallow 6" can made for 2x6 construction.  Halo H27ICAT is the 6" you can use.  Lots of manufacturers make these shallow cans.

You can use regular incandescent, fluorescent and LED lamps and have a large selection of trims.  The only drawback is you can't use taller lamps or they might stick out the bottom.  The most common is the 50PAR30 / 75R30 style lamps.  These are also made in remodel style in case the ceiling is already up.

Here is the spec sheet for the H27

EDIT

I'll give this another try.  I originally deleted this answer because it is not a slope can.  Where I work, some people use regular can lights and use adjustable trims.  Because of the depth you have, 8 inches, this can is 5-1/2 inches.  I suggest you use a gimbal ring trim.  It works like a eyeball, but the lamp is recessed so you don't get that 'bug eye' some people associate with eyeball trims.  You can get the above can in 5 inch or 6 inch round cans, both IC rated, depending on the manufacturer your supplier uses.  Think about a trim like this.

Make sure you use the same manufacturer as the can and trim to cover yourself.  This gives you 2-1/2 inches for your channel and insulation.  If this doesn't float your boat try going to a local lighting showroom and look at what they might have.  If you want recessed you will find what you want. Consider LEDs to keep from getting the ladder out if your slope gives you a tall ceiling.  While considerably more, doing it all together will be less painful.  Either way PAR30 Halogen or PAR30 LEDs offer different beam spreads, so you can at least do something with the lighting.The biggest problem is you can't shine the light back to the wall, mostly straight down or with the angle the can is hung, not backwards.  If you choose this, don't forget the dimmers!


'Green' alternative to TSP for cleaning walls for paint preparation Based on some of my cursory research, TSP seems to be bad for the environment and is toxic. So just to play it on the safe side I want to see what people have used that is effective for preparing walls for painting.

TSP is suppose to clean and degrease the walls. What other things do that?
Simple Green(?), vinegar, etc.

I've seen substitutes out there but I want to know what works the best and gives the same results as TSP.

It's not easy but it provides a piece of mind. I've just been using 3M sponges with scrub-pads and Meyers Household Cleaner.

I've peeled the wallpaper in three rooms and followed up with a good scrub. Let it Dry. Then spackle and sand spots (120 or finer) that need it. Let that Dry. Then sand patches and lightly sand whole wall. Wipe down with a damp sponge rinsing out dust as you go. Let Dry. Paint with two coats.


How can I conceal a gap between a wall and newly installed vinyl flooring that I cut too short? I cut my new vinyl flooring too short, causing a gap at one wall.  How can I cover it up?

You can use quarter round to extend your baseboards and cover small gaps.

(source: houserepairtalk.com)

If the gap is really large you can cut a new larger piece of the flooring and line it up with the current floor in order to create a hopefully invisible seam.  I think it generally looks better to have two large pieces with a seam instead of one large piece and one small piece.


What should I check if my chainsaw fails to start? My chainsaw stopped working and I've got a tree that fell and needs cut up.  Does anybody have any idea what I can do to get my chainsaw started? I've done a bit of stuff on cars so I'm willing to try to take it all apart, though part of me is tempted to just drop $200 for a new one.  Still, an afternoon tinkering isn't going to cost me much.  Here is what I tried:

So Far:

check gas in tank Add Star Tron or Stabil Fuel Additive
check for spark with screwdriver.
Check Air Filter / intake for clogs
Check Fuel Filter / to cylinder.
Check linkages for Start/Stop and choke levers are operating
Clean Magneto of Rust, ensure it holds a screwdriver up.
Clean carburetor and fuel lines, especially if it may contain old fuel.

It's a husqavarna about 5 years old.  I ran it hard 3 years ago when I had another tree topple but it made it through, though I may have vapor locked it once.  It's also not been running since I failed to start it last year and it's been sitting there.  With the spring I need to get on it before the weeds come.

Most two cycle engines are sensitive to the newer gasoline blends that can contain up to 10% ethanol. Get a small bottle of fuel additive for small engines and add a small amount of that into your gas tank. It should run a lot better after that. I had a similar problem with my leaf blower last year and this did the trick.

Star Tron is a much better brand than Stabil by the way.

If you are still having trouble and you have already checked the spark plugs, sometimes the magneto can have a buildup of rust on the surface that prevents it from generating enough current to sustain repeated firing of the spark plug as the engine turns.  Take apart the pull start mechanism on the chainsaw until the magneto is exposed, and take a fine grit sandpaper to it to rub off all the rust that has formed on it by sitting all these years.  To clarify the magneto is the part that is magnetic, it should grab your screwdriver.


Detecting voltage at garage door opener control panel wire I've removed our previous 20 year old garage door opener and am installing a new one. I'm now at the step of wiring the new control panel to the wall. The garage is finished, and the old control had wiring behind the drywall. There is a brown cable and inside it is a black and white wire, one end going to the control panel on the wall, and the other end coming out of the middle of the ceiling in the garage (to go to the old garage door opener).
I'm using a contactless voltage detector and it's detecting voltage on both of those black and white wires, even though there is no garage door opener (let alone one that is plugged in), and the voltage is detected at both ends of both of these wires. Why would this be? The control panel on the wall is just above a light switch, is it perhaps detecting some "phantom" voltage from that or something? I dont think that would explain why it is detected at the ceiling, where there is no light switch (there is a light, but a few feet away).
My new garage door opener came with a new control panel cable, so I can use that. But I wanted to reuse this wire if possible so that I dont need to put unsightly wires stapled to the drywall. However, I dont want to damage the new garage door opener with improper wiring.

Contactless testers are notoriously unreliable.
The best thing to do is to locate the other end of the wire, which should have been connected to your old opener, and check continuity between the BLACK on each end and the WHITE on each end.  There should also be no continuity between the BLACK and the WHITE wires.
These are typically just a simple momentary pushbutton switch that shorts the BLACK and WHITE and that triggers the opener to cycle.
Unlike furnace control wires and doorbell wires, garage door opener controls do not have external power supplies.


Shelving units anchored to drywall and metal studs - Load Bearing and Safety Concerns We are interested in purchasing a residence that has a workshop attached to it. The owner has erected metal shelving units like those shown in the attached photos. The shelving units are anchored to the drywall and metal studs.

There is no load bearing information attached to the shelving units. If we left the shelving in place and accidentally put too much weight on it, it could buckle the metal studs and fall down. If that scenario occurred, that could result in damage and personal injury.

If we have the owner remove it, repair and repaint the drywall, then there would be no future hazard or liability to anyone. If we needed shelving in the future, we could go and purchase and know what the load bearing capacity is and have professionally installed.

What steps should we take or how could we assess if these shelving units were installed properly and safely?

You could hire a structural engineer to access.

However, you do have the 'test of time' test, they've been there and are working. However, they also appear to be lightly loaded.

Those shelves appear to be very strong and likely properly installed or they would have failed already, or show signs of failing.

You're right be concerned about the wall studs, with shelves like this, the failure point could be the studs themselves. If the stud flange is not braced then it will fail in bending, out of the wall at the top of the shelf bracket, into the wall at the bottom. The screw threads could also pull through the metal of the stud.

If you're concerned about it, than do as you suggest, it seems that you have nothing to lose by removing them. Or it's on the seller to prove that they are ok or at least provide maximum loading.


Can I use horizontal 90 degree elbows to run a p trap along a wall? Off center vent stack (see picture). Can I use a 90 degree elbow out of the vent stack, run drain pipe along the wall, and then another 90 degree elbow so that the p track will point directly backwards (towards the wall)? The drain pipe and 90 degree elbows will be 100% level. Will this siphon the trap? Please post any problems with this idea.

The specifics of this largely depend on your local plumbing code, and so what is acceptable during an inspection depends on that. Your inspector will be able to tell you for sure.
Elbows
My reading of Ontario build code section 7.5.6.3 says this would not be allowed:

(c) the trap arm does not have a cumulative change in direction of more than 135°.

90+90 = 180°, so that's too much.
Trap Arm Length
The other factor is trap arm length, and that depends on pipe size. Since this is a vanity I'll assume 1 1/4". To make that work, you need:

1.5m (5 ft) maximum length
1:50 slope (eg, 1/4" drop for every 1')

Fix
One option, if there's space, is to use a 90+45 (135° total) to route the pipe out:

Or you could also do it the other way around, though that would require opening the wall and cutting into the vent stack:

And if you're going to cut into the wall anyway, another option is re-route the pipe to use a single 90:

Which one makes more sense is going to depend on space available and where the studs are.


Question about fixing footer drains with no access House is in Midwest. Built in 1997.

In 5 years we have had water come in at the same spot via the basement floor 2 times. Once during a massive spring rainstorm and once when 4 feet of snow melted very fast. I am looking for some opinions on the best way to prevent this short of destroying my deck and digging out around the foundation of my house.

Backstory:

My backyard slopes towards my house. I have a gutter system tied to the storm water drain that includes a drain in the backyard and perforated pipes connected and buried in the backyard as well. I had a plumber come out and camera/snake that whole system out. There were no real backups found. It seems to be working as intended. The prevailing theory is that that the footer drain could have mud or junk slowing it down when water does get to the house.

My issue is that the entire back of my house has a big deck built on it. There are no clean outs for the footer drains. It looks like soil has eroded under the deck so there is no good slope away from the house. All the drains and perforated pipes I described above start in the yard after the deck. So I have a decent system of moving water away from the house until you get to the deck.

The <= $10K options seem to be...

Dig a clean out for the footer on the side of the house. Try to see if it is clogged and snake it or fix any broken sections if they exist.
Dig a sub pump system and let the water into the basement to get it out. This does not seem very ideal to me.

Would there be any benefit to pulling up some slats of the deck to add soil to slope water away? I just don't want to tear down the entire deck.

Any opinions/observations would be appreciated.

I encountered a similar situation. After extensive research I found a drainage contractor in North Carolina who recommends digging up each plank as needed and digging a ditch for channel drain. It looks like their deck in video below had wider planks so easier to dig in that slot after pulling off wood plank. Hopefully yours is wide enough.
FRENCH DRAIN UNDER WOOD DECK, Apple Drains, Charlotte North Carolina
23K views
https://youtu.be/Z-mAzGY8-Zw


How do you maintain good posture when working on things on the floor? Over the past few days I've been working on some aluminum frames which are fairly large and don't fit on any tables (without stuff piled on them) I have.  Now, my back is starting to hurt from being hunched over for so long.  (How) can I work on things on the floor without causing myself much pain?

Don't spend more than 15 minutes in that position at a time. Get up, stretch your back, take a drink of water. Stretch forward, backwards, side-to-side, and twist both ways. Roll your shoulders forward and back. Stretch neck in a similar pattern. Be gentle to yourself.

Also, you can do some back-strengthening exercises (when you've recovered from this project) to get you ready for next time. See https://fitness.stackexchange.com/q/153/234


How can I figure out why this electrical receptacle is dead? One of the rooms in my house has a 20A circuit. I plugged an 11A device to one of the receptacles in that room for the entire day. Walked away, came back and that device was powered down. I connected something else to the same receptacle to test it and the receptacle is dead.

All other receptacles in the same room and on the same circuit are working fine.

Is it possible this receptacle (120V, standard US) has its own fuse, and could that fuse be tripped by a device running constantly but without apparent fluctuations in current draw?

I'm new to the US and wasn't aware of the fact that in many houses the light switch on the wall actually controls one of the electric receptacle in the room. It was just off.


Q. Should I be able to push up shingles on edge of new roof? Just had my roof replaced with architectural shingles. Should I be concerned that I can push up the portion of the shingles over hanging the roof edge by about an inch?

According to GAF Roofing manufacturer’s installation guide, the shingles should overhang the rake between 1/4” and 3/4”.

Here’s their website that explains it better: https://www.gaf.com/en-us/document-library/documents/residentialroofing/shingles/glenwood/glenwood_shingles_application_instructions_english_spanish_french.pdf

Yes, you should be able to push the shingles up about 1”, but if they extend too far beyond the edge of the roof (especially in a high wind area like you live in) they’re more susceptible to blow off.

Also critical is the correct number of nails per shingle. In high wind areas, 6 nails are required.

GAF is a major Roofing manufacturer in the U.S., but I’d check with your shingle manufacturer’s instructions.


What are these parts described by the service manual? The service manual for a LG WM3677HW shows a very bad diagram... and I'm not very familiar with the parts to ID them.

The image above tells me to probe 3 components, and if out of spec replace them.

The dry heather resistance I can guess is the middle one (bulkier and solder instead of simpler connectors. the others two I need help.

Here's the picture of the actual part:

(image is huge! right click and View Image on new tab)

any clues about what is what?

Edit:
Just went and measured all the 3 points. I hope the 1st one in the diagram is the middle one in the picture... then the other 2 would be open, resulting in no part needing replacement, right? ...regardless of what they are?

Center one is the element. You can tell because it has a metal outer tube, white ceramic filler and a center nichrome wire which is the heating element. It is a loop and each end of the loop is the spade terminals attached to the center nichrome wire. This is a typical build for an immersion heating element.

On the other two, it's a moot point which is which as they're both showing continuity at two tenths of an ohm and should be ok.

The thermal fuse would be showing infinity if it failed and is probably the one on the left. It will be long, rectangular and the body projects into the hot water stream so it will fail if it gets overheated.

The right side item looks big enough (round center section with two wings that have the spade terminals) to have one of those snap action thermal discs and is probably the thermostat.


Building a raised wall for a pond We are looking to build a small pond (9'x18'x6'), but we want the edge to be raised up about 8". I am thinking about using CMUs (Concrete Masonry Units) which are 8x8x16. The entire pond will be lined with an EPDM pond liner.

My question is that since some of the water will be pushing up next to the blocks, how do I figure out to engineer this so that the blocks don't push out?

Concrete footing?
Rebar in some of the blocks?
Rebar in all of the blocks?
Fill the openings of each block with concrete?

So, I have a pretty good idea of how to over engineer this, but I don't want to waste time and money though either.

If you don't have any concrete answers, but if you know where I can find this information, that would be great too.

This website has a good explanation of hydrostatic forces on a dam surface. You could build your wall with a submerged lip to help counteract the moment applied by the water pressure on the vertical face of the wall.

Image from TheConstructor.org

I did some quick calculations and got the following:

So to sum up my incoherent scribblings, assuming a 30 lb cinder block holding back 8" of water and a coefficient of friction between the ground and the blocks of 0.4 (which I think is conservatively low), the blocks will not tip, but they will be pushed backwards by the hydrostatic force.

Reducing the water level to 6" results in the wall being able to withstand the hydrostatic force by a small margin. Even so, you'd be risking high water conditions after a heavy rainfall destroying your wall. It will need reinforcement. You could do that by pouring concrete into the voids and increasing the weight of each block to greater than 46 lbs. You could also drive a rebar stake on the inside of each block against the side holding back the water.

NOTE: I did quick calculations and made a lot of assumptions. This answer is an estimate and should not be considered professional advice. (Translation: Please don't get pissed off at me and track me down if your pond floods your yard.)


Are there insulated covers available for attic fans? I have an attic fan that leaks a lot of attic air down to the living area. Are there insulated covers that can be placed on the underside, living area side of the fan that can insulate from the attic? But can easily be removed if the attic fan is needed? Maybe something that is insulated and magnetic or has velcro?

I've checked with Home Depot and local hardware store with no luck.

Answer: Yes, there are covers available for 'whole house fans' but there is not a huge selection out there.

You might consider making something yourself.


Is this dimmer wired the wrong way around? I've inherited the wiring shown below. The two dimmers on the left operate separate lights, but I notice the L1 from the middle dimmer is connected to the Com on the left dimmer. Does this mean that the middle dimmer is wired the wrong way around? Should the daisy chaining of the incoming live wire not be from Com to Com?

I do believe it is wired backwards.  That would never be tolerable in a DC (direct-current) system.

However, AC reverses 100 times a second (giving 50 full cycles per second). A funny side-effect of that is that some things don't care about being back-fed, e.g. breakers.

If your dimmers are one of those, then you got lucky.

However, I would expect that such a direction-agnostic dimmer is not very LED friendly.  It's really past time to upgrade to LED lighting. They have been quite good for several years now. The power bill alone will pay for the dimmers inside a year.


Installing cushion vinyl over carpet I plan to put some cushion vinyl over my corridor carpet. I will be using proper cut sheets and not just off cuts as shown in the picture.  Later on I will pull the carpet out from underneath the vinyl and glue it down.

I know this is not the most professional way but I need to do it now as the carpet is making me sick and I don’t have time to place boards then glue vinyl on right now.  I know there will be bubbling in the meantime.

My questions are:

if I cut the vinyl to shape while it is on the carpet, when I remove the carpet can I expect the vinyl to fit nicely or might a gap develop in which case how much extra sheet should I keep on the edges?
In order to cut the vinyl to shape, if I place the carpet on top of the vinyl as a template then draw the shape and cut it out, can I get a good fit or will this not work, if so why?

Thanks

You're right, not the best way to do this. The vinyl will shrink a bit when cut if not glued down so don't try to cut it to fit. I'd keep at least an inch so you can trim to fit as you already know how hard it is to trim it accurately.

Using the carpet as a template won't work either because carpet edges are never cut to fit exactly. Their edges are stuffed down between the walls and tack strips. I'd wait until you're ready for the final installation and then get some construction paper and make an exact template by laying out the paper in the hallway and taping it all together. then lay the template over your sheet vinyl and cut with a straight edge and utility knife.


Removing inside walls This is a personal DIY project where I would like to take down completely some interior walls. I've done measurements all around, attic, crawlspace inside/outside, and openings as well.

The house is a rambler style 1956 build, gable roof, one story level simple as is.

Edit/Update: The roof has rafters.

The walls I like to remove are red colored on the 3D model, and marked on the drawing.

The model displays rafters, ceiling joists, posts/pier concrete positions, everything possible probably to know and judge if the walls are bearing or not.

All dimensions are ± 1.5 inches error and can be seen on the below image and also you can visualize the house as a 3D model on your browser to the following link:

http://www.valentinoprea.com/remodeling/

What do you think?

Looking at the 3D model, the wall to the right of the front entrance door is a load bearing wall. It carries the weight from the roof through the wall and then the weight is distributed to the pillars on both sides of the wall. The back inner wall though can safely be removed.

If you choose to remove the load bearing wall, it might not collapse right away (crossing fingers). But in addition to the weight (load) of the roof structure on the wall, there is also the wind load (and that could be catastrophic). Most people don't appreciate the high load wind places on a structure.

Don't remove a load bearing wall without installing a way to transfer the load onto temporary supports. Contact a Structural Engineer if necessary.


Why is silicone caulk "falling" or peeling away from new bath countertop and wall? About 6 months ago, we hired a remodeler/carpenter to install a new bathroom vanity top. They caulked around the vanity and it looked good until a couple of months ago, when it started to gap and tear away from the wall. The wall, which we painted before the vanity was installed, is a glossy paint. I called the remodeler who said that it could be dry and hot air that affects the silicon. So, today, he came back and put some new silicone over the old. It looked ok when he left, but now is buckling again! Here are my questions:

Why is this happening?
Can I simply pick away the silicon and can we reinstall?
Is silicone the best caulk for a bathroom vanity (to fill in the gaps between vanity and wall)?enter image description here

UPDATE: thanks to good suggestions, I used a "level" on both the countertop and the floor. The "bubble" in the level is the same -- slightly off-center to the left -- on both the countertop and floor, leading me to believe that the settling of the house is to blame. Ok, so I can't fix that settling, but how can I at least fill in the gap between the countertop and wall?

This looks like something is shifting and pulling the caulk off the wall. My guess would be the vanity top shifted a bit on top of the vanity cabinet due to not being secured enough to the vanity.
Silicone caulk shouldn't be applied over old silicone caulk. Your contractor should have removed all the old caulk and installed all new caulk. This is something you can and should do.


Can I branch off of a 2 pole 30 amp 10-3 wire found abandoned in a junction box? Hello I was doing some remodeling in my kitchen and found a 2 pole 30amp 10-3 wire abandoned in a junction box under my kitchen island.  its wired to my panel but the breaker was turned off and  not labeled. I checked and it is live when the breaker is turned on.  My question is can I branch out from this with smaller guage wire e.g. 12-2 or 12-3  for outlets and a sink with a disposal for my new kitchen island?  I'm thinking no but not quite sure.

As long as the existing cable has a grounding conductor what you propose is absolutely fine, although you must replace the breaker with the proper two-pole 20A breaker. Although not required I would definitely place a label on the wire in the panel stating it is to be used for a 20A circuit maximum.

I would place the 10/3 in a box and branch off with two 12/2's going to your new loads. This will give you the two 20A dedicated circuits you are looking for.


Can you change the color of caulk when staining grout in a bathroom? I recently had my bathroom renovated, including floor and shower tiles. I love the tile color, but the grout I chose dried a few shades lighter than I expected. I did some research and found that grout can be stained a different color (I.e. grout refresh by Lowe’s). I was planning to add a sealer anyways, so it didn’t seem like a big deal. However, it’s not just grout in all areas. They added caulk in the corners of the shower (the caulk is the same color as the grout).

If I do choose to stain it, or even add a sealer, will that work in the areas that caulk was applied? Do I need to re-caulk, or will the sealer/stainer work on caulk too? Thanks for any advice!!

EDIT: Here's what I used:

Grout: Polyblend "polymer-fortified" non-sanded grout

Caulk: Polyblend "siliconized" non-sanded ceramic tile caulk

Your concern that the grout and caulk might take the stain differently is well-founded. Since the materials are so cheap relative to the effort of re-caulking (or, heaven forbid, re-grouting), you should pick up new grout, caulk and stain, and do a test on a piece of plywood. Make sure the grout and caulk have completely dried, or the results won't be comparable to doing it in your actual bathroom.

If this test works, and you get the same color on the grout and caulk, then you're still left with the uncertainty of how to apply the stain without it discoloring the adjacent tile and fixtures. So, think carefully about how you'd apply it, and do another small test in an inconspicuous part of your bathroom.


Bathroom remodel & Calif Title 24 requirements I'm told that any permit work in my bathroom will trigger Title 24 requirements for humidity sensing exhaust fan and motion sensing lighting. I've found basic info but am confused about a couple of things.

Is a wall switch required/allowed/prohibited to control the humidity-sensing exhaust fan?

The existing overhead light/heater and vanity light are separately controlled from one three-gang switch box near the door. If I replace both fixtures with LED lights, then I still need to provide motion detecting switches, right? Seems weird to have two of these right next to each other, but haven't found a motion detector that switches two circuits. Is there any option here other than two of something like this?

In the switch box, two switches control the combined ceiling light/heater, and one controls the vanity light. I envision replacing the ceiling light/heater with light/fan, using the same two switching circuits.

Your problem: not enough usable wires

The prior installer couldn't get /4 cables, so they bodged together two /2 cables to get the wires they needed going up to the switch.  Thing is, that's no good under a strict interpretation of NEC 300.3(B) and 310.10(H), as AC current creates a magnetic field inside any loop of wire.  If all the wires carrying a given circuit's power out and back are in one cable or conduit, that magnetic field is safely confined in that cable or conduit and thus is harmless.

However, if you take power up in one cable and back down through a different cable, now you have a magnetic field between the two cables.  Any ferrous metal, such as a nail, staple, or piece of box wall, that separates the two cables will get eddy currents induced in it by said magnetic field, and these eddy currents will be dissipated in the metal part as heat.  (Induction cooking relies on the same effect, just at a higher frequency.)   As a result, it is only by way of luck that your prior setup, with 3 hots and 1 neutral split across two /2 presumably-NM cables, didn't set something a-smoldering.

So, given that we have 3 loads and two usable hot/neutral pairs on our hands here, we're left with a choice of which two loads to pair together. One could pair a lighting load with the fan, but that limits your ability to control the lighting in the future, as now that light can't be dimmed at all, nor can the fan be put on a humidistat.  The other option would be to put the lights all together and have the fan by itself, which is what we're going to do here as it gives us more flexibility with controls and also allows more sophisticated fans with built-in sensors to be used.

First, we rework things in the switch box.  The pilot-light is removed, and the white pigtail that connected to the pilot-light is connected to the white wire that formerly connected to the switches with a wirenut after it's been trimmed down to remove the inter-switch part.  This gives us two switched-hots with their own separate neutrals going onward, one for the lights and the other for the fan.  We'll also need to tag which cable had the original neutral in it so that we know which cable is which going up to the fan/light.

We then unwire the ceiling light/fan/heater mess, tagging the cable with the original neutral, as well as the cable going onward to the vanity light, for future reference.  We'll be putting this back together when the new fan/light goes in.

As to controlling this all

The key to our controls is an Enerlites (sometimes rebranded as Topgreener) DWHOS.  This device is a combination humidity and PIR occupancy sensor, designed for bathroom exhaust fan and light control.  In your case, the black and blue wires get connected to the incoming hot in the switch box, while the brown wire (fan hot) goes to the untagged cable's hot wire and the blue wire (light hot) goes to the tagged cable's hot wire.  The sensor's white wire goes into the neutral bundle, while the sensor's green wire is capped off since there are no grounds in the box and this does not appear to be a conduit or BX job.

If you want more finesse than simple ON/OFF control of all the lighting together, that's where things get tricky, as most residential "smart switch" gear doesn't play nicely with occupancy sensing, and there are no dual-relay sensor dimmers either.  One can pull dimming off using a 3-wire fluorescent slide-to-off dimmer such as a Lutron Nova T NTF-10 by powering the dimmer via its switched-hot, capping off the normal line wires, and putting the lights on the dimmed hot, but that's not exactly the intended use of such a dimmer, and it's also not cheap.

(Even if you left the bodge-job wiring between the boxes alone, you'd still be in a bit of a pickle.  One could theoretically use a SensorSwitch SweepSwitch SSPL to derive a vacancy zone for the vanity lights from the occupancy-sensed ambient lighting zone, but I'm not sure what'd happen if you switched the line-hot going into a tapswitch-type dimmer like a Lutron Maestro, and you wouldn't want to use a conventionally switched dimmer due to issues with the switch state not reflecting the state of the light.)

Now, to the fan...

The good news with what I'm proposing is it keeps all the brainpower in the wallbox, which means that you can use a plain old "dumb" fan/light fixture instead of needing to get some fancy humidity-sensing bath fan.  You'll just need to make sure that the fan and light have separate neutrals so that all the current returns down the correct path.

When wiring your fan up, the two hots from the tagged cables get wired to each other and to the fan's light-hot wires, while the tagged cables' neutrals are treated similarly.  The hot and neutral in the non-tagged cable get connected to the fan's fan-hot and fan-neutral, and any earth wires the fan provides are simply capped off.  Note that if the fan sits over the shower/bathtub, it'll need a deadfront GFCI at the switch box for protection; this is possible, but tricky, since the DWHOS does not document which hot it derives its own power from.  (It also means you won't have room for anything more sophisticated with regards to lighting controls.)


How should gaps at edge of an asphalt driveway be filled? I want to reseal my driveway, should gaps at the sidewalk and garage edges be filled?  If so, what sort of product should be used?  Here are some pictures of my driveway.

First vacuum or blow out the leaves.

You can get "asphalt repair caulk" or "crack filler" in standard caulk gun tubes, which will work for the purpose as well as anything will.

If you are trying to level the offset (rather than just fill the crack at the joint) in the first two pictures, you'll need to move to "cold patch" to build the asphalt up to the level of the concrete.


Water is leaking from basement toilet. help I bought this house that was without electricity for 8 months (water pipes froze too).
I have a septic system.
I've removed toilet in the basement and plugged septic pipe (it was filled with water)...
But water is still seeping through that floor hole...

Q: Where is it coming from?
Q: Am I supposed to have a septic pump?

I have a septic alarm in my garage - but I think pump breaker might be off for an actual pump in electrical panel....

toilet pipe
electrical panel
septic alarm?

If water is coming up through the pipe then it is because either your sewer is clogged, you septic tank is full or the leaching field has failed. What you are seeing is a sewage backup. It could be ground water entering your septic tank, or it could also be sewage from elsewhere in the house.  The basement toilet is the lowest drain in the house and this is where the water comes out.

You should check your tank.  If it's full of liquid then there's an issue with your leaching field. If its full of solids then it needs to be pumped. If it is not full, then there is a clog in your main sewer and that needs to be cleared in order for the contents of your drain pipes to empty.


What is the practical difference between cement board and greenboard? When installing tubs I've mostly used cementboard.  I find it a bear to work with though.

A guy I know uses the water resistant greenboard; he claims that for home applications it is entirely adequate.  I've asked at the home center about the difference in reliability, etc. and just gotten shrugs.

Has anyone encountered tub or shower damage where greenboard was used?  Can I switch completely from cementboard to greenboard or are there some applications where I should hesitate?

Greenboard is water resistant, but should not be used in areas that are going to stay damp, such as tub surrounds.

Once water gets into it (especially if it's not sealed correctly, and there's not the requisite gap between the tub and the wallboard), it will slowly deteriorate and/or mold -- it's water resistant, not water proof.

Yes, cement board is a pain to work with, it's better than having to tear out the whole wall because something was off in the installation of the greenboard.

...

All that being said, I believe I've seen some home improvement shows that used greenboard and then waterproof membrane over everything to add an extra layer of water protection when they were doing a shower install (tiling the walls and floor; and there was no tub they were joining up to).

...

You might also want to check with your local government -- it's possible that there might be codes that dictate what you're allowed (or required) to use in shower/tub areas.


Hot water valve in the basement (how do I turn it off?) My tub faucet is leaking.  I know how to fix it,  But the shut off valve is in the center of basement ceiling and  of course it's stuck.
But that's not the question.  I can approach this valve from any angle.
What should I look for to determine the point from where I should turn it?  (N S E W?)   Any ideas?

The green arrow shows the direction to turn to close it.
The purple arrow shows the packing nut discussed in the comments.
I'm not sure what you mean about North, South, etc but if this thing is installed in the ceiling with the red handle pointing up, you could stand directly below it,  reach up and over it with your hand to grab it from above, then turn your body to the right.


Applying wooden planks to masonry wall Introduction

I would like to cover my bathroom walls with wooden planks because it looks downright hipster. Trouble is that there is masonry directly under the surface, and also they will potentially face a lot of moisture from the shower.

The question

What would be the best way to apply about 12sqM of wooden planks (taken from wooden pallets) to this masonry, and would they suffer from moisture in the long run and therefore require special treatment?

We currently have the lower half of the walls covered in tiles which we would like to keep. Any solution will have to work with these.

Ideas

Masonry nail gun
No nails adhesive
Screws with hammer drill (this would take years)

That's about it, thanks for your help!

Our bathroom looks like this:

This is the effect we are going for:

Your question is concerning two things:
1. Proper fitting (wood planks to masonry wall).
2. Proper wood treatment (anti-moisture).

So that's how will my answer look like. Let's look at this.

1. Proper fitting.
I would advise preparing additional support planks going vertically with - say - 1 meter space (that spacing requires additional insight on how much planks will weight, what wall you got and what kind of bolts you will use; use your aptitude and experience or ask a prO). These support planks will be bolted to the wall on all wood-wall height and have only supportive purpose (don't need any beautiful finishing or something). The spacing also determines if (or HOW MUCH) your wood-wall would deform over time. Shorter spaces mean less visible deformations (in short).
Your proper planks - THE planks you want to see as a decorative - will be attached to these supports I mentioned before. That will make support planks perpendicular to these decoratives. Also, I would leave some few centimeters (or, preferably, more) space from the floor to avoid water to be in contact with planks (due to water from shower or cleaning tools) and to let air circulate between masonry wall and wood-wall. Similiar space would be needed up near ceiling.

2. Proper wood treatment.
This will require appropriate info on what you got in stores - all of these chemicals that render your wood water- and moisture-proof (at least for some years...). On that I advise to talk to some shot helper that seem to have proper knowlege.

EDIT concerning question edit :)

The space between masonry and wood is to be kept, I'm afraid. Here are some reasons:

it allows air (and often steam) to travel op the wall; moisture has an occasion to evaporate
using supportive planks lets you not to drill that many holes in a wall (cuz you will connect decorative planks to supportive planks with screws)
it allows planks to deform, avoiding some of tensions that would lead to look bad/destroy it

I'm aware that it may not look as intended with this visible difference between wood and tiles, but you may try either to neutralize that view or use it to your benefit (better visual effect). You can achieve that whatever you like (covering first line of tiles with last line of wood; plaing decorative hangers and so on...).
Of course, You can glue/attach wood to the wall with some glu-ish adhesive, but I guess that wood will 'work' and deform over time. If, later on, You would decide that any refinishing is to be done, it would be easier to unatttach the screws than tearing down (un-glue) all of them.

I would also wait for other DIY-ers to give their opinions as well. Mine is one of many, and I know it :)


What is this brown material in my 1950s-era ceiling light's electrical box? I'm planning to re-wire a ceiling light fixture in order to bring a neutral line down to the switch box. I've identified where all of the lines go in the attic, it's easily accessible and there's no insulation in the wall (it's an interior wall) so this should be an easy project.
However, I opened up the light fixture to check it out and see if anything funny is going on... and I found this:

So far, it looks fairly normal, the neutral and hot wires come together in wire nuts to connect to the fixture. However when I pulled it down a bit further, I found some really weird crap up there surrounding the wires:

What is that stuff? It's taking up space in the box and it's not electrical wires, that doesn't seem like it's safe... Can I pull it out? It's almost like it's a kind of insulation, except it's solid.
For reference, here's what things look like in the attic:

Standard "mud dauber" wasp nests ( in TX). Theold mineral wool thermal insulation has collapsed , pretty typical. It would be well worth getting a price of blowing in fiberglas or putting batts of fiberglas yourself.