Samsung Fridge Freezer RL39WBMS - Fridge Not Cooling But Freezer Working Fine Initial thoughts was that it's likely just the temperature sensor that has gone, so replaced that but unfortunately didn't make a difference.

What is the next best step to fix it? I'd prefer not to have to purchase a new fridge/freezer for the same of a £20-£50 part that likely just needs replacing.

Debugging appliances is not really my thing - I'm more used to debugging computer systems :-)

Sorted.

One of the interesting 'features' of this frost free freezer is that it builds up ice at the bottom so that frost doesn't form throughout. Although this means that you need to get the hammer and chisel out on a regular basis to remove the iceberg from the bottom of the freezer roughly every few months.

On this occasion I was a little slow to get around to doing this. Believe it or not, de-icing a freezer is rarely on the top of my priority list. Anyhow. Thinking back to when the fridge broke and before I replaced the temperature sensor, I remembered that I de-iced an enormous iceberg which had actually grown up behind the bottom drawer to about 15cm tall which I chiselled away as much of the ice that I could get to.

And then it triggered, a note on this fridge at the back mentioned that it was a "multi-flow". Didn't really know what that meant but thought it must mean that there is one cooling system which flows cold air between the freezer and the fridge. Since the back of the unit it basically a completely solid unit, it didn't look like I could do much there.

I noticed a few screws on the back of the freezer panel on the inside of the freezer though. So I turned off the electricity (safety first...) and decided to unscrew everything. Naturally when you have all the food out of the freezer, time is of the essence. As such, a hammer and chisel ( or screwdriver) come in really handy here and worst case scenario you puncture a few holes in the unit (whoops...). A heat gun is also a cracking tool that you really need to do this as well, thankfully a random purchase on ebay a few years ago came in handy :-) .

Back to the point though, basically there are two plastic panels at the back which come of. Behind these two plastic panels, when you finally get them off by chiselling the ice and melting it, you'll see the cooling unit at the bottom. For me, this was completely iced up at the bottom inch of the unit. After much de-icing, I noticed that behind the metal panel about 2 inch wide, towards the bottom right of the unit, this is actually covering a small vent. This vent was also blocked full of ice. So I de-iced that until I could finally stick my fingers up inside it to confirm there was no more ice there.

Then just screw everything back together and bob's your uncle. Job done. The fridge is now cooling again.

Just a note to Samsung, this is a really poor design. This appliance needs too much TLC, it should just work without needing regular attendance. And it is an absolute nightmare to sort when things like this happen (due to your shoddy design). But hey.

If you don't have the skills/confidence to give this a go yourself, you should be able to basically fix this problem by turning the appliance off for about 2 weeks (keeping the doors open) and the melting process will happen naturally in a normal household. Your food on the other hand may not quite be in a usable state by the end of those 2 weeks sat at room temperature....

I think I'll be adding Fridge/Freezer Repair Man to my CV!

@Ed Beal - By the sounds of things that would likely also exhibit the same problem, thanks for the suggestion. For those wondering and if in doubt that the fan may have gone, once you take off the first panel I mentioned above, then you can see the fan, so if you turn the device back on you can check that the fan is spinning (make you've nothing touching the electrics though... electricity, water and you mixing rarely ends well...)


How do I convert a ceiling fan with 2 separate wall switches to a separate fan & light switch? How do I convert a ceiling fan with 2 separate wall switches, 1 for the light and 1 for the fan, to a separate fan & light switch? My next question is it possible to convert the second switch from the ceiling fan to a wall outlet? The ceiling fan has 1 white wire 1 black wire and 1 red wire. I'd appreciate if you could show me wiring diagram if it is possible to convert the second ceiling fan switch to wall outlet.

First off, what room is this in? If this is a bathroom what I am saying DOES NOT apply.

OK, so you have a fan with two separate switches, and you want to convert this into a "dual" fan control? This is easy, just remove the two switches and wire the fan control according to the instructions.
Then you can take the feed wire from the left over switch, and a pigtailed neutral, and a ground of course, and install a receptacle there.

Sorry, I don't draw diagrams for people, but this is not a difficult install, and besides, to draw a diagram we would need to know exactly what wires are in the switch box.

Here is an example of the control I mean: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lutron-Skylark-300-Watt-Single-Pole-Dual-Fan-Control-and-Dimmer-Light-Almond-S2-LFSQH-LA/202247983


Pouring slab but second story sags in old home I bought a two story home built in early 1900s.
It was completely gutted. It had a crawl space so my husband decided we are going to put a slab pouring the concrete 4" higher than the original floor. The home has 9-10ft ceilings allowing for this.

However, we would be covering the original framework left holding second level of the home up. Here is where the problem comes in.  The second story is sagging a lot. How do we jack the second story up leveling it out if we are pouring concrete encasing the wood? What would be the best most cost efficient way to proceed here, ensuring this is done correctly?

You need to slow down and rethink this. You are on the verge of making a couple of serious mistakes. Rather than directly answer your question, I am going to advise a plan to do this correctly.

First, you should not pour concrete around wood support posts. This is a good way to invite rot and an unstable support system.  The floors should be jacked up a bit (1/2 to 1 inch), footings poured before you pour a slab. Trim the posts or replace with steel and set them on the footings. If you keep the wood, they should be set on top of the slab/footing, not in it.

You should determine the root cause for the second floor sagging. Determine if the posts in the basement are part of the problem or if the cause is higher in the building.  You didn't accurately describe how and where the sagging is taking place, so impossible to even start describing what can be done to correct it.

The fact that you are even thinking of encasing the posts leads me to believe you should seek some local expertise to advise you. Don't compound your problems. Get some competent eyes on your project before proceeding.


Can I extend 20 amp garage outlet? Or can I only move it? In attached garage there is a receptacle with a single 20 amp outlet (marked as "Freezer" in a breaker panel). It is in inconvenient location. The idea is to extend this circuit to an area where I need outlets. After it this circuit will power 5-6 outlets.
I found this in NEC 2017 [210.11 Branch Circuits Required (C) (4)]:
(4) Garage Branch Circuits. In addition to the number of
branch circuits required by other parts of this section, at least
one 120-volt, 20-ampere branch circuit shall be installed to
supply receptacle outlets in attached garages and in detached
garages with electric power. This circuit shall have no other
outlets.

Does it prevent me from extending this circuit? If yes - which options do I have? Either move or extend but add a new 20 amp circuit with a single outlet?

So long as all the outlets are in the garage, you meet the language of the code.
The intent of the single outlet (marked freezer) would have been to minimize the possibility of the freezer being taken out by some other load tripping the circuit. You don't need to follow that intent, particularly if you are not also using it for a freezer.


Can neutral be used instead of ground for a tankless water heater? A friend wants to install a tankless water heater under the kitchen sink for faster hot water and plans to use a 40A circuit near the sink that is meant for an electric range.  The house was built in the 90s, so the wire to the range is 8/3 with no ground.

The tankless is a pure 240v device and is adamant about requiring a ground, so it requires two hots and a ground.  Now, I know that electrically, he has 3 wires available for the device, and the neutral goes to the same place as the grounds.  The heater will work, and it should be safe, but is there a reason to not just use the neutral in place of a ground?

Aside from the wire being white instead of green, what are the problems with this install?

There's a weird little ... glitch ... in Code that I don't know what to make of.  Except such exceptions rarely make it in by mistake, and certainly don't survive two editions by mistake.

The glitch says this:  Neutral wires must be naturally white* their entire length, even in concealed parts of a cable.  And if ground wires are green** insulated, then ditto.  However, ground wires that are bare only need to be bare where visible.

Code seems to be tipping the hat to annihilating wire insulation at all places it is visible, and calling a wire (of any color) a ground.

This action is irrevocable; once this is done, it can never again be used for the "formerly grandfathered" role of a 120/240V split phase range.

A more versatile method would be to retrofit ground from that location to anywhere with a #10 or larger homerun, including the Grounding Electrode System or any metal conduit.

* or gray or colored with 3 white stripes

** or yellow with green stripe


Can you do electrical work yourself in the UK? I have been told that you are not allowed to do any electrical work yourself in the UK and need a qualified electician to do it all.

Is this true?
What can you do yourself?

You CAN do electrical work yourself under Part P You do NOT need to get a registered electrican to verify it.

For some types of work (notifiable jobs), you need to notify Buildings Control (and pay a fee) .They will then inspect the work at first and second fix.

To date, I have replaced my fusebox, and rewired my kitchen. This work has all been inspected and signed off by buildings control.

Part P states which jobs are notifiable. As of 2013, this list is substantially reduced, and no longer includes most work in kitchens as these are no longer classed as special location.

All work in bathrooms IS notifiable. For further information, refer to Part P - see section 2.5.

Note that, regardless of whether it is notifiable, all electrical work must be carried out to BS7671.


Hanging artwork on plastered brick? I’m wanting to hang a couple things on my wall (small mirror, picture, light wall hanging etc) but the walls are brick, covered in plaster and paint so i cannot use 3M hooks - pulls the paint off, and hammering a nail straight in chipped the plaster off.
How do I go about putting up a small picture hook without chipping off the plaster and damaging the wall - so only a little hole is left ?

Small masonry drill bit in an electric drill, slow speed:

small plastic or lead anchor:

small picture hook with hole for appropriate anchor screw:

or larger versions of all this for larger pieces


Would a sledgehammer be okay to break up limestone? I would be working in an enclosed environment so I don’t want anything too bulky and preferably handheld that’s why I wanted to go with a sledgehammer as you can probably tell I’m new to all this stuff so please be gentle, if the sledgehammer idea wouldn’t work what would be the ideal tool for breaking up limestone?

Wear safety glasses and earplugs. I'm quite serious.

As commented, depends what you are breaking up, and how much, and to what extent speed is a factor.

A sledge will break rocks. A jackhammer will typically break rocks faster. An electric jackhammer might be the happy medium for "an enclosed environment" if there's a lot to be done, and electricity, without getting into the noise and hoses of an air-powered jackhammer.

Then again, you might prefer to drill the rock full of holes (limestone drills pretty easily) to make breaking it up faster/more controllable (drilled holes plus feathers and wedges can let your sledge work more effectively at splitting rock in two rather than chipping off the edges.)

Again depending what you are breaking up, a diamond saw (wet are rentable, but you need to buy the blades - dry you can just use a cheap or unloved circular saw, and add effective dust filtration to your personal protective gear) to cut slots may be beneficial in making it easier to break up.


want to install new led lights but they have aluminum wires , can i join to copper wiring with merrits? can I use ordinary wiring merits to join aluminum and copper wire together to wire up led flush mount lights. Is there a product that will protect the joining of aluminum wiring and copper wiring ?

Although I doubt you have aluminum wiring in a new device (probably tinned copper).
You can join aluminum wire to copper wire with alumiconns. These are special wire nuts that have a special jell inside and these are 1 use only (alumiconns are usually purple or the 2 brands I have used are purple) for example the box I have on the shelf is ideal brand Twister AL/CU, these are listed for aluminum to copper wire connections. Regular wire nuts create a fire hazard with copper to aluminum connections so it can or needs to be done with alumiconns.
I would bet you have tinned stranded wire coming from the new fixture. If you take a knife and scrape the wires there will s probably copper under the tin. If copper under the tin you can just use a standard wire it that is the correct size for the wire.


live and neutral, led driver? i just bought an led driver. but it has two white wires for the mains. I was wondering which wire is live and neutral.

http://www.banggood.com/12V-DC-18W-Power-Supply-LED-Driver-Adapter-Transformer-Switch-For-LED-Strip-LED-Light-Bulb-p-984961.html

It doesn't matter.

As AC current alternates, the only difference between the two input cables is which is connected to ground (in your switchboard and/or at the supply transformer).

The only case where they need to be differentiated is when switching - you should not switch neutral, except in very few cases where you also switch phase.


How to wire a ceiling fan with a red, black, white, ground in ceiling box? I need help wiring a ceiling fan with a red, black, white, ground in ceiling box to a remote receiver with black and white to a black, white, and blue to fan with black, white, blue, ground.

Single wall switch with black and red connected at the moment.

I cannot get the wall switch to control any part of the fan or light functions. Remote does everything.

Connect the remote receiver to the fan wiring: black to black, blue to blue, white to white.

Connect the supply wires to the remote receiver: black to black, white to white.

Connect the grounds together: green (supply) to green (fan), along with a pigtail to the junction box if it's metal.

Cap off the red wire in the ceiling.

Remove the red wire from the switch and cap it off.

If you wanted the switch to control the fan or lights directly, connect the supply black to the black (fan) or blue (lights) from the fan, not the remote receiver. Cap off the corresponding wire from the remote receiver. Given that you only have 1 switch on the wall, though, it's probably best to control everything via the remote. Also keep in mind that if you connect the fan this way, you lose the ability to adjust the speed.


Need Assistance Wiring a Duct Booster Fan Morning, folks. And thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide.

We have an in-line duct fan in the attic. It assists in moving air from the central HVAC system into our addition. It is hooked up to a 24v/12v relay to control on/off and controlled by two 24v connections. The first comes form the furnace and the second comes form a thermostat in the addition. When the HVAC is active AND the thermostat in the addition is triggered, it completes the circuit and the fan is powered.

To the point, the fan finally failed and needs to be replaced. I'd like to replace the relay at the same time. The HVAC contractor I called out wants nearly $700 to do the job, with the fan costing around $350. I just don't have that kind of money right now, but we're cold!

Now, I can buy a fan similar to what was installed for between $80-$150. I can replicate the wiring as it was previously done. I'm fine with the duct work, and I'm fine wiring something to voltage. I can also replicate the wiring as it was done for the old fan. But I need to make sure I'm going about it the right way. So, I have a few questions if you're willing:

Should I just pay them the $700 and be done with it? Am I too far out of my depth? Am I likely to be bumping up against so many safety and code issues that I should just pay to have it done?
Many of the in-line duct fans I've seen plug directly into a 120v outlet. I was thinking I could just rig the relay to energize a 120v outlet and plug the fan into that. In this way, I can just plug a new fan in if/when needed. I know codes differ from location to location. But is controlling a 120v outlet with thermostats and a relay ever OK?
Let's say #2 is a no-go. I need to identify a proper relay. Can I use any old 24v to 120v relay to power the fan?
I'd love for all of this to be stuffed into a junction box, but it looks like any relay I see is mounted outside of the junction box. I assume this is to keep the low voltage and line voltage separate. So I take it that it's never OK to hide the relay inside a junction box?

I know enough to know that I'm probably out of my depth here. I just want someone else to confirm it before I spend half of next month's mortgage payment on a fan. Of course, "Don't pay those bloodscuckers, dude. This is super easy and I'm going to show you how" would be even better. Thanks in advance!

EDITED TO ADD IMAGES

Editing to add "schematic" to the degree that you can call this a schematic. Hopefully it provides enough information.

Should I just pay them the $700 and be done with it?

Depends on ..

  Am I too far out of my depth?

Can you operate a screwdriver, watch you tube, turn off a circuit breaker .

  Am I likely to be bumping up against so many safety and code issues
  that I should just pay to have it done?

Only the fan matters - UL Listed, GFCI Circuit if the location has high humidity like a shower (probably already is if that is the case)

  Many of the in-line duct fans I've seen plug directly into a 120v
  outlet. I was thinking I could just rig the relay to energize a 120v
  outlet and plug the fan into that. In this way, I can just plug a new
  fan in if/when needed. I know codes differ from location to location.
  But is controlling a 120v outlet with thermostats and a relay ever OK?

Why do this you don't need to!
Your current fan is 120V or possibly but not likely 220v - just use the three wires on your current fan (Black , White , and Green/copper) which are probably wire nutted in a junction box by the fan motor and swap out with a new fan.

You can probably buy a new fan of the exact same type as yours online for $100.. Do an online search of the model number found on the motor faceplate.

  Let's say #2 is a no-go. I need to identify a proper relay. Can I use any old 24v to 120v relay to power the fan?

Your HVAC relay that is 24V - that is the solenoid side - not the load side - the load side is 120V or 220V and is what turns on your fan.

I'd love for all of this to be stuffed into a junction box, but it looks like any relay I see is mounted outside of the junction box. I assume this is to keep the low voltage and line voltage separate. So I take it that it's never OK to hide the relay inside a junction box?

  You misunderstand: the relay is inside the junction box with Low
  voltage on the COIL side (which pulls in the contact side) and 120VAC or 220VAC on the Contact side.
  This is perfectly fine and good that they did this.

Here is an electrical Diagram of what you probably have and should see..


Too tall cast iron toilet flange in cement I'm adding a new toilet in my basement. There is a cast iron toilet flange coming out of floor approx 3.5”.
There isn’t a way to build up the floor that high, since it's a basement cement slab.
Any ideas how to shorten this?

There is almost no way in the world that your piece of cast iron here was designated for a toilet.
Edit based on additional pictures:   That is almost surely a washer drain.   Good news is it is probably vented.   Bad news is it isn't big enough for after truckstop buffet.   So everything below is still true but you may only need to bust up until you get to the wye that has the vent line.   Also if you are doing sink or shower you need to think about tying these in.
So you cannot just cut it off and add a coupling.
Step 1
Have someone come out and put a camera down there and see where it goes.   I am guessing your main stack location changed or you had multiple stacks.   This one is no longer in service... but are the pipes still connected and in good condition below that concrete?   You don't know and doing a ton of finishing work and then figuring out that this pipe is a bust... Well you would be out thousands plus tons of work time.

Bare minimum alternative:  Flush your whole house.   Means put a
crapload of water from everywhere and flush out the sewer lines.
Find the cleanout on the street.   Now... and not kidding... dump some
human crap and toilet paper down this line - not a kiddie dump, a
truckstop buffet dump.   Then dump about 10 gallons of water (or run a
hose).   You should be able to visually see the crap and toilet paper
running through the cleanout.  If you don't or it takes a while... you
need to go back and have a plumber throw a camera down there.

With this "stack" being open it could be clogged with debris, it could be fully functional, it could have roots in it, who knows.   This is anywhere from ready-to-go, to needs a cleanout, to can't ever be used.
Step 2
Let's assume you prove this line works.   You still have to vent it.   You do not want to deal with a toilet venting problem after finishing parts of a basement.   So really you need to design how this will vent.   And this is why you can't just cut it out and add a flange.  So you need to design how you will vent this thing.
Step3
You will have to bust up a little bit of concrete.   Based on the picture below (this is how I see your toilet functioning) you need to:

bust up some concrete.
go over 2-3 feet so you can install in order
coupling
45 wye
straight PVC
90 degree
straight
flange

This is the bare minimum and will take ~1 hour to do once you have room to install coupling.

Step 4
The very hardest step is figuring out where your vent is going to go.   It is its own question and depends on where the plumbing is in this house and your other options.  A toilet must be vented, so take that 2" piece route it to something that can act as a vent.   If you are adding more than a toilet here, you can plan your venting out one location.
Step 5
The slope and height of the pvc needs to be reinforced (I am guess ground under) so you need to fill with pea gravel, drainage rock, then concrete.

Don't let these steps scare you.   Everything is very DIY friendly.   Do be scared about adding a toilet and finishing this space if you miss one of these steps.


"Laminate hardwood" vs. "Engeneered hardwood" flooring I am buying a brand new house. And today I had a conversation with the builder about the hardwood in it. He told me that the floor in the house was a "Laminate Hardwood 5'' hand scraped".

I googled this but could not find anything like that. I was always get redirected to the "Engineered hardwood" websites ? What is the difference between the "Laminate hardwood" and   "Engineered hardwood" floor ? Are they the same ? I know this is not just a simple laminate . It looks like hard        wood, but it has a really flat texture and feel

I am really confused. Please help me understand the difference if any

Here is the picture I took

Thanks

From https://www.woodandbeyond.com/blog/engineered-vs-laminate-flooring-which-is-better/:

Engineered wood flooring

  Engineered wood flooring is a man made product that is made from
  natural materials.  Commonly made up of layers of ply that are bonded
  together, engineered wood flooring is always topped off with a layer
  of solid wood.  This layer of solid wood is called the lamella or top
  layer and it’s thanks to this solid wood finish that engineered wood
  looks so convincingly like solid wood.

  Engineered wood flooring has the advantage over solid wood that its
  stable structure means that it is much more resistant to expansion and
  contraction than solid wood.  What this means is that it can safely be
  fitted in rooms where temperature and moisture fluctuations are
  significant, like bathrooms and kitchens.  Engineered wood flooring
  can also be installed over under floor heating.

Laminate flooring

  Laminate flooring on the other hand is a synthetic, man-made product
  that is made up of various layers that are fused together using a
  lamination process.   Laminate flooring is a relatively recent
  addition to the range of flooring options available on the market and
  made its first appearance in the late 1970s.  It originally launched
  as a competitor to vinyl flooring.  Made up of typically five (or
  fewer layers), laminate flooring can be made to look like any material
  the manufacturer wants, because effectively the layer which makes up
  the image is just that, an image.

Laminate flooring is the cheaper (and generally lower quality) of the two.


Can I replace my oil-based water heater with several electric ones? I was looking at this question, which is somewhat related to mine but didn't give me a good answer: How to evaluate the suitability of an electric tankless water-heater

Basically, my mom's water heater tank broke this morning. It was a 40 gal oil-furnace driven tank, and the plumber says to replace it will be $2500 or something (they want to replace it with a 40gal stainless steel tank, as they say there is nothing smaller than that available). My mom lives alone (it was lucky I just happened to be here this weekend) and generally doesn't use that much water.

I was looking into alternative options and came across these things on amazon: 6gal electric water heater & 20 gal electric water heater

However, I don't really know much about these sorts of things. The house has two bathroom sinks, two showers, and one kitchen sink, although one of the showers is never used. There is also a dishwasher and a washing machine, although I don't believe she does much warm or hot washing. Generally only one source will ever be used at once. (The max would probably be a shower and the dishwasher running at the same time.)

I was sort of thinking it would be possible to put a 6gal heater at every sink/shower (5 total for $1k) and then a 20 gal in the basement hooked to the main line as a "reserve" or something. Does this make any sense? It would leave the house with 50gal of hot water (up from a 40gal tank) and cost $1000 less than a new tank. However, I don't even know if this is possible to do. Additionally, I kind of guess that it might cost more to operate than the old system. Can anyone tell me if this is a good idea (or even possible) in my situation?

You're adding more points of failure, and when the small tank runs out, you will see a temperature drop until the tank fills with hot water from the reserve. You also have to worry about eventually reselling the home. Given that, my preference is to keep it simple with a single tank.

One option to give you the same effect is a single electric tank with the lower element turned down. You are then only keeping half of the tank hot but can easily adjust it to have full capacity.


What to do about a rat living in drain line We have what I think is a rat, or family of rats, that are coming out of an outdoor drain. The outdoor drain is connected into our interior drain system. They chewed through the drain cover, I replaced it and they came through again.

I am in DC so the city sewer system is connected to the surface rain water system and rats are a known problem.

I am worried that sealing the drain in a more aggressive fashion will result in the rats coming out someplace else and would prefer that not to be in my house. The basement drains and plumbing are all buried in the foundation slab and connect to the main drain stack below the main clean out.

What is the proper solution to handling this?

Your drains likely do not go to sewers, they likely go to storm drains or gutters in the street. So putting Drano is going to put in directly into the environment, where it can harm your kids, your neighbor's kids, your pets and neighbor's pets etc. etc. etc. PLEASE refrain from taking that bad advice...

The rat poison is similar. The reason you don't see the dead rats with that is because it makes them intensely thirsty so they seek out water, then die there. Unfortunately things like raptor birds and other wildlife end up eating the dying or dead rats and get poisoned too.

Get rat traps and bait them with candy bars, preferably ones with peanuts like Snickers bars because they smell stronger. Once you get them all (assuming its a family), get rid of those cheap plastic grates and replace them with metal ones.


How to correctly fasten a 2x4 spanning garage celing joists? I'm trying to hang some pulleys in my garage to suspend a 70lbs kayak from the ceiling, but the ceiling joists run left to right rather than along the length of the garage. My thought is to span the joists with a ~7 foot 2x4 so I can hang affix the pulleys to the 2x4 and hang the kayak lengthwise. My question is:
What are the correct fasteners to use to affix the 2x4 to the joists so that it will safely bear the load, and how many should I use? I attached a diagram, with the black bars as joists and the red bar the 2x4 I'd like to use to span them and hang two pulleys from to hang the kayak.
EDIT: The ceiling is finished with drywall so the joists are not exposed. I would be attaching the 2x4 underneath them rather than above them.

Assuming you're putting the 2x4 on TOP of the joists, then the fasteners holding it in place are not supporting any load and just serve to keep it from moving around.
I'd just nail or, preferably, screw it in place with some wood screws.
With a 70# load, you're not going to be approaching any limits structurally with a normally built garage but be sure that your pulleys are well secured and the lines are not able to come loose on their own.  A 70# kayak landing on a human is likely to cause injury or death.
I would put the 2x4s ABOVE the joists.  So that will mean getting into the attic above the finished ceiling.  You could attach the 2x4s to the underside but that will be more difficult.  I'd recommend a through bolt (such as a carriage bolt) with washers and nuts.  Something like a 1/2" or 7/16" size.  If you use a screw, I'd use something substantial like:
Structural Screws
Be sure they are long enough to pass through your 2x4, through the drywall and well into the joists.


Tub faucet handle will not come off The right tub faucet handle absolutely will not come off and may have become fused. I've tried a variety of ways and angles with maximum personal force (I'm a large guy) and even bought a faucet puller which couldn't make it budge, it's all stuck on there. The left one came off fairly easily. What are my options here? I'm not experienced with plumbing but is there something basic I could do with the faucet pipe pieces? Thanks.

I will presume you will be rahabbing by replacing valve stems and trim with new. If soaking overnight in penetrating oil, tapping to and fro with a hammer, applying heat, using a puller, etc. has not worked you could always carefully cut it off with a hacksaw.


What are the benefits of purple drywall? I am about to drywall a basement.  Go purple?  Can purple be used around showers?  Are there any additional costs or install problems with the purple drywall?  Does it require any extra steps?  Why would I install it?

And this is the Purple stuff I am talking about.

Also I like to consider myself a progressive person.  If the purple drywall is the same cost why wouldn't it be installed by default?

I'm not sure. I thought it'd be an easy answer but googling seems to return two different types:

High Density (stronger) wall board
and an updated version of green board (mildew resistant)

It may be that the color is being used by different manufacturers for different reasons.

In either case, for a basement, I'd suggest using something else. I'd go with the paper-less sheetrock options such as DensArmor

The 'pro' is that there is no paper, so no place for mold/mildew to grow. Instead it uses a fiberglass mesh. The 'con' is that it's fiberglass. So itchy. Be sure to wear long sleeve shirt and gloves while hanging it.


Are there any wide-angle hinges that lift up while turning? I need a hinge, that as part of its turning motion also moves 'up'*. It's like a casement hinge, except that unfortunately casement hinges only go until 90º, while I need a hinge that can bend at least 120º. I haven't been able to find anything else, so I'm posting here. Is there any type of hinge that moves up while bending?

Thank you.

*When I say up, I mean that the hinge moves in a direction in the same plane as the rotation. I'm sorry for not making that clear.

Yes, they are called “rising butt hinges”.

The “joint” is at an angle and as they rotate it gives vertical movement.

Here is a link to one such product: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rising-Butt-Door-Hinges-Stainless/dp/B00GK5QLY8


Filling gap between bottom of tiles and shower pan? I'd like to fill a gap between the bottom of my tiles and the bottom of my shower pan. The shower pan is fiberglass.

I'm considering using an epoxy to fill this void, and I want to put tiles on top, flush with existing tiles, to make it look nice.

Will (cement-based) tile grout adhere to a set epoxy such as Marine Grade Epoxy Adhesive Paste?

An alternative is to use the epoxy to bind a piece of concrete board, and then grout the tiles to that.

Suggestions / implications?

Just as a matter of terminology, grout is not used to adhere tiles.  Thin-set mortar is used to adhere tiles to floors and walls, and mastic adhesive is used to adhere tiles to walls.  Grout is similar to Portland cement and goes between the tiles.  I only bring this up because if you go to a hardware store and ask for grout, they'll probably give you grout, which is not what you want.

Your best bet would probably be to use epoxy thin-set or epoxy bonding mortar.  Being an epoxy, it should stick much better to the fiberglass and is suitable for use as a mortar.  Personally, I'd use it to adhere some cement board in that gap (pending a description of how wide the gap is) and then the rest to adhere the tile to the cement board.  Let it set, and then you can grout.


Does a replacement propane supply line have to be made of a special material? One of the propane rubber hoses in a portable generator has cracked and broken in several spots while the other one is in fine condition. As a stop gap a washing machine supply line was cut and used. Is there something about the propane that requires a special kind of material for the hose?

Simple answer - yes, it needs to be rated to supply gas.

Two reasons:

water molecules are bigger, so permeability is less of an issue for water, hence your hose pipe may actually allow gas to escape
gas is explosive, so any mistake here may be considerably more serious than getting a water pipe wrong

If you need guidance, call your local gas company for advice - the good thing is that these pipes aren't expensive, so you'll pick one up for very little.


How do I unscrew a broken aerator? My bathroom faucet was spewing water at odd angles. The aerator was obviously old and plagued with mineral deposits. So I attempted to remove the aerator to clean/replace it.

With WD-40 and vice grips I was able to get it to unscrew about a quarter turn, but when I tried to reposition my vice grips, the aerator broke in two. The top half with the threading is still stuck in my faucet. Any way to remove this without replacing the whole faucet? I can add a picture if it helps.

Mineral build up has likely cemented the aerator in place, so:

Wash off the WD40 residue with soap as best you can.

Get a glass or cup. Fill it with vinegar or a citric acid solution, and heat it in the microwave til hot. position the cup under the faucet so that the mineraled up threads are submerged. Let it sit for a few hours periodically warming the liquid and lightly tapping the aerator with a hammer so as to loosen residue.
If you are persistent and lucky, the acid will dissolve the mineral buldup to the point you can unscrew the top half of the aerator.

If you have them, a mototool or detail sander might also be used to mechanically nudge the stuck threads. That'll open channels for the acid to get at the mineral buildup.


Ceiling fan light will not turn off using pull cord The pull cord for my ceiling fan light was broken (“stripped” so to speak) and the only way to turn off the light but still use the fan was to archanely unscrew light bulbs a bit. A new pull cord was put in. But the light still will not turn off with the new cord. All wire connections are correct. Help!

Check for a wall switch that may have been overlooked. Also check for a remote that may control the light. Check with a voltage meter the power wire to the light (usually Blue or Black) is energized. Check the pull switch with Ohms setting to verify continuity.


How to fill and finish joints on ceiling between pre-cast concrete planks They are structural precast planks that form the floor above. I think the line is where the sheets are connected. I found a picture of them at http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2578737/ugly-ceiling-how-to-fix.

My question is, can I fill these gaps with mud or something else in order to have the apperance of one continuous ceiling?

There is nothing you can use to fill in the area if yours is like the picture from the site.  Well you can and it could quite possibly look great for a period of time but it will invariable crack in every joint.  Not only due to expansion and contraction but also to movement in the concrete.

You would have to install wood/metal furring strips across the whole ceiling to do this right.  This would be a bit of work since you would need to secure these to concrete.  And then just sink your drywall into the furring strips.  Given that you have the ability to make holes in the ceiling (you are permitted to) this is a rather "cheap" task for a DIYer but very very labor intensive task.


Pressure testing radiator system with expansion tank I would like to pressure test a closed hydronic radiator system that has an expansion tank on it. I can detach the furnace, shut the water supply, and then mount a gauge with a nozzle on it that I can pump to something like 15-20 psi of compressed air and hope it keeps the pressure, meaning no leaks. I've done that with my gas pipes before successfully.

I am only concerned about the expansion tank. Should I remove it and put a plug in its system socket, or can it withstand that kind of pressure? I'm afraid of it exploding.

Check the rating on the expansion tank, but I'm almost certain it would be able to withstand 15-20 PSI.  But I'd still remove it and here's why.  If you have a slow leak, the expansion tank would act as a buffer (add volume), to your system.  This would make any loss of pressure much slower, perhaps to the point where you didn't realize you have a leak.

Is there a reason you don't want to use water to test?   Water doesn't compress and any leaks would result in rapid pressure drop.   You'd have to control for temperature variations but over a few days, you'd know if you had a leak.


Is there a minimum height for a small sub-panel? A few years ago I installed a very small sub-panel for hot tub and one outlet.  The panel is mounted on a stem wall outdoors about 1.5' off the ground. It only has 2 breakers in it:  a 240volt for the hot tub and a 120v for an outlet for a outdoor lighting transformer. Both are GFCI protected. The hot tub is due for replacement so now would be a good time to update the sub-panel location if needed. I have some flexibility in the wiring and am thinking maybe I should mount it on a pressure treated post. There is a potential discrete location that would work near the hot tub location.  Everything would be in appropriate conduit of course.
The reason I did that is I thought I needed a "local disconnect", I'm not sure if that was accurate, but I think it still is.
So my question is: "Is there a minimum height for a sub-panel?"

There's no minimum height, but it can't be higher than 6'7" at the highest point of the "operating handle."
The code specifically states:

240.24(A) Accessibility. Circuit breakers and switches containing fuses shall be readily accessible and installed so that the center of
the grip of the operating handle of the switch or circuit breaker,
when in its highest position, is not more than 2.0 m (6 ft 7 in.)
above the floor or working platform...

You also need adequate working area in front of and to the sides of the panel and be able to open the panel door to at least 90º.


Drip leak from a 2 yr old toilet / bolt I had my toilet replaced about 2 yrs back with a Kohler 4467. It seems to have developed a drip leak from where it is bolted - a drop or 2 every 30min. I had the plumber who installed it come and look and his response was he might have to change it - about $300.
I contacted Kohler support and their response was "looks like right parts were not used" K-GP51487. The plumber's response was "those are no good."
Any suggestions on how to fix this w/o having to remove the whole thing apart (not too handy). Will the silicone caulk used in shower/kitchen work/ help?

Why would you take the word of the plumber? He installed the wrong parts, which now leak. He also says he knows more than Kohler. Three strikes against him.
How about taking the word of Kohler, who made the toilet and knows which parts work? Wouldn't that be a safer bet? And if you go this route and can't fix the toilet yourself, will you make the same mistake again by hiring the same plumber?


Should these valves stop my hot water? I'm trying to shut off the hot water supply to repair the kitchen tap. Unfortunately I can't see any isolator valves near the tap, so I'm puzzling over how to shut off hot water for the whole house.
I tried to do a bit of research into how our heating & hot water system works, but I may be getting this wrong, and to be honest I'm kind of tempted to just post the question "What the heck do all these pipes do?", but I shall try to be more specific.
It's a F&E system with two tanks in the loft and hot water cylinder in the first floor airing cupboard, which looks like this:

So according to these instructions I need to close a valve which feeds cold water into the bottom of the cylinder. "This valve should be easily recognisible as a valve with a red, wheel-shaped handle on a pipe that runs from the ceiling of the airing cupboard to the bottom of the cylinder."
The valve in the top-right (just above the top shelf) seemed to fit that description, so I tried closing that.
Then I noticed valve in the bottom left could also fit that description, so I've tried closing that too (although I may be misunderstanding the direction of flow there)
I notice there's three pipes leading into the bottom of the cylinder. The third one slightly higher on the left is hopefully shut off by the motorised valve (I have the heating and hot water switched off)
I then try running the hot tap for a minute or two, but it's showing no signs of stopping. Do I just need to wait longer for pipes to drain out? I tried the same on the 2nd floor bathroom because I thought it might stop flowing quicker there, but ...no sign of stopping.

When in doubt, find the main shutoff valve to your house and turn it off. That will shut off the pressure to hot an cold systems so you can do your repair work..


Ceiling fan lights brighten when fan turned on The LED lights bulbs in my ceiling fan all went dim this week. The lights themselves are OK because they work fine in other lamps. When I turn on the fan, though, the lights go back to original brightness. Aside from the pull cord, the lights can be controlled by a dimmer switch on wall, although the bulbs I'm using don't have adjustable dimming.
Why is this happening? I've seen issues of ceiling fan lights going dim when the fan is turned on, but not the opposite.
Upon Ack's suggestion, I did some experiments:
Initial state: ceiling fan has 3 fixtures and 2/3 fixtures have bulbs. Both bulbs are 9W. Both bulbs are dim
Experiment 1: both bulbs work at full brightness in other lamp fixtures
Experiment 2: put new 13.5W bulb in ceiling fan fixture. 1 fixture has 9W and other has 13.5W bulb. Both bulbs turn on at full brightness without turning ceiling fan on
Experiment 3: put new 9W bulb in ceiling fan fixture. Both fixtures have 9W bulb. Light dim in both
Experiment 4: put new 9W bulb in 3rd fixture. All three fixtures have 9W bulb. All bulbs dim
Experiment 5: 1 fixture has 13.5W bulb, and rest have old 9W bulbs. All bulbs bright
Not sure what's going on here.

We don't have this problem anymore because we got rid of the ceiling fan and got a new dimmer.


How to repair damaged drywall seam In a recent windstorm, a couple of shingles blew off my house. I had some water drip into my attic and seep through the drywall in my bedroom ceiling. As a result, a definitive section of seam tape came off.

I have included some photos below. What is the best way to repair this, please?

I suspect there will be a number of ways to go about this. If so, then my priorities in order of preference would be: simplicity, short repair time, cost, perfection of end result. (In other words, I would rather have a simple fix that looks good, than a complicated fix that is absolutely perfect.)

There's really only one right way to do this. It takes a bit of time, but it's not difficult or complicated.

You'll want to replace the tape to ensure that the seam doesn't propagate through the paint. Pick up some premixed topping compound (available in gallon or smaller buckets), and a short roll of joint tape (cheap enough to not bother experimenting with other types of paper).

Cut a length of tape just shorter than the repair, then cut 1/4" or so off one edge so it fits comfortably in the depression. Fill the depression with mud using a taping or putty knife, then lay the tape into it. Drag the knife over it to embed it in the mud.

At this point you can opt to walk away and let it dry, or try and skim over it now to save time. By letting it dry first you eliminate the risk of pulling the tape around or wrinkling it.

Skim once or twice more, dragging the knife at a low angle and pressing firmly. There should be very little sanding to do if you do this properly.


How to make a stair railing So I'm trying to design a stair railing and I have to have the spaces between the bars to be 4". I just can't think of the way to do the math that would tell me how wide the bars would have to be.

My bars are more like panels.

Railing length: 15' 7 3/16" Design wants: I want one of the ends of the railing to end with a bar/panel. I would like the panels to have a min width of 2".

discussion architecture

Reduce it to inches. 15 feet is 180 inches, plus 7 & 3/16 inches

Total distance 187.1875 inches. Divide by 6 (4" space and 2" slat) 31.1979166666667

Per my understanding of stair code (LESS than 4", not 4") use 32 2" slats. Or 3" or 4" slats, for that matter.

Alternatively, divide by 32 (proposed number of slats) and get a unit (slat and space) of 5.849609375 ; or divide by 31 and get a unit of 6.0383064516129


How can I secure a door with a window right next to it? My front door has a deadbolt, but right next to the knob/deadbolt is a tall narrow window, so that you can see whoever is outside. This is a security risk as anyone could smash that window and open the lock from the outside.

Is there a way to secure a door like this, without removing the window? The one idea I know if is a deadbolt where you need a key to open it even from the inside, but I don't think our code allows this for the front door.

There is a product called Window Security Film which is a thin (a couple mm) film that adheres to the window and makes it exceptionally difficult for someone to break. Many lock smiths/security companies can install it. Here's a video of it in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYdVK3BqPfk

This is a duplicate of my answer from this question.


Best way to weatherproof OSB I am building a shed and I am trying to do it as cheaply as possible. I am going to use 1/2" OSB for the siding and I am wondering what the best paint/sealer is to weatherproof it. We live in central Ohio, so it will take quite a beating from rain and snow. Thanks!

There's no such thing.  OSB will swell, warp, and degrade unless it's kept safe from sunlight and perfectly dry. No paint will do this. If you want to use OSB to sheathe the walls of your shed, you need to build those walls like the walls of a house: with a weather-resistant barrier like Tyvek over the OSB, and then cover that with siding of some sort. Vinyl siding is cheap and DIY-friendly.

If you want to build a shed out of a single material without needing to do any of this, I recommend concrete blocks.


Who is the right type of person to create construction drawings for a home I've already designed? As the ultimate DIY project, I want to owner-build a home. I've already "designed" the house, meaning I have a 1/2" scale floor plan, roofing ridge line, and elevations for all interior and exterior wall treatments. These are all done in CAD. I know exactly what it will look like inside and out.

In order to build it though, I need building plans, maybe stamped by an architect. The person who makes the plans would need to be qualified to make structural engineering decisions and calculations, like joist spacing, wall framing diagrams, and foundation calculations which I am not qualified to do.

So far, I've found four types of people, none of which will do what I want:

Architects want to design the house themselves, and seem offended that I would come to them with specifics about exactly how the house should look and be laid out.
"Residential Designers" seem to be draftsmen that also want to do the design elements themselves. I'm also not sure about their qualifications for engineering calculations.
Design and build firms want to do the design themselves and build the house too!
Most engineers only seem interested in commercial projects, and it seems like over kill to hire an engineer ($$$) to draft building drawings for a small residence.

So if I already have a complete "design" for the house (layout and artistically speaking) but need that design turned into structurally sound and code compliant construction drawings with the proper legal approvals, who is the right type of person or firm to do this work?

Some of the things you mention don't require anything specific. Wall and foundation diagrams are boilerplate. The truss company will design the roof system to fit your design. Joist specs are fairly straight forward, and a salesperson at your local lumberyard may have the expertise you need.

As has been mentioned, if you find the right company they'll be happy to work from what you've drawn. They may insist on re-drawing it, but there should be very little demand to change your design substantially. Keep looking for a smaller local outfit with a good reputation.


Furnace Connect G Wire I have a dual energy electric/oil furnace that is wired to a thermostat with 2 wires R and W. I don't have any AC. Inside the furnace there is a switch relay to control the fan but it is not connected to the G terminal inside the furnace. I would like to run a 5 wire cable from my thermostat and the furnace and connect the W R and G wires to use the Auto / On fan switch on the thermostat instead of the switch relay inside the furnace, and eventually the C wire as well.

Since the G terminal inside the furnace is not connected to anything, how can I connect it to achieve what I want?

Should I bypass the manual switch or  an I wire the thermostat in parallel ?

The fan relay

You need to add a relay to the system to independently operate the fan separate from the heat.

The simplest way is to buy a new high voltage 120VAC (20-30 Amp?) heavy duty relay/contactor that switches with a 24VAC control voltage and connect both relays to the high voltage circulation fan. If either relay is on the fan gets power. The existing fan relay will power the fan when you call for heat, and the new fan relay will power the fan when you call for fan only.

If you don't add a relay and still somehow hook it up, your heat will probably turn on every time it calls for fan only.


Thermostat C wiring issue I am having a two-wire system oil boiler with two-zone valves. I installed two Nest E and worked fine but it started to swing the valves due to the charging cycle. So I decided to run a new C wire from the C terminal of the transformer.
Here comes the problem. After I tracing the wires, looks like the wirings from the transformer are reversed. I drew the lines in the actual color of the wire.
So if I reversely connect (R W) wires to Nest E and connect new C wire from the C terminal of the transformer as below, all is well?
Or should I reconnect all zone valves too?
I'd appreciate it if anyone can suggest a good solution for this.
Thank you!

You're right: the wiring colors as installed are "wrong" according to convention. The arrangement in the "after" drawing should satisfy the thermostats and operate the system correctly.
Because the wire colors are confusing it may be a good idea to re-mark them. You could get colored heat shrink tubing and use it to put a colored band on each conductor (or use colored tape). Shrink tubing is available in electrical supply and auto parts stores, among others.


What recessed shower light cover is this? We have a recessed shower light fixture and the cover is melted (thank you previous owners...). But I can't figure out what this thing is called or where I can get a replacement.

I've attached a few photos of the cover and the housing.

It's a recessed (canned) light cover (but I'm guessing you probably already knew that).

As "ppumkin" suggests in above comment, try to see if you can find a manufactures name (& model number) on the actual light fixture. Having such information to hand will greatly help you in tracking down an appropriate replacement cover.

Also you might want to check the bulb (Wattage & type) that is currently in there, as it really shouldn't have done such damage to the light cover.

Nowadays you can get compact fluorescent bulbs specifically for recessed lighting, or if money isn't an issue, look into available LED lights for use in recessed lighting.


Sub-floor trouble in bathroom I have to rip out a rotted section of sub-floor in a handicapped bathroom. It's 3/4 in. osb with 1/4 in. plywood on top. The contractors that had built this apartment just 4 years ago put no cement board down and needless to say it's in bad shape. Now comes the interesting part, everything I've been researching says says I need at least 5/8 in sub, then some kind of backer board. Now that's all fine and dandy, but the problem is the company wants it tiled. I only have an inch to play with when it comes to the lip of the shower stall, and tile is 3/8 in. thick ... how am I supposed do this?

You could frame below the level of the rough floor and have the subfloor flush with the joists. That would give you room for 7/16 hardie board, glue, and tiles. (But what a huge pain!)

Alternately, get vinyl and your thickness problem goes away.

I'm concerned that if something as mundane as a floor failed, then what of the shower stall? Isn't it going to have the same (if not worse) problems? If that's a goner, then you don't have a thickness problem any more...


How do I prevent water from leaking into my basement? How do I prevent rain water from leaking directly into the basement? As you can see in the diagram below, rain water drains into small concrete cracks (near the bright red line shown below) and finds its way into my basement.  Over the years I have tried a couple things to help remedy this situation.

added a pipe connected to my gutter to push water away from the house
dug out dirt near pipe and put new cement

But despite doing this I am still getting water in the basement when it rains.

Now I'm thinking about breaking the concrete and dig into the outdoor patio area near the bright red line shown below and tightly repack with dirt.  Then add another layer of cement on top of the repacked dirt. But I'm not sure what else I can do?

I would really appreciate if the community could provide suggestions on how to keep rain water away from going into the basement.

Call Mike Holmes.  But seriously, he had a great show in which he has a very similar problem - we are talking 8 foot by 3' trenches around entire basement, waterproof cladding, rock, dirt barrier cloth and back fill.

In a nut shell - your attempt to get the water away from those exterior walls is a step in the right direction.  Unfortunately, there may be so much water in the surrounding soil that the water content in the soil with put too much hydrostatic pressure upon the basement walls - leaky leaky.

Is this a finished basement - flooring, drywall etc?  Worked on one basement in which a trench was put in the floor and drained to a sump pump.  A waterproof floor was elevated over the concrete and the rooms finished - It was fine 10 years later.  That said, I would not do that now as a general contractor - only the trench, seal, drain and back fill method.


What protects an installer from drilling a hole in joist and not hit anything? I've found the 'where' to drill a hole in the joist span to run wire across ceiling cavity (multi-story on first floor so no attic access). What I can't find is how does someone drilling from an access hole in the ceiling into a floor joist know that there isn't anything on the other side of the joist (e.g. stapled ROMEX on joist, etc.)? Example, if I have an access hole in my kitchen ceiling between joists 2 and 3 and want to drill through joist 2 to get to joist cavity 1 and 2, and I don't know if there's a previous remodel or wire-run stapled onto the non-viewable side of joist 2, how can I be sure nothing is there (is there a code or standard?...of course, you never really know without laying eyes on it and opening up the joist 1 & 2 cavity) but obviously would like to avoid additional work of opening a new cavity just to inspect).

If it is at all possible, you make sure you can see the other side before you drill.  In some areas fishing wires into an unopened space is considered concealed work and must be done by a master electrician.
That said, a few tricks I've seen used:
There are many types of electrical toner.  I don't know the name of the one you want for this, we just called it an in slab or in wall toner, but it looks like a metal detector and you can sense wires 6 or 8 inches deep in something.
For holes into the top of walls where something may be stapled to the underside of the stud, you can use a hole saw without a pilot bit (only pilot to get started) and drill only part way through then smash out the plug.
You can also use a skinny  volt ticker like the Fluke LVD1A taped to a stick to sense the bottom of a smaller hole before you drill through.
Depending on the geometry of where you want to check, a stud sensor with electrical sense has better depth than a volt ticker at low price.
You can get a cheap usb inspection camera for your laptop or phone and attach it to a wire to make a camera on a stick.  Drill a hole somewhere safer, put the camera in, take a look.


Gas oven lights but turns off after 2-3 seconds any ideas why my gas oven starts, with all the "holes" filled with gas and fire, yet after 2-3 seconds it shuts down (looks like no more gas comes through to keep it burning).

Also, it makes some odd cracking sounds right after it shuts down (like some relay clicking very loudly)

Note: the gas-fired cooktop works perfectly fine.

Any thoughts?
Thanks a lot

It might be the thermocouple connected to the gas valve.  This is a safety feature that is used to shut off the gas if the flame blows out.  Thermocouple failure is a common occurrence with gas hot water heaters, furnaces and boilers that turn on/off more than stoves/ovens.


Can I tear down a roof with a torch? Can my friends and I use a torch gas cutter to cut into the roof, and dismantle everything by sections?  I imagine there will be some concrete layering underneath and such.

Very small pictures, but if I'm seeing them correctly, that's a standard shingle roof which means it'll be over wood sheathing.

So no, using a flame cutter would be a substantially bad idea.  Unless you want the building to burn down, that is.


Bit needed to drill hole for latch? I recently purchased this Kwikset 96870-100 Belleview Single Cylinder Handleset, and I need to drill the hole for the latch.

What size bit should I buy for this job and can I buy at everyone's favorite Prime online store?

Thanks.

I'd suggest you get yourself a "Door Lock Installation Kit"

With 2 different size hole saws and an adjustable jig I've found these to be reasonably fool-proof.


Can I notch roof posts to install deck beams? I had a larger roof built over my old deck.  New 6x6's were used to support the new roof.  They set on cement filled 8" tubes set 40 to 46 inches into the ground.  I have been told I have to use 2x8 beams and 2x6 as floor joists.  This will bring my floor height with the added decking to my desired height.

I am told I have to notch the support posts.  If this is done, I will be doing this at the top of the cement.  Is this acceptable, or is it better to pour a cement slab for the porch?  After this is done, I want to make it a  3 season room.

Notch the support columns? 2x6's for joists when 2x8's fit? Yeah um, stay away from those  people. Concrete would be best overall since it's impervious to most everything from water rot, to termites to air leaks.

With concrete you'd want to cinder block the perimeter, throw down 4"s of rigid foam insulation & pour a proper 4" thick slab on top of the insulation. However, there's no problem with wood either & that would be much more DIY-friendly.

With wood you'd do 2x8's everywhere & would box-around the support beams, definitely do not notch the supports. 2" rigid insulation would go on the bottom & on the perimeter frame, then fiberglass batts can fill in the rest.


Is a disposer required for dishwasher permanent installation? Just wondering, since I haven't seen a house in decades that had a dishwasher but didn't have a sink-drain grinder.

I have heard that connecting it this way is partly done so there's an air gap between dishwasher and drains, and I'm guessing that installing without the macerator might require a vacuum breaker or something of that sort... but I'd sorta liks to know for sure.

(My place has both, but I'd really be just as glad to jettison the macerator.)

I have had several houses with a dishwasher but not a garbage disposal. I don't think it really changes the installation that much... the dishwasher waste pipe connects to the sink drain before the trap.

If you want to plumb the dishwasher somewhere there isn't a sink already, you need to install a trap & standpipe, similar to the way a washing machine is done.


What should we do with floor tiles that were applied with Type 1 Mapei mastic? We tiled a 25 sq. ft bathroom with 12X12 porcelain tiles. Instead of a bag of normal powered mortar (which covered more area than we needed), we picked up the tub of Type 1 Mapei and were told it was okay to use too. We thought it was just a premixed version of the normal stuff. After the tiles were laid we learned it should not be used for 12X12 floor tiles, only 12X12 wall tiles.

We tried to see if we could remove the tiles, but it had already been 24 hours and they wouldn't come up. This is the second day. We have not grouted yet.

Should we try harder to remove the tiles? We do not want to take the chance of them breaking. OR Should we grout and hope for the best and deal with any breakage when or if it comes? Or does anyone have another suggestion?

What's done is done. I'd grout and generally move on with life, and only revisit it if and when the tiles start popping on their own, which may never happen.

You are NOT a professional tile installer who would be well advised to rip out and do it over for the sake of their reputation. So you don't need to act like one.


Can induction in parallel ungrounded cables lead to false continuity readings with a multimeter? I have two old circuits with no ground wires in which cables run parallel to each other for 20 feet or so. I had both circuits powered off today and was testing some things for unrelated reasons when I accidentally discovered that my multimeter thinks there is continuity between the neutral slots of an outlet on circuit A and the hot slots of an outlet on circuit B. I took both outlets apart, but couldn't see any wiring anomalies. I also traced the wires pretty thoroughly, but couldn't find anywhere that bare copper could be in contact (obviously I can't see inside the walls). The circuits (seem to) work fine, and it seems like if this were really happening, it would create a short that would trip a breaker. But I repeated the test several times, and the meter kept telling me there was continuity. And the meter has not lost its mind, because it gives sane continuity results in other places where I know for sure what's going on. Could this be some sort of inductive effect due to the lack of ground wires?

All the neutrals are tied together. If there are devices on both circuits that complete the circuit (light bulbs, etc.), it's possible to measure continuity as you've described.

You'll measure from probe 1, along the neutral of circuit A, back to the panel. Then along the neutral of circuit B, across the load (light bulb, etc.) to probe 2 on the hot of circuit B.


How can I handle excessive pressure in a water heat circuit? I am playing with radiant heating in my garage.  I want to put copper coil wrapped around the flue pipe, 5 feet out a SharkBite connector from copper to pex and the same for the cold water intake back to the coil on the stove.
Water expands when this gets hot, so I need a relief or discharge but can't find online what I should do for this.  Is there a like a pressure valve I could get at like home depot that discharges the hot water if there is too much pressure?
This is really just learning and playing around in an open garage.  I don't need to follow all the standards I just want to see how efficient it is...
any ideas would be appriciated.
thanks

You need an expansion tank on a closed-circuit hydronic loop. You'll also need air vents for removing the dissolved air when it comes out of solution as the water (or antifreeze) heats. These are commonly deployed on the bottom and top of an "air scoop" which is a standard hydronic heating component.
You ALSO need a pressure and temperature relief valve, but you don't want that venting on a regular basis - the expansion tank should deal with normal variation. The relief valve is for when things go wrong.


Half-inch Gap between wall and floor in second floor bedroom I moved a bookcase today was surprised when I looked at the wall.  There was a 1/2" gap between the wall and the floor (see photos).  The bookcase was not heavy, only used to hold kids games.  It was against an inside wall.  In one direction, the gap extends a few feet into the room and then the wall and the floor meet as they should.  In the other direction, the gap meets an outside wall and makes a 90 degree turn, then disappears in a few feet (see photo).

A window sill in that part of the room seems to have a new crack.  I noticed a little cold air at the bottom of the window and then noticed a small crack in the windowsill. The crack seems new (see photos).

What should I think about doing next?

P.S.  The paint chips in the photos are unrelated.  I removed some old cable TV cables before I took the photos.

Update: Plan now is to take up some floorboards and see what we can see.

I called in a competent contractor and here are his findings.  He took up some floorboards next to the gap.  There was a gap between the bottom of the sheet rock wall and the floor. He cut through the subflooring in order to be able to look at the joists. The joists were solid.  There was no indication of infestation. There was an uninsulated heat duct running between the joists.  He went to the basement and checked for termite damage and found none.  His conclusion is that the gap between the second floor wall and floor is due to shrinkage of the wood, exacerbated by the heat duct running nearby.  He said there was no need to do any work as nothing was really wrong.

BTW, there is also a gap between an interior wall and a poured concrete floor in my foyer, but that is not below the gap on the second floor.  The two gaps are independent.  The gap between the wall and the poured concrete floor is due to the dirt below the concrete settling.  The contractor suggested to leave it be since it is not likely to get worse and the fix would be costly for little benefit.

It is nice to deal with an honest, competent contractor.


Are GX24Q-3 bulbs compatible with G24Q-3 bases and vice versa? Are GX24Q-3 bulbs compatible with G24Q-3 bases and vice versa? Can a GX24Q-3 bulb be safely powered by a G24Q-3 base? Can a G24Q-3 bulb be safely powered by a GX24Q-3 base?

EDIT: If not, then can a 26-watt GX24Q-3 CFL replace a same-watt G24Q-3 CFL in a G24Q-3 ballast? I have a G24Q-3 ballast that has always used 26-watt G24Q-3 CFL. When the last CFL died, I replaced it with, and was able to fit, a 26-watt GX24Q-3 CFL in the ballast. But I get only one flicker (and nothing else) each time when powering on, so is the GX24Q-3 bulb incompatible or just a bad bulb?

Adding to the confusion, this page markets an LED bulb that’s “Compatible with only base G24q-3/GX24q”. I didn’t use that LED; my test used a CFL of a different brand, which doesn’t indicate whether it’s compatible with G24Q-3 ballasts. This other site’s search filter consolidates G24Q-3 & GX24Q-3.

The notches of the G24Q-3 and GX24Q-3 bulbs are located at the same 1- and 7-o’clock positions. The bulbs are different in their bezel above the notched section: a hexagon bezel for GX24Q-3 bulb and a rounded square bezel for the G24Q-3 bulb. I now see from some answers’ diagrams that the G24Q-3 bulb has a longer central peg (a.k.a. stabilizing block) than the GX24Q-3 bulb. Because my G24Q-3 ballast’s socket is deep enough to fit the G24Q-3 bulb’s stabilizing block, the shorter block on the GX24Q-3 doesn’t cause any fit issues. The plastic holder section of my G24Q-3 ballast goes only up to the notched cross section of the G24Q-3 bulb, so the hexagonal bezel of the GX24Q-3 bulb doesn’t cause any fit issues either. Both G24Q-3 and GX24Q-3 bulbs can fit in a G24Q-3 ballast. If the socket on a GX24Q-3 ballast is only as deep as its own bulb type’s stabilizing block, then G24Q-3 bulbs can’t fit in GX24Q-3 ballasts. Is this length difference designed to make GX24Q-3 bulbs backwards-compatible with G24Q-3 ballasts and prevent G24Q-3 bulbs from being forwards-compatible with GX24Q-3 ballasts?

Are GX24Q-3 bulbs compatible with G24Q-3 bases and vice versa?

No.

The GX24Q-3 base is designed for use with 4-pin triple-tube lamps.
The G24Q-3  base is designed for use with 4-pin double-tube lamps.

The electronics in the base (often referred to as the electronic ballast) is likely designed for the specific load configuration.

The IEC specifications for dimensions etc costs money and is copyrighted - so they are difficult to obtain casually. The G24 appears to have a longer/deeper central peg.

The first letter G indicates a multi-pin push-fit connector type?
The second letter, if present, X, is for triple-tube variants.
For other types X can mean twist-lock as in GX53.
The number after that is the major pin spacing in mm (24mm).
The final letter indicates bi-pin (d) or quad-pin (q).
The final digit, indicates the power range ("-3" = 26W - 32W).

Useful references:

Howard Lighting


What to do about a stinky sump pump My sump pump stinks up by basement. The sump pump works, but I think its the stagnant dirt water that sits in the sump pump over time that just stinks after a while. I have read suggestions to flush it with water every once in a while, or throw some bleach in there, but those seem like temporary solutions. Is there any way I can either trap the air/smell and/or keep it from stinking more long term?

Dumping bleach in the water risks corrosion of the pump, damaging it before long. A periodic flush may be a better choice.

You can top the crock with a piece of plastic, done in homes with radon mitigation systems. Note that this top must be properly done so as not to create an airlock. A trapped drain is built into the top.


Replacing GFCI Plug on Hairdryer I have a fairly old hairdryer, this morning one of the wires going into the plug frayed enough to cause one of the wires to burn up. I love this hairdryer and it should be a very easy fix.  I just have a few questions.

The previous plug on this hairdryer was a GFCI plug on the end of the cable (it had test and reset buttons), but no ground pin for the outlet. Thus, only two conductors come out of the hairdryer itself.  The old GFCI plug assembly is brittle and has some cracks in it so I'd like to replace it in the process.

Can I safely use something like this and leave the ground pin inside the plug assembly unconnected?

The main difference between your old GFCI plug and the new one you propose is that 2 wire only GFCI plugs lack what is called a grounded neutral detection circuit -- this circuit helps improve the GFCI's sensitivity to neutral-to-ground faults.  This grounded neutral detection is unnecessary but harmless when the load is ungrounded -- your situation is no different electrically than a 2 prong double-insulated appliance plugged into a conventional GFCI receptacle.


How to hook up a new gas range with mismatched fittings, and meet all code requirements? The connection on the stove appears to be female 1/2" NPT. The 3' long yellow flexible connector has a female flare connection with a 15/16-16 thread at both ends. At the stove end there is a male/male adaptor that converts the flare connection to 1/2" NPT. The same adaptor is at the other end (in the picture).

The gas supply line (no valve now) has a female 5/8 OD flare (7/8-14 Thread). The old valve is in the picture.  New valve is arriving by FedEx.  To make the new valve work, I have purchased a bushing 3/4" NPT (valve end) to 1/2" NPT (adaptor end).  Note: It took half a day to even find a valve that would fit the 5/8 OD flare (7/8-14 thread) that was useful in this case.  It is a Legend 102-114.

Questions: 1. Does the "NEW" solution described below meet US codes in general (I know that codes vary from Jurisdiction to jurisdiction)?  2. Should there be a ”Safety+Plus®2” (in the picture) in place of the steel adaptor at the supply end (my connector set did not include it, but many at the store had it).  3. Why are there two 5/8' OD flare connectors in existence with different threads?  This complicated everything.

For clarity:  Gas is propane, all fittings except the new yellow flexible connector and the adaptors supplied with it are brass.

ORIGINAL (supply to range): 5/8” OD copper pipe supply with female brass flare (7/8-14 thread); to brass valve with two male flare (7/8-14 thread); to 5/8” OD copper pipe with female brass flare (7/8-14 thread); to old stove (fitting unknown)

NEW (supply to range): Original 5/8” OD copper pipe with original female brass flare (7/8-14 thread); to new brass valve with one male flare (7/8-14 thread) and one female 3/4' NPT; to new brass bushing 3/4 Male NPT to 1/2 Female NPT; to new 1/2 stainless or chromed steel adaptor Male NPT to male 5/8 OD flare (15/16-16 thread), supplied with new flexible yellow connector set; to female 5/8 OD flare (15/16-16 thread) on yellow connector (same at both ends); to new male 1/2'NPT, and into the stove.

The installers that brought the stove and attached the new connector to it were unable to complete the connection at the supply end. Supply House has the identical new Gas Connector kits (adaptor; to yellow flexible tube with flare fittings); to adaptor or safety valve.  But nothing that will adapt to the 5/8 OD flare (7/8-14 thread).  And yet, in their brass fittings section, all 5/8 OD flare fittings were the SAE standard 5/8 OD (7/8-14) thread.

I normally install the shutoff directly on the incoming gas line this way there is less chance of an issue.
after the valve I install a flair adapter to match my flex gas tube . I prefer gas rated pipe dope for gas but there is a gas rated (yellow tape) for those that prefer tapes.

I rarely order fittings on line and tend to use speciality shops not big box as they always have the correct fitting I need and many times helpful advice , yes the part might cost a dollar or 2 more but I get the correct parts that match the first time and don’t end up with a bunch of adapters or cobbled together parts.

The bonus about specialty stores is that they usually do know local codes and this project may be a good reason to give them a visit, I am not sure about the flair fitting prior to the valve that would bother me. I have done a bunch of gas pipe work on my own homes including new gas services in several,  but am an electrician by trade.


Can I wall mount this pedestal sink? Is there a way to mount this sink on the wall?
On the right side of the back of the sink, the outline of the 4th hole is molded onto the sink and I thought perhaps I can drill into that spot to reveal a hole that would allow me to hang it the sink on the wall.

I cannot access the holes on top from the front of the sink but it seems i could hang the top two holes on suitable supports and drill stainless screws from the front in the bottom two holes

The backing is plenty strong.

Is this possible?

Hung sinks typically have brackets that connect high up on the sink. (This makes sense, because that's where you'd want to resist leverage.)

If you could somehow fashion a 2 piece bracket, it's likely** (see below) that you could drill into the porcelain (without breaking it), and attach it using sturdy toggles.

Unfortunately, it looks like you have a wall that's already tiled, so you don't have any depth into which to set this bracket. So unless you want to bust up your wall, I'd suggest you stick with the pedestal. Or get a deliberately designed sink that'll have the recess for the bracket built into the sink.

Porcelain is an inconsistent product, so failure is always an option. But, a diamond hole saw, used according to instructions (speed, spraying with water while drilling) will usually drill a successful hole. Plus, in this setting, a major blowout would probably be limited to the invisible back surface, which would mean that the sink is back to being used as a pedestal, which doesn't seem like such a great loss to me.


Trying to snake a clogged external tower style drain/standing waste overflow and can't seem to go further down The photos in this post are very similar to my own setup. I've used this photo to get an idea of how the standing waste overflow works.

I'm as stuck as my tub on this issue. I tried Liquid Plumr early on and that kind of worked and got some water to go down very, very slowly after some hours at one point but that didn't seem to fix anything as the next time I filled the tub with water, it wasn't draining. Which, this is my problem; the tub is just clogged and not draining any water.

After trying liquid Plumbr, I tried vinegar and baking soda along with hot water and that didn't work. Next I ordered a hand cranked drill auger and an electric drill auger and I wasn't able to have any success with either. When I use the drill augers, where I'm inserting them into the standing waste pipe, they go straight down, and then that's it, it's like I hit a wall. I can't seem to get them to do down where I assume is the low seal trap. I've tried poking down a metal coat hanger that I straightened to feel my way around down the bottom of the standing waste pipe to get a better sense of the situation but again, it's like I'm hitting a wall and I'm at a loss as to what I should do next.

I know you don't want to hear this, but as a plumber/maintenance person, I will tell you this - There is no science to your dilemna. When we are called to your issue, we will try the same things you did, only we never use chemicals before snaking. I only use chemicals for under-concrete-pad-or-crawlspace hopeless clogs, because I use acids only available to licensed plumbers, that will melt your pipes if left to set too long.

Other than that, it's persistance. Keep jamming coat hangers, augers, electrician fish tape, whatever you can dig out of your truck or closet, into that booger until you pull out a plum. Without getting underneath the plumbing and physically seeing your piping, there's no way to know what you could be hitting.

There is a water jet drain opener, but that could get messy fast if you've never used one. Google "water jet drain cleaning", maybe Youtube it as well. The tool is about $10 at Walmart, and only needs a garden hose.


rubber gasket under bathroom sink leak Need temp.fix, seal until January when I'll replace the whole thing. Replacing gasket might not be possible due to age and state of the whole thing.

No great answer for a temp fix. Clean existing seal and surrounding area with a non-abrasive cleaner such as Comet Classic spray-on.  Be sure to remove any loose bits of rubber or other material around damaged seal before applying caulk.

Apply a generous bead of clear GE Silicone all around existing seal. Using a finger and gentle pressure, smooth the bead of caulk, pressing it into any gap or crevice around the seal.
Make certain you have complete coverage of any and all gaps. One you have applied this silicone, you cannot do a second application, as it will not bond. Remove excess with paper towel and allow 60 minutes minimum before checking efficacy. Be certain to used a new, unexpired tube of silicone caulk. Expired caulk will not cure.

Run water, check for leaking. After the caulk has cured, you may want to tape a short length of toweling all the way around the pipe. An old, clean rag will do. Check and replace toweling if it gets wet.

This won’t be pretty but it should keep the floor dry until you replace the sink and plumbing in January. Good luck.


Should roofing nails be visible in the attic? I have a colonial built in 1913 and I live in NYS. My roof was just completed today and I have exposed nails across the entire roof!

It was not like this before. When I asked the contractor about it, he said this is normal, but I'm having a difficult time accepting this answer. I have included a picture to show what the entire roof looks like from the inside of the attic.

That's perfectly normal. I would have preferred to see the vertical joints in the sheathing line up with the rafters, but that's about it. Roofing nails actually should come through about a quarter inch - I'd be more concerned if they didn't.


Mendota FV44i LP Gas fireplace insert won't stay on, it cycles off after awhile, then on I have it set on standing pilot, which stays lit.  The unit is only 2 years old and was working fine a few weeks ago.  Temperature outside is above 50 degrees, and our main gas hot air heat is working fine.  No soot build up around thermocouple which was my first guess.  The remote control does not seem to be sending out any signal when this is happening either. The fire seems to go out at random times, sometimes after 15 seconds or less, or after several minutes, but will come back on after less than a minute later usually.   Any other ideas?

If remote is in 'smart' mode, it will cycle the flame to maintain the selected temperature. If remote is too near the fireplace, it will heat up quickly, turn off, cool and turn back on for a little while until it heats back up. Try moving the remote further from the unit while it's lit.


running a gas line to a gas heater hide do I hide the gas line I need to run a gas line to a floor mounted gas heater but I cannot run it behind the wall. How do I hide the gas line?

You might just have to box around it, if you can mount it right against the wall, fairly low.

If the line is the old black iron gas pipe, you don't have to worry about it getting crushed if something gets dropped on it. But you might have to worry about damage to the connections (and leaks) if something heavy enough is dropped on it.

If it's the yellow (or black) corrugated stainless steel pipe, you might need to be concerned about possible damage to the pipe itself, too.

But either way, your best bet might be to mount the gas line as close to the wall as possible, near but not on the floor, and build a box around it with moulding or plywood.

If it's a hose, you might be able to get away with using one of those carpet runners that you can stuff cables into on the bottom.

If you go with the build-something option, maybe you could create some built-in seating. Build a frame, put some particle board or plywood on top and throw some cushions on.

Or you could make shallow cabinets to hide the pipe and create some useful storage space.


How to secure bookcase to drywall right over concrete without drilling concrete? I got some tall bookcases and want to set them up against a wall in a condo.
The wall is shared with my neighbor and as such it seems to be a half inch drywall right over a concrete wall, so I don't have space to secure toggle bolts or other drywall anchors.

Technically I'm not allowed to alter the common concrete wall so I want to avoid drilling into the concrete to secure it that way (no hammer drill or masonry bits anyways).

As per this picture the book case will fit on the right under the bulkhead, is there anything I can do with that?

I think you already hit on it. The bulk head at the top would be a good place to secure the book shelf from tipping. Set the book shelf in place and then angle bracket the structure to the ceiling so it won't tip. Find a stud or other structure at the ceiling to make it sound.

If the book shelf does not stand as tall as the ceiling, then you have another aspect than needs attention. Think outside the box. Can you frame in an addition to the existing, what, a duct? Just think that you won't need extreme support for the bookshelf if you have good connections to the ceiling. For example, if you stand the bookshelf on it's own, how hard is it to tip over? Now think if you screw that to the ceiling, how hard would it be to tip over? If you have kids, or even if you don't, make sure it's secure.


C-Wire for thermostat My furnace is a gmp075-3
There is an existing unused Blue wire coming from the thermostat to the furnace area but not attached to anything. (upper blue wire in 2nd image)
Can I just connect the upper blue wire on the outside of the furnace to the lower blue wire going to the screw on the top left of the furnace panel?
The transformer is grounded to the screw on the right of the transformer, do I need to ground my C wire from the Thermostat to the same spot as the transformer or can I just connect the existing blue/c wires as is? (ie grounding the thermostat C wire by just pigtail the two blue wires outside furnace)

Yes that blue wire sticking out of the cabinet looks like it's intended to be used that way. To verify use a volt meter to measure AC volts between the blue and the red wires. It should be somewhere in the range 24-30 volts.


What trim can I use on wooden stairs? We recently added wooden flooring to our stairs. I'm looking for a trim to add between the stairs and the wall. Something that I can cut easily and glue and then caulk. I'll need to edge it (rounded?) for the lip of the stairs and angle the inside to join up with the vertical. Is there anything made for this application?

I personally think adding trim will just draw more attention to the side of the stairs.  And no matter now nicely you trim it, it will stand out as people are not used to seeing trim on stairs.

In my opinion, I would just use caulk to fill the gap between the existing skirt and treads.  The gap looks pretty small and most people will never realize what you've done.

Edit:
I just realized...  There is no skirt board in those pictures.  You can add a skirt board after the fact but it is a very time consuming task.  See the link for an idea of how to do it.  http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-to/tips/scribing-a-skirtboard-to-an-existing-stair.aspx


How can I alter these wooden towel hooks so that the towels don't fall off? We have this rack of towel hooks in our bathroom, but the hooks are so smooth that the towels easily fall off.

How can I alter it so that the towels don't fall off?

I'd rather not roughen up the wood, as it may pull thread out of the towels. Perhaps there's some sort of rubbery coating I could paint on to the top of each hook?

Find more twine or rope (looks like a natural sisal) that matches the "laces" on the shoes. Wrap the twine around the posts in a spiral until they are completely covered. You will probably need to glue the twine occasionally, and perhaps rough up the paint so the glue sticks.

The twine in the picture looks like it is waxed. I would make sure to use non-waxed if you are going to wrap the posts, otherwise the towels would still probably slip right off.


Who to call about sinking porch and mud room? I live in Massachusetts and have a porch and mud room that are sinking. I was stupid enough to think they had "settled" when I bought the house, but now I can see that they're still sinking, which is causing some damage to the inside of the house (cracks in drywall, etc). I have heard of mudjacking, but can't seem to find anyone local. There was one guy who I stumbled on a couple of years ago that came out and quoted me $10k just to drill these things under it to stabilize it, but I didn't (don't) have the money. At this point, however, I think I may need to take out a loan to address this, but don't want to just jump at the first guy who gave me a quote. I want to gather a few quotes.

Also, I want to know what my options are. If there is someone who can do something to alleviate the problem in a creative (less $$) way, that would preferred.

EDIT: The mudroom is 8 x 10, the porch is 10 x 20. I just signed up for Angie's List and I am still facing the same problem: I can't find someone to call. I'm searching for "foundation" and "porch". I just can't seem to find a business that mentions anything like this.

Foundation problems are NEVER cheap to solve, and sadly, someone got cheap when the work was first done. Do the work right the first time. Was this addition even inspected by the local building inspector? If not, then you may have some legal recourse if the owners did work and failed to get the necessary permits. I doubt it would work, but only a lawyer would know.

This is not your fault of course, except for buying the house in the first place. A good home inspector should have pointed this out and warned you of the cost to repair it at the time. It is yet another reason to have a home inspection done.

Given all of that, you are now stuck with a problem, that MUST be resolved. I don't even know positively that mudjacking can solve this, only a good mudjacking contractor will know for sure. No matter what, there will surely be some excavation involved, even if only to determine how much must be done to repair the problem.

Start asking around. There are foundation services companies around who specialize in problems like this. Get and check references. Don't just jump at the cheapest estimate you get.


Front door weather sealing - tapered gaskets for twisted jamb My front door does not close squarely. The hinge side closes flush. The lower corner opening side touches the weatherstripping fully. But the top of the door does not. The door has about 1/2 inch difference on the top edge, where it does not completely engage the weatherstrip. Obviously the door or frame is somehow not square. Let's assume removing the door and replacing it (or the frame) isn't an option at this time.

Is there any kind of "tapered" gasket or trim material I could purchase in order to then take off the weather stripping and replace with a "fatter" strip that will seal, or take off the weather stripping and put in a long tapered (3 foot and 7 foot) edge material (wood, plastic) to match the door, and then put new weatherstrip on that will close fully.

My other idea was to put a deadbolt on the upper corner of the door and when I push it closed, engage the lock and it will keep the door closed and sealed. But I don't like that idea much.

Any other suggestions appreciated.

Why spend more time trying to cover it up than it would take to fix it?

The door needs re-hung (should be low/no cost). If you are unwilling to re-hang the door, I've had good success with using large foam weatherstripping that is cut to what I needed.

Big box stores carry the foam weatherstripping in a coil such as this in varying thicknesses.


What could cause a false positive report from a line tester? I'm in India where the domestic supply is 250v @ 50Hz.
I've been working - gradually replacing the solid-core wire/s with stranded wires purchased recently.

To my surprise the line tester showed a feeble glow when touched to a wire (no connections made i.e. both ends free) draped over the phase/live wire. That little piece of wire (about a metre in length) itself is new, and so is the phase/live.

Further, as a general precaution when I play with these things at the residence, I had taken the precaution of wrapping non-adhesive PVC over the phase wire. Ergo, insulation leakage really should not be an issue but I'm not possessed of a megger. Oh ... and the line tester glow dies when the supply is killed.

Assuming the insulation is fair - what could possibly cause the line tester to present a false positive? Could a static charge induced from handling be so strong as to cause a glow?

When wires that are not connected are in close proximity to live wires a voltage may be transferred through induction this is how transformers work. When voltage is traveling on a wire there is an electric field created the higher the load on the wire the stronger the field. Placing a piece of wire where it is affected by the field will allow it to pick up some of the voltage but there is really no potential or current. Many people call this voltage a phantom or ghost because as soon as the wire is connected to a load like a light the voltage is gone.


How to seal floor under built in closet? We have a built in closet. When we removed the bottom drawers we saw the exposed subfloor (diagonals on top of joists).

There are two drawers. They are side by side Each drawer is about 3' wide. 7" high. About 3' deep. The picture shows the right drawer removed.

It's hard for me to reach and work in there. What is the best way to seal it so that I won't get cold air, hot air, bugs etc. ?

I have a crawl space underneath.

That's a difficult situation. The best bet might be to caulk everything with silicone from the crawl space, then add some fiberglass batt insulation.

Otherwise I think I'll look for a heavy, flexible fabric or membrane and lay it in there under the drawers, lapping up the sides just a bit where you can. You could try applying silicone caulk to all joints and seams, maybe from a small squeeze tube, but it'll be messy. You could use rubber gloves and finger the caulk out to press and finish it.