Fix drywall that lost strength due to hanging curtain rod Here is the issue. I can use the toggle bolts, but it looks like drywall has lost strength. It can be seen in the pictures that drywall around the place of the bracket holes is swelled and about to come off.

As you have found out, curtain rod supports do not do well hanging from plaster anchors. They really should be attached to studs, but where that is impossible, toggle anchors give you a chance at success. I prefer the solid bar type that pivots after insertion.

The drywall in the immediate vicinity is beyond saving. Even toggles will not have much solid to support them. You need to move the bracket well away from the damaged area (to a stud if you can), or you need to build up the area to support it.

One way to reinforce the area is to create a wooden backing behind the drywall to serve as a support. Find a piece of wood at least 1 1/2 inches wider than the space between the screws. Cut it to about 6 inches in length.

Cut away the damaged section of drywall making a hole a bit wider than the board and about 3 inches high. You are going to insert the board vertically into this hole and attach it to the back of the drywall.

An easy way to do this is to drill a small hole in the center of the board and tie a string through the hole. You can then insert the board and use the string to prevent it from falling and to manipulate it into place.

Screw through the drywall into the board using drywall screws. Use two screws top and two on the bottom. This locks your new framing piece in.

Make a patch of drywall and fill the hole. Tape and patch with joint compound. Lightly sand and prime. Paint now or later.

Now, when you reattach the bracket, you will be screwing into the wood which is supported by many square inches of drywall. I would predrill the holes with a bit slightly smaller than the screw body to reduce the chance of splitting the wooden backer.


Can I use double-sided carpet tape to stick throw rugs to a carpet pad? I'm a software engineer pretending to be a handyman, so bear with me. I'd like to know if double-sided carpet tape will work as I expect. Here is more context. I have an unfinished attic with a plywood floor:

In this half of this attic I want to put high pile plush green carpet. I found these 6' x 5' IKEA carpets which look great and are cheap. My plan is to buy 14 of them and tile them across the floor like so (my photoshop job is not to scale, it will take 14 to completely cover the area):

The back of these carpets does not have any padding. It's woven, see here:

So I'm planning to buy a couple roles of this foam carpet padding and simply lay it out on the ground. I was not planning to staple it down. Then I'll tile the 14 IKEA carpets on top and at all the seams I'd use this double sided tape to connect the edges of carpet together and stick them to the carpet padding.

Will this tape work as I expect? http://www.homedepot.com/p/Roberts-Indoor-Outdoor-3-in-x-15-ft-Double-Sided-Carpet-Tape-Roll-50-605-12/100645279

Does my overall plan sound sane? I'm sure there are a couple things I'm oblivious to which will make this not work as I hope so I appreciate any advice or suggestions!

I think that you're on the wrong track. You can purchase actual carpet tiles specifically designed for that use case. The linked one is a hideous green with peel and stick backing, other brands snap together at the edges. I believe you'll find the cost per square foot roughly equivalent to the IKEA rugs. Installation will certainly be way easier.

I wouldn't trust underlayment that wasn't stapled down. If you are interested in the tile idea I would add the padding into your budget and buy nicer tiles. (You may have better results at a dedicated flooring store than the home center.)

If you are dead set against carpet tiles and stapling both you may want to look into rug underlays, which come in tacky (sticky, not tasteless) no-slip versions. Rug underlays are quite a bit tougher to rip than carpet underlay as well.

It isn't a great option for you because of the column, but you can order bound carpet in any dimension. (Bound carpet has the edges sealed so they won't unravel.) It's slightly more expensive than 14 Ikea rugs taped together, but it's a lot less of a trip hazard.

UPDATE - You should definitely invest in a hammer tacker and staple the underlayment down since it's an unfinished floor. One staple every couple inches around the perimeter of each piece to prevent it from sliding or bunching up. Leave enough room that the rugs can be taped down directly to the floor on the outside perimeter.


Do pressure reducing valves also function as check/one-way valves? If installing a pressure reducing valve, is there any sense in installing a one-way check valve in series, or would it be redundant? (i.e. does the PRV also act as a one-way valve?)

First, no, they don't function as a check valve.  They limit inflow by dynamically changing the valve opening so that when less pressure is on the out side, the valve opens up fully, and too much pressure on the out side causes the valve to shut.  In a no pressure situation (where water could go backwards), it won't be impeded at all.

Assuming that this is for your residential plumbing, you generally wouldn't install a check valve, because you want to be able to drain the system at the shut-off if you ever need to do any modifications.


Scratch on wall - ceramic tile by accident I scratch ceramic tile in my bathroom while cleaning. Do you have any idea how can I remove/(paint?)/fix this?

I tried a lot of home products (at start I though its just a tech pencil), but without result.

Wall specification: https://www.paradyz.com/en/catalog/elia/elia-bianco-sciana-struktura-rekt

Scratch:

EDIT: Thanks for all the answers, I'm going to try them soon. I will let you know about the results.

Try alkyd (oil-based) paint. Yes, paint. If the tile off white and if you have a scrap somewhere, take it to a paint store and they can sell you a match. The crack will disappear or only you will know.


Rth5160d1003 New Thermostat wiring from Older 7 Wire Setup o & b wires? I need help with wiring up the new thermostat. I have a Gas furnace heat with heat pump.  Goodman Units.  The old thermostat G=GREEN C=BLUE Y=YELLOW R=RED O=ORANGE b=BLACK E=WHITE.  The new thermostat has g,c,y.e,r but O/B is one terminal so Im unsure how to finish up.  The other options are w2/aux, k l/a,s,s u  See image of new thermostat setup. So does the Orange wire go to o/b and the black wire??

Here are the pictures you requested.  Appears black wire not used??

Thanks for all the help!!

Here is the final setup that I went with.  Forgot to take picture so just used graphic on new setup.

This isn't so hard after all

Old bimetal thermostats used extra contacts on the mode select (heat/off/cool/e-heat) switch to determine whether O or B was energized, so as a result, your old thermostat provided both an O and a B terminal, in order to be compatible with all heat pump systems, as some require an O wire while others require a B wire.  However, there are very few systems (certain residential zone boards are the only setups I know of) that require both O and B to be present; all heat pumps and many other systems that use O/B require only one or the other.

In your case, your O wire is connected to your heat pump reversing valve (the orange wire in the thermostat cable is connected to the orange wire going off to the heat pump), while the black wire in the thermostat cable is unconnected at the furnace end of the system, apparently.  As a result, the orange wire goes to the O/B terminal in your new thermostat, while the black wire can safely be left unhooked, since it goes nowhere anyway.  Also, the white wire that was connected to E on the old thermostat needs to go to AUX on your new thermostat, due to the way it handles auxiliary/emergency heat.  The rest of the wires go to the obvious terminals: red to R, blue to C, yellow to Y/Y1, and green to G.


I have a leaky shower. Builder thinks a total renovation to bathroom is needed to waterproof whole bathroom So the builder I got in thinks I should remove shower, vanity and toilet. Basically a renovation of the whole bathroom upstairs to waterproof the bathroom. The leak is obvious that it is from the shower. Is what he's saying excessive?

If there is an access panel below the shower you can look for yourself and see exactly where its comming from. If it is just the drain pipe seal it can be resealed without tearing the whole place up. Did the contractor open up the ceiling below the shower?  I agree a second opinion is needed.


12V AC wire run to light fixture? I am adding a ceiling fan to an existing junction box in my house. There was nothing there before, just a junction box which is rated for a ceiling fan. The house was built in 2016.

There is a standard switch that has Ground, a Line (live power) and Load wire going up to the fixture.

At the light fixture is the standard Ground, White, Black. But there is also a Red wire.

When the switch is off, both the black and red show ~2V (tested with a multimeter).

When the switch is turned on, the black wire shows 120V, and the red wire shows 12V.

There is definitely no red wire connected to this switch, so I am confused on why there is a red wire, and why it is showing 12V. Since it is in close proximity to the black wire, is it just picking up residual power?

Here is a picture of the proper wiring for a Pre-Wired Ceiling fan installation.


Reinforce joist near rafter for porch swing Recently purchased home and saw existing eye lag screw or bolt coming from front porch ceiling. Rolled the dice (hoping for bolt + reinforcement), did not remove vinyl ceiling to inspect carpentry. Installed swing and it failed with 2 people.  Eye lag screw was inserted directly into joist.

Would like reinforce joists to ensure 700lbs load from swing. My idea is to install 4x4s across the joists using hangers/braces, but the rafter is in the way such that the hanger will not be flush against the joist. Question 1) Is there a hanger/bracket for this situation?  Question 2) Is my idea a good one?

Also the joists are 2 feet apart - Question 3) is that too much space?  Maybe I need to install another joist in between so the distance is only 1 foot.

I appreciate any help with this project.

Every thing is cool except you cannot screw into the bottom of the joist.  Drill a hole horizontal through the side of it, near the middle, and use an eye bolt instead of an eye screw.  Use minimum of 7/16" bolt diameter.  Nut is up real tight on both sides and swing to your hearts content.


14ft Ceiling beam sagging 5/8" - what to do? First some background:

Our home is a 2 story detached.  On the main floor it is entirely open concept, with a ~14' drywalled horizontal support beam separating the kitchen from the living room area.  This "beam" (i call it that because i don't know exactly what is behind the drywall yet) comes down from the ceiling about 1.5 feet and has trim on it etc...  The home is about 7 years old.  We were the 2nd owners of the home (it's a builder home).  We have 9' tall ceilings on the main floor.  Our master bedroom & bathroom are directly above this area. The bathroom has a soaker tub and a separate tile shower.  We have had no issues with windows or doors not opening/closing properly.

What's happening

When we purchased the house, we noticed in the upstairs master bedroom (which is directly above the kitchen) that the floor was pretty squeaky when walking on it.  We had the seller 'fix' it but whatever they did, didn't last very long as the squeaking returned shortly after we moved in.  That was about 5 years ago.

Over the years we had noticed a couple straight almost hairline vertical cracks in the drywall surrounding the support beam on the main floor.  Definitely seemed like tearing of the drywall tape.  Last month we had our basement finished and one of the contractors pointed out that there is a bit of a sag in support beam that we never noticed until now.  They got out a laser level & confirmed the beam is sagging about 5/8" in the middle of the 14 foot span it is supporting and there is some slight bowing in the ceiling near the beam.  There are no cracks in the actual ceiling yet, just the beam.   We have not noticed any water damage in the ceiling.

We just patched the cracks around the beam and have started measuring the distance from the middle of the beam to the floor on a monthly basis and are watching to see if the cracks come back.

Part of me wants to open the ceiling and get a home inspector in here to evaluate the cause but i don't want to open the drywall unnecessarily either.

We are kind of freaking out about it, now every little crack we find in the house makes us wonder if it's related...

We are not particularly handy people and are unsure how to approach this problem, so any advice would be most appreciated.

Without destructive removal of finishes, it is impossible to know if it is a problem because the deflection of 0.625" (5/8") on a span of 14'-0" is less than the maximum allowable deflection (length/240) that has been typical in most US building codes for many years.

The reality is that describing construction as 'meeting the code' sets the bar at the worst building the law will allow. As a practical matter, this means that floors in residences often 'bounce' and that deflection becomes visible as spans increase. However, so long as the construction meets code minimums, it does not mean that the building is unsafe.

I am:

not saying the building is safe.
not saying the building is unsafe.

The proper way to determine the safety is to have a Professional Engineer investigate actual conditions on the site. This is really beyond the skill of a home inspector - their job is to say "the beam is sagging".


How do I fix bumps in carpet that only appear when it's warm and humid? We put all new carpeting in our church worship area in 2007.  The church is on a floating slab and in the summer when the humdity comes, we get serious bumps in the carpet. Some can be as long as three feet while many are five to six inches.  As the weather cools in the fall the bumps disappear.  In the meantime we have bumps that are a threat for tripping our members as they move through the sanctuary.  The carpetlayer used a glue that is suppose to make removal of the carpet "easier" when it comes time to remove.

How do we go about getting rid of these bumps?  Is it feasible to shoot glue with a needle in the carpet and then try and roll the bump out?

You need a building campaign for A/C and the operating funds to run it.

To verify that as a solution, rent commercial water damage dehumidifiers for a few weeks, and see if you can reduce the bumps.

Something like MovinCool might do the trick.


Seeking ideas to correct and prevent sprinkler from spraying building The neighbor is a plant nursery, which use sprinklers to water inventory late at night.  The report is that their sprinklers are watering our building which is an issue.   As I understand it, even if the sprinkler are put back into calibration to avoid spraying the building, it will eventually go out of calibration.

What would be effective techniques to:

encourage and put the responsibility on the neighbor to monitor /
correct?
enact physical prevention building spray?

Would a 'backstop' placed directly behind the sprinkler help?  Constructive suggestions are appreciated as I am trying to maintain a good relationship with the neighbor. That being said, humor is appreciated too.

Experience and lessons learned are appreciated: thank you.

A 9 iron oughta take care of it. Wear speedos and have a stogey in your cheek when you take the swing, and don't flinch when the water sprays you in the face. Let's them know you mean business.


Is fine stranded wire ok for main supply line? I’m changing the load panel in a mobile home with additions to gain additional circuits.

Outside a few feet from home is the service pole with meter and a 100 amp disconnect.

I became concerned about the entrance wire because it is a fine stranded wire like automotive battery cables or like welding equipment wiring. The picture shows the work in progress and it is complete now but I wonder if this type wire is anything to be concerned about especially since I will be adding to the load draw with a central heat pump.

In the red square you can sort of see the fine strands that the entrance wire has. I can’t get better pictures until I return to this vacation home.

To clarify I was expecting the wire to be stranded like this

But what I have is very similar to this

Edit:
Returned and pulled old wire out. It was in a heavy rubber jacket that had writing on it indicating it was mobile home wire like one uses for a camper at at campground.
It stated it was for 50 amps.

.

Replaced with #1 copper wire on hots and neutral and #3 copper on ground.

I can call it right now.

I don't see any markings on the wires.   Now, perhaps the wires come out of a multiconductor cable, whose cable sheath has markings that indicate it is one of the NEC/UL rated types of wire legal for mains wiring.  But if not...

Wires without insulation markings are no wires at all.

You don't even know what you're looking at here.  You don't know what insulation temp column you should be pulling out of for 310.15(B)(16).  You don't know if it's 600V insulation.  We don't know if the insulation will hold up over time, in the environmental conditions, or with the heat of the wires working normally.  For all we know it could be Chinese car battery cable.

Given that it's all 4 colors, there's a fair chance it's cable in sheath, or was shucked from cable in sheath (there go the markings).  This is why you can't shuck NM to get wires for running in conduit.


2nd floor bath remodel. Concrete under tile. What do I have to remove? I am doing some preliminary research and investigation into remodeling my master bath.
The house was built in 2002 so not too old. The master bath is on second floor. I removed the air vent to see what I am dealing with under the tile and it appears to be some sort of metal mesh stapled to either a wood sub-floor or the joists with concrete on top of it, about 3/4" thick and then the tile.
I am going down to studs in this bathroom, but I'm unsure of the floor.
Can I remove the tile and thinset and just re-tile on the concrete 'sub-floor'?
Or will I likely need to remove the concrete too? (I would think that's overkill).
If removing the concrete is necessary, what replaces it?
Thanks for any advice!

Sounds like a standard old school "float" job: plywood, then (usually) tar paper, then expanded metal mesh (sometimes), then dry-pack concrete, then tile adhered with thin-set mortar. This was the standard way to get a strong flat substrate for tile before cement-board was common.
If you can get the tiles off with the cement still relatively flat and smooth (or if the cement can be made relatively flat and smooth) then it is perfectly fine to put new tile down on it... but it's a big if.


What do I do with unused spackle Of course they don't have really small containers of spackle.  I haven't even used 1/8 of it - Is there anything you can do with the leftovers?  How long can you store it?

Seal tightly and hope. I've had it stay good for a decade.

Worst that happens is you throw it out then.


Applying large adhesive sheets onto surfaces without bubbles / creases I'm failing miserably at finding tutorials or videos on this.

I've bought some adhesive backed sign-makers' vinyl for applying to shelving, so it has a nice, even, bright gloss finish. But it's an awful lot more difficult than I expected to apply it without bubbles and creases, not to mention having it aligned properly. It's like trying to put a screen protector on a phone, but harder, given the size.

Any tips for doing this? I've tried applying it while the shelf (bare plywood) is vertical, horizontal, or at angles. Starting from the top, bottom, and side. Long side first and short side first. By hand, with a squeegee, and aluminium rod. It doesn't have lettering or anything, it's just a simple sheet with backing that peels off to reveal the adhesive side.

I'm sure it needs practice, but pretty pointless if you're not using a good technique to start with. How should this be done?

Thanks

What you can do by hand is fairly limited. Wallpaper is adhesive backed, but slightly repositionable. If what you have sticks strongly at first contact, your choices are limited. I would suggest the following,

Use a roller, as wide as possible, and of rubber. This should eliminate most bubbles and creases.
Go slow. This will allow you to catch and fix creases.
Pull the adhesive sheet tight.
You will probably still get bubbles, but they should be fairly small. Again, if it's a wet adhesive like wallpaper, you can usually push these out with a roller or straightedge. If it's an instant adhesive, you can prick them with a needle and collapse them.

In industries that do lamination, its done using rollers. Web tension is a primary parameter in helping prevent bubbles and creases. It's also common to use a bowed roll to help get tension in the transverse direction and prevent trapped air that causes bubbles.


is it safe to drill into this wall? I'm going to install a small loft platform above the stairs in this picture.

The most secure way would be to drill into the studs behind the paneling here, but i'm not sure about the wiring thats going into the walls here. Is it safe to drill into one or both of these walls? Do people have guesses as to where this wire is going and how to avoid it?

Also: I think i'll be able to find studs in this wall by measuring 16" intervals from a nearby door frame (i'm also planning on getting a stud finder to check, though the wood paneling may obscure this somewhat)

I could add legs to the platform that reach all the way to the steps below, but it seems like this wouldn't be as stable. The longer of the legs would be ~10' long.

Thanks for the sanity check. Thoughts?

If we get to guess, I'd say the wire is somewhere in the first stud bay on the right-hand wall (as you're going down the stairs). A stud scanner with a 'deep scan' mode might give you a sense of where it is. (And it might not extend above the conduit height.) Look outside to make sure there's no coach light on the exterior wall above the door.

As for studs, you'll certainly find some in the corner. 16" is a good guess only when you've found others in an set. Outlets and switches almost always have a stud on one side, so that might help with the measuring.

I doubt you'd crowd the stairwell with a low platform, but be aware that residential code in the US usually requires at least 6'-8" headroom from the nose of a tread to the bottom of a platform.


How do I remove a rust stain on my bathroom vanity counter? We just moved into a rental home and I seem to have done something stupid. I have a metal plate that I made into a make holder that I spray painted gold on the sink counter top. I must have gotten wet and left this ring on the top. I've tried bleach, Coca Cola, Mean Green cleaner, but nothing seems to make it better.

Please tell me you guys have ideas. I really need this off!

I presume the sink is faux marble.  Try Lime Away.  Or C.L.R. - they should remove it without hurting the surface.

Comet bathroom cleaner (The squirt kind) works good on light rust spots, but would take a while on really severe spots.


Ground wires: Do I have this right? I have 200A load center with a solid bare #6 ground wire tied to a ground rod. Ground/Neutral are bonded in the box.

Then run stranded #6 (does it have to bare?) to the 100A auto transfer switch. Ground/neutral are seperated. Ground bonded to box and neutral isolated. Do I also need a solid bare to ground rod? It’s right next to the 200A load center.

Next run stranded #6 (does it have to be bare?) to the 100A sub-panel down line from the transfer switch. Ground/neutral seperated. Ground bonded to box and neutral isolated. I do have a solid bare to ground rod here.

Can I use stranded between boxes?
Does it have to be bare?
Does each box have to tied to ground rod?
Am I missing anything?

Thanks for your help guys.

The meter box is connected to the 1st ground rod with #4 uninterrupted solid. The subpanel is connected to the meter box with #4 solid. They are back-to-back (the subpanel used to be the main panel). I have since isolated the neutral in the subpanel.

The NEW main panel is connected to its own ground rod with #4 solid. The neutral is bonded to ground.

Do I need to run ground between the NEW main panel and the subpanel? (Subpanel is currently grounded to the meter box)
Do I need to run ground from the NEW main panel and the transfer switch/ transfer switch to subpanel?
Do I need to run the transfer switch ground to the ground rod? (Neutral is isolated)

Ground wires between boxes can be solid or stranded.    Most likely in wires this big, they will be stranded.

Grounds must be colored bare, green, or green/yellow. Those three "colors" are reserved for ground.


Is there an approved way of fixing a cracked Fiberglass Tub/Shower? I noticed a crack in the bottom of my tub, and noticed that it flexed when I stepped near it.

I called in 2 companies to give me an estimate on repair.  The first, proposed a more or less straightforward fiberglass repair: laying down a new full sheet of fiberglass on the bottom of the tub and then a partial re-coating.

The second proposed a more expensive option that seems more long-term, but is much more radical.  They proposed cutting out the entire bottom of the tub and then pouring in new concrete to create a new support for the tub bottom.  Then, they would re-attach the tub bottom with fiberglass repair materials and do a partial re-coating.

This second method, while radical, seems to address the root issue.  However, in trolling the home repair areas of the internet, I do not find mention of this method.  That makes me insecure.  It is also double the price of the first approach.

Is anyone familiar with this 2nd approach?  What are the pros and cons?

I'm not familiar with the second approach but, as you say, it would address the root issue of the tray flexing when in use and should prevent the problem recurring. It also does seem to be rather radical.

The main drawback I can see is that you are causing more "damage" to the tray and therefore increasing the risk of the repair failing.

I'd ask the company if you can contact (or be contacted by) someone else who's had this done so you can ask them what they thought of the procedure. Ideally you'd be able to see the end result and check out for yourself before proceeding. If the firm is reputable they should have no problem with this. In fact refusing this would be a sign that the firm wasn't as reliable as they made out.


Illuminated Light Switch flickers My illuminated light switch flickers when off. I've had it a long time and never noticed it flickering before. I recently had an electrician replace the 3 mini hanging lights I had that were a disaster. They took light bulbs with mini bases, the spiral kind. They were difficult to remove, some replacements wouldn't fit, I broke one that I couldn't remove. Finally had the fixture  replaced with the hanging lights that took bulbs with the normal size base.  I believe the bulbs are called CFL and have the spiral inside a regular looking bulb.
I read on this site about the bulbs flickering when there's an illuminated switch. My situation is that the bulbs don't flicker but the switch does. It's not a dimmer, just the flip kind. I'm concerned about the possibility that the flickering light switch could wear out wires and cause a fire. Bay City, Mi

If it is an old switch that is internally illuminated when off, then it probably uses a small neon bulb as the light source.  They do burn out eventually.  Usually they flicker before they completely burn out.

The neon lamp burning out is not hazardous in any way.  The lamps are not replaceable.  If you want to fix it then you will need to replace the old illuminated switch with a new one.


Closing gap around floor transition strip and door trim Having finished major renovations, I'm focusing now on the fit and finish work in a 1964 U.S.A. ranch-style home. As you can see in these pictures, the slap-dash flooring transition is shoddily done around the trim, between a bedroom and its en suite.

Besides the appalling look, this join is a known bug and outside air ingress point. So my current remediation plan is to:

Remove the current transition
Caulk underneath the trim at the join to better close the envelope
Install a new vinyl reducer transition that's cut to fit snug against the door liner
Remove the existing quarter round
Cut 1/2" from the bottom of the door trim molding
Install new quarter round from the transition

The end result would be a proper transition snug against the door liner and quarter round that goes all the way to the transition. This isn't ideal, as I'd prefer the trim come all the way down and the quarter round abut against that, but it's cheaper to replace a foot of quarter round than an equivalent length of trim.

Is there a better way to remediate this join?

The better way is to extend the door side casing trim to the floor surface. Ideally that would involve removing the old paint covered trim and replacing with a new longer piece.

The alternative, as you propose, to run the base shoe molding under a foreshortened casing is not going to look too great as there will still be an ugly gap due to the rounded top of the base shoe.

It may be a better alternative to cut the door casing up even higher and then place in a block of wood that is slightly thicker than the casing. This can act as a grounding for the casing and the adjacent base shoe can come up to it as well. The end of the base shoe molding can be mitered so that it does not have the unfinished look that the current square cut presents.

The height of this added grounding block could be coordinated with the adjacent baseboard that the base shoe molding is attached to. Additionally you could consider to add a matching grounding block to the other side of this same doorway to provide a balanced look.

The picture below gives an idea of what I am suggesting. It also shows how base shoe molding is cut back at an angle. Note that I am not suggesting that you place a "baseboard and shoe molding" in through the doorway as depicted as the bright white part of the picture.

Picture Source


What paint will work best with cardboard shelving? I have created some bookshelves from corrugated cardboard. These are very strong, but they still do flex a bit. I did some tests using Rust-Oleum brand spray paint. Because the cardboard is flexible, bits of the paint came off. I am concerned that the paint will come off onto the books.

What would be a good paint to add to corrugated cardboard that will not flake off?

Spray paint is normally lacquer and is made for more durable surfaces that won't flex. Like appliance paint.

Latex paint is more flexible and rubbery. Hence the name.

Use a good primer first to seal the cardboard.

Good luck!


Should you repair the entire floor before refinishing a basement or go room by room I'm in the planning stages of a basement refinishing project. The basement has a concrete slab that is in decent shape but needs a few things:

Some sizable (6"x6"x1/2") protrusions need to be ground down
Some similarly sized areas need to be filled in
It is otherwise fairly flat, but definitely not level (say 1/4" slopes over 6').

I'm going to basically be partitioning the area into two rooms (a workshop and a laundry/bonus room). My question is, do I tackle the entire floor first by doing the grinding and leveling across the entire area, or do only the messy major repair first (grind/fill in) and then do the leveling after framing in each of the two areas? I plan to put down vinyl planks so from what I understand it's typically cement/underlayment/vinyl planks. I was planning to use a self-leveling product for the first step.
In other words, do I not try to get the whole basement level across its entire dimension, but rather make only the two rooms level within themselves, to try to make it a smaller job and not require so much of the self-leveling product.
Also, if anyone has an advice on how important it is to get it level vs. simply flat and relatively level, that would be good to know.
Any help is appreciated!
Thanks,
Jared

I'd definitely want to do all the grinding first. You'll probably have to rent the grinder and why do it twice. Also, you'll get grinding dust everywhere unless you really wet it down.... messy. When you frame the rooms, you don't want protrusions.
The filling in could be done as you go along because the rooms are divided. Being level isn't as important as being flat. I've been in many residential construction sites and have seen very few totally level foundations.


Should a kitchen sink S-trap be replaced? Everything I see mentions P-traps. I seem to have instead an S-trap. What are the downsides of this, and is it something that should be fixed?

You have an "S" trap because the drain exits through the floor and is probably unvented.

A "P" trap is for a drain in the wall that is teed for a vent stack.

The major disadvantage comes because "S" traps are usually used in locations where they are either not vented or poorly vented on the outflow side and so can siphon off the water in the trap, leading to sewer gas backing up into the building.

For a short term fix, after using any quantity of water, pulling the plug in the sink will empty it vigorously and pull enough water out of the trap to break the water seal, run a pint out of the tap afterwards to make sure there's a water seal.

For long term repair, you would have to install a tee on the drain, run the output from the P trap into one leg and a vent to who knows where from the other side. Plumber consultation recommended before you end up with one of those plumber's nightmare constructions.

It is illegal in most localities to have S traps in new construction because of the siphoning.


How can this panel pull 100A without any breakers tripping? I have a three phase panel fed from a three phase 100A breaker on another panel.

I found the 100A breaker tripped on the main panel, but none of the breakers in this panel were tripped. My understanding is limited but if I understand correctly, the four breakers in this panel do not add up to above 100 on any phase.

The breakers are installed as follows:

Upper left: 30A 2 phase
Lower left: 40A 2 phase
Upper right: 20A 2 phase
Lower right: 20A 1 phase

Total breaker limits per phase:

30+20+40=90
30+20=50
40+20=60

What am I missing or misunderstanding? How could none of these trip while the 100A tripped? If this is impossible, what should I look for in terms of failures that might allow this situation to occur (i.e., bad breakers, weird loads, etc)

The main panel has four wires coming in, and the subpanel is connected directly to the white wire shown with two wires, one being smaller than the other which I assume is ground. The other three wires are connected to the 100A breaker.

It could have to do with the trip curves of the breakers, and/or the ambient temperature differences between panel locations.
Trip Curve
For example, let's say all the circuits on Phase A are drawing 3 times the rated current. The trip curve for these breakers, say they will trip between 10 and 30 seconds at 3 times current. So the total current on Phase A at the main panel is 270 amperes, or 2.7 times the rated current (100 A). The trip curve for the breaker in the main panel, says that it should trip between 12 and 35 seconds at 2.7 times current.  If the breaker in the main panel is a bit more sensitive, you can see that it might actually trip before any of the secondary breakers.
Ambient Temperature
As well as a trip curve, circuit breakers will also have an ambient temperature curve.  Breakers are designed and calibrated to operate at 40°C (104°F) ambient temperature. If the breaker is operated at an ambient temperature of -10°C to 24°C (14°F to 75°F), the breaker will be able to carry more current. However, if the breaker is operated at an ambient temperature between 41°C to 60°C (106°F to 140°F), it will carry less current and could lead to nuisance tripping.
For example, if the 100 ampere breaker is operating at 140°F ambient, you might find that it actually trips at only 85 amperes.
High Altitude
When breakers are installed at higher altitudes, the current  has to be adjusted due to the reduced cooling effects of the thinner air. According to the documentation I could find, the adjustment multipliers are as follows:

0 - 6600 ft. (0 - 2011 m) -> 1
6600 - 8500 ft. (2011 - 2591 m) -> 0.99
8500 - 13000 ft. (2591 - 3962 m) -> 0.96

If you were installing a 100 ampere breaker at 10,000 ft., the breaker should only be expected to carry 96 amperes (100A * 0.96 = 96A).
Though in your situation, the breakers are likely all installed at a similar altitude. So this it likely not the problem, unless the air near the main panel is significantly thinner for some other reason.


How can I make a finished attic cooler and all bedrooms comfortable when central A/C is shared between 2nd and 3rd floors? I have a 3-floor house with central air.  First floor has its own A/C.  Second floor and finished attic are a single zone.  There is an open staircase between the first and second floors, and a smaller staircase to the attic with a door at the bottom.  There is insulation behind the finished attic walls facing the unfinished crawl spaces and there is insulation in the ceiling/roof above the finished space too.  The insulation isn't as great as it should be but I do not think improving it would do very much to solve my summer heat problem in the attic.  The attic is always 10 to 25 degrees warmer than the second floor.
The A/C seems to cool the second floor bedrooms quickly, and actually too much.  I set the thermostat to 73 and the bedrooms are in the high 60s all night while the attic is in the 80s.  Nobody is comfortable.  How can I fix this?

In summer the attic is heated by the sun through the roof and windows and also by warm air rising from the rest of the house through the staircase.  Closing the attic door would reduce the amount of warm air rising, but that is not the main source of heat.  The sun is.  And closing the door also decreases the flow of air from the attic registers back to the return on the second floor.  The gap below the attic door is just not enough to conduct an entire floor's airflow back to the return.
These were the problems:

The system was very poorly balanced.  The second floor bedrooms got most of the air flow and the attic got very little.
The attic had no return vent which was a big problem made even bigger when the attic door was closed.
The thermostat was in The Annointed Place in the upstairs hallway near the return vent but that turns out to be the worst place for my house.
My upstairs A/C was a little oversized for the total amount of airflow it had.

These were the steps I took:

I added a return duct in the attic hallway.  A small one, 10 inches.  I think this was the essential element.  It mixes warm attic hallway air with the cooler return air from the 2nd floor return, and thus balances the whole system.   It massively increases flow THROUGH the attic when the attic door is closed.  With the air mixing from the two returns the thermostat now gives love to the entire two-floor zone.
I added a second register in each of the two attic bedrooms.  It was easy to do by snaking ducts through the unfinished attic crawlspaces.  This gave the bedrooms a  greater share of the attic's air flow, a slightly greater share of the overall system airflow, and also brought the total air handler's air flow closer to its ideal, given it was a bit oversized to begin with.
I moved the thermostat from the 2nd floor hallway to the master bedroom.  This sent all the professionals involved into wild conniptions, and they made me sign a notarized release before they would work on it. Not really that.  But they all follow a universal rule of thumb that the thermostat should be in the hallway outside the bedrooms near the return.  In my house, with the bedroom doors closed and the downstairs system shut down during the night, and the open staircase, the upstairs hallway was where all the warm air collected.  So the bedrooms were always 3 to 8 degrees below the set point.  And the result of that was that the thermostat was never satisfied and the 2nd floor bedrooms were cold and clammy.  So I forced the electrician to move the thermostat into the master bedroom.  Because of all the attention I had paid to creating balanced air flow, this worked like a charm.

So far so good.  Within 5 minutes of the system starting up, all the rooms on both upper floors were in balance and when the thermostat became satisfied all the rooms were at the set point.  This worked with the attic door open or closed.  Once the system shut down the attic rooms would then heat up much faster than the second floor so by the time the thermostat called once more for cooling, the upstairs was about 10 degrees too warm.  So .....

I upgraded my thermostat from a $20 one to a $40 one, slightly smarter (but not a "Smart" one) that has a setting which, while the system is down, wakes up the fan for 5 minutes every so often.  This worked really well.   The setting was hidden deep in some secret menus available only in the "installers" manual that did not come with the stat.  But all the 2nd and 3rd floor rooms stayed in balance at all times and always within a few degrees of the thermostat set point.

Notes
This was not a DIY project for me.  The ductwork changes took a pair of professional installers an entire day.  Because I had a finished attic the job to move the thermostat from one interior 2nd floor wall to another one was a bear of a project for an experienced electrician with a helper.
It was easy for me to install the attic return because the upstairs air handler is in the unfinished attic space behind the wall of the hallway.  They just had to poke a hole in the wall and add a short duct that joined the main return in the plenum outside the handler.  If the handler were in the basement it would have been a MUCH bigger project.


2 wires with same neutral in a tandem circuit breaker on the same leg For reasons not relevant, I have spent the whole day reading about circuit breakers and I think I found an issue in the current configuration (changed after a contractor remodeled our kitchen).

I have a Bryant panel. I've included the diagram from the panel and a picture of the breaker below.

My worry is that there are two wires - a red and a black that go through the same conduit up to the kitchen, and the red and black are connected together in a tandem circuit breaker which would both be on the same leg. My understanding is that the neutral might not be able to handle the load if both pull full amps at the same time.

An image is included with the black and red wire together on the 3rd tandem on the right from the top.

I believe I also understand some of what happened. Originally the 3rd and 4th down on the right had 2 blacks and then 2 reds so that the same leg would not travel through both wires with 1 neutral. I had a contractor do work here, and I believe due to some requirement (which I can't figure out) he had to switch the bottom of the 2 with an AFCI. And he put the dishwasher and disposal on that one together. But then he ended up taking the other 2 and putting them together. This is what now seems dangerous.

Anyhow, can someone confirm that this is an issue? Would it make sense to swap out the 4th down with a tandem again and have 2 black followed by 2 red?

Edited 03/03/2019

Thanks for the answers - I have switched #3 to use a single 20Amp, but I'm pretty sure this will trip as it has all my kitchen counter appliances. What I'm wondering is if I can combine the black and red from #1 and #2 (not the same MWBC and controls only lights) and combine the other black and red from #1 and #2 into two different legs using a triplex (replacing #1 and #2), leaving me with two breakers that are free. I could then move one set of kitchen appliances to one of the free breakers of the triplex.

Edited 03/03/2019:

Top 2 left breakers are for an electric oven. I don’t use an electric oven. I removed those 2, capped off the wires, and moved the #3 wires to 2 adjacent 20amp breakers in place of the 220v oven breakers (different legs). And the 6th down on the right is not MWBC. One is for the washing machine and doesn’t go the same place as the other wire.

You're correct, a multiwire branch circuit with a shared neutral is not safe with both hots on one tandem breaker, it requires a two pole breaker.

If you move the hots for the MWBC to two adjacent tandems you will not be compliant with current codes but you'll avoid the main danger - you will no longer be overloading the neutral.  I'd address this immediately.

That would have been compliant when this panel was new, and you'd be done, but current code requires that the switch on the breaker turn off both hots of the MWBC together.  This is to ensure that during maintenance both breakers are turned off and the MWBC is all the way dead, not half dead.

You can comply with this requirement by using a two pole breaker or a listed handle tie to make sure the two adjacent breakers are turned off together.  A piece of wire through both handles may achieve the goal, but it is not listed.  I am not aware of a listed handle tie you can use here but I have never looked.

To get a two pole breaker with the panel already crammed, you'd need to replace two adjacent tandems with a triplex breaker similar to what you have on the left side of your panel.  Those are 20's on the outsides with a two-pole 30 on the inside;  you'd need one with 20s on the outsides and a two-pole 20 for the MWBC on the inside.

If all else fails you could install a small subpanel without too much expense to gain some space, and of course you could consider a panel upgrade which may be a good idea in the near future anyway.

Again the main hazard here is the overloaded neutral, address that immediately, but you'll need to take care of the common switch for the MWBC to get fully compliant.


Capping a leaky outdoor faucet, good idea? I have an old outdoor faucet that is leaking water. The switch of the water source is very old and hard to turn to stop the water supply to this faucet. I wonder if I can buy something to cap it to stop the leak, if I do that, will I risk water trap inside, and would it be risking bursting pipe in winter when the water freezes?

You could probably use a shutoff like this one as a temporary solution.

If it's still "temporary" when you winterize, I would remove it then.

Edit to add why it's temporary (as requested via comment).

Why is it a temporary solution?  Its a quick way to stop the leak, but doesn't take freezing cycles into account.  Outdoor valves are typically "frost free", and the portion of the valve that actually stops the water flow is either inside the heated area of the house, or deep underground.  A long stem on the valve allows the user to turn the valve on or off.  Diagrams of typical frost free valves appear below.  When turned off the portion of the valve outside (or above the fiostline) is allowed to drain.

As you can see, using the above as a quick fix won't allow water to drain out of the valve body (or in the case of the underground type it won't provide vent to drain underground).


How to run coax to 10 sites at RV park I am building a small RV park that has only 10 spaces. I am thinking about running Coax cable to each spot to provide TV service. At first I will just be hooking it up to broadcast tv using an antenna, but may provide cable tv eventually.

Would it be ok to just daisy chain all 10 spots? Or possibly even just 5 spots on 2 separate lines? I would just run direct burial grade coax from the office to spot 1, use a splitter to run another cable to spot 2, and so on.

I am mainly wondering if there will be any issues with signal quality degrading too much after each split? Has anybody done anything similar to this? This cable will be transmitting HD tv only, no internet. There is a driveway up the middle of the park with 5 spaces on either side, with the office right in the middle on one side of the driveway. The spaces are each about 40 ft apart from one another.

If your system is analog and not digital, the following will apply. If it is digital video transmission, it's out of my league.

Analog cable television systems transmit radio frequencies into coaxial cable (simplified explanation) which has signal loss over distance. The lower frequencies (lower numbered channels) will decrease strength at a lower rate than the higher frequencies.

Smaller diameter cable will have greater loss than larger diameter cable. If you can use RG-8U for the "backbone" of the system, it's superior to the smaller RG-6U typically used for house drops and internal wiring.

If you use splitters at each junction, you'll have a fraction of signal level at the end. There are devices known as directional couplers which are similar in concept to splitters, but smarter! The construction of these devices are such that there is an "in," an "out," and a "tap," although the terminology for the last may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

The operation is such that, for example, you would have 34 db signal level at the "in" on a 26 db directional coupler. It would provide 8 db signal level to the tap port and pass along the rest of the signal to the "out" port. The signal level would not be reduced by 8 db, but there is some loss involved. In this example, a 34 DC would have a 0.4 db through loss at channel 2 frequencies. The next span of cable would have appropriate losses to be calculated to determine the next value of DC to use.

There are also two-port directional couplers, sometimes called directional taps. This would combine a splitter on the output or tap port of a single port unit, in one enclosure. For your purposes, five two-port DCs appropriately designed would service ten units in a spine-like arrangement.

In the drawing below, the values have been exaggerated by reducing them in an un-calculated manner. You would need to know the frequency range you plan to use as well as the losses for that range in the coaxial cable to be used.

The last connection would be a splitter, which will create a 3.5 db loss for each leg. That is to say, if you have 15 db signal level, you'll get 11.5 db on each side of the splitter. It may not seem like much, but there is a 3 db loss for the split and a 0.5 db loss for the device. In RF terms, 3 db is half-signal. If the entire system were splitters, you'd have 1/32 of the signal after five splits!

Even a digital system uses an analog RF signal to carry the signal, which is equally susceptible to attenuation through the cable and devices.

Equalization of the signal may not be a problem, but if it's strictly analog, you'd want to ensure that it's within limits. Equalization refers to higher frequencies dropping off faster than low. It's not as simple as cranking up the higher channel levels, as too much signal level is just as bad as too low.

Digital configurations are more forgiving and an entirely different realm of design.


Does the rubber washer on an outdoor conduit whip go inside the box or outside? I'm replacing the power whip to a well pump. It's unclear which side the rubber washer goes on to create a water tight seal with the disconnect box.

Is it:

Whip -> Washer -> Hole in Box -> Nut (rubber washer outside box)

Or:

Whip -> Hole in Box -> Washer -> Nut (rubber washer inside box)

The first:

Whip -> Washer -> Hole in Box -> Nut (rubber washer outside box)

not

Whip -> Hole in Box -> Washer -> Nut (rubber washer inside box)

You want the plastic washer on the outside for a watertight seal, and the nut on the box for mechanical strength and with a metal box, to bond the fitting to the box electrically.


Is it okay to install a 15A outlet on a 20A dedicated circuit for a dishwasher? I am putting in a dishwasher and I have a dedicated 20A circuit (12/2, 20A breaker).
I have 15A outlet handy.
Is it okay to install it in this application?

You can use a 15A duplex, but not a single outlet. [NEC 210.21(B)(1) and (3)].
Edit: Sorry my answer was initially incomplete, only answering specifically what was asked. Many additional Code requirements still apply. GFCI protection (breaker, device, or receptacle) is likely required, see code references in comments to other answer.
Your added picture shows you mounted receptacle with only center screw, 406.5(C) requires receptacles mounted on covers to be mounted by more than one screw.
Also worth mentioning since the ground screw hole was empty in the first picture that the equipment ground needs to be pigtailed to the box and receptacle so both remain grounded when the cover is removed.
It does look like you are probably satisfying the 422.16(B)(2)(6) requirement that the receptacle for the DW must be in the cabinet adjacent to the DW.


Can metal framed single pane windows be sandwiched together to make an effective double pane? I recently purchased 10   4' x 10' single pane glass windows in metal frames. They were an indoor glass-walled conference room. Is there a way to stick two of them together to create a double pane and vent them so condensation isn't a problem? I'd like to use them as windows in a shop I'm building.

Basically, you can make a double-pane window, but so far as thermal insulating properties go, you are highly unlikely to achive anything of value. External storm windows serve to keep rain/snow off the window proper but do almost nothing to insulate (unless of course the interior window leaks like crazy and the storm window doesn't).
Sealed double-pane insulating windows are specifically designed with fluid dynamics in mind.  Aside from filling the gap with a dry inert gas, the spacing is carefully selected.  A very thin spacing will allow too much direct conduction heat loss thru the gas.  Too large a spacing will allow internal vortices to form, leading to large convection heat loss.

In sum, unless you dig up the proper spacing specs and are able to match them in your construction, you won't get much additional thermal insulation. You may get added sound insulation, if that matters.


Replacing an on and off switch with a mechanical timer I have an outdoor light that is run by a regular wall switch.  I want to change this to a mechanical timer switch.  The mechanical timer switch has two ports for wires.  When I opened the wall switch I found three black wires: one in each of the push in ports and one under a side screw.  How do I wire in the mechanical switch that has two ports when I have three black wires attached to the old regular wall switch?

Sometimes receptacles and switches are used to join two wires together out of convenience.  What you have is a regular switch with two terminals, but the electrician has used a push terminal and a screw terminal to join two hot (black) wires.  The push terminal and screw terminal next to it are the same electrical connection.

Lets say the top of the switch has a black wire on the screw and one in the push terminal and the bottom of the switch just has one wire in the push terminal...  To hook up the new switch, you're going to pigtail the top two wires to one terminal on the timer.  That means connecting the two black wires and a new short length of black wire with a wire nut and then connecting that short wire to the switch.  The wire currently going to the bottom of your switch will just get connected to the other terminal on the timer.


What are the pins in this socket? What's the correct orientation for a plug in this outlet? What are line, which are neutral, which is ground?

It's from India.

Sockets that can be used for both grounded and non-grounded 6A plugs are quite common in India. Other variants allow using grounded 6A and 16A plugs.
Some examples are shown on the Digital Museum of Plugs and Sockets page http://fam-oud.nl/~plugsocket/OldBritish1.html (see images 8-13).

It seems likely that the images (a) and (b) show a socket that is designed for grounded (3-pin) and non-grounded (2-pin) 6 Amp / 240 Volt plugs. The lower two slots of the socket are Neutral (left) and Live/Hot (right). Together with the center top slot for grounding, they are meant for a 3-pin plug. The top two slots, at left and right of the larger ground slot are meant for a 2-pin plug.

The spacing of the L and N-pin of a a grounded 6A plug is 18.5 mm, whereas the spacing of the two pins of a non-grounded 6A plug is 16.6 mm. Unfortunately the photo is too vague to see whether the spacing of the top two slots is about 2 mm smaller than the spacing of the lower two slots.

The tolerances of Indian plugs and sockets are often quite large. It is often not too difficult to insert a 2-pin plug in the L and N slots meant for a 3-pin plug, which means that you can use both the top two slots (correctly) and the lower two. Using the lower two for a 2-pin plug is not really safe, because it is probably not possible to insert the plug completely. Note that in both cases the plug is inserted in a horizontal position.

The possibility two insert a plug in vertical position is remarkable. To my opinion it is a design fault. Usually the two slots at the left side are both connected to neutral and both slots at right to live/hot*. Insertion of a plug in vertical position is useless since both pins are connected to the same wire, either neutral or live. In both cases there is no potential difference.

Note that a connection to two hot poles may look comparable to split phase wiring which is commonly used in the U.S., but in the Indian situation the two live poles are identical = in phase, rather out of phase for split phase wiring.

Theoretically the socket could have separate wire connections for the top and bottom L- and N-slots. Then crisscross wiring (L top left , N top right) would work, assuming that the spacing between top and bottom slots is 16.6 mm.


How to connect hard fabric? I am trying to repair my backpack whose straps wore down. I decided to replace them with bands of heavy duty plastic-like fabric that I found. Unfortunately, it is very hard for me to push a sewing needle through the bands. I can do it if I grip the needle with pliers and apply all my force.

In the end, I used a metal band with some bolt nuts. The solution seems to work, but I am afraid that the sharp edges will cut me open like a trout one day. Also for some reason people collecting money for charity organizations no longer stop me on the street.

My mom has a sewing machine, but she seems reluctant to let me use it. I am also not sure whether it will be strong enough to pierce through the fabric.

Is there some simpler way to connect such sturdy pieces of fabric?

Take it to a shoe repair shop they can sew it together and the tow straps I had repaired cost less than 5$.


New light fitting coming on with wrong switches I've replaced several lights in my house no problem, house is 70's build old wiring etc
My kitchen light had an old tube light that was on the way out so I bought an LED replacement.
When coming to wire it in there were 3 grey cables in the ceiling with the 3 earth's and 3 red wires twisted together. Then the black wires were two into the neutral and one into the live.
I copied this over to the new light and it doesn't come on at all.
But if I use only two of the wires it comes on if any other light on the downstairs circuit is turned on but its own switch has no effect?
I tried swapping the wires around the other way but that means the light is just permanently on and the other downstairs lights don't work. So leads me to believe the 3rd one I'm not using is the switched wire but if that's one the live side it just trips it out, on the other side it does nothing
Any ideas where I've gone wrong as I took a picture of the old light wiring before I took it off and it and just copied it which hasn't been a problem for me in the past, I can understand if I got them mixed up but it doesn't even work with other combinations it either doesn't work at all or stays on permanently etc

That's the old wiring, the new one Is just a block with live and neutral

The solution was that the wires were connected correctly but somehow the switch had stopped working during me changing the light fitting, I tested all the wires and the switched wires were showing continuity constantly despite the switch being off.
I tried the switch itself directly with no wires to check it was definitely the switch and it was, switch replaced and all worked fine.
When I first started I thought it seems like the switch wasn't working but I ruled that out in my head as it worked fine with the old  light so not exactly sure what the reason for it failing was or just coincidence, but it was a cheap fix in the end.


Hook up between sink basket and P-trap Redid kitchen; deeper sink now. Only about 1 1/2 " to 2" between sink basket and P-trap. I need tail pipe with flange for dishwasher hook up? Is there any other place I can attach dishwasher drain? I need help

If the sink is deeper so that there is no longer room for the dishwasher connector, the only solution I know of is to move the P-trap† lower.

This may mean a considerable amount of cutting of wastepipes and joining new sections of pipes. If the wastpipe does not lead to an accessible vertical wastepipe, you might need to remove the back of the cupboard under the sink (or cut a large hole and re-patch later)

Some sink manufacturers sell specialized fittings that may make the problem easier to solve.

If the difference in height between old and new sink is small, you can try a flexible coupling between trap and drainpipe - here's one I used in similar circumstances - you have to reposition the trap using its swivelling connections to make room for the flexible coupling


Is installing crown molding a DIY project? My wife has lately been thinking about ways to improve our home, and has settled upon installing crown molding in our 3 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms as one of the things she would like to do.  My question is this: for two people who have little DIY experience, is installing crown molding something we can do ourselves, or should we call a professional?

It can be done yourself.
What you will need:
Compound Mitre saw.
Drill + countersink bit.
Construction adhesive
Drywall plugs (likely not necessary, but best to have them on hand)
3 step ladders or scaffolding.

You need 3 people.  One in each corner, and one in the center, doing the actual installing.  You will be working with long pieces that break easily, so you'll need to support the work at all times.

The other problem is getting the material home without breaking it.


Should I continue to remove the cement board, or just remove the tiles? I'm in the middle of replacing the tile in my bathroom and started to take off the backer board but now I'm wondering if I should've just cleaned off the top of the boards and reused it. The backer board is nailed to the floor over thin set.

Both processes seem like a pain. Would you continue to take off the cement board or patch a 4'x6' area with new cement board and then scrape off the old tile's thin set on the rest of the surface?

I would probably attempt to just patch the one area and srape the rest off. Touch up with a grinder.

However, that depends on how intact the existing CBU remains after scraping off the tiles and thinset.

I would take the path of least resistance. If you try one way and it is taking way longer than the other way, switch.


What can one do with shower water? A relative is rebuilding his bathroom. Since he has a garden and he is all about "thinking green" he was wondering if he could use the shower water (or any other) in any way, like water plants.

I found the idea interesting when he told me and we googled a bit around to see what solutions there are. We found many ways of saving water, but none to reuse. I assume one cant just use it directly due to the soap and other chemicals. Is there something that its practically doable in order to be able to reuse this water safely?

The idea is to save money, but above all to avoid wasting water.

The search term you are looking for is probably "greywater" (or graywater.) Basically non-toilet (watercloset) waste water.

There are two aspects - one is legal and varies by location, the other is practical and does not, so much.

The legal aspect essentially comes down to whether your local jurisdiction prohibits or allows use of graywater (rather than requiring that it go into the sewer), and any specific regulations/rules you must follow to use it in the jurisdiction. Some places essentially limit you to the output of the kitchen sink, for fear of tiny amounts of bad things that might be in laundry or shower water; others do not. Most have fairly strict rules to prevent the cross connection of sewage and greywater lines.

The  practical aspects tend to have to do with things like filtering it through a reed bed or similar wetland plant-filter before making further use of it, which deals with the soaps, toothpaste, etc. Any practical permaculture book tends to have a few diagrams of this sort of thing in it. How practical this for a given house/garden depends on available space and topography.

If you are not in a terribly dry region, storing rainwater may be easier to manage than diverting and filtering greywater.


Difference between 36 and 42db of noise isolation? I do want to install various soundproofing improvements in an apartment, but when equipment and materials indicate the level of isolation, I really cannot judge at all the difference between them. I saw many charts of hearing db scale but those are really rough approximations, and If I'm correct, db scale is logarithmic, meaning for me that small differences can have huge impact or, oppositely, huge differences can have small impact when I move toward the biggest numbers or towards 0.

So, for instance, last thing I was looking into was the entry door. Many announce about 36-39db where others, usually more expensive says 42db.

But what is the difference between 36 and 42db ? Can I hear the difference clearly ?

Can I "test" or "emulate" that somehow ?

Every 3db is double the power of the signal (amplitude), however this is also the point at which most humans report hearing a noticeable difference.  Most humans will perceive the volume to double around 9-10dB.

So if you found one door that offered 30dB of noise isolation, and another that offered 40dB, you would say that the 40dB is "twice as quiet as the 30dB", approximately.

In reality, your sensitivity to sound is not linear so it really depends on the frequency of the noise.  You are less sensitive at the high/low extremes and most sensitive in the center of the range.  Likewise, as you get older, you tend to lose sensitivity to the extreme frequencies first.


Is it normal for a doorbell transformer to be warm and make noise? To make a long story short I am in the process of hooking up my ring door bell and I need to follow these instructions: (I want to wire directly to transformer)

To my understanding I need to wire my doorbell wiring directly to a 8-24V transformer which has a resistor following their specs.

For my resistor I used this product
For my transformer I used this product

I went ahead and tapped into a junction box which has some 14-2
Wiring - I hooked the transformer into those. I then souldered the resistor onto my doorbell wiring and hooked up my doorbell wiring to the transformer (distributing 16v to my ring doorbell)

I have three questions:

the transformer is pretty warm to the touch....Not crazy hot but deff warm. Is this normal for a transformer? Or do I have to much power being distributed to it?
the transformer makes a decent amount of noise. The transformer had the built in clip with the screw (it just goes right into a pop out in the box) but it’s not very secure? I am assuming the noise is from the vibration of it not being very secure to the box. (Also if I hold it down by hand there is still some light noise)
I guess my overall concern is I understand the very (and I mean very) basics of a transformer and resistor. But are the above items normal? Should a transformer be silent and cool? Based on my set up is there any red flags?

Transformers are always going to produce some heat. It's a part of the step-down process. It should only be warm to the touch, however. If it burns you, there's something seriously wrong.
Some noise is not unusual either. Go stand near a power company transformer and you should hear some noise as well. If the transformer is cheap, it might make more noise than a more expensive model (my experience only, yours may differ), but they generally aren't silent. #1 would worry me more than this


Questions about base under paver stones for a patio I am building a patio with paver stones, roughly 20x16. I am building it on rocky clay in New England. I have dug out my soil and plan to put geotextile fabric over the clay before I lay my crushed stone and dust. I have a few questions and am grateful for any guidance:

Is the fact that clay is rocky going to cause any problems? I have removed as many rocks as I can but it is impossible to remove them all.
Can the depth of my crushed stone base fluctuate so long as it is always at least 4" deep? After excavating and removing stones the soil bed is not a consistent depth- some areas have space for 4" of crushed stone but some areas could go as high as 8" or maybe even 12" of crushed stone. Is this ok? Does it matter if the soil bed is not perfectly even so long as it is compacted, has geotextile fabric over it, and the crushed stone is lever after installation?
My last questions are about drainage. The patio will slope down 4" away from the house over 16 feet, which I believe is a good slope?
Lastly, the water will drain right towards my detached garage (an old 2-horse carriage house that isn't nearly as nice as that may sound), which has a concrete slab floor and no foundation. There will be about 12" between the end of the patio and the garage. My plan is to dig a canal here to collect the water and move to another part of the yard to drain. Is this a good idea or am I asking for trouble having the canal so close to the garage? The setup of my yard makes it nearly impossible to have it drain in any other direction.

Thanks for reading this and many thanks for any feedback!

~Is the fact that clay is rocky going to cause any problems? I have removed as many rocks as I can but it is impossible to remove them all.

The rocks should not pose an issue as long as the soil base is compacted.

  Can the depth of my crushed stone base fluctuate so long as it is always at least 4" deep? After excavating and removing stones the soil bed is not a consistent depth- some areas have space for 4" of crushed stone but some areas could go as high as 8" or maybe even 12" of crushed stone. Is this ok? Does it matter if the soil bed is not perfectly even so long as it is compacted, has geotextile fabric over it, and the crushed stone is lever after installation?

The geotextile fabric is good to use as a base over the soil base. Being in New England, you will see cold winters with the possibility of frost heaving. Thicker crushed stone bases help prevent this. 4" is the minimum crushed stone you will see recommended. If possible, increase that to a minimum of 6" across the entire patio area. When laying thicker crushed stone bases, it is good to use a plate compactor with every couple inches (3" or so) of base. With 4" of base, the plate compactor can be used once it is all laid down. With 6" or more it should be used two or more times.

Also, extend the crushed stone base at least 6" outside of the area to be covered by pavers. This will ensure the pavers stay supported by the crushed stone even with expansion and contraction.

The fluctuating depth should be minimized as much as possible, but it will not ruin your patio as long as the base soil is compacted.

  ~My last questions are about drainage. The patio will slope down 4" away from the house over 16 feet, which I believe is a good slope?

Yes. That's fine. 1/4" vertical drop per horizontal linear foot is a commonly accepted slope for drainage.

  ~Lastly, the water will drain right towards my detached garage (an old 2-horse carriage house that isn't nearly as nice as that may sound), which has a concrete slab floor and no foundation. There will be about 12" between the end of the patio and the garage. My plan is to dig a canal here to collect the water and move to another part of the yard to drain. Is this a good idea or am I asking for trouble having the canal so close to the garage? The setup of my yard makes it nearly impossible to have it drain in any other direction.

A concern with the patio being so close to the garage is waterflow from the patio causing erosion and undercutting the garage's slab foundation. I would suggest installing a French drain to divert water down this path rather than an open canal. The French drain would use 4" perforated corrugated pipe with a sock buried at least 4" under the surface. The pipe should slope at least 1/4" vertical drop per 1 horizontal linear foot, the same as the patio. Cover the pipe with 4" of pea gravel and top it with larger rocks, such as river stones. The rocks will help to break up and slow the flow of water to prevent erosion of the surrounding soil. The French drain will help remove water quickly to keep the soil from becoming water logged.

If you don't have an appropriate place to locate the exit of the French drain, you can dig a dry well. It is essentially a large pit filled with gravel into which the French drain can deposit water to be absorbed by the surrounding soil.


Gas heater fan noise I have a CF653C-H Cozy wall gas heater ..The fan runs fine , except when it shuts down , it clicks 15 to 20  times before stopping . At least I am guessing its the fan, could also be the motor ..But there is no issues during the normal run.

As with Ed, it also sounds to me like you may have bearings that are going dry in the blower motor.  When these bearings dry out they can also make a ticking noise without any outside help. Once you rule everything else out, I would replace the motor.


How hot should my hot water heater vent get? My gas hot water heater's flue/vent is very hot to the touch.  Is that normal?  How hot should it get?

As you just noted gas exhaust flues get "pretty hot". Which is the reason they should not be in contact with combustible material. Also they need to be 'double walled'  if they are passing through an enclosed surface. Also be sure the vents terminate to the outside, but not in close proximity to any windows or return air registers.


How do I find out what is under this ceiling cover for hanging a Charleston/Joshua Swing? First time poster here,

I'm the second homeowner, the original homeowner has reported this is an addition, that they only had a deck. The company that built it is no longer in business. The County Inspectors office doesn't have record of anything older than 6 years they say. I have no blue prints of the home, or this addition. Any suggestions on what I should look into next?

My goal is to hang a Charleston/Joshua Swing that is ultimately a twin bed swing. My husband brought up a good point about if the structure can handle the weight of a cedar swing + 2 adults + 2 dogs (we are unsure of the swing weight, as I haven't purchased yet because I can't just return this thing, so we are estimating 1000lbs total as a safe bet, hung from 4 points).

We have looked at having a structural engineer come out and look at this, but they've said we are looking at $450 minimum, PLUS, them talking down the bead board, causing who knows how much damage or cost to repair.

Summary of questions:

Where else could I look for information on what is hiding behind this bead board?
What dimension boards are most often used to construct the support of screened porches like this?
How can I find out what this structure can handle without having to go through the structural engineer/deconstruction process?
If I assume it's simply 2x4s under there, how do I calculate what I can get away with hanging from that?

Any additional suggestions/ideas are gladly welcomed! Thanks

This isn't a complete answer, but neither is it appropriate as a comment ("to ask for more information or suggest improvements")... Just a few suggestions as to how you might get a little more information about the structure.

There's probably some eave overhanging the wall outside the space. The height of the fascia would probably reveal the vertical dimension of the rafters, because typically the eave is simply the result of the rafter tails extending beyond the wall.

Edit: The above may or may not be a useful approach. When I wrote it I was thinking of a soffit detail in which the rafter is simply cut vertically, as in the first drawing below. Not surprisingly, it turns out that there are other ways of doing this -- if the rafters are tall then the tails might also be trimmed horizontally to reduce the fascia height and move the soffits upward as in the second drawing.

Another strategy is to drill a small hole in the ceiling somewhere. Probe into the hole with a wire to measure the depth of the space inside and come to some conclusion about the thickness of the rafters.

If a visual of the space is important consider renting or buying a borescope, also known as an endoscope. These can be had as cheaply as USD$20 for a USB model which you'd view with a computer or mobile device, or at a higher price for one with a built-in screen, higher resolution, etc.

You'll need to know something about the spacing of the rafters as well. This also might be apparent at the exterior eaves. If you can see subtle undulations in the roofing surface these would also reveal the spacing between the rafters. Visible fasteners holding the bead board to the ceiling may also, and invisible fasteners might be detectable with a magnet.

When you know more about the structure you'll be in a better position to decide whether to "wing it" and just hang the swing, or whether some engineering might be appropriate.


Can I merge two ceiling light fixtures into one with two wall switches? I have two ceiling light fixtures on two separate wall switches that I would like to merge into one light fixture controlled by the two separate wall switches.   Do I just make one of the wall switches a three-way?  I am trying to avoid having to fish new wires if possible.

Can I merge two ceiling light fixtures into one with two wall
  switches?

To answer your first question, yes.  Almost all light fixtures have a white and black  wire for each individual socket.  Simply send one to each switch.

  Do I just make one of the wall switches a three-way?

Well you will need a "traveler" (extra wire) between the switches for a 3-way.  There are a couple of different ways to wire a 3-way here but if your walls are closed and you don't want to open them then the answer is, no.


Running electric cable on top of foundation wall I have a house built around 1960 (USA, midwest) where several of the electric cables from the breaker box are laying on the top of almost the entire length of one side of the foundation wall, held in place to the sole plate by the occasional staple or bracket. Can I do that, too?

Right now there are two or three 14/2 cables laying up there but room for one more.

Here is the pertinent article from the National Electrical Code:

334.15
(C) In Unfinished Basements and Crawl Spaces. Where cable is run at angles with joists in unfinished basements and crawl spaces, it shall be permissible to secure cables not smaller than two 6 AWG or three 8 AWG conductors directly to the lower edges of the joists. Smaller cables shall be run either through bored holes in joists or on running boards. [emphasis added]

Now the key here is what constitutes a "running board". Most inspectors would probably require at least a piece of 1-by material like 1 x 4 or wider in an open area, to be called a running board but this phrase is open to the inspector's interpretation. Stapling to the side of 2-by material on top of the foundation wall, as in your case, would be even better since it is protected from physical damage by the concrete wall.
If it is not going to be inspected, and there is room to staple another cable there, then you are free to do what you want anyway. It will be just as good as the wire that has been there since 1960 and apparently that has not been a problem.
Finally, it should be stapled within 12" of panels or boxes and no less than every 4.5 feet thereafter to meet Code requirements. If you use hammered metal staples do NOT mash the wire. Snug is what you're after.
Good luck and stay safe!


is this mold or something else? Is this (the red and the round brown rusted looking thing) mold?

Thanks

If you zoom in, this looks like a Phillips head screw. The discoloration around the head of the screw likely comes from rusting of the screw.


ComfortMaker GUH075 series high-efficiency (93%) furnace isn't making heat It worked a couple of days ago but today the fan blows but the burner doesn't seem to come on.  The status indicator inside the access panel flashes four times but I can't find any reference to tell me what that means.

A dirty air filter will cause that fault... not enough air flow through the heat exchanger resulting in "open high limit".
 (Embarrassed to say , I let that happen last winter).


Electric water heater power switch Q1: Should there be a(n emergency) power switch next to an electric water heater?

Q2: If A1 is no, is it okay to have one anyway?

Q3: If A2 is yes, what kind of power switch should I use? I don't think I can use a regular light switch because this cable is 10/2 AWG and both the black and the white are hot. I need something that has two charges in and two loads out.

Q1: Should there be an (emergency) power switch next to an electric water heater?

Doesn't have to be, but we always have a disconnect switch by water heaters for any commercial building.

  Q2: If A1 is no, is it okay to have one anyway?

Yes, it's fine as long as it's wired right and such.

  Q3: If A2 is yes, what kind of power switch should I use? I don't think I can use a regular light switch because this cable is 10/2 AWG and both the black and the white are hot.

Seems you've already discovered it, but yes they do make double pole switches. Typically a disconnect is used (as answered prior) and they're not any more complicated, but are safer. It's just a big switch.


How can I unclog a toilet that is clogged due to non-toilet paper? I have a 3 year old (deep sigh) who decided to flush a subscription card from a magazine down the toilet.

She did this a couple weeks ago, but I think we are just now seeing the affects of this choice-- our guest bathroom appears to be clogged.  When flushed, the bowl fills up and then very-slowly drains to nearly nothing.  I've tried plunging the toilet but that hasn't helped.

My next step is to buy a snake, but in an effort to save a few bucks and not buy another tool I'll not frequently use (I have a small home, with limited space for storing this type of stuff) I was wondering if there are other tricks I could try.  Personally, I'd like to  try pouring some form of Draino down the toilet but apparently your not suppose to do that.  Is there any chemical that I can use to dissolve the paper that is safe for water treatment?  If not, are there other steps that I can try before calling a plumber or buying a snake?

Thanks guys.

If the soap doesn't work, I'd go with a drain zip before going to a snake.
There are a lot of brands, burt basically a drain zip is a three dollar, 2.5 foot (3/4 meter) long flat, bendy piece of plastic, with plastic barbs along the sides. It's great for getting hairballs out of the shower drain, and should bend its way quite nicely through the toilet to the point of your blockage. Most hardware stores (US) sell the things.


What is the difference between equivalent watts and lumens? I have two lamps

6W LED(OSRAM 50R): equiv 40W or 170 lm

15W WW827 Tornado Philips, equiv 85W or 950 lumen

Why the 2x power difference and 6x luminosity difference?

There are a couple terms involved that all have specific meanings:

Watts: the amount of electricity used by the bulb (a.k.a. "power")
Lumens: the amount of visible light the bulb produces (a.k.a. "luminosity")
Equivalent watts: an approximate incandescent bulb wattage that outputs a similar amount of light.
Luminous efficiency: the amount of light put out by the bulb per watt. Higher means better efficiency.

There's not a direct relationship between watts and lumens, but you can look at the luminous efficiency to compare bulbs. Wikipedia lists values for common household bulb types:

Incandescent bulb: 12-18 lumens / watt
Halogen incandescent: 24 lumens / watt
Compact fluorescent: 45-75 lumens / watt
LED: 60-100+ lumens / watt

The LED you list has an efficiency of 28 lumens / watt, which is pretty poor for an LED. LEDs have been increasing in their efficiency; maybe it's an older model? Your CFL is 63 lumens / watt, which is pretty good for a CFL.

Compare those to the current gold standard for mass-market LED bulbs, Philips' L-prize LED, which puts out 940 lumens using 10 watts, or 94 lumens / watt.

You're also seeing the problem with "equivalent watts", which is kind of an unhelpful metric. I don't know if there's any regulation on what manufacturers can claim as the incandescent equivalent, but I've seen bulbs as low as 700 lumens and as high as 950 lumens all claim to be "60 watt equivalent". Even among incandescents there's a range of light output for a specific wattage. The most reliable way to look at brightness is the "lumens" rating. If you're trying to match the brightness of an existing bulb, try to look it up online to find the lumens.


Re-key a lock so it's always openable without a key The locking mechanism on the sliding door for my balcony is crappy and it sometimes locks people out on the balcony if they aren't careful.  One idea I had to make the door safer was to just store a key in the lock.  But it would be better if I could re-key the lock using some product that was designed for this application: I'm envisioning a barrel that fits inside standard locks, but doesn't actually have pins or a key hole, and just has a knob or thumb screw.

How can I re-key a lock so it is always openable without needing a key?

An actual locksmith can do that for you at sane cost.   Remove as much of the lock mechanism as possible, and bring it on into a shop.

He can also make it a deadbolt, so it can't "autolock behind you" and will only lock if manually operated.  You can also get a double-face lock so if they break the glass to reach in, all they find is another key-face (this is OK if it is not an emergency egress route).  In my house we never use the autolock, we only deadbolt.


Can I flatten nails from house siding? I'm doing some work on the inside of an exterior wall.  It's covered in nails from the siding on the outside.  I know you're not supposed to flatten these kinds of nails when used in roofing.  Is it safe / recommended to hammer these nails sideways so as to ease the installation of certain kinds of insulation?

Both comments above by Harper and bib are good reasons to start, but the biggest issue I see with bending over the nails is what the nails will do as they are being bent. The shank of the nails are substantial enough as when being bent over, the nail will shift to the side before it bends. The wood that the nail is in is typically not strong enough to keep the nail perpendicular as it was originally driven, especially if it is 1/2" plywood. This increases the chance of the large head on the exterior side to crack what it is driven through or crack the material over it, if that is the case. If it is wood siding, it could crack that, if it is cement board siding, it will do bad there too, especially if it is a nail on a corner.


How do I fix my crawlspace's mould problem given the floor is an improperly poured slab of concrete? I have a 50 year old backsplit, with a minor mould problem in the crawlspace.  There are a couple of wet spots that can be fixed with simple exterior grade changes, and one spot that will need to be trenched and sealed.  The other issue is the floor in the crawlspace.  It's just about the crappiest concrete I've ever seen.  It was not trowelled at all, and looks like they used a garden rake to spread it.  It's also a bit hollow sounding.  This has lead to some rising damp in the crawlspace, which causes mould to grow on the manky floor.

After I have a soda-wash done on the walls and floor, What are my options to repair this?

Obviously, I could chip it out and have a new floor poured, but this is a lot of work for minimal functionality.  What are some other options to seal/repair this from the inside?

After you have done the wash, paint the floor with Drylok. In your case it would be best to use a economy grade paint sprayer given the roughness of the concrete. It will seal out the moisture (mold's happy place), and it will also keep out the bugs and plant roots in most cases. Yes, the ultimate solution would be to chip out the old floor and install a new one correctly, but if you are looking for a fix that will work nicely and not need a new back for you, go with the Drylok.


How can I cut off the rusted closet bolts holding my toilet? I need to change the wax ring on my toilet. The closet bolts that hold it in place are rusted so I need to cut them in order to remove the nuts.

I thought of trying bolt cutters. The bolt cutters I have are, I believe, 24 inches, but they are too big to fit into the space I need to fit them in order to cut the bolts.

What is the smallest size of bolt cutters that can reliably cut those closet bolts holding down the toilet to the floor? Or is there another tool I can use?

I would caution against using any bolt cutters on the toilet hold down bolts. The reason being that they typically will apply a significant pressure against the porcelain base of the stool and crack or break it.

Another thing to consider is that bolt cutters typically have a jaw profile as shown below. With this type of arrangement it is just not possible to get a grip in the small size of the bolt at or below the nut.

You will be far better off using a mini hand hacksaw as shown in another answer or a Dremel tool with a grinding wheel cutoff blade.

An alternative if you do not have a Dremel tool but do have an oscillating tool is to use a metal cutting blade in that. Note that it is my experience that the typical metal cutting blades for these saws do not last as long as you would hope and they are much more expensive than a few cutoff wheels for a Dremel tool.


What Cement Based Product Is Used for Smoothly Finished Floors? I recently replaced a floor drain in my basement around which I had dug out the concrete, gravel and clay soil.  When I sealed it back in, I laid down a bed of gravel and sand, and then used a standard concrete mix for the top several inches.  By standard, I mean it was a typical Quikrete mix with gravel, sand and portland cement.  As I was working the top of it with a float, I realized it wasn't going to dry anywhere near the smooth-ish texture of the rest of the floor.  I'm guessing that's not achievable with such a gravely, sandy mix.  I was correct; the floor in that spot now has a pretty gritty texture and shows lots of pebbles.

If I can figure out what product would make for a smooth finish, I may just break it out and do it again as it didn't take long and was not difficult.  It doesn't need to be sheet-of-ice smooth, but smooth enough that it wouldn't, say, skin a knee if bumped.  My assumption at this point is that the pro concrete guys probably lay down standard concrete, but then do the top 2 inches or so with something smoother, like a mortar or cement mix without gravel or pebbles.  So here are my specific questions:

Can I buy a premixed product that will finish smooth?
How thick should that top layer be?
Do I need to let the concrete under the top layer completely cure before applying the top layer?

If you want to get a smooth finish after-the-fact, there are some great products out there that will set smooth and very thin - a real 'feather edge'. I recently used Henry FeatherFinish Patch and Skimcoat to prep a rough and uneven concrete floor before laying luxury vinyl tile and was really pleased with the results. Once mixed, it spreads like butter with a trowel or sheetrock knife. You can find it at Home Depot.


What kind of paint/stain will prevent bees? For exposed pine, like a roof eave, how can the wood be treated to
prevent bees from tunneling into the wood, or building nests?

Edit: Currently, I'm using a water-based stain, to no effect.

Paint it or seal it and add Bug Juice to to the paint/stain/sealer. You can read about bug juice here.


How can I fix a very slow drain? I have a bathroom with a bathtub, toilet, and sink that are all very, very slow to drain. When water drains out of the toilet, it backs up into the tub, and vice-versa.

Here's what the setup looks like.

        Sink   Toilet   Tub
----------+------+----+--+
 < Flow of water <    |
                  Clean out

To the right of the tub there is nothing.

Here's what I've tried:

I had someone (not a professional) auger the clean out and remove some solids (looked like food from the garbage disposal and soap scum).
He removed the toilet, took a hose, and sprayed water into the drain and the water went through the drain pipes no problem. After he put the toilet back on, the problem seemed to be a little better, but still noticeably slow.
Putting some enzymatic stuff in there over the course of a couple weeks
Putting Liquid Plumber down the tub drain and sink
Putting bleach down the tub drain and sink

What else can I do (short of calling a plumber) to troubleshoot this?

Clearly the restriction is left of the sink in your diagram.  One more question you could consider is whether this is an installation deficiency (problem has always existed) or whether the drain was working properly at one time and the situation has become worse.

I would suggest using a video inspection camera to be certain about the location of the restriction and perhaps what is causing the restriction.  Here is a rental unit that may be available in your area.  Or here is a contractor that could provide this service.  It would be best to try to clear debris before the blockage prior to a camera inspection.


What can be used to fill holes on top of a lamp fixture? I'm trying to provide a solution for a restaurant I frequent. They always seem to get flies inside their light fixtures. We discovered after examining the fixture that there are 3 or 4 small holes on top which gives the flies direct access to the inside of the fixture.
What can be used to prevent this by filling in the holes on top next to where the hang cord is?

You have to be careful here, because it's possible that those holes are there for ventilation, as John said.

So instead of trying to seal them completely, the absolute most you should do is cover them with some kind of mesh which will have holes small enough to keep out the flies but large enough to allow air flow.

A metal screen mesh - the kind used in making window screens - would be my choice for this.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Phifer-36-in-x-100-ft-Brite-Aluminum-Screen-3000031/100614699
^^ one possible source

I recommend against vinyl or fabric which might add an insulating value that you should avoid.

To install, cut the mesh down so that it will cover each hole with a bit of an overlap and use a very thin bead of glue all the way around each hole to ensure that the screen is sealed over the hole.


Best/strongest material to build a weatherproof shelf? I will be building a shelf on the outside of the house to hold a 120lb (18,000 BTU) air conditioner. The worrisome constraint is that the two shelf supports have to be 38" apart**. The 24" wide AC will sit in the middle of the 38" span.

I cannot find any information in layman's terms on how to know if the shelf will support the weight using various composite materials for the shelf. Does anyone have a suggestion for what to use, thickness, etc? I would like to use something that does not need painting.

** the reason for the wide span is the AC will be in the top pane of a double-hung window. The bottom pane still needs to be usable via its tilt-in ability, without obstruction from the shelf supports. The shelf will be right at the top of the bottom pane.

Galvanized steel Unistrut channel would work, you just have to be creative with which connectors you need. It's available at most big box home improvement store, usually in the electrical section.

Unistrut fitting examples