Tape vs corner bead order of installation Where a drywall sheet joint meets an outside corner, is it better to first install the tape over the joint or the metal corner bead?

My old drywall finish guy did tape first, I think, but my new guy wants to do corners first. For me it makes sense to to tape first so that the tape is tucked under the bead.

Most tapers place the metal corner bead first. This is primarily because if you were to do any taping first you'd have to wait until that dries to install corner bead. It's a matter of efficiency.

It's also usually best to keep metal bead set snugly to the drywall, with nothing behind it. This allows you to keep it straighter and on plane. It should protrude just slightly on both walls when a straightedge is set against the drywall perpendicular to the bead.  "Tucking" the tape under the bead does nothing of value. There's tape all over the building that's not tucked under anything and it's not an issue.

All that said, drywall taping is something of an art and you're free to do what makes sense for you and your project. Just remember the cardinal rule: lighter is better. The pros I've worked with do very little sanding to produce fantastic results, and it's far easier (and less messy) to skim on another coat than to grind down humps.


Two appliances with connection cords sharing power outlet I have my dishwasher and my garbage disposal fed from two separate electrical circuits but sharing the same power outlet under the sink. I broke off the tabs on the outlet and connected it to two cables/circuits. The garbage disposal is side is controlled by a switch while the dishwasher one is always on.

I was planning to use connection cords for both, which look like this:

but, because of the 90 deg angle, only one can be plugged in a conventional double outlet where each twin outlet is positioned the same way. At best, I can plug this and another plug which comes straight out of the cable and not at a right angle.

I am noticing that all connector cords come at a right angle and not straight, which would make them more convenient, and was wondering if there is a technical reason for it, as in maybe only one such cord should be plugged in a single box in the wall. Is there a way for me to somehow override the default configuration and plug this into a very short extension cord that plugs into the wall straight, or is that a code violation?

Alternatively, do they make double outlets where the twins are positioned opposite ways, which could support two of these plugs facing away from one another?

Many of these cords are made this way to reduce the stress on the wires inside caused by having the appliances then shoved up against them. There are many cords available which are not made with the 90 degree angle. You just have to go to your store and find them.

Here's an example of one from Amazon:

They have dishwasher cords similar to this too. Keep in mind that dishwashers need to have GFCI protection so you might want to add a two gang box and have two outlets, which would allow you to use the cords you originally wanted to. Good luck.


Window "brakes" - What are these things? I have a bunch of windows in my little 1950 Cape Cod in need of re-glazing but they also need a bit of mechanical repair for their "brakes". The "brakes" hold the sill in place, they are actuated by small levers at the bottom of the sill. The "brakes" are made of hardboard or something very similar.They reside in a gap along the vertical rails of the sill and grip against the frame. Picture should help.

A) Wondering what these "brakes" are really called.

B) Hoping somebody knows company out there is making replacement parts.

In many cases, repair of really old wood windows can be as or more expensive than replacement due to a variety of factors, one of which you have found--unavailability of off-the-shelf replacement parts. And after you're done, you still have leaky, single-glazed windows! I would only consider repairing these windows if they have architectural or historical value to the house. If they don't, you may be better served by replacing them with modern, well-sealed, energy-efficient windows, which come in wood if you like that look. You can even get windows that are wood on the inside and aluminum or fiberglass on the outside, which really improves their durability and reduces maintenance.


No sunlight in kitchen My kitchen used to get plenty of sunlight through windows, but a building being constructed next to ours has completely blocked the sunlight from entering the kitchen. There is no proper ventilation apart from the windows. Because of this, molds start to develop very soon on the vegetables and lentils. Fruit flies emerge out of nowhere near the vessels even if they are clean. Kitchen is always moist. I am at loss how to handle this. Would love to hear some positive advice. Thanks.

Note: my kitchen is a mere room with no chimneys, no exhaust/ventilation fans. Just few shelves, a kitchen countertop with a stove on it, and a pair of double door windows beside it(through which plenty of sunlight came previous to building construction).

It sounds like you have three different issues.  One is sunlight, which doesn't directly affect your problems, but could be remedied perhaps with something like this: http://sunpipe.monodraught.com/#new-sunpipes-by-monodraught (there are other brands and I've even seen DIY versions)

Next is fresh air, in your case it sounds like you're going to have to offset the building blocking your windows with fans to increase the airflow.  Maybe something as simple as a box fan in the window?

Lastly, humidity control... If a dehumidifier isn't practical for you, there are dessicants that are sold for camping, or boating. They're often just containers of silica gel that absorb moisture and can be dried out in the sun or a stove when they are "full".  Perhaps some of those where you store your goods that are prone to getting moldy.

Hope this is helpful...


For my window, what's the best way to seal and insulate? The inside:

The outside:

The installers gave me a window unsealed on the outside but sealed with a rubber seal on inside around the frame (windows are uPVC).

After rain, the damage was done to walls by leaks and the rubber seal inside was blocking the exit for the water so I pulled it out. Unfortunately I'm unable to put it back in place as tight as it was, it's become completely loose after fitting in gap.

The windows are installed on uneven wall opening so there is expected wiggle room.

I prefer to do insulation myself since installers completely disregarded this. Should I try to re-fit the original rubber seal or glue it on, or caulk even though the window wiggles? Ive seen videos where people caulk the rubber seal?
Here's some of the damage, bubbled paint:

Theres alot to be left desired by this installation. First of all it looks like your in the city and installed into a masonry opening. By the way your window is resting hard on the masonry sill it looks like the installation is what we refer to as brick to brick. Basically your window fits snug around the brick with maybe a quarter inch perimeter gap. Typically when you have this type of installation you would waterproof the back up masonry jambs which is usually brick or a concrete masonry unit with a perm a barrier applied on a primer. S100 sealant would be applied to the masonry sill and a sill pan would go on top of that. The perm a barrier would then drape into the sill with the vertical sections of perm a barrier being terminated with s100 sealant to prevent the perm a barrier from peeling away from the masonry. The idea is the perm a barrier diverts water that gets passed your caulk on the exterior into your sill pan and keep it from getting inside your house. If you cant strap to the masonry then a buck could be built in the pocket and the window could be anchored to the buck providing the buck was properly anchored. Either way a backer rod would be applied to the exterior perimeter about a quarter inch depth and sealant like a sika flex or np1 around the perimeter. Sometimes they leave a couple of 1 inch gaps at the sill to let water caught by the sill pan leak out. On the interior they could insulate around the window with bat insulation or low expansion spray foam although brick to brick openings usually have to much of a gap to spray foam. If I am wrong and this is within frame then just seal the exterior of the new window to the exterior of the old and spray foam in between the two windows on the interior underneath whatever finish trim you will install. But before I would lift a finger I'd call the installer and ask why is my window inadequately anchored and not sealed on the exterior. Sounds like the job is unfinished.


Should P trap be connected using Fernco coupling? In the past, I have connected P traps just by cementing it to the wall stubout but recently have been thinking about portability in case the sink and its drain position changes. I find that, in that case, having an easily replaceable connector would be of advantage and the Fernco (rubber sleeve with a worm gear clamp) came to mind.

Is it okay to use Fernco for a portable P trap connection or should it be done with cement?

This will work, but there is a specific type of fitting which is made for this purpose called a trap adapter. One end glues directly to the stub, and the other has a compression fitting that will accept the trap.

There is a big advantage of using the trap adapter over gluing. It allows easy removal of the entire trap for renovations, or maintenance. Lets say that you have the trap glued in and you want to replace the sink or counter. You would have a tough time removing the trap, and it would involve extensive plumbing work. With the trap adapter, all you would have to do is unscrew it from the wall, and from underneath the sink and the entire assembly can come out in one piece.

The adapters are also fairly inexpensive, and may even cost less than a comparable fernco fitting. The adapter is superior because it is nearly flush with the wall, and easier to remove.

Below are some examples of trap adapters. They are available in 1.25" and 1.5", which covers residential use. They are also available in PVC and ABS.


Can I have a tank fed water heater in line with a tankless water heater? Long version (skip below for tl;dr)

I recently purchased a new house. (first owner) 3 floors, unfinished basement where the hot water heater is located. Approx 3300 sq ft.

When looking through the house, I was shown a tankless water heater. Red flag immediately goes up. Whatever. I later discovered it's a GAS tankless water heater. I didn't even know that was a thing, but seems like it's the worst of both worlds. My worst fears were confirmed: It takes OVER 2 minutes to get hot water anywhere in the house.

The tank is on max heat (120°F) We have PEX throughout the house, and it doesn't seem like there are any inefficient lines, so my assumption is it must be the water heater itself. Of course a tankless heater takes longer to get the hot water than a standard one, but 2 minutes seems quite excessive.

The "unlimited" hot water is nice once it gets hot, but there must be a better solution.

TL;DR

Gas powered tankless water heater takes too long to heat up, looking for a solution that still allows us to have the benefits of not running out of hot water but also provides hot water in a reasonably short amount of time.

My idea:

Get a small tank (I'm thinking 4 gal is big enough, but the smallest that is commonly available should be sufficient) gas powered water heater that I can use to either A) feed into the tankless water heater or B) feed FROM the tankless water heater, but either way basically install the 2 inline so that we have both ready-to-use hot water and also limitless hot water.

My question:

Would it cause any problems with either machine to have hot water fed INTO the machine rather than cold water? Is there a better way to handle this?

The problem is probably not the tankless these heat the water extremely fast, the real problem is probably the size and length of pipe to the point of use.  A tanked water heater will probably take a similar amount of time to get the water hot to 120 at the point of use, what I have done is installed a small tanked unit after the on-demand with 2 check valves and used a recirculation pump at the furthest location cycling the water through the loop with a timer. One check valve prevents reverse flow through the loop and 1 to protect the tankless. We did insulate the pipes were accessible and this worked once we got the cycle on off time adjusted, I added the check valve between the 2 to protect the tankless with the tankless kind of isolated from the small tanked heater there were no false turn on's on the tankless (recommended by the mfg). This method will increase your electric usage but the small water heater 7 gallons was enough to keep the hot supply on a ~3500 SF ranch home with 3/4" water lines. Recirculation systems are not bad when you have large lines that are long but because all the lines are kept warm it cost more but the good news is it can be done. On smaller homes I have installed 2 point of use electric units 30 amp. But with larger homes the combination of a large tankless and a small tanked system with a recirculation system is much much cheaper.


What would happen if I build a half bath without permits? What happens if we build a half bath in Minneapolis without getting permits for any of the work?  Specifically, if we intend to sell the home at some point in the coming years?

Non-expert information ahead...  For the most part, nothing happens... immediately.  People do work without permits all the time.  Sometimes its very major work, sometimes it's just a "technicality" and the permit is kinda silly.  Often, no one finds out and no one asks.  I'm not saying it's ok - just saying it happens.

But, since you are planning to sell soon, you really should make sure it's all on the level.  Say the buyer has an inspector come by and he finds any little silly issue with the work.  A good Realtor would ask for the permits on the recent work.  If you don't have them it turns into a huge negotiation tool.  It might not even be an inspector.  Someone could just notice the recent work or see that the number of bathrooms has changed.

Then let's say that you don't sell the house and you live there.  A pipe in the shower springs a leak and you call the insurance company.  Strange - we don't have a record of that extra bathroom.  Where are the permits for the work?  Oh, no permits for this illegal addition?  That's not covered, and furthermore, we are dropping the policy and reporting this to your lender.

Of course cases like that are rare, and that's why people skate by and don't get permits and claim, heck I've never pulled a permit and never had an issue!  Like so many building rules, that's right - you never have an issue at all, until you have a big, huge expensive issue.


Best way to add a 240v 30A circuit I have a home pottery studio which has its own 100A sub panel, properly permitted and installed.  There is one 240v 50A circuit that runs to the kiln room and powers a kiln. Plus a handful of other circuits which power lights, plugs, etc
We are adding a second smaller kiln to that same room, which requires 240v 30A.  We will NEVER run both kilns simultaneously.  As the subpanel is a couple rooms away, with no crawl space or attic, pulling a new circuit from the subpanel to the kiln room is difficult/expensive.
Can I /should I:

Add a subpanel to the kiln room with a 50A circuit for the old kiln and 30A circuit and 14-30 receptacle for the new kiln.
Simply unplug the old and plug the new small kiln into the existing 14-50 receptacle when needed (using a 14-50 to 14-30 adapter as necessary)
Add a DPDT switch ( like a manual generator transfer switch) which would power the 50A receptacle or the 30A receptacle (but not both at the same time)
Other suggestions?

Your easiest bet will be a cross between 1 and 3
Your easiest and simplest bet is a cross between approach 1 and approach 3, using a subpanel with a breaker interlock between the two breakers in it to keep you from overloading the feeder by running both kilns at once.  The good news is Siemens, Square-D QO, and Eaton all have fairly nice interlock kits available now, and for decent prices too, while a basic subpanel (you could get away with a 4, 6, or 8 space unit here since you aren't going to want to feed general load from this panel) isn't expensive either.


Changing 3-way ceiling fan/light switch to separate fan & light controls In my kitchen I have two 3-way switches controlling the ceiling fan and light. The two controlling switches are on opposite sides of the room, but what I'd like to do is split one of the two switches apart, adding a dedicated fan control, then tie off the fan portion of the other 3-way switch so it doesn't affect the fan at all.

The end result would be two 3-way switches for the ceiling light only, and a new switch just for the fan.

The problem is I can't identify the wires to control the light and fan individually. I've opened the fan/light fixture also, but there only appears to be one hot wire coming in from the ceiling (nutting together with what I assume are individual hot wires for the fan and light). Below are photos from the three areas:

First wall plate (the two crimped black wires were on the switch; the loose black wires were nutted together):

Light/fan fixture:

Second wall plate:

What you're after requires a whole new wire to the fan:  You currently have a single hot wire going to the fan, that supplies power to both the light and fan.  You want to be able to split that out, so you'll need an additional hot feed, one for the fan, one for the light.  So leave the three way switches as they are and get a qualified electrician to install a new 14/2 conductor from one of the switchboxes up to the light fixture.

You'll either need to install a double switch or expand the switchbox in order to make room for the third switch.


Is it normal for fiberglass to face down in basement? Image attached below. Entire basement has the fiberglass pointed downward and the paper touching the ceiling above. Why wouldn’t it be the opposite way so  the fiberglass isn’t just hanging down?

It's standard for paper to go on the warm-in-winter side. You can get mesh or spring steel rods to keep the fiberglass a little bit tamed, but encapsulating it entirely is a different matter.


Is it necessary to ground a metal Knock Out Box used solely for POE Ethernet wire? I'm running electrical conduit to metal knock out boxes throughout a new construction residential home. The knock out boxes are soley used for POE ethernet. Do the metal knock out boxes need grounded somehow? If so, what is the proper means of doing so?

No, they do not need to be grounded.

If the box contained household voltages, then yes, it would need to be grounded.


RINNAI Water Heater Flush Procedure I want to flush my tankless water heater (DIY).

I've never read plumbing schematics before.

Which one of these is the "V1" value they are referring to in the doc?

(And have I correctly identified all the values??)

P.S.
The values I circled look like threaded ports, but the diagram leads me to believe V1 is to to the left.

EDIT:

EDIT2:
This is how I flushed it and it worked!

From the pictures and the diagram, the best I can tell is V3 and V4 are the two valves with yellow handles further back on the sides of the two valve bases in your picture and they cut off the water inlet and outlet. V1 and V2 are the valves you have labeled as V3 and V4. They open the threaded ports so you can do the flush. A closeup picture from the right would help.


What is the best way to redo a shower base? The base of our shower has been poorly installed and is now cracking everywhere. The new contractor says to redo it properly everything needs to come down including the walls. Is that true?

Unfortunately, yes. The problem is the liner or waterproofing membrane.

The subfloor that needs to be reinforced is below the membrane. The membrane must be continuous up the wall, so wall tiles need to come down. It's possible only the bottom row or two of tiles would have to come down, but that depends on the method of waterproofing used, and if you're okay with the aesthetic (eg: tiles at the bottom looking different).

If there's no waterproofing layer (possible, since this was installed incorrectly to begin with), then the new contractor will want to install that as well, or their install will eventually have problems (mold, leaks, and/or rotting wood and thus more cracked tiles).


Do I need to put a second layer of damp proof membrane under my laminate flooring? I'm attempting to lay some laminate flooring over a level floor made of screed.

At the edges of the floor where it meets the wall I can see that under the screed it looks like the builder has already put down a damp proof membrane (DPM).

So if theres a DPM under the screed do I still need to put another layer of DPM over the screed before laying underlay and a new laminate floor?

Concrete wicks water, so even if the membrane under your screed layer is undamaged, if any moisture gets into that layer it's going to be redistributed as evenly as possible throughout that layer.

What you don't want to do, with a DPM under the screed, is create a moisture trap - which a second DPM would do.

Instead of a membrane, use a foam underlayment material which will keep the wood from touching the screed directly (avoiding any moisture transfer) but which will also allow the screed to breathe and thus dry over time.


Can I use leaded glass for tall window in stairwell? I'm in California. My house, built in 79, has a tall 3x9 stained glass window in a stairwell, starting 10" from the floor.

I had a window contractor out to bid replacement windows and he told me that current code requires tempered glass in windows of this sort and location... No problem.

Now we're thinking we don't like common "obscure glass" options and want to replace it with a different leaded glass window.
Can I do this? Is there an exception for stained or leaded glass to tempered glass rule?

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/building-codes-tempered-glass-close-stairs-102700.html

"The code makes an exception for any glazing that meets these stipulations but is protected by a horizontal rail on the accessible side of the glass. The rail must be positioned between 34 and 38 inches above the walking surface and capable of withstanding 50 pounds of force per foot without touching the glass."

So, you take your stained glass window and protect it with a railing, and you're now code-compliant. (Check the actual code first instead of trusting the Internet, though.)


How much damage can a grow-op do to a house in 3 months? There is a home for sale about 10% lower than market value in the area in which we're shopping for a home. When we visited, the real estate agent disclosed that renters had used the basement as a marijuana grow-op for 3 months before it was discovered and shut down.

The owner has had an engineering and environmental report done which confirms the house is perfectly up to par now.

What additional concerns should I have, if any?

I have experience buying similar houses.  Basically GrowOps have the following issues:

Electrical redone to support lights and equipment
Ventilation rerouted through places where it shouldn't
Plant and smoke smell throughout the house (if they are growing most of the time there are lots of people smoking).
Moisture inside drywall

In your case you are lucky.  Doing a GrowOp in the basement offers access to ventilation and electrical without having to radically change anything.  You can simply add a circuit to breaker or tap into another and pull it once you are done.  Ventilation can go out basement windows/doors.

If I were doing a full inspection the first thing I would do is inspect the area for how they were getting their electric.  I would definitely open the panel to make sure there was no stupid add-ons that weren't done by an electrician.

Next I would be looking for fresh drywall/paint/mud.  If they had to open up walls for ventilation I would be weary that the inside of the walls were OK.  At the same time I would make sure I smelled the house minus candles/scenting.  I would open up the house and then keep it closed for a while and do a smell test.  Getting smoke/pot smell out of drywall can cost a fortune.

Last check the attic.  A lot of pot houses I have inspected vented into the attic.  It doesn't mean you don't buy the house but you need to figure out the damage done in attic and how much it is to fix.

Given your situation I would mainly be concerned about smell.  Check everything else out and simply subtract any issues to already low price of home.

Special Note:  For anyone legally doing this I would offer the following advice (note that this is generic and obviously won't work for all situations):

run new circuits for this usage.  You will probably need a couple of 20A circuits for even a smaller operation.  If you are in a basement this is usually super easy.  Without a basement I would suggest using armored wiring for temporary lines or just opening a couple of walls.  Do not overuse your current circuits.  This could cause a fire or burn out a lot of outlets.  No amount of goods is worth burning down your house.
for ventilation you will need at least one large run or possibly two medium runs with an induction fan for each.  It would be best to pop these right out windows but this may effect neighbors or draw too much attention.  Using flexible venting through attic and directed out gable vent would be a good temporary option.
everything you are growing should be encapsulated in plastic.  If it were my house I would have a tent that housed everything with the ventilation the only permanent opening.  I would then tape plastic sheeting over every surface in the room where it was growing. So tent and every wall is blanketed with plastic sheets.
I would run a dehumidifier outside of the tent.  Possibly one in the tent too but this would depend on readings and condensation I was getting in the tent.
I would have smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms checked and plentiful.


Sparks and no power after accidental short I replaced the garbage disposal at my in-laws' place that has been leaking for years. It's an old house, and nothing in the panel is labeled. So I flipped what I assumed to be the right breaker and went to test the outlet. I put the probes on both bottom nuts and it popped and I lost power to G/D and dishwasher.

So I went ahead and replaced the disposal with new wire running to the switch and a new switch.  I flipped the breaker back -- no power. I pulled the dishwasher out and there's a junction box that feeds both the dishwasher and G/D. No power there either, the wire then runs in the ground which I assume goes to the breaker.

I have power at the breaker. I have both a non contact tester and a light up with the probes. I striped the wire coming from the breaker to junction box back and exposed the wires, and turned on the breaker.   And my non-contact tester will detect power, but my 120V light isn't going off.

Is it really as simple as "I burnt something in the wires and need to replace the run going from breaker to junction box"?  Or am I completely missing something?

No GFIs are in-line that I can tell... everything is hardwired.

[under sink

You smoked your neutral

Now with your pictures, I see this is not a multi-wire branch circuit, just a simple circuit.

The white needs to go to neutral, and from your pictures and comments, we can see it does not.   I would bring it to a different screw if it will reach; this one may be charred.  Still, loosen up that screw and get the bit of wire out of it.

I suspect it "burned out" at this location, right where the wire meets the screw.  Perhaps the screw was loose, and that caused arcing which damaged the wire over time; or your short was enough to cause the burnout. I suspect a little of both.

The black needs to go to 1 circuit breaker, and the breaker needs to be an appropriate size for the cable.  The cable will be marked either "14 AWG" which needs a 15A breaker, or "12 AWG" which needs a 20A.   If the breaker size was wrong, that would contribute a lot to the wire burnout.

Neutral being dead explains why the non-contact tester senses voltage on the hot ... but the conductive tester doesn't sense any voltage.  As you know, a voltmeter requires 2 connections and the neutral is dead.


How to run an interior gas (LP) line I need to run a gas (LP) line from outside the house to a cooktop in the kitchen. Here's what I think I need to do:

drill a hole in the exterior wall and the header (from the attic) of the same wall
connect a 90° joint to Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing (CSST), drop it through the hole drilled in the header and fish it through the hole in the exterior wall
connect a short piece of black pipe to the elbow, and connect it to the regulator installed by the propane supplier
the other end of the CSST would run through the attic and down through another hole in the header of the kitchen wall
connect to cooktop (I will, of course, use the supplied conversion kit)

This is the plan I've assimilated from research, much of it conflicting. So I'm sure it needs some adjustments. Here are my questions:

from what I've read CSST is the way to go, but how do you protect it from fasteners going into the wall?
I assumed short legs of black pipe should be used at the ends, since it probably looks better coming out of the wall, unless...is there some kind of wall plate/jack that could be used?

Is this approach generally sound? Anything else I should consider?

Corrugated pipe is generally intended only to be used as the last connection to an appliance, in a living space where it not vulnerable to banging or jostling (usually behind or in a space at the bottom of an appliance), but where it can be seen and accessed if work is being done.  It is not intended to be buried in a wall, where it could be pierced by a random fastener driven blindly.

It is also only used where an appliance needs to be moved to connect or disconnect it to the supply line. In all other cases and places, solid black pipe should be used, not corrugated. Solid should be run to the connection right before the stove, a cutoff valve should be installed at that point before attaching a short length of corrugated between the stove and the valve.

Having said all this, I join in the various suggestions that you engage a professional plumber (pipefitter). I know how to do it, I have done it in the past, and I would NOT do it again. The risks are very high, and a simple oversight (common to many a DIYer) is disastrous. The pros avoid those oversights because of long practice.

Please stay safe.


Are LED bulbs bad for my inverters? Are LED bulbs bad for my Power Inverter?

No, LED bulbs are not bad for an inverter. Although LED are Semiconductor devices and work on DC only, the circuitry inside the bulb drives the LED from AC voltage.

The AC voltage coming out of the inverter will eventually be converted to a DC voltage to drive the LED. This will be done internal to the LED bulb unit.

Overall, LED bulbs will benefit inverter by using less current rather than harming it.


Fix localized wooden parquet floor scratches I just noticed that there are some scratches on our wooden parquet floor. They are very localized and the remaining of the floor is in very good condition. Is there a way to make these invisible? They just bother the heck out of me every time I see them...

Thanks in advance!

This scratches are hardly visible so if you ask me I wouldn't do anything. But I can understand if this is bothering you; if this is the case I'm afraid that there are no hacks to fix this thing (from your question ii have realized that you are asking for a easy solution).Right way to fix it is to sand the floor and then apply lac as finishing layer. According to my knowledge this is the only way to fix this problem.


Should I insulate the exterior foundation wall above grade or insulate the interior basement wall? An existing basement wall is not insulated on either side. Humidity inside is causing significant sweating on the cold wall in the winter months. Outside, the top 4 feet of wall are exposed above the ground. I am less interested in insulating for energy savings and more interested in avoiding the condensation problem as the basement space is actually a garage. Will I solve the condensation problem by insulating only the outside wall to a depth of about 2 feet below grade. If not, then what is the best way to insulate the inside with a proper vapour barrier to isolate the humid air from the cold wall?

Insulation slows the loss of heat, it will not raise the temp of the wall above the dew point unless there is a source of heat inside.  (Heater, leakage from another source, or a day/night average temp above the dewpoint.

You may be best looking for a way to lower the humidity in the space.  Removing standing or leaking water, finding vapor leakage from the conditioned space or other sources of moisture (clothes dryer vented into the space).  You may want to contact a basement specialist contractor.  Concrete is porous, and if the wall were not sealed with a watertight membrane before backfilling moisture can be leaking through the walls. If you do not wish to heat the space, adding ventilation to get the wet air out will help.

Once that is done you can think about insulating.  The easiest, though expensive, solution is to spray cold cell polyurethane spray foam on the wall.  This will act as a vapor barrier and insulation, and it has no air space behind it for condensation.  Second best is solid foam board insulation outside, from top to bottom of the wall (even underground).


Water leaching up through basement floor We just bought an older home that had new perimeter drainage system installed and a new sump pump installed that drains outside. The old sump was closed off and now there is signs of water leaching up mainly along the line from the old sump to the floor drain. There is crumbling cement, white powdery substance staining the floor and today actually in a few spots there is a white fuzzy substance appearing. Other cracks in the floor are now show signs of the leaching also. I am thinking the old sump is filling up and has no where to drain which is causing the problem.

It may be the case that the old sump is filling up. I'd suggest opening up the floor and investigating as it's the only why to find out what's happening and fix the problem.

You could coat the floor with a water repellent sealer. This may stop the water from coming through the floor, but would not fix the underlying problem.

Also, check to make sure no household drains or exterior downspouts are being piped to the old sump location. This is easier said than done, but something to consider.

Otherwise, the white powdery substance is most likely efflorescence. This is a condition where salts are being moved out of the concrete due to the moisture moving through it. It's harmless to you but shows signs of a problem in the floor (likely due to the water).


Bridging Neutral and ground in a Light Switch I changed my bathroom light switch for a Occupancy Sensor Switch but it would not turn off. Since the package said Ground Wire Required I figured it was a ground issue. The location has wiring from 1962 so I tested the switch in a newer location and it worked fine. Instead of connecting the Green Ground screw to the ground wires in the box I tied it in with the neutral wires and it works fine now. Its the only switch in the box and no other wires in there. Can I leave it like this or is it a hazard?

That's actually terrible.  You bootlegged neutral and that is something you should not do anywhere.

It would have been much wiser to choose a switch that requires neutral since you do indeed have neutral in that box.  I gather at the time you bought the switch, you didn't know that.

Most likely what is happening is the switch is a smart switch which requires neutral to power its internal electronics. And either a) this is cheap Cheese junk direct shipped from Shenzhen (possibly via an Amazon Fulfillment Center) that has never received a bona-fide UL listing and is not safe, or is one of the cases where UL authorized use of the ground to serve the part of neutral.  The latter is done so the switch will work in locations that do have ground but don't have neutral.  NFPA has told them to stop approving that.

So, ironically, you have done an unauthorized bootleg of an authorized bootleg, bringing it full circle, right back to manufacturer intent.  So what's the problem?  The problem is Neutral still is not Ground.  If this neutral wire has a problem, it is a guarantee that the grounded parts of this switch (like the cover screws) will be energized at 120V.  Now we hope the UL listing was predicated on the idea that the switch can't leak enough current to kill anyone.  We hope.

My recommendation would be to remove this switch, reuse it somewhere else you have ground but not neutral (assuming it is not mail-order rubbish), and fit a "neutral required, ground not required" switch here.


I broke a CFL lightbulb while unscrewing it, do I need to throw away the clothes I was wearing? I was unscrewing a compact fluorescent lightbulb this morning and it broke while it was unscrewing it. A few chunks of glass showered down, but the entire bulb didn't shatter; ultimately a few chunks fell close to where I was standing.

I've read about the presence of mercury in CFLs and I'm wondering if I should throw away the clothes that I was wearing? There's potential that some of the glass shards, and even some of the mercury, came in contact with the sweater I was wearing.

The dangers of mercury in CFLs and other fluorescent bulbs has been sensationalized in some news sources.  The main health risk associated with mercury is the vapor released when it is heated or if a large quantity is sitting around evaporating into the air for some reason.

  Very little mercury is absorbed by your body if you swallow a small amount of liquid mercury or get it on your skin for a short time. This is considered almost non-toxic and you'll probably have no symptoms.

From NHS UK

If a drop of liquid mercury got in your clothes, it should wash out without much fanfare.  Keep the room well ventilated right after the breakage, and wash the clothes.


How can I clean this older paint roller to make it usable again for painting my walls? I'm in the process of painting my living room and I tried using my old roller but it's just dreadful.

I figure a bit of cleaning goes a long way to get a good solid paint job. So I'm here asking how I best can clean it.

I've tried running it under water and rubbing it vigorously, but to no avail, I've also "scraped" a bit of paint off it but I'm afraid to break the roller by doing it too hard.

Any and all help is greatly appreciated

These are consumables

You wouldn't worry about reusing a rubber glove or a paper towel.  If it's pristine, sure... But generally you don't expect to.

That roller cover is $3, the hot dog is $1 and the brush is $2.

Stannius makes a good point about buying a quality brush and taking care of it.  That idea actually harkens back to the age when everything was brushed (and oil based) and the best brushes were badger.  It makes even more sense with latex/emulsion.  Won't work with 2-part paints, though.

It's a waste of your time

You used these supplies for a previous paint job.  At the end of that job, you left them in that state.  That means at that time, you chose to scrap them.

And that's fine. Cleaning them better would've taken more effort.  Your decision back them was probably correct.  Getting them clean is a lot of work and your time also has value.

Okay then... Here's how you save them

Short-term: you wrap them tightly in plastic, ideally in a ziplock bag and press all the air out.  Air makes them dry and cure.  If they are a 2-part paint such as an epoxy or LPU, you must put them in the fridge or freezer, and you will need a dedicated fridge just for that, because the fumes will contaminate food. I can get 2-4 days tops this way.  This doesn't always work, if your wrapping is poor they will dry in the bag.  If you don't want to chance it, use the following longer term methods.

Long term:

Latex/emulsion paints:  you work them in soap and water.  A lot.   You work soap and water into them aggressively, rinse, over and over.  Brush/roll on a clear surface (such as the bottom of the sink) to see how well you are doing.  You are done when they are so clean it is impossible to tell what color you had been painting.   For rollers, some multi-purpose paint scrapers have a hook for squeezing out rollers.

source

Alkyds, lacquers, and other oil base: Paint the brush out as far as possible on masking paper (don't use newspaper). Splash it with a bit of thinner, work the thinner in, and brush it out again.  Repeat until diminishing returns.  Now put 1/2" of thinner in the bottom of a soup can and work the brush in it.  Dump the thinner, repeat until the thinner runs nearly clear.  Hang the brush by the hole to dry.  Try not to spend more on thinner than the brush is worth, and don't do this on Spare The Air days.

For rollers, toss them in the trash unless you have a useful application for the paint-contaminated thinner you'll burn through trying to clean them.  For instance I'm fond of painting ultra-thin, and so I save the thinner for later reducing the next coat.  Roll them out on masking paper, put 1/8" of thinner in a clean roller tray, roll through the thinner, squeeze it out as dry as possible, recycle that thinner, repeat until clean.

2-part coatings of any kind that come in an A and B part: into the trash it goes. Because you definitely will spend 4x the brush's worth in the expensive solvent.

I just did an LPU project.  I ordered 3 boxes of chip brushes, and 20 of the exotic LPU tolerant rollers.  They are a consumable, like thinner.

How to save dried out plastic roller trays: soak them in water, for a really long time.  I found this out when I abandoned a tray I had used too many times for 2-part epoxy primer.  It filled with rain.  The epoxy coating chipped and blistered, I flexed the tray and the coating just popped out in chips.  This surprised me, as epoxy coatings are used to line the inside of tanks.    That works because roller trays have a very glossy finish paint doesn't want to stick to. The water gave it the nudge it needed to let go.  It would not happen in a properly prepared tank interior.


Endoscope for a pools plumbing Has anyone tried to use an endoscope for their pool plumbing? I bought one but it wont get very far into the pool lines without getting stuck. Ive tried using a plumbing snake by itself, but really it just does the same thing. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks guys.

It's going to be tough to push anything semi-rigid through plumbing because plumbing uses tight 90 degree elbows -- not like the long-sweep type used for electrical conduit.
If the flow is not completely stopped then here are a few ideas.
You might have some luck getting some string through the pipe by letting it be carried in the flow of air from a vacuum or flow of water. It may help to tie a small object to the string (a small plastic bag is a common choice) so that the string experiences more drag and is pulled along better in the flow.
If you can get a string though you might be able to use the string to help pull the camera through. It's still going to be tricky to get around the elbows, particularly if the pipe is smaller in diameter.
Underground conduit systems are sometimes tested by feeding a "mandrel" through the pipe. This verifies the pipe is the correct size, is not crimped, etc. You might be able to inspect your piping with a mandrel instead of a camera. A small plastic ball, a piece of wood, etc could serve. Make it half the size of the pipe and find out whether it passes through. Attach a string marked with lengths like a measuring tape to the mandrel so that if it hits an obstruction you'll know how far along the path that occurred. Also, if it becomes wedged and cannot be pulled back out by the string, you'll know where to go digging to extract it.. :-(


Should I use or replace an existing ceiling fan bracket? I'm looking for some advise on installing a ceiling fan to one of the rooms located on the 1st floor of the house with no attic access. I am a DIY person and have installed ceiling fans before but in the house we are currently at, there is a pre existing mounting bracket that is nailed into the studs that I am not sure how to remove without making holes in the ceiling. I have tried to mount the ceiling fan on this existing bracket but I'm not too confident that the bracket will hold the weight of the ceiling fan. I'm attaching the picture of the existing bracket to give a visual of what I'm talking about. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks

I agree that what we are looking at is an old bracket for mounting a box for a light fixture. Here is the Westinghouse version of a retrofit bracket which you can find in most hardware stores.

I can also tell you from experience, that it isn't very easy to install. Wait until you try and mount the box to the bracket and you will see what I mean. If you can get to it from above its much better. If you want to cut a larger opening and install a different type of bracket you can use a medallion. To cover the hole instead of a patch and paint.

They come in different sizes and decor. That's all I've got, good luck.


Re-glue plastic edge banding on a desk I have an office desk with a semi-circular section (to sit at) where the edge banding has come away from the wood. The edge banding is fairly thick (1-1.5mm) and rigid, so it takes a fair bit of pressure to press it back flush against the wood.

I'd like to stick the edge banding back to the desk. What's the best kind of glue for this? Would a hot glue gun be the best solution? Would a series of big bulldog clips be enough to hold it in place while the glue sets?

Laminate is usually held on with contact cement similar to this

This type of adhesive is spread on both surfaces to be joined, allowed to dry and then pressed together. Pressing firmly with a small wooden roller (or a rolling pin) helps make the bond tight.

It is important to make sure the parts are perfectly aligned before the surfaces touch because they cannot be moved once they contact. This is often done by placing a piece of very smooth paper between the two surfaces while aligning, then sliding it out.

If the band is already off along much of its length, it is better to remove it fully to make it easier to apply the glue. Be careful when prying off to make sure that it does not crack. if it does not come off easily, wedge it away from the base with a pencil or something similar (a chopstick) to give you room to get the glue on both surfaces. Again, be sure to let the glue dry before joining. How long it needs to dry will be explained on the packaging.

With contact cement, no clamping is needed, because it achieves full strength almost immediately.


How do I wire this 30A 250V straight blade pass and seymour receptacle? This is the receptacle I'm trying to wire. The ground says green next to it, but the other two wire inputs don't say anything. I need to know which is positive and negative. there is no + or - the screws are not different colors. No indicators at all. I would appreciate any help.

Assuming you mean this 6-30R:

After you wire the green (ground, not neutral), it doesn't matter which of the two ungrounded (hot) wires are placed on the 2 'flat' blades.  240VAC (in the North American split single phase) is not polarized with respect to ground, because the neutral is not being used.

This connector can also be used with 2 hot connectors in a 3 phase system, which would then provide 208 VAC.  This is not common for residential use.

A Wikipedia article on NEMA connectors in general and NEMA 6 in particular may be helpful.


How to power 12V LEDs from a 12V AC power supply I have a 12V power supply that I am using to power some lights in my garden. I want to also power (in parallel) a set of 12V LED lights which (of course) require a 12V DC supply. Is there a simple method of AC->DC conversion that I can use? I am pretty handy at electonics so I could make a simple converter given the correct guidance.

Not to get all techy on you, but to do what you want to do with a 12 vac power supply, you will need a bridge rectifier. Besides converting to 12vdc, you need to fill the 60 hz reverse polarity portion of the AC wave. This requires a voltage divider, then reassemble the two rectified polarity sections into one same, continuous polarity voltage source.  Keep in mind, if the AC source is sine wave AC, not switched AC, the DC result will only be apx 70% of the AC peak to peak voltage, or 17 vdc.  Think the geeks at electronics exchange may have a simple circuit  they could share with you. Realistically, since the Led lights probably have such a small amp draw, you probably could pick up a 24VDC power supply for cheap money online or maybe even your local Radio Shack, and save your self a lot of hassle.


40amp breaker running a 30 amp dryer I am purchasing a home and on the home inspection it says that the dryer is on a 40amp breaker.  It states that we need to change that to a 30 amp breaker to prevent over heating of dryer conductors.

Is that something that needs to be changed right away or is a 40 amp breaker fine?

The answer to this question depends mainly on two factors. It really has no bearing on the dryer itself.

The size (diameter) of wire conductors from the breaker in the panel over to where the dryer plug is located. The primary function of the panel breaker is to protect the wiring from ever being used at a current rating over its rated size. If that wire is 10AWG then the breaker needs to be a 30A breaker. 8AWG wire may be used with a 40A breaker.
The dryer plug outlet itself will be rated for a particular current carrying capability. If that is a 30A outlet then it cannot be used with a 40A breaker even if the wire was rated at 40A.

If the dryer outlet looks like this it is a 30A outlet and the breaker will definately need changing. When doing so just make sure that the connecting cable has at least 10AWG conductors. (Note that wires with smaller AWG numbers are larger diameter wires capable of higher current).


No ground wire in any recepts in my home 2 wire only No ground wire for the 3 prong recept. Tester says open ground. I need to ground all the recepts in my house to pass inspection. What is the best and low cost fix? Thanks

"Best" and "low cost" are contradictory. The "best" would be to run the correct wire direct from the panel (as well as correctly grounding the panel if it isn't already). The only "low cost" option would be if the panel is properly grounded and there BX cable running from the panel to that receptacle. Then the box for the receptacle should be grounded by that BX and a ground wire to the box would be acceptable.


When GFCI trips, metal enclosure becomes energized Sooooooo, the box is grounded to the receptacle. Also the outlet has no power coming out of it, though when I hit the test button the metal box becomes energized. But the outlet lets me test/reset at will so IDK whats going on haha.

It appears that your metal box isn't grounded and you have a bad connection hitting the box. Boxes aren't grounded to outlets, outlets are connected to grounded boxes. Also, GFCI's don't need a ground to test and reset. Remove the outlet and verify that the box, is in fact, grounded, then check your connections.


Lime mortar for indoor applications I have a question. Can I use lime mortar (hydrated lime and sand mix) for indoor applications? I have to re-point an old, brick wall (This is my first time doing it). Is it safe health-wise? What else could be used for this type of wall?

Sure, no problem, and if the wall is built using lime (most over 100 years old or so are) then you should use lime mortar and never cement (cement mortar is too hard and unforgiving of the normal movement in an old house).
The only health risk is the same as with using cement, i.e. don't breath in the powdered product and avoid skin contact. Use a mask when mixing the mortar and gloves to protect your skin.
Don't mix the mortar too sloppy, a stiff-ish mix is easier to re-point with. Always damp down the raked out joints with a garden sprayer and let it soak in a few minutes before pressing the mortar in (stops it drying out too quickly). Keep the finished re-pointing damp for a few days (draping a wet sheet over works okay inside, or mist spray it with a garden sprayer).
Using a sharp/washed/grit sand gives more authentic results than using a fine building sand. I sieve my local sharp sand to remove the biggest particles/stones, then I find it perfect for lime mortar work (you want about 3mm down to sand).
Use a finger trowel to put the mortar into the joints, (I make mine in various widths by cutting down cheap pointing trowels) it's cleaner and easier than using a regular, large pointing trowel.
Enjoy! Working with lime mortar is slower (and easier!) than cement mortars and gives a lovely finish.


Use screw into steel tube without using nut? I have a regular round 1 1/4" steel tube, and I want to put a screw in it. The tube only has one hole (where the screw goes) so I can't use a nut.

What options do I have and can I find it at Home Depot?

Thanks.

Your best bet would be the correctly sized metal screw.  Not a bolt, but a screw.  Some of them are self drilling/tapping (these are commonly referred to as simply "self-tapping" in the US). They will drill their own hole and tap their own threads all in one step. If you can't find the right sized metal screw, you can get a self-tapper a little bigger than the hole and it will tap itself a larger hole and hold tight. These are available at Home Depot (or any hardware store, really) in the little plastic baggies if you need a few, or in small boxes if you need a lot.

Self drilling and tapping metal screw


What can we do about a section of plaster that has fallen off the wall? We have an old style terraced house which normally has a breast wall which accounts for the chimney; either side of this are two alcoves that are set back perhaps half a foot. The dimensions of these alcoves are about 1.5ft wide by 10ft tall.

In one half of our room, these alcoves have been bordered up to provide a surface that's level with the breast wall. This was fully wallpapered.

As we've been stripping the wallpaper off this wall, the plaster layer on one of these alcoves has crumbled off leaving us with bare plasterboard underneath. This is about 1mm deep. What can be done in this situation?

Assuming the plasterboard is still sound, you should be able to re-skim the board with finish plaster to restore the surface to level with the breast wall (or get a plasterer in to do it if that's not where your DIY skills lie).


What size breaker and wire do I need for my garage wall heater? I am planning on installing a Garage ceiling heater, which has a fan, and 240 volt coil electric heater. This unit is 26 amps, and 6000 watts, and will be installed in my garage, 60 feet from my main panel. Can you tell me what size wire, and breaker I need to feed this heater?

For a 26A nameplate load, Code will require #8 wire and a 40A circuit breaker. There really isn't any legal way around it.

Not what you asked, but by code you also must have 8 ft. from the bottom of the heater to the garage floor, because you have to avoid igniting any potential gas leaks from your car (remember, technically a "garage" is for a car, although few of use use them for that). If your garage has an 8 ft. ceiling, that isn't going to fit.


Is this outside security camera wiring correct or lazy? We are replacing a defunct security camera system with a new one. I was quoted new wiring for the whole deal, the installers are now trying to not re-wire the whole setup. I now have a second hole into the side of my house.

The house is 14' off the ground in a hurricane prone area. I get that there isn't a way to hide the wire. The new wire has been zip tied every 8" to the old secured wire that was snipped off the old cameras.

This doesn't seem correct to me. See pic. Black wire is old wire that doesn't have enough power for cameras and is actually stapled properly to house. White wire is new. I was planning on removing the black cable when the cameras came down as I didn't think anyone would secure things to it. Given that we're hurricane prone, I do not want anything 'extra' permanently mounted on the sides of the house. Am I nuts or is what they've done normal practice?

It sounds like you are near salt water, probably get a lot of sun.  This is a bad place to cut corners on outdoor rated, corrosion resistant materials.  I doubt that those white wires are rated for outdoors / UV resistant.  I am sure that those natural colored (not black) cable ties are not UV resistant.  I couldn't rule out they just forgot or just didn't care, but using those outside is usually a sign someone is very inexperienced, that's like first day on the job stuff.

The nail and plastic saddle type staples that were used to mount the black cables do not appear to be outdoor rated, the nails are rusty and may eventually corrode to the point they pop off.  They also probably don't clamp the cable snug enough to hold the cable straight for a nice neat appearance.

It's very lazy to use old unused cable as a means of support.  There is a code requiring the removal of abandoned cables, but it wouldn't really apply here.  Still, it's sloppy.

Ideally you would do something to hide the cables - run them in the walls, or install them in conduit - but that can get expensive.  But at the very least don't build up a bundle - remove the old cable and reattach the new cable to the building surface with a suitable fastener.


Toilet tank fill tube None of my 3 toilet tanks have a fill tube leading to the overflow, and yet my bowl fills with water. Is the fill tube necessary, as this is how to toilets were when we bought from the builder

Different toilets use different means to refill the bowl.


Why is my gas stove taking 30+ seconds to light? I have a gas cooktop that takes a really long time to ignite.  You have to hold down the ignitor and it clicks for an absurd amount of time (30+ seconds) before the burner ignites.  Everything after that works fine.  After you have been cooking for a while, if you turn the burner off then back on within a few minutes, it will light quicker (<5 seconds).  All the burners are like this.

Using a stick lighter or a match has the same problem with lighting.

What do I need to check?  Could the ignitor be bad?  Not enough gas coming through to the burners?  Clogged burners?

The problem is clearly with the gas feed.  If other portions (like other burners) work okay, the plumbing in common to those and further upstream is all fine.  The problem would be the last portions to the burners.

I would start by removing the grate, lifting off the burner caps, and lift up the burner assemblies.  Any foreign matter in there?  If there is goo, run them through the dishwasher, toothpaste and an old toothbrush, or a steel wool cleaning pad and water to get it off.

Have a look at the igniter tips:  are they clean and shiny?  Do the heavily used tips look similar to the lightly used tips?  200–400 grit sandpaper is the easy fix for these.  Place the burners back into position carefully, making sure each seats securely and aligns with the igniter.  Place the caps back on paying attention to the alignment of the nub-like posts underneath (which keeps them from sliding off) so they don't cause a gap by making the cap sit up on a post.

If that doesn't renew performance, it is either a valve or plumbing problem.  I would call an appliance repairman at that point for his/her knowledge of the exact problems with that model as well as the range of solutions and prices.


Lutron dimmer w/companion in existing Carter 3-way I’m pretty sure I have a carter 3-way switch setup. Each box has a hot wire and I haven’t been able to wire this up successfully, either the breaker blows, the light is always on with no dimming functionality or no light at all. One box has K&T and the other is newer wiring (I live in a 1900s home).
I guess my question is are dimmers w/companions compatible with a carter setup?

i never heard of a carter 3-way. so i looked it up.  I am very sorry.
the short answer: no, rewire the whole thing. carter 3ways where banned in 1923. and are very dangerous.
however, to identify the  wires at each box
with a multimeter 2 wires should read 120v the third is the light to be controlled.
and the hot and neutral go on the "Traveler" screws. and the light(load) goes on the common screw. (this is for the horribly unsafe carter 3 way)
what's happening is you are swapping the hot and neutral. so you have to think. can a dimmer work on the neutral side of a load?  no, no it can't. they only work on the hot side of the load (light).
also. don't change light bulbs without turning off the circuit at the panel.


Is occasional puddling of water in an unfinished basement a problem that needs to be addressed? In a early 20th century New England home of wood frame construction and foundation of fieldstone and brick with some CMU, we get some puddling of water in a few areas of the unfinished basement floor after a strong rain. The "slab" is not a modern, thick, floated concrete affair, but almost a skim coat of some kind of grout or cement over dirt (related question: what's this floor made of?). The water appears to be coming up through this basement floor. We also get some seepage through the foundation walls, and there's some dark discoloration of some of the bricks.

pooling water

seepage through foundation wall

some discolored bricks?

We're in an urban setting with tight property lines (only feet between structures) and no natural grade to move the surface water away from the foundation. The downspout situation on the property is not very good. We think that the cure for the problem would be connecting the roof leaders (downspouts) to an underground drywell/recharger system to move the stormwater away from the foundation, but this would be a fairly pricey endeavor.

UPDATE: I should have been more clear about the downspout situation. All are intact and in good shape, and well sealed. The problem is that the buildings are so close together here that there's no way to extend the downspouts in such a way that they would dump more than a couple feet away from a foundation wall. If I extend the downspouts away from this basement, they shoot into another basement. There's also very little permeable surface on the property (mostly paved). This is why we think hard piping to a big drywell would be required, lest our problem become our neighbors problem.

If the occupants are not bothered by the occasional wet basement (used only for storage), would it be OK to leave the situation the way it is? Need we be concerned about other problems that this dampness and occasional flooding could cause?

I would definitely be concerned, mostly about mold but also about property damage (you said it's used for storage) and long-term foundation damage.

If your downspouts are not properly discharging water away from your house then you definitely want to address this. In the grand scheme of wet basement solutions, this is probably the cheapest fix you will find.  Tight property lines or not, make sure that your downspouts discharge water far away from your foundation. It's hard to say whether you would benefit from a dry well.

If this fails then you should investigate whether you have a French drain and/or weeping tiles and whether that system has failed.  If it is just clogged it could be a somewhat easy repair.  If you don't have one or it has failed beyond repair then you will need to install or replace the drainage system.  You said your house has tight property lines so it might not be realistic to dig up the outside, in which case you'd have to look into an interior French drain and sump pit solution.  Either way this is probably going to be expensive.

I would definitely advise you to bring an expert in to review your situation and suggest some solutions. Make sure to get a few opinions/quotes. Fixing this this is probably outside of the DIY-scope for most people as messing with your foundation is risky business.


Why are my bathroom outlets and light not working? First both outlets in my bathroom went out at the same time.  I tried the breaker and it was fine. I reset the outlets, still dead. Now I have one main light in the same bathroom that has 4 different lights on it and only 1 of 4 lights stopped working. All this is in my master bath no other area is affected. On the other side of the wall is my AC unit, not sure if that could have anything to do with it. Any ideas would be great.

I suspect it's somewhere on the supply side in one of the switches.  This is the side that connects to each switch. Search for any "back stab" connections (wires jabbed into a hole which auto-grips the wire, instead of attaching to the side screw).  If you see one, ideally move it to the screw terminals, but only if you can competently a) torque them, and b) know what to do with "2 wires 1 screw" situations.  Otherwise grab the wire firmly, give the wire about a 1/4 turn twist out and back, and see if that brings it back to life.  Do this with the power turned off at the breaker.  If you can't find the breaker, turn off the main breaker and confirm nothing works.

The second place to check is neutral - surely where there is a wire nut full of neutral wires. If there's tape holding the nut on, that's a sure source of trouble - people tend to tape wire-nuts when they have bad technique (or bad nuts) and the nuts won't stay together on their own. Such a flimsy connection is also a bad connection that will do this, or worse!

Also, 2 GFCIs tripping together is a sure sign that somebody didn't understand about downline protection. Move all their wires to the LINE terminals (GFCIs have a way to put 2 wires under 1 screw) and don't use LOAD at all.  It's only for downline protection.

If my description revealed some possible knowledge gaps, don't worry, you'll gain it soon enough.


How should I finish a wooden countertop that will have a stovetop and a sink? I'm doing a tiny house sort of project and plan to have a sink and propane camp stove inset into a wooden countertop. What sort of wood should I use, and how should I finish it to reduce the risk of fire, staining, water damage, etc?

Wood works great for countertops if you are willing to live with visible wear or even welcome the scars of daily use as part of the charme of a lived-in environment.

You didn't mention which part of the world you're living in, so it's a bit difficult to recommend one wood over another - in general I'd go for something local that holds up well to rot and warp. In a rural environment, you might ask a farmer what they're using for (wooden) fenceposts. To name two less frequently mentioned choices that should be easily available in North America:
Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is very resistant to decay, and would hold up well in a wet environment. The same would be true for Osage Orange (Maclura pomifira), though the latter tends to come in smaller and gnarlier sizes. Depending on local availability, they might both be worth looking into.

About the woods mentioned by other replies: Maple in particular would be a wood I'd rather not use in that context, since it is not exactly known to hold up well to rot (and its bright colour and smooth grain would spell out any scruffs in all their glorious details).

You have three sources of damage to your wooden countertops:

knives: Wood doesn't damage them, and sooner or later someone will forego whatever you're using as cutting surface and do the job directly on the countertop. With an oiled surface, these scars just add to the patina, and can be filled with wax or sanded off when the need arises. With a varnished surface you loose that advantage.
hot pans/pots leave visible scorch marks. Unlike fornica or sealed surfaces, these can be sanded off if so desired (provided the surface was oiled/waxed to begin with) and don't need to be considered damage.
water is your enemy #1. What may look like a neatly installed kitchen sink can grow ugly traces of rot around the edges if exposed to regular humidity. Keep in mind that you'll be splashing water liberally around a sink and faucet, and that stray jets of water will go splashing in any random direction once they hit the dishes piled up into that any-size-is-too-small sink. Add to that that the vicinity of the sink tends to clutter with tools, detergents, kitchen paraphernalia, dishes both clean(wet) and dirty, and forget all about "I'll just wipe it off when it happens".
For that reason, you will want your sink to be large enough to catch and contain most of the splashing.

From personal experience, you will want to keep both stovetop and sink installed in a way that keeps liquids from creeping into or under edges and heat sources at enough of a distance. I would aim for a flat, embedded installation, and make sure to use a flexible sealant for caulking. Depending on the wood used, the endgrain around the cutout could be primed with epoxy. This would have to be done prior to oiling the countertop.

Even more effective in the long run would be to reduce the amount of seams that need to be covered by choosing a modular sink that covers the belly-to-backsplash disaster zone with its own waterproof material without exposing wood nearby.

There are many examples to be found across the web - just don't fall for the shiny interior-decorating-magazine pictures but imagine the setup after a decade of day-to-day use.

Distance of burner:
If you already settled on a burner - experiment in a safe setup which distance would be safe: Use a large pot to find out how far the flames will reach around, and make sure that radiated heat will remain low enough to avoid charring. If you have to install some kind of heat shield, keep in mind that the shield itself may get hot and cause the wood behind it to char unless properly insulated.

Finish:

varnish: Not resistant to heat, will become damaged, exposing the wood. Looks great while new, and horrible after a few years of use. Not recommended.
PU coating: There are some products able to avoid damage. I don't know how well they hold up to heat. The result would basically be a PU-encased woodtop. I have not tried that.
Oil: Preferrably linseed oil (non toxic, food-safe): surfaces need to be re-oiled frequently (at least once a year, twice preferrable). This is less cumbersome than it might sound, though. Just rub/polish off any excess after oiling or it will take months to dry leaving you with a sticky half-dried surface meanwhile... Re-oiling also takes care of minor scruffs, larger ones can be sanded prior to oiling. Please bear in mind that rags used for oiling need to be closed off in an air-tight container to avoid self-incineration.


Kind of contractor to hire to install new basement window, where there was none before? A family member is interested in getting their basement finished, and one of the things they'd like to do is have an additional bedroom in the basement.  The bedroom should have a window.  However, the basement doesn't have a window in the area most desired for the bedroom location.

What kind of contractor should be hired to install a new basement window where there wasn't one before? i.e. this is not replacing a window, but creating one where there used to be concrete, brick, etc.

The window people spoken to supply and install windows but won't do the harder parts.

It sounds like foundation-related work to me, but it's not installing or repairing foundation, rather modifying some foundation, removing bricks, installing a lintel, a window well, correct drainage?

Essentially, we're not sure where to start looking in the phone book!  Foundation people? Brick people? Other?

I would start with Architect or Structural Engineer because for that kind of work you're going to need permits, which means detailed drawings for the applications.  They would probably have recommendations for a General Contractor that would be able to do the job (with or without subcontractors).


Which water heater types do you recommend? I would like to upgrade my current water heater with one that

Is able to produce/store more heated water so I won't run out
Energy efficient
Inexpensive

What are the advantages/disadvantages to each different kind? What would you recommend and why?

When most people think of a water heating system, they think of a tank (40-75 gal. on average) with a heating source.  However, a robust water heating system probably shouldn't be so simple.  How you want to configure things depends on what your exact situation is, and what features you want maximized.  Some examples:

2 tank, parallel
This kind of setup gives you the storage capacity of both tanks (say, 2 x 40gal = 80gal).  But it also costs twice as much to keep running.  I can't imagine why you would do this over the next idea, but I'm sure someone has a reason.

2 tank, serial
This gives you a lot of versatility in water availability and cost.  In low demand situations, turn the first tank down or off.  Storing the water will let it come up to room temperature, usually reducing the heating requirements in the second tank.  Set tank 2 for your desired temperature.  When demand increases (say, relatives visit for a week) turn the first tank up to boost the inflow temperature.  Ultimately, both tanks at the desired output temperature will give you slightly more hot water than the capacity of both tanks combined; due to heating as water flows.

Tankless
As mentioned by others, a simple tankless heater has hidden drawbacks in demand-based activation and flow restrictions.  However, the do not heat any water unless on, so their standby energy cost is nil.  Installation can be tricky: they require costly ventilation and exhaust systems which can make them not cost-effective over their projected lifespan.  And they are difficult to tie into hot water recycling systems, if you're looking for instant-hot water at the tap.

Tank + Tankless
You're getting into the area of boilers, and options for combining things do very different things.  A pre-warm tank can improve the flow rate of a tankless heater, by reducing the required temperature rise.  A post-heat tank can alleviate the demand-based problems, but adds the cost of continual heating and complexity in cycling cooling water from the tank.

Other
As I mentioned there are thousands of potential ways to combine systems.  Gas is cheaper than electric.  Tankless doesn't have standby costs.  Tanks smooth out warm water flow.  You have to determine your situation, and what works best.

Suggestion
It may be against the TOS to talk brands, if so someone remove this or let me know.  Since we're building a house this summer I've been looking into this problem, and our contractor pointed out the Eternal brand of tankless water heaters.  They have a 2 gallon internal tank that they keep warm, which supposedly fixes the problems of demand-based activation and still costs very little for standby heat.  They integrate well with recirculation systems, and can even be combined in multi-unit setups if demand exceeds one unit.  I've not yet played with it (still building) but the concept looks great on paper.  Oh, and they have less expensive exhaust requirements as well.


Can a green wire be used as hot if it's reidentified? Say you have a whip with red, black, green, and white wires. Three hot conductors are needed. Does it satisfy national code if you use the green wire as a hot connection and label both ends as "HOT" using electrical tape?

Absolutely not, for 2 reasons.

You need the ground for ground!  That metallic jacket is NOT a suitable ground, that's why there's a ground wire.

You are not allowed to re-mark wires that are smaller than 4 AWG (which is huge) with the solitary exception of "marking white to a hot if it's in cable".

What you should do is instead, run flexible metallic conduit (FMC) and run the individual THHN wires that you need for your application.


Should I make my two steps have the same rise or keep one closer to a typical height? I have a 10-1/2" rise outside from my concrete patio to my deck. Should I put in one step at the halfway point or a shorter step with a 3" rise with the 2nd step being 7-1/2"?

Steps should always have uniform rise. In fact, codes require it (to within 3/8" maximum total variance per IIRC). Our brains expect that the step following the first will be about the same, and it's guaranteed to cause stumbling and worse if you do it lop-sided.
Splitting the height puts you square in the range given by accessibility guidelines. Be sure to account for differing tread/flooring thicknesses when you plan your stringers.
In this case, two 5-1/4" rises seems just fine. Three shorter rises would feel odd (and would be annoying for most users--we don't like to take many short steps as it feels like we're being made to dance our way up).


How can I find the centre of a round table? I was building a round table with a single pole in the middle.

I have the round table top, a base, a pole and a mount to go under the table.
The mount has a hole in the middle for the pole and then goes wider to spread out the load (it is around 25cm in diameter and has 8 screw holes to go into the wooden table top).

There are a number of suggestions online on how to find the centre of a circle. However most of these are for smaller circle and suggest using rulers and squares which is not as practical for a larger table (~1.5m diameter).

Is there a best practice for finding the centre of a larger table? How important is it that I am centre of the table?

Because it is a single pole table I am a bit nervous it may come out wobbly if off centre.

I think this technique using chords with 90 degree lines is probably the easiest to do because it involves standard construction tools and can compensate for inprecise measurements.

You just need a square, a measuring tape and a straight edge. (A large enough carpenter's square is all of these in one tool)

Draw two arbitrary chords (lines across) anywhere on the circle. Note the chords don't have to be the same length or lined up to each other in any way.
Find the exact center of each line
Use a square to project a second line towards the center of the circle at exactly a 90 degree angle to the chord
Where the projected lines overlap is the center

You can repeat with additional chords get the center more accurately (which can compensate for any deviation in finding the chord center or getting an exact 90 degree angle)


what flooring can be installed over existing vinyl? Bathroom remodel; plumber doesn't do flooring. Husband and I have limited talents but will need to do it ourselves before new vanity and toilet can be installed. Existing floor is linoleum from 80s but could be as old as the 60s. Glued down and also as baseboard 4" up on wall.

Not sure about trying to remove it and tear up floor and wall. Is there a vinyl we can install over existing vinyl?

I've had great luck with vinyl planks that are sold by Home Depot under the TrafficMASTER name (and now some other names).  See: http://www.homedepot.com/b/Flooring-Vinyl-Flooring-Resilient-Flooring-Luxury-Vinyl-Planks/N-5yc1vZbzjz

It is a consumer grade of what was originally a commercial flooring.  It is slightly thicker than vinyl tile or linoleum, so it doesn't significantly change the floor height (you use a matching transition strip at the edge, like at a doorway).  It is like a vinyl tile with a laminate wear surface, somewhat similar to the surface of Pergo, although the woodgrain tiles have an embossed surface resembling wood.  The appearance is very nice.

There are two versions.  One has a pre-glued surface that bonds adjacent planks together.  The other has an interlocking edge rather than glue.  It can be installed on pretty much any flat surface, including vinyl tile or linoleum.  It "floats" on top, there is no adhesive needed to bond it to the old floor, and you can put it on embossed vinyl or grouted tile without needing to fill the irregularities in the surface.

It is designed for untrained consumers to install themselves (it comes with instructions and there are online videos, they may even offer free classes).  A room the size of a bathroom would be a fast job.  To give you a rough idea, I did an area over 800 sq. ft. by myself, beginning to end, in a little over a day, just reading the instructions.  The area included complications like closets, cabinets, irregular shapes and bump-outs, and a laundry room where I had to move a washer and drier.

About the only tools you need are a tape measure and utility knife (and something for your knees).  The transition strip and quarter-round molding take simple tools like a miter box and hammer.  Where you need to cut the planks to length at the end of a row, you just score it with a utility knife and then bend it to snap it (I used a tool with a round blade that looked like a pizza cutter).  The cut edges don't have to be perfect because they are hidden under molding.  It is impervious to moisture, so it's great for a bathroom.


Trying to add a 'C' wire to my thermostat I recently got a smart thermostat that requires a 'C' wire. My existing thermostat had only W1, W2, R, G. After removing the faceplate, I noticed there was what looked to be an unused yellow wire in what looks to be 18/5 cable connecting the thermostat to the furnace. It was wrapped around the wire bundle at both the thermostat and furnace ends. My thought was to use this wire to connect 'C'.
My furnace is an old Trane XV90 with no 'C' terminal. My understanding is that the 'B/C' terminal is 'common', and I should be able to use that.
Just to test, I used a multimeter on the existing thermostat wires and get 28V on R and any of the other 3. When I connect R and the unused yellow wire, I get 15V and if I connect any of the other wires to the yellow wire, I get 11V.
Knowing very little about electrical systems, I'm not sure what to make of that. You can see the yellow wire in the photo, just wrapped around the cable unconnected to anything.
I've included shots of the furnace electrical diagram and the terminals. Would it be safe to uncoil the yellow wire, connect it to B/C on the furnace, and C on the new thermostat?

When working in the blower compartment note that furnace power is shut off automatically by a safety switch. You can override the switch by pressing it in, and must do so in order to take meaningful voltage measurements with the compartment door open. When bypassing the safety switch take care so that if the blower motor were to turn on any long hair, clothing, or other items would not be sucked in and cause injury.
There's a legend in the schematic that says B/C is common (a box at the right-hand edge, middle section). The schematic also shows the 24 volt transformer TNS connects to the red and blue wires in that white 12-position connector (positions 7 and 11 according to the pinout diagram at lower-left).
The easy test is to measure voltage from R to B/C -- if it's around 28 then yes, B/C is probably your C terminal and you could use that spare yellow conductor to carry it up to the thermostat.
If you want to be a little more cautious in confirming the idea, measure AC volts between the R terminal and first the red, then the blue wire. You should find 28 volts from R to one of those and 0 volts from R to the other. The finding should be opposite when measuring B/C to the wires: 0 volts to one and 28 volts to the other. This confirms that B/C is common or "C wire."


Earthy smell from hot water I've noticed my water at home smells a bit "earthy". It's much more pronounced when hot. I called the city- we're on public water- who tested it while cold and said it's within state limits. When I pass the water through a drinking filtration system, it smells just fine.

Could this be a bacterial bloom of some sort in my hot water tank?

Smells from bacteria tend to be "foul", the kind of odor that makes your stomach queasy.  Heavy concentrations of the minerals and sediment normally found in water can have an "earthy" smell, and these can collect in your hot water tank.

Your hot water tank should have a spigot near the bottom.  It's there for periodically purging the minerals and sediment that collect at the bottom.  Stick a basin under the spigot and open the valve.  What comes out into the basin will likely contain a lot of particles that look like sand.  You usually don't have to let it run for long, the sediment will wash out quickly.  It's a good idea to do this periodically (maybe once a year or so).


cooktop burner cycling on and off I have a Kitchenaid cooktop model KECC567 (5 burner model) with a 2 element burner that will not cycle on or off no matter what control switch setting is used. The 2 elements of the burner stay on continuously when the dual side is selected as does the single element when it is selected on the switch. I have replaced the infinite switch but the problem still exists. Appreciate some suggestions on resolution of this problem. Has to be a temperature sensor but don't know where to look for it.  Thanks

This is for future reference in case anyone is looking for similar information. The OP noted in a comment that

  the infinite switch on the 2 coil burner was faulty.

So, it should indeed cycle

  to prevent overheating the ceran glass cover similar to what the other 4 burners on the cooktop do.

P.S. Marking this CW since it isn't really my answer.


Adding dimmers to two LED circuits, which have dimmable bulbs - each circuit has three switches Two existing LED cluster circuits (almost new house) - they have dimmable bulbs (4 & 8 respectively) and three switches each.  Is there only one way to properly wire these circuits?  If not, do I need the original electrician to add dimmers?  If there is only one way to properly wire, can I just add an LED (3way) dimmer at one switch location in each circuit?  Will the circuits then be operable from any switch, but only be able to change the dimmer setting at the one with the dimmer switch? .... hoping it is that simple.

What you have is two three-way switches with a four-way in the middle. What you need to do here, for each switch set, is

Identify which are your three-ways (one black + 2 brass screws), and which is your four-way (four brass screws). Put the four-way back together, as you're not going to mess with it.
Pick which of the three-way switches you want to replace with a dimmer. It doesn't matter which one you pick
Wire your dimmer up to the three-way, making sure to note which wire was connected to the black screw

Your dimmer will work with the existing switches without any other changes but you can generally only have one dimmer per circuit (unless you buy something specialized)


First wooden slide drawer of plan chest stuck close Any suggestions appreciated
I have a planchest with wooden sliding drawers and the top drawer of it is stuck close.
I managed to open it about the 15cm by two of us pulling it out with a lot of force but we didn’t manage to pull it out further.
The drawer is empty.
If I got it out all the way I can sand it down a bit which would solve the issue.
Thankful for any help!

Try a dehumidifier or air conditioner to reduce the humidity and shrink the wood.
If patient, wait for winter when that tends to happen naturally in heated buildings.


Treehouse joists on beams or beside beams? Looking at treehouse plans online - sometimes you see joists on top of the support beams, sometimes it's all one layer using joist hangers. Is it best if joists are on top or does it matter?

Here is my plan... Beams are 2 laminated 2"x10"'s on each side - each floating on treehouse attachment bolts. 2"x8" joists on top using hurricane ties. 4 4"x6" knee braces below - 2 on the beams, 2 on the joists (via a horizontal 2"x8").

Alternatively, do I make the beams/joists all one layer? Maybe everything is 2"x10" like this:

Joists crossing on top of beams is much stronger.
this is because when joists are butted up to beans they are flexible at the join.

I would try to avoid nail lamination in an outdoor location and instead use full-size beams and joists, if the beams must be laminated seal the top to keep rain out of the crack.


Will my roof construction allow attic flooring? I am looking to add plywood flooring in my attic for storage page. There is a lot of space, very large areas. From what I've been reading, it looks to be ill-advised to add flooring if the roof was constructed with trusses instead of rafters (one such site). I have no idea what these are. Would someone be able to explain what these are and if my home has it.

Here's an overview:

Other pictures are here.

Also I am aware that I would need to extend the floor joists keep the insulation intact.

This is "Ridge board and rafters":

These are roof Trusses:

From your pictures, you clearly have ridge boards with rafters coming off of them.

The reason trusses shouldn't hold the weight of flooring or heavy boxes is because they are typically made from relatively small boards (2x4's in some cases) and the bottom board is already carrying a significant roof load because of the design of the angled elements.


Detect central vac pvc piping in walls I need to detect the in-wall PVC pipes for a central vac system. Apparently one port was covered up with drywall, so the vacuum is broken and the entire system is useless. I cannot find anything for sale or any method that detects PVC pipes with no water in them.

Can you snake a long extension cord through the PVC pipe, run some current through it, and then use a high voltage cable finder to locate the cable in the wall?

Vacuum pipes usually don't have a whole lot of bends in them, so the snaking should be quite simple.


How can I remove the caulk from this window? The caulk is cracked around the exterior window (see picture).  It leads to some funky leaks...

I bought new caulk and know how to apply it but what I don't know is how to remove it.  It doesn't feel scrapable like a bathtub caulk.

How to remove it?

It could be construction adhesive, which would be hard to completely remove. Use a sharp utility knife to open up the crack. Don't worry about removing material that is still providing a seal, just remove the rough stuff in the opening so the new caulk will be able to bond to solid material. Fill the enlarged opening with caulk and you're done, unless you feel the need to paint it.

BTW, you can't paint conventional silicone caulk.


Carrier Furnace blowing fusible link My 27 year old Carrier Super Saver furnace fan blower stays running even when the thermostat is off. After some troubleshooting, found out that fusible link connected to what looks like a limit switch P/N 4283A was blown. Replaced the fusible link, furnace ran fine for 15 minutes, then no heat, only cold air coming out of vents. Fan/blower keeps running. Whats causing the fusible link to blow. Filter underneath th

Your high limit switch may be bad, and need to be replaced.

Your furnace may be overheating, and the limit is not reacting. So the fusible link is doing just what it's supposed to.

There are a few things that can cause the furnace to overheat, a dirty filter being the number one cause.


Is there software or a web site that lets me upload a photo and visualize changes to a room? I'm thinking of changing my kitchen and bath floor, countertops and backsplash.  I don't have all day to create a 3-D model from scratch.  Can I start with a photo and visualize changes?

This isn't exactly what you're looking for, but I would suggest that you try Autodesk Homestyler.

An example in design mode

And a feature that renders your design into almost life like pictures!


Trying to replace a kitchen faucet I'm trying to replace a kitchen faucet. The stud and nut holding the faucet down are both turning. I'm out of ideas.

WD-40, A box wrench and a pair of pliers. Apply WD-40. Get the wrench on the nut and gently hold the bolt down as low as it can go. Turn your wrench while holding the bolt. Hold the bolt with the pliers harder until it frees up. Be careful to not marre the threads because you will have to bring the nut down through the damaged section if damage occurs.

A better way is to cut a slot in the bolt with a cut off disk on a grinder and use a slotted screw driver to hold the bolt in place. This method is potentially dangerous and not recommended if you are not comfortable and experienced with a grinder.


Where should I position a recessed contact sensor in a door? Is there a recommended location on a door to install a recessed contact sensor?  I see many installing on the top of the door.  Any reason it can't be installed in the bottom corner?

Honestly, there is no right or wrong here. The preferred location is either the top of the door or on the side (either hinges-side or the opposite of). You will want to place the sensor so it is easier for you to wire it to the control panel. For example, if this is the basement door and the control panel is on the top floor; you may want to install the sensor on top of the door so you can directly wire it up.


What do you do with a company who did a bad install who will not come out to inspect the job or return your calls? I am hoping this doesn't fall into off-topic territory.  If it does, I'll just have to find another website to ask it on.

I am the president of an HOA and one of our unit owners is experiencing water leaks due to a potentially bad roof install last year.  I originally reported the problem in 12/16.  They've come out once and blamed the leak on "ice damming" which they do not cover in the contract.  I had someone else take a look at pictures of the install who added captions to the photos explaining how the install was potentially bad.  I forwarded these pics to the project manager who told me he'd return my call after he reviewed them.  He didn't call back in two days.  After lots of complaining, I finally got a call back from one of the co-owners on 12/19 who left a message on my VM.  I returned his call a few hours later and he didn't return my call at all.  I had to call him back on 12/26 where he told me he and his team would be out on 12/27 or 12/30.  He never called.  I called him on 12/31 and again today where I'm still waiting for his call.

What do you do when a company is very leisurely about returning your calls or even not at all?
What do you do when they say the problem is not their fault?
If there's the potential for leaking to occur and they're not owning up, how do you go about fixing the problem in the meantime?  Do you just needlessly spent more money to have another company come out and fix it?  Is there a way to prove that they're accountable for the bad install?

I know that SE deals in objective problems only (usually, at least), but there's simply no other trustworthy Q&A site out there, so I am hoping I can get this one answered here.  Thanks.

I'm almost certainly in a different country form you so my answer may not apply - but you may have some equivalent options

I would write to them

stating the problem clearly,
listing the attempts made to get a response from them (with dates)
and saying that time is of the essence (legal phrase in my jurisdiction)
saying that if they don't contact me within n days to resolve the problem
I see no option other than to get legal advice on what steps to take.
(n needs to be a reasonable amount, perhaps 14 days rather than 2)

I would send this by registered-post or recorded-delivery. It makes more impact if someone has to sign for it.

Keep a copy of what you have sent. Copies of written communication may carry greater weight later than your transcript of what you think you said in a phone call.

In my locale there is a trading-standards body to whom consumers can complain about
shoddy work or goods. I'd check if they could help.

In my locale there is a small-claims court which can be used for low-cost proceedings
there is a limit on the size of claims, hearings are heard in front of a judge and
court-fees are low. I would check whether this service is available and what limits apply

Getting a lawyer to write a short letter to a company may help, even if the letter is
relatively innocuous it can help persuade them that you are unlikely to go away quietly.


How can I clean and dry a lambswool applicator quickly? I'm refinishing my floor, sanding / stain / poly. One of the most frustrating things is clean up. In particular, the lambswool applicator. It cleans with mineral spirits but it takes forever to dry. It's also really hard to squeeze out the stuff from it. What do the pros do?  I have a hard time believing they are constantly touching mineral spirits with their bare hands daily, but I can't wring it out very well with gloves at all. I want to make ths process more efficient. Any other tips would be awesome for setup / clean up too.

When I did my floors I wrapped the lambswool with kitchen plastic wrap, the kind you would wrap a sandwich with. That kept it moist for at least a day. If I went several days between applications, I would just use a new lambswool. It's not good to use mineral spirits (or many other cleaners) bare handed. The health risks just are not worth it. If you don't believe that, get an MSDS sheet of the product your using and read it.