Re-wire Cat5e RJ11 jacks to RJ45 ethernet I just moved into a new (to me, but built in 2008) condo and am assessing the telecom situation. I'd like to get Ethernet connectivity to as much of the unit as possible, for wireless range extenders (or LAN parties...)

It seems like the builder has run an assortment of unterminated wires to a 'telco closet'. There are 3 blue Cat5e cables, one white Cat5e, and one grey Cat5e.

Around the unit there appears to be an RJ11 that terminates the other end of the white cable with four wires:

Plus two RJ11 jacks that look the same, except with a blue cable:

Plus two RJ11 jacks that seem to have some sort of daisy chain situation going on with the blue cables:

Given that we haven't used a phone landline for at least a decade now, I'd like to repurpose the existing Cat5e wiring for Ethernet, installing a router/switch in the closet. I'm trying to figure out answers to the following questions:

Is it against building code or otherwise a bad idea to disable or remove some or all of these RJ11 jacks and replace them with Ethernet, using the underlying Cat5e cables?
Why are some of the RJ11 jacks terminated with a single cable and others daisy-chained?
There are 3 blue wires coming out of the telco closet and 6 blue wires emerging elsewhere in the house (2x single and 2x double). This seems to imply a logically impossible daisy-chaining situation to me, and I've looked very hard and not found any other RJ11 jacks. How could it be wired this way?
What is the best way to test a hypothesis of the actual wiring without potentially frying a device accidentally?
The grey Cat5e doesn't seem to emerge anywhere in the house. What might it be for, e.g. it is connected to a central patch panel somewhere in the building? Is this a common situation?

Slightly related question: How can I convert Cat5e wired sockets to Ethernet?

I'm no pro, but I'd say you can do as you wish with low voltage cable
I'd guess the daisy chaining was a poor mans way of propagating the phone cable without running it back to the closet.
Yeah, see the last answer
I'd remove the phone jacks and short out two of the pairs with clip leads.  Then use a continuity tester to map out the cables.
Does the grey one lead to the attic somewhere?

I'd say you can terminate the cables you need with wall plates in the rooms, RJ45 jacks in the closet and if you need additional service to one of the daisy chained rooms, you can add a switch where needed to continue the chain.  Mount the switch to the wall close to the wall jacks to get it out of the way.


Local "point of use" hot water heater This question is a follow-up to How can I speed up my slow hot water?.

I have a tankless water heater, and it takes over 90 seconds to get hot water to my kitchen. (This is not acceptable as I'm not renting out this property.)

I'd like to install a "unit" close to the kitchen faucet. Ideally, this unit would not store water, but would heat the water as it passes through. This way, when the hot water finally reaches the sink from the main water heater, the local unit could stop working and let the main water heater do the work.

But, as I type this, I'm thinking that this may not be the ideal solution. The problem is that, to get hot water, the sink has to be turned on full blast (to trigger the water heating mechanism in the tankless water heater). So maybe I should have a 5gallon water heater near the kitchen sink to handle all hot water that the kitchen sink will need. If I went this route, would the kitchen sink ever be able to use hot water from the main hot water heater? Put another way, would turning the hot water on the kitchen sink on full blast trigger hot water to come from the main water heater?

The wait time to get hot water from a tankless heater is very common, especially when installed some distance from the faucet. The specs for different heaters varies as far as the volume needed to trigger to on. Most do not require full flow volume to turn on.

There are a few small point of use tank heaters, such as American Water Heater Company's Titan series (Lowes) that only store 2.5 gals of water and operate on 120VAC. You should have a separate 120 volt circuit for this type of heater however.

Keep in mind, 2.5 gals is a lot of water in one use, unless you tend to run hot water for longer periods of time. Your main tankless will deliver hot water to the small tank heater by the time temps drop in the small tank, theoretically the small heater will not need to turn on and the hot water will simply pass through.


Multi-Wire Branch Circuit on wrong breakers My electrical panel has a double-pole breaker that looks like it's for a MWBC, but actually the attached wires are from different cables.
In the below picture the black wire with the yellow rubber bands goes out the side of the panel (to a sump pump).  The red and black wires with blue rubber bands are from the same cable going out the top and to the kitchen.  (The dishwasher is on the red wire; as far as I can tell nothing is on the black wire and it's probably a provision for a garbage disposal, but I haven't moved the dishwasher to get to the outlet and verify it's a split.)
How bad is this?  I understand that one would have to be extra careful about turning off breakers to the kitchen to not leave half the circuit live, and I can't turn off just the dishwasher or just the sump pump, but is there any other danger here?  I guess if the dishwasher trips the breaker it will take out the sump pump, but I feel like I'd notice that before my basement would flood.
My current thought is "some day I'll have an electrician out for something else and I'll ask him to look at this too."  Should it be a higher priority?

You may think there is nothing on that circuit but it needs to be verified. It is a simple fix to turn both breakers and swap the wires.
Why is this important? With both hots on the same leg this overloads the neutral and this can cause a fire.
Many years ago MWBC’s did not require handle ties or double pole breakers.
People moving breakers around would split the pair and caused problems on the neutral.  I have found panels where the neutral had gotten hot enough to melt its insulation and I was called when it melted into another live connector causing that breaker to trip.
Since you understand the cable has 2 hot conductors that are sharing a neutral turn both breakers off and correct the problem by swapping the wires.
Both are 15 amp so the wire size should be correct.


Is there a dust-free alternative to gravel for an indoor Petanque Court? We are considering constructing a Pétanque court in our office.

The typical finished playing surface is sand, gravel, small pebbles or sometimes shell.

We need a dust-free material so that when people step in and out of the court, they don't track dust around the office.

The material will be challenged by metal boules that are lobbed around the surface as part of the game, and players walking around the surface.

What are some alternative materials (or coated materials) that have similar properties to sand or gravel, but that are dust-free?

If this is an interior installation then no powder/gravel based playing surface will be "dust free" as the impact of the balls will create dust.  Reading up on the game, it does say that it can be played on grass.

Based on that, for an indoor game, I'd go with hard rubberized flooring (such as used in gymnasiums) topped with interior AstroTurf of a short cut.


Want to add sub-panel in my barn - 115v, 60amp? I'm looking to extend the dedicated electrical in my barn to a new sub-panel near where I will be placing hobbyist wood working power tools - miter saw, route, jointer, small lathe, table saw, etc and a half dozen fluorescent light fixtures...
The lathe says it is 15 amp, but none of the others specify that much power.
I want to have the breakers close to the machines just in case because the main panel is in a different part of the barn.
The lighting for this floor will be via multiple switches I plan to serve from a single breaker in this sub-panel.
I'm guessing I will need to run two 15 amp circuits, each feeding two outlets and never expect to be using two power tools on the same circuit at the same time.
There is a room on the same floor that is wired as a single circuit with a couple of light fixtures, four outlets and an exhaust fan. I plan to tie this into the main panel on a dedicate breaker. I plan to run a dedicated breaker and circuit to this room for an AC unit.
My expectation is 4 or 6 15 amp breakers fed from a 60 amp breaker at the main panel.
It's sounds like I need either 4 or 6 AWG line for the feed, I assume I should conduit it between the panels, I was thinking 12/2 AWG grounded line to feed the outlets and the lighting is all currently wired with 12/2 grounded...
I don't want to burn my barn down, my chickens live there and tools are expensive.
Please advise.

If you have a main panel at the barn that would support a 60A feed, you're very likely in luck - because that would be a 240V panel, (you're thinking 230 but you're outdated) and all you need for 60A worth of 120V circuits is a 30A 240V 4-wire feed (Hot, Hot, Neutral and Ground.)
Were it my barn I didn't want to burn down, I'd run EMT (electrical metallic tube, the lightest form of conduit) because barns have rodents, but if I was not into  learning how to run conduit (or hire that part of the job out) I'd run 10/3 MC cable with a flexible metallic armor to resist rodent teeth.
I would use 20A (and 12 Ga) for the tool circuits, 15A (and 14 Ga) for the lighting circuit(s) unless planning to go terribly retro and inefficient for the lights, and recall that subpanel size (and what the breakers add up to) does not need to match the feed breaker (It's perfectly fine to put a 100A subpanel and feed it with a 30A feed breaker.) You'll only run into "size" problems if you pull more than 30A from one "leg" or hot-to-neutral (for 120V) at one time.
You may also be able to rewire the lathe motor to run on 240V (at 7.5A) and install a 15A 240V outlet (with 14Ga wire) for that purpose. Many such motors can be rewired that way.


Can a structural ridge beam be used in a hip roof design? If so this would place the ridge beam somewhere in the middle of the roof, how would you provide support for the ridge beam in this instance?, could you support it by an internal wall?

This is for a single story house.

Side question, are ridge beams only used for exposed roofs?

thanks

This is the typical structure of a hip-roof:

As you can see, the ridge board, or ridge beam, is holding up the "jack rafters" at the top of the incline.

Arguably the 4 diagonal boards - the hip rafters - are holding up the ridge board on their own, but simply for load bearing purposes, place supports under the ends of the ridge board (and possibly one in the middle depending on length) because structurally speaking, the diagonal supports are in a weaker configuration than vertical ones.


How to utilize Ethernet throughout my house My router/modem is located in the garage because that is where our Gigapower box is located but my office is all the way on the opposite side of the house and upstairs. Using WiFi is tedious because everyone in my house (two roommates and a child) also use WiFi for work/school. Should I be looking for any plugs in the wall or something that I can possibly connect an Ethernet cable to? I have a socket in the wall that says CAT5e+ but I’m pretty sure that is for house phones. TIA.

Edit: My answer is targeted to the very little information posted at the time. The question is could this work, not what's the best way or fastest way.
Cat 5 cable and RJ-45 jacks have eight wires.
100 Mbps Ethernet uses two pairs (four wires), one for send and one for receive.
Telephones use two wires.
Therefore, you can run both ethernet and telephone over the same wire, and still have two wires left over. It all depends on how your home was wired. The outlets may need to be reconfigured, but it's easy to test if you can find the junction box and see if you can plug in an ethernet cable from the modem. If it works, problem solved.
The caveat is that the maximum speed under ideal conditions is 100Mbps. The actual speed might be lower.
Good luck.

https://www.instructables.com/Hack-your-House-Run-both-ethernet-and-phone-over-/


How do I cut a beveled fence post cap on already installed fence posts? How can I cut already installed 4x4 cedar fence posts to match the beveled post caps on my other posts?

I'm very aware that doing this the right way would be to do it before installation!  Too late now...

I'd be fine buying a purpose built jig/tool for this similar to this one for a different cut.  I would like to avoid buying expensive new tools that I don't already have beyond a circular saw, handsaw, jigsaw, and of course a reciprocating saw.

Left side is the uncut newly installed fence posts and on the right is an example of a previously installed fence post with the desired bevel.

I use 2 large C clamps to hold a board in place. You can screw a guide board to the post if you don't have large C clamps. Then use a circular saw with the blade adjusted to the angle you want. By using a board the cut will be straight. Then move the board to the next side and repeat. There will be small screw holes in the post if you use screws but I have done this in a pinch when I did not have my clamps handy.


How should I mount external hardware to a Greenboard/EPS exterior wall? The external cladding of my house is rendered NRG Greenboard (an EPS product). What is the best way to mount simple external hardware (specifcally, a hose reel) to this material?

The reel itself just came with 4 screws that are meant to affix it to the external wall of the house, but it seems like with the EPS it wouldn't take much force at all to yank them straight out. What's the recommended procedure for mounting things securely to the EPS?

NRG greenboard is 98% air and therefore only 2% polystyrene

NOTHING can be mounted TO this.  Your reel may be mounted THROUGH it to the studs behind.

    From the Greenboard handbook:

    17.1.5 Solid Blocking of Fitting and Accessories
    Consideration should be given to the installation of
    wall mounted accessories i.e. taps, electrical fittings,
    etc. It is important to allow for adequate backblocking for these items prior to the
    installation of the NRG Greenboard™.

Since this didn't happen, you have to add the blocking EXTERNALLY.

The typical 50' hose full of water is at least 15 pounds, the reel another 10 pounds and the pulling on the hose another 25 pounds or more, so you need a sturdy solution.

You would do well to distribute this across 2 studs, perhaps using 2 2x4 treated lumber.  The screws would need to be long enough to go through the boards, outer covering (I hope the house isn't only covered in greenboard), the green board and at least 1" into the stud.  Weather proof decking screws (ceramic coated for rust) would be a sturdy choice and come in 3", 3 1/2" and 4" lengths.  All screw holes should be pilot drilled and filled with an exterior caulk or an exterior silicone.

Once the support boards are mounted to the studs, the reel can be attached to the boards with the original hardware.


Which wire is the C wire? Model: Goodman AWB30-08C Electric AC/Heat

I'm hoping someone can help me identify the 24V C wire. Fortunately the thermostat line has a spare wire already run, so I just need to find the C wire in the HVAC. See diagrams below:

I can also post a pic of the exposed wiring if need be.

The wire labeled BL in both images, should be the C wire. W and BR activate the heat relay. G activates the blower time delay relay. PK takes 24v to the thermostat.

If you're looking for the C wire, because you want to install a fancy new WiFi thermostat.  Make sure the transformer can support the additional load, before you connect the thermostat. It doesn't look like there's a fuse on the transformer, and you wouldn't want to burn up the transformer.


Installing base cabinets - Securing to floor/shimming? I am in the process of installing base cabinets in my kitchen.  From what I have read online from articles such as this, it sounds as if base cabinets only need to be fastened to each other and the wall, not the floor.

This sounds reasonable, except that my kitchen floor has a considerable amount of runout (1-1/4" from highest point to lowest point, on opposite ends of a 11'x12' room).  In this scenario, the cabinets in the low spots would be floating if only secured to the wall.  It is my plan to make some custom blocking/shims to bring these cabinets level and to the proper height, but it doesn't quite seem sufficient just to have these blocks floating between the floor and the cabinet.

Is there a standard practice for this scenario?  My thought was to at a minimum secure the blocks/shims to the floor with fasteners or construction adhesive.  However, cabinet to floor I don't have many options at all due to the construction of the cabinet. It's made from 1/2" plywood and the floor of the cabinet is ~6" from the actual ground it rests on, so I would have to make some sort of blocking that goes behind the sidewalls to screw in from the side or blocking that reached the bottom of the cabinet to secure downwards from the cabinet floor.

Also, for other cabinets were only small, wedge type shims are going to be used, do you just break them off in place and leave as-is?  Seems like over time these could walk out with only a thin 1/2" plywood sheet resting on top of them.

Edit: After looking at some more tutorials, it seems this one suggests that you run screws into the toe-kick at a downward angle to sort of toe nail it in place.  Seems a little tough to do through 1/2" plywood and not split it, but if it's only to hold the shims in place that bear the weight of the cabinet that make sense.  I'll just need to use longer screws on the cabinets that are shimmed more.

Shims are ordinarily left to just friction for anchoring. In your case, even if you only glue them to the subfloor they're unlikely to move. You could certainly also glue them to the cabinet base.

I wouldn't bother trying to screw them in, though. That's overkill alongside construction adhesive and will probably result in a bunch of split wood and swearing. You might pop a few trim nails into them if your have an air gun on hand, just to secure them while the adhesive sets.


What steps to take in painting this damaged wall? Water leak from above windows created bubbles.  I stripped the damaged section with putty knife, did I go too far? What steps should I take next? I'm new at this, I think I'm supposed to add primer and then a coat of paint.

Did you go too far? I don't think you did. It is best to remove the loose material. I would use some topping compound and fill the area and lightly sand. This will give a normal look. If you just prime and paint it will be visible for years. I use topping mud where I need a thin coat. It sands easier then prime and repaint and you will have a professional looking repair.


conduit and wire size needed Looking to hook up a new 20KW generator to an existing manual 200A transfer switch.

What size copper wire do I need (2 hot legs, 1 neutral and one ground) and what size PVC conduit do I need for all 4 wires? The distance from the generator to the transfer switch is 15 feet

Oracle says #1 aluminum.   Or #3 copper if you own a copper mine.

I don't like copper because the lugs on both ends are usually aluminum, and I don't like mixing copper and aluminum due to dissimilar metal corrosion.  You may recall that caused a national scandal when shoddy receptacles intended only for copper were used on aluminum wire.


How to repair cracks in concrete overhang over entrance I have a slab of concrete over the front entrance of my house with some serious cracks in it. I don't actually know what the proper name for it is, which makes this difficult to Google - so I've uploaded two photos to illustrate:

How do I repair those cracks? Firstly, what's the best thing to fill them in with? Secondly, how do I get that filler to not fall out while it sets?

You may need to approach this with some caution. It looks like the reinforcing steel is corroding from the picture. When this happens the steel expands and causes the concrete cover over the steel to spall off. Once the reinforcing bar looses its cover the rate of corrosion will increase and the bond between the steel and the concrete is substantially reduced.

The problem is that just covering up the steel with a crack repair mortar may not fix the corrosion problem and either another section of the concrete could spall off or the repair mortar could spall off. I would suggest you get it looked at by a specialist. It doesn't look like it is in imminent risk of failure but just covering up the cracks may mean that you are hiding a long term problem.


How do I replace the toilet shutoff valve? Since the shutoff valve is leaking (the packing inside is worn), I'd like to replace it.  Is the valve soldered onto the supply pipe, or is it a threaded connection?

That looks like a 1/2" copper pipe with the valve soldered on. Definitely check it with a magnet before trying to wrench it off.

If it is copper and you are not handy with soldering, you could replace it fairly easily using a valve with a compression fitting inlet:

You will have to carefully cut the pipe behind the existing valve, and use steel wool and/or some emery cloth to clean up that oxidation/corrosion on the copper pipe.

My personal preference is to solder a threaded male adapter onto the pipe and using a new threaded supply valve with 1/2" FIP inlet:


Water Droplets Forming Inside AC with Irregular Air Flow We've been using a Hitachi Split Inverter Type Air Conditioner for over a year now, and we recently had it service cleaned about three months ago (the recommended schedule is every eight months).
However, we recently noticed that some water droplets are forming inside the air conditioner: the first is on the metal grill-like section behind the two removable air filters, and the second is on the ceiling of the opening where the air is blown.
Another problem we noticed is that after a few days of being turned on, the air flow becomes irregular, as if the engine is having difficulty blowing air (e.g. instead of a steady "whiiiiirr," we get a "whirr... whirr... whirr...").
Based on the manual, the only maintenance we are allowed to do is just to remove the two air filters, rinse and dry them, and then put them back.
Any other maintenance needs to be called on their service department.
This seems to be so the warranty does not become invalid and for inexperienced users to avoid damaging the units.
Because of how limited the recommended maintenance is on the user's side, the only option we've tried is to just turn off and unplug the unit for some time (e.g. overnight or for two days). This seems to resolve the issue temporarily, but it keeps coming back.
Our first hunch is that some cooling and drain parts have frozen over, which is causing some water to collect, but water leaks very rarely and we only keep our unit in Dry mode.
The drain tube needing cleaning might also be a possibility, but we haven't checked yet because, as mentioned above, we recently had the indoor and outdoor units service cleaned about three months ago.
Any idea as to what could be causing water droplets to form despite the unit being in Dry mode, and any advice on our situtation?

Ok, you don’t understand the modes of operation.
Dry mode will remove humidity thus making the coils cold attracting moisture, the cold may cause the condensation you are observing.
Run the system normally if you want cooling run it in that mode, heat should never produce moisture inside but may build up on the outside unit and then it will go into defrost.
When in cooling mode if your inside unit ices up the filters are the normal thing to check and if dirty the low air flow will cause icing.
If you have clean filters of the proper type the inside unit should not ice up. Putting in high end filters that filter everything out can reduce the air flow and cause icing.
Use the filter type recommended by the installer/ manufacturer.
If the above precautions of a clean filter / proper filter are observed and the system is icing up there is a problem with the unit it could be under or over charged, one of the temp/pressure sensors failing since an inverter type.
You said it was not leaking but if the drain gets plugged with mold (a common occurrence in the cleanest homes) you should be allowed to clean the drain pan and use an approved mold inhibitor to prevent mold from blocking the drain and it overflowing.
With all the above in dry mode I would expect the unit to collect moisture ( the brands I install do).


Adding C Wire as simple as C to C? Short version: I ran a new 2-strand wire from my thermostat to the furnace/air handler unit to provide spare wires since the existing 5 wires are used up and I need a C. Is hooking up the C wire as simple as just grabbing (and labeling, of course) one of the 2 new strands I ran, and hooking it to C at both ends?
Longer version:
My thermostat currently has 5 wires from one cable, none of which are attached to C. The tstat runs on batteries, but this is not great since they run out at odd times, maybe while we're gone. (That happened once even though the batteries were pretty fresh, and the house was awful -- and now the blower in the only 5-year-old Trane is burned out, so I wonder if the thing wasn't being ill treated by the thermo while the batteries were depleting.)

So, I've got R and Rc jumpered, White, Green, Yellow, and Y2 is using the blue. At the furnace, I've got all this below, but it's 6 strand, hooked to a bunch of other strands and runs up the lines:

The gray housed 5 wire comes in from the linkage of a water shutoff / floor flood switch and a condensate pump. (It must also be hooked into the AC unit outside because doesn't that need to run to common?)
I could not easily pull out and replace the existing 5 strand because it hooks a 90 degree angle somewhere inside the wall, so I ran an extra 18-2 from the thermostat to the furnace.
I'd like to hook up the current, battery powered tstat (which the specs say runs on power via common) so it doesn't need batteries. Eventually a fancier wifi one will go in so I can keep tabs on the place while we're gone.
Is hooking up the C wire as simple as just grabbing (and labeling, of course) one of the 2 new strands I ran, and hooking it to C at both ends?

Yup, it's that simple.
Since the AC's off anyway (because the Trane blower burned out after 5 years) I figured I had little to lose by just hooking it up and checking to see if it powered the Thermostat as it should. It does.


How can I get a reasonable plaster finish in an awkward recess? I am plastering my basement, having drywalled it. It's mostly done, but there is an awkward recess around the gas meter that I still need to do:

Would just leave the plasterboard exposed and paint it, but there is scrim tape at the edges, and also several joins / screw heads to cover.

It doesn't need to perfect, as it'll be boxed in, in a cupboard, but I want to get a reasonable finish that I can paint. I suspect trying to plaster it will be a nightmare, as I'll be unable to get a trowel behind the meter (may leave it looking worse than before). How else can I make a paintable finish? Wondered about joint compound and then sanding it.

Anyone got any better ideas?!

I'd use joint compound, and smooth it in with a putty knife as smoothly as possible.  Then, when it's dry, use a damp sponge to smooth it over to a paintably smooth surface.


Do they make wireless safety sensors for garage door openers? I've had a lot of issues with the safety sensors for my garage door opener, most of which had to do with loose or broken wires leading from the opener to the sensors. It's been extremely frustrating when out of the blue the garage door won't close because even though the sensors are aligned, the wire got bumped and now doesn't have strong enough of a connection. So I've been searching for wireless sensors but wasn't really seeing anything come up. Do wireless sensors even exist? Or would that violate whatever code exists about safety sensors?

I've never seen them. The battery maintenance would be a hassle anyway.

Route and secure your wires appropriately to protect them, and build wood or metal guards around the sensor area to prevent careless people from banging into them. A simple block alongside the unit should do unless your home is populated by maniacs.


Adding outside wood boiler to oil furnace I am adding an outdoor wood burner (water stove) to my home.

Water to air heat exchanger plumbed into existing ductwork for oil burner.

What are my options for running the oil burner's fan WITHOUT the oil burner firing and attempting to heat?

Could it be wired with a toggle switch in line at some point, as I have no plans to purchase oil at the current prices?

Just set the thermostat to the off position and turn the fan setting on the thermostat to "on". Your fan will run continuously until you set it back to "auto".


Are licensed "builders" required to pull permits Looking into remodeling a basement in a major US city. The basement height is too low to meet code and I have been told that it is extremely unlikely that the city would grant a variance. I have talked to 4 contractors/design companies and none of them have any problems with not pulling permits for the job. These are all established companies with licensed contractors who use licensed sub-contractors. Can a licensed contractor perform work, that requires a permit, without a permit?

Can a licensed contractor perform work, that requires a permit, without a permit?

If the work requires a permit - that is a City / State Ordinance [aka LAW]- the answer is while the contractor could perform the work - it is a violation of the Ordinance.
It is possible that the contractor might have it in fine print where it requires you to get the permits. They do the work "assuming" you have the permit or are in process. You can check to see if they really are licensed - I doubt a licensed contractor would do anything with out the permits.

This presents two problems:

If you are found out to have done this work with out a permit you
are probably going to be required to undo the work.
The other issue you have is in selling the property - changes to the
property can be looked into and a buyer or a buyers inspector can
check for permits on the property.

a: In this case you would need to get it permitted in order to sell the property, which winds you back to the possibility of undoing the work at your expense of course.

The Contractor probably requires you to get permitting - somewhere in the fine print so they can cover themselves. In the end you will be out the money you pay to the contractor and possibly more to have it all undone.

Get a contractor who will get the required permits, ask for the variance as it is an existing basement - you just might get it unless you are intending to make the ceiling height lower in your remodel.
 I assume you are going to put in rooms of some sort or a entertainment space.

if you are turned down , you are turned down; permitting is not expensive - undoing completed work is.


Why Does My Vacuum Trip My Circuit Breaker I have four upstairs bedrooms with each bedroom running off an Eaton 20 Amp Arc Fault Breaker. When my 12 Amp vacuum cleaner is plugged into any outlet in three of the bedrooms, it works just fine. However, when plugged into an outlet in the master bedroom, the breaker trips immediately. After several hours of troubleshooting, here is what I have done: 1. Isolate the outlet that is the first one in series from the breaker box from all the other switches and outlets in the master bedroom. I've inspected the wires and replaced the outlet with a new one. 2. I swapped out the current breaker with one from the other bedrooms that works fine with the vacuum -- it still tripped the breaker immediately. 3. I purchased a new Eaton 20 Amp Arc Fault Breaker and same thing --- trips immediately. I'm at a loss...what could I possibly do next?

Honestly, with these kinds of protective-device trips, the problem is often exactly what says on the tin.

An AFCI breaker is designed to look for arc faults, principally in the building wiring.   You've swapped breakers around, the problem does not move with the vacuum, it does not move with the breakers, it has stayed with the bedroom.  Occam's Razor: it's in the bedroom wiring.

Since wiring problems are almost always at wire ends or devices, I'd preemptively swap every receptacle with a nice contractor grade screw-and-clamp type.


Can I install a new gas fireplace without changing cornices? I have a room in which I am considering having a new gas fireplace installed.  There is approximately 3m of wall space available (between corner and window in the picture).  This will provide some heating but the primary purpose is for ambiance.

The existing cornices extend a long way (at least a 1m) into the room and I don't want to change them.

The wall is brick-veneer.

The pictures I've seen for installing new fireplaces involve boxing in an area from floor to ceiling which in this case would interfer with the cornices.

What are my options for install? I won't physically do the install myself, but want to understand what is usually done and what will look normal.

One option might be to box-in only partway up the wall, but would this lead to very large mantle that looks strange.

Alternatively, would it be possible to box-in to the ceiling and work around the cornice?

Your choices will be limited by what your local regulations say about the options for the type and location of flue and ventilation air supply. A reputable local supplier should be able to advise on the technical and visual aspects.

You might be allowed to put a flue behind the fire on the outside of the wall. In the UK we can get shallow depth gas fires and surrounds for flush mounting onto a wall. This avoids having to build a chimney breast to accommodate the fire depth and route the flue through the ceiling internally.

I think a ceiling height chimney breast would look okay and you could blend in some similar cornice to follow the new outline. The installer might need to cut through and remove some of the existing cornice hidden inside the chimney breast where the flue goes through the ceiling.

I think having the chimney breast stop part way up the wall would look odd.

If the fireplace is mainly for aesthetic reasons, a decorative electric fire and surround might give you the same benefits but without the problem of having to construct a flue. Again check for local regulations and also the available power output of the outlets.


Rat mite infestation Symptoms:

Location is suburban Long Beach, CA. 5 miles from the beach.
I started getting bit two weeks ago. I've got 12+ bites. They're very itchy red welts up to 1/2".
The house has three broken foundation screens. For rodents to get in. I've never seen rats in the area.
For 1 month I've occasionally heard banging type noises in the walls around my bedroom and the bathroom. It doesn't sound particularly like animals.
The attic fans are screened. There aren't eaves on the house. Walking around the house, there's no sign of birds. I haven't seen or heard anything in the attic.
It took 2 weeks of getting bit and looking before I found any mites.
When empty, they look like a single piece of small translucent dust. Practically impossible to see unless crawling on a black surface and viewed within a foot with bright light and 20/20 vision. When full of blood, they're much easier to see. They look like black dots and can be seen when crawling. They're very slow, dumb, and clumsy. If you shake your shirt that will probably flick them off. They're difficult to crush (like fleas) when empty, but easy when full. If you're paying attention, you may be able to feel one crawling on you. In my case, they're attracted most to groin (underwear), feet/ankles (socks), armpits, and back of the knee. Biting mites like warm pockets of skin or where clothing fits tightly.

I found ~12 mites crawling around a crack where the wall meets the floor in the bathroom.

Several months ago I noticed a minor ant problem around the same crack. That crack is the only location in the house that I've identified as an insect source. The house is pretty clean and not much insects until recently.

In total, I've seen ~25 mites. All but one were in the bathroom. The other I felt crawling on my arm when I was lying on my bedroom floor.

My mom also started getting bites roughly at the same time as me. I found some carpet beetles around her bed area. Cleaned up the whole thing but the bites came back soon after.

Dad in the same bed as mom is not getting bit. Sister in the next room to me is not getting bit.

The wall is a separator between two bathrooms. Depiction:

There's also an attic above and a crawl space below.

How should I control this rat mite or possibly bird mite infestation?

What form of pesticide if any would do well?
Seal the crack with caulk?
How to determine what is going on behind that wall? And find the animal.
Fix broken foundation screens around home.
Add screens to air vent openings.

Rat mites consume blood. They may be choosy about who they bite and not everyone has an allergic reaction to the bite.

This part may be unnecessary but I took everything out of my room and put it in the garage. I put the items in sealed contractor bags with a nuvan strip each. I hung a nuvan strip in the garage. I washed the floor, wall edges, all the nooks around the windows, and the crevices around the room with diluted pinesol.

I used boric acid along the edge of walls and in the bottom of dressers. To my knowledge, boric acid kills roaches either by being consumed and destroying their stomach bacteria or on contact by cutting open their exoskeleton (like what diatomaceous earth does). So for the latter reason it might have an effect on the mites. But it's not worth counting on.

For assurance, I sprayed Lysol around the edge of the walls and that kills the mites on contact.

I set a peanut butter rat trap in the crawl space. Several hours later I heard squeaking. There was one live and one dead rat trapped. I sprayed the area with Spectracide Bug Stop and got rid of the rats. I set a new trap and expect there are more rats.

I got 1/4" hardware cloth and I'm going to patch the broken foundation screens around the house. There's also two air vents that need to be screened to prevent further problems with birds/rodents.

The mites are a symptom of the rat problem. Once the rodents are controlled, the mites should dissipate.


How to clean up old steel table edge? Got an old drafting table and there's wood stain and adhesive stuck on the edge: http://imgur.com/a/zyaJ0

How can I remove the layer of gunk and clean it up a bit?

Obviously removing the edge would make cleaning easier, but I'm not quite sure that I could replicate the way it's attached now when re-attaching.

It appears that there are a series of things that are going on with the metal rail edge of the drafting table. Here is what I saw:

There is residual celo tape or tape glue present.
Original finish that appears to be a paint is rubbed off in many places.
Some miscellaneous glue or finish drippings seem to be present.
There appears to be some dark finish the has dripped across the rail.
Some spots on the rail appear that they may even have some rust spots.
The rail looks to have been dislodged from its original position by some 1/8 to 1/4 inch.

I could recommend the following steps to clean up the rails.

I would try to pound the rail back into its proper position. Use a non-marring block of hardwood and a hammer to do this so the metal end does not get messed up. When doing this evaluate if the rail could be completely removed by sliding it out of its mounting grooves. If this could be done the rail can be more easily cleaned up, refinished and pounded back into place after the fact.
Use something like a razor blade scraper to shave off the tape and any drips of finish and stain. This may also help remove any paint scale.
Apply some elbow grease with steel wool pads to remove all of the remaining paint and finish off the rails. You could start with a coarse steel wool and then reduce to a finer pad to shine up the rail to the clear and shiny steel.
Move the table to a well ventilated place.
Apply masking tape and paper to cover the table right up to the edges of the metal rail.
Spray on two very light coats of a clear finish such as Krylon Clear Gloss Lacquer Spray. As with any spray finish application go easy and light. Pooling of the applied material will result in runs.


How does one determine what size I-beam is needed? I have a 22' wall that needs removed to open for a room addition.  I have a 4/12 roof, (11) 24' trusses that will need supported as I open up that room.  Thanks for any information you may be able to provide.  Much appreciated.

Go to college and earn a degree in civil engineering.
Take and pass the EIT Exam.
Get a job in the business of determining appropriate beam sizes for varied projects and work there under the supervision of registered engineers for 5-10 years or so.
Get the recommendation of 2-3 of these engineers and then take and pass the PE Exam.
Congratulations!  Now you are qualified to make such determinations.


Adjustable bar hanger -Maximum load 17Kg/50LB -is the load for vertical or horizontal position? Today I was in Home Depot looking for some electrical boxes and switches and I noticed this thing called Adjustable bar hanger which is rated for a 50LB load.

Is this rating for horizontal installation or for vertical installation ?

You typically put this horizontally between joists or trusts so you can center an electrical box.  The 50LB load will be pulling down on the bar hanger.

To support an octagonal box between trusts.
Adjustable from 11.5" to 18.5"
Maximum load: 50 Lb (22.70 Kg)
Not intended for ceiling fan


What dangers are there with disturbed asbestos drywall? We had a repipe job done on our home 5 years ago.  I was stupid and did not research the company before they destroyed drywall throughout the house.  After the pipes were replaced they informed me that they do not repair the drywall and it is my job to do so.

It has been 5 years since this has happened and the drywall is cut out all over the home. Since it contains asbestos, is there a danger to those living in the household?

OK, let's take about 10 steps back...

If you bought this home from a prior owner, did you hire a home inspector? Did that home inspector mention anything about the possibility of asbestos-bearing material? Asbestos in drywall is one I haven't heard before, but before its dangers became known it was virtually everywhere, so it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest to hear a house built in the 30s-50s has asbestos-bearing drywall (EDIT: It's not drywall as we know it, but "Transite", used as wallboard in places that needed to be especially fire-retardant, contained asbestos from its invention until the 1980s. The brand name survived, so there is Transite-labelled wallboard available today which does not contain asbestos). If you hired an inspector (it's a good investment; about $100-150 for an extra opinion of the safety and worthiness of the house), and he missed this, I would be looking at a lawsuit. You probably would not have bought this house knowing that every wall is potentially carcinogenic, and to fix the situation correctly is going to cost you, bigtime.
You say the plumbing people found out it was asbestos during the job. They can often find this out pretty quick, and any licensed plumber would, at that point, order masks on and get his crew the hell out of that house. This is a HUGE liability for the contractor; anyone who works for him that can link exposure at a job site to health problems can sue his company and him personally if he was their direct supervisor.
A permit is basically required by Canadian building codes whenever there is a change to one of the five main components of a house; foundation, structure, electrical, plumbing and HVAC. So, if the OP is from Canada I wouldn't doubt he'd need a permit to replace all the pipes in his house.
Your first mistake was in apparently hiring a plumbing specialist directly. If a company "doesn't do drywall", they are a plumbing specialist. There is nothing illegal about that, or about what they did; they assumed that you, in hiring them, were taking on the job of "general contractor" and that you would be managing all the various parts of the project (which includes patching drywall, AFTER having their plumbing job inspected). A better idea would have been to hire a general contractor for any work that involves having to get behind drywall. At least, as you admit, you and the plumber should have agreed on the scope of ALL work to be performed and detailed what necessary work the plumbing crew would not be doing, if any.
Asbestos is "ok" to have, as long as you leave it alone. The problem is when you disturb it; it's very brittle material, and breaking it up will release thousands of small fibers into the air, which if breathed in will cause a variety of lung diseases like asbestosis (the asbestos-related equivalent of miner's lung), mesothelioma (a formerly rare lung cancer linked directly to asbestos inhalation), and "vanilla" lung cancers similar to what can be caused by smoking. Asbestos in the drywall itself is very troubling; you risk exposure just by hanging a picture with a nail. If you were in the house at any point during the job, you almost certainly breathed some of it in.
The first step to resolving this problem is to document. Find all documentation involving the plumbing job. Hire a general contractor or asbestos specialist to take a look and confirm asbestos-bearing material in the drywall. If you had a home inspection, find the inspector's report and read through it.
Asbestos abatement is not cheap. In a case like yours, it's a "level 3" decon, basically amounting to a gut of your house back to the studs, with specialized negative-pressure air handling, decon showers, water misting etc to make sure that the fibers don't get out into the wider environment. The house will be completely uninhabitable until they're done, and it probably won't pass a HUD inspection after that. If your drywall has asbestos, I shudder to think what various types of insulation in this home contain; you may be left with an uninsulated outer skin and stud frame, and - are you sitting down? - it might well be cheaper to condemn, demolish and rebuild the building from the slab than to try to save any of it.
It MAY be possible and code-compliant to simply patch the drywall. However, depending on how rough the plumbing crew was, it may require disturbing more asbestos. A good patch job involves squaring the holes that were made, so a square piece of drywall can be cut to fit in the hole, then secured, filled, taped and plastered. The job will need to be done with proper breathing protection, and it will raise more asbestos dust that you will need to eliminate. You may not find a GC willing to touch this job without having ALL the asbestos out (see above), as it's a huge liability to anyone he brings in, and even after he's gone it'll be tough to confirm that the dust is all gone.
In all cases, I would hire a general contractor to do whatever work must be done; the general contractor will be able to tell you what disciplines he'll need to bring in and when, will schedule all of them for you, will resolve disputes, and keep tabs of the money being paid. At least, a GOOD GC will. There are guys who will take your money and run.


How do I match this ceiling texture? How do I match this texture?  What are the exact steps needed?

Are you sure it's not wallpaper? (sorry had to confirm).
Otherwise the only thing I've seen like that was done with a textured roller (probably basket weave looking at the image) and thinned down drywall joint compound.

This image came from www.all-wall.com

NOTE: matching any 'wet' pattern exactly is difficult as the exact consistency of the original mud affects the depth of the pattern, as indeed does how hard the original person pressed/moved the roller. I would suggest practicing on some scrap drywall first. Try different consistencies of mud and/or pressure until you are confident you can achieve a reasonable match. Or, you can go over the whole area with the new pattern.


Is this a "Dumping pit" by the builder and who is resposible to pay for this house was built 1998 I have a large rectangular area in my back yard. Over a year now, the county told me that by the pictures that I sent them, that is was a "dump pit" that the builder used while building the neighborhood. The county said that I should  through all the seasons, let it settle through snow and rain and then fix it. Now, 11 years later I have a mess. My neighbor said that he can see wood and roots in there, I am too scared to get that close.  Am I safe to just fill it with dirt? I live in TN and can't even get anyone out here to really tell me what it is. It doesn't appear to have gotten any larger, but it is quite long, probably the whole length of my back yard.

I hardly think it's Love Canal so I'm unclear why you are scared of it. Sounds like a hole in the ground with tree stumps, et al slowly rotting away.

Dump some dirt on and grade it; repeat as needed. Since it appears that you have left it for a long time and it's gotten bad, you will probably need machinery (bulldozer or track loader) to do the dirt the first time. I'm sure someone will be along to claim it's absolutely essential that you dig it all out, but so long as you are not building a house on top of it, I can't see a particularly good reason to spend that much money for a reliably smooth lawn. Just plan on getting a truckload of soil every spring for a while and fill in the holes.

If the "dump pit" was legal and aboveboard when done, you bought it, you now own it, I'd not expect any help from the builder to be forthcoming 17 years later; I guess you could ask them nicely if you can find them, and you might get lucky - but I doubt you can get anywhere useful in court - not that legal advice is really on topic, but I suspect you'd simply enrich some lawyers and come out with the same problem still unsolved and no hope of any help. Taking folks to court tends to cut off any help (that might be offered for the sake of decency, if you don't take them to court.)


How to mitigate an unmounted bathtub faucet from back wall access The pictured bathtub faucet pex hookup is not mounted, but I have back-wall access through a panel provided by the previous owner under a cabinet.

The faucet can be pulled several inches into the tub. Without removing the tub, what is the best way to mount this or a replacement fitting from the back for a professional and long term result?

Remove the incorrect fitting, replace with a drop-ear elbow, and mount a hunk of wood to mount the drop ear elbow to. This will be awkward and annoying to do (through that hole) but should be possible. You may (or will) need a longer hunk of pipe for the tub spout mount.
Other ways might be possible, but will be kludges, (like the "giant glob of construction adhesive" approach. Easier to do, but a definite kludge.)
Whoever did this install was an idiot. A tub only install needs one drop ear elbow, a tub/shower install needs two, they are made, and this is what they are made for.


What bulb should I use in 4" recessed lights? I have Halo H99ICAT housings with a variety of trims and am confused on what bulbs I can use.

The label inside the can states that I can use specified bulbs with the following trims-

953P Black Baffle - 50WPAR20 with socket extension (H1999)

990P Pinhole - 50WPAR20 or 50WR20

1420 Slot Aperture - 50W 12V MR16

I currently have 50W MR16 Halogen with a GU10 base that gives me the light I want on the wall, however I think configuration will over lamp if left on too long.

Is the socket extension for the 953P for heat (get the bulb away from the top of the can) or more to extend the light source?
I don't understand why I need a 50W 12V MR16 for the 1420 Slot Aperture when I can use a 50WPAR20 in the 990P Pinhole which has a smaller opening.
When they state 50W, I am assuming that is based on heat output, but what wattage rating do you use for LED? The actual LED wattage or the incandescent equivalent?

The 953P does not come with a socket extension. I'm not sure where you got it or why. With an H99 I can't see the use of one.
You CANNOT use a 12v MR16 in an H99 can. In fact, the 1420 trim is not for use with the H99 series. It is ONLY for use with the H1499 series low voltage housings.
See here: http://www.cooperindustries.com/content/dam/public/lighting/products/documents/halo/spec_sheets/HR_ADV110509_990trim_spec.pdf
Yes, 50 watts is the incandescent wattage limit. The CFL or LED equivalent does not apply.


How to repair a built in hole in concrete front steps We just bought a house in Minnesota. The front steps are concrete I believe and they are built with what seems to be small glass block windows or tiles in the top that leads into the basement, letting light into a storage space (which is not necessary as there is a light inside).
The top block broke this winter. Right now we have a large piece of plywood covering it for safety and to keep the elements out, but we need to get it fixed ASAP. We prefer to try to do it ourselves because of costs. Not sure if we can fill the hole or if we have to replace the tiles. We just want the safest and most inexpensive way to fix it on our own.

Remove (bust out) the glass block, install permanent support underneath (plywood patch supported either by blocking between joists, or fastened directly to the underside of the slab with concrete screws), notch the edges 1.5" wide by 1.5" deep, pour a cement mix patch with standard aggregate, make sure you get out air bubbles as you go (no voids), finish as you please... you might look at a product line called Top-Cast for matching the aging on the existing, as far as that tan sanded concrete coating goes, maybe it's Rollerrock?... Hopefully you have a leftover can that the sellers left you.
You might should embed a tight grid wire mesh in there in the top 1.5 inch portion to help with any deflection.
If you do what others have commented, where you just fill the existing block with concrete, that will chip out. Concrete needs a minimum 1.5" thickness or it with break apart.
Also, it is essential to prevent any exposure to the elements with a cold joint. Water will penetrate and both leak into living space and freeze and break the concrete apart. If this is the case, you may want to pour the concrete with a removable 1/2" band between old and new to later fill with self-leveling waterproofing concrete sealant. You would use something like polystyrene (xps or eps) foam board that won't damage the concrete edges when you remove it.


How can I protect bathroom wood from mold? I have bought bamboo fittings in the bathroom (towel holders, dishes etc). I see that as a result of hanging damp towels on the towel holders, a black mold is accumulating on the bottom of the holder bar.

What would be the best treatment for the bamboo in order to seal from the elements?

edit: I live near the sea and things do not dry as quick as i would want them to. And no, there are no extractor fans in the bathroom.

A standard approach to sealing is polyurethane, either brush on, rub on or spray on. If the old finish is pretty solid, a light sanding may do. If it is not adhering well or where the piece is worn and stained, a more thorough sanding is needed. In all cases, you need to wipe off all dust, preferably with a tack cloth before finishing. Wiping down with mineral spirits also helps clean before finishing.

A dust mask is always a good idea when sanding, especially if there is a chance that mold is present.

A much harder finish is marine or spar finish.  While originally varnish, it is now available in a urethane formula as well.

These types are specificly formulated to hold up better in wet environments.

For almost all types of finish, two or more coats are needed for a durable protection.

 Images and links are illustrative only, not an endorsement of goods or sources.


Can I use a spray sealant to seal a leak in my radiator? one of my steam radiators has a leak on the bottom, away from the valve (has been checked, my husband has changed out the valve). can I use a spray sealant to seal this leak? (like FlexSeal)

From reading on the Internet, FlexSeal looks like a scam ($59.70 for shipping, signs you up for $29/month "membership" without asking). It looks like it's similar to automotive rubber undercoating, which you can buy locally for ~$5 per can.

Don't know if it would work for your purpose. But I can recommend J-B Weld. Sand and clean with acetone, then apply a thin (1 mm) layer of J-B Weld. See also the answers to this question.


It it doable to paste two sheets of fusuma paper on the same panel? I have a fusuma paper that is 180[cm] high, but my door (panel) is 250[cm] high. Is it doable to place two "sheets" of fusuma paper on one panel (without us noticing that there are two different sheets)? The idea is to cover the whole panel.

You can - and people do use two sheets of washi (shojigami) on a fusuma door. However, this is often because of a repair or as in your case, the remainder of a single sheet won’t fit.

The seam is almost impossible to hide because you’ll have to overlap the edges of the paper. It won’t be visible from one side but very visible from the other.

Your home center should have rolls that’ll fit most fusuma doors so if you really don’t want a seam, get a larger roll. The new synthetic washi is much more tear and UV resistant and is worth the extra money, even accounting for the special double sided tape you have to use (normal rice glue doesn’t work on synthetics).


Sistering a joist - bathroom floor I am repairing my bathroom subfloor which had a leak from the shower step that caused the floor to rot. So far I have demoed the shower floor and will demo the remaining bathroom floor and install completely new 5/8" plywood. It appears that not too much of the floor joist have any damage other than a single one which has visible water stains but no rotting. I want to sister another joist to this one just in case, I will do one as long as possible, end to end. My problem is as you can see from the image, the joist hanger  of the original joist will hinder the new joist from having a firm connection with the beam. What is the recommended solution to this?

If you really feel you need to sister the joist all the way over to the beam, then I would 1) remove some more of the floor, 2) remove the existing single joist hangar and 3) replace it with a double joist hangar that will accommodate both the
existing and the sister joist.


How to make layout batter boards for shed level without rotary laser? I am trying to build a shed on a bit of a slope in my backyard. From what I understand, the best way to lay out the outline of the shed is with batter boards. I attempted to use a water level today with a 50' clear vinyl hose and food colored water.

I established a batter board at the highest corner approximately six inches off the ground and attempted to use the water level to gauge the proper height of the remaining batter boards. I also attempted to level (with a spirt level) each board when screwing them into the stakes at the height I determined with the water level. When I ran the strings to establish the corners, the outline was square but it was clearly not level. I used a line level in the center of each line to confirm they were not level.

Where did I go wrong in this process? Does it really matter if it is level as long as it is square and the proper dimensions? I plan on digging out the highest corner to match the grade of the lowest corner to make the shed level. Any general advice would be much appreciated as this is quite frustrating.

Picture of my attempt:

When using a water level like you have, you need to make absolutley sure there is no air trapped in the middle. I used a water level for laying out the batter boards for the foundation work of my home. I set a stake approximately in the middle of the floor plan, after I hung the water level in the air with the open ends bundled together and corks in the ends. Left it hang there for a while. If the water level was just filled and there is a bunch of tiny air bubbles in it, thy need to leave. I don't know why, but whenever air was trapped in the tube with the water I got a bad reading. Make sure the only air in the line is in the ends!!!

Back at the layout. Drive all your stakes, just like you have. Strap/tape the water level to the center stake and pull the cork leaving the cork in the end you are operating. This part of the the level must be as plumb as you can get it set to the stake. Tape it at the top, and neat the bottom, NOT kinking the tube. Vacuum will keep the water in place. Also have a mark on the center stake that you can see from a distance and an appropriate height, whether it be the top of foundation, top of piers or even if it is a reference point.

To start marking the batter boards, set your water level your best guess to level with the mark on the center, and pull your cork. Set you level marks on all three boards at the corner, and cap the pipe, move to the next corner, doing the same process for the other corners.

That should get you accurate.


What alternative methods exist to correct a belly in a clay sewer line? In the first 18 months of living in my house, I've already had 4 sewage backups in my basement.  Luckily the basement is not finished and I've caught the backup each time before it became a large problem (only an inch or two of water within a couple feet of the drain).  The basement layout with the sewer line looks like this:

The city has come and inspected the city's portion of the sewer (from the cleanout to the street) with video and confirmed that this part of the sewer is OK - I did not see any roots or collapses in the video.

The distance from the drain where the water backs up to the cleanout is about 30ft, and each time I've augured the drain I've had to put about 30ft of line down it, which leads me to believe that the backup is occuring very close to the cleanout. A plumber told me the distance might not be a good indicator of where the problem is since I might just be pushing the blockage down the sewer until it comes to a spot where it can clear.  I've also opened the cleanout while the backup is occurring and verified that I don't see any water movement down in the drain.

A plumber I've used a number of times tells me that this is caused by a belly in the 4" clay sewer, though I've also wondered if perhaps there is a collapse at the connection point and not in a straight part of the sewer line.  He quoted me $3,500 to break up the concrete in my basement and lay down a new sewer.  This is obviously an expensive and messy operation that I'd like to avoid if possible.  I was advised against wasting my money videoing this part of the sewer since either way it will need to be replaced.

Are there any other less invasive methods of correcting this?  Would it make sense to only break up a couple feet around the cleanout instead of the entire sewer line, or is this a better long-term fix for the issue?

The only other odd thing I've noticed is that the trap where the water backs up stops holding water within a week or so of a backup (I only put the two together after it happened); when I poured water down it to fill the trap, within a couple of days it was empty.  Normally it will hold water for a long time, until it naturally evaporates; there is no primer on this trap.

The best option that I can think of would be to have the sewer lined.  This company is simply the first Google search result I found:
http://www.dontdig.com/drainlining.php
The premise here is that a flexible liner is inserted into the pipe (usually using air - think of it as turning a sock inside out) and then the liner is hardened in place (water activated? resin?). The new liner will bridge any cracks or breaks in the pipe as well as any gaps in the joints.
I would also suggest actually getting the section of drain in question inspected...you will really want to know what the true problem is before deciding on the proper corrective action.


Storm door closer with timer Is there a storm door closer product with a timer function? i.e once opened it should stay there for set amount of time before closing. This is really helpful so that door doesn't slam on your back when you are entering slowly(say you are carrying something into the house).

They can usually be adjusted to close more slowly; fancier (and more expensive) ones (two stage) can close slowly, then faster at some point, but other than electrified/automated (think handicap access button and much more expensive) I don't think you'll find any that just wait, fully open.
Most basic closers include a stop to hold the door open, if you are carrying something into the house - that needs to be manually set and released. Some commercial (fancier and more expensive) closers include an easier "hold-open" where you just push the door a bit further than usual and a spring-loaded detent holds it until you pull it closed. In both cases you'll need to go back and close the door when you are done needing it open.


What is the purpose of these attachments on my picture frame? Sorry if this is a dumb question. I'm trying to hang a picture and I was wondering what these metal attachments are on the back of the frame. There are two of them.

Am I supposed to use them for hanging the picture, or are they simply there to stop the frame from tilting in at the top?

Those are meant to be used to hang the frame. The notches in the hanging bracket are meant to allow a particular position to be selected over a hanger nail in the wall to allow balancing the picture.


how to connect led string light to pergola in backyard I built a pergola in middle of my backyard.

I have only one power outlet in my house wall facing backyard.
I am also planning to connect the low voltage led landscape lights for the garden and put the Edison style LED bulb string on pergola.

I understand that i cannot use the extension cord to connect the low voltage transformer so i will be using the one power outlet to connect the low voltage transformer. That will mean that I don't have a source/outlet to connect  an extension cord to for the Edison bulb string.

What would be the most effective and cheapest options.
Can I use one extension cord and then connect the voltage transformer and Edison light string to it?

OR, are there any Edison bulbs which can be connected to low voltage transformers?

There are 12V edison bulbs for boats and RVs. In my backyard, I have incandescent bulbs connected to a landscape transformer. I will change them to LEDs eventually. For an LED bulb, you need to be sure it will work with AC. This bulb says it will work with landscape transformers.

https://www.amazon.com/Voltage-Bulbs-Equivalent-Battery-Lighting/dp/B0854Q9TCR


Can built in bookcases be installed on carpet My living room is carpeted.  I'd like to install a built-in bookcase/media center along one wall.  Should I cut out the carpet and install the bookcases directly on the slab, or is it safe to install them over the existing carpet?  At some point we'd like to replace the carpet with laminate, but this is probably a few years down the road.

If I do need to remove the carpet, what can I do to ensure that it cleanly fits in with the bookcase after I'm done?

I think you can go either way regarding the carpet. Installing the book case is really not much different from moving a piece of furniture shelving along a wall, filling it up with things and then letting it stay there for 10 or 15 years.

Since you are installing a built-in unit it is probably being custom made. As such you may want to consider how the bottom of it designed so that it has a base that is a nice streamlined rectangular shape. This would greatly simplify cutting carpet now or dealing with future flooring installs. This would be as opposed to having shelf sides or back panels that come all the way to the floor where the carpet or new flooring would have to be fitted all around the shape of the unit's foot print.

My recommendation is that since you are planning floor covering replacement within the time frame that you will have to deal with it that you get the footprint to be "as easy as possible" like I discussed above and then cut the existing carpet, tack strips and padding away from where the new unit will sit. Then set your unit right down on the sub-floor. Doing so will necessitate that you install new tack strip along the front of the unit (and maybe the sides) to re-stretch and hook the carpet to for the duration of the time you keep the existing carpet.

Cutting the carpet is relatively easy. Measure carefully where the cuts need to be made and then lay down a metal carpet cutting guide. Use a carpet cutting knife to slit along the metal guide down into the carpet and pad. Note that sometimes it can be helpful to use heavy weights or medium sandbags to hold the cutting guide in place during measurement and placement.


Is it possible to tell from labels if the breakers are AFCI / GFCI in the main panel? I'm deciding if I should upgrade my main panel, and one of the input I want to understand is how different is this panel from modern code requirement. From the photos below, is it possible to tell if these breakers are GFCI / AFCI compatible? Besides that, are there anything else I should consider for safety?

First, none of you current breakers are GFCI or AFCI. If they were, they would have a "Test" button.
Second, you will not be able to fit enough AFCI/GFCI breakers in your panel, even if the panel can take them. This is because your panel is full of tandem (half-width) breakers and there are, to my knowledge, no current AFCI or GFCI breakers in that form-factor. The internal electronics takes up too much space.
If you want to update your breakers, you will have to replace your panel with a larger one.
Edit: as Harper noted in his answer, the other option is to add a new subpanel fed off of the current panel and move most or all of the circuits to the new subpanel. The advantage is that the sub can be installed safely by turning off the main in the existing panel. Replacing the panel would require your power company come and pull the meter to allow the existing panel to be replaced, at a higher cost. (This assumes you do not have a disconnect breaker at the meter. If you do, the advantage disappears.)


How do I ground my replacement outside porch light? I am attempting to replace an outside porch light. After removing the old light, I found the metal electrial box had the ground supply attached to a screw. The new light has a green ground wire and I was wondering if attaching it to the green screw on the bracket would be sufficient enough for grounding, or, do I need to remove the ground supply from the screw and pigtail it to the ground wire from the new light fixture? See the attached photo of the electrical box.

You're going to want to connect the fixture grounding conductor directly to the supply grounding conductor, using either a twist-on wire connector or crimp connector. You'll also want to use a pigtail, to connect the supply grounding conductor to the grounding screw on the metal box.

You should not rely on the support straps attachment means to provide an adequate grounding path.


Hunter 99123 remote control dimming feature stopped working It has 3 led bulbs. Used to dim just fine by holding the power on light button to dim/brighten. Light works fine still, but now only very bright and can't dim.

I use this Hunter model 99123 remote(from Amazon)

I found an Amazon Review that might solve your problem.  The important part is towards the end of the review:

My guess was that having the CFL bulbs installed when the remote receiver initially powered up caused it to automatically disable the dimmer feature, as explained in the instructions. I suspected this meant some manual operation was needed to restore that feature after replacing the CFLs, but the instructions and Hunter website were both mute on the subject.
Then I remembered a section in the instructions that explained how to deal with "flashing CFL bulbs", and that mine flashed when first powered up. The instructions said to use the remote to turn the lights off, then on, then hold down the "fan off" button while pressing and releasing the light button twice. I wondered if this might be the "dimmer reset" feature I was looking for, so I tried it. No joy, but the instructions said to do this repeatedly until the CFL flashing stopped so I tried it again. Viola! The dimmer suddenly worked.
If you have the same problem, don't waste your time with the Hunter support zombies, their inadequate instructions or website. Just do this instead.

This review comes from the Amazon Product that the OP linked, and was from user "Sapient Hetero".  It is currently the "top ranked" review, but that could obviously change.
Also, it's possible that the dimmer wasn't made to support LED lights or support the particular lights you have installed even if it does support other LED lighs.


Water dripping from shower head I am having the same problem as others water coming out of shower head but only when the valve is in the neutral position to fill the tub. I have removed the spout to expose the copper nipple I have replaced the cartridge also removed the showerhead. however I still have a small amount of water coming out of the shower head when filling the tub in a neutral position when running hot or cold water it will not leak. I ran copper to the spout and shower head any suggestions if I had done anything wrong in the set up.

The problem is that the "back pressure" at the tub spout is too high. Remove the tub spout and check/remove any debris. If there is no debris in the pipe or spout, then there are a couple solutions for this.
Adding a water flow restrictor to the pipe that runs up to the shower head might work. This would require cutting into the wall, though.
But I believe that the better solution (in my humble opinion) is to raise the height of the pipe that goes to the shower head, because it involves no painting.
Plumbing is all about gravity and pressure. If the pipe going up to the shower head is high enough, the evil back pressure from the tub spout will not be able to push the water to the top of the pipe, to overflow to the shower head. Adding a couple feet of pipe (into the attic maybe) might not require cutting dry wall, provided that you can cut through the top plate of the wall and reach and remove the FIP adapter (or drop ear fitting). You will first need to unscrew/remove the shower arm and probabaly use a stubby screw driver and small pipe cutter to detach the adapter or fitting. You will then need (in a difficult to reach area) to use a "sharkbite" coupling to add and extend the pipe. Add as much vertical pipe as necessary; generally, a few feet should do the trick. If you want to be sure it is high enough, have a helper turn on the water (after you have connected the extension). It should not overflow. Connect two elbows with a 2.5 inch nipple, to form a "U" shape. Attach the FIP or drop ear to a length of pipe- the same length as the extension pipe that is now connected to the "sharkbite" (minus the added length from the "sharkbite"). Finish connecting the pipes so that you form a "loop", up then down to the hole for the shower arm. Reattach your shower arm. Use 2x4s to build a support bracket for the loop and be sure to support the missing chunk of top plate (top of the wall).


Stacking septic leach fields I am getting ready to build a house and the state code is 100 ft of leach field per bedroom.  Due to the size of the lot I am limited to where I can place the house due to the leach field length code.  I was told by a neighbor that I could stack the leach field lines.  I have not been able to find any specific information on that stacking suggestion. Is something like this even a feasible option?

I'll echo the other comments, in a slightly modified manner. The idea of 100 feet continuous is not necessarily a valid interpretation. 4 x 25 still provides 100 feet. Accordingly, stacking can refer to horizontal placement, rather than one atop the other. This was confirmed by my contractor upon a recent field replacement. Depending on your local codes, the 100 feet doesn't have to be monolithic. If the lot requires it, a pair of 25 footers side-by-side linked to another location containing another pair would still qualify.


How can I meet the height requirements for a door in a basement with a low ceiling? To meet code we need a minimum 6'6" clearance through all doors. The ceiling height in most of the basement is 6'8", but the clearance through the exterior door is much less than that.  On the inside of the door is a concrete step  - we could remove that, giving enough ceiling height up to the door threshold, but then the door opening would still not be high enough, and also the step up would be over 8".
One option we've been considering is to somehow raise the ceiling just around the door, then raise the door lintel. We'd need to raise it 4 - 5 inches. The ceiling is popcorn with a 2 x 10 joist above.
We don't want to lower the ground outside the door to create a well, as it's the only path from the front to the back of the house and it's narrow, so having a big well in it would be a real pain.

Any clever ideas? Anyone done this kind of 'raising the ceiling' framing or know of a link to pictures of someone doing it?

Ask your Local Authority Having Jurisdiction -- eg, your town's building inspector. You may have a grandfathered situation. Or, if this door is not considered an essential exit from a living space (if it's an unfinished basement, for example, or if sufficient other exits exist), the headroom requirement may not apply -- you may be able to argue that requirements are already met and this opening does not have to comply and get a written variance. It's really going to be a question of the inspector's judgement.


What's the right type of lumber to construct a small TV platform? I'm buying a new TV, which will be my first flat-screen TV for the home theater. I currently have an old RPTV, and our center channel speaker rests on a stand that supports it on top of the TV. Since that obviously won't work, with a new flat-screen, I plan to place the speaker in front of the new TV instead.

The problem is that most center channel speakers (mine included) are at least 5" tall, and the stands that come with most TVs these days only prop up the bottom edge of the screen by a few inches at most.

The model I purchased (that hasn't yet arrived) has a stand in the center, instead of the style that places one smaller piece at either end, so I figured I could cobble together a board to raise it up as high as I need to.

I plan to cut the boards to the size necessary (roughly 9" deep, 28" wide), stacked as high as I need (about 4"). I will glue them together with wood glue, and also fasten with some countersunk screws, and then paint the finished product to match our A/V stand (a shade of white).

First, does that sounds like a reasonable construction for such a platform?

Second, what type of lumber should I buy? Looking at Home Depot's site, I wasn't sure whether to choose from their Framing Lumber and Studs section, or the "Appearance Boards" section. I liked that the framing lumber would come in nominal 2" thicknesses, which means I might be able to get away with fewer laminated layers. But the "appearance boards" seemed like they were more intended for interior use, and the "edge glued" varieties are supposed to stay flat better.

Since I'll be painting it, the grain characteristics don't matter so much. But it's very important it not warp, and that it can support the 55 lbs the TV weighs.

Update

Allow me to add some more info to address the comments and answers.

We're not considering wall-mounting the TV or speaker in this room for aesthetic reasons. The stand of the TV is 8.5" deep and around 27" wide. Also, I'm planning on rounding over at least the front top edge of the stand with my router for a more finished look (and I might do all four top edges).

I hadn't considered stability, though a 55 lbs TV should hopefully weigh down a flat piece of wood enough that it won't slide. Should I consider any special coating on the bottom surface? A non-skid pad would probably make it at least a little wobbly.

I'm not sure of the size of the stand, but you want to make sure your platform is bigger than the stand by enough on each side so that it is stable. 9" wide seems a bit small, given the size of the two TV stands I have, but yours may be different. You may consider securing the platform to your AV center, as well as secure the TV stand to the platform, to reduce the risk of the TV tipping over.

Framing lumber

As for the wood to use, framing lumber and studs are thicker, yes, but the quality is generally lower - they're typically covered up by drywall or tile, after all. They are also almost always pine, a softwood. Since you're going to paint it, looks may not make a difference, but that lumber also tends to have more knots and it can warp more. Additionally, and perhaps most crucially, 2x lumber comes with rounded edges. You'd probably want to square up the edges before gluing to eliminate that rounded edge.

Appearance boards

"Appearance boards" are 1x wood, typically some sort of hardwood (poplar, oak, or aspen), although they do sell pine as well. They're obviously thinner than the 2x wood (half as thick), but will stand up to use better and will generally be flatter and less warped. The edges are also square, so there's no annoying rounded corner to deal with. With some screws, you'll likely be able to get a decently flat glue up, especially if you pick out flat wood to begin with.

With both of those options, though, you're looking at buying 10" wide wood (actual 9 1/4"), which can be quite expensive. Alternatively, you can glue two thinner boards together, but that would require jointing the two edges. If you've got a jointer, router, or table saw, you can do it, but I'm guessing you don't.

Plywood

A third option, which you may have overlooked, is to use (furniture grade) plywood. It comes in 3/4" thickness (other thicknesses available as well), so you would need 5 or 6 layers to get your 4". However, it comes in 4'x8' sheets (both the blue and orange stores carry them for about $45 per sheet; other sizes available, too, as I don't think you'd need a whole 4x8 sheet), so the width is not a problem. Plywood is extremely flat, so the layering is not a problem. The edges have a banded look, but when painted they may not look much different than the rest.


Which type of electrical protector is better for the appliances? surge or over/under voltage protection? I decided to buy an electrical protector for the appliances in our kitchen. There are two options and I'm confused and cannot decide which one is better for me and which problems can harm devices more easily. As we are new in the neighborhood, I haven't had any electrical problems until now and this is just for prevention.

Our appliances are:

A 2100 W washing machine
A 810 W bread maker
A 650 W rice cooker
A 1000 W food processor

These are the options that I can buy:

A multi-outlet solution with built-in surge protection. Most famous brands are of this type.
A solution with voltage protection that disconnects the power when voltage becomes < 170 V or > 270 V.
Buy both! and connect them in series and absolutely it's more expensive and I don't know if it's worth it.

Multi-outlet surge suppressors are cheap junk.  Go ahead and watch a BigClive teardown on any of them, they are nothing but wires with a handful of small MOVs tossed on so as not to be blatantly lying when claiming surge suppression. Not surprisingly, the "famous brands" are rented brand names stamped on cheap Cheese junk.

On the other hand, whole-house surge suppressors are made by names that are actually famous in electrical distribution equipment such as Eaton, General Electric, Siemens and Square D. Those items are Good Stuff.

Tell you a secret. Nothing requires you to put them on your "whole house". Suppose you have an outside air conditioner. Those can be sensitive, but far more alarming, they can make spikes like crazy, so you'd want to protect the rest of the house from the air conditioner.  I would cheerfully install a "whole house" unit right at the air conditioner. That does not preclude putting another one elsewhere.

My concern with a circuit interruptor for undervoltage and overvoltage is that it won't act quickly enough.  The spike will get through, and then you'll get a "nuisance trip" as it "saves" your PC by deleting all your work and killing your hardcore Diablo character.


Is vinegar really an effective carpet cleaner? I've been doing some research to find a way to clean cat urine from my carpet, and various sources say diluted vinegar works well.  I've used vinegar as a weed killer, but I'm skeptical it will work as a cleaner.  Is there science behind this, or is it an old wives' tale? Can vinegar really be used to clean cat urine from carpeting? Once the vinegar has eliminated the urine, does it rot/spoil causing additional stains/odor?

I use it quite a bit on dog urine in my carpet.  I recently purchased a device to remain nameless to help with this, but the white vinegar works well.  I wouldn't say it eliminates it, but you'd have to stick you nose it the carpet to smell it.

I soak up as much urine as I can and then drench the area with undiluted vinegar and let it evaporate over a few days.


How do I tell this bird to nest elsewhere? I seem to be dealing with a tenacious and stupid bird—tenacious for twice rebuilding its nest, and stupid because that location is inherently unstable for a nest, or so I think. From the movement of a suspected bird hovering on a nearby tree, I believe the bird in question is an American Robin.

As much as I like the idea of a bird finding refuge near my house, and as much as I liked to offer space all the way until the hatching season is long over for a nest over the outdoor (but unused) speakers in my backyard, I know from experience that some birds can be pests. Pigeons are territorial, are very dirty, and are impossible to shoo off once they establish their territory.

The first time I saw it I pushed the nest away and put the strands in the leaf container nearby. (An open bag of tree leaves only acts as an invitation to birds and more). The bird returned immediately and asserted its space by building another nest. I tried again, ever so gently, to point out that this is really not the right place 1- because the residents really do not want to be attacked every time they step out of their front door (the bird could consider their passage trespassing so close to the bird's sanctuary), and 2- the bar holding the lamp in place is much too thin to act as adequate support for a nest.

Hence the second time I both pulled the nest down and added a plastic bag on top of the lamp to make it harder to access that spot, and more slippery to build on top. As you see in the picture, the bird dropped the bag down and rebuilt.

How do I tell this bird to nest elsewhere?

I may have an even more serious problem from the wasp nest you see in the picture. I believe it is uninhabited, or at least no longer inhabited. (In a previous incident I've seen that they make their presence known, if they're inside.) But I'll handle these nature elements one at a time. They're too strong for me.

In my experience you just need to keep taking the nest down and disposing of the materials where there bird cannot get them.  Eventually they will give up and try a better place.

As far as the wasp nest, that's a mud dauber nest and it's from last fall.  All the little ones have bored their way out and left.


How to wire a 240V disconnect panel for spa that does not require neutral? I'm wiring a 240V/60A hot tub which requires 3 conductors; one of these conductors is ground. No neutral is run to the tub. That said, I have a red, black, and green running to the hot tub from the spa disconnect panel.
From the main service panel, I'm trying to confirm whether or not I need to run a neutral to the spa disconnect panel. Which configurations are valid / invalid below, and are there other configurations I should consider? I have a hunch only configuration #3 is correct with respect to the ones below, but please confirm.
Notes on diagrams:

There is a load neutral terminal on the GFCI (colored in purple in the pictures below). Since the hot tub does not require neutral, I believe this should not be wired in any case.
Only the neutral wire differs between configurations. The black, red, and green positions are consistent.

Configuration #1
No neutral from the main service panel to the spa disconnect panel. Wire the pig-tail neutral from the GFCI into the neutral bar.

Configuration #2
No neutral from the main service panel to the spa disconnect panel. Wire the pig-tail neutral from the GFCI into the ground bar.

Configuration #3
Run neutral from the main service panel to the spa disconnect panel and terminate it at the neutral bar. Wire the pig-tail neutral from the GFCI into the neutral bar as well.

The first configuration seems correct.  The second is definitely wrong, and the third may just be a waste of wire.
If the spa has only 240 volt loads, then a load side grounded (neutral) conductor is not required.  Which means you won't have to connect the grounded (neutral) pigtail from the GFCI breaker.
If you really wanted to, you could should install a grounded (neutral) as in the third configuration. This might be worth doing, if you might add 120 volt loads in the future.
Check the manufacturer's installation instructions for both the spa pack, and the breaker to be sure. But you should just be able to cap the pigtail with a twist-on wire connector.

After further review
According to Schneider Electric's faq, the line neutral must be connected. So configuration 3 is the only way to go.

On 2P 15A to 50A the GFI breaker will work with or without a load neutral wire. However, if there is no load neutral wire the breaker neutral (white curly wire) must still be connected to the panel neutral.
On 2P 60A and all 3P (QO only) there is no load neutral wire connection on the breaker. Again the breaker neutral (white curly wire) must be connected to the panel neutral.


How can I wire switch to convert a regular outlet to half switch? I have a junction box with 2 switches:
- Right switch controls the ceiling fan.
- Left switch does nothing, but the black(hot) wire is labeled "Fan". The white neutral wire is not attached.

I'm trying to wire one of the outlets to be a half-switch controlled by the extra switch.
- all the outlets have 2 black wires attached to them and 2 white wires.

Is this possible without running additional wiring?

I had the house fully renovated last year but the GC did not ask me how I wanted to rooms wired despite me clearly stating this was to be the case.

No. Definitely NO way to make that receptacle switched in any way without running new wire.

Sorry.

Looks like those two switches were intended to control a fan and light separately. Notice how the black and red are in the same cable? That cable goes up to the fan/light.


Will running a dehumidifier near new concrete cause it to cure poorly? I have a new house with high humidity in the basement.  Will running a dehumidifier constantly cause the new concrete to cure poorly?

1) The issues around curing concrete too quickly are where the concrete is thin and in direct sunlight (i.e. a sidewalk in the sun). The concrete in your basement has cured enough to be structurally sound. The rule of thumb I have heard is that concrete cures 85% in the first 7 days. 10% over the next 3 weeks and the remaining 5% over the next 20 years.

2) Even if the concrete had just been poured, you would not be able to make it dry too quickly with a home dehumidifier. Home humidifiers can only draw 30-100 pints (3.75 - 12.5) gallons a day and that would require you had it plumbed into a drain so you never had to stop it to empty it. Plus the moisture from the concrete just can't transfer to the air that quickly.

If you have moisture in your basement that is resulting in high humidity the risk of mold should be your concern. Run a dehumidifier and measure moisture in each basement room. Move the dehumidifier around as needed.


How to make a floor plan? First, I'm not good with home improvement or anything too manual for that matter - I'm more of a computer geek.

I am soon to move into a new empty apartment and I am going to go furniture/appliance shopping soon.

I figured before I start shopping, I need to know where to put things and what fits. So I thought of making a floor plan (a simple one). Having never done this before, I am looking for tips, tutorials, fallacies, geeky tools or anything to make this experience easier and more useful.

There are numerous approaches from simple graph paper (which can be printed out from free online sites, such as this one) to sophisticated paid-for programs, for example one from HGTV.  There are also hard copy layout sets with standard furniture that can be purchased.

You might want to look at one of the free programs, such as Google Sketchup (there is also a more complex paid version). There is a bit of a learning curve, but it has great tools to do three dimensional modeling. The paid version has a two dimensional module called Layout.


Finding studs behind 1" wood paneling? I'm trying to mount a TV in our Edwardian (1906) building. The living room walls are (starting from the floor) 8" of solid wood molding, 7' of board-and-batten, 1' of plaster-and-lathe, and a box ceiling. From looking behind outlets on other walls the boards appear to be 1" thick pieces of some kind of soft wood (I can dent it with my nail). Given the era and the geography I'm thinking redwood.

I'm not having any luck finding studs or coming up with an alternative:

The plaster and lathe above the boards gives unreliable readings
The boards have 3" battens every 10-12 inches (yep, not evenly spaced) making it impossible to run a stud finder for any distance
The floor moldings are solid wood
The crown moldings are huge and flush to the plaster
The wall is an exterior wall and we're on the third floor
I have no access into the wall without cutting a hole
I need two studs 16" apart and I'm not convinced the studs are 16" apart (it's a short wall and I suspect at least one is placed irregularly)
The battens effectively make the wall uneven
I'm reasonably certain that mounting to the panels is a bad idea

So: does anyone have any good ideas for how to safely attach a 100lb mount to this wall?

I can attach pictures if you tell me what pictures would help.

Update (and decision): I ended up combining a few techniques here.

It turns out that there is a spot above the crown molding where the plaster and lathe can't be seen unless you are standing on a ladder. The painters didn't even bother painting the last 1/4" and there even are small gaps between the plaster and the molding.

I used a stud finder to get a rough idea of where the studs might be. It was kind of right but not really. I took a small bit and drilled some holes to find the studs. I drilled enough holes that I could get tell where the edge of the stud was within a half inch. I then put a hangar in the hole to tap on the stud to make sure it was where I thought it was. I marked that spot. Then, based on this answer, I marked a spot 3/4" into the stud.

If I was better with the hangar I could probably have drilled fewer holes, but the lathe is pretty thick and I was having trouble inserting the bend to spin it.

I'll update this thread if the TV falls off the wall or anything exciting happens when I'm putting in the bolts.

If the thing you are mounting is wide (like a shelf or TV) it will cover a few small test holes.

Drill a small hole through the board and lathe-and-plaster, then force a piece of bent wire through the hole into the void. The wire should have two right angle bends, one that goes inside the wall void and one that stays outside. The bit inside the wall must be shorter than the depth of the void, or it won't go in, but you also want it as long as possible to give you the maximum reach.

As you spin the wire, the end inside the wall will feel for the studs and you can use the other end to judge where the stud is.

If you can spin the wire right around, you know there are no studs within a few inches either side of your hole, so repeat the process double that distance to one side.

If the void between studs is full of insulation, this won't work. You may have to just drill holes every few inches until you hit a stud. You can reduce the number of visible holes by drilling diagonally in both directions,


Do subfloors in bathrooms require any special sealant or moisture barrier prior to adding standard floor covering (like tile)? Region: Santa Cruz, California, USA

Do subfloors in bathrooms require any special sealant or moisture barrier prior to adding standard floor coverings (like tile)?

I know walls need a covering and special drywall but I wasn't sure about sub-floors (since there's already going to be something over it.

I think a quality bathroom installation includes waterproofing and an isolation membrane. I'm a fan of Schluter's Ditra underlayment, but there are other good options out there. A typical installation has 1/4" backer board glued down with thinset and screwed down, the isolation membrane installed with thinset (and taped if necessary), and then the tile installed on top of that. A membrane like Ditra serves both as waterproofing and as an isolation membrane; it lets the subfloor move slightly without transferring the movement to the tile, preventing cracking. Make sure to read the installation instructions (found on the manufacturer's website) carefully; with Ditra, for example, you use latex-modified thinset in some cases and normal thinset in others.