What are the levers on my washing machine hose connection fittings? In the picture below, can someone identify the silver grooved items with rounded ends between the hose connections.  If they are shut-off valves, they do not move with normal force (or really at all).

Those knobs are indeed quarter turn shut off valves. They have probably not been turned in years and have buildup of mineral deposits inside or some other type of corrosion.

The shutoff valves are there to allow it to be easy to attach / replace the washer water hoses.

Before trying to see if you can free them up you will have to figure out how to turn off the water supply up stream from where these are located. You may be having to replace the whole water hammer arrester assemblies to get valves that will work.

Note that it is quite common that those in wall laundry hose hookup boxe units having crappy shutoff valves. The ones in my house are similar but have a simple round turn knob on the top and are very difficult to turn after sitting for a long time.


Can coax cables be replaced with a wireless solution? I recently moved my TV to a location (within the same room) with no direct connection to a coax socket. I have been searching the web for ways to make this connection without having to drill holes or pass coax wires across the room.

This is possibly a stupid question but can you think of any solution to have coax "wirelessly"?

Thanks.

I only know of two solutions to this problem, and they may or may not work for you depending on a few details

Run Wire

If you have carpet, there is normally a small gap between the wall and the trim and the tack strip where you can just fit a coax cable or ethernet cable.  This is the trick I always used in apartments since modification to the walls was frowned on.  I've even run coax under the carpet across the room.  If you run it under the pad, you can still feel a lump when you step right on it, but it's largely invisible.

If you don't have carpet, a good solution is to get white coax and run it along the baseboard with some tacks or staples.  You can even run it around doorways.  Of course this isn't super-attractive, but it works and is easy to DIY and to un-DIY.

Running wires through the walls, attic, or crawlspace is the best way to handle this, but it sounds like you can't do that.

Send wireless video

There isn't a way to send the entire coax signal wirelessly across the room, but there are devices to send a video signal across the room to the TV.  Reading between the lines, that means that your cable box that actually hooks up to the coax will still need to hook up to the coax and have a home on that side of the room.

The wireless devices will take video from the component or HDMI output of the tuner and send it to the TV.  Some will even have a solution to handle the signal from the remote control so you can still point it at the TV instead of the other side of the room.  That means the cable box can be totally hidden, but it still has to live next to the coax cable.


Are there solar lights that can be put inside existing lamps? We've got lamp posts in the garden that we're fond of, but the electrics were not very well installed (by the previous owner I might add). I've disconnected the electrics and would like to put a solar bulb or mass of LED lights inside the lamp houses with the charger discretely stuck in the ground nearby.

Are there lamps I can buy online or in the UK that would be suitable? If none are suitable, I might create a birds nest of an LED string of lights inside the lamp housing. Would that provide enough light?

You could maybe buy some cheap solar lamps, and tear them apart to use guts to replace your existing lamps, but my guess is you're going to have trouble mounting the solar panels somewhere that doesn't look goofy. If you mount them away from the lamp itself, then you're going to have to run wiring (and as you said, that was not done well and has been disconnected). If you're willing to run new wiring, then you can definitely use low voltage LED bulbs, where you just need low voltage cable that goes back to a transformer somewhere (or battery + solar panel) - this is much easier and safer to install than high voltage cable (where you pretty much need to run it in a conduit anywhere underground).


Bury a Retaining Wall We are building a gunite pool (roughly 20’x40’) on a sloped yard. It appears we will need a 70’x6’ retaining wall for our slope. One person that builds retaining walls suggested building the wall one foot below the pool deck (5’) and then adding dirt and covering the wall with dirt/sod so it’s hidden in the grassy slope. Interestingly, several homes in our neighborhood appear to have skipped a retaining wall completely and just added incredible amounts of dirt to deal with their sloped yards. If we build the concrete retaining wall, is it ok to landscape over it so it’s beneath the landscape?

Covering concrete with soil will not affect the structural integrity of the concrete.  If anything, doing so will enhance structural integrity because the soil will protect the concrete from the extremes of weather.

Building a 6' high retaining wall is not something you want to DIY.  You really want the design (and probably the construction too) to be done by somebody with suitable liability insurance.

One point about covering the wall with soil, is that it allows the wall to be banked, rather than vertical.  That will mean you can have a much less substantial wall.


How do I fix metal clad wood casement windows that won't close? I recently purchased a house that built in 1937. I believe the windows are original, and they are all casement windows. I'm not sure of the correct term, but the windows are clad in metal with a slot, as are the frames. From the look of it, they were suppose to seal by interlocking. However, at this point the windows won't fit into the frame at all.

I can't plane/sand the window or frame to account for the swelling that has likely taken place. Is the best bet to remove the metal and replace with another seal? If I remove the window, I may be able to plane/sand the hinge side, but I don't know if the metal will seal properly. What is the best way to deal with this, short of replacing the window?

I've wedged them shut for the moment, but I can open one up to take more pictures if needed. We're having a stink-bug issue, so I don't want to open them more than I have to.

Thanks

EDIT - Added additional/better photos

I will measure it more precisely later, but it appears to sit square in the frame.

Photo of window opened

Photo of frame

Photo of closed window

This is as far as it can close

As mentioned by fixer1234, the problem is 80 years of paint build up. The interlocking style of weather stripping you have there works with very close tolerances. When the weatherstripping gets painted it takes away already tight tolerances. It looks like in the first photo of the window open there is "bridging" where the paint has either spanned the gap or filled in the gap needed for the other part of the weatherstripping on the jamb to nest into.

The metal needs to be cleaned of all paint. The metal will not rust so scrape away, but you MUST be careful not to distort the metal in any way. I cannot tell if it is in other places, it does not take much to give you trouble.

Back in the day this was the best out there and when it is kept in good shape, the window works flawlessly for opening and closing. Keeping it in good shape requires that no paint get on it, and no trash/debris gets in the spaces left by the metal for its' counterpart to fit into.

Looking closer at the open window picture there is a large buildup of paint on the leading edge of the metal that changes the size of the metal so it affects how the metal on the window engages the metal on the jamb. You may notice a slight improvement if that is cleaned off.

One of the tools I use to clean this type of trouble off of old school weatherstripping is my trusty sanding block, made from the belt of a belt sander pulled over a block of wood, cut so-so that it literally has to be stretched onto the block of wood. That tool will remove the paint and grind things flat. If you use the idea I suggest either 50 or 60 grit sanding belt to do the task. Any finer grit will readily clog. A paint scraper will come in handy too.

If you stripped the paint off to bare wood on the sill, head and the sides where the window swings out of, and prime and repaint, you may find you widows may have not swelled so much after all. I would need close ups of the corners of the windows to better say, but from what I see, there is no major swelling going on, although the wood does move seasonally due to humidity changes during winter/summer.


built in electric double oven I live in a condo with 208 voltage, I bought a double wall oven (kitchenAid) it is rated for 240 voltage, this oven does not bake cakes and other baked goods well, they become dried on the outside and not cooked in the middle, do you think this a faulty product or is the problem related to voltage in the condo not being a good match for the ovens?

It would be unusual for the oven to only work properly at 240v, as this is not a common household supply voltage in the US and it appears from the Kitchenaid listings on most appliance web sites that they don't SKU up different voltages.  Kitchenaid appears (from a manual I found here: http://www.manualslib.com/manual/287527/Kitchenaid-Architect-Series-Ii-Kerk201.html?page=11) to make at least some of their appliances 208/240 compatible via a menu option to select the type of voltage for more precise control.  The only real change that happens when using 208 vs 240 is a decrease in the design wattage (since the same conductors move fewer watts at 208 vs 240). If you can let us know your model and/or a pic of the oven nameplate (sticker inside the door) that would help us clear up the rest of it.

Its impossible to say if this is affecting your baking abilities but from the description of your problem, does your oven have a convection mode and have you tried turning it off when baking?  Using it will totally throw off recipes that involve delicate substances like batter.


Are toilets supposed to be caulked to the floor? I've heard that in some cases toilets are supposed to be caulked to the floor. I replaced both toilets in the condo I moved into last week, and one was calked to the floor, and one was not. One difference was that toilet where caulk was present is on a relatively uneven tile floor, and the one where caulk was not present was on a flat linoleum floor. The instructions the toilet came with made no mention of this.

This is a very controversial topic. Some plumbers swear that you must seal the toilet to the floor, while others swear that you should not seal the toilet to the floor.  Some guys never do it, some guys always do it, and some guys only do it depending on the flooring used. It also appears that some toilet manufacturers mention it in the installation instructions, and some do not.

I've heard it mentioned that "it's code" to seal the toilet to the floor, but I've never heard anybody cite the actual code that says it. I'm not well versed in plumbing code, but a quick look didn't reveal any obvious code sections. Though plumbing code (and most other codes), does require you to follow the manufacturer's installation instructions. So if the installation instructions say to do it, then you should do it (if you want a code compliant install).

In my opinion, it's a double edged sword. On the one hand, sealing the toilet can keep water and grime from going under the toilet. At the same time, it also keeps water from coming out from under the toilet.  If you develop a leak, the water will be trapped under the toilet. This could allow the leak to do much more damage, before you notice you have a leak.

If you flush the toilet and get wet feet, you're going to call a plumber to check the toilet. If after years of flushing the toilet you notice a strange smell, and maybe a water stain on a ceiling somewhere. You're going to start ripping things apart searching for the source of the leak.

To try and alleviate this negative side effect, some plumbers leave a gap in the caulk near the back of the toilet.  While this may let water from a leak out, it also allows water in. Which defeats the purpose of sealing the toilet to the floor in the first place.

If you're installing a toilet in a bathroom where kids are going to be bathing (splashing), it might be worth it to seal the toilet. If you're installing a toilet in a water closet, where there's not likely to be water near the base of the toilet, then maybe it's not worth it. Follow the manufacturer's installation instructions, and use your own judgment.

After doing a bit more research, it does appear that codes require the toilet to be sealed.

  International Plumbing Code 2012

  Chapter 4 Fixtures, Faucets and Fixture Fittings

  Section 405 Installation of Fixtures

  405.5 Water-tight joints. Joints formed where fixtures come in contact with walls or floors shall be sealed.

  Uniform Plumbing Code 2009

  Chapter 4 Plumbing Fixtures and Fixture Fittings

  Section 407 Installation

  407.2 Joints. Where a fixture comes in contact with the wall or floor, the joint between the fixture and the wall or floor shall be made water-tight.

NOTE: This section may have been moved to 402.2 in 2012 UPC. I did not have access to a copy of the 2012 version to verify.


How should I go about leveling my basement floor? My house is from the 1920s, with a poured concrete foundation and floor in the basement. The floor dips pretty noticeably downward from the foundation walls towards a drain near one end of the basement. I don't think there's been any significant settling, I think this is just how it was constructed, to direct any sort of spill or leak towards the drain.

That's all well and good, except that my office is in the basement. My desk chair likes to roll away on its own, and I need shims to keep shelves and my desk from tipping over. I'm considering building some sort of a subfloor under just this part of my basement to level it. I don't think that options like How can I level my basement floor, which has a 4-inch dip? are really in my budget, or really what I want to get into.

I'm basically thinking of building something with 2x4s and plywood that I can shim up enough to be level. Is that the right approach? I'm hoping to be able to get away with only spending about $200 on this. I'm only looking to level about a 12'x12' section of my basement, not the whole thing.

Dampness isn't generally a problem in my basement, my main goal is to make my work area level.

I would still recommend going with self leveling concrete.  If you only need to level off a small area, then just put some 2x4s around the edge of that area to use as a form so you can get away with using less compound.


Regular Outlet Tripped, Now Various Outlets Are Dead Recently, I purchased a new small appliance and when I plugged it in, it did not work.  After using an extension cord, I used another outlet and figured out that the original outlet was at fault.  As I removed the outlet plate before going to switch the breaker off, the outlet suddenly sparked.

After the spark, I noticed that the GFCI outlet in my kitchen was not resetting and thus not working.  I then noticed that a few outlets around the house, along with a couple of light switches stopped working.  I checked all breakers both main and the sub, and none had tripped, but reset them anyway.

As I thought the issue may be the faulty GFCI in the kitchen, I was about to replace it and when I checked to see if there's activity, the meter showed nothing.  This may sound like a ridiculous question, but could a GFCI that is not hot when connected work properly after it is connected?  If this isn't the issue, could it possibly be a circuit gone bad or a fuse (even though none had tripped and all were reset)?  Any input is greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advance!

Another backstab casualty

We get these all the time.

First, the arc flash when you opened up the first box had a simple reason: the receptacle shifted position, and the "hot" screws on the side of the receptacle hit the grounded metal box.  Possibly contributing was the screws being all the way out in their highest position, because the screws were not used to attach the wires.  This surge was massive, in the hundreds of amps, and it caused the root problem.

The root problem is most likely one we've seen before: "backstab" connections in receptacles upstream of the incident socket.  Backstabs are intended for high production assembly of house wiring e.g. In developments.  The "electrician" jabs the wires in a hole, and the hole grabs the wire. However, these make "point" contact with the wire in just 2 places, quite unlike the long edge contact you get on a side screw.  As such, they are very vulnerable to "failing open" under heavy load, even when loaded only with ordinary household loads such as a 12A heater.

This is made much worse when a wire is pried out of a backstab, and the hole reused; extracting the first wire weakens the spring.  It is, after all, only 1 of 4 springs in a 60 cent socket.  I've seen backstabs designed to make edge contact, but they respond badly to side strain on the wire, and it's hard to avoid that when shoving wires into the junction box.

The upshot is, I bet you will find a lot of backstabs in this house.  If you knew the circuit layout, you could focus on the first failed outlet and the one before.

Twist/pull the wires out of the backstabs, don't cut them because a) it's a waste of precious wire length, and b) you can then inspect the wires for evidence of arcing. Move them to the side screws, and torque firmly (Code now calls for a torque screwdriver).  Also run down all the side screws.  Bonus points for wrapping the outlet a few turns of electrical tape to cover all the screws.  Don't back screws all the way off, that wrecks the receptacle.


Nasty edges when spreading drywall compound I'm using 20 minute setting compound to cover a large rectangular patch. I mixed 1 lb of powder with about 1.5 cups of water, and am using a 12" knife. This picture:

shows the the result I'm getting when spreading the compound on the wall. The ~1/8" holes (green outline) from some internet research seem to be air bubbles (I guess I'm supposed to whip/mix the mixture better to prevent those?), but what's the deal with the crazy jagged edges (red outline)?

I get those same types of very large (~2") holes in the center of the area when I go back over the area with the knife as well, so I keep going and going pressing harder and harder and eventually the big holes go away... but I'm back to having no compound on the wall haha.

How do I make this compound spread more smoothly?

First, rookies should not use rapid setting compounds.
Next it looks way two dry, if it is hot a quick set will not provide you enough time as it will set even faster, always use cold water never warm or hot. Fast set is also harder to sand, I would suggest sanding that down and using ether joint compound or topping mud. I can’t tell if you are trying to texture the wall or repair a patch topping mud is the softest and easiest to sand and or provide a very nice feathered edge joint compound is close but not quite as smooth and just a bit tougher to sand. Once you get good with regular mud try some 60 minute if you must, as @brhans said practice but don’t start with the most difficult type unless you like sanding. How much dried in your tray and on your knife? Practice, practice, practice. If it doesn’t look good with regular mud you scrape it off I will remix in the tray and possibly add more cold water.


Issue with Blower Motor Not Spinning Up I have a Dayton Blower motor. Model 3K617K. It has a clutch that is supposed to engage when it spins up. However mine never gets up to speed. It turns, but slowly and constantly makes the loud humming/chugging noise it would normally make just for a few moments before the clutch engages. It does this with no load on the motor. If I lease it running for any amount of time it either gets considerably hot, or trips the 20 AMP breaker. I have taken it apart and verified that the clutch is free to move. Given all the above I'm afraid it's an issue with the windings meaning I'll need to replace the whole thing. Is there anything else I should try or check.

OK, so that is a "Split Phase" AC induction motor, meaning there is a centrifugally operated switch inside of it that is supposed to change state at a certain speed in order to allow the motor to run. Without getting too deep in the weeds of AC motor theory, single phase motors will not rotate on their own, they need to be "tricked" into starting to rotate, then once they are, they will continue doing so. One of the "tricks" is called a "Split Phase" design. The winding is in two parts, one of them designed to"bump" the motor in one direction, the other designed to run it once it begins rotating. The first part has low power capability, all it is supposed to do it get it started (bump it), then a centrifugally operated switch on the shaft kicks in the other part of the winding that actually creates the rated torque. That centrifugal switch is not functioning correctly in your motor, so it appears as though your start winding is being left in place and the run winding is not being connected.

These switches wear out, or they get filled with dust and gunk over the years, especially if the blower is being used for dust collection or extraction, like in a cooking vent hood. In most cases, that switch is located under the end bell housing on the NON drive-end of the motor, meaning the end WITHOUT the shaft that is connected to your clutch. The simplest attempt for you to try is to open that up and spray in a bunch of "Electrical Contact Cleaner" that you can buy from most hardware or auto-parts stores. Just do NOT spray it in there with the motor plugged in, and let it thoroughly dry out before you do apply power; that cleaner is flammable.

In this photo, the centrifugal switch is not labeled, but is directly below the word "winding":

If that doesn't work, the contact points are likely burned and it needs to be replaced, you can buy replacement centrifugal switches over the internet from numerous sources, probably even Grainger (who sells the Dayton line). That's not a job for the feint of heart however, there are springs and levers and wires that must be carefully disassembled and reassembled. So if you DON'T want to tackle that, you can remove the motor and take it to a motor shop, they can do that for you. Or, you can just buy a new motor, it might cost you less...


Suggested power-tool and attachments to remove rust from a BBQ pit Please suggest a good cordless power-tool and the appropriate wheels/attachments to do a good job of removing the rust from this BBQ pit? Please include links to the specific items if possible.

Wire brush and sandpaper.
Hi-temp paint for grills.
Repeat as needed.

Also, be careful what strip/rust-remove/paint chemicals you use.  Many will play rather quite badly with heat and/or food.

As far as a cordless, battery power tool to do the job, good luck. I do a LOT of rust removal. Looking at that, it looks like 90% hand work even with the tools I possess.  Your only option here would be media blast, and you won't be able to lift a battery that will power that.  This is the core problem with battery powered rust removal: the energy requirements are too great.   This regularly hamstrings me because I have a lot of rust removal to do in places with insufficient AC power to run a compressor.  Fortunately, humans are endurance hunters.

Even more than that, I am concerned that younger people feel entitled to "go straight to power tools". This misses an important point. The problem is, you really need to use hand tools to get a tactile feel for how materials and tools actually behave, and the real challenges of working with the work. If you haven't hand sawn through a knot, you won't understand why it's so dangerous when a circular saw hits one.  If you haven't hand wirebrushed a complex shape, you'll quickly destroy a power wirebrush and quite likely injure yourself. Whereas you are vanishingly unlikely to do serious harm with a hand tool.  People my grandfather's age are long gone; but they would have told you this.  You should graduate to power tools only when you have "earned your chops" with hand tools.

In this case, it also hobbles you from accessing the work you need to access: If you showed up to this job with only power tools, you will not be able to do the job.


Black & Decker KS850 Circular Saw pinning sporadically I have a Black & Decker KS850 Circular Saw which was spinning sporadically so I have taken it apart to investigate. I think there may have been a loose piece of plastic that had broken off from the motor mounting but it doesn't look that important so I chucked it out. The motor is sat firmly in position.

I tested it and notice that it was creating large sparks and getting hot without being stress tested, as in, it was just spinning without being used to cut through anything.

Can you please tell me what you think is causing this?

I have included a video example.

https://youtu.be/egjzrOwIp3w

Parts: https://www.2helpu.com/PDMSDocuments/EU/Docs/Service%20Dossier/KS864_1D.PDF

Thanks.

Looks like it might need new carbon brushes, or maybe the motor commutator is worn out.

If the plastic piece that wasn't important to you was a part of what holds the brushes, rotor, armature, commutator, or any motor pieces in place then you could have mis-alignment of any of the above that might cause sparking like that. Take the motor housing apart and look closely for crooked stuff, there should be some blue/black marks from that sparking to clue you in.

P.S.- unplug the saw first


How can I fix a screw that has been stripped Is it possible to fix a screw that has been stripped? It is not an uncommon problem to run into when you are into the DIY projects. I personally have come across this quite frequently. I would like a solution that would be permanent, and one that doesn't involve buying new screws. How do I do this?

I'm not asking how to remove them, as asked How to remove screws with stripped heads?. I want to know how to fix it.

Damaged screw-head

You can repair many small metal parts using a micro welder. Alternatively (and probably far more commonly) some people use a vice and a hammer to form the damaged head into a suitable shape for the next stage ...

You can re-cut a drive slot using a suitable tool. For slotted screws this would be a file intended for that purpose

Damaged screw-thread

For machine bolts, threads can be repaired using dies or helical inserts. I'm not aware of anything equivalent for things like wood-screws.

Standard practise

I admit I can't imagine any circumstances where I would not just drive to the store and buy a new screw (and probably a better screwdriver to match).


Shower enclosure leaking I have water seeping around the shower and onto the floor. I removed the old caulking and resealed the inside and outside with a fast dry 30 minute sealer. 10 days later, it is still leaking and not sure what else to do.
Do we only seal the outside? or inside too? Some say only the outside and not the inside? What am I doing wrong? and what would be your recommendation . Thank you

**tried sending a picture but it will not upload

Check and make sure the leak is coming from the bottom sometimes water will run down the panels and the side collecting at the bottom. As for as sealer I always use bath and tub caulk it is designed for use in wet areas and resist mildew.  I use blue painters tape for a nice clean line and so I can work the caulk making sure I have a good bond remember to remove tape while the caulking is still wet.


Converting a Samsung Dryer from a 4-prong cord to a 3-prong cord? I just bought my first home and I need to replace my 4-prong cord on my dryer to a 3-prong.  I've removed the four prong and now I see this:

I know how to hook up the three prong, I'm just unsure about how to ground it properly.  I've read online and saw a few posts here, but most point to the installation manual for the model as the best solution--which I've read, but I don't feel 100% that I understand.  My manual has this configuration for a three-prong cord:

It also notes that, if I'm converting from a four-prong, I need to "connect the ground strap to the terminal block support to ground the dryer frame to the neutral conductor."

How do I do that?

Do I take the loose white wire and assume that's "A" in the manual diagram and attach that to the side of the unit?  The loose white wire was originally in the neutral slot with the neutral on the four prong cord, should it go back there?  Do I need to do anything with the green wire?

I'm pretty lost at this point so any guidance would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you!

You're asking how to ground it properly.

The instructions are telling you to do something which is not proper. NEMA 10 receptacles don't have ground. So they are telling you to misuse the neutral wire as ground.

In any other application, this would be called "bootlegging ground" and you'd fail a home inspection for it.  However, appliance manufacturers have lobbied the NFPA to allow this for dryers and ranges so they don't lose appliance sales.  The rationalization - which doesn't make much sense to me - is that dryer receptacles are rarely unplugged, so they're not likely to have a failure.

The failure mode is that if there's any problem with your neutral wire anywhere in your house wiring or dryer cord, the 120V loads will stop working, and the current path through them will connect neutral - and thus the dryer chassis - to 120V. You're dead if you touch the dryer chassis and any other ground. Such as the washing machine right next to it.

Option 1: Ground it, properly.

Don't mess with that heavy 10/2 cable; retrofit a ground wire.  This is legal and encouraged.  The builder supply sells #8 ground wire by the foot, and it's no bigger than telephone wire.  #10 would suffice if you can get that cheap.

Use any feasible route to get back to the service panel that powers the dryer circuit.  You do not need to run the ground wire with the conductors, because the ground wire does not carry current except during a fault condition. You don't even need to go back to the panel if you can reach something else that has a #10 ground path back to the panel (water heater, A/C, range).  Circuits can share ground as long as they come from the same panel.

Then, install a NEMA 14-30 receptacle. If the neutral is bare, that's allowed because the cable is grandfathered, but wrap it (and the ground, if necessary) with tape so they don't short out.  Neutral is not ground, and will be a fraction of a volt higher than ground when the machine is at full load, and you don't want it taking ground as an alternate path.

Option 2. Don't ground it; properly.

Here you leave the wiring, but render it safe.  You change the 2-pole breaker in the service panel to GFCI.  When the person starts to be shocked, the GFCI trips and saves them.

You must then change the receptacle to NEMA 14, connect nothing to the ground pin, and add a label "GFCI protected / No Equipment Ground".   Then you need to change the dryer cord to NEMA 14, following all dryer instructions on how to remove the bootleg neutral-ground bonding on the dryer.

At this point the dryer chassis will "float". A neutral failure will not energize the dryer.  A ground fault inside the dryer will electrify its chassis, however that should trip the GFCI before harming a human.

This method only works as a retrofit.  It can't be used on new installations; those must be grounded NEMA 14 from the outset.


Extra hot water for Jacuzzi We moved into an all electric (no gas or oil) house with a 40 gallon water tank and a Jacuzzi.. Looks like the Jacuzzi had never really been used.  When trying to fill it we can just barely get enough hot water for a decent bath.

Is there a an easy, inexpensive way to supplement hot water for the Jacuzzi without having to install a larger water tank?

There are three subjects to consider here.

Is your water heater working correctly. It is possible your water heater needs some maintenance as there could be too much buildup on the inside or a heating element that needs replacing. https://www.hometips.com/repair-fix/hot-water-heater-problems.html

Second the water in a water heater is usually hotter than you can use it. Then you add cold water to bring the temperature down to a usable temperature. That way a 40 gallon tank at 130 degrees should be able to produce a lot more than 40 gallons of 100 degree water. You can always turn up the temperature of the water heater. Most electric tank heaters will reach 150 or more degrees.

The last possibility is upgrading.
For 400 dollars US you should be able to have a small tankless point of use water heater professionally installed for just the tub. They cost less than 200 dollars for just the unit if you know how to install one.

A full sized tankless water heater will cost you at least a thousand to install. If you get a gas tankless water heater either install in directly on an exterior wall, or get one that uses PVC venting. Metal vents that cheap systems use are wildly expensive.

And a larger tank water heater will cost whatever you want to spend on it plus a few hundred to professionally install. I'm seeing example prices between 500 and 1500 dollars US for a 50 gallon or larger tank depending on the efficiency. Gas water heaters have a much faster recovery rate than electric. It is possible that as 40 gallon gas water heater is all you need.


Should I install wood flooring under the closet door track? I want to install wood vinyl flooring in my bedroom. Do I remove the closet track and run the flooring under the track or stop it at the track.

Really the only concern is clearance for the door. I'd say it's almost always going to be a better result to remove the track and install the floor. It'll most likely look better, be easier to clean, and be easier if you ever have to replace the door/track (eg: if new track is narrower or wider).

When you say "wood vinyl flooring" everyone seems to be assuming you meant laminate or hardwood flooring, but I suspect you actually mean vinyl flooring with a wood print, which might be either click-together style or come in a sheet:

This adds a minimal amount of height, and depending on the doors it might work or you might be able to adjust the doors (there are usually ways to adjust the positioning of rollers). If you're not sure, it would be worthwhile to "dry fit" part of the new floor in with the doors on the track before you fully commit to this.

If the door can't fit, you have a few options:

Leave a gap in the flooring, leaving the track in place
See if it's possible to adjust the top part of the track to raise it up by the amount the flooring adds. I did something similar to this that might give you an idea.
Replace the door with a shorter one or without a track (only makes sense if you were thinking of replacing it anyway)


When does glass wool need protection from damp? We have a room projecting above our front door, with a concrete floor and 0.24m below that wooden rafters (if that is the right term, horizontal, 7 cm × 5 cm) beneath which a wooden roof (2.3m × 1.7m) is fixed, forming a small covered but not enclosed area in front of the door. The room above gets cold, so I would like to insulate the floor1 and was thinking of filling the 0.24m gap with glass wool (in two layers of 0.12m). I see that small amounts of water have in the past penetrated this space2; do I need to take precautions against a build-up of moisture, or can I expect it to disperse naturally?

1 I make take other steps, but am here only concerned with how to insulate this space (which I have open anyway).
2 There is some staining of the wooden strips, but no significant damage.

I'm guessing that by glass wool you mean fiberglass insulation. Assuming that is the case, you have a couple of options. The fiberglass itself doesn't care about water, it won't rot or grow much of anything, the problem is the paper backer. You could use backer-less fiberglass.

If you choose to do this you will need to be aware of a couple of problems. While the fiberglass doesn't care about water, it will hold water in contact with the wood of the structure. It also takes a long time to dry which will increase the potential damage to the wooden structure. To prevent this you must add a sealed vapor barrier between the insulation and wherever the water is coming from. If this is done well, you should be good to go.

Now my choice would be to use closed cell spray foam insulation instead of fiberglass. Closed cell foam is impervious to water and acts as it's own vapor barrier.  It also generally has a higher insulation value than a similar amount of fiberglass insulation. The downside is that it is typically more expensive.
Good Luck!


Can a window A/C unit be installed without the side panels? I really like this A/C unit and its width is exactly the width of my window panel (21.5"), but the "Window opening minimum width" in the specs is 23". From what I've seen in the Q&A for this Frigidaire unit, is that The side panels, fully compressed, add 2" to each side. However, other A/C units (LG), on the same retailer site, have their width equal to the window open minimum.

Are side panels necessary?

In my opinion, no they are not. they are conveniences added to the unit to fill the space of various window sizes.

Their main thing is to stop the transfer of air into the room

If you remove them, be sure that the openings (louvers) on the sides of the AC unit are not blocked by the thickness of the wall since the fillers used for a wider window opening would maintain some space automatically.


Water supply line size 3/8 inch or 1/2 inch? I am researching plumbing for moving a laundry sink. It seems the all the supply pipes (bathroom sink, kitchen sink, toilet) from the wall are 1/2" pipes. Looking at homedepot's site, the most common valve is 1/2" to 3/8". And the most common faucet supply line is the opposite 3/8" to 1/2".

Wouldn't the 3/8" size becomes the bottleneck? Why not 1/2" all the way?

If you are using a kitchen style faucet it is a flow restricted type and will not need piping larger than the 3/8" tubing normally recommended for this application.Smaller sinks like kitchen sinks, toilets, and bathroom hand washing sinks work okay with the supply lines being 3/8" OD, (1/4" ID nominal size). Consequently, this size pipe (tubing) is the standard in the industry today, since all of these devices use some type of flow restrictors mandated by government regulations (big brother). Laundry tubs however are exempt from these regulations today, and can be piped with standard 1/2" copper pipe (tubing) or what ever size you choose to use and reduced or increased at the faucet. Fitting size at the faucet is dictated by the manufacturer. Most single supply home piping is 1/2" copper at the wall penetration, or this new and better (cheaper) supply tubing. My laundry tub faucets are piped with 1/2" copper which allows the sinks to be filled quickly. If the faucets you are using are new look at the instructions supplied with the faucets for their recommendations for connection size and type.


Powering a 240V 15A air compressor with a 6-20 plug I have an air compressor with a 240V 15A power requirement and a 6-20 plug (looks like normal US plug but with one of the flat ends turned at a 90 degree angle). Instruction manual can be found [here][1] (pdf hyperlink, 1MB).

I'm trying to figure out the best way to deliver power to it.

I have a gas powered generator that has a 120/240V 30A L14-30 twist lock outlet. Alternatively my house has a 240V 4 prong 30A dryer outlet (it's a 14-50 plug/outlet but is on a 30 amp breaker).

I'm looking for a quick and safe way to get the compressor up and running other than having an electrician put in an appropriate new outlet. Any ideas?

Info plate on motor attached.

[1]: https://c.searspartsdirect.com/mmh/pd_download/lis_pdf/OWNM/L0807019.pdf

Actually, it is a fielder's choice.

Either way, all you have to do is make up a cord with #10 wire that is rated for 30 amps with a male plug on one and a female plug on the other to transition between the different plugs.

Good luck and stay safe!


Leveling options for an uneven concrete floor in basement? I live in an old house (somewhere between 1870 and 1920) with a retrofit basement.

I also have a high water table, so during the spring rains, we get a trickle of water in the basement ( we've come to accept it as part of the personality of the house and just make sure nothing is on the floor.)

The floor is poured concrete, but whoever did it left high spots and low spots, and of course one of the high spots is between the biggest low spot and the drain.

So my question is:

Short of taking out the entire floor, is there something I can do to level out the low spots?  Or can I cut/grind/chip a groove deep enough in the high spots to act as a channel?

Too long for a comment:
I like to reduce high spots because I have found with moisture most self leveling compounds just don’t last , a 4” angle grinder is a handy home tool and can be used to cut a trench or with painstaking work grind it all down, inexpensive grinders start at ~30$ and pro versions can be close to 200 for a 4” , going up to a 9”angle grinder with a carbide surfacing blade/ bit will cost around 300 but can do a large amount in a short time this tool is used to cut the high spots down faster than masonry disks without dust.
I use water so a GFCI protected receptacle or extension cord is a must with my setup if no water is used the blade or bit doesn’t last long this eliminates the need for a dust mask but a shop vac and a large rubber floor squeegee is helpful.


How do I switch a ceiling fan to a regular light fixture? I live in a trailer that was built in 1974. I took down a ceiling fan that was hanging way too low for my height. I was very surprised to find 6 wires hanging down from the ceiling. Two of the wires are black, two of the wires are white, one of them is red, and the other is bare/ground. The fixture I bought to replace the ceiling fan has one black wire, one white, and one bare/ground. What is the proper way to connect my new light fixture to the wires that used to connect to my ceiling fan?

In this case black are permanent live, red is switched live and white is neutral (common). Bare copper is PE.

Just connect the light fixture black (from the fixture) to the red, then pigtail the other blacks together, then pigtail the whites togeter with the one that will come from the new fixture.

Also connect the bare copper to the PE connector (if not class II) on the new fixture


How many concrete piers do I need to support a tiny house (12x28 and 20feet high) I need help, I am building a tiny house, I am not sure how many concrete piers do I need for a 12x28 tiny house and that will be max of 20 ft high
thank you!

Given the size of the piers and their anchor depth and the fact that you can use metal (ibeam) cross beams, you can definitely do just 4.    Remember when building on piers, more is not better (unless we are talking large commercial building).   When you add more piers you are allowing for a greater future issues with leveling based on heave.
Now that was just the "minimum".
In real world home building you would probably have three piers on the long side - so 6.


Recurring Pinhole Leaks About 20 years ago we were experiencing pin hole leaks. Our plumber thought it was because originally the house was on well water. Rather than deal with each leak one at a time, we eventually had him do an extensive repipe of the house. All was well until this year - one of the pipes (luckily exposed) in our basement has had two pinhole leaks in the past few months. The leaks were not at joints.
So a couple of questions:

Is the theory about well water being the cause reasonable?

At the time I believe the plumber also said this type of problem would be less of an issue with hot water pipes, but the leaks this year were in a hot water pipe. Is that true? If so, could it just be a "bad" pipe?

Thanks.

High mineral counts can be a problem, not having proper dielectric unions and my opinion CHEAP pipe. I have seen cheap pipe have 50 pinholes where the rest of the house was fine the funny thing we could still see the stamps on the pipes and it was the cheap brand that had all the leaks. Replaced those sections and 10 years later the rest of the pipes are still fine, just the thinner cheap copper was the problem.


Do external faucets have an indoor shutoff valve somewhere indoors? Spring is here! So I decided to see if I could draw some water for watering the plants outside and... no water and no pressure at my outside faucet.

I just bought my house (1948 victory house in Canada). so I'm wondering if perhaps houses normally have some sort of indoor valve that controls flow to the external faucet and if so where that would normally be located.

I'm going to be checking my main line inside my house today but I have to move the washer and dryer off their pedestal to have a look.

Do external faucets have an indoor shutoff valve somewhere indoors or should I not bother moving my washer and dryer and just call a plumber?

Edit:
I finally managed to find it inside of a wall stud. Using a technique described here.
Is there a way to trace water pipes through walls?

Yes, typically houses in northern (freezing) climates have an indoor shut off.  When winterizing your house, you should turn the indoor valve off, and leave the outside one open so that the water can drip out.  The danger is that the water can freeze and burst the pipe.

I'd look for the shut off in the basement, on the other side of the wall where the outdoor faucet is.  Trace the pipe back until you find something.


Convert recessed brick mortar to concave mortar design to decrease water intrusion due to high winds High winds cause my 20 year old brick home to leak water through the reduced cement volume in the head joints. Water runs through head joints, down inside of brick wall, then leaks under the sill plate & out into the garage.
The previous owner poured a 33 ft side walk against the garage wall, damming up the weep holes.
I have removed Sheetrock & cut 1 ft square inspection holes in the 5/8” sheeting @ sill plates and see the water actually building up between the inside of bottom course of brick & sill plate.
Also cut several 1ft sq inspection holes, 10 ft high through wall (22 ft gable end) & you can see daylight through some of the brick head joints, also have squirted garden hose on out side of bricks & you can see the water pouring in.
We have high wind & rain storms here in the Oklahoma panhandle which causes this problem.
My question is can I point extra cement and fill in the (3/8”) recessed mortar design to a almost flush concave design which would add some volume to these poorly filed head joints without grinding the mortar and get good adhesion. So not really a re-pointing issue, but a filling in issue.

There’s no reason a new mortar mix will not adhere and perform adequately if, 1) the joint is cleaned properly, 2) proper mix AND installation is used, 3) infiltration is not caused by settlement

1) You emphasize that it’s not a repointing issue. That makes me believe you’re not going to clean the existing mortar joint...bad idea. In fact, you have 3 sides of those mortar joints to clean.

2) Here is a link from Cemex that explains the types of mortar. You’ll want an exterior mortar that can be troweled concave. (Concave helps “squish” the mortar into the block and provides a hard sealed surface to shed the water. As you know, the recessed mortar joint allows water to lay on the brick and wind will “push” it into the building.)

https://www.cemexusa.com/products-and-services/cement/product-specifications/type-n-s-m-masonry-cement-and-mortar

Btw, pay attention to their discussion about when to strike the mortar so you don’t remove the moisture, which will cause cracking, etc.

3) I suspect you have a greater problem than the type of mortar joint. If water is “gushing in” when you squirt the wall, the joints must have significant cracks between the mortar and brick.

With brick veneer walls, we know they are going to leak...somewhat...that’s why a moisture barrier is installed with weep holes.

We have removed sections of the interior wall to re-install new studs, plywood, and moisture barrier...along with new ties drilled into the back of the brick veneer. (Btw, it was a two story building.) This is extremely difficult and time consuming, but may be your only course.

Lastly, I’d do a test section and see how it goes. Give it time to cure and see if it works.


Max Current Supplied by Thermostat Wire So I want to run a Raspberry Pi 3 off of thermostat wire.  My question is, will the thermostat wire supply enough current for the raspberry pi (2.5 amps)?

Check the wire size. Generally when you go up 4 wire sizes ( 8 --> 12 --> 16 or 10 --> 14 --> 18 ) you cut your current capacity in half.

So whatever your thermostat wire size is, subtract 4, get the ampacity from table 315.16, and divide by 2.

Since the operating voltage of a Raspberri Pi is 3-5 volts, your bigger problem is going to be voltage drop.  You'll need to run the numbers and see if the voltage drop at that current is acceptable. What is trivial drop at 24V is unacceptable at 3V.

Do not parallel conductors - even when this is allowed, on very large wire, each wire must be fused separately - including neutral/return.  However since the failure mode of one cable would be voltage sag, you won't want that.


Is a stack of steel plate as strong as a single plate of the sum thickness? I'd like to put a 4'x8' steel plate across my driveway gutter, so cars don't bottom out in the dip.  I've seen 1/2" plates used for this, but at 650+ lbs. (https://www.chapelsteel.com/weight-steel-plate.html), it will be a beast transport.  Will a stack of two 1/4" pieces have roughly the same bearing capacity?

Not unless you can bond them together into a single piece so they won't flex independently.  Otherwise it will act like a leaf spring.  But bonding them together defeats the goal of trying to reduce the weight of a 1/2" piece because they would just become one 1/2" piece.


What is the correct way to read a gas meter? I just moved into a new house, and I'm afraid my systems (furnace, hot water heater, and stove top) are using a ton of gas. I have two photos of the gas meter. I'm pretty sure how to read them, but I would love confirmation that I am doing it correctly.

Here are two readings:

Is is correct?

Reading 1: 8,953,000 cf
Reading 2: 9,035,000 cf
Difference of 82,000 cf between readings = 820 Ccf

Or is this correct?

Reading 1: 895,300 cf
Reading 2: 903,500 cf
Difference of 8200 cf between readings = 82 Ccf

Ccf stands for 100 cubic feet. So the meter is read 8953 hundred and 9035 hundred, or 895,300 cf and 903,500 cf respectively.
More Info:
When reading a meter, you'll notice each dial has an arrow. This arrow points the direction the needle spins. The number above the dial indicates how much the value increases, per revolution of that needle.  For example. If the needle furthest to the right spins from 0, all the way round and back to 0. You've used 1,000 cubic feet of gas. This number is not a multiplier.
Reading the Meter
If the dial is exactly on a number, that's the number you use. If the dial is between two numbers, you'll usually use the smaller of the two. The exception here, is when the dial is between the 9 and 0. In this case, the 9 is actually smaller, and so should be used.
Here's a graphic from The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, explaining how to read a standard 4 dial meter.


How do I remove the glass and change bulb from this lighting fixture? I can't figure out how to unscrew or lift any of the three "nuts".

Try pulling one of the brass knobs laterally away from the glass.

Sometimes they are spring-loaded and you can pull them which allows you to drop one side of the glass and pull it out of the other two


Garage door sticking: WD-40 temporary solution but still sticks: need to change hinges or what? We live in a rental house built 1982 but need to fix some things around the place without involving the landlord ... the garage door has started sticking. I got it to close using WD-40, but it's still sticky; had to give it another shot last night and 'rock back and forth' until it finally closed.
Do we need to change out the hinges and rollers? Or do you have any other suggestion for a not-complete overhaul?
I'm a software guy and was thrilled when I got the WD-40 fix to work ... but it was a short-lived triumph. Thanks for any guidance whatsoever!

WD-40 is NOT a lubricant.  In fact it will dissolve and wash away any lubricant that was there to begin with.
If you think the problem is lack of lubrication, white lithium grease or similar is a good choice.  There is a WD-40 branded white lithium spray that is quite convenient but there are other brands as well.
As far as whether your hinges and rollers need to be replaced, well that depends on whether they are worn or not.  What you have said doesn't really give much guidance as to their condition.


Can you ID this shower system/panel product? We bought a new house that we're slowly learning was the victim of a rather cheap remodeling job. So, I'm slowly patching thing up.

One task is our shower enclosure. It's made up of some sort of panel system, with a matching shower base. It's the same material that the bathroom vanity top is made out of. I'm guessing it's something like Corian, though likely a lot cheaper of a product. Can anyone ID what this is?

The issue is that the corners of the shower walls had these inside corner trim pieces that had most of the caulking failing. I wanted to remove them, clean off the caulk, and re-caulk. Unfortunately, while one came off, the other came off in pieces as this material isn't terribly strong. It appears to be some sort of fibrous plastic material.

The problem is I have no idea what the product is, so don't know where to even begin looking for a replacement trim piece.

Bonus points if anyone can tell me more about the actual wall panels. Most stand-up shower systems I've seen have redundant joint overlaps to keep water from getting behind them. I'm pretty sure the shower pan has that, but can't tell on the wall panels themselves.

Shower (with corner trim removed):

Close up of surface pattern:

The answer: Swanstone

How I found it: I got lucky. I just grabbed it and started taking it to local big-box places (I assumed it was a big-box as the materials in this house aren't necessarily 'high end').

I stopped at Lowes and the initial guy in the kitchen section had no clue, but I was fortunate that a curious co-worker popped his head over the counter, thought for a minute, then declared it 'Bermuda Sand' from 'Swanstone'. We found the swatches and, sure enough, he was right-on. So kudos tot he very helpful Lowes employee.

Apparently, these type of shower systems are just large panels of solid surface material that is glued up on the wall. They idea is that the panels abut, then caulked. The corner cove is more of an 'extra' piece that can be used if desired. The underlayment SHOULD be your standard tile surface...water proof cement board that is then sealed with some sort of water sealant. However, I don't know that in this case, so this particular piece seems to be a rather critical for my shower. So, glad we were able to find it.

The challenge for future people reading this is that I guess the solid surface companies are many, and the patterns all tend to be unique to each company, so it is a bit of a needle-in-a-haystack hunt trying to find these.

For contractors, I'd like to suggest leaving a note on the inside of a bath or kitchen vanity with the manufacturer's info. That'd be handy. ;)


Should I proactively replace old GFCI outlets? The way I understand this page about GFCI outlets: (a) GFCI outlets can fail after about 10 years, making them unable to detect faults, (b) when outlets made after 2006 fail, they shut off power automatically, and (c) pre-2006 outlets fail silently: they can't detect faults but they continue to provide power. That seems like a big safety hazard, and a good reason to replace my old GFCI outlets before they fail.

However, I haven't found anyone recommending proactive replacement, and if this was a legitimate safety concern I'd expect people to shout it from the rooftops. So are the old outlets worth replacing? Or am I just getting worried over nothing?

The GFCI outlets in my house were installed in the mid-90s (in the USA). And they're passing the tests with a GFCI outlet tester.

I think this depends on the quality of your old outlets.  A lot of times builders might use the lowest quality for outlets and I have gone through houses that were 10-15 years old and just spent a day replacing them all.

However with GFCIs it is not very common for these to be cheaply made.  They would have to probably be quite a bit older than 10 years old to be junk GFCIs.  So I would keep them unless another GFCI in the same room fails.  I like my outlets to generally match if they are right next to each other but that is just aesthetic preference.

Really though if you are talking about electricity in general (save for very old knob and tub or aluminum) if you touch it there is much more chance of you causing an issue than you preventing one.


I need to anchor a standard where there is a one-inch hole in the drywall While I was putting in anchors to hold a shelf standard I had one that didn't install right and I was left with a one-inch hole. Some kind of anchor or support absolutely has to go there. It's too small for me to go inserting a piece of lumber behind it (not a good place for it either) and I can't find an anchor that would hold to a hole that size.

There is a butterfly anchor sold at most hardware/home stores.  It's a V shape with a nut and a spring at the point of the V.  It will fit into a 1" hole and then expand once pushed through the hole to a wider diameter.  You may need to drill the diameter of the hole in the standard out to accommodate the larger screw.  But these are very strong drywall anchors.


Do I need to stain or seal an outdoor structure built from spruce? I've constructed a outdoor shower cubicle at our cabin, mainly out of untreated spruce with a little pine. This will be exposed to the elements and will obviously get wet when used. My question is do I need to treat it, stain or varnish it in any way or can I just let it weather naturally?

Yes you absolutely need to treat spruce and pine with something or they will weather and splinter ferociously. You've got two basic options 1: a protective finish such as a varnish or polyurethane or 2: a penetrative sealer like linsead oil, water sealer, etc. Both have merits and weaknesses but either properly applied will get the job done. More important than the product you choose is the construction of the structure and the maintenance of the product in the future. If the structure doesn't shed water properly it won't matter what finish you use, it will rot and fail. Likewise if you don't maintain your finish it will allow infiltration and will rot or dry out and splinter. Another issue to account for is u.v. rays, direct sunlight can wreak havoc on your wood work. Spar varnish is the traditional choice of boat builders but Sikkens is my personal preference as it combines the added protection of a varnish with ease of reapplication of an oil. Also it has a built in u.v. protectant. Hope this helps, cheers!


Can I replace a 30A breaker with a 40A breaker for a new water heater? I have a 30 amp circuit breaker installed for my tank type hot water heater.  I would like to replace the hot water heater with a tankless hot water heater that requires a 40 amp circuit breaker.  I don’t know the gauge of wiring used for the circuit breaker but is it possible to just replace the 30 amp breaker with a 40 amp breaker?

Your current 30A water heater circuit was probably wired with #10 solid copper. You can confirm this by inspecting the stamp or printing on the cable jacket, or by using a gauge measuring tool (with the power safely disconnected).

A 40A circuit typically calls for #8 copper wire, which is usually stranded. It's a markedly larger cable bundle. If you don't have that, DO NOT increase the breaker size. A circuit breaker's primary function is to protect wiring from overload, and a 40A breaker does not adequately protect #10 wire.

This is standard advice and doesn't apply to inordinately long runs or other nonstandard scenarios which may call for even larger wire.


How to deal with Square Drive vs. Robertson Screws? Although the terms "square drive" and "Robertson" are often treated as the same in catalogs, the difference (as I understand it) is that Robertson tools and screws have a slight taper to the square recess and the square drive ones do not. Most online sources claim that the tapered design is superior. Some online sources complain bitterly that this slight difference can lead to damaged tools and stripped screws when the two types are mixed up or misidentified by sellers.

(In background, let me add that I am located in the US and am interested in trying them out. Robertson screws are very popular and available in Canada, where they originated, but in the US I can only get them via mail order.)

I assume that if I buy Robertson(R) branded screws and Robertson(R) branded screwdrivers or bits, then I can be guaranteed compatibility. My question is, "Is there any other way I can tell that I will have compatible Robertson tools and screws other than by physically examining them?"

I hope to get answers from people with actual experience buying and using Robertson wood screws and tools.

I have seen photos of some drive bits stamped, for example "SQ2" and others stamped "R2," but I am unclear whether or not the "R"  designation is really a reliable indicator of a Robertson taper.

I am also unclear as to whether I am overthinking this, and that maybe the alleged incompatibility between square drive and Robertson is overexagerated in the blog posts I have read.

I have used them interchangeably without a second thought for many years, on Canadian and non-Canadian fasteners and Canadian and non-Canadian screwdrivers.  No issues, everything works great.


Do I need to fill in the gap between my wall and the laminate flooring? I just removed the baseboards in my room in order to put some closets flush against the wall. I noticed there is a gap under the wall and the floor/laminate and my instincts are telling me they need to be filled with caulk or something for insulation and pests. Is it necessary? If so, what should I use to fill the gap? I live on the bottom floor of a condo unit and there is concrete below the laminate.

To start with, that kind of a gap is common everywhere.

Regarding pests, your dwelling is more permeable than you'd ever think, so closing off this one thing isn't going to solve any problems. If they exist, pests need to be dealt with at their source (ie, nests), not at their symptoms (ie, them walking across your floor).

If you still want to seal, you need something flexible enough to not impair the expansion/contraction of your floor and not interfere with your baseboard. Nothing comes to mind.

Capsule summary: don't worry about this.


How do I level a concrete basement floor with a 1" dip? I want to level my concrete basement floor, but on one end it slants down over 1" (over a 3'x15' run).

Can I fill this area before using self-leveling compound, to save money, or what else could I use?

I have used Ardex K-15`to level floors. This product allows the addition of pea gravel for filling areas over 1/2" deep. use it with the pea gravel to fill the first 3/4" to 1/2" then use the Ardex K-15 without the pea gravel to top it off.
I guess I got to throw in the obligatory remark, I do not own stock in Ardex, nor do I work for the company. This is a product that I have used before that works supremely when used, following the directions. There is a primer that is used with it.

Edit 2-26-14

When using the primer, lay out how far the Ardex will need to go with a pencil mark to get your floor leveled. read the directions on the primer container for dilution. Spread the primer at least 1-2ft OVER the marks, when feathering, as you will see this will come in handy. This stuff feathers out to zero. Be patient with this. It settles flat over a period of time, 5-10 minutes, you may notice a "ledge" forming at the edge if too much is used. That is where the extra primer comes in.

I forgot to add, you will need to layout two marks, one for the pea gravel added as well. DO NOT get this one too high, 1/8" to 1/4" low so the regular mix will flow over the gravel mix, and not get "hung up". Let it set for 2 hours, then move on with the next step with out the gravel.

Get a container that will allow 2 bags to be mixed at a time. I have gotten it from a big box store, the kind with the rope handles the are about 20 gals +/-. You need it this big to keep the mixing from slinging it out all over the place. Cover the floor where you mix about an 8X8' area aside from where you will pour. The drips from the mixer will be difficult to scrape off after a time

Do not worry about using their mixing paddle, there are paddles that will work.

The first one is my preferred one to use, it works with a little in the bucket or 10 inches deep. the third one is second, but it is a glorified whisk, no angles on the blades to "pick up" mix off the bottom. The middle one is an excellent mixer, but only effective when mixing large amounts. The top hoop needs to be covered for this one to work well.

More later if you need it.


Will a bryant compatible 60amp breaker fit a #2 wire? I looked up size for #2 and it says just over a quarter inch.   I'm concerned a 60amp breaker won't fit a #2.  I have an older Bryant panel.  Maybe breaker manufacturer makes a difference or I must order a special one?

I have along run 100+ft which has forced me to use aluminium and a #2.

On the side or front of the breaker, there is a label that says what the maximum wire size is that you can use. This label is required by UL when the breaker is made. It may have fallen off however. If so, you can look on-line for a similar breaker. Bryant is now part of Cutler Hammer, their version of that breaker is called a BR series with the BR standing for Bryant. The breaker is unchanged from when Westinghouse owned the Bryant line (Westinghouse was bought by Eaton years ago, Eaton owns Cutler Hammer). So any technical specs on a new version are going to be the same.


When I use drain cleaner the whole house smells like sulfur for a couple hours I used it in the bathtub, & another time in the basement suds tub, the whole house would smell. Last year I checked the vent pipe on the roof & removed a lot of old paper wasp nests, but am still having the problem.

I would advise against Drano. The sulfur smell you are smelling is because it is mainly composed of Sulfuric Acid. If you smell it throughout your house it might be damaging your pipes.

To clear a clog I would recommend a plunger and a drain snake before resorting to any acids. If those do not work I would recommend a plumber.

However, be cautious now. If you are manually clearing your pipes, anything that you pull out might be covered in acid, so make sure to use hand, eye, and nose/mouth protection.


How to remove Onduline roofing nails? Our Onduline roof is overdue for replacement and leaking, but what's the easiest way to remove the old roof?  Some of it has screws but most of it uses the capped Onduline nails.  They seem to be very resistant to pulling out with a claw hammer.  Left to my own devices I'd bolt-crop the top off them, remove the sheet, and then remove what's left of the nails one by one with some mole grips, but I feel there must be a better way...!

They are ring-shank nails, so they are hard to pull by design.
You need a crow-bar, pry-bar, ripping bar, wrecking bar. Solid steel with the "claw" on a looped end, 2 or 3 feet long. Not a hammer. Apologize to your hammer if you haven't already wrecked it.
Preferable to leave the heads on, as it will be faster to rip them out with the bar if you don't have to put mole grips on each time, and take them off, and not impale yourself on a bunch of cut-off nails in the meantime. You can probably rip the glorified tar-paper roof off around them if you'd rather have it gone when you are removing the nails.
I have (the remains of) an Onduline roof I put on 20 years ago. I will be replacing it with metal - that was an experiment that has results I won't be repeating. The metal roofs I put on at the same time are in excellent shape.


Why don't my composite deck screws go in all the way? Why RT screws? I'm trying to finish up a composite deck project. We had been using SplitStop screws when we needed them, but I only need about 30 more and don't want to buy another box of them because they're very expensive, and I don't need anywhere near a full box of 275. I found a box of 'cladding' screws that looked similar and tried them, but had problems with them not going in all the way; they left the head exposed quite a bit, a good 1/4".
The original Split Stop screws have a blank part of the shaft, and then at the top they have strange threads, almost like 'flanges' that are perpendicular to the shaft. Occasionally we had the same problem with these, with them not going in all the way. Never could figure out why, anyone know?
Before these cladding screws, I thought I tried something like these, which look the same as SplitStop and had the same problem with them not going in all the way, but I'm going to give them a shot again.
The cladding screws are slightly different in that their last section, near the head, has reverse-threaded threads. I guess this is why they stop going in?

I believe the intent of the reverse thread is to suck the deck board down onto the stringer.  You don’t want the deck board and the stringer both engaged to the threads; that will hold the deck board spaced away from the stringer and put all the weight of traffic on that thread.
If the screw isn’t going in all the way, turn the head clockwise some more.
How to do that exactly is a matter for discussion between you and your screwdriver(s).
It will either go down more, or break.  If it breaks, then the wood is too tough for it; consider pre-drilling the holes.
If it’s not descending, then the screw isn’t turning.  If the driver is simply hopping out of the miniature “socket” inside the screw head, stop that from happening immediately because it will quickly destroy the “socket” and make the screw un-turnable. This is most often an issue with Philips screws.
If your screwdriver is refusing to turn the screw any harder (without hopping), then you are at the torque limit for that tool.  Some power drivers have a torque setting at which they’re designed to quit, and that can be changed. Again, pre-drilling can reduce this torque somewhat.  Otherwise, change tools.
I prefer a “speed wrench”, which is a socket wrench shaped like a crank. I use it with a “bit holder” placed in the socket; this gives a good combination of power, control and speed. I’ve never found anything I couldn’t drive with them. Also, the speed wrench allows you to dedicate your drill to pre-drilling.


Can vertical window be installed horizontally? I have a double-paned window that is not designed to open. It is 7' x 1'. The weep holes are in the 1' end. Can this window be installed horizontally?

NO, you cannot install a window in the wrong orientation.

Glass is “set” in window frames using “setting blocks”. These blocks are made for the weight of the glass to rest on. They are sized and distributed according to the weight of the glass.


Water heater sacrificial anode metal selection A residential 17 year old electric water heater is working well in Florida.   Maintenance is overdue.  I plan to inspect / replace:

sacrificial anode (expected to replace)
heating element (expected to replace)
flush the tank

With regard to purchasing a sacrificial anode, there seems to be at least two features one must decide:

Metal type: magnesium, aluminum or aluminum/zinc alloy.
Length

How does one decide on proper metal to use and the length of the anode?   As it understand it, the threading is standardized.

There is plenty of space above the tank for a long rod, so a segmented anode is unnecessary.

I go with zinc because aluminum swells more and when aluminum breaks down it can plug flow restrictor and ariators.  you will need the model number of the water heater to get the correct length. I find solid rods last longer I have segmented break at the joints several times.
 In 1 home I installed an electronic annode it was very expensive almost 200$ but that home had very soft water and standard annodess were almost gone in 1 year I never had to replace the electronic one and it was still going strong after 10 years.


Cleaning and sealing tile grout In our kitchen, the tile grout has gotten a little dirty.  It isn't bad, but you can definitely tell that certain spots are changing their color a little bit.

Is there a way to do a very deep clean on the grout (bleach it?) and then seal it so that in the future this isn't an issue?

Thank you in advance!

yes, if your tile grout is light colored and the dark areas are of an organic makeup (coffee, gravy, etc.), bleach will clean and brighten the grout. I believe it is applied full strength with a paint brush and allowed to soak-in for several minutes. Agitating with a stiff bristle brush will loosen any surface stains. Wipe up remaining bleach with a dry rag and than wipe with a rag that's been lightly wrung of clean water. Dry with a towel.


How do you plan capacity for electrical circuits? I'm finishing a section of my basement, which currently only has one bulb for bare light.  In planning the electrical arrangement of things, how do I estimate the load of light fixtures or electrical outlets so I know if I need heavier gauge wire, or additional circuits?

Yes, I could read the labels of the light fixtures and appliances I plan to install/use.  But that doesn't allow for potential fixture changes or room re-utilization in the future.  I'm thinking there must be a rule of thumb for "lights fixtures are this many watts, outlets are that many watts."  I've just no idea how many.

EDIT - Follow up question

I'm seeing a lot of commentary which seems to imply 15 amp circuits are the norm (including other questions on diy.se).  I know there are a few 15 amp circuits in my house, but most of them are 20.  Why would you prefer one size circuit over the other?  When would you use a 20 amp circuit?

Minimum receptacle spacing.
NEC Article 210.52(A)-(H) tells us that, the maximum distance (measured horizontally along the wall) to a receptacle should be no more than 6'.  There are two important exceptions to this rule. doors, fire places, and other openings do not count as wall space. Also any wall less than 2' wide, does not count as wall space.  The idea here is that if you have a lamp with a 6' cord, no matter where you put it (along the wall) you should always be able to plug it in.
Lets take this 20x20 room for example.

We'll need a minimum of 6 receptacles, in this room to meet code.  You'll notice the wall with the door and closet, only has 1 receptacle.  This is because the doors, and the 1' 11" wall between them do not count as wall space.
Keep in mind, however, this is a minimum code. You can always install more receptacles, if you want to.
Calculating loads
Once you've determined where your lights and receptacles will be placed, you'll have to determine how many and what size circuits you'll need. For this, we can reference NEC Article 220.
Lights
For dwelling units, we'll use 3 Volt-Amperes/ft² to figure out how much lighting we might want.  When measuring area we must measure from outside to outside, so we'll have to include the wall thickness in our calculations.
So if we have a 20'x20' room, with 2x4 walls and 5/8" drywall on each side we'll get.
3 1/2" + 5/8" + 5/8" = 4 3/4"
20' + 4 3/4" = 244 3/4" = 20.4'
20.4' * 20.4' = 416.16 ft².
416.16 ft². * 3VA = 1248.48VA
We know that a 15A circuit will be 1800VA (15A * 120V = 1800VA), so we can see we'll only need one 15A circuit for lights.
Receptacles
When calculating loads for receptacles, we'll use 180VA per receptacle. Using this value, we can determine that we can have 10 receptacles on a 15A circuit.
15A * 120V = 1800VA
1800VA / 180VA = 10
For each 20A circuit, we can have 13 receptacles.
20A * 120 = 2400VA
2400VA / 180VA = 13.3333333333

It's a good idea when wiring up a new room, to keep the lights and receptacles on different circuits.  This is not required, but it does make practical sense to do so if you can.  As an example, lets say you have the lights and receptacles on the same circuit. Every time you vacuum the lights dim, then the breaker finally trips. Now you're left standing in a dark room, trying to get to the door without stubbing your toe.  If the lights were on a separate circuit, you wouldn't stub your toe.
∴ lights + receptacles on same circuit = stubbed toes.
Now I'm not saying you should have a bunch of circuits with a single light on them, just that it's a good idea to have receptacles and lights on different circuits.  You could always share a light circuit across a few rooms, to decrease the number of circuits required.
The best way to figure out how many, and what size circuits you need for a room. Is to plan out how many consumers you'll have first.  Decide how many lights and receptacles you want, then determine what size/type of wiring you'll need.


What is this sensor/device located near the master bath tub? This thing was in my old house and the new owner is asking me what it is. I never knew, and asked a few people. It is the size of a standard electrical outlet socket, and it is located near the master bath tub.

Another detail of note is that the master closet is behind it, and it contains the alarm and ethernet/coaxial wiring boxes.

Posting per the ops response to my comments:

When the alarm goes off - is there a speaker in this box ?

The unit is an Alarm Buzzer - removing the cover will reveal a speaker .


Room lights flickering when I connect my desktop computer when running on Inverter I have all LED lights (tubelights and bulbs) in my house and has been backed up by an inverter (Luminous Eco Volt +1550 with Inverlast 150Ah Tall Tubular Battery).

The issue is when I connect my desktop computer (LG Thinkcenter, Intel Core i5-7400 CPU @3.00GHz, 16GB RAM, 1TB HDD, no CD/DVD drive) and if that is running on Inverter then my room lights starts flickering. Notice, if I am not running my desktop computer, the room lights does not flicker.

Now the inverter handles all the load I try to throw at it otherwise. Having every light and fan on in the house doesn't challenge the inverter. So it's not an issue of the inverter's power capacity.

Initially I thought the issue is because of inverter. On request to Luminous customer care, they have check by changing motherboard of my Inverter, but the issue still remains same. This says issue is not with inverter.

Then I thought it could be an issue with the electrical socket where I am connecting my desktop computer. So I connected to a different electrical socket, the issue still remains same.

Then to further analyze the issue, I thought their could be some issue with wiring in my house. So I connected my desktop computer at my friend's house who also has Luminous Inverter installed. Surprisingly at his house also the lights started flickering as soon as I connected my desktop computer (just a CPU) and running on inverter.

So now I am thinking there could something wrong to my desktop CPU? I am not sure what to test further or isolate the issue.

Any suggestion?

Your desktop computer's PSU draws electricity in a more complicated way than something like a light or fan does. Nothing's really working incorrectly... it's just that the inverter and the power supply weren't built for each other. The power supply is sucking power when the inverter doesn't expect it, causing a dip in the voltage; then the inverter up-regulates the voltage to compensate, only now the PSU isn't drawing any power and the voltage goes too high.

Replacing the PSU with one that does "power factor correction" may fix things. (Be careful - manufacturers of cheap PSUs will flat-out lie about whether a PSU does power factor correction, as they lie about other specs. Buy a trusted brand.) Alternatively you can use a voltage regulator, such as this ugly little box, to isolate the weirdnesses of the PSU and the inverter from each other. A good voltage regulator like that one will instantly solve a wide range of power issues. (I swear by the APC Line-R, but other people prefer the Tripp-Lite brand.)


How smooth should I sand a wall I removed old paper from the wall and want to paint it new . Before doing it I guess I should sand the whole wall so that it's smoother and for that I'll use a dry-wall sander. The question is which sand paper should I use and when to stop? How smooth should the end result be?

The answer depends partially on the paint being used and how many coats will be used.

Instead of sanding, you could mud it if the remaining surface is in good enough condition, though getting the applied mud smooth and fine can be challenging.

You could simply spray texture over the surface.  A "hopper" gun is readily rented from many home improvement and contractor supply stores.  Or, if the wall isn't particularly big, there are small spray cans of texture.


How do I remove and reinstall baseboards (Skirting Board) without damaging them? I need to temporarily remove the baseboards in a couple rooms. I am interested in some suggestions for removing the baseboards without damaging them so they can later be reinstalled. Suggestions may include

Helpful tools
Pitfalls
Removal techniques
Reinstallation techniques
Systems for keeping track of where the pieces go

Pretty easy DIY job. All you'll need is: a hammer, old metal putty knife, utility knife, small pry bar, pliers, and a pencil. For reinstallation, a finish nail gun really makes the job go fast, and a nail set is also useful.

The typical procedure:

Cut away any caulk on the top edge and corners.
Check any inside corners to see if they are coped rather than mitered. If they are coped, you have to remove the coped side first.
Use an old putty knife to pry back slightly between the top edge and the wall. Focus any prying near the studs or where ever you find nails, pulling where there isn't any nail too far will risk cracking the trim.
In the crack, use a small pry bar so that all the force is applied to the back of the trim, and not the top edge. Work you way down, one end to the other. To protect the wall, pry against the putty knife rather than directly against the wall itself.
Pull any nails in the trim through the back with a pair of large pliers rather than hammering them back out the face where you'd damage the wood and paint.
Number the back side of the trim and the bottom of the wall where the numbers will be covered up upon reinstallation.
For reinstalling, a nail gun works best with finish nails. One nail per stud and two at the ends is usually enough for basic trim. Use a nail set to sink any nails slightly below the face of the trim. If a nail starts to bend, pull it with the pliers, using the putty knife to protect the trim. Do not bend the nail over and hammer it in sideways.
Paint any trim before it goes on the wall, use a small bit of spackle or wood putty on the nail holes, caulk the top edge and joints, and all that's left is a bit of touch-up paint.

Pitfalls:

Prying too hard and too far away from a nail, causing the trim to crack.
Applying force to the delicate top edge.
Trying to pull the flat end out of a coped corner first, breaking off the delicate coping.
Not cutting away any caulking, resulting in the paint and drywall pulling away with the trim.
Trying to knock out any finish nails back through the face of the trim, causing lots of damage to the trim.
Nailing in a groove or somewhere that you can't get a smooth spackle finish.
Nailing so close to the edge that the trim splinters.


What kind of paint can I use to cover wood baseboards? I mistakenly got white baseboards for a dark wooden floor. The person who made the delivery suggested painting them to match the wood color, however I'm not sure what kind of paint to use on top of the existing layer. Latex? Oil based?

The baseboards seem to be pine, and the white paint is a semi-opaque thin layer. Here are some photos: https://imgur.com/SZ2RqBW - https://imgur.com/3WIQHji

(This is my first post here so please let me know if I missed anything!)

Those are standard pre-primed baseboards. Any interior grade latex paint will work.  You do not need primer.  You should not use oil for several reasons:

The baseboards are primed already with primer - almost certainly latex based
The baseboards are for internal use
Oil is a real PITA to use, stinks, and takes forever to dry


How do I wire a 2 way toggle switch to a flourescent fixture? We are replacing a light that had a pull string on/off with a florescent fixture that we have put a toggle switch on.  Question is... How to wire it?  The toggle switch has 2 black wires and the wires that are coming in with the power for the light are black and white.  We also will be using a pig tail because the toggle switch wire is short.  The toggle switch is an off/on, not an on/off/on. This is going in a lower level of the home in West TN.

The white wire (neutral) coming in should be directly connected to the white wire on the lamp.

The black wire coming in is the hot line. The toggle switch is used to either break or connect the hot line. The black wire coming in to the lamp should be connected to one of the black wires of the switch. The other black wire from the switch should be connected to the black wire for the lamp. It does not matter which black switch wire goes to the hot (incoming line) or the fixture black.

While this arrangement will work, it does not comply with current code, which also requires a white wire (neutral) at the switch. Some switches, other than simple toggles, may need a neutral connection and the code tries to ensure that the wiring is available.

Depending on local code, if there is an inspection, you may or may not pass. The neutral has nothing to do with safety, only obsolescence.

Additionally, in a fairly modern, well wired system, there should be ground wires (geen or bare) at all fixtures and switches. If so, connect these as well to each switch and fixture.


With a shower, should the edge where the wall meets the floor be caulked, or is grout okay? Some of the shower tiles have come loose in my shower and need repair (specifically the ones at the base of the wall).  There's no 'tub' per-se, the whole thing is tiled, and it looks like whoever installed it used grout for the edge where the wall meets the floor.  Assuming everything else goes well... is it better to caulk the bottom edge?  Or is it okay to just use grout?

I'm just a motivated DIY guy, but when I learned tiling I was told to use silicone caulking wherever tile changes directions.  So, inside corners, meeting the floor, etc.


Reverse osmosis for desalination? I know that you can use a reverse osmosis process to desalinate water, and I know that there are many reverse osmosis water filtration systems marketed to individuals.
In general, do some/all/none of these reverse osmosis filtration systems desalinate water?
Thanks!

Reverse Osmosis will desalinate water.
If you apply a RO system expecting well water or municipal water to raw seawater desalination, you will very likely experience short membrane life .vs. a system optimized for that job, which might have many more pre-filters, for one thing.
Likewise, as far as I recall from not very recent research, RO membranes intended for use with well water are different from those intended for use with municipal water (in the context of the vast majority of United States municipal water being chlorinated, and well water usually not being chlorinated.)


How do I get invisible edges on my spackle jobs? I have a basement that I am looking to eventually paint.  The basement has spackle in various places on the walls, in many cases, way too much spackle appears to be applied, in a rather messy way, with no sanding after the spackling.  I am now attempting the sanding and if need be, some re-spackling of the uneven areas.

I made a mistake in my living room of assuming that if I sand some spackle, even if the edge of the spackling job isn't perfect, it is good enough to paint over.  The result was a wall where I can easily see my poor spackling edges.

How do I fix these areas around the edges of the spackle?  What techniques and tips can I employ?

Click for full size image

Remove high spots by hand sanding the entire wall with a flat, rigid 1/2-sheet sanding block and 80 grit paper.  It's ok to remove too much, but stop wherever you start to see the sheet rock facing paper or joint tape. Ideally, 100% of the wall will have been sanded.
For the areas (if any) where the paper shows before all the ridges (as in your photo) are gone, switch to either a 1/3-sheet or 1/4-sheet flat and rigid sanding block with 100 grit and sand broadly over the areas surrounding the show-throughs.
Remove the dust by wiping down the wall with a damp cloth/sponge kept clean by frequent rinsing in a large bucket.
Apply a thin coat of spackle using a 10" or larger metal blade. Apply less than required.
When dry, shave off any specs etc using the 10" blade over the entire wall.
Use a damp 4"x6"x2" sponge to 'sand' the new spackle,  working the sponge from the middle of a patch of spackle outwards towards the edge and beyond.
Apply a second thin coat of spackle and repeat the shave/sponge steps.
Inspect for flaws using a bright flashlight or trouble-light held against the wall with the room lights turned off.
Touch up as necessary.


Are there vampire-like power sockets? I will be renovating my apartment (not by myself) and one of the issues I constantly face are power sockets: the place where I intended them to be ends up being the worst one (the majority hidden behind furniture and a socket desert where I actually need to plug something).

There are (or used to be) vampire taps for 10BASE5 cables which allowed a connection to be made on a cable without cutting it.

Are there such solutions for electrical sockets? I am sure that pure vampire sockets do not exist (the kind where one would actually cut into the cable) but maybe similar solutions for removable/movable sockets do?

An example of a relocatable busbar power system for domestic use is Mainline

https://www.mainlinepower.com/us/home/

Most lighting track systems are for use overhead and aren't touch safe.


Water Heater - Electrical Fire - Safe to replace thermostat to try to fix? I replaced my water heater elements and thermostats about a week ago. Everything was fine and dandy for about a week. Then this afternoon I noticed no hot water so I took a look at the insides and it looked like the wires caught on fire.
Two questions: 1. What could cause this? It worked fine and then bam no more. 2. Would I be able to just replace the thermostat and it work again? It looks like the black wire is kinda burnt. Is it safe to replace myself or should I call in a plumber?

Thank you.

A loose connection can cause the wire to overheat. Now with the terminal appearing to be damaged it would require a new wire and possibly a new thermostat. If you can clean the terminal and it is not pitted you may be able to re use the thermostat but the wire needs to be replaced. These connections are high current draw and your wire was not wrapped around the screw even if tight the point of contact is two small and not code compliant without being wrapped. Exhibit 110.4 in 2014 NEC hand book 2/3 minimum not over lapping.


Is a permit necessary to avoid any issues with future insurance claims? Short story. I have an old brick building that is in poor condition and I have been working with a structural engineer to develop plans to make it structurally sound again. I want perform this work under the radar, and then involve the city later on for electrical, plumbing,roof, etc.

My concern is that the building is in very poor condition and has no setbacks on the property line. I think the chance of this is minimal, but I can't risk them coming in and telling me it should be torn down. Even if I could fight them and win, I don't want to bother. I want to get the structure bullet proof, and then say it was always like that when they come to inspect the electrical, etc.

My question is this: Do you think I could run into issue with any future issues (insurance claimes, etc) if the work isn't permitted, but was completed according to stamped engineering drawings from a licensed engineer?

Tags

You don't need to pull a permit for ordinary maintenance

As long as you can confine the scope of work to ordinary repairs and upkeep, you don't need to pull a permit for that.

What exactly that is may vary among jurisdictions.


Drilling through thick HDPE block I need to drill 4 10mm holes through 50mm thick HDPE and then countersink with a larger diameter (ca 20mm) hole to a depth of 20mm.  The material in question is in fact a step made out of recycled soft drink bottles.  I have often drilled through thin (6mm) sheets of acrylic but this is a while new ball game.  Off my own bat I would probably do the following

Use a blunted twist drill bit or a step drill bit to make the 10mm hole
Use a 20mm forstener bit to make the countersink

However, before I embark on the job and ruin the step for good - or worse - I thought I would seek a few ideas here.  I should mention that I do not have a drill press.

Reverse the order of operations - drill the counterbore (it's not a countersink, as described) first, then drill the through hole starting from the point of the Forstner in the center of the counterbore. If you don't have a piloted counterbore (ie, a 20mm bit with a 10mm guide pin) this order of operations will make a much better counterbore than small hole first.

Have scrap wood under the step when drilling, so you drill through into the wood, not into air. You might even want to clamp the step and the scrap wood together.


How to seam new stucco to old stucco when patching large areas Our city inspector wants us to break out the edge of old stucco to expose the wire then tie that back into the new mesh.  But when we did that, it became obvious to everyone (inspector included) that the old mesh is thin, rusty, and not worth connecting to:

What do people think of this detail instead?  I drilled holes and either used a galvanized screw or an epoxied nail.  The goal is to reinforce the join to control future cracking:

If you answer please state your authority on the subject, or give a reference to a book!

My authority is that I've researched and performed this very task in the past. That doesn't make me an expert, merely someone that had to deal with this.

For starters, I'd suggest getting actual stucco mesh/lathe rather than chicken wire. Neither are particularly strong, but stucco mesh is quite a bit heftier than chicken wire and is specifically designed to 'bite' the scratch coat and keep the stucco in place.

It may  be overkill, but I'd also put a few stainless screws in whatever mesh you are using (rather than just staples) as staples would eventually rust.

The screws on the existing stucco...at worst, it won't hurt, and at best is probably a good idea.

All that said, the joint between the new and old will eventually show a crack/seam. Not a whole lot you can do about that. What I did was let the new patch cure for about a year, then came back and filled the seam with masonry caulk, and repainted.


Can I relocate my furnace exhaust? When my new furnace was installed, the vent was put outside the house next to landscaping bushes.  It has killed one of my bushes. It used to be vented up to my roof and out.  Can I move this outside vent to the roof vent?

No, it sounds like you have a high efficiency furnace and these will direct vent outside versus using the chimney stack to vent.  You might want to talk to the installer to see if it could be better positioned as to not damage you plants.