How to polish porcelain? Used a dremel to clean up a broken edge on a porcelain piece. The grinding wheel was pretty rough, what should I use to smooth it out? Also, any way to get it super smooth and polished like the rest of the item?

Remember, porcelain isn't a polished smooth surface, it's a glazed sprayed on surface that's then fired at about 2300 degrees F. Once you've smoothed out the edge fill in any cracks or damaged areas with an epoxy glue. Let the glue self settle so it's a smooth surface and don't over apply. As far as matching the color, try nail polish. it comes in hundreds of colors and does a great job of sealing and self leveling for a smooth surface. I repaired a chip on a toilet and this really works well. Good luck


How deep do I set metal post? How deep should I set a 14' steel pole in concrete that will have a wood roof attached. I am building a carport that is 36' long by 12' wide by 14' tall. There will be 8 poles.

Given that 20 feet is a common stock steel length, 6 feet sounds good - if embedding them at all. It nearly meets the 2/3-1/3 rule-of-thumb for post above ground and post below ground. On more solid soils some get away with 3/4-1/4.


What do I need to do to change from Halogen to LED? I want to update a few rooms in my house from halogen to LED light. The fittings I already have are for the MR 16 style (2 pins). Having the ability to dim the lights is not important.

I found information here and online but I see suggestions of different circuits (rectifier circuit) or LED controllers.

Now I'm a complete novice, and a Google of either term brings up wiring drawings or ways to perform a light show.

My results did finally lead me to a choice of 2 things so my first question, what would I need, either LED Constant Voltage Drive or an LED Constant Current Driver

And my second question is, do I need one of these per LED bulb?

The type of driver you need depends on the type of LED bulb you use. Apparently in your country, you can get Constant Voltage LED or Constant Current LED. Choose the matching driver.

Both types of drivers can drive more than one LED. Consult the data sheet for the exact limit.

However, if you have MR16 "fittings" with GU5.3 socket already, it is likely you don't need to replace the existing driver if you purchase Constant Voltage LED rated at 12V. If you have GU10 or screw (edison), that is more likely to be high voltage. That's how it is in the US, I don't know about your country.


Electric oven keeps cutting out My electric oven keeps cutting out (completely shutting down, all lights, fan and heating element turn off). After a few minutes it starts up again. This happens repeatedly.
The oven has a mechanical analogue timer. Fiddling with the timer in a specific way causes the oven to start up again, but a minute later it shuts down, continuing the cycle.
I have now opened up the oven and removed the whole timer, but the problem persists!! At this stage we are about ready to just get rid of the oven and get a new one, but I wanted to know if it’s possible that this would a be a problem with the wiring in the property rather than the oven itself?
The oven is a Baumatic BOR610BL electric integrated oven.

It's a bad electrical connection that is failing thermally.
It works when it's cold, but when you put a load on it, it heats up. That makes materials expand and that causes a loss of connection.  Because the connection is terminated improperly.  Something like

Screws not properly torqued, causing too little pressure for it to accommodate temperature changes
Screws torqued too hard, meaning normal warming is deforming (flowing) the metal
Differences in expansion rate of aluminum vs copper, because the terminals are not designed to accommodate this with aluminum.

So every connection needs to be opened up, inspected, cleaned and re-done with proper screw torques, aluminum anti-oxidant, and with legal connections.  For instance a copper-only receptacle may need copper pigtails, with an Al-Cu splice being made with MAC Block Connectors.
It may not only be disconnecting.  It may also be doing series arcing before it fails altogether.  That makes a lot of heat and can start a fire.


How can I tell the handedness of a bolt? I have a craftsman lawnmower (with a Honda engine) and I'm trying to remove the lawnmower blade to sharpen it. It seems really tight. I'm wondering if I'm turning the bolt the wrong direction. Does anyone have a trick to determine if it's a 'normal' bolt or a reverse threaded bolt?

The torque on the bolt is highest when the blade is engaged. Be careful when thinking of this since as the blade is engaged and accelerates, the blade itself—due to the acceleration (or resistance of that acceleration by the blade itself)—wants to "slip" in the opposite direction. This "slip direction" should be the direction that tightens the bolt. So then loosen the bolt in the same direction as the blade rotates.


Should I run an extension cord or a new outlet for a fridge in my garage? I have a refrigerator stored in my garage. It can only be on one wall. The receptacle is on an adjacent wall. Maybe 15 feet away. The fridge tag lists 4.5 amps 115V source and single phase. Garage/Den breaker switch is a 15 amp. The dedicated kitchen refrigerator/GFI breaker switch is 20 amp. My first thought is to use a 10 or 12 gauge extension cord. Would this be OK? My second thought is to run surface mounted EMT conduit and a metal receptacle box to the wall by the fridge. Any thoughts on these two options?

To be correct, I'll just about guarantee that using an extension cord would be a violation of the refrigerator instructions, and violating the instructions for a device is a code violation.
Running surface mount EMT is a pretty simple job.


How can I minimize brush marks in polyurethane where wood grain meets from different directions? Am finishing dining table that has wood grain that meets in center of table and goes in different directions. Using thinned, oil poly, applied with ox-tail brush. Have applied 1 coat. Doesn't look good where grain meets.
How do I apply with the grain, when they go in 2 directions, for a great look?

I would sand the surface with a fine grit paper to remove any brush marks. Wipe it down with denatured alcohol to remove the dust. Get you a foam roller and roll a coat onto the surface. Roll slowly to prevent too many air bubbles. Allow it to dry and put a second finish coat on it. Three coats is standard in the industry. Foam rollers tend to leave a smooth finish overall with no worry of brush marks. You can also add some Japanese Drier to the poly to make it dry faster.


Why would turning off a sink faucet stop the shower? We observed a really weird behavior this morning.

While showering, if any sink faucet is turned on anywhere in the house, the shower continues without any problem. However, when that sink is turned off, water flow in the shower drops by over 90% to a trickle. Turning off the shower and back on restores water flow to normal.

We've never had this problem with the shower before. (The shower plumbing was all completely replaced 6 months ago as a part of a remodel)

Is there any explanation for this?

The part of the mixing valve that keeps the temperature/pressure in check has failed or clogged. So when you reduce the water flow to the show by opening a sink tap, the valve reacts to keep the temperature/pressure constant. Then when the tap is closed, the valve again attempts to react, but since the valve is broken, it does not react correctly.

The good news is this is easy to fix. Take the handle and the trim cover off. If your shower valve was installed correctly, you should be able to turn off the water to the valve by turning the two screws to either side of the valve. If not, you'll need to turn off the water to the whole house.

Removing the valve (sometimes called a cartridge) varies. Some have a threaded cap nut on the front that you just twist off. Others have a circular retaining clip around the outside of the valve assembly or inside the front of the valve. Once you've freed the cartridge, take it to a plumbing supply store and they can give you a replacement along with any additional steps you need to follow, such as lubricating or replacing O-rings.

Assemble in reverse, but put a fat line of plumber's putty behind the trim cover along the inside edge (leave a 2 inch gap long the bottom).

Here's a good set of instructions with pictures: http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/catalog/servlet/ContentView?pn=KH_PG_BA_Repairing_Cartridge_Tub_Shower_Faucet&storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053


When wiring a mains plug, why are the cables squeezed under the screws and not circled around? By chance, I ran into a video about a guy ranting about mains plugs used in Britain.

In the video, he shows how they are wired as well.
So this got me intrigued and I watched a few others.

In all examples shown, flex cables' wires are:

Cut very short, and
Squeezed by screws (not cut longer and circled around the screw)

What is the reason for this?

It might be important to add a photo of a plug, so us Yanks can understand what you're talking about.

Based on the image it's clear to see that the terminal screws have no heads, so it's much different from most screw terminals a US user would come across. Terminals like this; even in the US, are designed to clamp a straight bit of wire. With a terminal like this, wrapping the wire around the screw would not allow the screw to clamp the wire at all.


Do I need to replace the anti-siphon valve? We had a hard freeze and even though my faucets were covered, I think the anti-siphon valve may be damaged. The faucet itself seems to be ok, I dont see any leaks. When I turn on the faucet, water streams from the holes in the valve, does this mean I need to replace the valve? Is this difficult to replace?

That's a hose bibb vacuum breaker that's doing that, and it's shot
What you have there is a conventional hose bibb (outdoor faucet) that's been retrofitted with a hose bibb vacuum breaker to prevent a water main break from sucking whatever you left your garden hose in into the city's water system.  Unfortunately, with most of these retrofit-type devices, you need to drain them manually in order to winterize them, and if you don't, they may break, as yours clearly has.  You'll need to find and drill out the locking setscrew that holds yours on, then remove it and replace it with a new hose bibb vacuum breaker -- they're available at any hardware store.


Best treatment for dishwasher rollers that use metal screws My dishwasher roller wheels are plastic and have started to fail.  I bought replacements, but another of the original plastic ones has started to fail.  When I went to look I saw that the replacements used metal parts to hold the wheels in place (see pictures) rather than purely plastic.  Now those metal parts have rusted badly.

Before I put more of these metal-based replacements into the dishwasher, can I treat the parts with rustoleum or some kind of plastic covering to make them last longer?  Is the rustoleum dishwasher safe?

The previous replacement rollers haven't been in there for even 1 year, probably about 9 months.

From your picture, it looks like just the washer is rusting. Replace the washers with stainless steel washers to prevent rusting. You can source these from anywhere you can find a stainless washer of the appropriate size.

It appears that the screw and screw-post are not rusting, indicating that they're made out of stainless steel.

Not sure why they would have made the parts out of different materials, but it seems they have - it's probably cheaper this way.


Why don't programmable thermostats automatically switch between "Cool" and "Heat"? While I can set my house to be a particular temperature, I still have to manually switch it between "Heat" and "Cool" mode, and this seems to be true of every thermostat (programmable or not) that I've seen. Is there a reason for this?

The logic involved is much more complex.

Right now the logic is simple:

if AC Mode and it's too hot, turn on AC, else turn off AC
if Furnace mode and its too cold turn on furnace, else turn off furnace

But the determination of when to switch between heating and cooling modes is much more complex - otherwise the ac would kick on, and it would get too cold, so hte furnace would kick on, making it too hot, and a cycle would begin that would never end.

So the logic must be more like:

if the average ambient temperature has remained below a certain threshhold
    for a given period of time
    and the air conditioner hasn't been on in quite a while, change to furnace mode
but if average ambient temperature has remained ABOVE a certain threshhold
    for a given period of time
and the furnace hasn't been on in quite a while, change to a/c,

then if we're in furnace mode and it's cold, turn on the furnace,
but if we're in a/c mode, and it's hot, turn on the a/c.

The circuitry involved is much more complex, so the price is higher and the market share obviously will be smaller.


Cover old ugly floor in a rented apartment? We have to move to an old rented apartment, the floor looks terrible (it's green! and that's the original color!!). How can I hide the shame? I'm looking for the cheapest solution possible (ANYTHING would be better than that rotten floor), that can be taken off when we (happily) leave the place without damaging the original floor?

p.s. It should also be safe to our health, e.g. I've heard some opinions that PVC is not too healthy inside a house?

You can't alter anything about an apartment without permission of the landlord. With their permission, the answer is: anything! Without it, the answer is: nothing.


Installing Tankless Hot Water System - Amp Questions & Using AWG 6 Wire with Current Tank I'm looking into researching about installing a Hot Water Tankless system.

Specifically I want to install the following:

Rheem Tankless Water Heater 2.14 GPM 13 kW Self-Modulating Electric Wall Mount

It has the following power requirements: (RTE 13)

I had a few questions:

Lets start with the obvious, I'm not 100% my service is adequate. I have 100Amp service in a 1 Bedroom trailer that utilizes Electric Heat. I have 2 20Amp breakers dedicated to two different Electric Baseboards as well as the usual appliances. As it is a one bedroom it isn't often that many appliances are being used simulataniously, but I do want to be not tripping anything just by using hot water + heating the home.

Can my setup handle this hot water tank?

Here is an image of my breaker and the panel breakdown:

If so, perhaps this should be a seperate thread, but I'm just putting it all ine one for now....

Can I upgrade the current wire to AWG 6 and the breaker to 60Amp and hook that up to my current hot water tank system. The reason being I'd like to get the wiring/breaker setup so that when I go to install the tankless system it's "plug and play". I'm not sure if the different thickness of wire and size of breaker will matter if I am using a higher rated wire/breaker than needed. I'm guessing people just don't go higher because it costs more, but I'm not sure.

Being a small home and only seeing 2 circuits (240v baseboard 20 amp heaters) you would be pushing the service, but it might work, you would be removing the double pole 20  in 1-3 and installing the 60 amp or going from 5kw to the new 13kw or April 8 kw higher draw or approx +33 amps while in use compared to the old one. We don’t actually add the breakers to figure out the total load on the service, where I could see a problem in the winter when you need full power on the water heater with the 2 base board circuits running the actual draw there could be right around 80 amps having the dryer or oven going along with some lights and you may trip the main. So it is very close. I would want to monitor the power usage with the above turned on and see what the actual draw is before saying yes or no.


Can I use only one phase out of a triphasic cable? Scenario

There is a three-phase cable popping out of the wall exactly where I need to put a light bulb.

Is it ok if I plug only two wires to the triphasic cable, (i.e. neutral and live 1) to achieve this?

Further questions

What consequences would this have (e.g. consumption?, stability?)

Context

At home I have identified two types of cables:

single phase cables (with their expected three wires inside).
three-phase cables (five wires inside).

The latter has two outputs, one in the kitchen for the stove/oven, while there is another cable in the toilet (most prob for the washing machine), which I don't use at all.

If there is a provided neutral wire, for most countries it should be fine,

Consequences:

If it was a large load, e.g. an outlet, you would need to make sure the load on each phase was reasonably balanced,

Having a lighting circuit on a different breaker to the rest of the house lighting is frowned at, as if that circuit trips, the light goes out, equally someone later on perhaps wanting to replace that light socket will switch off the lighting breaker, if they fail to test the light socket afterwards, they will have a nasty surprise.


Distribution of circuits for two bathrooms I currently have two bathrooms serviced by one circuit.  Each bathroom has lights, a single GFCI counter-top receptacle, and one bathroom has in-floor resistance heating.  I will be adding in-floor heating to the other bathroom.  As I understand it, code requires a two circuits for two bathrooms, but allows two configurations:  1) all lights on one circuit (but not shared with any lights outside the bathrooms. and the other circuit serving the outlets for both.  2) one circuit for each bathroom.

I prefer to keep lights on a separate circuit from the receptacles, since 14 gage wire is easier to run and I am forced to do some some long, difficult runs (vaulted ceilings, solid log home), Also If a breaker trips, it's nice if the lights stay on.  But I also think putting both bath receptacles on the same circuit increases the chance of nuisance tripping (two hair dryers at the same time > 20A?).  I'd like to put the bathroom lights on a bedroom light circuit and give each bath receptacle it's own circuit, but this appears to violate NEC.

I'm curious what the rationale for these rules are.  I'm also interested in the pros and cons of each configuration.  Also would like some input on whether or not the heaters should go on the receptacle or light circuit for config #1.  I would prefer putting them on a dedicated circuit, but unfortunately that is not an option.  The heater load fits easily in the 20A available.

You are correct that the first two options are allowed by Code (citing from the 2014 NEC here) -- the relevant passage is 210.11(C)(3) along with its Exception:

  (3) Bathroom Branch Circuits. In addition to the number of branch circuits
  required by other parts of this section, at least one 120-volt, 20-ampere
  branch circuit shall be provided to supply a bathroom receptacle outlet(s).
  Such circuits shall have no other outlets.

  Exception: Where the 20-ampere circuit supplies a single bathroom, outlets for
  other equipment within the same bathroom shall be permitted to be supplied in
  accordance with 210.23(A)(1) and (A)(2).

However, this passage only applies to receptacles unless you take advantage of the terms of the exception; putting the bathroom light on a shared lighting circuit is Code-legal as long as the receptacles are on a dedicated circuit.

For the heaters, you can either put them on a per-bathroom circuit as long as they satisfy 210.23(A)(2) by not using up more than 50% of the circuit's ampacity:

  (2) Utilization Equipment Fastened in Place. The total rating of
  utilization equipment fastened in place, other than luminaires, shall not
  exceed 50 percent of the branch-circuit ampere rating where lighting units,
  cord-and-plug-connected utilization equipment not fastened in place, or
  both, are also supplied.

or you can have them on a shared lighting circuit, if you decide to have a separate circuit for bathroom receptacles.  Unfortunately, putting them on the same circuit as the bathroom receptacles when that circuit is shared between bathrooms is prohibited by the Exception to 210.23(A):

  Exception: The small-appliance branch circuits, laundry branch circuits, and
  bathroom branch circuits required in a dwelling unit(s) by 210.11(C)(1), (C)
  (2), and (C)(3) shall supply only the receptacle outlets specified in that
  section.


Can you put an electrical switch inside a walk-in closet according to NEC? I have a walk-in closet where I would like to put a switched light ceiling-mounted fixture.
According to NEC can I put the switch inside the closet (next to the door), or does the switch need to be on the wall, outside the closet?
I would prefer a citation of the code (if there is one) so I can ensure I follow the rules.

Code doesn’t specify a location for the light switch it can be inside or outside so a code reference is not available.
The only limit is the height at 6’7”
NEC 410 can get you started for luminaries and closets 410.16 in the closet then 410.48 general wiring but no requirement for the location.
More on switches in article 404 And again the height max is the only limit.


Electrical wiring brown and black only I want to change the classical electrical switches in my newly purchased house to smart switches and I am very confused in regard with the electrical wiring carried out by the home developer. The smart switches are making references to red, white, black and yellow wires while the attached image indicates that 3 out of the 4 wires are black. Any suggestion how I can sort out these connections ?

It depends if in your box you have also neutrals, if you have pigtailed (neutral), usually white, wire inside the box. In that case, you have a 'permanent' phase on the black wires (I'd bet the two wires going to single screw) and a 'switched' phase on the other black wire (that is the wire going to the lamp) and that in newer setups usually is red.

So you'll have all 3 wires needed: PE (bare copper), permanent phase (two wires that now goes on single screw), neutral (white pigtailed wires inside the box).

If you don't have other wires inside the box you should call an electrician to pull a new wire or just remain with current setup.


What type of cable should I run from the service pole to my house for cable internet? I found out that if I want Cable internet at my house, I need to spend $2400 in construction fees run a line under ground to my house. I'm a pretty handy guy, and generally like doing these kinds of things on my own, so I was wondering what type of cable internet providers use run underground to go from the line to the house. I'd like to figure out how much this'll cost, and this is the only unknown for me.

The price you've been quoted sounds as though they are going to pull feeder cable from their tap location. Feeder cable is typically 0.500 inch nominal outside diameter, frequently larger when including insulation and in the case of underground rated cable, a goopy substance used ostensibly to seal nicks in the jacket.

The stuff is seriously stiff, but can be pulled through conduit if the conduit is large enough diameter and uses sweeps at each end. Go beyond two sweeps and you may run into trouble.

Considering that you want to provide the labor, conduit is the correct way to go. Should you find yourself digging in the area in the future, a clunk of the shovel against PVC is preferred to a gash in the cable.

The cable company will likely provide you with the cable, called five-hundred, if you explain that you'd like to put in the conduit and cable in one sequence. They would suggest that you leave a few feet at each end for creating the terminations.

I've dug up too many feeder lines for repair purposes to say I enjoyed myself, but I had a good reputation on the device used to locate the break that the digging was more localized. With conduit, even if you drive a back-hoe blade through it, the need to repair becomes immediately obvious.

At the price you've been quoted, I'd guess that you have more than a couple hundred feet to travel.


How do I nail furring strips without them cracking? While remodeling my basement, I had several walls where I just put up furring strips and foam insulation rather than framing in a "real" wall.  I used 1x2 furring strips and attached them with a ramset and 1 1/2 inch nails.

Problem is, putting the nails through the furring strips would quite often cause them to crack.  I tried pre-drilling (didn't really help) and also tried using 1x3 strips in some places (helped a little, but not much).

Is there some trick to nailing up furring strips to keep them from cracking on you?

You may be using the wrong load.  This site recommends using a Yellow #4 load on strips 3/4" thick, or Green #3 for 1/4" - 1/2".

You could also use concrete screws.

Pre-drill holes in furring strip and wall (about every 24").
Clean holes in walls well (with shop-vac).
Using concrete screws fasten furring strip to wall (do not over tighten).


Dishwasher slowly fills with water after use My Electrolux dishwasher seems to work fine, but a few hours after running it I notice water slowly accumulating in the base of the dishwasher. There is a small amount of water leaking into the tub from an opening on the left side of the tub, several inches up from the bottom. This doesn't make since, as I though that was the dryer inlet. Anyway, I thought the problem might be due to a faulty Water Valve Assembly, so I replaced it. The leakage might be reduced slightly, but the water still fills the bottom of the dishwasher. Any ideas would be appreciated.

My best guess is that the impeller has worn down enough that it no longer makes a good enough seal to act as a check valve. That's drain water seeping back in.

The dryer on a DW is that metal rod running along the bottom. The hole on the side is the fill inlet.

If it is fresh water leaking in, having replaced the valve the only thing left is the control board. The original purchase price, replacement cost and/or repair parts availability and their cost will dictate your economical options (don't buy a $100 control board for a $200 DW).

Replacing the impeller is a relatively cheap lets see if this works solution; replacing the control board would be of the this had better work kind.

Tracking this down may be more work than it's worth. It's not uncommon for most dishwashers to have some water remaining in them. If it's not spilling onto the floor or growing mold, who cares? If this was a friend-house-call, I'd tell you to (a) call me back when it starts leaking on the floor (b) buy an impeller kit (c) stop throwing money at it and buy a new one (the cost difference between new dishwashers is noise level; they all work just fine).

That is of course, after having insured that the drain line is elevated to reduce back-flow and that it is free from blockage by doing a garden hose enema with the impeller removed. If you're lucky, there's a grease plug fouling up the works.

city-data.com


Should the cold water supply be constantly open for hot water heating system? I just flushed out my baseboard heating system and refilled it with new water. I am wondering, should the cold water supply to the system stay open or should it be a closed loop until flushed again at another date?

Closed.

Two reasons - main one, you need to know if it's leaking. A properly functioning system should not need "make up water" on a regular basis.

The other, related reason - if the system is leaking and constantly taking in new water, it's also taking in new dissolved oxygen in that water - and 99.9% of hot water heating systems are built with a mixture of copper and iron parts (or all iron parts) that will rust terribly if continuously supplied with oxygen. A non-leaking system rusts out what oxygen is in the water, and then stops rusting. Every time you add new water it rusts more; so the less you add new water, the less the interior of the system rusts.


How do I properly size a 120v inline power relay to control a small air conditioner with my home automation system? I have a 5,000 BTU, 115 volt, 4.8 amp, window-unit air conditioner I'd like to control from my home automation system.

I think easiest thing to do would be to plug the unit into an inline rely module that switches its power on and off.

How do I go about determining the load rating needed for such a relay module?

For example, I have an extra module here that says it's rated for 600W incandescent, 1/2 HP motor load, or 15 Amps resistive. Too small, right?

@ 80% efficiency is just above 1/2 horsepower.  The relay is just slightly too small in my opinion.


How do I position roof trusses without using a string line? How would I be able to install trusses on the building walls in which the tails were pre-cut to length, and have them come out perfectly straight to one another, without using a string line, mainly because of wind?

How do you make sure you have a perfect rectangle - corner to corner will always be equal - make your measurement the third angle of a triangle.

So for all intents and purposes your question asks how to do this with out a string line and your concern is because of the wind.

A perfect rectangle will have equal length from one corner to corner measurement (South-East to North-West) as it will from the other corner to corner (South-West to North-East ). Because basically it is two right triangles joined together.

So if you start at placement with your first truss - you make one measure on one side after that it is simple. See my example picture - black lines are trusses , orange lines are wall supports and the light blue is a measurement you make - whether you want to use a single pre-measured string or tape measure - you are not doing this by dragging a line across the roof .. and this is easy enough with a laser line as well (maybe easier).

You can place the first truss and measure where to put the second truss and cut a line at that point - or use the Pythagorean Equation A² + B² = C².

A² = Truss length.
B² = center on center truss to truss.
C² = my little blue lines distance corner to corner.

A laser will work fine and you will not have any huge setup time - this is easier than you think.

[If the math is too much use the scientific calculator on your computer.]


How to install tub into non-square rough opening? I am remodeling a bathroom and I am putting in a new tub and then tile the walls of the tub. My problem (right now) is that my rough opening is 60-3/4" at the back and 60-1/2" at the front. This leaves me with a 3/4" gap at back and 1/2" at front. My backer board has to butt up to sheetrock on an exsistng wall. How do I fill in the gap, which will be almost an inch, behind my backer board after I set it inside the lip of the tub but still keep it where my backer board will butt up to the sheetrock and be on the same level.

I don't know exactly where the other wall is you want to match up with. The standard method is to shim out your rough opening to be exactly what you need for the tub. That means putting shims on the studs around the tub to get it lined up where you need it.

Once the tub is in where you need it, add more shims to the studs above the tub to bring your backer board even with the tub. If the lip of the tub is 1/4" you will need to add at least 1/4" shims the entire length of each stud (maybe more if you have more space on some studs). I used wood lathe for my shims, if you have a table saw you can easily make these shims yourself to whatever dimension you need for your tub.


Should you let PVC primer (purple) dry before applying cement? Should you let PVC primer (purple) dry before applying cement or is it okay to apply cement over wet primer?

No - PVC Primer does not need to 'dry' before use - in fact, it needs to be wet to do it's job and not impede the cement - remember, plumbers in a hurry use this daily and aren't sitting around waiting for the primer to dry before grabbing the cement.

I make sure everything fits first, then grab the primer and swab it on, set it down and grab the cement and swab it on.  If you wait - it's likely no more the 10 seconds.  If you've waited a few minutes because you've gotten distracted, made a mistake or something and it's fully dry, just reprime to be sure the plastic is accessible and softened for the cement.  If you don't- it can prevent the cement from bonding as well to the plastic.

The cure-times listed on the can are for after the cement cures- typically 2 sets of times will be listed - one for handling and one for pressure testing.


How do I install floating shelves on drywall using a drill? I am installing some some floating shelves on drywall using a drill. What's the best way to ensure the shelves are a sturdy foundation that can support stacks of heavy books? Should I use a stud finder and attach the shelf bracket directly to a wall stud? Or will the shelves be sturdier if I use wall anchors? If so, to determine the appropriate wall anchors, should I take into account the weight of the shelves and the contents I intend to store on the shelves? Finally, are butterfly or toggle anchors preferred for this project?

Attach the shelf brackets directly into the studs, no ifs, ands, or buts. Wall anchors are OK for light loads, but I wouldn't use exclusively them for a floating shelf, even if you weren't putting books on it. I would use at least 2" #8 screws, so you have at least 1.25" going into the actual stud. If your shelf bracket is rather thick, go with 2.5" screws.

If your shelf is short, or you want it positioned such that you'll only hit one stud, you should use wall anchors on the ends in addition to screwing into that one stud. The wall anchors in that case would be more to keep the shelf from rotating. Toggle anchors are certainly appropriate for this case, but the plastic anchors would be OK as well, since they're not intending to support much weight in this scenario.

I like a magnetic stud finder such as the StudBuddy, as it's dead simple to use.


Does this 3 prong 250V outlet in the Philippines have two hots and a neutral or hot/neutral/ground? The plug claims to be 12A 250V, so I think its a NEMA 6-15R or 6-30R which handle 15 or 30 volts  respectively.

Here is a picture of the outlet:

It looks like the Philippines uses a system similar to Europe, so it would be 1 hot ( 240V @60 Hz.), 1 neutral, and a ground.
Typical Worldwide Voltages
Japan, Taiwan, North America and some parts of northern South America.
100 - 120/240V  ± 5% @ 60 Hz.
Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and most of South America
230V  ± 6% @ 50 Hz.
Here is a map of voltages and frequencies around the world from Wikipedia.


No water coming from water supply line to icemaker I have a cold water shutoff valve going to icemaker. It is connected by vinyl tubing. That end had a a brass insert, sleeve, and nut on it. If I tighten it enough to stop water from dripping, I don't get any water coming from hose. What is causing this?

I'm assuming you have a connection like this:

I've seen these fitting leak, but I've never seen them have no flow before.

Generally these compression fittings don't need to be on very tight, because it's the pressure of the sleeve against the fitting that keeps them from leaking. Usually they only take about one half to one full turn with a wrench after being hand tightened.

Things to check:

Make sure the brass insert is not crushed or bent
Make sure the sleeve is on straight, has no nicks or other damage, and seats well in the fitting
Check the tube isn't folded over or crimped (if it is, cut it off a bit past the damaged part)
The end of the insert shouldn't sit too deep within the valve. Generally the sleeve should be about centered over the insert.
Check for blockage or dirt in the valve and on the edge of the fitting where the sleeve sits


My mid 50's home has ballasts on incandescent lighting fixtures. Can I remove them? For some reason unknown to me, my house that was built in the mid 1950s has "tungsten or ballasts" wired to each of the light fixtures on the main floor of the house. All of these light fixtures house incandescent bulbs, except for one track lighting fixture which contains 4 50 watt halogen reflector bulbs.

The corresponding light switches are a side-to-side soft toggle style that I haven't seen in any other homes. The switches float in a neutral position after being pressed. When pressing the switch to the on position, the ballast clicks and buzzes like a relay for an instant.

Does anyone have any ideas as to why things are wired this way? Can I simply remove the ballasts and wire in standard light switches?

Here is an image of one of the ballasts:

Here is an image of one of the switches:

They look like a they are part of a Bryant low voltage relay system. There is a guide to low voltage systems describing them here.

If that is so, it is a 24 volt system. While it appears that you have 120 volt line at the fixture, it is quite possible that the wiring in your wall is not suitable for line voltage. You need at least 14 gauge wire with a grounding wire or equivalent in cable for the entire run, fully enclosed boxes, all of which are accessible and all connections in boxes.

If you are confident that is the case, then you could remove the relays and replace the switches with 120 volt switches. If not, you either need to have someone confirm the wiring meets minimum standards or you need to run a new cable for the replacement switch.

An alternative is to buy replacement parts to keep the Bryant system running.


Buzz in my electronics I bought a house that had a lot of fluorescent lighting installed.  The kitchen has four fixtures with 2 42" bulbs each.  The front bathroom has a fixture.  The garage has 12 fixtures.  The shed has 8 fixtures.  There are a lot of them.

But I get a buzz in my electronics.  Buzz on my computer.  Buzz on my stereo.  Et cetera.  I have gotten around it on the stereo with a power conditioner.  I think putting all the lights on one circuit will be troublesome since I think it would require rewiring most of the house.

Is there anything I can do myself without hiring an electrician to do major work?

Can you isolate the problem to any specific lights? Of course, obvious question, but if all the lights are off does it go away? Does the buzzing get louder as you turn more lights on?

It's possible that this is caused by older magnetic ballasts (which themselves typically buzz). You could try replacing just the ballasts with electronic ballasts, just be sure they are equivalent and pay attention to the difference in wiring. It may also mean that you need new bulbs, as you may not be able to find an electronic ballast with the same characteristics, but that's not maybe not terrible since T8 bulbs (1" diameter) are supposed to be better and more readily-available than T12 bulbs (1.5" diameter).


How can I remove scratches from mat plastic? This is the sheet of plastic that I would like to clean up. I've researched the Internet a bit, but I could only find solutions for glossy plastics that involved polishing. Is there anything that can be done here (apart from making it glossy).

its kind or hard to tell from the photo, but this looks like haircell finish, not matte.  its best identified by little swirly bumps, and is a really common finish on many plastic products (ironically for its ability to hide scratches).

if its haircell, there is not real way to remove it short of hours and hours of mechanical burnishing with burnishing rifflers, and they will cost you a fortune if you don't own them already.  you also have to be able to actually do the work, and its an art form.

if its matte finish plastic, the best compromise will be sand the area smooth, and then to about an .25 micron finish (approx 400 grit wetsand).  then tape off the whole area and beadblast with glass bead.  you will have to experiment with different blasting media to get the finish you want.

either way, its probably cheaper to just replace the piece altogether, or have a new one fabricated.


How can I remove this bathtub drain I want to remove our older style bathtub drains that use a drain lever with linkage and replace it with a popup drain. However, unlike most of the examples here and on other sites, our drain doesn't have any crossbar. So, removing it with a Drain Removal Wrench won't work (I think).

Does anyone have any recommendation on how to get the existing drain out so I can replace it?

The drain will unscrew... you might need a drain key (or expanding tub drain remover). Here's a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_0vYme1Q88

Or you might be able to grab it with a pair of channel locks:

But if you don't care about it any more then you could use a dremel tool to cut a notch in it so that you can use a flat head screwdriver and a hammer to unscrew it.


What's the least intrusive way to find out what's in a wall? I'm getting ready to mount a flatscreen TV on our living room wall and would like to route various cables through it (e.g. surround sound speakers, HDMI, etc). I appreciate the AWESOME tips here, but I think I'm missing something important: How can I find out what's in the wall without causing damage or creating too much of a mess?

My concern is that there may be electrical wiring, plumbing, insulation, or dead rodents (kidding) in there.

Our house is about 50 years old and the wall is shared with the kitchen on the other side but there's no sink attached to that wall. Wall material is drywall.

There are some electronic inspection cameras on the market. Might be an excuse to buy one.

You would have to make one or more small holes to insert the camera.


What is the proper way to power an in wall monitor for a new construction home? A wall has been framed out to mount a touch screen computer monitor. Once the monitor is installed it will be used as a home automation hub.

What is the proper way to supply power to this monitor?  The monitor needs to be plugged in somehow to 120v electrical outlet, while also meeting NEC code.

This monitor also has a small power supply (shown below). Where should the power supply be housed? There is a cavity behind the monitor, within the wall framing, for it to sit, but that doesn't seem safe, especially when there's a label on the power supply, "Caution, my get hot".

The current plan is as follows:

Run the line cord through an electrical conduit. I would first lengthen the monitor's factory line cord by cutting off line cord's wall plug and the ac power supply plug, and then splice a SO cord to the wall plug and power supply ac plug, lengthening the line cord. At this point the line cord is around 20 feet, which would then be fished through the gray electrical conduit in the picture. At the end of the conduit is a junction box where the line cord comes out of the wall and plug into a wall outlet, which is a couple of feet away from the junction box.

If I went this route, that would mean splicing the factory monitor line cord, in order to lengthen it. And if that was done, does doing so break code if the splice is inside the gray electrical conduit?

Your current plan is no good -- first off, 400.8 point 1 forbids the use of cords as a replacement for permanent wiring (stuffing a cord down a conduit certainly counts, and is also prohibited explicitly by 400.8 point 6).  Second, 400.9 prohibits the splicing of cord during installation.  Third, wire splices need to be in a junction box so that they can be serviced in the future.

A better plan would be to bring the conduit out to the receptacle box where you plan to tap power, and then stuffing NM through the conduit (yes, this is OK).  At the box end, you'd simply tie it into the rest of the wiring as you would ordinarily (using pigtails and wire nuts if they aren't already present there).  At the monitor end, you'd attach a field-fittable IEC C13 connector directly to the NM cable and plug it into the monitor (you may need a right angle connector here -- make sure it accepts 14AWG as not all do).

Your other option is to use a recessed receptacle in a junction box mounted at the monitor end of the conduit, and plug the monitor's cord into it.  This requires that the cord either be exposed completely, or the monitor be readily removable (i.e. "take a few fasteners off, remove a trim piece, and it comes out", not "oh, we have to tear into the wall to replace this") in order to apply 400.7(A) point 8.  It also requires a way to get the cord to the recessed receptacle, considering you can't bury the junction box + receptacle in the wall.

Given that you are dealing with an AC adapter -- the recessed receptacle approach is the superior one (I don't believe you can get the smaller IEC connectors to fit on 14AWG anyway!).  The main issue will be finding a pairing of recessed receptacle and shallow box that will fit together while accepting the PVC conduit.  I'd start with a P&S P108W as that box is only 1.125" deep, leaving 0.375" for the cable and faceplate, and see what recessed receptacles work with it -- the silly folks at Leviton don't publish a dimensional drawing for the 689-W linked above, so I can't tell from here if it fits or not.  (Drilling a 1/2" conduit KO in the above box should be OK btw -- the FS-type boxes that are designed to fit conduit are all too deep for this job.)

Oh, and if you do use the recessed receptacle approach, you'll probably need to finish out the monitor-alcove with some half-inch drywall back-to-back with that plywood backplate, using screws and standoffs to mount the electrical box.  (Boxes that stick out from their surroundings are kosher by Code.)  Of course, the only way any of this will work is if the cavity in the monitor will fit all of the cabling as well as the transformer and the J-box.


Should a brand new AAV be able to leak water? I know that ideally, an AAV (Air admittance valve) would not leak air or water out. But, should it be able to leak water under certain circumstances (such as running the garbage disposal) while still being considered "working"?

Consider a house has just a kitchen sink and dishwasher connected to a stack. Everything else was on a different stack. The kitchen stack was vented to the roof, however it was determined that there was a leak in the pipe to the roof. A plumber disconnected the vent, and placed an AAV under the sink.

The issue here is that if the sink is full of water, and the garbage disposal runs for more than 5 seconds, a decent amount of water leaks out of the AAV.

I am reading that AAV's are supposed to be a "one way valve". See diagram below. Air can come in, but the seal should close and not let pressure out...yet water is getting out.

(Image from Amazon.com)

The plumber who installed the AAV insists that the drain under the basement floor must be to blame, and should be "snaked"/cleaned out. Perhaps it is clogged under the basement, but I'm still wondering if an AAV should leak. I'm thinking that it may help to raise the AAV as much as possible. It's obviously below the flood level of the sink. Maybe it could be routed around the sink, just under the counter top, as seen in the following crude photoshop:

Is the plumber free to blame the basement drain, or is this AAV dysfunctional?

I don't know much about AAVs (or venting in general). But I do know that disposals push a LOT of water (and everything else!) very hard & very fast. If there is a clog in the line then stuff will come out elsewhere - e.g., in my case I have had output from a 2nd sink. So with a low-position AAV, I would not be at all surprised to see the disposal + clogged line overwhelm the AAV and end up with a mess.

Based on a little searching and my own experience (with disposals & dishwashers, but not with AAVs) is that:

You do likely have a clog in the line, which will need to get snaked or otherwise cleared out, and until that is resolved the AAV is simply not going to stand up to the disposal.
The AAV, by design, just can't keep up with the disposal if the waste line is not running totally free. A regular vent would handle a clog better. However, the AAV should be fine when the line is reasonably clear.

You should also make sure your dishwasher has either an air gap or a high hose loop. Your diagram doesn't show either one. Without an air gap or high hose loop, the disposal discharge backup could go into your dishwasher as well as your AAV.


Deck, Connecting two beams to support cantilevered joists I am re-posting this because my original post had poor drawing and caused a lot of confusion.
See image below. I have a joist that is cantilevered 4' 10" (colored in cyan for quick reference), which I wish to support by a double 2x12 (or smaller?) beam which colored in purple for quick reference.
My question is: Is this acceptable? The span of the "purple" beam would be ~14', but all it's really needed for is to support those joist that are cantilevered.

While your approach is fine, but I prefer to add an edge beam as shown red in the sketch below. Then you only need to run the diagonal in between the beams.


How can I replace these old ceiling tiles? I recently had a roof leak and some water got into my bedroom and the ceiling sagged a bit. It has appeared to dry out and we have cracks in the seams from the tiles apparently shrinking.
Upon closer review i notice the tiles appear to be like cardboard but I don't know where i would be able to find them. I am also wondering if they would have asbestos, in which case I wouldn't want to mess with it.
Any help is greatly appreciated and i have attached photos, and I think they are stick on tiles.

This type of tile is composed of pressed fiber material. They have edges that engage each other in a tongue-and-groove arrangement. They're typically installed on 1x2 battens running under the continuous seams.

If you can find replacements, you can probably cut individual tiles out with a fresh utility knife. You'd then install the new tiles with construction adhesive. You'd need to support them for few hours, perhaps with temporary padded stilts.

You might find it easier to pull down the cove molding, overlay drywall, tape and paint, and reinstall the molding (or just tape the corners as normal).


Waterproofing a concrete basement wall with a staircase in the way? I've been in my 1926 house for just over a year, and earlier this week I noticed water seeping in through the concrete wall behind my basement staircase after some intense rain. It was a small but steady trickle. The basement walls have been treated with what I assume is a water proof sealant although I do not know the exact details as it was done before I bought the house, but clearly it was done recently and they could not cover behind the staircase.

What are my options for sealing this up? So far I've only thought up:

Rip the staircase out, use something like Drylok, rebuild the stairs
Use closed cell spray foam and spray in the gaps (see 3rd photo)

There is no sump pump, and no additional water proofing that I know of. Outside is my driveway and the grading is relatively flat. (See last photo.)

The water came in just to the right of the window, behind the stringer, towards the back of the 5th step.

The missing riser was broken, so I just pulled it off. (Several of the others are also warped.)

There's gaps all along the edges of the stairs, and the stringer does not appear to be attached to the wall directly.

Blue arrow indicates where the water is coming in, roughly. The gutters deposit water far away from there though.

I regards to the unsealed area behind the stairs leaking, you just have to get in there and seal up the unpainted concrete, and also patch any holes, voids, and the gap where the floor meets the wall.  We have done quite a few of these by removing a stair tread and in your case the riser so you can get in there.

For materials we always use Hydro-Seal 75 water based epoxy coating and apply two coats and do all our patching with Hydro-Seal 75 epoxy mortar which is Hydro-Seal 75 mixed with Portland Cement & Sand(or concrete sand mix).  Hydro-Seal 75 is great for all types of basemant walls and floors

Remove stair tread and riser enough to fit a person in behind the stairs.
Prepare surface by washing with TSP & wire brush after washing if needed.
Mix Hydro-Seal 75 enough needed to coat the area, looks like 1/2 gallon would do this area, and hand to guy behind the stairs.
Paint on with roller and cut edges with brush
Mixer makes some Hydro-Seal 75 mortar and hands to guy behind the stairs with putty knife so he can skim all cracks.  Allow paint and patching to dry 2 to 4 hours.
Apply 2nd coat same way to achieve a pinhole free application. I would also seal the entire floor behind there as well after 2 coats on the wall is done.
Put stair treads and risers removed back.

Note- Good job for a small person!


Is there any reason not to tile right over a freshly-laid block-and-beam subfloor? The block-and-beam method of building subfloors is very popular in the UK:

Once the blocks are laid, typically a thin bed of mortar or concrete is troweled or poured on top to secure everything. I got to thinking: is there any reason why you couldn't instead install tile right over the bare blocks and beams, with the tile mortar squeezed into the cracks and serving the same purpose as the thin slab? Especially looking for input from Europeans familiar with this building method.

This is a first time I see such a way to build a subfloor, it's not common in a country of my origin. It seems, however, that concrete blocks are not simply a filler here (as in other types of ceiling/floor structures), they can bear loads and play load-bearing part.

That said, I can still think of several reasons to put the concrete layer on top of the structure:
1. the layer will fill all the cracks and defects of the structure (You asked about tile mortar - it's more expensive to use it instead of a concrete)
2. the layer (properely laid) will level all the subfloor to stand for a good base for tiles
3. the layer will distribute dynamic loads better than a floor without it to prevent single-tile cracking
4. if it's a subfloor over the ground, then You will need some moisture insulation and thermal insulation (ask google for proper layer order), I presume that it will go between a structure and the concrete layer

I encourage other SE users to correct me if I'm wrong here.


Can a wood fireplace be completely open without any boundaries and just a chimney? I usually see fireplaces that are open only on one side. This would be a standard example:

https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/fireplace-with-fire-burning-royalty-free-image-75406522-1541632053.jpg

The flames are surrounded by 3 walls and open on the one viewing side. Recently I've noticed some fireplaces such as:

https://www.mason-lite.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/THREE-SIDED.jpg

http://www.mason-lite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Western-Fireplaces-7-3-wLogo-1.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/af/68/aa/af68aaae13686134c06bce0da4c03947.jpg

These are open on three sides. Does this mean it would be possible to have a fireplace in the middle of a room that is completely open on all sides, with only a chimney? I suspect you would want some sort of protective screen for debris and such.

Yes - examples are out there. For practical reasons the chimney tends to be metal, or in older buildings, just a smokehole in the roof.


Can I avoid plastering after stripping the old wall paper the old wallpaper started pealing off , and most of them have a uneven texture (surface), stripping them off wasn't that hard with the steamer kit

after stripping the surface of the wall looks decent enough, apart from some area are covered by the old wallpaper glue, problem is they don't look 100% smooth

the options are :

spread  with PVC then re-plastering the surface,
or just slightly sand the surface then apply the Matt finish paint directly.

I prefer the second option because it saves time and money
any better options? what would a professional do in this kind of the job?

Just wash it right off. Wallpaper glue is highly water soluble & should just wash right off to beautiful smoothness. Do the entire wall by spraying first & then sponging it all clean for a solid paint job.


Would a second layer of housewrap cause problems? The siding company is having to redo the installation of my siding. I know the wrap underneath the siding that will be removed will end up having lots of holes after the planks are removed. The installer is planning to put up HardieWrap. I originally had paid extra (5 years ago) to have them install Dow Weathermate Plus house wrap. The installer is paying for all of the materials this time.

Would it cause a breathability problem to double wrap a house?
How does HardieWrap compare to other products on the market?

They said they can put the new wrap over the Weather mate Plus or tear it off. I am concerned about a breathability problem if I let them install it over the top of the other wrap, but I don't have confidence in the new product because it is fairly new on the market and I cannot find much information on it comparing it to other products like DuPont Tyvek. I was just told that the company has already ordered the materials and is coming this Tues.

What is the recommendation on HardieWrap? I know their siding has a great reputation, but is their wrap adequately tested?

There is no problem with doing this. Housewrap is "breathable" by design so you won't trap moisture anywhere. You could build a wall with ten layers of housewrap and it would be more durable, not less.

Regardless of how many layers you have, it's critically important to make sure your windows and doors are properly flashed to the outermost layer slash the one with the most integrity. When the installers complete this work, don't let them get away without re-flashing all your windows and doors to the new layer of housewrap.


PVC piping for low-pressure air line? I'm finding that I need more aeration for my aquaponics fish tanks than is practical to supply by buying small consumer-grade air pumps for each tank. Additionally, typical consumer pumps have issues developing enough pressure to bubble air from an outlet that is under 4-6 feet of water. The water is simply too heavy for the tiny pump to overcome. Most aquarium pumps reach about 2-5 PSI.

I've considered using a small and quiet portable air compressor, like the type you might use to run a single pneumatic tool. These typically develop about 120-140 PSI and would have more than enough air flow to handle everything I need. The issue is that the only real affordable and easy to work with pipe, is plastic (PVC). PVC, as I understand, is not to ever be used for pressurized air lines owing to the fact that if it does fail, it fails catastrophically and dangerously, exploding into shards of plastic like a grenade.

Would applying a safety factor to the maximum PSI in the PVC lines allow me to safely use PVC? I've considered using a regulator to limit the pressure in the line to something safer, like 30 to 40 PSI, combined with a calibrated pressure relief valve that would vent the system if the pressure exceeded 50 PSI.

Would applying a safety factor to the maximum PSI in the PVC lines allow me to safely use PVC?

Yes it probably would, as long as this is a personal project at your home or property. If this is in a workplace then it is likely you would be breaking the law by using unprotected PVC.

I would regulate it to no more than what is necessary to provide desirable results and set over-pressure protection at that setting as well. Also affecting safe use are factors such as UV degradation of the plastic (by sunlight and/or artificial light), placement where it could be struck/damaged while in use, etc. ANSI says max pressure is 100 psi, and that's for underground systems and above ground systems that are "protected".


set screw needed - do not know model I need to replace the set screw on the inside lever of a kwikset door lock. I do not know the model number. How can I determine the size screw I will require?

Take the lever to a hardware store that has bins of various sized bolts. Figure the size, then get a grub screw to suit. My gut tells me you should start in the imperial section, rather than metric.


Can I get a smaller toilet installed? (picture included) At the bottom is a picture of my toilet, where you can see the toilet pipe that enters the floor and that there is ~7 cm of space between the water container and the wall.

Question

Does there exist toilets where the pipe it bent/curved backwards, so the toilet is closer to the wall, and therefore gives more space in front of the toilet?

I never seen a toilet with a rough in like that.  Anywho, they make toilet flanges with an offset.  The offsets come in different sizes.


Can I heat one room and cool another with an in-wall AC? I work in a bakery. It gets warm in the summer, but not warm enough for bread to rise without extra heat. We have a 'proofer room' where the bread sits while the dough rises. The room is heated by two baseboard heaters, and another space heater. It's approximately 10 feet by 10 feet.  Also, we run a humidifier in the room.

I know that resistive heat is not the most economical way to heat a room, especially as warm as we need it. The electric bill agrees with me.
We'd like the proofer room warmer, but the rest of the bakery cooler, if possible.
Running a space heater in the summer feels foolish.

It seems like a perfect solution to place a through-the-wall type air conditioner (not the window type) in the wall between the rest of the bakery and the proofer room, to push the heat (and humidity) from the bakery into the proofer room. If I understand correctly, this would heat the room more efficiently than a space heater, with the added benefit of cooling the rest of the bakery at the same time.

One problem that I've already considered is that the temperature controls on the AC would be on the "cool" side of the AC. To prevent the room from overheating, I could plug the AC into a thermostat outlet outside the proofer, with a temperature probe inside the proofer. The outlet would shut the AC off once the proofer got to the desired temperature. I'd have to get an AC with a mechanical on/off switch that would run when the outlet turned it on, without having to push buttons.

I can't find any examples of someone doing this. Is this a good idea, or am I missing something?

We would hire the work out to someone else to do, so don't worry about my qualifications as an electrician etc.

I'm not an expert to tell you whether this is actually a good idea, but an AC unit used for heating is called a heat pump. There are two differences between "a heat pump" and "an air conditioner":

Heat pumps contain a reversing valve which reverses the operation so that what would usually be the cold side gets hot and the hot side cools instead.
The thermostat will be suitable for heating (turns on when too cold) as well as cooling (turns on when too warm), and also control the reversing valve to switch modes as needed.

In your case, you only care about the second feature. Thus, buying a heat pump to be installed through your wall is one possible solution which gives you a thermostat that works as desired without needing external control.

However, any prebuilt unit will also be designed to put the compressor noise on the "outside", which would be your bakery and might be less comfortable than making the proofer room noisy.

You could likely get a more pleasant result (noise in the proofer room instead) by getting a system designed and installed for the exact application by a HVAC technician; it would probably be slightly more expensive, but it wouldn't be particularly harder to install and maintain than a more usual cooling installation, I expect.


Is it safe to flush a high pressure toilet that hasn't been flushed in > 3 years? The short version is that I have a high-pressure toilet that hasn't been flushed in more than three years. According to my previous tenant, there is a leak in the rubber gasket between the tank area and the seat area. However when I told my tenant to get it fixed and send me the bill, she apparently just decided to not use the toilet in this bathroom and use a different one in the apartment. I would like to verify that the problem actually exists before I go out and replace the toilet. (It's a discontinued model, so I'd rather have something new that I can easily find parts for.)

If this had been a normal toilet I wouldn't be concerned about flushing it because I can just open the reservoir, make sure there's sufficient water, and just do it. But high pressure toilets are kind of scary and I have no idea how they work. As far as I know, the only potential issue is the leaky gasket.

Is there any danger to just flushing the toilet? Is there something I should do first? (I opened the reservoir area and it looks alien with a plastic self-contained canister or something, so I wouldn't know where to start.)

All the ones I've work on have a canister with a diaphragm that compresses the canister when it's filled with water. Just flush it. If nothing happens, which is probably the case since the diaphragm has probably lost pressure, try it again and see if it recycles. When these unit would go bad, there weren't part to replace, just buying a new canister. What should you do first?? Have a towel handy. good luck and stay safe out there.


Could I safely use a dimmer switch on an air filter fan? I bought a small HEPA air filter fan that was advertised as being a quiet model. But it's not quiet enough for me. I bought another "quiet" fan, but the new one is also too loud for my liking.

Could just I buy one of those extension cords with a dimmer switch (designed for use with room lamps), plug in my air filter, and safely use the dimmer to control the fan speed (and therefore volume) of the air filter?

Safety is my priority. I don't want to start an electrical fire. If it's not safe, I'll buy a different fan.

Light dimmers are designed to drive loads that are largely resistive in nature like light bulbs. They are generally not compatible with loads that are inductive. Most, if not all, AC motors are inductive type loads.

That said, whether a dimmer switch will work safely with your fan or not depends entirely upon the type of motor on the fan.

There are some types of AC motors that can work to gain speed control via a dimmer switch type of circuit. These motors are often found in AC corded power tools such as electric drills and jig saws. Just as often these tools come with a variable speed capability via a proportional squeeze trigger. These tool speed controls work just like a common lamp dimmer. The motor type involved is generally the type with brushes.

Common low cost fans do not use brushed type motors. The usage life time would be just too short and non-brushed low power motors are often way cheaper to manufacture.

With this information in hand you may be able to evaluate your fan and decide if it is suitable for use with a dimmer. I suspect that it is likely not compatible.


How can I add a grounding conductor to my early 20th century electrical system? I live in a old house (built in 1918), and because their was no electricity back then, all electricity was added after, and weird enough, nothing has a ground.

So, I'm having problem with my washing machine, and suspect that having a ground would improve the handling and the problem it is having could be gone (some kind of short-circuit that after 5 seconds of being ON, it fires the electric board in the house).

My idea, as the machine is in a small house outside was to create the ground only for that part of the circuit, but what do I need for this?

I think is just a iron poll with the wire solder to it, but what length? diameter? and it's only attaching a new yellow/green wire to it and drive it through the circuit?

In the US we need to conform to the NEC code. That code requires two copper ground rods 10' long to be driven into the ground with only a couple inches exposed.

The rods must be placed a certain distance apart.
The ground must also be connected to the main cold water copper pipe entering the house
The water meter must have a wire jumper across it of the same required gauge of the main ground
The main breaker panel must be equipped with an approved grounding bar and the breaker box "bonded".

I don't know the codes where you are, but I suggest you get an electrician that knows the local codes. Improper methodes of grounding can be dangerous and lethal!

Also I can tell you that your washing machine problem is not due to a missing ground. The machine should be grounded for safety, but it will not cause the problems you have.


170 year old home with sagging 2nd floors This house has had the remedial work necessary to secure the crawlspace foundation by a licensed foundation specialist. The crawlspace foundation and 1st floors of this home are rock solid. My question is in regards to the 2nd floor joists. Throughout the house the ceilings of the 1st floor sag any where from 1-3 inches from the wall to the center of the room. This same sag is evident in the floors of the 2nd floor. The deflection is evident with a hammock like effect toward the center of the room which causes a pronounced bounce or trampoline like effect when walking across the room. Currently the home has (170 year old) true 2x8 joists on 2 foot centers spanning 19'x19' rooms. My question is this: will running a tripled 2x8 LVL girder perpendicular to the existing joists be adequate to stabilize and re-level the floors? The existing joists would be cut and hung on the new LVL girder and then sister-ed with new 2x8 lumber. My concern is the Tripled 2x8 LVL girder spanning 19 feet, will it be strong enough to maintain level with live weight? would it be advisable to use flitch plates between the LVL's to further strengthen them.

Excellent description as to existing condition and what is occurring on site.

You have several issues to deal with: 1) due to the age and amount of sag, you will not be able to jack it level, 2) cutting the sag out and sistering another joist will not solve the sag on top, 3) installing a beam will require a post and footing at each end, 4) solutions will be limited to the height of the ceiling.

Code requires a minimum of 40 lbs. per square foot live load (furniture and people) plus I’d guess about 15 lbs. per square foot dead load (joists, flooring, ceiling finish, etc.) for a total load of 55 lbs. per square foot.

When retrofitting older buildings, we like to “evenly distribute” loads rather than create point loads. That is to say, adding joists to span the room rather than adding a beam will probably create fewer problems. ...but here are two options:

Option 1: Add Joists: 2x8’s can’t span 19’, so I’d use 2x10’s and hold them down to the bottom of the sag. (It’s okay to notch them at the ends to sit on the plate.) However, 2x10’s spanning 19’ will only support about 60 lbs.per square foot, (depending on the species and grade,) so you’ll need to install them 12” o.c. (Be careful about creating squeaks between the new floor joists and existing subfloor. I’d recommend you nail or screw the subfloor to the new joists.)

Option 2: Add Beam: I’d recommend not trimming the bottom sag off the existing joists if possible...just sister a joist to make the bottom level. The existing 2x8 joists can support about 80 - 100 lbs. per square foot at 24” o.c. and spanning about 9’. So, I’d sister 2x4’s or 2x6’s to the bottom and make the bottom level. For a beam to span 19’ and support the floor, you’d need to support about 520 lbs. per linear foot. You’d need a 6x14 (depending on the species and grade) or a glu-lam beam. Option 2 does not seem plausible because you’ll reduce the height in the room by 14” or so and create about a 5,000 lbs. point load at each end.


How to fix this broken floor My wooden floor has a broken plank,

There is a vertical supporting wedge in the upper side, I guess I can nail directly onto it, but what I should do about the lower side?

The floor joists are rotted in that particular area. It could be the same all over. The only thing you could try is to remove some more of the decking and "sister" the joists (Nail a second joist alongside the old one). This will give you some new area to nail your decking. You might be looking at replacing this deck in the near future. If all of the joists look like that, someone could get hurt.


No pressure in my bathtub cold water For some reason I don’t have any pressure in my bathtub cold water side but the hot water runs wide open any idea why I’m not getting hardly any pressure to my cold water side? It’s separate handle not one handle

I suspect some debris got into the line during this breakage or subsequent fix.  This debris is now lodged behind the inlet side of this faucet restricting the flow.  No easy answers. You just have to dig into the situation.  Either find and get rid of restriction or replace faucet.  Once you have the line open make sure that you flush the line well.  Once is enough.


What kind of mask is required for grouting? I finished putting up tiles for a backsplash last night and am getting ready to grout tonight.  I looked at the package and saw Contains known or probable carcinogens.  Yikes!

What kind of mask should I pick up on my way home?  A simple dust mask, or a more elaborate respirator?

Usually that warning applies only in California—most states are not at risk.  :-)

The carcinogen involved is cement dust, specifically its components of tri- and dicalcium silicate, alumina, tricalcium aluminate, and iron oxide.  The hazard extends to skin, eyes, mouth, and respiration.

To be completely protected, a moon suit (made of Tyvek in the photo) is in line with the most pessimistic expectations.  However, the practical alternative (and recommended by CDC and OSHA) is any quarter-mask respirator with an N-95, R, or P filter to arrest fine particles, along with gloves, and enclosed eye protection—and avoiding unnecessary cement contact.

Many workers are skeptical of the carcinogenic property of cement dust:  it is common to see experienced workers taking only minor precautions.  Usually wearing only a mask while handling the powder.  Once it is moistened and and dust is no longer a factor, most don't do anything special.  But it is a strong caustic alkalai, so do take care not to get it inside or on you for an extended time.


How can I mount a tablet on a wall? Expanding my music set-up, I'm planning to mount a tablet in my kitchen mostly as remote-control (for music playing on the server), but as it can also show websites and movies, it might get -sporadically- used as a 'real' screen too.

I've done all the things I'm comfortable with (server, networking, audio, etc), but now it's on hold because the current card-board "stand" on the kitchen top just won't do and I'm at a loss on how to mount this on the wall.

The possible locations are limited:

On a tiled-wall right next to the stove (at eye-height)
Behind the stove on a wall, between some racks: there's not enough space for it to be mounted there 'against' the wall, so some sort of arm has to be used I think

The tablet's specs are:

No mount points/VESA/Screw-points available
Weighs about 550 grams
Size hxb 21+cm x 16+cm  (a couple of mm wider on each side), about 1.5cm thick

Some specs I'm thinking of (do DIY-ers also talk "MoSCoW"? :)  )

Must-have:

Holds the tablet safely

Should-have

Wires can run from tablet (at least power, maybe audio later)
Landscape orientation

Could-have

Rotation to Portrait
Turning (viewing angle)
Movement (from/towards you, maybe left/right/up/down etc)

I wasn't really sure if this was too hobby-like to be ontopic, but meta seems not to mind, so here we are.

hook and loop tape. adhesive to the tablet. You might get away with adhesive to the wall too, but you might prefer to screw a thin plastic panel to the wall and stick the fuzzy (loop) side of the tape to that for better adhesion.


Tile up to drywall on outside corner I'm getting ready to put up tile on this shower wall, the rough stud wall will have drywall on its face when I'm done. I'm having a tough time figuring out how to connect the two surfaces at a right angle. I picked up schluter tile trim and I could put that on the outside of the tile, but then what would be advised for the drywall and? What I put wooden trim on the face of the drywall overlapping the tile trim? Are there other ways to do this? Thanks for any advice

You could try a tile edge nosing.

Something like :

You'd tile over the top part, and the lower part would wrap around the drywall at the corner:


Found sunflower seed shells in fiberglass insulation and wired set up in basement I found some sunflower seed shells inside of the fiberglass insulation in my basement storage wall. And, also there install a little wood stuff (refer the pic-2) in front of fiberglass insulation where I found the shells on the wall.

It doesn't look like the rats did as the fiberglass insulation is on 2 feet high wall.

Please let me know if you have some idea about why there has the shells and what's that wood stuff. Thanks.

Ok first that is fiberglass insulation not cotton. Yes it could be a mouse or a rat. Who knows how long it has been there but if it was me I would have a trap bated with peanut butter maybe a salted sunflower seed or 2 just to sweeten the deal. I started using a dunk the rat/ mouse trap on our farm, I have this in the barn and electronic traps in the house bated with peanut butter. The dunk the rat works great in the barn where we might not get anything for a month but after a rain storm or big temp change the dunk the rat has caught up to 22 in 1 night, the electronic ones only can hold 1 but do a good job in the house, it doesn’t matter the type of peanut butter but it works better than anything else I have ever tried, on these or snap traps. I like the dunk the rat the best where there are more or larger critters I even caught a small squirrel but it was ok and I was able to release it (I like squirrels most of the time). So a couple of traps down there is a good idea, along the wall in a dark corner works best. Wear gloves to clear traps never touch a used trap or dead rodent with bare hands a guy did this in Oregon a few years back trying to save a mouse from his cat in southern Or. the cat died and he lost some fingers and could have died from the germs on the rodent.


Leveling concrete for bathroom installation I am installing a bathroom in my basement.  There is a low spot in the concrete right were the base of the toilet would sit.  What is the best way to level this so I don't have a rocking toilet?
The area of the dip is right against the sewer pipe and is about 10 inches in diameter, and probably drops about 1/4 to 3/8 inches in depth.  What is the best way to repair this?
I will be tiling the floor above, and I am just wondering if it would be better to use self leveling concrete or thin set, or some other product to take care of this.

I'd just use more thinset in this area for the tile floor.  10" isn't a huge area, 3/8" height isn't a huge height difference and assuming you start tiling somewhere else you'll need this extra thickness for the tile to sit level with the surrounding tiles.
You could use SLC first on that one area but it just adds another step for little value.  If you were to add an extra step I'd probably just use thinset to pull this area up first.  Most SLC needs a primer and you'd have to buy at minimum a bag so unless you have some other uses for the remainder easier to go with thinset.


Why is my shallow well jet pump cycling on and off rapidly? We have a Goulds ITT Jet+ Jet Pump pumping from a shallow well.

The pump was always working fine until today when I replaced the previous hose going into the well with a new one and a new 1" galvanized steel adapter.

Now, the pump keeps switching on and off rapidly at the end of its cycle. I turned it off.

Since nothing has changed at all on the circuit except the hose and the fact that now that hose is going into a storage tank (drought around here),

I think that when I unscrewed the old and quite rusty galv. fitting, some piece of debris has fallen inside the pump. Seems like the only possible explanation?

How can I clean it out, the manual indicates a "nozzle clean-out plug" in the middle of the pump front housing, but unscrewing it just revealed a recess in the metal, with nothing behind it?
There are two of those "plugs" but there is nothing behind them at all?

One smaller plug on top that spewed water out when I unscrewed it. Screwed it back.

Should I open the pump up to clean the debris?

Listed reasons for excessive cycling in J+ installation manual:

Defective suction check or foot valve
Water logged pressure tank
Pump farther than 5 feet from tank
High friction loss valves between pump and tank. (Use only fully open gate valves)

Parts breakdown list

I take it this is a shallow well with the jet assembly bolted to the front of the pump and not a deep well installation with two pipes coming out of the pump with the jet assembly down in the well.

Jet pumps work by blasting a high speed jet of water through a venturi to augment their suction. If your crusty fitting was in the opening (4), it could release chunks that get caught in both the jet nozzle (5) and the gap between the jet and the venturi (6). The plug (1) allows you to use a piece of brass welding rod to try chunking out anything caught in the jet nozzle.


Identifying old armored electric wire and mounting new fixture I am by no means an electrician, my experience does not extend past swapping old light fixtures for new. We just moved into a house that was built in 1907, so I'm not surprised by anything I've come across thus far, however I've heard mixed answers from people I know about this one.
I am trying to just change our dining room light, and upon removing the old fixture, I discovered just 2 wires. Both are covered in a cloth which I've read was common way back in the day. The fixture itself was mounted directly to some joists I'm assuming, as I see no box; only two holes through the wood where each wire comes out. One is wrapped in a thicker material further back.
It would obviously be best to hire a professional to rewire this I'm sure, but is there any clear and present danger to maybe just getting a pancake box and mounting it to the joists? And what's the best way to identify which wire is which, as the old light fixture's wires weren't color-coded either.

The big thing is figuring out which wire is switched hot and which wire is neutral. Note that it is possible, due to messed up wiring, to have some other combination, such as hot and a switched neutral, which would not be a good thing.
Use a non-contact tester to:

Verify that both wires are "dead" with the circuit breaker (or fuse) off. If not, stop and ask a question. (There can be false positives, but really shouldn't be on a simple fixture connection, as opposed to wires in a box with a bunch of other wires).
Turn on the breaker. Verify that both wires are "dead" with the light switch off. If not, stop and ask a question, as you may have a switched neutral.
Turn on the switch. Identify which wire is hot. This wire is the switched hot. The other wire is the neutral. Mark the neutral wire with white tape.

Turn off the breaker. Wire nut the light fixture hot (typically black, but could be any color except white, green or bare) to the switched hot wire. Wire nut the light fixture neutral (should be white) to the neutral wire. Turn on the breaker, test.


Tester indicates hot/ground are reversed after lightning strike Another post-lightning strike problem:  we have a run of outlets that no longer make a connection when you touch black & white wires, yet get a connection when touching black to the ground wire with a multimeter.  A circuit tester reads "Hot/Ground Reversed."  The outlet at the end of the run is totally dead.  PLUS, we just upgraded the service TODAY and we are still having the problem, so it's not at the breaker.  This was not an issue before the lightning strike. Ever heard of such a thing?

The wire coming out of the panel is a 3-wire bx. The circuit that the black wire feeds is just fine, yet the circuit the red wire feeds gives us the reverse/ground reading. I know that can be an open neutral, but if both hot wires are coming from the same cable, shouldn't both show the open problem? Any idea what could be going on? We get the bad reading at the first junction box after the panel, on the red wire coming from the panel.

Somewhere in your house wiring a neutral line is disconnected / broken / melted. You will need to open every electrical box and check the connections and splices. If you don't find anything there, do continuity tests between junction boxes. If the fault is between boxes you may need to open the walls up.

Your GFCI outlets are almost certainly dead. Any overcurrent big enough to sever a wire will fry a GFCI. Just replace the lot.

"Hot/Ground Reversed" isn't testable without a third connection. There should be full voltage between hot and ground - if not then you have an open ground. If you put a meter between ground and a known-good ground (like a metal water pipe) and see full voltage then you really do have hot and ground reversed (and a major problem - call an electrician).


Piping humidified air through a wall I have very low humidity in an upstairs bedroom. For various reasons I cannot keep the door closed, so your average "single room" humidifier doesn't move the needle. It's a cold climate, so estimates for putting in a humidifier on the forced air system in the attik are very expensive.
I found a serious industrial style humidifier that I'm hoping would have plenty of output (https://www.ideal-air.com/shop/product/humidifier-commercial-grade?categoryId=humidifiers), but it is super loud. I have an adjoining bathroom (from where I am running the water to the device). Rather than run water from the bathroom to the bedroom, I was thinking about placing the humidifier in the bathroom and running a big pipe with the wet air through the wall into the bedroom.
While apparently quite unconventional (I can't find a single thing about doing something similar to this), it seems reasonable to me - the condensation would be only on the inside of the pipe so it would never touch try drywall, etc. What do you guys think? Reasonable or terrible idea?

To me, the biggest issue here is that, while "the condensation would be only on the inside of the pipe", you are in fact anticipating condensation, which can lead to mold, in the pipe. And if you're blowing air through the pipe, you could be creating a mold nursery in the pipe that significantly increases the amount of mold spores in the air, and then mold elsewhere in the house.
You've mentioned that "I cannot keep the door closed, so your average "single room" humidifier doesn't move the needle". If I understand your proposal correctly, you plan to address this concern by pump so much humidity into the room that even with normal airflow in the house removing humidity, that room will stay at the humidity you want. But that means you are going to be pushing a very large amount of moisture into the rest of the house.
Your post implies that the humidity in the rest of the house is fine, which means that if you start adding a large amount of moisture to it, it will become "not fine". So you may also wind up creating a mold problem elsewhere in the house. Especially since, as you say, you are in a cold climate, which means that it's very likely that in plenty of places around the house, you have cold walls and windows that will condense the increased humidity you're adding to the environment in the house.
One detail missing from your post is how it is that this one bedroom has "very low humidity" while the rest of the house seems fine. Humidity (relative) is simply a function of the temperature and the moisture content of the air. Typically, the moisture content in an enclosed building is going to mix well enough that the absolute humidity is the same everywhere, so the only other factor would be temperature. Are you keeping that one room significantly warmer than the rest of the house somehow? Given that the door can't be closed, how is that happening?
Unless the rest of the house has been set up as a greenhouse or something, it's hard to see how you could have one room having significantly different humidity from the rest of the house (and even then, with the open door it's still a puzzler). You might want to revisit your conclusion that the only place you need to address humidity is in that one room. Maybe what you really need is a whole-house humidifier.
Beyond that, I'd have to say I'm very skeptical of the proposal to pipe humid air in from a different room. Taking your statements at face value, that seems like it would only add way too much humidity elsewhere, causing other problems.

Comments are emphemeral, but you've provided important clarification in comments below, so I will copy them and my responses here:

The rest of the house is also low humidity. The other bedrooms are addressed with single room humidifiers as those doors are closed at night.
The house has two furnaces. We got an Aprilaire "whole house" unit installed on one of the zones (in the basement, which had convenient water/didn't require all the special sauce to prevent the water from freezing) and frankly I haven't been able to tell the difference (I still zap everything as I walk around, etc.). So I wasn't thrilled about paying a ton more money to get a second one in the attic.

"I haven't been able to tell the difference " — part and parcel of addressing any humidity issue is to make sure you measure the humidity. In a cold climate in the winter, you may still get static even with increased humidity. Conversely, by measuring, you can make sure your humidification system is adding sufficient moisture to the air, and set it accordingly.
"I wasn't thrilled about paying a ton more money to get a second one in the attic" — Understood. But sufficient system-wide humidification can be less cost in the long run. Fact is, your "humidifier in the other room" idea is essentially a system-wide humidification system anyway, because you anticipate losing a significant amount of moisture to the rest of the house. I.e. that humidifier is going to humidify the entire house, just not in the controlled way you'd like, thus risk additional expenditures (and at the very least, hassles) dealing with the problems (like condensation and mold).
In other words, given all the information provided, I still am of the opinion that the proposed system is likely to give you trouble, and a whole-house (or at least whole-zone) system will actually work better and cost less in the long run.


Making box joists with OSB? I'm looking for information on construction details and how to determine appropriate size for box joists sheathed with OSB (similar to this document that describes such joists sheathed with plywood, although preferably with tables for joists that need to take less load and/or have shorter spans than the ones described in that document, as I'm hoping to find a design that will fit in a 200mm vertical space).  Or more specifically: how can I determine the maximum loading and required construction details for a box joist/beam consisting of two faces of OSB joined with timber that will occupy 200mm of vertical space? (For the purposes of this project,
I do not require compliance with my local building code, but I do need to have some assurance that what I'm building will be safe, so as long as somebody's building code would cover it I'll be happy...)

It's an intriguing concept.  But it's harder than you think. It's not only an engineering problem, but a manufacturing one too.

I think your best bet is to build a standard pre-engineered truss design that already has the strength to meet code.  And then, use the sheeting  for added strength.  That would take the engineering out of it.  There's still manufacturing.  By contrast, the guy in the link is using square trusses, which is the worst truss design possible.  He is betting the farm on the strength of the sheet material.

Dimensional lumber is not straight.  Even with well-chosen boards, you'll need to run it throught a jointer edgewise to straighten one edge, then through a planer to straighten the other edge and bring it to your standard width.  Since your standard width must be the lowest common denominator of all the boards you can get, be prepared for this to gobble as much as an inch / 25mm.  So you'd need to start with wider boards.

The good news is, with such a narrow truss, you could do a minimal jointing to get the long members straight on one side, then assemble the truss, then run the assembled truss through the jointer and planer to square it as an assembly.

To assemble the truss, you'll need to lay them all down on a flat reference table (where?) and frame them up.  I would construct the truss members to fine tolerance, and screw and glue to maximize the strength of the truss without sheeting.

Then plane the second side of the whole truss, flip it over and give the first side a last pass through the planer to correct any irregularities. Gluing the sheet needs to be near perfect.   And the manufacturing technique needs to be consistent.

Nails and screws will have no strength when affixing the sheet material.  All the strength of the sheet material depends on the glue.  This is no place for random hardware-store glue. I would probably go for an epoxy if I could keep it out of direct sun.

The people in the link used nails, but they used an awful lot of nails, and they are dealing in much taller beam sections than you are.  They also said "glue it too", I am saying "glue it well".  For you, space matters so precision and strength matter.

It's important the wood be fully dried when working with glues.  It takes weeks to stabilize kiln dried lumber bought off the lot, and months to stabilize wet lumber.


Can I move the range hood but not the roof vent (angled "flue" pipe)? I have a typical 30" stove installed in the center of a 20' wall with a standard overhead hood that looks a lot like this.

I want to redesign my kitchen with new cabinets so the stove becomes corner mounted (45 angle) which means moving the stove about 9 feet along the wall (towards the center of the house) into the corner so it would look like this.

Is there any reason other than maybe local (Los Angeles County) codes (I haven't checked yet) that I couldn't or shouldn't reroute the hood ("flue" ?) pipe at an angle so it meets the existing roof vent from the new "starting" position instead of a straight vertical pipe?

Putting the stove in the corner like you propose also gives you some nice space to work with for routing the pipe up into the ceiling / roof area or out an exerior wall.

Seems to me that re-routing the vent to the previous riser location is a total non-starter. Many hoods vent up into the small cabinet above the hood and your re-routed vent pipe is going to make a mess of the upper cabinets if it has to route nine feet across your kitchen.


Hanging paintable wallpaper over paneling? My 40 year old house has a LOT of old paneling in it.  I hate it, my spouse hates it and we both want it gone.  However I don't want to go through the time and expense of replacing all of it with drywall since I'd be replacing approximately 200 linear feet of paneling with drywall.  I have a friend that is telling me that he placed heavy paintable wallpaper over his paneling and it worked really well.  However he only did it 2 or 3 months ago, so neither of us know the long-term effectiveness of this process. I don't want to go through this and then have it falling off the wall in a year.

The paneling I have is the smooth surface with the minimal depth grooving (approximately 1/8" deep grooving)  I know I'll need to mud the grooving to smooth it out.  But do I need to sand the paneling prior to placing the wallpaper or just make sure that all oils are removed from the paneling prior to placement?

I have successfully done this with rental units. I may have gone overboard but this is what I did. Skimmed the grooves with DuraBond, scuffed the panels with a polesander while feathering the edges of the joint compound. Applied a coat of primer on the panels and joint compound. Read the directions for the wallpaper paste and if they recommend the use of "sizing" (basically a primer for the paste to improve adhesion) use it. Hang the wallpaper, when dry apply primer to the paper (two coats on the seams) the apply the color coat.