LG Dishwasher, no power at all So I have a relatively new dishwasher that just completely stopped working the other day. It's still under warranty but before going though all the hassle I want to check if there is nothing simple it could be.

I have checked all the basics such as fuses in the plug and if the socket actually works with other appliances. I have not yet opened it up but have no problem with doing so if there are any good ideas as to what could be the problem.

I remember the night before it stopped showing any signs of life it made some strange beeps just after finishing a cycle.

So far the net has not provided any clues.

its a LG, not sure on the exact model and seems like each store sells the same thing with different model numbers anyhow.

It has the text 'Inverter DirectDrive' and 'TrueSteam' on the front

So got the company out to fix it under guarantee and turns out it is just a very poorly designed system for buttons. It seems to be a AC Hum touch type button. The dish washer has small sponge (5mm x 5mm) wrapped with some conductive material which is meant to be attached to metal rods which forms the button inside the machine.

This gives the 'soft touch' as there is no moving parts like a normal button.

The problem was that these little sponges had fallen off the metal post which stopped it from working the way it was intended. Simple fix to re-attach the sponge back into place.

Well the fix from the guy that was sent out lasted all of 3 days before it broke again so this time I opened it up and fixed it myself (hopefully permanently).

Dead simple job, about 15 minutes taking the front panel off and glued them back into place with some contact adhesive.

Hope this will help someone else that has problems with a 'soft touch' button that will not work any more. Should be a similar type system for other soft touch buttons found on appliances.


Some electrical outlets not working In my house upstairs in the bathroom, hall and bedroom, some of the lights and outlets have stopped working by others still work. This happened weeks ago and they came back on a day or so later without intervention. No idea why.

I flipped all the breakers and gfp outlets but this had/has no impact.

I have a call in to an electrician but would like some clues as to what may be causing this.

House is about 30 years old; breakers in basement. Lived here for 20 years with no similar incidents.

My best bet would be you have a loose splice or connection. You need to go through each box and see if there is a conductor or wirenut that is not making a good contact. Many times if someone has used the pushins on the back of receptacles and switches, they become loose and stop making a good connection. That is why most of us were trained not to use them. Take each splice and hold the wirenut with hand and pull each individual wire to see if they are making a good connection.

You do need to fix this problem since a loose connection is slowly burning and arcing and causing the conductor and is insulation to be damaged. You might try to measure the voltage a each of the receptacles not working and see if you are getting particle voltage like 70V or something. This could give you an idea of how the circuit is run and Where your problem may be.

Good luck


Alternative to shutters Our house is a drab brick, flat front, two story tower of unoriginal crushed creativity. I think shutters are hideous in general and ridiculous to boot when they’re nonfunctional like all the ones in the area I now live.

I can’t seem to find any alternatives to fake shutters that would make the front of the house less... blah. Are there any alternatives?

(We have no HOA but the neighborhood is much nicer than most HOA neighborhoods I’ve seen.)

Edit: I don’t have a good pic of the front and it’s presently night but it’s almost exactly the same as this house - except our shutters are faded gray and we’ve a couple trees in front.

Suggestions:

Paint the shutters. You say that the shutters you have are faded gray, and that's not going to add much interest to your windows. I think almost any color would be better than that. Black or white would be good if you want something that stands out more, but is still very traditional in appearance. If you want actual color, a muted red, green or blue can work without calling too much attention to itself. (Or go with a non-muted color. There's no HOA to tell you no.)

Add a trellis with a climbing plant. This can provide some visual interest, and most climbing plants are fast growers because they don't need to support themselves. (They can't do much to brick that's in good condition, but if your brick is just a facade, or if the mortar is crumbling a bit, I'd skip this.)

Add window boxes with flowers. These can also be painted to add a splash of color, on top of the flowers during the appropriate part of the year.

Add architectural foam trim to the windows. There's a lot of options here, but I suggest not going overboard; it's easy to end up cheap and tacky.


Duration of charge held by High Voltage Components How long can a High Voltage Capacitor in a Electric Oven hold a charge after the oven has been unplugged?

Technically it could hold a charge for years but that's not in real world scenarios. Most likely it will be safe in 2-3 days. I'd still short it before touching it, screwdrivers are cheaper than replacement hands. Depending on how it is wired, shorting the disconnected terminals of the device - NOT THE CAP YET - together will aid a bit.

A fully charged capacitor in TVs, Ovens, etc. can cause cardiac arrest, removed a finger, weld/arc and screwdriver tip to dust; so if you don't have time to wait, still wait 2-3 days if you have time to wait, wait a week.


How can I avoid streaks from a paint sprayer? I'm in the process of painting my kitchen cupboards. (I know, it's a sin to paint over wood, but it was quicker than stripping the stain). I used a foam roller for the cabinet and decided to spray the doors. Here's the gun I was using (neat little thing).

I was a bit surprised to see "light streaks" from the spray gun. See the image below.

Click for larger view.

Any ideas what is causing this? Any ideas on how to avoid it? I was just going to go over the face with a paint roller, but that kinda defeats the purpose of spraying.

Any help would be appreciated.

It's hard to make out what's going on from the picture but the usual culprit when spraying is either an imperfection in your fan(spray pattern) or problems with your prep work. Take your sprayer and shoot a short burst at a smooth surface (a piece of cardboard works) If the pattern shows any obvious abnormalities, it's either not enough air pressure or a defect in the tip itself (or sometimes just a goober of finish clinging to the tip). A pattern like this

is classic low pressure. A bunged tip will look less symmetrical but the streaks left in the finish can look very similar.

If the fan looks good and the problem doesn't show up on test pieces, take a hard look at the surface of your cabinets. They might need a little more scuff sanding or a good cleaning with TSP to get the grease off.


Door replacement - will door still be solid after cutting? I need to replace/repair a door in my rented apartment.  During a rather rowdy party one of my guests managed to put a hole in my bathroom door.

I don't think that there is probably anyway to repair the door cleanly.  (If you look carefully I drilled a whole in the broken in piece and tried to pull it back out).  I think that the easiest solution is going to be replacing the door.  (Please let me know if there are any suggestions).

The dimensions of the door are somewhat strange.  The door is 74'' tall and 28'' wide.

I cannot find a 74'' x 28'' door anywhere.  The closest thing that I can find is 78'' x 28'.

I am thinking I will buy a similar door and cut off the bottom (or have it cut off at home depo).  I am concerned that it is not going to be solid after being cut.  Here is a diagram:

  ^      ============     ^
  |      ||        ||     |
  |      ||        ||     |
  |      ||        ||     |
74''     ||        ||    78''
  |      ||        ||     |
  |      ||        ||     |
  v      |---cut----|     |
         ||        ||     |
         ============     v

I was planning on using this kind of door:

On numerous occasions I have had to cut hollow core doors off more than the available blocking in the top / bottom of the door. What I have done in these instances is to take the cut off bottom piece and then reclaimed the inner block for re-use. If a table saw is available it is quick work to set the fence just right so that a couple of rip direction passes cleanly cuts off the outer laminations. Alternatively the laminations can be removed using a plane.

Once the block is nicely cleaned up it can be glued and slipped right up into the open bottom of the door. Use a couple of 1x4 boards on either side of the door and some good sized C-Clamps to tighten up the glue joint so that the glue can dry without any gaps.

Note that often the inside of hollow core doors has an internal webbing of cardboard material to bridge the gap between the two lamination skins of the door. Sometimes it is necessary to use a chisel inside the cut open bottom of the door to scrape back the glue joint of this web material on the laminated panel. If this is not smoothed out the re-claimed bottom block will make the laminated sides bulge out when trying to glue the block in place.


exterior NEMA 14-50 AND dual GFCI I want to Install an exterior NEMA 14-50 (RV plug) and dual 120V GFCIs. (One on each leg).  The whole thing is fed from a dedicated 50Amp Dual Pole breaker with 6AWG copper.
Is this a proper way to set it up or am I required to get one of the all-in-one RV sub panels?

Also, I want to hang both dual gang boxes on a metal purlin buried in concrete near the workshop structure.

You're not allowed to supply NEMA 5-20R receptacles with a 50A circuit breaker.  That is dangerous!
I suggest an additional penetration for the new receptacles, which should be put on a 20A breaker(s).  You probably don't want to stuff additional wire into the conduit that already has the RV circuit going through it.
If you don't think you'll use both the RV receptacle AND the 20A receptacles at the same time, an alternative is to get a portable power distribution box with a 14-50P inlet plug.  These are available for rent at most equipment rental yards that rent generators, too.


What should I do about this vanity that won't sit tight to the wall due to trim molding? Slight goof during a bathroom remodel - the vanity we got won't sit tight to the wall due to the trim molding.
Obviously one option is to return the vanity and get a new one (ugh!)
Or I could let it be as-is, and live with the small gap between counter and wall.
Or I could cut into the trim to seat the legs further back, and hope that the eye isn't drawn down there much (it's not in a major sightline for the bathroom).
I am favoring the latter, I think.  What do you think?

If that leg can be unscrewed and moved over 1/2 inch, that would be my first choice. If not, then I'd get a coping saw and cut the leg to fit the trim.


Does a ground wire to a receptacle box improve safety if appliance only has 2 prongs? If an outlet will only ever have 2 prong devices plugged in is there any safety purpose to have a ground wire added.

Since the outlet has a ground pin, it must be protected

You certainly did have the option to fit a 2-prong outlet (NEMA 1-15), which are still sold by competent hardware stores and electrical supply houses for this very reason.  By the very fact that you are asking this question, I gather you did not.

For instance, I have outlawed 2-prong outlets in our facility because we have gorillas who like to break off ground pins whenever they find a 2-prong socket.

No.  If you have fit a 3-prong socket, you only have two options.  You must either actually wire the ground so you have a continuous ground of sufficient size all the way back to the main panel (it can merge onto other ground paths, as long as it is wide enough)... Or pursue option #2.

Assure that the outlet is downstream of a GFCI device

... and label it "GFCI Protected / No Equipment Ground".

The GFCI protective device must protect hot and neutral coming here, and can be anywhere between here and the main panel.

The "GFCI Protected" half of the label is not required if the GFCI device is part of the socket itself, with obvious "Test" and "Reset" button.

You are not allowed to use the "No Equipment Ground" alone to guard an ungrounded 3-prong socket.  You must use GFCI, or use option 1.

To revisit "actually wiring the ground"

If your house is wired with metal conduit, in most jurisdictions the intact conduit is a legitimate ground path.  Your work may be done!

Some people believe that to retrofit a ground wire, they must replace the entire Romex cable.  Those people really need a copy of NEC 2014.  That document threw open the gauntlet for simpy retrofitting just the ground wire.  Of course if the Romex cable is roached, this may be a good time to replace it for that reason.


Should I connect the ground to the box when relocating a dryer to the basement? The dryer cord is a three wire cord, I am installing a new dryer outlet in the basement, the previous outlet wire was a 4 wire cable with ground attached to the metal box, I am replicating the same setup in the basement, I bought a romex 10/3 cable and a metal box, my question is do I connect the ground to the box ? the metal box I bought does not have a ground screw, can I use any screw to connect the ground to the metal box ? or should I use a PVC box instead in which case where do I connect the ground coming from the cable?

The risk with not grounding the box would be the hot wire touching the metal, and with no ground the breaker won't trip, this could result in it grounding through you if you touch the box (electrocution). Some outlets are "self-grounding" where no bonding wire is needed for the box. Check the outlet to see if it is self grounding. You can add a screw to the box for a bonding wire if not. After installation, check with a meter- one lead in a hot receptacle and the other lead touching the box, if the meter reads 120v, the box is grounded.


What (in the US) do you call the type of wrench that is made from a steel tube? This is the sort of wrench I have in mind:

In the Wikipedia article (Socket Wrench) displaying this image, it is described as a spark plug wrench, but there are wrenches of this style in many other sizes, and for many other purposes - anywhere one has no access from the side and a long bolt or stem preventing even deep 'conventional' sockets (having a square socket for a drive on the other end) reaching the nut.
The image itself is labeled "box spanner", but if I search for that at Home Depot, Harbor Freight, etc., I get back the type of wrench that has a closed, 12-point ring on the end of a handle, and if I search for "spark plug wrench", I get tools specifically for that purpose. I suspect that "box spanner" is British usage; is there a term in American usage that picks out just this style of wrench, regardless of its purpose?
Update: Thanks to everyone for your help and advice. As it happens, I was able to make a suitable tool by cutting six notches in the end of a steel pipe. While this was not as good as a real wrench, it was sufficient to grab the points of the nut and stop it from turning, in the manner of a basket strainer wrench (as suggeseted by Jimmy James.).

This is a tubular wrench.
Apart from the British "box wrench" term, "tubular" is in my experience the most common generic name for these tools. You can get a full set of them (I have one, though in metric sizes).
It looks like googling "tubular box wrench" is the best way to get the right stuff while eliminating the American meaning of "box wrench".


Should the panel in my mobile home be set up as a sub-panel? My bobile home has a disconnect at meter and three 6 AWG wires leaving the outside disconnect. There are 3 wires coming up under the house into a 50amp cataleptic box and the panel in the home plugs in to that by a 6/4 cord.
What happened is the main sewer line backed up and the clean out flooded the under side of home and the box and plug got corrosion and I have lost one leg I have already examined the box it and the cord need replaced.
I don't see a ground wire any where in box or in my panel and the grounds and neutrals are mixed and bonded in the main panel in side. The is no ground to the water main as  the rest of the lines are plastic after the main incoming line.
The panel inside is a sec Panel with ground and neutrals mixed and bonded to the panel, this doesn't look right or sound good to me.
Should the box underneath be done away with as my home and outside disconnect are 100amp can that be spliced and ran directly to the panel inside.
Shouldn't the panel inside be treated as a sub panel having a disconnect 30ft away at the meter pole?
I don't know if somehow this mess got grandfather's in or what but it's doesn't sound up to code.
This has been that way long before I bought the home 9 years ago and was fine until the sewer backed up last year and the corrosion built up and I lost that leg.
I guess what I'm asking is:
Should the panel inside be changed to a sub panel and be grounded to a water pipe and that 50amp receptacle box done away with or just replaced?

You do not need to isolate your neutral and ground if installed prior to 1999 , (I just read something that said 2008 was the date subs had to have the neutral isolated).
In 99 4 wire feeders were required prior to that date 3 wire was legal so if your home is 99 or older the intermixed neutrals and grounds were legal on a sub back then.
Although internet electricians say you can not use water pipes rod pipe and plate electrodes are still in the 2020 code so if someone inadvertently cut your ground it can be reconnected using a crimp splice. Irreversible splices are allowed on the grounding conductor. And water pipes are still legal today current code requires a supplemental method and this can also be a rod pipe or plate electrode but with an older place you may only required 1 and there will normally be 1 at the main panel with a Mobil just splice that wire and you are good again.
Mobile are 50 amp feeders less than 20’ but all the relevant code is located in article 550 of the NEC since you are aware of some code , that section is only about 10 pages long, feeder 550.10,  branch circuits 550.12  grounding 550.16


How do I property tie a top plate that is bored instead of notched? IRC section R602.6.1 has this to say about "Drilling and notching of top plate:"

  When piping or ductwork is placed in or partly in an exterior wall or interior load-bearing wall, necessitating cutting, drilling, or notching of the top plate by more than 50 percent of its width, a galvanized metal tie not less than 0.054 inch thick (1.37 mm) (16 ga) and 1 ½ inches (38mm) wide shall be fastened across and to the plate at each side of the opening with not less than eight 10d (0.148 inch diameter) [nails] having a minimum length of 1 ½ niches at each side or equivalent. The metal tie must extend a minimum of 6 inches past the opening. See Figure R602.6.1.

The figure demonstrates only a notched top plate, and shows the metal tie on the side of the top plate that is notched, but not (apparently) the side of the top plate that isn't notched. It also shows only the topmost plate in the double top plate being tied. This left me with several questions that I don't feel were fully answered by this section:

Nonbearing walls are not mentioned at all. Does this mean that no reinforcement/tying is necessary? Seems like that would weaken the wall. I know it's not bearing weight from above, but people do lean on and occasionally fall against walls, both of which put lateral stress on the top plate. Scratching my head on why there would be no reinforcement, and assuming I'm missing a section somewhere.
This (especially the figure) seems fully-tailored to notching only, even though it says "drilling or notching." If I drill (instead of notching) a hole greater than 50% of the top plate's width, and that hole is centered on the top plate (assuming no sheathing on either side of the wall), on which side of the wall do I attach the metal tie? Should it be attached to both sides of the wall? Or do I just pick one side to which to attach it?
The figure only shows the tie on the topmost section of the top plate. So no reinforcement is required on the bottom section of the top plate? The text doesn't say. To add to the confusion, Simpson Strong Tie RPS (specifically listed for R602.6.1), one of the few SST connectors for which I can't an official installation instruction document, has pictures on the website showing the tie being installed on both plates, and says, "Only one strap may be necessary to meet IRC requirements" (emphasis mine). That's more than less than unhelpful.

(Even if the bottom tie strap, or straps on both sides, aren't required for structural purposes, I'm thinking that I'll need something to meet the nail/screw-penetration-prevention code requirements to protect the pipe, so maybe just using a second/third/fourth strap is the best approach.)

Anyone have any suggestions on what the best practices are here, and/or what the intent of the code is?

The purpose of the metal tie specified in R602.6.1 is to ensure lateral distribution of the vertical load born by the top plate. Non-bearing walls have no vertical load on the top plate and therefore no metal tie is required in this chapter. You would still need to meet the requirements to protect piping, wiring, or equipment (.e.g, M1308.2 and P2603.2.1).

I haven't found a good discussion of a centered hole in a top plate. I would argue that IRC Chapter 6 requires only one metal tie under any circumstance and if the hole is centered then it doesn't matter which side you install it on. But again, if we are talking 2x4 framing then pipe/wire protection may drive a requirement for metal ties on both sides of an interior wall.

Regarding double top-plates see IRC Interpretation No. 15-03

  Q1: Where a wood stud wall is capped with a double top plate, is the
  1.5-inch metal tie as described required on both of the top plates?

  A1: No. Where a double top plate is used, a single 1.5-inch metal tie
  is required on the uppermost plate only. No tie is required at the
  notched lower plate. This is illustrated in Figure R602.3(2) and
  Figure R602.3.1.

Simpson has a good reference for Intallation of Utilities in Wood Frame Construction.  Combines structural and nail protection requirements for residential and commercial codes. If you are framing with 2x4's it is likely that the pipe protection requirements will push you to use PSPN516 (load bearing) or PSPN58 (non-load bearing) rather than one of the RPS repair straps.


What size circuit breaker do I need? I am wiring a workshop in my backyard. I ran 4 gauge wire from the main panel to a pull out fused panel then wire goes inside to a subpanel. The sub panel has 2 - 20 amp circuit breakers for the shop equipment. 1 breaker for each side of the shop. Then I have 1 - 15 amp breaker used for lighting. The wire under ground is 4 gauge - hot/hot/neutral/ground and runs 105 feet. I want to use a GFCI in the main panel and want to know if I should use 40 amp double pole or 60 amp double pole? Thanks for any help.

With #4CU you can have up to a 90A feeder breaker. Even at 105' a 90A feeder is FINE.

The sum of the breakers is a completely meaningless number, you need to consider the actual load you will have at any given time. Think about it, a typical 200A panel might be filled with 400, 500, 600, or more amps worth of breakers.
Better yet do a load calculation, which in an installation like this is pretty hard to pin down.

IMO there is no reason at all to go with less than a 70A breaker. If it were me the 90 would be in there already.
Your wire will handle it, why limit yourself???

Actually, re-reading it You are saying you want to use a GFCI breaker for the feeder? If so, WHY?? That is an expensive breaker that is NOT needed. Simply use GFI receptacles where required at the point of use.

If this is the case then I'd go with the biggest GFCI breaker I could find under 100A, which is most likely 60A.


Under Nec 2011, I need neutral to every switch box; can I just use 2 14/2's instead of paying extra for 14-2-2? I have two deadend 3way switches planned for the box (on the same breaker). I have 14/3 for each one going on, but then learned of the new rule about needing neutral at every box. I thought to replace one of the 14/3's with 2 14/2's. 3 ways are a bit confusing and this new rule about makes my head spin trying to understand all the outdated diagrams on the net.  Now that I have asked the question, it sort of seems obvious I can do this, but you never know.  thanks

The Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) might call you on 300.3(B), since not all the conductors are in the same cable.

National Electrical Code 2014
Chapter 3 Wiring Methods and Materials
Article 300 Wiring Methods
300.3 Conductors.
(B) Conductors of the Same Circuit. All conductors of
the same circuit and, where used, the grounded conductor
and all equipment grounding conductors and bonding conductors
shall be contained within the same raceway, auxiliary
gutter, cable tray, cablebus assembly, trench, cable, or
cord, unless otherwise permitted in accordance with
300.3(B)(1) through (B)(4).

You might want to contact the local electrical inspector, or redesign the circuit to avoid the situation altogether.


References to calculate lumber size and span for flat roof? I want to design a flat roof extension to create a screen patio. I would like to find a reference for maximum span and sizing with standard (such as SY pine) lumber for beams and joists. I'm not going to decide on final dimensions until I know whether I have to change from 2x6 to 2x8, for example, if I want joists to run x number of feet between beams -- and to know how big the beams have to be. Can anyone point to an online site or a reference book for these types of calculations? I'm in Florida USA, so no snow load -- but I will use some kind of steel hurricane straps/joist tie downs.

To calculate the maximum span of roof joists you first add up the Dead Load (weight of joists, roofing material, etc.) to Live Load (weight of snow) to determine the Total Load.
Your Dead Load is

roofing, which is going to be from 1 lbs. per square foot (psf) up to 3 psf, depending on the type of roofing.
roof sheathing is going to be from 1 1/2 psf up to 2 psf depending on the thickness, which depends on the spacing between the joists.
joists are from 2 psf for 2x6’s 12” on center, or 1 psf for 2x6’s 24” on center up to 3 psf for 2x8’s at 12” on center.
ceiling material, if any.

I’d guess your Total Load is about 7 psf, because you have no Live Load. Then you can use a joist calculator like this one:
https://www.awc.org/codes-standards/calculators-software/spancalc
You’ll notice that the span calculator only goes down to 10 psf Live Load. This is okay for your situation because you may hang lights, hanging flower pots, etc.
So, your total load will be about 17 psf. Then try various sizes and spans until you get one you like.
If you use 16” on center, don’t forget to convert your load from psf to 16” on center by multiplying 1.33 to your psf load. (So, 17 plf becomes about 23 lbs. per linear foot on your 2x6 joist. )


Refrigerator water dispenser runs fast then slow I have a Whirlpool Gold refrigerator about eight years old. The water dispenser runs water in a glass for a few seconds normally but then runs slow. Note that it doesn't slow down. It's an immediate switch to slow dispensing after about 2oz of water is dispensed.
I think (I think) this started after replacing the filter a couple of months back. I believe I was to fill the filter with water and let it sit for a while (or somesuch) but forgot to do that and just installed it. I'm wondering if that may have caused an issue in the filter to make it clog after a few seconds.
I would replace the filter to find out but I don't have one.

I have found when you have a “burst of water” followed by a low flow, the inlet valve in the filter housing is not fully opened. The large filter area pressurizes over  time maybe only a few seconds then when you open the valve you get a burst followed by a trickle.
A possible other cause would be media that is two fine and limiting the flow. Pre soak usually eliminates channeling but I would look at the filter seating / length as a possible cause.


Double Grounding Sub-Panel Non-electrician here - I have a small detached garage 25ish feet from the main service on the back of my house.
In consulting with an electrician he said the simplest way to get power out would be mounting a sub panel on the back of the house right by the main service, then just run 4 12/2,14/2 wires underground to a junction box in the garage. Easy enough, however unconventional.
I passed rough in inspection yesterday but because there is more than one circuit to a detached building (despite the sub being on the house) the inspector wants to see a separate ground.
So, I’m thinking I’ll install a ground near the garage, and run it in the trench back to the sub-panel. I think I also need to have the ground from the main service per updated code, so that would mean my subpanel, mounted on the exterior of the house would have a ground coming from the main service AND a separate two rod ground.
So double grounds in the sub panel. The neutral bus won’t be bonded. Any issues?
Am I understanding that correct? All thoughts are welcome.

The inspector should have red-flagged 2 or more circuits to the same outbuilding.  That's not allowed.
There should be a subpanel alright, but it needs to be on the garage, and then the mandatory grounding rods are a straightforward matter.
The grounding rods are no substitute for a ground wire; they do different jobs.
Since Code does not allow multiple circuits to an outbuilding, it is difficult to advise how to attach them to a local grounding electrode system.


Repairing Damaged Drywall Around a Bathroom? I have drywall in my bathroom that has started to flake and has become damaged over a few decades of use over a shower that didn't have an extractor fan.

I'm currently in the process of planning out the new extractor fan project, but I'm not sure what to do about the drywall. Here is a picture of the situation:

I've seen videos of drywall failure modes similar to this, and their solution was to use a 6" putty knife to scrape off the hanging drywall until the remainder was totally flat and then coat it with 20-minute joint compound.

I'm not entirely certain if that would work here because (As others pointed out in similar questions) joint compound is water soluble.

What is the best solution to this problem, and what tools would I need to implement it? (I'm kind of new to drywall, although I do have a 6"/12" steel putty knifes and a mud pan)

NOTE: I think that this differs from (repair drywall in the shower) as my drywall is not water damaged in the same way, and thus likely won't have the same answer (To the best of my knowledge), and is also different from (How do I repair drywall around a bathtub?) due to not being crumbly and other types of damage to the drywall being done.

To my mind the solution isn't dependent on your choice of joint compound (though topping compounds lack the vinyl component which can help with bonding). Even if you use concrete to coat it, what's behind it is still susceptible to water damage. Instead, moisture management and a good primer/paint coating is important. Your walls simply shouldn't be exposed to prolonged moisture.

I'd scrape away all loose material and finish the surface with whatever mud suits your fancy. Prime it with something that seals well, and use a high-quality topcoat that claims to bond well and protect against moisture damage.

An exhaust fan should be on a modern digital timer. Run it for at least two hours after a shower, as the moisture stuck to the tub and your towels takes a while to evaporate.


Prevent Rodent incursion along a retaining wall I live in a first generation suburb.  The retaining wall behind me is starting to crack, but it is not mine to permanently fix. After I concrete over any cracks in the retaining wall, I would like to do whatever I can prevent rats from burrowing next to that wall. I'm not a rat fan.

I would like to lay down some material along the retention wall and make it difficult for the rats to burrow. How wide and deep should I go? Fill it with big stones that are hard to move by a rat? fill with smaller stones that won't leave enough room for a rat to wiggle through? Bury some wire mesh under the grass along the wall?

I think you are barking up the wrong tree on your ideas.  Either buy and keep a Dash Hound; They have been used for generations to mitigate rodent infestation.  And they have a great time too.  Or consult a pro about the safe use of a rat poison regimen.


Convert Double Gang Switched Half Hot Outlets to Always Hot w/USB Our bedroom has two double outlets.  One outlet of each four is controlled by a single wall switch (in this switch it's the bottom left).  The other three outlets are always hot.  See wiring diagram.

I'd like to convert one of the double gang boxes (as pictured) to be always hot and use two Leviton USB receptacles. That's assuming I can fit both USB receptacles in I would do that, but I may be forced to just use one as they are large (deep).

Questions:  (1)  In order to keep the other outlet switched do I need to cap the red wires together or do I cap them individually? (2) How do I piggy back the USB outlets together?

If it makes things easier all around I could also just convert all four outlets to always on.  In that case I would want to cap off the switch and cover it.

Thank you!

Wow, I'm getting a headache just looking at that mess.  This person went to extremes to avoid wire nuts, and made aggressive use of the notoriously flaky "back stab" connections in the quest to avoid wire-nuts.  This adds, I count, 5 unnecessary connections.  So buy some red wire nuts and some black and white solid THWN-2 #12. We're getting rid of all that noise.

However, the setup as-it-is has done a good job of matching wire colors to functions, so we're going to make full use of that. Color codes will be:

Black = Always-hot
White = Neutral
Red = Switched-Hot

Pigtail those receps on the bench

Normally we advise "Don't tear everything apart", but this time - yes, do that.  Unscrew the red wire from the right recep, but leave that attached to the left recep.  All other wires, remove them from the receps.  If you're willing to work there on your knees, you can leave ground attached to the right recep (that one's a little complicated to remove).

Now, I want you to attach pigtails as follows:

To the left recep: Put a black pigtail on the same side as the red pigtail, but on the other brass screw.    Also, put a white pigtail on a silver screw (either one).

To the USB recep: Put a black pigtail on the brass screw, and a white pigtail on the silver screw.

Now you match color to color.

Now, aside from grounds, you have 2 black 2 white 2 red coming out of the wall, and 2 black 2 white 1 red coming from receptacles. Join all the blacks on a red wire-nut.. Join all the whites on a red wire-nut.  Join all the reds on a red or yellow wire-nut.

And you're done.

So easy when it's color coded!

Now it's true, it's possible to make splices on the recep itself.  But you also saw how messy that makes things.  This, you can understand, right?  So will the next person.  Onward power only goes through 1 splice instead of 6.  And you get to do the pigtailing on the bench!


What can I do about water runoff that is damaging soil around my house? Just purchased my first home, it's on a slab and isn't on a flood/water tile of any sort. I've noticed that area's around the Gutter Drains where the Rain Slant thingies (im not sure what they are actually called, I believe they are called a downspout?)

Anyways, my house has around 4 of them, the back 2 towards the rear of the house have soil thats been worn away near them (where the rain has gotten around the downspout I presume). So needless to say I probably should find a solutions to this since I don't want a lot of water getting near the slab of the house (the house is only 2-3 years old.....so hopefully this hasn't caused any damage). Im in Ky so it's not like it rains a TON here. The erosion around the gutters isn't "bad" but it's probably worth filling them in regardless.

Anyways what should I do about filling the soil around these gutter/downspouts around the house, where erosion has occured. Just any old soil?

As far as dispersing the water away from the house. I've looked into those invisaflow systems and those seem pretty nice, however im not really sure "where" to direct the water? The home needs some Outdoor Garden makeovers for sure, so I thought perhaps making the water direct to a very soil heavy/raised plant bed might work? (with high drainage?) Maybe some sort of "Rain Garden" (although im not sure what plants would work ahha). But we have a Slope of ground that goes down towards the rear of the house (so more water collection anyways).

I figured that'd be a good place to place some sort of garden). I would however not like to dig a TON into the ground (Our HOA is a PITA).
I also looked at rain barrels...but eh, they are kinda rather unsightly

Any ideas?

P.S. Since the house is only 2-3 years old and I haven't seen any water puddles or anything forming near the rear of the house (where the slight slope is) do you think much damage has occured? the only place I see soil erosion is where the downspouts are.

You can try some of these:

The idea being that they roll up out of the way when it's not raining, and run the water away from the house when it is.

Being an inexpensive solution, it might be worth a try.


I want to permanently remove and fill-in below grade windows in multi-family building. What's the risk? I have a 5 family apartment building in NJ. There are 2 below grade window wells that protrude from the building and into the asphalt driveway. I want to fill these in permanently with concrete because the windows leak like crazy, and the wells are huge hazards (for tripping and the metal grates have caved in several times when someone drives over them).

What's the risk over filling them in?

The basement is unfinished. These 2 windows do not open. There are 2 other window on the opposite side of the basement that do open (and are not a problem).  Also, the tenants do not have access to the basement. The only people who go down there are myself and the meter readers. It's a full basement with 5 boilers, 1 hot water heater, 6 electrical meters and 6 gas meters.

Thanks!

Depending on the size, weight would be my only structural concern.  A large window well filled only with concrete is going to weigh a ton.  That could potentially put unwanted pressure on the foundation.

The windows should be blocked/bricked in, add some below grade sealer/barrier (whatever the foundation of the building is made of), the hole filled with dirt and the top paved over to be part of the driveway.

All that said you should also call a building inspector BEFORE you start work to ensure that blocking in those windows isn't violating code...I doubt it will be a problem...but yeah, ask first in this case.


How to build a removable bench for a sit-in window? I'm prepping for my next home improvement project and it's going to be building a custom bench to effectively create a sit-in window. It's really just a normal window but we have installed bookcases on both sides so there's effectively a little cubby area there at the window now. We want to have this bench there 11 months out of the year but for Christmas we want to remove the bench and put the Christmas tree in there. It's about a 6' width and I want it to be something that somebody can crawl up into to read a book with their back up against the book cases.

Firstly, I've never done something like this but I am an engineer so I can think things through, especially if pointed in the right direction. Secondly, I know this is impossible for anybody to just tell me how to do this entire project but that's not what I'm looking for. Lastly, I'm sure I'm going to screw some things up and I'm sure I'll have to acquire a tool or three that I don't have (a table saw is the first thing that comes to mind) - this is fine but I just want to make sure I go down the right path to do this.

So here are my actual questions that I think are actually answerable:

I have a pretty decent set of tools but not a lot of wood-working tools. A miter saw and some sanders are about as fancy as I have. Take the simple stuff for granted but what more specialized and expensive tools might I be looking at needing for this? (I suspect a table saw is probably going to be a good start but what about a planer, jointer or other things?)
Is there an obviously good type of wood I should use for this? I'm sure I'll stain it the color I prefer but what should I look for? Maple? Pine? I'm not sure what is a good or bad idea here.
Given that I want this to be movable for Christmas, what special considerations do I need to take into account for that requirement besides not permanently attaching it to the wall/floor? (I'm thinking of creating a simple notched wood mounting mechanism into the floor that you have to lift it over the mechanism to remove so it's fairly stable unless you lift the thing up.)
What kind of material should I use for the seat area? Should I go just bare wood and pillows or is there a good choice for padding for the seat? I really have no clue where to start here if I don't go wood + pillows.
I'm afraid that somebody will lean against the window and cause problems there. Any suggestions to keep that from being a problem?
Are there are some designs for something similar that I can take a look at to get some ideas from? Structural integrity will obviously be very important and while I'm a smart guy who can figure some stuff out, I'd much rather learn from others' mistakes and start out with some clever ideas that are tried and true.
Lastly, is this likely too big of a project for somebody who isn't really a woodworker? I'm willing to admit defeat before frustrating myself to failure if folks experienced with this tell me that I'm in over my head.

I hope I asked this in an answerable way. Any tips you can provide will be greatly appreciated. I think this will be a fun project once I get it started!

Too long for a comment. A photo of the area would help, in my last house I had a large window seat that I cut tongue and groove boards to cover the seat and make a removable deck that fit the space we put our downstairs tree on.

This is reverse to what you want to do but may work for your needs. I cut each of the boards to fit tight in the space. Your miter saw saw is all that will be needed for this. After making sure everything fit well, I attached a small piece of wood molding on each end to hold them in place. I then sanded the tops and stained the boards. When we wanted to put the deck in the smallest board first pushing them together it held in place nicely. We had 4" foam covered cushions made to fit the seat I did add some Velcro strips to the bottom of the cushions to hold them in place. We never had any problems with the windows being leaned on (the sill was less than 12" above the seat).

I think this is a good possibility for a DIY project the only question is the support from the shelving units. Or adding a small ledger frame on each side to support the seat and a center support because of the span.


GFCI connection and trip I have 1 GFCI in the bathroom On the 1st floor. The line side is sourced from the main board, and the load side has 3 standard duplexes in the 2 bathrooms on the 2nd floor. After moving in to test the 3 outlets on the 2nd floor, we found that the GFCI always trips when an appliance is plugged in any of the 3 outlets - we can never use any electrical appliance with these 3 outlets! We had a further check and noticed:

The white line from the load side of the GFCI on the 1st floor is capped and not connected. When connected, the GFCI trips.
Without connection of the white wire, when we plugged a voltage meter into each of the outlets on the 2nd floor, the meter was on; but when plugging in any electrical device (even a cell phone charger), the GFCI trips.
The wiring of the 3 downstream outlets connects to each other is normal.

Please help with troubleshooting methods.

For downstream outlets from a GFCI to work correctly, both the hot and the neutral on the circuit have to pass through the GFCI. A GFCI works (and this is a simplified explanation) by detecting the difference in current passing through the hot and neutral.  If it has current moving through the hot and nothing through the return, then it trips because it detects that as being an alternate ground path. I highly suspect that the downstream outlets are either connected to a separate neutral or ground somewhere.


Decrease apartment intercom door buzzer volume The intercom in my condominium unit (that I own) works well, but is horribly loud. I understand this can be a boon so that I never miss a buzz, but my unit is small enough that the volume cannot be justified. There is no built in volume control.

Since I own my apartment, and we are self-managed, I cannot call a landlord. Perhaps I could call a maintenance company to install a different panel, but in my Googling, I cannot find replacement panels with volume control knobs, so I'm not sure that would help.

The manufacturer of my intercom panel does not seem to actively promote/advertise their intercom products, so I worry there's no obvious replacement.

This is my intercom panel, a Jeron.

I don't want to remove the buzzer completely, or add any glue to dampen the volume. I was hoping I could add a potentiometer or some other device to decrease the volume, but it seems a potentionmeter may be discouraged for this scenario.

Is there any simple solution here? Install a lower capacity speaker? Some sort of resistor that could be installed to decrease the volume? An alternative sort of intercom panel I haven't yet found online?

you need to reduce power to the diaphram. A fixed value resistor is a decent way of doing that.

Cut a white speaker wire, patch it with a resistor, which you can get at radio shack or wherever. Start with matching the speaker ohms (likely 4, 8, or 16) to ~half the volume. a pack of 5 5-10ohms would be good because you can connect them in series to get multiples of 5 or 10 to adjust the volume.

you could replace the speaker with a higher-ohm model as well, they make them in all sizes, so i'm sure you could find a drop-in physical replacement.

A potentiometer might work, but has some complications: most are too high resistance (ex 0-100 ohm), most zeros aren't zero, but rather 5-10 ohms, which steps on your adjustment range a lot. Many pots don't handle very much current either, so you could fry a cheap/small potentiometer, although that's probably not likely.

if you don't want to cut wire, you can "short" the speaker with a resistor, instead of wiring it in series. this reduces the amount or power going to the diaphragm, but wastes power. don't put fewer than 10ohm across if you go that route.


Using a full motion single stud wall mount for the 49” Sony 900f? I am planning on getting the Sony 900f 49” very soon and have really only been contemplating on the type of mount. I have opted to go for a Kanto mount but I’m trying to choose between the single stud PS350 or the double stud FMC4. The tv weighs about 30lbs. I am planning on using the full motion often. Would the single stud be good enough? I’ve had employees at Best Buy and their installers tell me the single stud will be fine but I’m just wanting to make sure. Each mount has a max weight limit of about 80lbs

Yes, a single stud CAN support your 30 lbs. T.V., if it’s installed PERFECTLY.

The mount is designed to 1) hold the tv up, and 2) keep the bracket (mount) from rotating off the wall.

1) The weight of the tv is not significant. A standard bolted connector will easily support 30 lbs.

2) The stress from a tv rotating off the wall is complicated. The bolt at the top of the connection is in withdrawal. That is to say, the bolt wants to “slip” out of the wood. To resist that force, the grooves between the bolt and the fiber in the wood is the only thing resisting that withdrawal force.

If the bolt is installed off-center of the stud, it may not develop full resistance. Also, if the bolt is installed too loose, it could loosen over time due to your “often” movement (vibration between the connection and the stud) of the tv.

Generally, structural design is redundant. That is to say, there’s always a backup. When you fasten to just one stud, it had better be PERFECT.


Are there any good ways to manage all the different chargers? My workbench is being invaded by chargers!

I have 3 different battery chargers for different power tools, plus a couple of wall warts for simple stuff that plugs in directly.  Some of the chargers have a regular, 110v plug, while others have the typical wall wart to contain the transformer.

Short of replacing all the tools with something that uses a common battery or charging system, are there products available to manage this mess?

One thing I love about the DeWalt batteries is that they maintained compatibility across a wide range of battery/charger combinations.  I standardized my own collection on them after my last set of power tools died and replacement batteries weren't available.

As for your challenge, many of these chargers should be wall mountable.  We've got a piece of OSB on the site with a dozen chargers and a couple of power strips all mounted which is mounted on the wall above a workbench.  When we didn't have the trailer hooked up to power, the OSB was unscrewed from the wall and the entire charging station moved indoors.  The nice thing about the power strips is that a flip of the switch turns off all the transformers that leach power even when they aren't charging anything.

In a workshop itself, a ceiling mounted extension cord is handy for powering various tools.  And they also have extra long (6 foot long) power strips that have outlets spaced apart that would be perfect for mounting on the wall behind the workbench.


How do I remove black mold from area of laundry machine where water won’t reach? I noticed some black mold in my laundry machine. Unfortunately, this area seems to be in between the glass part and the plastic and I can’t fit even a fingernail in to remove it (even water can’t reach that spot when the machine is running as seen in the photo).

As seen, the soapy water on the right does not reach the mold.

Is there a way I can remove the mold?

I’m doubtful conventional methods like bleach would work since there doesn’t seem to be any way for even water molecules to get through.

I think this is more of a comment than an answer, but I'm too new to comment :/

UV light would kill it, but you asked how to remove it so that doesn't completely answer your question...

And the EPA thinks that most home UV lamps won't do much.
https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/does-ultraviolet-uv-radiation-uv-lamps-kill-mold-0

Can you get it out into bright sunshine for a couple of days?


Cleaning tools of cured joint compount I had been using pre-mixed joint compound, but I ran out just before I was finished, and my neighbor (who had just re-done his basement) gave me some Sheetrock Easy Sand 90 Joint Compound, and his drill bit /paint stirrer so I could mix small batches.

Unfortunately, I missed cleaning the paint stirrer when doing my cleanup, and didn't remember it until a couple of hours later, when I was in class.  When I got home, I gave it a soak, and have scraped / scrubbed as much as I can off, but there's still quite a bit stuck on it in difficult to reach places.

Is there anything that might soften it? (eg, a strong base?  I have Barkeeper's Friend, lye water, and lye crystals), or do I need to stick with mechanical means?  (I have some brass brushes if I can remember where I put them)

Soaking the stirrer in just plain water overnight should soften the compound. A scraper and wire brush will help get into the hard to reach areas. Most paint stirrers are usually less than $10. Is spending a hour or two trying to clean something so cheap worth the time?  I would just buy a new one for your friend and keep the old one.


Is there a "universal" flux core welding wire for repairing any kind of iron? I need to weld a railing and am not sure what kind of metal it is made from.  For the time being, I'm going to assume it's iron until I can do a magnet test.  But short of getting a sample tested in a lab or doing the "spark test", I don't know how to identify the iron used.  I was planning on using a flux core MIG welder, but need to pick a proper wire composition.  Is there a general purpose wire I can use that would work reasonably well on wrought and cast iron?

EDIT - it is ferrous metal.

A railing ( tubular or angle) it it very likely to be "mild" steel , aka -carbon steel. It contains 0.1 to 0.2 % carbon , a little manganese and silicon. Highly weldable with standard filler metal . MIG is the easiest , gas shielded solid steel wire or flux cored steel wire ( the flux generates gas to shield the weld.). You want the most common standard  steel filler wire. You do not have the skill necessary to weld any type of cast iron; the railing is very unlikely to be cast iron." Wrought iron" is an archaic name for very low carbon steel ; unlikely to be in your railing but it would weld the same as mild steel.


Is it safe to use Biflex TC for termite control in my house? Today I found that my house is infested with termites. It's really scary the way they affect wooden stuff inside the house.

I contacted a few agencies here in my city (Ahmedabad, India). The one that seemed good said that they use Biflex TC to deal with the termites. I wanted to know if anyone here has any idea whether the chemical has been or is probably going to be banned from any countries due to its effects on humans.

I may sound paranoid but I am concerned about my family's health. If the chemical has any adverse effects on human health then I would definitely look for some other option.

PS - I found a termite related question asked earlier on the site but it had no mention of Biflex TC.

Some searching shows that the active ingredient is called bifenthrin.  It has been banned for use as a pesticide in the EU.

Some more links that you may find helpful:

US National Pesticide Information Center: http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/biftech.pdf
EU European Food Safety Authority:  http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/doc/186r.pdf

They have a lot of information, so they should help you decide whether or not it's right for you and your family.


What does the 16" in "16-Inch Full Ext Drawer" refer to? I'm building a project that involves sliding drawers. I'm shopping for drawer slides and I'm not sure what the 16" in the title below refers to?

Does it mean the drawer hardware is 16 inches closed?  Like the length of the track closed is 16 inches?  Or does that mean that I can pull it out of the box 16 inches?

  16-Inch Full Ext Drawer Slide 100-Pound Capacity Side Mount

It means the slide is 16" long and that you can pull your drawer out a full 16" relative to the slide.  If your cabinet space was 20" deep, and you mounted this all the way at the back then your drawer would not come out 16" but instead 16-4=12".


Adjusting HVAC damper First summer in this 2 story house and looks like air flow on the second floor is significantly weaker then on the bottom floor. Looked at the HVAC to find the dampener handle and found 1 but it is screwed in place. Not sure if this is the duct going to the second floor or first.... Is it done to prevent the dampener from being manipulated for some reasons or its ok to just unscrew it and play with the level of open/close?

Welcome to the wide, wide world of second story air conditioning.
If this was done to prevent it from being manipulated they wouldn't have installed it. This was done just to prevent the damper from closing due to air flow. Find out where this duct feeds and if it's to the first floor try closing it a bit to divert more air to the second floor. If this does feed the second floor, you might want to add a duct fan to increase the air flow. They can be controlled manually by a switch or hooked up to your air handler. Good luck.


Duplex Outlet-Open ground only on top I had a regular 15amp duplex outlet in my kid’s room.  Because it is on the third floor, the heat doesn’t work that great and we had a small ceramic heater plugged in.  She called me into her room.  She unplugged the heater because there were “scorch” marks around the top part of the duplex.

Went to the hardware store and bought a new outlet.  (15 amp duplex outlet with also two USB ports)  Hooked it up and then tested it.  The bottom half of the duplex tests “correct”, when I plug it into the top part it says open ground.

It is not controlled by a switch and I didn’t break any tabs.
What could make this happen?  Is it safe to use the outlet or just the bottom of the duplex?  I tested all the other outlets on that breaker and they are all fine.  I also double checked my connection and the plastic box connections.  Do outlets with USB ports show open grounds?

While it would be a mystery that would be good to be solved, would putting a GFI outlet in that box assure it is grounded?

Before I call someone I want to see if there is something I may be missing.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

It is not controlled by a switch and I didn’t break any tabs.
  What could make this happen?

Debris inside the socket of the ground conductor
A defectively manufactured outlet

  Is it safe to use the outlet or just the bottom of the duplex?

Safety is a relative thing.

If you use the ungrounded top outlet it will be as safe as older houses that were built before grounding was a thing, and were considered safe in their time.  It will also make no difference for two prong appliances.
If you crazyglue an outlet protector over the top outlet to prevent use of the top outlet, then it will be as safe as not using it.
But maybe the DC converter will short to hot and electrify the phone someone is holding up to their head.

I say take it back to the store and report the fault and get an exchange.

You got a product that is less than it should be.  Safety or not, you'd return a plasma tv if it had lines down it or only received even channels.  Return this outlet too.

  Do outlets with USB ports show open grounds?

Only busted ones.

  would putting a GFI outlet in that box assure it is grounded?

Nope.  GFCIs do not create ground.

Changing the part out (with a gfci, or with any other outlet) would most likely solve the problem though.  And in a kid's room, I think a GFCI is worth more than USB outlets if its a kid you want to keep.

Perhaps consider installing one GFCI in the "first" outlet box in that room, or in what ever the next closest junction before the circuit enters that room.  Then USB outlets inside the room.  In 60 seconds of Googling, I could not find an outlet that had GFCI and USB in one.  You could also use a GFCI breaker but those are a pain in the neck.

  something I may be missing

The receipt for that usb outlet, and its original packaging?  With that, you should be all set.  Let the clerk know it is dangerously faulty so they think longer before re-shelving it.  If you get another of the same model and it has another fault, then you should tell us what model it is so it can be avoided.  Good on you for testing the outlets after installing.  I haven't done that on nema 5's in a while....


Finding the right size of nut for a bolt I have a bolt with a thread pitch of .8mm and a diameter of 3.3mm. I am trying to find the correct size of nut for it, however the ISO thread chart says that a .8mm thread is M5, but should have a diameter of 4.2mm leaving me confused.

Judging by the pitch and diameter you've measured, what you probably have is an American UNC 6-32 screw.
There are many conversion charts on the interwebs, but if you refer to this one in particular you can see the diameter for a #6 thread is 0.138" or 3.5mm.
The 2nd number in the UNC scheme is the number of threads per inch, so taking 25.4mm per inch and dividing by 32 gives you 0.79375mm - suspiciously close to your measured 0.8mm.


Should I remove the drywall before building new walls against existing walls? I'm closing off a walk through to the kitchen from hallway creating a pantry in its place. Is this overkill to open up wall to access studs for secure mounting of new framing? I'm building custom shelves in pantry that will carry significant weight.

I use to do HVAC years ago and have always done this type of work when installing duct work through small closets in hallways or bedrooms. We would open up the walls and frame to the existing studs instead of applying framing to the drywall or plaster.

I'm being told by two "handymen" general contractors that I should have just nailed 2x4s to plaster for the drywall. I still have to frame out the front and add a door. Is there another approved way of framing out the front of the pantry without opening up walls that I'm not aware of?

(This is a load bearing wall in picture.)

I would do it your way (the right way).   You will never have to worry in the future, in comparison with the other approach.

Have you asked the 2 contractors "what they would do if this was their home"....maybe their answer would differ.


Is there a technical reason why there are seemingly no smoke detectors that are battery operated, dual sensor, and interconnected? I've viewed dozens of "top X smoke detectors of 2020" sites, and scoured the leading brands' sites (Kidde, First Alert, and Nest), but I can't find any that are battery operated, dual sensor (ionization and photoelectric), and interconnected (wirelessly).  I can't install hardwired detectors in my home due to lack of access inside walls and ceilings. Many resources say dual sensor is recommended because they cover both smouldering and fast flaming fires.  Additionally, it's now law that all new homes have to have interconnected alarms so a fire detected in a distant part of the house will be heard, which is a concern I have even though I don't own a new home.  So why don't they exist with those three?

No Demand
The demand for interconnected is associated with new homes in many jurisdictions. I don't know of any places (there may be exceptions, probably California if anywhere...) where they are required to be interconnected unless a home is new or, possibly, substantially renovated. When a home is new or is substantially renovated, it is easy to run wires between the detectors and to add wires from the first detector back to a power source.
So the need for "battery" is made obsolete by the need for "interconnected". You don't need battery if they are interconnected, you don't need interconnected if you are in a situation where you don't want to run wires back to a power source (because if you don't want to connect to power, you probably don't really want to run wires for interconnecting them either).
End result:

Battery power for individual detectors in older homes. (Unrelated, but now typically "10-year batteries" instead of "replace battery when you hear the chirp").
AC-powered for interconnected detectors in newer homes.

I don't think dual-sensor has much to do with it, though due to power requirements (and possibly a higher price-point) that may be more common with AC-powered, interconnected detectors.
I didn't catch the "wireless" part originally. For a bunch of reasons, I would prefer wired to wireless for smoke detectors. Wireless at many levels (from Bluetooth to WiFi to cell phones...) has enough problems that for life-safety I'd prefer wired, when practical. As long as this is new construction, wired seems quite practical, and new construction is the primary demand source for interconnected.


When cutting granite does a diamond blade need to be wet? I have to make an 1/8 inch cut on a 6" strip of granite with an angle grinder and diamond blade. I am not worried about dust for such a small cut, but I do not want to break or chip the granite.

Is there a benefit to getting the blade wet?

I have used a diamond blade in an angle grinder to make detailed cuts in ceramic tile without getting the blade wet. Everything worked fine.

Whether you use water or not is entirely dependent on the blade, not the material (unless you are cutting something soluble in water).  Some binders used in diamond blades and bits take heat better than others, and the trade off is how the cut works (aggressive material removal, smooth finish, ability to cut heterogeneous materials, etc.)

Do not use water with a dry cut blade, and don't run a wet blade dry - follow the recommendations from the manufacturer. AKA, RTFM.

If you do it incorrectly, your blade will either not cut, wear out too fast, burn the material or the blade sintering, or just blow apart entirely.

And remember, lower speed and less pressure make for a slower, but safer, more precise cut with far less dust and wear on the tool and the blade.


Redoing insulation in the basement of the home I recently purchased I recently purchased a home and have begun to do renovations on the basement. I am starting to look at insulation and so I have been researching what the best way would be to do that. The problem I am having is that the house was built in the 70s and has no moisture barrier between the cement wall and the studs. What are my options for insulating? Is there a way to install moisture barrier with the wall frame still up? I’m dreading the work and money it will cost if I have to remove the framing to redo this insulation.

As a note, the house has been around 50 years without a moisture barrier, what are the benefits of putting one in now if there have been no moisture issues for close to 50 years?

Thanks!

Have you looked into closed cell spray foam?  It forms its own moisture barrier as well as being a great way to insulate.  No need to remove any framing as it will cover all areas and seal them.


Running a wire from an existing interior outlet to a new exterior outlet which is lower than the interior one How do I determine if pathway down inside wall is clear to connect wire to exterior outlet lower than the interior outlet. Also the interior box k.o.'s are hard to remove since it appears wood surrounds box. Then how to drill hole through the wood with box in place?

You will have to fish wire through... so you need a path. Professionals utilize a variety of specialty tools and special skills to do what you describe.

I would probably remove a KO and probe down the wall with a stiff wire to see if there was an obstruction. if there was, I would tear out the existing interior box, cut open the wall, use a long flexible drill bit to punch a hole, then patch it up.

You can spend a whole bunch of time fretting and trying to find an "easy way", or you can just do it and prepare yourself for the work involved patching it up.


What light switch combination do I need? Help! I'm replacing some light switches for my kitchen light and I can't seem to get the circuit to work properly with the new switches. I assumed I just needed to buy two 3-way switches, but I can only seem to get it to turn on/off using one switch at a time. The wiring has hot wires coming into both switches - do I need to use a 4-way switch somehow? Unfortunately, I didn't take pictures of how the original switches were wired. Hopefully the images below are helpful - I verified each wire by testing them individually and connecting the hot to the other two wires at each switch.
Update: I think the switch by the outdoor light was a 4-way switch. Still can't get it to work with using the old switch.

This is two three-way switches from the looks of things, but wired in a nonstandard fashion
From the wires you have, this does appear to be a fairly basic three-way switch circuit with both switches on loops from the light fixture, but with the way the second switch is wired, and the way you were able to get it working, it's not a standard three-way switch.  Instead, it's what's called a "California" or "Coast" 3-way setup that brings always-hot to a traveler terminal on both switches and switched-hot to the other traveler terminal on the switches, then connects their commons together.  This yields a working 3-way switch arrangement, as depicted below (illustration courtesy of Wtshymanski/Wikipedia), and has the advantage of providing always-hot and switched-hot at both switch locations, but has the downside that you can't add another switch to it.


How do I reverse the slope of my garage floor? When I built my garage 25 years ago, the concrete contractor nixed my idea of installing in-floor drains under each car "bay" and assured me that he would slope the floor toward the garage door so water would run out. On the morning of the pour, I watched for a few minutes, then had to run off to the office and didn't get to "supervise" or ask questions. The pour was completed in one shot - footers, foundation walls, and slab are all one pour.
After building the walls, we discovered that not only was the floor not sloped toward where the garage door would be, it was actually sloped away from the door and toward one corner!
Unfortunately (and foolishly - we were young, the internet didn't exist to ask 10,000 questions of), we rejected his offer to put one course of block on the floor, and built our stud walls directly on slab. On the bright side, though, despite water pooling in the corner, there isn't yet (visible) evidence of any serious rot in the wall, so I'm not yet worried about having to repair that.
As the spouse and I have now reembarked on our journey of house improvements and upgrades, I'm considering trying to fix the improper slope. I've read lots here about using self-leveling cement to get a nice, smooth, level floor for various purposes like covering with laminate flooring. This is not  what I want since I do actually want the floor to slope, not be perfectly flat.
What are my options for changing the slope of my monolithic-poured garage floor from a south-to-north (high to low) slope to a north-to-south slope?
If it were a wooden floor, it would be fairly easy to cut some long 2x shims to adjust the level and refloor it, but I don't know how to do that out of concrete.

Install a drain at the low spot, or rent a concrete saw and cut drainage channels (run the saw on tapered shims so the channels slope correctly.)
By cutting channels you should be able to intercept and redirect much of the water before it reaches the low spot.
It might be possible to do that to the whole floor with a terrazzo grinder, but those seem to be a lot harder to find for rental, and it would be a LOT more work. I doubt most things you'd apply on top would hold up to vehicle traffic unless you have room for a couple of inches at the thin part.


How can I determine the manufacturer of these cabinet doors? We have a couple of kitchen cabinets that our dog chewed the corners off of. Our landlord is giving us a chance to find replacement doors before he charges us for a whole new set of cabinets.

The problem we're running into is that we can't identify the door model or manufacturer. Our landlord purchased the cabinets a couple of years ago and doesn't know the manufacturer.

Does this look familiar to anyone? If so do you know the make and model?


How to seal a pipe pass-through in a basement wall My house is 15 years old, and ground water has suddenly started to leak into the basement around a pipe that passes through the poured concrete foundation.  The method of installation complicates the repair.
Situation
An iron pipe sleeve (roughly 4"D), is sealed to the wall with spray foam.  A 3" PVC drain pipe passes through the sleeve, with more foam sealing between it and the sleeve.
Leakage
There aren't signs of leakage between the two pipes, it's all between the sleeve and the wall.  There appear to be small leaks between the foam and the concrete.  However, much of the water enters around the sleeve, between it and the foam.
I cut away most of the foam to find the source.  Some pieces cleanly separated from the concrete, indicating that it wasn't bonded.  Around the sleeve, all the foam cleanly pulled off.
Embedded in the foam was a layer of black.  It looks like water rusted its way down the sleeve.  The surface of the pipe remained bonded to the foam, and water leaked under that.  There is some powdery residue on the pipe that's a mixture of black and some rust color.  The sleeve otherwise seems virtually intact.
Issues

I can try to remove the rust in the exposed area, but the sleeve will rust again, making it hard to do a permanent repair.
The foam didn't make a permanent seal with some of the concrete, making me wonder whether it's suitable for this application.
Trying to seal with hydraulic cement will require grinding away all traces of foam for it to bond well with the concrete wall.  The area doesn't have great work access, so this would be difficult, messy, and involve risk of damaging surrounding plumbing.  Also, can you even use cement on iron (thinking rebar issues)?
My understanding is that the purpose of the sleeve is to facilitate servicing the pipe if needed.  An approach like encapsulating the opening with epoxy would require bonding to the PVC pipe to be permanent.
The exterior of the wall is inaccessible; all work must be done on the inside.

Solution?
Is there a good, permanent solution?  What I've considered:

I could just clean it up and apply new foam.  Hopefully it would hold for another 10-15 years (and maybe become someone else's problem).
I could clean it up and use hydraulic cement to seal it.  That would be a lot more work, and also temporary because of new rust.
I could encapsulate the opening in epoxy.  If I ever need to service the pipe, just deal with it then.
I could try to seal the hole by injecting Gorilla Glue around the sleeve as far as possible into the hole (syringe with long needle).  That expands as it hardens, after which foam (or cement?) could be added to further seal it.  That might prolong the time until another repair is needed.
Wrap the pipe with self-fusing silicone repair tape, and then fill around it with hydraulic cement (no idea whether it would work).
I can't think of another material that is waterproof and permanent, cures in the presence of water, stays put while curing under pressure, and bonds with wet surfaces.

Pictures
The location is blocked by a utility sink and a water heater, so it's difficult to get at the pipe, to see what you're doing or work on it, and to take pictures.

There are actually two pipes running through the wall in this location.  To the left of the subject pipe is the water line.  Some of the concrete around the two pipes was broken away at construction time; that was all filled with foam before I removed it.  There's still some remaining above each pipe sleeve.  There's also some leakage around the water line sleeve due to gaps in the sealing foam; that one isn't an issue because the sleeve is PVC and sealing that one is straightforward.

This view is the right side of the problem pipe.

I would remove all the foam you can from the outside of the metal sleeve pipe, then coat the pipe with epoxy, then fill the rest of the material with any suitable concrete patching material.  You can easily find epoxies that bond to metal and concrete, and bond when wet - many will even cure underwater.  So you know it will bond to both the pipe and the patch material.
You could use all epoxy as long as it can be mixed thick enough to work on a vertical surface but if there's a lot of material to fill in, it might get expensive.
If you're concerned about the rust on the metal sleeve pipe, you could treat it with a rust stabilizer product.  These products turn rust to a black oxide and work OK, depending on how deep the rust goes.  I don't know if you could determine for sure the epoxy will bond to the black oxide although I suspect it would.  It may not be that important since the sleeve is not structural and the epoxy will hold things together to some extent.
Gorilla glue or other polyurethane glue is popular (great, great marketing) and performs pretty well for its intended uses but it's one of the most overrated products around.  It's not as versatile as people want it to be.  It is pretty close to expanding foam, in fact it foams up to fill gaps.  I would not try using it for anything here.


Running audio wire in office, wall or ceiling location? I am running speaker wire before drywall.  I have an office, square shape, that I want to later install 5.1 or 7.1 surround for playing certain movies or video games on the computer.  I know that the speakers should be placed just above ear height.  This would mean my speakers are all located about 4' high if wall mounted.  They would need to be placed on shelves, stands, or wall brackets. (definitely not doing recessed speakers in the wall since 2 walls have insulation and it would mess with my vapor barrier install) The other option I am thinking about is running my wires to the corners of the ceiling.  I would buy speakers that have triangle mounts that screw into the drywall and then swivel to aim the sound towards my listening height.  These speakers would be out of the way, but I wonder if the sound is weird since it's coming from above instead of feeling like it's beside and behind me?  I can easily run the wire, but I don't have enough left to run wire for both options.  Any input would be awesome.  I'm leaning towards running all wires in the attic and having a place for 3 speakers along each side of the office to allow front, side, and rear speakers all spaced equally apart.  Otherwise I would do something very similar with the wire ran through the wall roughly 48" high.

Placement of speakers for a surround sound system can get very specific if you care about it.

By far the most important speakers are the front 3 (center, left and right). The center channel is the most important for movies because most of the dialog comes from the center speaker. Left/right speakers are more important for music but still used a lot in movies.

Ideally all 3 of those speakers would be at the same height and lined up as close as possible with the height of the screen. That means putting the center speaker directly above or directly below the screen, and the left/right accordingly.

Also, ideally the left and right speakers should be about 30º to the side of the center speaker. The exact distance will depend on the position of the seats.

Rear speakers are used mainly for ambient affects and are not nearly as important. I think ideally they are mounted slightly above ear level and 100º to the side of the center (i.e. more to the side of the listener than behind), but ceiling mounting is probably fine as well.

So as you can see you do not want the speakers "equally spaced", although there may be some benefit to wiring your room that way if you want flexibility about future layout.

A few other things to note:

If you are using an AV receiver to process the surround sound, many of the mid- and high-end units include room calibration modes that let you compensate somewhat for oddly-placed speakers.
If you are going to be using a computer to play movies, note that getting surround sound out of a computer can be tricky. Even for computers/sound cards that support surround sound, it's not always as easy as it seems like it should be.


How do I get 150F water to the dishwasher? I  have read in a maintenance manual that the ideal temperature for incoming water to a dishwasher is 150F.

In my house, the hot water heater is currently set to 135F and it cools on traveling around the house, so the typical faucet temperature is around 120F.

I have considered up the temperature of the water heater to 150F, but in that case it is recommended to have a thermostatic valve reduce the temperature to 120F, which would be no better than what is happening now as far as the dishwasher is concerned.

I could boost the water heater temperature to 155F which would result in 150F water reaching the dishwasher, however, then all the faucets would also have 150F hot water, which is pretty hot.

The only way I see around this is to create a special hot water line that goes to the dishwasher and clothes washer that comes directly from the water heater and put the water heater at 155F, then put a valve on the water supplies to all the rest of the house. Is this is the "proper" solution, or is there another way to get the right temperature to the appliances?

You don't. Let the dishwasher do it for you.

I have read in a maintenance manual that the ideal temperature for incoming water to a dishwasher is 150F.

Was it a maintenance manual for your actual dishwasher? If not, I would ignore random advice (no better than advice from some stranger on the internet...).
Most dishwashers now automatically heat water as needed to the necessary temperature for optimum performance. This avoids exactly the problem you mentioned - water hot enough to clean effectively and to sanitize dishes is also hot enough to quickly burn people. Some dishwashers (I think typically European models) are even designed to run with cold water - heating water from cold to very hot as needed, not just hot to very hot. That being said, I would recommend connecting your dishwasher to the hot water line rather than the cold water line, unless your manufacturer specifically recommends otherwise, because:

Electric heat is generally more expensive than natural gas or other forms of heating. If your main water heater is electric then any heating by the dishwasher will cost the same as your main water heater, and if your main water heater is something else then any heating by the dishwasher will cost more. I can't see any normal scenario where using your dishwasher to heat from cold to hot will actually save any money.
If your dishwasher runs some cycles without heating the water to very hot (e.g., perhaps a regular rinse cycle as opposed the main wash cycle or a final sanitary rinse cycle) then using hot water instead of cold water will be much more effective.


How to hang a ceiling fan box in gazebo with no parallel joists? I want to hang n fan in a covered pavilion which has a gazebo like roof, held up by rafters. I've purchased a ceiling fan box/support that is designed to fit between joists, but there are no joists. I was wondering if I could use 2 stacked 2x4's attached perpendicular to the rafters (with lag bolts) and then connect the fan box between the two by fours.
This photo shows the roof rafters and the drawing indicates the idea. The other photos show a mock-up of what it would look like (ignore the clamp, it is just holding the mock-up together -- in the application the 2x4's would be attached to the rafter with bolts).
Basically, the 2x4's create a 'joist' for the fan box to attach to. (The plates on the end of the fan box are aligned so that they can only be attached on the ends, and not flat against the joists).
Will this work? Or is there another way to do it?

A lot of this comes down to aesthetics and practicality, so you will probably get lots of right answers. Here's my take:
I would run your short piece of 2x4 level at the peak alongside 2 of the rafters. You will then be able to use a saddle fan box to mount your fan. This box slides over the 2x4, and is only fastened using a set screw. You then use wood screws to actually fasten the fan bracket to the 2x4 behind the box, not the box itself.


Fixing porch-supporting pier that settled because of bad drainage I've got a wraparound porch on the house. It's supported by a half dozen 28" x 30" x 24" concrete piers (plus other sized concrete piers elsewhere) along the front of the house. They're all floating on the ground at the top of a fairly steep slope, pushed back 6-7' or so from the edge. Everything is in good condition. Not seeing any cracks, etc.

However, the ground under the corner pier has eroded because of a bad drainage problem -- poorly directed downspout (fix in progress) -- and the front edge of the block isn't supported anymore. It's starting to settle and causing the post to move. The porch has a bit of a bounce to it now in that corner, but I don't think it's moved any.

The angle is a bit exaggerated in the picture.

(Note: lattice is not attached to post)

I would like to remove the one concrete block and replace it by digging out a proper footing and putting in a longer post. I'm envisioning something along the lines of a 3-4 foot sonotube sitting on a 6" footer (bit of a WAG on that).

The ground is rocky clay and it would be on a bit of a slope.

Is this the right sort of solution or am I just just going to introduce more problems in the long run?

I would endeavor to keep the pier but "fix" it.

First would be to get the pier block back into its original, ideal position.  Probably this can be done DIY with a car jack, a bunch of scrap lumber, shovel, and a helper to muscle the block out of the way, dig/fill appropriately, then replace the block.

Then drive some mini-pilings in front to help hold its position even as the ground wanders away.  If you can rent a jackhammer (or vibratory hammer or pneumatic hammer), you can probably install the mini-pilings yourself.

Rig up a platform for the jack so it can relieve all weight from the pier block and restore the deck position.  It is probably expedient to raise the deck another inch or two above ideal position to provide adequate working space re-inserting the pier.
With all weight off the pier block, move it out of the way.
Rework the underlying soil so it will support the pier block as it was originally.  Probably you'll have to remove the sagged material and add gravel to rebuild its support.
Put the pier block back into position and test it by temporarily jacking down the deck, let the block bear the weight, jump on the deck a few times, and inspect.  Repeat until satisfactory.
Remove the jack and its platform, and install mini-pilings according to instructions.  Note that it is very difficult to pull out a piling if it is not positioned correctly.  Set up ABS or PVC pipe with braces as a guide to starting each.

Having all the foundation be the same design is superior because as the earth moves is the best chance of the deck moving in the same direction at the same time.  Using different foundation technologies will cause the deck to travel in different directions.


Can I Replace This Junction Box with a Subpanel? In the 1950's, our house was built with a Zinsco main service panel that ultimately served six two-wire (ungrounded) and two grounded (via AC/BX) circuits. In the 1990's, a new service panel was fitted elsewhere and the branch wiring from the old panel was extended to the new panel; the old panel is now a junction box.
Can I replace this old panel/junction box with a new sub panel and meet 2020 code compliance?

My foremost concern is whether this is a modification to the branch circuit wiring for the eight circuits mentioned above and as such would require bringing all those circuits up to modern code. I can add AFCI/GFCI breakers in the panel to address AFCI and ungrounded circuit requirements, respectively. But two of the circuits serve the Kitchen receptacles in a manner not consistent with modern code; there is one 15 amp circuit serving countertop receptacles, and another 20 amp circuit serving another countertop, microwave, nook, refrigerator, stove, and hood vent. Obviously that's one heavily loaded 20 amp circuit, and is part of the motivation to fitting a subpanel over by the kitchen so I have panel space for more dedicated kitchen circuits when I remodel in 10 years.
Another, more immediate motivation, to fitting a subpanel here is so that I can use the 50 amp feeder that serves the detached garage subpanel and passes through this junction box as the feeder for this panel. I want to add a 50 amp car charger circuit to the garage, and since I can't send a dedicated circuit in addition to a feeder, I have to abandon the existing feeder and run a 100 amp feeder to the garage instead. Fitting a subpanel at the junction box lets me utilize this abandoned feeder, and also makes more room in my main panel. Win-win-win!

A new subpanel here is legit.
As always, "Go BIG".  All reasonably sized subpanels currently on the market are 14.25" wide, intended to fit between two joists. Nobody ever lamented "Why on earth did I buy so many breaker spaces?" but they sure complain about the other thing.
It will need a 4-wire feeder. It looks like there are currently 15 wires in a 1" metal conduit (four MWBCs of Hot-Hot-Neutral each, plus a #8 H-H-N  for the 50A circuit).  If that is non-flex, that's your ground wire and you only need 3 more wires.
That's a codevio on 2 counts: first the MWBCs are not distinctly identified which hots are with which neutral... and second, 5 circuits in 1 conduit without a 310.15(B)(3)(a) derate - the most egregious being the #8 running at 50A (which only works if it's the ONLY circuit in the conduit; the derate takes it down to 27.5A).
So all those wires must come out of that conduit and be replaced SOLELY with one set of conductors (H-H-N or H-H-N-G if the conduit isn't metal).  The existing #8Cu is good for 50A.  I would fit the biggest wire  you can fit in the conduit - 1" conduit will support #4Al for 65A (breaker at 70A) or #4Cu (85A breaker at 90A).
The eight branch circuits need to be brought into the new sub with appropriate cable clamps.  They need to come in at least 1/4" of sheath, then 6" of wire length.  After that they can be extended by wire nuts.
50A is plenty to power the 8 circuits given that there will only be 4 circuits on each 50A leg, and they won't all be maxed at the same time.  Just the same,  think about maxing the feeder.


How to isolate heat from oven towards refrigerator? While trying to take minor steps towards reducing the electricity consumption at our home, on an online forum (sorry can't recall the original source) I read that if the oven and the fridge are close to each other, the heat from the oven will make the fridge work harder and therefore use more energy -- this make immediate sense to me!

At home we have a setup where these two devices are close to each other, and there is no good isolation from the oven towards the fridge. What is the best way that I can isolate the heat radiating from the oven?

I thought of using styrofoam between the two devices, other suggestions included a big metal (steel) plate? Any other alternatives? What's best?

A metal sheet, suspended between the surface of the stove and the fridge, would be safest, simplest and cheapest. Consider, though, how long the payback would be to the investment ROI): how often does the oven run, how much does it raise the temperature of the side of the 'fridge, and how much does electricity cost?

From the environmental standpoint, consider the energy used in fabricating a sheet of aluminum, and how much energy is saved.

For safety, do not apply insulation in a manner that would cause more heat to accumulate on a wall behind or next to the oven.


Is it possible to remove and replace base molding, and not have to repaint the wall? I am dealing with recent flooding in my apartment. As you can imagine, I am doing repairs myself. The work is financed by my insurance company, which has been pretty good about it. There is just one point of disagreement, which is the subject of this post.

The walls in my apartment are not perfectly flat, and so when the baseboard is attached, there is always a gap, up to maybe 1/8". This gap is caulked and painted over for smooth finish. The point of disagreement is this: when the board is removed (I am replacing hardwood floor, so there is no getting around it), the caulk line is damaged, and needs to be scraped off and sanded smooth. Now when the board is attached, the gap needs to be re-caulked, and both the baseboard and the wall painted. I do not really see how one can avoid repainting the wall.

The insurance company is claiming that skilled workers can remove baseboard without damaging the wall, and therefore repainting the wall is not necessary.

Is this a reasonable claim? I do not really see how this can be done, but being a DIY'er and not a pro, I may be missing something.

I think there is a claim there, not well founded, but a claim. Of course the insurance companies are trying to keep the payout down as low as possible. There is always a chance for wall damage but extreme care in removal will lessen the chances.

Carefully score the caulk at the junction where the base and wall meet. Start with a light cut first, using a sharp blade, that cut alone may do most of what is needed. On the heavier areas of caulk it will take a repeated pass or passes. Try to hold the blade vertical enough to really get behind the base a little. There is a chance of leaving a mark from the knife at this angle so again, be careful. You can also wrap the part of the knife that is prone to hitting the wall with tape so it will not leave a mark.

Next use a thin blade pry bar, together with a 4" wide drywall taping used as a shield to protect the drywall as the small pry bar is pushed or driven in. Do this ONLY at the studs! Watch carefully as the base is moving away, there is a chance that the caulk may still try to pull the drywall face off along with the paint. Recut where you see this occurring. After the base is away from the wall about 3/4" to 1' away change over to the larger bar to free the nails from the wall completely. Start this operation at a door where the trim meets the wall where possible, score that joint with a razor knife too.

The three illustrated are the small bars sold in a pack at your local hardware stores

This is the larger bar, maybe 16" long. Whenever you use a bar to pry material from a finish wall always do what you can to let the pressure on the wall be on the section hidden by the base. In other words, using the small bars, with the flat end in pry the top curved end away from the wall, the tip behind the base and the damage that occurs will not be seen. I know this is really elementary but it is for the next step I go this way. When the bar is turned around, or the curved end of the larger bar is used, with enough gap the "heel" of the bend will still be behind the base and against the wall to pull up on the bar and it will pull out any ornery nail that does not want to give up.

Edit

The bar on the left has a bend that is really not appropriate for the base removal. If you set the end behind the base to pull it off the extra bend will bind against the base you are trying to remove. The bar on the right, my favorite of all pry bars, will go behind the base and the heel, when the long end is pulled up on, the short end will drop behind the base low enough to engage the wall behind the base so it will not even need a protecting layer, putty knife or wood or what have you.

End edit

If the base is tight to the floor, that helps a bit. When you reinstall, preferably new base, you can either hold the base up a little higher, say 1/4" up, than the way it was originally installed. That hides the old caulk line therefore a better chance of looking like an original install after recaulk and painting. Shoe mold will cover the slight gap. Or install a taller base to do the same thing. Example, if your base is 3 1/4" tall, replace with the 4 1/4" tall version of the same.


Modifying strange 3 way switch wiring Just moved into a house, and wanting to replace one of the 3 way switches with this item:

zwave switch

From what I can tell the two switches each have three wires in them, well 4 incl ground. They both have:

Common / Neutral (white wire)
Traveler (red wire)
Ground (copper wire)

One switch has Line - current is always flowing through it.
One switch has Load - current is only available depending on the switch position.

So two questions:

1) Is it normal that Line and Load are on two separate switches?

2) Based on the diagrams for the product, is there a way that I can wire the new switch to get it to work with my setup?

I tried adding line with the load to the new switch, and taking it off the other switch i.e. new switch has everything, then the other switch only has the traveller and the common, per the diagram. However that was no good.

I'm not 100% sure how the lights are wired, I can't access them easily.

Thank you!

edit - product wiring images (better quality in the link above):

With only 3 wires plus ground you don't have a neutral on an existing 3 way switch. You have a hot. I was taught on switch legs to run the white as the always hot. Then you have 2 travelers until recent code changes this was the red and black and the ground bare / green wire.  I have seen so many different ways to wire 3 ways over the years many that were code violations it would be hard to describe them all but for a mechanical spdt switch combination to work the 3 wires are required, just because you have a white wire don't assume it is a neutral especially with a home that is 20+ years old. If you don't have access to the wiring how can you rewire it would be my concern.