Is this real wood or veneer, on this table top? I can't tell.  Each plank looks like a near-mirror image of the previous one, which suggest veneer.  But if I look under the table top, the planks seem to appear similar (just unfinished).  Which is it, and how did you tell?

The use of distinct solid-wood edging strongly suggests veneer
"Bookmatching" (mirrored grain) is not a guarantee of that, as it can be done in solid wood, but the close match of 5 pieces strongly suggests veneer. So it may just be veneered both sides. When solid wood is "multi-part bookmatched" the thickness of the wood (and change of grain in that thickness) means the match on faces not simply "cut and opened" is not close. To have that close of a match suggests thin slices - veneer.


Can I run an extension cord through my crawl space? I have a lack of plugs outside my house and was wondering if it's okay to run an extension cord through my crawl space (from the garage, underneath my living room and through a crawlspace vent).

Edit
I'm looking to add power outside for Christmas lights/ low voltage outdoor walkway lighting.

Would it be to code and pass a city inspection? I highly doubt it, particularly because it is through a vent and there are specific code requirements for running electrical cables in that scenario.

Will it work? Yes.

I'd say if its for a short-term/temporary measure of light loads (a light) it will be OK, but if you plan on it being permanent or running heavy loads (an electric lawn mower), you should really have a new water tight outlet properly installed.


Should this Grasslin UWZ48-L hour counter in my septic pump box be rolling or ticking over? Should this counter be moving forward if it is working properly?  Would it tick 1 hour at a time (tick at the hour) or slowly roll forward minute by minute (slow roll)?

Background: My septic alarmed yesterday.  I thought it was because our washer has this annoying habit of refilling to try to balance a load, and had done so probably 5 or 10 times for a load of blankets; just figured that would fill the system and that we'd be caught up by now.  But 25h later we're still alarmed.  Have deliberately not used very much water since then so I'd figure it would clear by now.  Anyway I noticed this ticker has been stuck on this number 0093961 for about two hours now (since I took notice, may have been stuck longer).  Seems wrong.

That is an hours meter, it is not a timer.  (The Omron device next to it is a timer, capable of various modes of operation depending how it's installed.)  The hours meter is like the odometer on a car.

The display is hours to two decimal points.  If it is working properly it should be ticking every .01 hours, or 36 seconds, when the load runs - probably the pump motor.

If the tank is alarming and it's not moving, that indicates the motor isn't running or maybe short cycling, so there's a problem - couldn't say what.

This time of year (summer here) my first guess is heat, maybe the overloads for the pump motor were preventing it from running during the heat of the day but came back online when things cooled at night.  But that's just a guess.


Is a header needed for this load bearing wall? This is a smaller load-bearing wall that we want to create a kitchen passthrough in. The walls are 12' on the dining room side and 8' on the kitchen side. The house is a single-story with a concrete foundation and was built in the late 1970s.
The stacked 2x4s threw me. Should I place a header and the jack studs for the opening? Or can I roll with it like it is - without the header?

You absolutely need a header. From what I see there, doubled 2x10s should do.
The wall was apparently built like that because 12' studs were expensive or unavailable, so they  built a standard-height wall and then extended it. That probably wouldn't fly with modern code due to the effective hinge point in the load transfer path.
None of that changes the fact that you need to support the framing above the opening as normal. In your situation I'd lay the header in above the existing double plates, then fill down below them to your opening height. This approach retains the lateral integrity of the wall as much as possible.
           |  |            |  |             |  |<-- pin studs (existing, shortened)
    _______|__|____________|__|_____________|__|__________
   |                                                      |
   |                header                                |
___|______________________________________________________|__
_____________________________________________________________ <-- double plate
_____________________________________________________________ <-- top plate
    |  |  |________________________________________|  |  |
    |  |  |           ^-- filler block             |  |  |
    |  |  |                                        |  |  | <-- king stud
    |  |  | <-- trimmer studs -------------------> |  |  |

Be sure to temporarily support the framing above. There are a few good posts on that here if you need advice.


Type of screw / fastener should one use to attach veneer covered particle board bookcases together? I have 8 Ikea Billy bookcases and I would like to attach them together to make the seam betwen them as narrow as possible.

What sort of screw or fastener is appropriate for particle board?

I am not a big fan of screw threads in particle board.

I would use connecting bolts and caps, which are often included in DIY furniture.

They come in a wide variety of lengths and finishes. Pick the size and style that fit.

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


How do you stop basement waterproofing sealant that is coming into the sump pump basin from the foundation drain pipe? I have a very unique and serious problem on my hands concerning the sump pump in my basement and I am very eager to hear of any suggestions or possible solution(s) as soon as possible. The problem I have is that basement wall waterproofing sealant/tar is coming in through the foundation drain pipe and into the sump pump basin and it causing the sump pump to keep malfunctioning.

A basement waterproofing company recently rebuilt a whole basement wall and half of another basement wall and then they waterproofed both of these walls. They finished the job about three weeks ago.

This problem with the sump pump started three days ago after it rained real hard here for several days. I heard the sump pump making a strange noise, and upon investigating it, I found that the black waterproofing sealant/tar was floating on top of the water. After studying what was happening, I found that the external sump pump float was stuck to the bottom of the water level sensor because it was was covered in waterproofing tar. After removing about a pound this black tar from the sides of the sump pump and from the float and the post it rides on, the sump pump functioned normally again.

It has been raining here a lot the past few days and after every heavy downpour, a steady stream of black waterproofing tar will come in with the water from the foundation drain pipe into the sump pump basin and it begins to collect on the surface of the water as the water rises. I've had to clean out the sump pump basin and clean off the sump pump & float at least 10 times over the past few days to keep it going. The last time I cleaned it, I think there was about 2 pounds worth of tar that I scraped out. I can't keep doing this. I'm afraid I'm going to get poisoned by the tar or pick up some bad disease from the water.

I talked to the basement wall contractor several times over the past few days and he thinks this is a very unusual situation but he is refusing to do anything about it because 'he stands behind the quality of his work' and he will not offer any solutions to stop this problem. His only suggestion was for me to get a sump pump that uses an internal float.

What I believe is happening, and the contractor strongly disagrees with this hypothesis, is that the waterproofing tar did not set/cure before they put the rocks and dirt back around the foundation, and so after every heavy rainfall, the hydro-static pressure of the water pushing against the basement wall is pushing the waterproofing tar off the basement wall and then gravity is pulling it down and into the foundation water pipe system.

I think I will probably end up suing this contractor to reimburse me for me hiring another basement contractor to dig up around the foundation again and to redo the basement wall waterproofing.

Yet, in the meantime, I need a workaround solution to stopping the waterproofing from coming into the sump pump basin. I am thinking that perhaps I can buy and pour some kind of chemical along the top of the the basement walls, which will then seep down along the walls and chemically mix with the waterproofing sealant so it will then get hard/cured. Any thoughts on this particular idea of mine?

So, how do you stop basement waterproofing sealant that is coming into the sump pump basin from the foundation drain pipe?

I just called and spoke with the housing inspector who had been out here inspecting the contractor's work and he said that it's normal for some waterproofing material to make its way down into the foundation drainage system after a basement wall waterproofing job. He said that I will probably need to keep cleaning off the sump pump for another 2-3 weeks and then it will stop coming in and everything should be good after that. He said that he had spent many years as a new home construction plumber and that he often saw this issue happen whenever there was a long period of days with heavy rainfall right after a waterproofing job had been completed.

EDIT

Update: I decided to buy heavy tarps from The Home Depot and I placed these outside along the length of the two basement walls that had been rebuilt. I did this to stop any fast moving torrents of water that were probably coming down off the siding and then flowing down along the basement walls stripping off the waterproofing tar and then depositing it down around the foundation drainage system. So far, there has not been any tar coming into the sump pump basin. I hope that the hot dry summer weather will now cure all the tar on the basement walls and I can then remove the tarps.


minor hairline crack on the base of a toilet, should I repair / replace? It was my first time removing a toilet, and when I put it back, I fastened the bolt a little too tight and heard a slight crack. I'm wondering if this is something that needs immediate attention, or if it may be fine over the long run? Nothing is leaking at this point.

You have to replace that toilet.  Sorry.  This thing will come apart.  You might be able to save the tank and just replace the bowl. But you will have to purchase the same manufacturer and a model that is compatible.


60 amp breaker feeding a subpanel with breakers totaling 100 amps Can I run a 40 amp central ac unit and a 30 amp ac unit on a subpanel protected by a 60 amp breaker? There are also lower level outlets and an outside gfci outlet with two 15 amp breakers in the subpanel.

This is Name plate informaton on the Goodman  central ac unit. ![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/R3hUv.jpg

The last picture is the setup of the breakers that will work in this sub panel. Thank you to all who have replied to my question. You have been a great help to this project.

You really cannot go off breaker sizes for ac units. The reason I say this is because this is one place code allows larger breakers than the wiring can support. How can code allow larger breakers than the wiring can support? It is because of the starting current, this can and many times is 5x the running value of the unit (with conventional ac systems) on a newer system with a variable frequency drive they don’t have as high starting currents and vary the speed to save $.

Based on what you have I would bet you could use this panel for both but would want to look at the name plate fro each unit. If it was close and I did hook it up I would then want to test with both systems running at 100% and actually measure the load on the system. I use a mastech ms2180 it is an inexpensive ac/dc amp clamp meter with voltage, ohms, diode and capacitance measuring abilities I think it will run for 10 minutes recording peak values and this can help you decide if the feeder is large enough for your loads. If you add up the breakers it is common to have a much higher total for several reasons.
The breakers on the even numbered slots are on 1 leg and the breakers on the odd slots are on the other leg, if all single pole breakers 60 + 60 = 120 so to get a better idea you would just add the breakers on each leg. Now just adding 1 leg the total can still be over the total for several more reasons including a 20% safety margin and usually the total load on a circuit is less than 80% of the breaker size except on startup. I have found every home I check many are running less than 50% of the main breaker size many in the 30% range because of load diversity.

There is a fairly large safety factor built into wiring standards and the short peak period of both units do start at the same time will probably still be ok because breakers are inverse time rated, this means they can supply current above their rated value for a short time, most breakers do not immediately trip at their set value but 10 seconds or more after reaching this value based on their trip curves. The higher the current the faster they trip so your actual load could be 150 amps for a few seconds with out tripping the 60 amp breaker since it is only a few seconds the wiring doesn’t have time to heat up and damage the insulation this is the key. When everything is up to speed and cycling normally we like the load to be at 80% .

This got a bit long but to provide an example I just added a new branch circuit to a panel that by the total breaker value was 320a even after adding this new load (30 amp double pole) my measured draw for 30 days did not exceed 70% (larger measurement system used) this measurement shows I could safely add another double pole 15 amps to that 150 amp panel (grand total of 410 single pole value)  and still be fine.


How do I go about removing a garage with asbestos wall panels? I have a 1904 house and it has a shed that was put in some time in the 1950s. It's a wonky structure made of wooden beams and thin sheets of asbestos panels make up the walls. We want to tear it down and put a log wood cabin in.

My local authority has a dump site that allows you to dump asbestos and other hazardous materials, so disposing of it will not be a problem.

This question was more a case of how to dismantle it, are any special tools needed and most importantly, what special hazard tools will I need?

Asbestos is exceptionally dangerous if disturbed. The regs are very strict and this is as I am sure you will know, just one fibre inhaled can cause respiratory cancer (years after), this is well documented. It is expensive I am sure but I would certainly get a experts to advise. This is not a DIY project unless you get properly insured and kitted and this in itself is far more a pain.


How do I darken new mortar in a brick wall to match the older mortar? I had some bricks replaced. Unfortunately, the mortar is really light. How do I stain it a darker gray, so that it matches the original mortar? Is there a product that I can buy at a big box store?

Universal dyes might do what you want.  The trick is having the patience to test them to final color at dryness  Here's one color brand (no association, haven't used them)

The source here (National Park Service) recommended against them (dyes), and they might diverge in color over time.  They suggested cleaning the surrounding area.

Diluted muratic acid brushing/power wash at a months's time would blend the old and new effectively (use protective gear/old cloths/gloves/goggles) hose down landscape plants beforehand)

Here's a tutorial for cleaning mortar off brick from Fine Homebuilding


Can i use tubing for drain-water under my sink? I have to change the dranage under my sink the pipe is in the way for some kitchen appliances.

I can't find any pipes that would work for me, so i consider doing a fix using tubes.

My plan is to the bend of an existing pipe and replace it with a tube that fits on the outside of the tubes and keep it in place with a hose clamp. This would allow me to move the tube so it's not in the way. Would this work? What kind of tube should I use and is there anything else I should think about?

I don't know about Sweden, but here in central U.S. a kitchen sink will be 1 1/2" tube size. This is different than 1 1/2" DWV which is in the wall, but again I don't know how plumbing is run in Sweden. Cost wise, tubing is not much less than the tubing to run a trap, so I would honestly skip the tubing, and run hard pipe. It will be less apt to give to any expansion or contraction with temperature changes, and overall be more reliable in the long run.


Can i use step-up transformer to transform 110v to 220v for my window AC? Most receptacles in my house only provides 110V.  I would like to install a 2500 W 25000 BTU window AC that requires 230V.  It draws a current of up to 15 A.

Can I plug a step-up transformer to the receptacle, then plug the AC into the transformer? I understand that the current draw on the receptacle would probably be 35-40A? Accounting for the power loss in the transformer.  I am not sure if the circuit breaker and the wire are rated for that much current.
Is it safe to assume that the circuit breakers installed are the largest current that the wires can safely handle? i.e., it is unsafe to install a circuit breaker with larger current without upgrading the wires.

Thanks,

Suppose you did.  The unit is labeled for 2500 watts, which means that is how much power  you must provision.

Let's allow 3% for transformer losses; now we are at 2575 watts.  An air conditioner is treated as a continuous load, so like a lot of things, you must provision power for 125% of the actual load.  So 2575 watts x 125% = 3219 watts.

If you've heard of an 80% derate, that's the very same thing we just did (inverted) so we don't need to derate  further.

3219 watts is 26.8 amps.  That's too much for a 20A or 25A breaker.  A 30A breaker is required.  For that,  your circuit requires 10 AWG copper or 8 AWG aluminum wire.  You will need to run this as a new circuit because I guarantee you won't find this in your existing wall.  And don't even think about overloading a 12 AWG or 14 AWG circuit at 26.8 amps!!!

Or, change the whole circuit to 240V

Turn the breaker in question off and then stick a lamp in every receptacle and see what lost power.  Two questions.

Imagine you couldn't plug 120V appliances in there anymore. Could you live with that?
You have to have a 120V receptacle within 6' of every point along a wall. (i.e. within 6' of the a threshold, then every 12' after that). If these receptacles disappeared, would you still have that?

If both answers are "yes", then you can convert the entire circuit to 240V, and change Every Single Plug to NEMA 6-15.  Obviously 120V things won't plug in there anymore, but that's a good thing! That prevents you from setting your 120V appliances on fire.

A few appliances are capable of working on multiple voltages. Look at their power supply rating to see if they say something like "100-240V" or "90-264V" (that's 100-240V +-10%). For those appliances,  you'll need to change the plug to NEMA 6-15P. Are you daring to think the thought? Don't do it! DON'T leave a NEMA 5 receptacle on a 240V circuit merely so you can plug in dual-voltage devices.  That's how you burn houses down.  The right way is install the proper NEMA 6 in the wall, then change the appliance cord.   Worst case, use a cheater cable. Because then, it's obvious that it's a cheater cable.


Correcting silicon between plasterboard I had a contractor come in to build an internal wall, and without me agreeing to it, he used silicone between the drywall panels.  The issue is that there is a clear line down the wall where the panels were joined, and the contractor is saying that there is nothing that can be done to correct them, because there is silicone, but I don't quite believe him.

How would I go about correcting the situation so that the joint between the drywall panels is no longer visible, given that there is some silicone between them?

The wall essentially looks like the following image, only a layer of paint has been applied to the drywall.

The problem, although difficult, can be solved. If the silicone has squeezed out from the drywall joint it needs to be cut. With a utility knife slice away all dried silicone that is above the surface of the drywall. The lower the better. Don't be overly concerned about damaging the drywall panels; don't butcher them, but don't preform surgery either. After the silicone is removed spackle and tape as usual. BTW I see screw heads in the photo, I'm guessing he used them until the silicone dried? FYI: it is not uncommon to use an adhesive to mechanically secure gypsum panels in place, but to be sure I've never come across silicone as the adhesive! Question: Is the contractor refusing to tape and spackle his drywall installation?


Can I just cut this part of the door frame out and replace it? I finally hung these doors I found at a second hand store. I am a total amateur so please hold back your giggles. No need to explain how this happened, it was a dumb DIY idea. I just need a fix in terms less technical.  Is there a way to cut this out and just replace the damaged wood?

I think the easiest thing to do would be to remove the doors and sand it down so that it is all flush and even.  A belt sander would make quick work of this it can be done by hand too if you're willing to put in some sweat.  After sanding it, chisel out material for the hinges, prime, paint and re-hang the door.

It's hard to tell for sure but it looks like the hinges are recessed too far into the door which might be why it didn't close properly.  The hinge should be flush with the edge of the door.  Place a couple washers behind it to bring the hinge out flush with the door.


Does this TV cabinet need the screws or can it rest on the frame? I have assembled a TV cabinet / TV table. It is made of a metal frame, with "rings" on the inside of the frame on which the table plates rest.
The first image shows one of the "rings", the second picture shows the assembled table without the plate that goes on top of it. The third image shows the page from the instruction that shows how the top plate should be attached to the frame.
According to the instruction manual you are supposed to put a screw through the ring and screw it into the bottom of the plate (see image 3). None of the four plates have holes however, on either side. On the first page of the instructions a screwdriver is shown, but no drill. It looks like the production company forgot to drill the holes.
To me it seems like the screws would only make a difference when moving the entire table as you could lift them out of the frame when carrying it. They should be irrelevant in terms of stability and maximum supported weight (40 kg according to the website) as long as it is just standing there.
Do I need to get a drill and make the holes myself so I can screw the plate to the frame or can I use it safely without the screws? Is there a risk that it may break / fall apart when I put things on it due to the missing screws?
The plate itself does not really move even without the screws, it fits exactly into the metal frame.

Depending on the material and the screws you may not need pilot holes; just a little force to get them started.
The shelf will provide additional lateral stability. Whether or not you need it is an engineering question. I would definitely want that added stability.
Sometime in the future, when you decide to slide the TV on the table top, e.g., for dusting or adjusting cables, you will be glad the screws are there. You or someone else will likely have forgotten the screws aren't there and when the top slides off enough to drop the TV you will rue the day you said no to the screws. (Not that I'm speaking from personal experience or anything.)


Why does my shower head drip when the tub faucet is on? I just installed a new tub fixture set:

There are two controls - one for temperature and one for volume.  The large handle is volume.

When the diverter valve is engaged the shower sprays properly and no water comes from the spout:

But if I disengage the diverter and run the water at full pressure, the spout flows but there is still a slow shower from the shower head:

However, if I reduce volume enough:

(note the angle of the volume control)
the shower stops dripping:

Is something wrong with my installation, or am I right in suspecting that I simply have too much water pressure in my house?

I've checked all the plumbing from behind (the wall behind the tub is open) - there are no leaks.

What did you use to connect your tub spout?

I plumbed my bathroom with Pex and was heavily cautioned NOT to use Pex to run from the main valve to the tub spout because it would create exactly the issue your describing.

Since the inner diameter of Pex is slightly less than regular copper (or threaded brass fittings, which is what I used) it will create a slight flow restriction to the tub spout and (inadvertently) divert it to the shower head.

Just a thought...


How long should electric furnace element last I've been having elements go out in my electric furnace every year. Along with that, there's generally a burnt wire or two. Every about 2-3 years a sequencer goes out.

Is this normal? I've been using the same company the entire time I've owned the furnace (I bought the house and the furnace was already 10 years old).

It seems ridiculous that every year I have to get my furnace serviced so it will pump out enough hot air.

Furnace is Central Electric, Model EB23B

If losing elements every year I would be concerned that overheat safetys are not functioning or the system is heating without air flow this is one thing that will shorten the life of the elements.
Looking at the parts breakdown for your unit there are limits on Each rack, my question would be is the company troubleshooting to root cause or just pulling the cold rack. The thermal safety switches would be much more likely to fail than these elements and be way cheaper to replace. Things that cause the safetys to fail, dirty air filters limiting the air flow causing them to cycle open cool and then close, these switches are reliable to prevent overheats but continual cycling will wear them out.
How long should the heating elements last ? I would say at least 20 years with proper air flow, I have seen them closer to 40 years old in several cases.
I would suggest that you make sure to change your air filter and make sure it is the type specific for your unit, a super high filter may reduce the air flow and cause early problems. Make sure your registers are open closing two many down can drop airflow and cause the same problems as dirty air filters. Last I would check the blower motor if belt driven it may be slipping, but at its age it probably needs oil in the bearings (every year) just a few drops usually there are ports at each end of the motor for this. Last next time a element fails I would want to test the element itself and the thermal safety with an ohm meter (power to the furnace turned off) the resistance on the safety should be very close to zero ohms, the resistance on the element will probably be 20 ohms or less I am not sure because the part number did not show the wattage, but the resistance will be below 100 ohms a bad element or safety will usually show open.these are the things I would check now for proper flow and later when one has failed you may discover they are replacing the rack where a $10 part is all that is needed.


Wood for boarding a loft? I want to board out my loft - just for easy storage of things like tools, boxes, old clothes, suitcases, small unused furtniture etc (i.e. nothing too heavy). I am wondering what kind of boards to buy for this purpose. Most of the boards I see advertised for doing this are chipboard, but they also vary widely in price. What's the recommended approach considering I want it to last for 10 years or more?

For occassional storage chipboard or any plywood 1/2" or greater will be fine.  Go to 5/8 minimum if your joists are on 2' centers.

I personally don't agree with the advice to use plywood. Chipboard is fine: it's strong, and it's made using waste materials so it's more ecologically sound to use it where it's appropriate.  It's not appropriate for applications that are exposed to the elements in any way: in those cases plywood is more durable so justifies the 2x cost and the extra environmental impact.

Chipboard does have a strength axis, which you might as well take advantage of it: you want the joists running across the short side, i.e. 5 joists on every 4x8 sheet if the joists are on 2' centers.

Chipboard made for flooring has a tongue-and-groove along the long side.  That's because while the short sides are supported by the joists, the long sides bridge the joists.  Locking a tongue into a groove prevents sagging between the floor joists.  Obviously not a big deal for you storage loft, but if it only costs a few more bucks for the tongue-and-groove I'd get that.  I've only seen that in 3/4" and 1", BTW, so if you get that you'll have a proper floor up there that you could hold a neighborhood dance on.


Recessed lights still getting power when switch is off I need help solving a mystery. A few months ago, I had an electrician install LED can lights in my son's bedroom. He completed the job with no issues, and it wasn't until a few days later that I noticed the problem. My son, sleeping in bed looking up at the ceiling, said "Daddy, the lights are still on." Sure enough, in the dark you could see that there was a very faint glow coming from the LED lights, even though the switch is in the off position. After a little experimentation, I figured out that this happens if the lights in the second bedroom are on. If those lights are off, there is no faint glow.

I'm figuring this is a wiring issue. I got in touch with the electrician but he was not helpful (essentially, "I don't know. Wasn't me."). If this can be fixed at the switch, then I can do it. Any ideas how this is possible and how to fix?

Here are all the details:

LED can lights getting residual electricity when switch is off, if lights in second room are on.
The switch is a Lutron dimmer with night light.
The wall switch used to control an outlet, there were no built-in lights in the room before. The electrician hijacked it to control the can lights that I had him put in.

Thanks in advance for any ideas or suggestions.

It's a Lutron dimmer with night light.

First, that should never have been used to control an outlet. You must not put dimmers on outlets, because if someone plugs in a non-lamp, the power-shaping issues can cause equipment to dramatically overheat and start a fire.  If you have any more dimmers controlling receptacles, remove them now and fit standard switches with no powered features.

Dimmers and night-lights are both features that require power themselves to operate.  Traditionally, powered switches like this got this power by leaking power through the light bulb.  On an incandescent bulb, at very low currents they remain unlit - in fact they are practically a dead short until they start glowing.  That is perfect for this.

However, LEDs actually put the power to good use - even small, defective power like this.

Pop out the switch and look for whether the switch takes a neutral wire.  If it does not, this is a bad choice of switch.  You need a more modern type, which requires neutral (I assume it's available there), powers itself between always-hot and neutral, and only sends power to the bulbs for lighting the bulbs.

The dimmer "clicking hard off", that is a feature of many dimmers, but here, it is a red herring.  It still has a night light.


Converting appliances from 120v -> 240v I've been getting U.S. appliances sent to E.U. where the voltage is doubled. I'm using autotransformers so they can work, but this isn't ideal. I do this to save money. EU retailers add their percentage on top of a lot of superior US made products, which means they add percentages on top of shipping + import taxes. Purchasing a $600 product from the U.S. can easily end up being over $1.2k here and you end up paying for shipping twice.

Anyways, I've noticed some appliances also have EU versions, which look exactly the same and weigh the same, but they clearly have different insides.

What I'm wondering is, is it feasible to modify these tools so they are naturally 220-40v? For a 2000w autotransformer so I can use a compound miter saw, these autotransformers weigh quite a bit and are massive. But when the manufacturer makes a U.S. version and an E.U. version, obviously what they are doing is not adding a whole massive auto transformer to the device. What would need to be done to convert 120v device to 240v?

Here is how manufacturers make an appliance one voltage or another.

electronic switch-mode power supply. These can input a huge range of voltage, for instance many fluorescent ballasts take 90-306V.  If you see that, don't be surprised, it really works.
The machine runs on low-voltage AC or DC from a pluggable "wall wart" transformer, and they simply give you a different transformer for different voltages.
Internally, the machine has matched sets of 2 things: heating elements, motor windings, etc.  For 120V, they connect the two things in parallel.  For 240V, they connect them in series.  Sometimes there's a switch on the outside, otherwise you might have to tear into it.
The machine's key components are wound differently with different wire, e.g. 120 turns of 2mm2 wire for 120V, 240 turns of 1mm2 wire for 240V.  These, you cannot convert in any practical way, except to buy different parts or more likely, a whole machine.

Keep in mind: In the UK, many power tools are 110V.  Construction sites are set up with special 110-volt center-tap transformers (55 volts per leg). A hot-to-ground fault is far less dangerous than their normal 240V.

I would bring over a good supply of 12 AWG extension cords so you can leave the autotransformers in one corner of your shop and bring the power to the tool.

If you just wanted to wire your house with a 120V sub-panel and NEMA 5-15 outlets, used 240/480 input, 120-240V output, 5KVA transformers are often pretty cheap on Craigslist. That's not a consumer product but is for permanent installation and could power a small (40A 120V) sub-panel.

Also for bigger tools, you may be better off using Euro tools. Their receptacles can deliver twice as much power as our little NEMA 5-15, which limits common American tools.


How to fit two full baths in this space? I’m looking for any layout ideas about how to fit two full bathrooms in the space in this picture. One entering from the bedroom and one from the hallway. A few design things. We want the hallway bathroom to be as large as possible and incorporate the window and a double vanity if possible. The bathroom for the bedroom can be tiny but still needs at least a shower, sink and toilet. The doors can be located anywhere on the walls. Is there a way to pull that off? All the plans we can come up with incorporating the window and the double vanity don’t leave enough space for the full bathroom off the bedroom. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

This is the best I could come up with your criteria. I like your design much better.
My drawing is very roughly to scale- I didn't spend too much time- I just wanted to see if there was a way to fit all that in there.
Trying to get that window to be in the hall bath just wastes too much space- basically creating a hallway.


Hook up new thermostat Top brown picture is my old thermostat white is the new one , do I have it wired correct? On out side unit we have replaced motor, fuses, compassator ,cc contactor ,relay . We have a heat pump. But the fan still will not work to blow into the house

These pictures seem to be programmer baseplates,programmer plugs into,if so the new base plate connections will differ.It has to be assertained by careful circuit comparison that all switching is observed,connection will be dependant on   the control devices ,lettering of connections is normally used to assist following the instructions.You have taken on a tricky job,with instructions it is possible to get it right,experts sometimes have trouble.Check to see if the new programmer will plug into the old baseplate.Careful not to damage it,hope this helps Steve uk engineer.


How much pressure does it take to blow water out of a fire sprinkler in a 4-6 foot arc? I am trying to replace a water pump that we have on a confined space simulator that will pump water from an open 55 gallon tank to a pair of fire sprinklers to simulate a pressurized chemical release. I have never seen this unit in action, so I am not sure how much pressure it takes to blow the water out in 4-6 foot arches...they originally had a 1/12 hp Flotec FPOF360ac pump, but said it didnt have enough psi, and eventually they burned the pump up. I need help.

According to this Wikipedia article,

  a typical Early Suppression Fast Response (ESFR) sprinkler at a pressure of 50 psi (340 kPa) will discharge approximately 100 US gallons per minute (0.0063 m3/s)

With a magic 100% efficient motor and pump, that'd require almost 3 hp, so it's no surprise 1.5 hp didn't cut it for two sprinklers.


How to safely and neatly demo a block wall? My neighbor and I have a cinder block wall between us. The wall is leaning towards her side of the property. She has planter beds next to the wall.
What tools and technique would I use to neatly demo the block wall...I.e. Remove the cinderblocks from top down individually so that we won't damage the planter beds?
update
The wall is not part of our residence. It is a freestanding wall.
I'm not sure if it is filled with concrete. How can I tell? Just try to demo a block from the top?

This may be a bit overkill, but put a netting on her side of the wall, then climbing on a ladder/scaffolding (which may well be entirely on your property) start hitting the wall from her side through the netting, starting at the top of the wall. The pieces should fall entirely on your property that way. Depending on the netting, you might still get some dust on her property though.

For the dust part, you could offer to temporarily install a dust sheet over her plants. Also, you could probably use/rent a (powered) demo hammer, although using it (from the top) at slight angle from her side may be a little tricky, unlike swinging a sledge hammer. If she gives you access to her property for the scaffolding as well, then using a demo hammer would probably be best. You might be able to regularly demo just from your side using the demo hammer horizontally, but it will take a strong netting to contain all the stuff if you're pushing it into the netting on purpose all the time.

You may be able to do that last bit (demo from your side with a demo hammer) as shown in this vid by just loosening the mortar holding the bricks/blocks together, but it depends on the mortar (strength) and it takes a bit of experience/finesse.


Does it matter whether surge protectors share an outlet? I live in an apartment building without overhead lighting. My bedroom is wired so that the light switch in the room controls power to an outlet behind my bed. Right now I have two power strip surge protectors, one for each side of the bed (e.g., for my phone charger and my girlfriend's, a reading lamp on each side, etc.). There are two outlets behind the bed, and each outlet has one surge protector.

I'd like to change things around so that a floor lamp is plugged into the top outlet (which the light switch controls), so that I can use the light switch to...well...turn on a light. This would involve splitting the bottom outlet and plugging both surge protectors into it. Is this a problem, or will it be the exact same as before?

It's the amps (or watts, equivalently) that matter

A receptacle can be branched to feed as many devices as you please (within reasonable limits, at least) provided the amperage of the devices stays below the amperage limit of the receptacle/circuit.  For standard North American circuits and receptacles, it's 15A, so if the amp draw of your devices adds up to below 15A (and it darn well should given what you state is plugged in), splitting the receptacle with a splitter tap to feed the two power strips is a nothingburger.

(Yes, there is a small amount of extra risk added by an extra splitter tap plugged in, but practically speaking, if one power strip no longer does the job, a tree structure like what you propose is the way to go vs. daisy-chaining strips.)


Fixing poor caulk job at aluminum siding and window trim I am about to have my windows replaced at my home. The openings are all block frame, which from what I understand generally means that the exterior trim of the window doesn't need to be disturbed.

A previous owner had aluminum siding installed on the house. Unfortunately, the installer did a rather poor job where the siding meets the trim. In areas, there's a rather large gap between them and, as a remedy, a large amount of caulk has been used to fill the space.

Since I'm having the windows replaced, now seems to be the appropriate time to also clean this up. One of the window salesmen that visited my house recommended it just being ripped out and recaulked more carefully with new trim. I've also heard of something called j-channel being used but I'm not sure whether this is just for vinyl siding. What's the most pragmatic way of dealing with this?

Below is an example. This particular example doesn't have too bad of a gap (from what I can tell) but it gives you an idea of the existing state.

Both vinyl and aluminum have similar issues regarding thermal expansion. The siding must be installed with a gap to fixed objects in order for there to be room for expansion. If this is not done, the siding will expand against the obstruction. Not being able to move in that direction, it will buckle along it's length, causing unsightly bulges.

Therefor, J-channel is a common element in installation of both materials and is readily available in both aluminum and vinyl. I would consider J-channel the best solution, but it does involve more work than simply re-caulking.


Washer: Whirlpool WFW95HEDW0, spin cycle isn't really spinning out the clothes (leaves them wet) Make: Whirlpool
Model Name: Duet Direct Drive
Model Number: WFW95HEDW0

The problem: Often, the spin cycle fails to get the laundry really dry. That, AND I notice that after the cycle runs, there is no visible water in the drum, but if I turn the drum by hand, I can hear water sloshing

What I have done:

I checked the filter on the pump (on bottom, under drum) -- it was not clogged
I checked the drain line from the back of the washer to the wall. It had water in it, but is not obstructed.
I went into diagnostic mode, and ran ALL diagnostics. There were no error codes during diags
When I first went into diag mode, there were some error codes: F08 and E03,
But I think those are old. I cleared them

My only other observation is that during diags, it took a LONG time to spin up to full speed (a minute or two), and at one point early on the whole washer shook a lot (which then passed)

(And after the diags, there was invisible water below the drum that sloshed when I turn the drum.)

How to diagnose further?

I would check the pump again. If it's 120 Volts, remove the connections and jump it to a 120 Volt source and see if it drains the rest of the water out. The spin cycle will not function correctly with water remaining in the drum. Maybe remove pump from the drum and make sure nothing is clogged inside by the impeller. It seems that the pump just isn't doing it's job.


How to repair a broken patio corner? I've got a limestone patio. The builder apparently didn't support one corner very well and somebody stepped hard on it and a triangle about 1/2 square foot in size broke off. I imagine putting some sort of concrete underneath it but I'm not sure what product to use, or even if this is a good idea or if there's other things I should worry about.

EDIT: Here's a photo:

I am really not sure what your patio looks like.  I am going to assume it sits on the ground.

It would be normal for a lot of the erosion of the patio to happen on the corners.  You have basically two options...

Compress ground.  You need to wet the ground around the area to make sure there are no gaps with weight.  The pavers shouldn't be hanging above ground at all.  If this is the case then you will have more that breaks.  An easy fix would be to get some fast setting quickcrete...  Build yourself a box to meet your needs - you will probably need 2 pieces of 2x6.  Fill box with the quickcrete and try to push the quickcrete under the adjacent paver piece if there is a gap.  Just level it out to fit your needs.  Pour slowly so you don't have to cup any out.
Remove the current piece.  Keep removing pieces until entire paver lays very flat on the ground with absolutely no gapping.  Add more dirt/rock and then compress and reinstall pavers.
Based on picture I would carefully knock off as much of the cement as possible inside the boxed corner - if that makes sense.  Really I don't understand the lip.  Maybe it looks good but will increase chance of stone cracking.  I would then refill with a quick set concrete.  It needs to be filled right.  You see yours is uneven probably helping the break.  I would then put that corner back on... I know you will have a little crack showing but taking a sheet out will be a pain.  I would then fill the crack with a knife grade epoxy - should be fine with limestone.  Since your color is lighter and very neutral I would not color the epoxy or it might stand out more.


Is this an asbestos floor? My wife and are just bought an old house (1927) and we are concerned about a floor mat in one of the bedrooms. We have been told that it could have asbestos so we would really appreciate any feedback. See the image below:

The only way to be sure is to send a sample to a testing lab. Send a sample of the adhesive too, since asbestos was sometimes mixed into that. I'm assuming this is tiles; if so you can lift one buy using a heat gun to soften the adhesive and gently lifting with a putty knife.

In most cases, encapsulating the suspect tile under a floating floor is acceptable if the stuff isn't already shedding fibers.


400 Amp service to 2-200-Amp Sub-panels I used to be an electrician many years ago (trained by the USCG, worked commercial/residential at EOE). Is been about 13 years since I wired up a service panel. I am building a new home and need a little guidance on purchasing and wiring the correct service panel.

The home will be a little over 4300 square feet in size. With 2 furnaces and possibly 2 A/C's as well. I am planning on a 400-amp service feeding 2-200 amp sub-panels in the house. I would like to have some distribution on the outside of the home in order to feed future landscape lighting in the backyard as well as a small sub-panel for a shop.

Would a metered panel that has two 200-amp breakers in it and distribution work to feed the inside sub-panels as well? (e.g. HP816P400BS ). I am assuming that the factory installed 200-amp breaker is servicing the included distribution bus and therefore is not good for supplying one of the two 200-amp panels inside the basement.

Would it be better to just install a metered 400-amp panel that has only 2-200amp disconnects in it and then run a sub-panel from the interior 200-amp panels back to the outside of the home to allow for easier future electrical needs outside the home? (e.g. HP40SH )

The basement will be 95% finished upon completion of construction so future proofing future electrical needs on the outside of the home is very important.

I am also looking at having a Generac backup generator with a transfer switch installed to the main service panel.

Any guidance and advice would be greatly appreciated?

I have installed meter bases with limited service panels in the past, my last home I did what you want but you have to find the correct panel that can handle multiple 200 amp breakers. As far as the backup generator is it going to run the entire system or just one of the 200 amp subs? By setting up for one sub the cost will be much less as the transfer switches get really spendy for a 400 amp model.


How can I bend skirting for a bay window? We have a bay window in our living room with a fast approaching deadline for the carpet being fitted. We need to bend the skirting as it won't be as pleasing to the eye if we do it in chunks and our bay is curved.

Can anyone please advise on how to do this as our joiner can't come out to help any time soon.

So, more of a bow window than a bay window, per the usual terminology where the smooth curve is a bow.

The typical approach is to kerf the back of the piece you need to bend. Depending on the profile, this can be simple or more difficult - the basic concept is to make a cut every 1/2 inch or centimeter (approximately - don't get fussy about measuring them!) that leaves only 1/8-1/4" of wood on the face intact, at which point the board should bend into place easily. If there is a molded profile on the face of the board, this becomes trickier, since you need to be careful not to cut through the board where the molded profile is deep.


Need help finding an obscure and difficult to find seal for my leaking Shower Cubicle Hopefully someone here will be able to help me in my search for a new seal for my shower cubicle. There appears to be a slot where one should fit but when searching DIY suppliers I haven't been able to find one that looks like it would fit. Everything I find seems to be seals for the bottom of glass shower screens.

I have contacted a number of specialist online retailers who deal in shower seals but none have said they stock a seal that would fit.

Is it possible that it is a custom part for this shower cubicle only? FYI, I live in the UK and this is a shower cubicle fitted to my apartment which was built around 2002.

The picture below shows the inside of my shower door and the groove where I think a seal should go but has probably been removed by a previous tenant.

Any pointers of where to look and what I'm looking for very much appreciated.

Edit: I looked again and the channel is flowing the water into the side of the door frame it is splashing up and collecting in the groove along the bottom of the door frame as shown int he picture below. It is this that is overflowing and leaking. Is there suppose to be some sealant of some kind in this groove?

For anyone who encounters a similar situation, I did just find that the channel under the door needed filling with some clear silicone sealant. Once I did that then the leaking stopped.

I have no idea why the sealant was missing, maybe a previous tenant removed it because it got mouldy and looked bad.

Either way problem solved and thanks to Jim and brhans for the pointers that got me to the correct solution.

Hope that helps someone else.


Tailpiece not aligning with trap I am putting in two drains in my bathroom vanity. The tailpiece is 1 ¼" and the drain outlet is 1 ½". In both drains, the trap is touching the white shelf in the vanity, so I can't lower that without cutting into my new vanity.

I had no problem aligning the first drain and it has been working well. Completed photo:

However, on the second drain, with the trap at 90°, it's about 1.5" away from the tailpiece. Here's where I ended up:

Without the extension:

I'm trying to figure out how to make this work without using one of those flexible tailpieces. I am very much an amateur and got lucky with the first one, so any help is appreciated!

Install a 22-1/2 or 45 degree elbow on the pipe protruding from the wall, then a short length of PVC, then a threaded adapter. This gets the plumbing much closer to where it needs to be and gives you more alignment flexibility with your trap. You could swing the trap directly behind the tailpiece, recovering some storage space.

The black section in the photo from this answer shows what I mean.

You can probably accomplish the same thing with compression fittings, but I prefer cement-welded plumbing wherever possible for reliability.


How do I remove this plastic shower drain cover? My shower has recently been having trouble draining and, with a flashlight, I've noticed that there's a great deal of hair and other material stuck in the pipe, clogging it. It seems simple enough to remove the clog, if only I were able to first remove the drain cover.

It appears that the cover is cemented in place and I can't find any hints on how to properly remove it. I tried using pliers to grab it and either twist it out or pull it, but it's definitely not coming out.

Is there something I'm missing? Is there a way to remove it easily? Or should I just force it out, possibly breaking it in the process (it's already cracked, as you can see in the picture)? What sort of replacement should I look for, and how do I install it?

That appears to be intended to pry out with a screwdriver or similar flat tool at the indents a little past 6 o'clock and a little past 12 o'clock as pictured.


To reduce damp: heat or dehumidifier? We have one room of a house which isn't much used, so we don't turn on the heating in it, or wouldn't except that it gets damp, so mold is a concern.

For reducing damp, is it more efficient to turn on the heating, or use a dehumidifier? The central heating system is gas-fired, and gas is several times cheaper, joule for joule, than electricity, but the dehumidifier presumably needs fewer joules of energy to do its job. Which factor is stronger?

With "damp", your enemy is humidity, or water which is dissolved in the air.  Warm air can disolve a lot more water than cool air.  When warm, water-saturated air moves to a cooler place, it cools the air.  The water cannot remain in the air, and must condense, typically on a cool object.

A heater raises the air temperature, which temporarily increases its capacity to carry water. Since it is laboring to keep the water in the air, it must do that continuously.  A dehumidifier removes the water from the air, so it only has to do that job once until the air changes.

As a bonus, all the electric energy the dehumidifier uses, does go to warm the room.  Not the most efficient if you were only looking for heat, but for removing water it's not bad.


Receptical Box located In bottom kicthen cabinet We have a receptacle Box located in a bottom kitchen cabinet on the back wall with 1 white, 1 red, and 1 black wite. No ground. I wanted to add a plug to it and then took a closer look at what I was working with and that doesn't seem possible. Any ideas on what this is for? or if I can put a plug in? It's two cabinets from the right of the stove. The wires are usually capped just took off for pic. Nothing was attached before.

A /3 cable like that can mean 3-way switch, or a Multi-Wire Branch Circuit (probably not), or a half-switched receptacle (with red being switched-hot) e.g. for dishwasher/disposal.  It might be both at once; dishwasher+disposal are often on a MWBC.

An octagon box like that is usually for lights. None of the other knockouts appear to be removed.  It's possible to put a receptacle in an octagon box with a special magic cover plate.

However it can't be a GFCI recep.  I have seen pictures of similar cover plates with Decora format openings, however, I have my suspicion they're not legit. Regardless, GFCI receps are very bulky and will not fit inside that box.  Put the GFCI device somewhere "upstream" (closer to the panel) - if necessary in the panel as a GFCI breaker. Given the age of the work you might also choose AFCI+GFCI dual mode.  AFCI protects against bad wires starting fires.

It's unlikely it is grounded.  However it might be using an armored cable wiring method that brings ground on the cable armor.  If so, the case would be ground. You ground devices either with hard flush bare metal contact with the box, or, you run a pigtail off the hole tapped #10-32 in the back of the box.  It appears that hole is being used by the screw on the left, so move the screw farther left.


Splitting 150amp Service (midwire) from home at 100amps How do I split 150 amp wire to have a hundred amp service continued in the house and at 80 amps to a separate cabin?

You're not going to be able to avoid touching the existing panel.

The closest you can come is installing a new main panel where you cut your feeder. Then power the existing main panel from the new panel; your existing panel becomes a subpanel. However, you will need to remove the neutral/ground bonding from the old panel, and depending on how your ground rod is connected to the old panel you will have to move it to the new panel. And because you've now touched the old panel, it likely can not be excluded from permitting and inspection, and if it's as bad as you imply, then you'll have to fix it.

And since you're now in a position where you have to fix your old panel, forget about fixing the old panel. Instead, replace it. And run an 80 amp branch circuit from the new panel to your other house.


What can I use to hang up grocery bags? I'd like a good solution for hanging up grocery bags and other miscellaneous things on the wall. Basic hooks would do the trick, but some things like to slip off it (like too many grocery bags). To combat this travesty, I thought to have a carabiner attached to a wall, so it seems my options are:

http://www.woss.com/oblong-stainless-steel-eye-pad-600lbs-working-weight/
http://www.berkeleypoint.com/products/hardware/S0230-0000.html

Remaining questions:

Does it have another name that I don't know of?
Do you guys think the carabiner solution is a decent one as well?

There are millions of available types of coat hooks, most of which will look a lot nicer than the carabiners you proposed.

The trouble with both of your suggestions is that they require two hands to get things off... one hand to unclip them and the other hand to remove the object. As such they will eventually drive you crazy.


Any advantages on making paver stones vs laying a cement bed and cutting the joints? I have a patio area (about 50m^2) that I want a paved with "paver stones" 45x45cm made out of cement and sand. I have to make my own pavers because they don't seel pavers this size around here.

My idea is something like that:

I need to make around 250 pavers. I will be using 4 sets of forms and filling them, removing the forms, filling again, until I make about 20 pavers per day (so about 15 days of work).

The pavers would be laid on a sand bed and the joints will be 1-1.5 cm filled with sand.

This will be a lot of work. So I was thinking of an alternative, laying a concrete bed and cutting the joints with a marble saw like the one below. Can I cut the joints to be 1,5 cm wide? Are there any advantages to the paver idea (besides the easier maintenance if I need to remove some stones).

Man I hear you on the work of making the pavers but I would do it that way.  I have cut concrete and I don't think you can expect to cut with that saw and not have a lot of nicks and cutting issues, if you can cut nice straight lines.  Your pavers will look better laid out if they are perfect.  I am not sure you can duplicate that doing cuts.  Your first method seems like work but it allows you to perfect the system.  Doing it the second way seems quicker but could have worse outcomes and if you have to scrap most of the pavers it will be a mess.


What types of wood (other than plywood) can a staple gun penetrate? I am going to build a shelf for my cat by wrapping a layer of faux fur fabric around a plank of wood. I have a mechanical staple gun and the fabric, now I just need to buy the wood.

Other than plywood, what types of wood would be appropriate for this project given the following considerations:

Lightweight, since it will be mounted on a wall
Able to be easily penetrated with a mechanical (non-electric) staple gun
Does not use chemicals in its manufacture (like glue is used to make plywood)

Pine comes to mind immediately. Most big box home centers will carry a selection of 1"x pine- that is perfect for shelving.

Another option would be poplar, though it's a bit more expensive (generally).

Any softwood would do, but those two are the most common.


What can I mix with paint to avoid mold? I am helping a friend painting his garage. He has lots of problems with mold because it's an underground garage.

He already bought the paint.  I know there are some additives you can buy at specialized stores, to avoid or delay mold but I am actualy looking for something home made.

Is there anything, that one has usually at home, that I can mix with the paint to delay fungus?

We cleaned the walls with bleach, and I thought of mixing some bleach in the paint, but I am not really sure that would work or even if it's advisable.

Depending on the paint you bought, you may be able to add lime which is a mold inhibitor due to its pH.

If you can still return the paint, making your own milk paint (aka casein paint) at home is an option. Milk paint has the property of being a natural mold inhibitor if done correctly. Numerous recipes (and youtube videos) can be found online with a quick search depending on your application.


AC unit (turned on year round) leaves so much ice in the blower causing no cooling (pic included) My mother has asthma and tells me she needs the AC on almost year round.  The AC unit is outside the condo we own, and it connects to the coils in the heater/ventilation system.

We are experiencing poor cooling, (not enough cold air circulating - temp is not low enough) and ice where the coils are:

Question:

What should I do to fix this situation now, and in the long term?

Since she is home alone often I need to understand what causes this so I can perform proactive maintenance, rather than responding to emergencies and giving her unnecessary distress and anxiety.

Much appreciated

I'll let someone else take a stab at helping you fix your immediate problems, but I'll take a crack at the deeper issue. From your profile, I see that you live in New York. Assuming your mother does as well, your climate is wet, but only very hot for a few months out of the year. Running a central A/C unit year-round simply to dry the air out is a gross misuse of the equipment, and is probably making the house freezing cold for no reason, at high cost, and putting unnecessary wear-and-tear on the poor thing.

If your mother needs dry air to alleviate her asthma, have you considered using a dehumidifier to dry the air? It'll be a lot more inexpensive and cost-effective than running the A/C all the time. That must be costing a fortune.


Floor plumbing pipe too far away from the wall for vanity Floor plumbing pipe too far away from the wall for vanity.

I do not want to cut a hole into the vanity shelves to accommodate this discrepancy because the shelves are already shallow with limited storage.
Is it possible to cut the floor plumbing pipe short and reroute it so that it is closer to the wall using flexible connectors?
Will this impede the flow of water?

I cannot change the original position of the hole.

Please see attached picture.

Yes, you can reroute the pipe.

1) Draw a diagram mapping out how you want the pipe rerouted.  Use 90 degree angles and remember you need to leave room for the trap which in your case will be an "S" trap (so named because it looks like an S that's been rotated 90 degrees.

This looks like inch and a half pipe but you can cut a piece off the top and take it with you to ensure you get the right size.

Get yourself:

a "stick" of PVC pipe of equal diameter (a stick is a piece of PVC 8' long - although some places sell 2' lengths and you can probably get by with one or two of those)
enough 90 degree connectors for the same diameter
several extra inexpensive connectors - both straight and angled - you'll use them to learn how to glue
either a hacksaw, a PVC pipe cutter
PVC primer (purple) and PVC glue (clear NOT yellow) - if unsure ask at the shop and show them what pipe you're getting
if you need new pieces to make the trap, get those as wel

(be prepared to go back to the hardware store 1 or 2 times - most plumbing jobs for me require 3 trips - 1 to buy the supplies, the 2nd to buy the stuff I forgot the first time, and the 3rd to buy replacements for whatever I broke during the work...)

Before you cut the pipe from the floor, make sure that you do not cut it so low that you won't have room to work.  You'll need a couple inches of exposed pipe to be able to glue the pipe properly and have room to hold it steady while you attach the pieces being glued.

Build your new plumbing pipe construction WITHOUT glue, cutting pipe to fit and putting it in place, making sure your pipes will be the right length and angles to get around the vanity and into position to fit the S trap.  There's really only one rule here - don't run any pipe uphill against the water-flow.  Other than that your pipe can go wherever you need it to.

After you've tested the fit and ensured you can get from floor to trap and trap to sink ok, number the pieces in order to be placed and then set aside.

USING SCRAP PVC PIPE LEFT OVER AND THE EXTRA CONNECTORS - test gluing a few times.  The glue process is as follows:

Apply a very light coat of purple primer to the outside end of the pipe and the inside of the connector.  The coat should cover the entire pipe in a band about 1/2" wide.
Apply a light coat of glue in the same places - again make sure the coat is complete - don't go too light - excess can be wiped up but shortage can't be fixed.
Insert the pipe into the fitting and apply enough pressure to squeeze the two parts together until snug
Hold for a count of 10 seconds
Release and wipe up excess

Test your new fitting by filling with water and ensuring it doesn't leak.  Do that 2-3 more times and then start gluing the real thing together.

The primer does two things - it cleans the fittings and it also softens the PVC temporarily.  Being softened it allows the PVC to bond very well with the glue.  Once the glue cures, the glued joint will be stronger than the PVC, if bonded properly.  Proper curing takes about 24 hours though you can usually use a drain like yours in about an hour, since there won't be any pressure.

Good luck!


What stops water from stagnating in a gutter drain line that has a pop-up emitter? I'm planning on burying some rigid PVC pipe to attach guttering on my house to a few pop-up emitters like this:

But the pop-up emitter makes a right angle UP, so doesn't that mean that basically the entire buried pipe will remain filled with stagnating water? It seems like this would be normal but I'm not sure if this causes smell issues or any other adverse effects.

I used a post hole digger and made a small leech pit right under the 90 on mine. Filled it with gravel and drilled a 3/8" hole in the bottom of the 90. After it rains the water can drain out and absorb into the dirt.


On a Marley baseboard electric heater 2500 does it matter what wire connects to what wire of a dial thermostat? An electrician friend of mine told me to get a Marley 2500 heater, and I was wondering if there's any specific order to connect wires to outside of no crossing color paths outside of the heater itself?

The manual can be found here: http://www.marleymep.com/en/assets/pdf/5200-2194-010.pdf

We're wiring the left side with a switch.

I don't know what a Marley 2500 heater is but I am assuming it has a switch on it. There is a correct way. When wired correctly the switch will interrupt the hot wire, if wired backwards it will interrupt the neutral wire.

In base cases it will work, however if wired backwards then parts of the device will be hot when they are not supposed to be.

A classic example is a toaster. If wired correctly touching the elements should not shock you when the plunger is up. However if it is wired backwards the elements will be hot and if you are grounded you can get shocked.


Repairing area in exterior siding I have an area in the front of my house, here when I purchased, that I've been told used to serve as something for firewood. I'm interested in fixing the area by removing the 'indent' and making it look like the rest of the garage.

The siding here looks like pine, with one person indicating something called 'shiplap'. The problem is that there are two different sizes of boards here. The smaller ones, measured from the outside, are 8 15/16" long. The longer board is exactly 11 inches long.

I noticed that Home Depot sells pine 'shiplap' but it's in a 8" width. Is this the same width board? Is there a separate tongue and groove pine siding for the longer piece? I've posted pictures of both sides.

I'm also wondering about how sound my plan is. I've called a few contractors, all either not returning a call due to how small the job is, or getting a quote around $500 for everything. I feel that my 'home handyman' skills are good enough where I should take this on myself. I figure the cost of materials is less than $50-$100 and I could do this myself within 2-3 hours. I live in New England, so it will experience all 4 seasons.

As you noticed in the picture, the metal L bracket was unscrewed and the area is exposed. I had a plan to remove this, then remove the two boards on the sides of it with a prybar. Once this is completed, the curved part I can even out with a circular saw, so that the length is straight and easy to cut from a new piece of board. I can then cut some spare 2x4s to redo the frame properly, cut some sheathing (plywood) to nail, using finishing 1 3/4th finishing nails to the 2x4s, then attach on the new shiplap/pine siding.

Thanks!

Gallery/Picture link: http://imgur.com/a/JoDY2#0 (On the photo with the measurements, I took it at an angle, so it might look like the siding boards are the same width. They are not. I measured each individually to verify the width.)

The 8" Home Depot siding will be too narrow. It's 8" nominal, the actual exposure width will end up under 7". To avoid the need to exactly match widths, consider replacing the boards full height, then you have no butt joints in the siding.

If you don't want to spend for the extra material, finding siding that exactly matches width may not be that easy. You could get someone to mill boards to a custom width. Since you boards have no special exposed profile, someone with a table saw could easily cut boards to match what you have. The raw material would just be nominal 1x12 and 1x10 lumber with one face resawn, which is a pretty common siding raw material.

This is a relatively easy DIY project, but it may take more than 3 hours. Be sure the siding nails you use are either hot dipped galvanized or stainless steel. Electro-plated galvanized nails will still rust. Siding nails have more of a head than finishing nails, so the boards are held tight and can't warp, but smaller than regular nails so the exposed head is not too objectionable.


all my 240 circuits aren't working anymore in sub panel but the sub panel is getting 240 volts am having an issue with a sub panel in my kitchen. I am reading 240 volts across the red and black coming from the main panel, in the panel I am reading 120 from each conductor to ground on all circuits. But on all of my double pole breakers I am reading 120 to ground but only 10 volts between line 1 and line 2... So it appears I am not getting 240 volts in the panel. The breakers don't need to be moved as everything used to work fine...

More weird info - The stove lights come on but no heat... the light in the kitchen and the outside lights only seem to work with the stove element on... Time for a new panel? help! Thanks!

If you have 240 at the main lugs of the sub and do not have 240v at the breakers the main breaker could be bad. I have had a main breaker fail on 1 hammer (the contacts inside the breaker) on more than 1 occasion. In some cases with all the load breakers turned off cycle the main 10 times on and off This can temporarily clean the contact and make it useful until the bkr or panel can be replaced.
If this is a lug only (no main on the sub)
 your buss on one of the legs may have fried since you said all the 240v breakers ,,, I have had this happen with FPE stab lock but it can happen with all brands of panels but I have only had buss failures on FPE and any problems with FPE stab lock needs replacement of the panel in my opinion, I won't do any work on them except to replace them.


drill concrete for installing tack strips I'll planning to replace carpet in the basement and will need to install tack strips on the concrete surface. I know they sell tack strips with presettled sturdy nails for concrete. So do people normally drill holes in concrete of nail size and hammer it in? I need probably special "enforced" drill bits for this?

The tackless carpet strips installed on masonry surfaces have short evenly-spaced concrete nails on every strip. They are set in position and with a well placed hammer strike the point of the nail penetrates the concrete securing the strip tightly.   Of course in the real world not every nail hit goes as planned. It's a good idea to have a few spares on hand as some tackles will be missing a nail or a bad hammer blow renders the nail useless.  If you can afford the extra time to install the strips with concrete screws (Tap-Cons) then the strips will be anchored better than nails. Use a 5/32 masonry bit for the small Tap-Con screw.  Some suggestions: If you do use screws along with nails 3-4 per strip should be enough. I found that 2 and sometimes 3 layers of tackles in long rooms will not pull loose overtime.


How do I secure a TV wall mount? I have a built in area that is 21.5" deep (see attached picture). I'd like to mount a TV, but I've tried finding studs in the back wall and I think there might be one around the center, does not appear to be studs anywhere else as far as I can tell (and the wall seems pretty thin to the outside so I'm not even sure the "stud" I found is an actual stud). I drilled some tiny holes and the center is the only area that gave any resistance.

My plan is to add new wood to the area outside of the wall that I will paint white and attach a TV mount to that, does anyone know what size wood I should get for that (2X4 etc)? And also how would I secure it to ensure it can support a TV mount (aka put screws into the top/bottom or some specialized way to do secure it)?

Also if anyone has a better plan to mount a TV that'd be great haha, my plan is to get a TV mount that extends very far so the TV can be wider than the built-in area.

Thanks!

Edit: Added picture, whoops!
Edit: Thanks for all of the suggestions!! I'm an idiot and I'm going to start super easy and try a mount that uses a single stud, like this bad boy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EVXEW7Y/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A4RWQRCTJ6CYV&psc=1  This place was built in the 70's so I'm not sure what codes they followed - the stud finder "found" studs on the back wall, but I drilled a tiny hole into them and 2 of the 3 had no resistance (on the far left and right), feeling decent that the center is a stud. The wall seems very thin though so I'm definitely concerned that I'll go through to the outside haha, we'll see in time. If that does happen I like the idea of mounting plywood and using that as the studs, I think plywood glued/screwed in could do the trick, the TV is only 22lbs so crazy light.

Now that I see your photo I'd do this differently. I'd install a vertical cleat just behind the faceframe on each side of the cabinet, maybe 1" back (the thickness of the plate plus 1/4"). I'd then span a sheet of 3/4" plywood across them, creating a solid face on which to install your mount.

You should have either a cabinet wall or framing to screw into. Make the plywood as tall as possible without being visible to give it rigidity. You could also use two-by lumber if you prefer.

Plan view:

    | |                                      | |
    | |_                                    _| |
    | | | <-- cleats --------------------> | | |
    | |_|__________________________________|_| | <-- cabinet wall
    | |______________________________________| |
    |_|     ^ -- plywood plate               |_|
  ________________________________________________
 /                  TV                            \
|__________________________________________________|

One advantage to this approach is that you can use a simple, inexpensive mount rather than an elaborate articulating arm mount. This saves money and results in a more stable setup. Be sure to work out the depth of everything so you're able to tilt as you like when you're done.

Original answer:

Rather than installing something that may be visible around the television, just add a sheet of 3/4" plywood to the one stud, and also adhere it to the drywall with project adhesive or silicone.

Cut a sheet that's about 6" smaller than the tv in both directions. Apply a 1/4" bead of adhesive to the entire back side in a zigzag pattern. Using four 2-1/2" gold screws, fasten the sheet to the stud Once the adhesive is set this will hold any modern tv with no problem.

Be sure to properly pilot your mount screws so they grab the plywood well. If you're using an articulating mount, consider installing a pair of toggle bolts at the ends of the plywood as insurance in preventing the sheet from pulling away.

Elevation view:

------------------------------------------------------
.                                                    .
.     __________________________________________     .
.    |                    *                     |    . <-- TV outline
.    |   (       (                  (      (    |    .
.    |    )       )       *          )      )   | <- . --- plywood
.    |   (       (                  (      (    |    .
.    |    )       )       *          )      ) <-| -- . --- adhesive
.    |   (       (                  (      (    |    .
.    |    )       )       *          )      )   |    .
.    |__________________________________________|    .
.                                                    .
.                         ^--- screws                .
------------------------------------------------------


Does pickling wood with steel wool and vinegar harm the wood? I love the look produced from pickling wood with steel wool and vinegar.

I am hesitating to actually do this on a raw ready-to-finish table because I fear the steel wool/vinegar product actually harms and deteriorates the wood faster.  Does anyone know if this is true? Or does it truly just change the color to somewhat more silverish? Does it even matter after I apply a coat of polyurethane to the pickled table?

This treatment only affects the surface of the wood.  It's not going to weaken the table.

That said, the effect of a vinegar/steel wood stain is going to vary a lot depending on the type of wood you're staining.  It will be best to test your entire finishing process including the clear finish on the actual table.  You can use the bottom or some other inconspicuous place to experiment.


Should door jamb be lifted off subfloor or touching? Simple question:  when installing a custom made door jamb, should it be sitting directly on top of the subfloor or be lifted up a little (like drywall is lifted 1/2", for example)?

You can leave it a little off if you want = about 1/4"... You will be cutting the bottoms when install flooring.  If you do carpet a 1/4" is about perfect.


How can I remove sheet metal screws from the wrong side of a wooden board with minimal damage? I just took over my first apartment, and have to replace the kitchen fan. In order to fit my new kitchen in the cupboard above the stove, I have to remove 6 sheet metal screws pointing out from the sides on the inside of the cupboard.
The cupboard is made of some porous kind of cheap wood.

The screws have been screwed in prior to the cupboard (and kitchen) being assembled, so the "hat" of the screws are stuck in between two cupboard walls, and I am completely unable to reach them without dissassembling the cupboards from the walls.

Here is a hideous illustration of approximately what it looks like:

The 6 tiny lines signify the screws pointing out on the inside of the cupboard, while the hats are shown by the red dots.

How can I get rid of these screws while causing minimal damage to the cupboard?

Thanks in advance.

Edit
The screws were there to keep up a wooden shelf inside the cabinet.
I need to fit a new kichen fan inside the cabinet, so I tore off the wooden plate, but got no clue how to remove the remaining metal screws. They don't support the general cabinet structure in any way.

I have used a Dremel rotary tool with a cutting disk. You could use a new sharp hacksaw or just a hacksaw blade.

Alternatively, with an electric drill, drill a hole next to each screw and then work the screws laterally into the drill hole and out. Then fill the holes.


How do I install wood shutters on a brick house? I've built some Board-N-Batten shutters and am ready to hang them on the house. However, I've never installed shutters before, so I want to be sure I install them properly.

Do I drill pilot holes in the wood first?
Pilot holes into wood and brick of my house?
Or do I drill the screws through the wood and into the brick all at the same time? If I do it this way, I'm just afraid the shutters will shift & not hang properly when I am drilling.

What exactly is the accepted procedure for installing shutters?
Also, what type of screws are recommended for this sort of install?

For those interested, here's the process I ended up using:

Measure, level and mark boards, appropriately aligning the future holes with the mortar between bricks.
Drill pilot holes into the wood shutters, including a 1/4" countersink to cover the screw heads up with wood filler.

What I learned at this step: Unlike screwing wood to wood, where you can sink the screws into the wood easily without a countersink, when attaching wood to mortar, if you do not provide the countersink hole already and attempt to perform said action, you will strip the mortar and the screw will just spin and stay loose :(

Next, re-level shutters and mark the mortar with the masonry drill bit through the pilot holes. I found that only drilling the top two holes worked best for me. I'll get to why in a minute. An extra set of hands comes in handy here :)
Set the shutter down and drill the top two mortar holes completely.

What I learned at this step: Be sure to drill into the mortar enough to where the screw tip won't hit a dead-end (Most recommended a 1/16" or 1/4" of extra room beyond the screw tip). If you don't give a little extra space at the tip, you'll encounter a great deal of resistance, the screw will not go in all the way and you'll have to get the masonry bit out again.

Attach the shutter to the house using the top two holes.
Now, we'll finish the bottom two holes: with your masonry bit, drill into the mortar through the board.

What I learned at this step: I found this process to be the easiest for me, as my pilot holes didn't always match up completely when I attempted marking then drilling all four at the same time. Less margin of error on my part. But, this is became a personal preference. Decide for yourself.

Finish attaching the shutter to the mortar at the bottom with your screws.
Use wood filler to patch the holes, lightly sand filler.
Paint/stain/seal accordingly.

What I learned at this step: I had already applied a sealer to the back of the shutters before attaching them. I taped off my house using wide painter's tape after they were up and it saved me a huge headache of cleaning sealer off my house with mineral spirits.

Overall, I also learned:

I marked & drilled all of the pilot holes into the shutters at one time which saved me on having to switch between the masonry & wood drill bits. HINT: If you forget to take out the masonry bit and attempt to drill into wood, you very likely could start a friction fire! :D Haha!
Having two drills is a life-saver: I had my hammer drill set up with my masonry bit and my cordless drill had my Phillips bit in it ready for the screws.
Having a second pair of hands throughout the entire process was also a great deal of help.

Thanks for your help folks! I hope this little walk-through helps someone else, too!


What causes air voids in concrete? Really have no idea on what causing concrete to have air voids in it. Is it causes by evaporation of water during the hydration process?

When concrete is mixed it has air trapped in the mix. When pouring walls we use vibrators to get the air out. With smaller pours hitting the forms with a hammer helps.


Pressure testing downspout and shower nipples I installed my shower system, which consists of a mixing valve with two ins(C+H) and two outs (downpout+shower), everything except mounting the actual shower head and downspout. The reason I left those is because I wasn't sure if their sweat joints need to be pressure tested against leakage. The test I did was just for the ins of the mixing valve, and there is no leak.

I understand that the pressure is much less in the downpout/shower nipples because the water is coming out. But the sweat joint (I used brass dropped ear elbows at the end of the copper branches coming out of the valve to join copper with threaded nipples) could still have leaks (although the leak flow-through would be much smaller because of the less pressure as a result of the release). I was thinking to put 1/2" threaded plugs in each elbow female where a nipple would otherwise go and turn the shower on. If there is no leak in the sweat joint of the elbow, then it's all good.

But I was wondering if this is a safe method, i.e. can the mixing valve be damaged if water is released through it without a way out? My question is, is this the best way to test the downspout and shower nipples sweat connection or do something else?

I have never used a mixing valve, but you should be fine. I would use only cold water side, and open the valve a small amount. Slowly increase the water to increase pressure. I would only go half way. Realize, that once in service, you won't really have a huge pressure build up because the shower has holes, and the tub spout won't cause any pressure build up.


Replace Wall Receptacle / Outlet - What's the Right Leviton Model Does anyone know what is the difference between a Leviton 16252-WS outlet versus a 16252-W? The "WS" version sells for 4.99 at Home Depot (http://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-Decora-Plus-15-Amp-Duplex-Outlet-White-R62-16252-0WS/100191324?keyword=16252-0ws) while the "W" version sells for 2.91 at an online wholesale store (http://www.westsidewholesale.com/leviton-16252-w.html).

Was wondering if they are the same.

Background context: I'm attempting to replace many of our home's outlets and came into this issue.  I've originally purchased standard Leviton 15A-125v outlets, and it worked perfectly for first of few of the outlets I plan to replace. However, I also encountered many outlets where the wires seem to be too thick to fit into the standard outlets.  I went back to Home Depot and was pointed to "heavy duty" outlets that have a larger wire holes, but the price is more than twice of the standard version. Considering I need to replace ~30 outlets, this would be quite the hit on my wallet. I couldn't find anything about the "WS" version anywhere online, including the official site, but found "W" version which is considerably cheaper.

Edit: I wasn't expecting a reply but still did sent an email to Leviton, and they responded today!  According to the person on email, the two models I've listed above are identical.  He seems to imply the ending characters on the product number are per retailer.

The standard and heavy duty are both 15 amp.  The standard outlet has back wire contact holes for 14 ga.  It is a leaf spring friction edge contact that will fatigue and can work loose over time.  The heavy duty 15 amp outlet is specifically marked back-wire.  The wire insert holes are larger to accept 12 ga.  The contact is a heavier jaw clamp forced down by a screw.

If the standard screw contacts are used, both standard and heavy duty are equivalent.  The heavy duty version just allows 12 ga back-wire installation that is reliable with screw clamp contacts.


Who can you call to check on odd smells? Who would someone call to investigate odd smells. I've been going crazy trying to find the source of this odd,musty smell in our stairwell.

Who you gonna call? Ok, I'll admit that Ghostbusters is low on my list of choices.

One possibility is to look for water damage somewhere. This will manifest itself in the form of mildew, mold. Perhaps water is getting in through your roof, or a problem with a window, etc. You might even have leak in the plumbing. (For example, we had a contractor redo a bathroom, but they knew nothing about plumbing, leaving behind 6 leaks in the walls.) To track that down, a pinless moisture meter is a relatively inexpensive idea here to locate wet places in the walls coming in. As a woodturner I have one, so it was a useful tool that i already had. Another key is to look for soft spots. Are there black spots appearing on interior walls?

There are specialists who can look for mold problems, but another good possibility is to look for something dead and decomposing in the walls or the ceiling. I'd bet on something large enough to smell, perhaps a raccoon. Second choice might be a family of squirrels or other small animals. Had you heard noises in the walls or ceilings? Those things that go bump in the night are animals.

In any event, there are animal removal specialists. Find a GOOD one. They can figure out where it is and how it got in, and if they know what they are doing, can even arrange to prevent such an event from recurring.


How can I seal up this gap on top to make it smellproof As you can see, at the top of my door there's an open panel with fixed glass panes attached to allow airflow through. How should I best seal that giant gap up so that I can install air-conditioning in this room?

Tape plastic over it. If you tape the perimeter fully, it should work pretty well.


How to effectively clean existing bricked columns? Good day, my first time asking for assistance here.
Thanks in advance
I would like to apply a white wash effect on my existing brick columns, however they are quite inconsistent and uneven due to dried concrete splatter since whenever. We bough the place like this. My question is, how do I effectively clean the bricks to get rid of the obvious old concrete splatter? Please see picture attached.

It doesn't look like concrete splatter to me, just rough mortar from laying the bricks, way back when. This means there is nothing to 'clean off' if you like, rather the protruding mortar needs scraping back and it looks to be a fairly strong mortar.

I'd use a flat, cold chisel held at a shallow angle and a light-ish hammer (2lb or 1kg) and gently chisel or chip away the excess mortar. Much like a stone mason, carving a statue if that description helps.

Obviously stop once you are close to the bricks. Then I'd fill in any gaps, or damage with new mortar before painting. NOTE: When you fill in any gaps, think more like re-pointing the joints rather than filling a hole in drywall. Then the brickwork will look better once painted. If you smear the mortar all over the hole, this will look worse/obvious once painted.

Bear in mind this column was not built as 'face work', i.e. it is supposed to be covered up.Thus you are looking at some work to make it 'pretty'.


How much weight is safe to hang from a 1/2 inch thick maple board mounted to the wall? I have a wall mounted metal barbell holder that holds up to three barbells.  The holder has pre-drilled holes 10 inches apart (two on each end).  To mount this to a wall, I will have to attach a stringer that I can drive into the 16 inch studs between it, and then attach the metal holder to that stringer.  I bought a 3/4" maple board to act as the stringer, and will attach it with lag screws into the studs.
My question is, what is the best way to attach the metal holder to the maple board?
I bought one inch lag screws, and I also bought nuts and bolts.  However, I want it flush to the wall, and using nuts and bolts will necessitate drilling holes on the back of the board to recess the nuts.  At that point, the .75" maple board will only be .5" thick where the bolts pass through.
Will the board support the metal holder and three barbells (20lbs + 45lbsx 3 =155 lbs)??
Whats the best way to do this?

I would use a T-nut on the back. If you are using softwood, you can usually pull the nut flush by tightening hard. With hardwood this probably won't work, instead, counterbore with a Forstner bit just enough so the nut is flush. With this method, the wood will be almost full thickness and you can re-tighten from the front if necessary.
The T-Nuts that you are likely to find at a home improvement store are designed for softwood. They might work, but there are special T-nuts for hardwood.
https://www.mcmaster.com/tee-nuts/
IMO, a T-nut and hardwood will be really strong, the weakest point will be the lag bolt pull-out strength. I would use 4 lag bolts. The top two are the most important. You want the top two lags into the stud to be near the top of the board. If the distance between the barbell downward force to the pivot point is larger than the distance between the top lag and the pivot point the force will be amplified.
There are tables to determine lag-bolt pull-out strength. You need to account for the moment arm (distance to the pivot point). If the distances are about the same, then the force on the lag-bolt will be about the same. It is difficult to tell from the pictures, but the distances look to be similar.
Be sure to account for dynamic loading, don't assume that people will always gently put the barbell on the holder. I would use 3X, so you want to support about 450 lbs momentarily.
I am having trouble finding a definitive website, but I believe that a 1/4 lag screwed into a wall stud has a pull-out of about 300 lbs. So, the top 2 lags should hold, assuming that your moment arms are about equal.

Edit: since Forstner bits are something you may not have or want to buy, you could use a spade bit for the counterbore, the hole won't be pretty, but it won't show.


Unknown wiring schematic deduction for outlet Ultimately  I would like to know is the only scenario the white wire is hot is due to a switch loop or a reason white might be hot or black is neutral.
I had three wires nm romex (14/2)  going into a single outlet. I’m an idiot and did not take a mental picture of what was what before taking two wires off the terminal screws and four wires out the backstabs before replacing with gfci outlet. Rookie mistake I’m sure.
I Temporarily wire nutted the blacks together and the whites together and the grounds.
After some time I realized I’m so dumb for not checking the outlet before hand like I usually do and copy it. The breaker has not tripped and the whites are not hot. But I recently had a question on stack for why a white wire would be wire nutted to black and learned about the switch loop. So I’m paranoid I maybe just created a fire hazard considering there could be other scenarios where white should hot in which case my wiring could be wrong or the black should be white (I would think that’s bad practice but I’m still learning so can’t say for sure).
Thinking through this I can’t think of any reason an outlet might have a white and a black mixed where white is hot or black is switched or some combination for these three wires. The outlet is not controlled by a switch that I am aware of for the five years I’ve lived here but you never know.
I’m sure there has to be some electrician or experienced DIYer that has done this  and there is some method to deduce what is what without tracing the wires through the wall.

You should be just fine as far black/hot vs. white/neutral.
However, you may or may not realize how the GFCI is wired. With an ordinary receptacle, it doesn't matter whether a wire goes to top screw, top backstab, bottom screw or bottom backstab. With GFCI, there are two totally different sets of screws - LINE and LOAD. To avoid problems, the LOAD screws are normally covered with tape to prevent accidental use.
By pigtailing everything together, you have everything on LINE. That is perfectly OK, but it means that any downstream receptacles are not protected. If you expect (or want) downstream receptacles to be protected, then a little more work is needed.


Is there any way walls that don't go to ceiling are load bearing? I am planning on removing a few walls between my kitchen/dining/living rooms. I keep having people tell me to be careful in case they're load bearing, which I know,  but the walls don't run to the ceiling. Is there any chance they still could be load bearing?

More info:
- Brick rancher, one- story house
- The ceiling in this area starts at 8 foot on exterior walls and vaults to 12 foot. There's a beam, but I'm not sure if it's structural or cosmetic
- The walls in question are all 8ft. They touch the ceiling only at one corner, but this area is actually being built out more.
- Beam is perpendicular to joists. Wall is T-shaped, so some perpendicular (not directly under beam) and some parallel.

The door opening is going to become an actual wall. The fridge is moving to that area, so the wall will remain for about 5' here.

This is where the wall "T"s off from the longer part.

The beam at the top of the picture is almost certainly structural - it appears to be the bottom of a ridge beam for the cathedral ceiling that has had trim applied to it. The only other way to keep a cathedral ceiling from pancaking and thrusting the walls out is run perpendicular ties between the walls.

As for the wall, there is no way that this is structural at any point underneath the transom (the area at the top where it is open between the two rooms). There's simply nothing there for it to be bearing a load for.