Can i use butyl caulk on a shower drain? I'm putting in a drain onto a shower base and I have some butyl caulk laying around. It says "gutter and flashing" on it and I'm thinking since it is water proof...can I use it between the drain and top surface of the shower pan to seal it around the edges?

Here's the drain I'm using: https://www.amazon.com/EZ-FLO-30031-Strainer-Stainless-Steel/dp/B0006HCC9O/

My beginner-level understanding of installing this is essentially that the drain goes on top of the pan, the rubber gasket + cardboard ring on the bottom of the pan, and the nut tightens over that. My question is regarding what's between the drain flange and the shower pan.

I have read that silicone is used here normally, but I'm not sure if butyl caulk would suffer decreased performance.

Thanks!

I can't locate the installation instructions for that particular model, but it does appear that the gasket is intended to go underneath the pan. If the manufacturer has a recommendation, I'd obviously use that. If that's the case, I'd go with plumbers putty as opposed to butyl caulk for a couple reasons.

First, butyl caulk isn't particularly dimensionally stable - that is, it will have a tendency to shrink over time. Second, it is incredibly difficult to clean up. That means if lay you down a bead of butyl and then clamp the the flange over it you will force some out onto the floor of the pan (and if you don't, you didn't put enough on).

What you'd likely end up with is a mess that you might not be able to clean up without damaging the finish on pan itself with the solvents you'd need to get the stuff off.  Silicone, on the other hand, will generally just peel away or come off with light friction (like rubbing it really hard with your thumb), and plumber's putty doesn't really "stick" so it's the easiest to clean up after.

Finally, the last reason I'd steer away from butyl is that it usually takes a long time to fully cure (the last one I used was labelled as 7 days to a full set).  This is fine in a gutter where you don't have people walking on it, but probably less so in a shower unless you're willing to sit it out.

Plumber's putty is specifically made for this type of application, and it's so cheap that it really doesn't make a lot of sense to go through the potential hassle to avoid spending a dollar or two just to use up a tube of butyl that you have lying around. The gasket on bottom is doing the majority of the work anyway - about all the seal on the top does is stop water from standing inside the cutout on top of the gasket.


Does this look like asbestos? Does this look like asbestos to you? It is located in my wash room in the apartment that I am currently living in.

The only way to be sure about asbestos is to have it tested, or to be capable of looking at the material with a microscope and identifying it (but being sure of that identification, positive or negative, generally calls for a lab test.)

A picture can't really identify it, nor rule it out.

But that does look like normal horsehair plaster. Might or might not also have asbestos in it, the stuff got around, so we can't say "it's safe, since it looks like horsehair plaster" since the picture will not show if it's HH plaster without asbestos or with asbestos. But those large fibers are almost certainly horse-hair.


Vinyl flooring poor air quality and toxicity We're looking to install luxury vinyl flooring in our home and recently came across some claims that vinyl flooring significantly reduces air quality in the home and can release carcinogens in to the air as it is often manufactured with PVC along with other unsafe materials.

We still like the look and durability of luxury vinyl floors but have safety concerns for obvious reasons. Is there a way to filter out the non-eco-friendly / unsafe vinyl from the safe by looking at product specifications or choosing a specific brand? Have the safety of vinyl floors improved with time to the point these concerns are no longer warranted?

Or is all vinyl flooring unsafe by its very nature and should we stick to laminate if we're concerned about air quality and our safety?

Thanks in advance

Most building materials will off-gas for for various reasons: 1) what their made of, 2) what they use to “glue” material in place, 3) warring of surface material. A better explanation is here:

https://www.greenbuildingsupply.com/Learning-Center/Flooring-LC/Why-we-dont-sell-luxury-vinyl-tile

What this article omits is the adhesive used to secure the material to the floor.

Even “low VOC” material has a significant amount of material that will “off-gas”.

Government buildings now require the completed building to “run” the heating and air conditioning systems without anyone in the building for 14 days. We usually don’t do this for residential construction because there are larger quantities in governmental buildings.

Everyone has a different tolerance towards these materials. Not much can affect me, but my son would cough and gag after a few minutes when we stayed in a hotel on vacation that recently renovated their rooms. Your tolerance may be just as weak.


Where should tile backer board go on a bathroom floor? I am laying down 1/4 inch hardie board for tile in a bathroom. A shower will be built as well. My first question is do I cover the entire floor (including the shower area) with backer board, or do I stop where the shower curb or floor will be?

Also, due to some old house weirdness, I could extend the hardie board 2 inches or more under where the drywall will eventually hang. Is there any structural advantage to doing that, or should I just end the hardie board where I know the walls will end up?

Typically, you would install the shower curb/pan first, then install your underlayment, concrete backer board in this case, up to it.

As to the floor, we usually extend the concrete board as far as we can under the wall finish, and have a gap between the bottom of the wall finish and the floor finish that gets covered up by the base to mitigate water damage if some water gets under the base.

When we get freaky about it, we paint and sometimes redguard the bottom of the base before installation, then clear silicone caulk the base to the floor after installation.  Mostly we do this if there are young kids that are going to be using the bathroom and the clients are ok with the mild funkyness of such an install.


Options to keep soil in split-grade backyard All of the houses in our neighbourhood have a "naturally" sloping backyard, which slopes downwards from the house.  The spread is about 6-8" over 15-20 feet depending on the yard.

Neighbours on both sides of my house have gravel/interlock, but we have grass. This is a problem as gravel/debris constantly comes into our yard from under the fence.  Moreover, I'd like to level our lawn, which means that the soil/grass would eventually be higher than my neighbours towards the back of the yard, and then our soil would spill into their yards.

I looked at a concrete retaining wall but the costs are prohibitive.  Are there any other options, preferably DIY, that would help to (1) level our lawn while (2) keeping soil from spilling into my neighbours yards from under the fence?

Thanks.

I would use rail road ties to border the yard and fill. I have done this around my driveways where I have crushed rock and I don't want it mixing with the lawn. A single tie would work, I have made flower beds 4' high with ties using rebar to pin them together but you only need 1.


How to hang electric fence from posts? I need to make some posts for a small electric fence (designed for small animals / gardens) in my backyard. This just encloses my vegetable garden to keep out rabbits. My wire is aluminum.

I want to use rebar and/or PVC plastic conduit (the grey electrical variety) for the posts, but I don't know what to use to hang the aluminum wire. I need to run 3 stands of wire approx. 3" apart at heights of 5", 8" & 11" off the ground.

Some type of plastic hook that could wrap around the conduit or rebar would be ideal. If using just rebar, the aluminum wire would have to hang away from the rebar without touching it.

I've looked at some different types of pipe clamps but haven't found anything suitable yet. It would be great if I could move these clamps / hooks up and down the posts to adjust the height of the wires from time to time.

Any suggestions?

You could cut a notch (like 1/4 pipe depth) in the pipe and just wrap the wire around the pipe, tucking it into the notch.


How to fill in 5/8" hole in drywall ceiling I had plants hanging from the ceiling with toggle hooks, each of which needed a 5/8" hole. What's the best way to fill them in & make it look good again?

"the best way" is super subjective, as some want easy; some want quick; some want perfect.

Since you said "make it look good", I would recommend traditional spackle (as opposed to "lightweight spackle") applied with a wide putty knife, with fine sanding between the several (at least two) applications and after the final application.

If you had said "make it look perfect" I would recommend high quality drywall topping compound, applied with successively larger drywall knives (to feather the repair area and make it near-unnoticeable in all lighting and gloss conditions) and applied and sanded in several coats as mentioned above.

The repair will likely be noticeable regardless, if your existing wall has any sort of texture and/or if you use glossy paint. There are ways to make it near-perfect but it usually means repainting the entire wall.


What happens to washing machine with bad bearings? A relative is having problems with an older maytag top load washing machine. During the spin cycle the machine makes a loud noise.

The noise starts to get loud once the water has emptied. It just sounds like the regular noise just louder. Almost like a large high power fan. No grinding our shaking.

I think it might be bad bearings, pulley or belt. But open to other suggestions.

What I'm curious about is if it is the bearings... What happens if the washer is continued to be used in this condition and any idea how long it might lady until the bearings completely fall and become unusable?

If it is the bearings, on some washers that is can be an expensive repair (on my washer I was quoted $600) which often means it isn't a DIY fix.

If you don't repair it, the sound will get louder and louder and could eventually damage the drum and shaft. As more bearings break down or fall out the washer will just stop working.


What wire do I need when replacing with a higher gauge for a new cooktop? I'm getting a new cooktop installed that requires 240V 50A wiring. The old cooktop only needed 40A so I need to replace the old 8/2 wiring with 6 AWG wiring and change out the breaker to a 50A breaker.

Both old and new cooktops use the same wiring scheme: two hot legs and a ground. My question is: when running a new wire should I run 6/2 or 6/3 wiring? I've seen some resources that imply new versions of NEC require 6/3 but I'm not sure what section(s) of the NEC I can reference to verify this.

Is there anything else I need to take into consideration when upgrading a 40A circuit to 50A?

Running 6/3 is future-resistant, but only a conduit is future proof

While many modern cooktops are designed for worldwide usage, running all controls and power electronics on 240V as that's what's guaranteed to be there no matter where you are, some North American market cooktops chintz out and rely on a neutral being present to run their controls, and the next owner may wish to rearrange things and put a range in, or tap an oven off this circuit for that matter -- both of these things typically require a neutral in North America.

So, running a 6/3 cable is more future-resistant than a 6/2; however, if you truly want a future-proof installation, you'd want to run a 3/4" conduit of some flavor to the cooktop location and then pull stranded THHNs through there -- ENT aka "smurf" is the cheapest option for this, just be mindful of the bending limits when installing it.  The conduit option also has the benefit of being able to run the wire at 75°C, which allows you to run 65A over 6AWG copper.  This is plenty of current, even for the largest cooking appliance setups.


Is it ever necessary to have more than one back flow valve? I live in a house from the 60s that somehow never had a back flow valve. My insurance company is pushing me to get a back flow valve installed before they will provide basement flooding insurance.

The house has a single water inlet pipe and a single sewer outflow pipe.

I just had a plumber come to give me a quote for installation and he said that i'd need a back flow valve at each location where I have appliances or drains installed in the basement.

This sounds bogus to me; back flow valves are to prevent sewer water entering through the drain; right? There's only one drain, so only one valve is needed; correct?

Is he taking me for a ride?

A single backflow valve placed in your outflow line would be all that is needed to prevent sewage from the city main backing up into your house. It sounds like this is all that would be necessary to satisfy the insurance company, but you'd have to ask them.

Multiple backflow valves would be designed to prevent a blockage in one of your internal drains from causing a drain overflow in the basement. Ask the insurance company if this is what they require.

EDIT

Back-flow valves are not required in my neighborhood of slab-on-grade houses in Dallas, but I have installed a spring loaded overflow in my cleanout in the yard. This protects me from a backup in the sewer under the street in front of our house, but this simple device ($4.00) of course wouldn't work to protect a basement.

The streets run east-west and the terrain slopes down from east to west. The neighborhood is bounded on the west by a street running along a park around a south flowing creek. Two houses on two different streets north of us have filled with sewage inches deep due to a blockage in the city lateral where it enters the city main under the creek bottom. This was decades apart in time. The sewage from uphill filled up the main under the street and then out the shower and toilets of the lower of the two houses at the west corners.

I knew the people in both houses and it was a horrible mess.


Replacing deck joist - board width mismatch I am working on replacing decking and found a couple of rotted joist I decided to replace as well.

The joist size is 2x8-12. I purchased the replacement joists however when I took one rotten out and compared with the new one, it turned out the new one is 1/4" wider. The label on both old and new joists says 2x8-12, but the exact width of the old one is 7" and new one is 7 1/4".
Did I get wrong product? The old deck may be 10 years old -- is it just result of the wood shrinking over years? If so does it mean I can't replace a few joists and should do it for all of them?
Technically I could cut off the extra piece but if it is shrinking, then it will become uneven in a few years.

Any guidance would be much appreciated

It's hard to know how much of the 1/4" difference you're seeing is going to remain after the wood dries out.  I'd take just a 1/8" notch out of the ends of the joists so they set 1/8" high in the joist hangers now, with confidence they will shrink at least 1/8" as they dry.  If they shrink a lot and make a noticeable low spot, you can shim between the bottom of the hangers and the joists.  (As long as you have access to the joists when the decking is on.)


Portable AC Drawing 0.33 Amps Trips 15 Amp Circuit Breaker? After about 5 min. my portable AC rated at 11.4 Amps trips the 15 Amp circuit breaker. I put a Kill-a-Watt meter on it and it was only drawing 0.33 Amps at time of the tripping.
Only other running elec. object tied in to the breaker is 'smoke alarm'.
Anyone have a fix or cause?

I agree with others .33a no way for even the smallest ac units. At 5 minutes I believe the circuit is being overloaded.
Most breakers for residential use are inverse time breakers. A 15 amp breaker loaded at 15.5 amps may not trip for a 1/2 hour push it to 16 amps and it will trip much quicker possibly 5 minutes.
I would check the load on that breaker with a clamp meter and would expect more than 15 amps. If the load is less than 15 the breaker is defective and needs to be replaced.


How to remove Paint buildup where I removed chair rail on an orange peel wall 22 years ago we wallpapered the lower 3rd of the wall and installed a chair rail.  I'm removing the wallpaper and the chair rail. When the chair rail is removed, there is an old line where paint built up when repainting the upper part of the wall.  I tried a putty knife to knock it down but without gouging the wall, it does not remove the paint.  Because of the slight orange peel finish to the walls, what do I do?  Same thing happened when I had a cabinet removed in the kitchen and the contractor left a line and you can see where the entire cabinet was on the ceiling.  Help.

You are going to need to use a sharp tool such as a very sharp chisel or a straight blade razor scraper. I prefer a very sharp chisel as I feel it gives me better control.  It is not going to be easy, but as carefully as you can cut down and sideways from the painted area. The idea will be to cut the hump of dried paint off without too much damage to the drywall. Once you get the feel of it, you can control the "planing" cuts with your chisel. Sand down any irregularities and then use some Spackle to fill any gouges or remaining dips.  Sand for a final finish.  This method may not give perfect results.

The second way, and most work but better results is to completely cut out the paint line with a utility knife leaving a "V" indent on the wall. After making your "V" cut out on the entire paint line,  use joint compound to refinish the damage.


How do I install a glass tile backsplash on 1/2" drywall? I am currently building a house and am at the point where the builder has just finished the drywall and is ready for the kitchen cabinets and countertops to be installed.  There will be no backsplash but I did intend to put a glass mosaic tile between the counter tops and upper cabinets for use as a backsplash.

It slipped my mind at the time to ask for the builder to use cement board behind the cabinets where this tile will eventually go, and it is a little late for me to change my mind now that the drywall has been finished.

My question is, what is the most appropriate way to install a glass tile backsplash in a kitchen that is completely 1/2" drywall?  Is it not appropriate to place this tile over regular drywall?  If appropriate, should paint be removed first before placing thinset?

You can put it onto the drywall. You want it smooth and to not have a glaze, so you may have to sand it. If its been painted with a topcoat, you may want to paint it again with a primer.

Use mortor that is specifically designed for glass tiles, not ceramic tiles.


How to read the nameplate of an air conditioner? What's the difference between the two currents (The 25A and the 11.2A)?
Which one is used to calculate the cross-section area of the supply cable?

What is the Cooling Rated Input?
Is it used to calculate the cross-section area of the supply cable?

The Cooling Rated Current = 2415W / 220V = 10.97A. But in fact, It's higher than that. Is that because of the apparent power (the power factor)?

If I used the equation: P = V * I * Power Factor, The power factor = 0.98.

I think the power factor of an air conditioner is lower than that!!

that symbol and the 25A is the size of the fuse.

The fuse is rated for the starting current, the 11A is the current in normal running.

Edit after Tom Carpenter’s comment:
You should size the cables for at least 25A and a better capacity would not hurt if the cable run is long.


Closing off a doorway between apartments but keeping the door? I own two condo units that are connected by a doorway in the common brick wall. Now I'd like to rent one of the units and close the doorway. I was wondering if it was possible to leave both options open, that is if there is a way to close the opening but to keep feasible to reintroduce it at wish.

What would be some ways to do that? I was thinking of building a wall inside the opening and keep the doorframe, but what would be possible materials?

Standard method is to put a door with a deadbolt on both sides of the doorframe, so both parties have to open their door for the doorway to be open. If not anticipating much use, you might want to pack the space between doors with insulation to reduce sound transmission. And if you don't want them playing with it, no need to give the tenants a key to that particular deadbolt. No need for a knob, either.

Otherwise 2-3 studs, drywall, insulation (again, to block sound as much as possible) and more drywall. Or 4-6 studs (2-3 on each side) that are not connected in the middle for better sound blocking. Double-layer drywall on at least one face might also be worth it for acoustics.


Classy way to hide unused low voltage cut outs or should I just drywall over and paint? In a home I recently purchased, there are a lot of cut outs for low voltage in places I do not plan to use. The wiring is there in some cases, but I don't plan to use many of these locations. They are currently covered with blank wall plates.

When I had some electrical work, the Electrician said for the low voltage I could just take photos, mark where they are and then sheet rock / spackle / paint over them and there wouldn't be a problem since they are not active. He said I could do the same with the electrical in weir places, but recommended I do not because it could make electrical system troubleshooting harder in the future if you don't know its there.

I wanted to know if there was a technique to cover these in a a nicer way, but still keep them more accessible. E.g., I cut out a piece of drywall and paint it, and then use some type of material around the frame and it will look nice? I can just pop it out later if needed?

Or, should I just take good notes and pictures and cover these up since I don't plan to use them in the next 5 - 10 years. Shouldn't be an issue to cut our drywall some point in the future, right?

Examples:

If there are live connected wires in any of those junction boxes then you cannot just drywall over them. They have to be accessible, so stick with the cover plates. The low voltage ones could be patched over and the walls painted. Just take some good measurements for the future. In 5 or 10 years everything will probably be wireless and we won't need any wire for anything...


What are these funnel-looking green things in my yard? There are 5 or 6 of these funnels on stakes in my back yard from the previous owner. Are they insect bait/poison stations? Repellent stations for chipmunks? (not working in that case!)

These are Hose Guides.  They're usually placed near deck posts and similar obstructions to stop your water hose from kinking when you pull it around a corner.  They're also used near gardens to stop you dragging the hose through the garden and ruining your planting. Possibly this one:


is using 2 sch40 45 elbows the same as using a single 1-1/4" DWV elbow I am hooking up a Saniflow toilet that allows a sink to drain into it. The sink is 1-1/4 and the saniflow is 1-1/4 so I cant use anything but 1-1/4" lines. I cannot find any 1-1/4 DWV elbows locally. I am wondering if it is ok to use 2 sch 40 45 deg fittings in place of a 90 degree DWV elbow at 1-1/4".

The answer to this question is no, you cannot use a normal sch 40 45 in a DWV system. Section 706 of the IPC prohibits it.


How can I remove stubborn nails from baseboard? I have tried pounding the nails out through the front, they don't budge.  I have tried pulling the nails through the back with pliers, they break off. The baseboard is a laminate from old laminate flooring.  The nails were obviously put in with a pneumatic nailer.

Any suggestions for removing the nails so I can replace the baseboards would be appreciated.

I usually use a pair of end cutting pliers, to pull the nails out the back.

The face of the tool is slightly rounded, which allows for a good rocking motion.

Just grab the nail gently with the pliers, as close to the work piece as possible. Rocking the tool on it's rounded face generates quite a bit of leverage, allowing you to pull most nails out. Just remember not to squeeze too hard, or you'll simply cut the nail off.


How do I make where my carpet meets tile look nice? We've recently replaced our kitchen tiles. I'm happy with the results but have no idea what to do with the edge. How do I clean this edge up so that it looks more appealing?

You'll want to install carpet to tile transition strips (sometimes known as edge trim). Here is a listing from home depot. Basically it's a decorative metal strip that goes over the carpet/tile gap and provides a nice, attractive transition between the two.

Here are some instructions from eHow on how to install the transition.


How to remove masking tape residue from linoleum? I attached few pieces of masking tape to a linoleum floor to help a child with her exercises (long jump kid-style). Now when I removed the tape, there is residue left through the whole length of the tape.

How do I remove residue from masking tape? Ideally with generic stuff or products of FMCG giants (P&G, Unilever, Johnson&Johnson to name a few), not branded things from DIY shops (like WD-40 or Goof-Off), as items like WD-40 or Goof-Off are too rare in the area where I live. Even better if it's child- / prengancy-friendly (I realise the latter is too unlikely to exist, so it's really optional).

What you seek is a non polar organic solvent.  WD-40 is a good stand in, but even better would be xylenes which are usually available at hardware stores (that's basically what goof off is).  Really though, any non-polar solvent will work, mineral spirits, turpentine, brake cleaner, gasoline, diesel, tiki touch fuel, ether, THF, or melted lard.  The more volatile the solvent the less residue it will leave and the less child/pregnancy-friendly it is.  Brake cleaner would be very volatile and easy to clean up and is very awful to breathe.    Lard would be at the opposite end.

Polar solvent, like alcohol, won't work as well.

As others have said, be sure to test that it won't damage the floor.


How can I boost water pressure from the city main up a long hill? The city has pulled a water line down the road so I can now stop getting water delivered if I can figure out how. The problem is that my house is about 700ft up a 200ft hill. The city pressure goes from 70psi to 0psi about 1/2- 2/3 of the way up the hill. So I need a pressure boost to get to hilltop. Assume I can get power, any booster suggestions?

It's way too soon to be picking products. First you need a strategy.

I see five delivery problems here.

Getting enough pressure of water to climb your hill.  Rule of thumb, you lose 1/2 PSI per vertical foot (a little high, but you'll need pressure for flow, too.)
Getting enough volume of water up the hill for your instantaneous use. Pipe walls have a lot of drag, and you have a lot of pipe walls.
Getting electricity down to the pump location.  Perhaps ironically there's power right near the pump location, but not on your meter.
Getting enough electricity to the pump location to satisfy your instantaneous use.  Which could be quite a lot.
Reliability of the pressure from the water company.  OK it's 70 psi now and so you pick a location 100 feet up the hill, which 70 psi can serve.  But what happens when all your neighbors shower at once and it plunges to 35 psi?  Your pump goes dry since 35 psi can't push it up 100 feet! Yowch.

So there's no question in my mind that I'd put the booster pump as low as possible. That means both a water and electricity run for the full 700 feet, and that ain't chump change.  So when reaching for Franklins, I first reach for a sharp pencil and the the old IBM "THINK" sign.

if you size for instantaneous use - abandon the cistern - you have two problems.  First, pipes and cords must be sized for worst-case surge, which means they are huge and expensive. (and tempting theft candy). Second, no power = no water.
Since the cistern has worked for you, what if you keep it? Surge load is absorbed by the cistern, as it is now, and the pump and piping only need to refill the cistern (keep it topped up).  It can do that at a very low rate with fairly small pump, pipe and wires. Still, no power, no water.
Since you own land 700 feet wide and 200 feet high, any chance you own higher?  Put your cistern up there (like this guy) and let that .433 PSI per vertical foot supply your water pressure.  Now you're showering with no power! Also handy for firefighting, something to think about when sizing your cistern.  Now your pump down low has to push even higher, but again only a trickle, just to top up the cistern.

Honestly, you have to price it all ways and decide which features you want.

So suppose you want a cistern system that can recover 240 gallons/day (seems like a lot.) That's 10 gallons per hour.  10 gallons weighs x8.3= 83 pounds.   If you are lifting 200 ft, that is 83x200=16600 foot-pounds per hour of energy.  1 KWH is 2655220 ft-lbs., so this will take you .00625 kilowatt-hours per hour, or 6.25 watts.  That has "solar" written all over it - derate 80% for solar availability (lifting 50 GPH 20% of the time) and you're still at 31 watts.  Easy peasy.

If we wanted a surge/demand system that could supply 10 GPM, that's 600 GPH, 996000 ft-lbs per hour, 375 watt-hours per hour, assuming 39% pump efficiency, that's about 4 amps at 240V. 12 AWG wire ($479) can do that, but that assumes no friction losses in the pipe, which assumes fat pipe.  You'd have to balance the cost of fat pipe vs the cost of thicker wire to pump up thinner pipe. That balance is above my skill level.  Normally I'm all about conduit, but in this case I'd direct-bury the electrical cable so it isn't stolen.


Added sconces to switched outlet run and made the outlets always hot, what do I do with the last outlet? Kind of long story.. I had a run of half hot outlets in a bedroom. I added a wall sconce and ran wire pigtailed off of one of the outlets half way through the run to have a switched reading light. We want that light to be dimmable, so I also replaced the old switch with a dimmer switch.

Then I learned dimmable outlets are a bad idea..

So, I replaced the outlets in the run with new outlets, leaving the tab in place. The run uses 3 conductor wire (w/r/b) and I've just twisted together the reds in each box and have black to black + the outlet, and white to white + the outlet.

My question is, what do I do with the switch (red) wire in the last box? Do I just cap it off? Is it ok to have a sometimes hot wire capped off in the box? That's what I've done, and everything seems to work, just makes me nervous having that one wire not connected to anything and sometimes hot, seems wrong.

Thanks in advance!

You can leave the red wire capped off in the last box as long as you make sure the cap is on secure. You also have the option of wrapping the cap and end of the wire with some electrical tape.

You say the red wire has nothing connected to it but I am going to guess that is not really the case. Somewhere along the circuit you should have connected into this red wire to branch off to your switchable sconce/reading light. The red wire should also be the one connecting into one side of the dimmer switch.


Install soffit before or after new cabinet install? I just took down the drywall and existing soffit on my kitchen wall. I am going to install taller cabinets. What steps should I follow? Should I re-drywall now, install the cabinets, then build out a soffit above? Or should I frame out a soffit now, then drywall everything, then install the cabinets. In the soffit area, there are DMV pipes and stapled wiring.

Just imagining the logistics of it, I wouldn't want to build a soffit above already installed cabinets, especially if there are mechanicals up there already. Not to mention, trying to protect the cabinets while you drywall, mud, sand, and paint everything would be a nightmare.
Unless you have some really compelling reason why you can't, why wouldn't you do it before the cabinet install?


Retaining wall back fill/base rock and pool base rock I am installing bevelled retaining wall blocks, 17 inched long, 6 inches high and 12 inches deep.

Trying ti understand material to order.. can i use the same base rock that I use for the back fill? What type of rock shoukd be used. I have a lot of river rock from french drain i wanted to back fill wall with.

I am also looking to put rock tamped as a 4 inch base for pool with foam pad (24ft by 52inches intex) Was hoping to use all the same rock, to get one order... or at least same rock to use for pool base, but not sure of the types to use for each.

This is a dug out on slope for pool, and retaining wall is going around inside wall for pool.

https://imageshack.com/i/pnOhoQpRj

The rock under the "stack block" wall is different than the rock behind it.

The rock under the wall needs to be crushed rock and compacted. In my area around here, we'd use 1 1/2" minus (with fines) or just 3/4" minus. Compaction is important. Tamp it down or drive on it. (Usually the stack block manufacturers recommend a base course of 8" - 12" deep and a width equal to or greater than the blocks.  Read their instructions.)

The rock behind the wall needs to have lots of voids so water can flow through it.  So, we use river rock (or some call drainrock). It's smooth (from tumbling around in a river for a few centuries) and does NOT compact.


MDF (particle board) edge sealing for smooth painted finish I am working with CNC routers and a lot of MDF, which is great UNLESS you need to paint the edges which are furry in some spots and all open and porus everywhere else.

I build plinths that need to be enamel smooth and show no seams or texture changes.

I have tried so far

  Watered PVA (does not capture the hairs, cannot be sanded back as it
  does not penetrate very far)

  Builders bog/Bondo (to sticky to apply easily, high build means
  sanding it back tends to eat away at the corners)

  Automotive Primer-Filler spray, a perfect finish.... in only 18 coats.

  Fine spackle filler (terrible texture)

Does anyone out there have the magic bullet?

I'm wondering of a lighter sealant or resin would wick into the wood deeper?
Run a torch over the hairy bits?

You could try brushing the edges with glue.  I use Weldbond glue for similar purposes.  You can dilute it, maybe a thin coat first to penetrate and seal, followed by a thicker coat to finish it.  It's available in large sizes if you'll use a lot.  Worst case it's a good glue so even if it doesn't work for your application, it will still be good to have around.

There is a craft product made for decoupage called Modpodge that might work too.  They have different formulations, one might work for you.

Wood turners use cyanoacrylate (like SuperGlue) to harden and strengthen wood, usually a thin one that wicks well.  It imaging it may be expensive to use, though, I could see MDF soaking up a lot of it.  E-ZBond makes it in larger sizes that may be more practical.


What is the reason and the fix for gaps between laminate planks? After 3 or 4 years of installing laminate floors these small gaps started to appear between the planks:

I'd like to better understand two things:

Why/how do these gaps come to be:

temperature changes?
uneven floor base?
something else?

how to fix these gaps without disassembling the whole floor?

I found a couple of tools, but am unsure whether it's the right way, or maybe there is a different, better way.

Is there a way to prevent these from appearing again?

According to this reference:
shrinking laminate floors, laminate floors float on the subfloor, and can slide lengthwise under the baseboards.

Their recommended solution was to glue the ends of the boards and push them together to close the gaps.


Add a ceiling access panel above shower valve area for future plumbing access? is it a stupid idea to add a ceiling access panel on the bathroom ceiling above the shower valve /drain area for future plumbing access? Is a plastic one ok or metal ones are better?

Access panels installed in hidden locations like under cabinets or in a closet can be a great idea, but I wouldn't put one in a visible location until its needed.  There are repair panels that are made to be easy to install in a drywall hole cut in drywall.  You may never need it, so looking a that panel until you do seems extreme.

Plastic would be better in a damp location because metal will almost always rust over time even if it starts with what seems like a very good painted finish.  Even if you don't mind the look of the panel the next owner is going to be very suspicious of why the panel is there, and they will not like the look of it.


Main Breaker - Miswired connection Question I am little confused and will be hiring a licensed electrical person to look at it, but wanted to get an idea of what maybe going on or if anyone has any experience seeing this type of issue.

In 2006 the building was converted from a 2 family to a 3 family by a licensed electrician with permits.. The building has 4 Main breakers connected to each electric meter. 1 common main breaker which control all the common lights in the lobby and hallways in the multifamily and seperate main breakers for Apt 1, Apt 2, Apt 3. Each main breaker is connected to a main electric meter. Total 4 electric meters.

Recently I discovered when I wanted to close the main breaker for Apt 2 the lights remained on, only 1 bedroom light went off.

When I closed the (Common lights) breaker the 2nd apt light went off along with all the lobby lights. While the common lights main breaker was off.
I turned the 2nd apt main breaker on and all the common lights and 2nd apt lights went on.
When I leave the lights on in the 2nd apartment and lobby lights and when I close the (Common Lights) main Breaker the electric register on the 2nd apartment electric meter.
When I close the 2nd apartment main breaker and keep the (Common Lights) main breaker on the electric register on the 3rd apartment electric meter.
The 1st apt and 3rd apt main breaker have no issues they turn off their apartment lights when I shut then off independently.
Each apartment has a sub panel.
the 2nd apt sub panel shuts off the lights.
However to close the 2nd apt from the main. I have to close the common and 2nd apt main breaker to close the power for 2nd apt.

Thank you again for your help.

Photos of Electrical

There is some confusion reading the question, for example "closing" a breaker normally means turning on the power, the off position is the "open" position.

However I think I get the gist of it, and I think you know what's going on.  You have some loads in apartment 2 that are on the house-common service, and some house-common loads that are on apartment 2's service.  This happens all the time when houses are divided up, and in my experience it's rarely caught by inspectors.

The landlord is of course obligated to correct the issue.  It is a bit of a cost issue, the landlord is paying for some of apartment 2's lights, and apartment 2 is paying some of the common area lighting for the landlord.

It is also a safety issue.  Say someone is servicing apartment 2's lights, and they open (turn off) the main breaker for apartment 2, but the light they are working on is on the house-common panel.  If they assume power is off, and neglect to verify by testing voltage at the light, they could get zapped.


Uneven Floors, Red flag? My wife and I just went to look at a potential fixer upper that would be our first home. Naturally I want to get a good home for a great price. I don't have any delusions about trying to fix it ourselves, so i will be leaving it (most of it) to the pros. That said, I would love to avoid getting in over our heads from the get go. We just looked at a house that could be the one, however there was one glaring issue with this 1200 square foot, 1 level, bungalow from 1922- the floors are all uneven! They are wooden floors. There is a basement, with craw space under most/all of the house. Unfortunately for us, the house was recently painted and plastered, so any possible "tell tale" cracks are no longer visible.
My question to you all is, is buying this house with the given information a bad idea? Are obviously uneven wood floors, in a number of places, a sign of major problems ahead?

You didn't mention your location, which would be very helpful, as things like frost heave and drainage matter where foundations are concerned.

But, in general, floors are likely to be uneven because of the foundation. Here's where it gets hard, though: the foundation could have gently settled over the last almost-century and be totally fine, or it could be in varying states of disrepair that need fixing. Homes of that vintage may or may not have adequately constructed foundations. (A typical modern foundation includes a wide footer below the frost line; the foundation wall sits on top of this. Old places sometimes omit the footer.)

If it was, for instance, a corner that went bad, fixing isn't terribly hard. You jack up the house, dig down a bit, install solid support, then fix all the cracks and doors/windows you've upset by the jacking.

Alternately, it could be that the entire foundation is bad, which would require jacking the entire house, heavy excavation, new foundation, dropping the house back down, then fixing all the interior work.

Local settling could also be caused by framing rot, though that's usually caught in a home inspection.

I hope you've gotten the impression that there's a broad range of $$$ possibilities here. Get a licensed general contractor that does a lot of foundation work to consult on the job. Not to be biased against young'uns, but if you find somebody that's been in business for many years, they're more likely to have seen similar homes in your neighborhood. (Expect to pay a modest fee for their time. This isn't one of those 'free estimates' kind of tasks.)

If time is of the essence and you have to get an offer in, have your lawyer write massive contingencies into the contract that will allow you to explore the problem and walk away if needed.


How to open bathroom light cover to replace bulb? I cannot open the cover. I tried to twist it anti clock-wise, or clock-wise, or pull down. No success. Can anyone help? Thanks.

Answered by OP in comments:

  I did it! There is something like a little groove at the side - at the connection between black and white parts - wherein I slotted a screwdriver, twisted it, and the light cover pulled off. Eureka! – Lukman Dec 17 '16 at 12:16


Can you help me match this grout? Could someone help me match the grout that appears in the picture. I realize that many grouts have similar tones and that the picture is probably not accurate enough for identification but maybe you'll be able to give me some pointers.

I've gone to several tile shops in my area, and the closest I found was "River Rock" by Laticrete (https://laticrete.com/support-and-downloads/marketing-support/grout-selector) - however, my grout has a little bit of peach in it which I think comes through in the picture. I'm guessing this grout is about 9 years old.

Thank you very much in advance.

Unfortunately, no. If you read the Wikipedia article on color balance you'll learn that it is actually quite difficult to maintain true color when capturing and displaying digital media.

For instance, the article has a pair of renderings of the same image of a lily:

The left image is as-shot by a digital camera; the right image is adjusted so that a gray surface in real life would appear as gray in the image. You'll see that the images are clearly different, but even that's too simple, as the author of the image couldn't account for your (or my) web browser and computer display, which will likely further tamper with the color rendering.

Your best bet is to continue working as you have been, and if you find no match close enough for your taste, figure out how to manufacture such a match by either blending different colors of grout or feathering the edges of the patch.


How can I attach lumber for a shelf so that screws are not seen? So I'm making a simple shelf like the one in the picture.  I asked the home depot guy and the guy told me to use regular screws and then use filling to cover up the holes, something I already knew.

I asked if there's a way to attach them so that the screws couldn't be seen, but he didn't know.

So how can I attach these two pieces is wood so that the screws cannot be seen from the top?

Option 1: Don't use screws. Old-school cabinet makers used dowels and glue. It's not difficult, but you'll want to read up on alignment techniques. Joints are very strong.

image source

Option 2: Use pocket screws. They're what modern cabinet makers use. They're probably cost- and effort-prohibitive in your case, though, since they require special tools (or advanced technique) and your work space is very tight.

image source

Option 3: Use long screws from the bottom. If your dimensions are correct, and your top panel really is 2 inches thick, you have enough material to counterbore from below and run the screws in that way.

image source


Staircase or two way switch wiring doubts This is wiring for house. Will the old model wiring work? My electrician told me it's not a problem if both ends are of positive side in light bulb or fan, I know it won't turn on. But will it cause harm to fan or bulb?

Your approach will work but is illegal in the Netherlands.

The reason is simple.

Normally your bulb (load) is on one side connected to neutral and the switches are handling the live line. In your approach one can no longer be sure that the bulb is not connected to a live wire when not burning. So forbidden.


How do I find the source of a slow leak in a roof that has been repaired? We have had a slow leak for 20 years. The roof has been replaced. We still have the leak, so how do we find the leak?

The source of the leak could be a penetration of some sort. If you have roof vents, sky light, chimney, etc.. there could be opportunity for water to get in. I have had trouble with the same thing and have found several places to look. Stack boots around the vents.. Older ones are metal with sealant around the opening. newer ones are plastic with a rubber seal. This seal dries out and cracks. Check the flashing around chimneys and skylights. Flashing is made of metal and can fatigue or corrode if bent causing cracks to form. Some flashing is embedded in masonry when the chimney is built, other flashing is sealed to it with tar or caulk. I have roof vents to cool the attic and have found out they were not installed correctly. The shingles on the low side were put down on top of the flange and not under it. Check all of these places for bad seals. I sealed as many of these places as I could find and have gotten most of the leaks.

If it is a flat roof, it may have a drain on it. This drain can clog or fracture causing water to find alternate routs. If water backs up on a flat roof (new or old) chances are, you will get a leak.

Also keep in mind, leaks travel. you may have water dripping out of an area in the middle of the roof, but the entry point could be several feet away.

This is a long shot but.., possibly, if the roof is over a single story of a two story house (like an added on family room), there could be a leak in the plumbing from an upstairs bathroom finding a path to the roof and showing up as the leak.


How do low power draw devices not cause problems? Recently, a home owner tied a hot wire directly to a neutral and asked about it on this site. Fortunately, his unfortunate mistake did not result in anyone being injured. As an answers point out, usually a device drawing current reduces the load on the wires and prevents them from heating up.

However, this got me thinking... how to green and low power draw devices, such as a led bulb or cell phone charger draw enough current to prevent this from happening?

Are they less efficient than I imagine? Or need more current than I am thinking?

15 Amps is a lot of current, and it does not seem to me that connecting a low power-draw device would be radically different than connecting a hot and neutral wire directly.

Why did directly connecting the hot and neutral wires in the linked question draw enough current to trip the breaker?

The last sentence in your first paragraph is wrong.  A device drawing load on the wires does not reduce their load, it does not prevent them from heating up.  Actually, putting a 2 amp load on a pair of wires increases its load (by 2 amps) and causes it to heat up (by W=I2R or W=2*2*R watts, with R being its resistance in ohms). So a 0.1 ohm wire is now making 0.4 watts of heat when it wasn't before.

If it helps, recognize that some loads have electrical characteristics which naturally limit how much current they flow at a design voltage.  We supply them that designed constant-voltage, and they sip only the current they need.  For instance a resistive "1500W" heater will limit its draw to about 12 amps.

Not all loads have this ability.  Some loads cannot limit their current and will flow uncontrollable amounts of current if supplied a constant voltage.  A great example is a fluorescent tube, which is why fluorescents have ballasts.

However if some outside force limits how much current they can draw, then they behave in reasonable ways: the voltage that they "drop" (consume) at that current is reasonable, and produces useful work -- like light from the fluorescent tube or LED emitter. It's possible to build a constant-current power supply which will forcibly limit current to spec. This power supply need not be constant-current; it can be varying-current, the point is, it must limit current because the device it's attached to can't.

How do you hook up multiples of these?

For constant-voltage devices of the same working voltage, for instance a bunch of iPhone chargers that want 120VAC -- you supply them all spec voltage, and you hook them up in parallel.  Each device "sips" the current that it needs, and no more.  The power supply must push enough current to work all the devices.

For constant-current devices of the same working current, for instance several bare LED emitters that want 350 milliamps -- you supply them all spec current, and you hook them up in series.  Each device gets its design current (because everything in a series loop gets the same current), and each one "drops the voltage" it needs to function.  The power supply must push out enough voltage to work all the devices.

What happens if you take a constant-voltage device like a small heater, designed to run at 117V and which will tend to draw 350ma... and you put it in series with constant-current load (like an LED emitter with rectifier) that is designed to draw 350ma and drops typically 3 volts? That will work, actually.  The constant-voltage heater will act as a current-limiter for the LED, keeping the LED in spec at 350ma.

In mains power, you are dealing with devices designed to be constant-voltage, so you connect them in parallel.

Wire-nuts will flow unlimited amounts of current uncontrollably, so they simply do not work as constant-voltage devices.  They are better thought of as constant-current devices with very small voltage drop - like the LED in the LED-heater combo discussed above.  They must be in series with a current limiting device of some kind, like a constant-voltage appliance which is able to limit its current to within the spec of the wires.


TWO ORIGINAL SWITCHES - ONE three-way and one single cant figure out wiring for SAFE UPGRADE (I'll attach photos and a diagram)
I read through other posts on switch upgrades and learned a lot - thank you!
My switch upgrade seems similar, but slightly unique and I can't figure out correct wiring for the upgrade.

My single car garage has a main light (controlled by a three-way switch) -- and a single, smaller light  over the door into the house. Both switches are next to the door into the house and those are the switches I would like to upgrade to Lutron Dimmer switches (TGCL-153P).

Turned off breaker for the garage at panel. Removed switch wall-plate and unscrewed & pulled out switches.
I have three Cables coming into the box.

The three-way switch on the left controls main light.
Single switch on the right controls small light.

Trying to figure out what is going on in the box and which cable is my Line-In & my Load-Out...

I can see the two switches are daisy-chained together with the short black connecting wire going from the black (line in) terminal on the single switch to the common/dark screw on the three-way switch.

Can anyone help me sort this out?
Is my Line-In coming from cable #3 and powering the three-way switch first and then jumping power to the single switch?
Or is my Line-In the center Cable #2, powering the single switch first, jumping power to the three-way switch? Is Cable #1 just travelers - carrying switched power to the fixture?
...and if so, why is the White neutral in cable #1 tied to the Red in the center Cable #2?

Greatly appreciate any feedback and explanation/education and any suggestions for determining what wiring would be best on the new switches.

I am hesitant to just transfer over this set-up to the new switches without understanding it... or learning if there a better way?

Thanks again for any help.

enter image description here

updated diagram 7pm

updated diagram 7pm[EDITED MONDAY 05/25/2020 Updated DIAGRAM]
Thanks to @Harper - Reinstate Monica and @JACK, I have edited my diagram of what I currently have so that I can better understand how the wiring is set up.
I'm attaching the updated diagram - it includes the wiring that I see in/out of the two light-fixture boxes.

Each Light Fixture has a (2-wire + Ground) cable coming in and the (3-wire + Ground) cable going to the switches.

I think @Harper - Reinstate Monica said either Cable #2 or Cable #3 is bringing the hot feed, from before the the light fixture box, (and through the light fixture box) on it's black wire.

So, if I assume for a moment that the power is coming in (on 2-wire Cable "B") through the small fixture and down to the switch on Cable #3, I can trace the path of the black feed, and I see it comes in to the dark/common screw on the three-way switch, it daisy chains to get power to the single-pole switch, then continues out the other Cable (#2) and runs up through the main overhead light fixture box and continues downstream on 2-wire Cable "A" to power something else on the circuit (like a receptacle)...

So, the small light-fixture gets it's switched-hot from the red wire in Cable #3 and the Main Light-fixture gets it's switched hot from the red wire in Cable #2?
Is this a correct diagram and summary??

Lastly, if I have the diagram correct,
If I simply transfer over the wires to my new switches, do I just follow the same wiring pattern?
And, with regard to the three-way switch and single-pole switch -- rather than daisy chain, would it be wise to join the black wire from Cable #2 and Black wire from Cable #3 in a wire-nut and pigtail down to each switch?

Thanks again for checking my work and sorting out my understanding of this.

(updated diagram 7pm)

On cables 2 and 3, black and white are hot and neutral, respectively.

Each of cables 2 and 3 goes to a light.

Those 2 facts seem in contradiction to each other, but they're not.  Power comes in at one of the lights, through this switch, onward to the other light, and then onward to points beyond.

  which cable is my Line-In & my Load-Out...

It's not wired that way.  Line-in and Load-out are happening in the same cable.  Line-in is the black, and Load-out is the red.

Cable #1 is a 3-way "spur" to the other 3-way switch, which has only one cable interacting with it.  Red and black are travelers and I recommend you get yellow tape and re-mark them yellow on both ends.  White is the switched-hot for that lamp.  You MUST remark that some sort of suitable hot color on both ends.  I recommend red, since it's a switched-hot.

As far as installing any smart switches, you must install the smart switch "master" at this location.  The only thing that can go at the other end is a smart switch remote.


How to sand wood without flattening it I'd like to sand some wood planks on a rustic table to remove paint stains, but keep the rough wood structure (1-2 mm height difference). How can I do that?

Use sandpaper and your finger, or the edge/corner of a sanding block.

Though if you're just trying to remove paint I might first try using acetone or other solvent.


The rough openings for my doors are a just barely too small I'm ordering some prehung doors to replacing the doors in my home.  I tried to measure quite precisely and I found that several of my rough openings are a bit smaller than the sizes available.  For example, they are 31 3/4, 25 3/4, and 29 5/8 instead of 32", 26", and 30".  The manufacturer I'm using can't adjust the width.

The slabs are 30, 24, and 28", and various places on the internet suggest that the jamb are probably 3/4", so it seems like there should be room, but I'm still nervous.

How much work is it going to be to make doors and 32", 26", and 30" work?  Is it going to require a bunch of planing etc. ?

Generally the size specified is the "nominal" size. The actual size is a bit smaller.

If you ordered from a big-box store, measure an in-stock 32" door of the same brand across the outside of the jamb to see if it will actually fit within your 31 3/4" opening. My bet is that it will. If there is no in-stock version, ask the sales person for the actual dimensions. BTW- don't forget to check for height, too, just to be on the safe side.

You do want a little bit of wiggle room between the door jamb and the framing so you can get the door level, plumb and shimmed, but, so long as the existing opening is square, you can get away with minimal wiggle room.

If the opening's not square, you're going to have some work on your hands, or you're going to have to cancel this order and get smaller and/or custom doors.


How do you correctly use EMT conduit terminated into a female-threaded raintight hub atop a 3R outdoor panel? What is an NEC-accepted way of using EMT pipe with this female-threaded hub?
(The picture is an Eaton DS200H2 2" Rainproof Hub/Conduit/Plate to be used atop of a Eaton NEMA 3R BRP20B200R.)

In the comment I put 298rt it should be 2908rt I have used these with hubs in the past and passed inspection the lock nut is removed and the seal is left in place, the ones with straight threads seal on the ring the ones with tapered threads don’t make it to the ring but some of my inspectors will flag one without the ring.
although uncommon I have  used Myers hubs to emt connectors and after the inspector understood that I was adding the Myers hub for strength because of a TKO box he even allowed that (these will pull the tkos out over time with vibration).
This is where my experience in this matter is from I do not use emt for this in most cases I use rigid.
There is no other way to connect emt to a hub or coupling that I know of.


Framing a Wall with a Sloped Ceiling I'm building a new partition wall in a space where the existing ceiling is drywall attached to the sloped underside of studio-vault roof trusses. The new wall will be perpendicular to the trusses.

My question relates to the top plate: if I nail it directly to the trusses and angle-cut the tops of the studs, the faces of the top plate will not be flush with the faces of the studs, which will cause problems when installing the drywall.

What's the best way to handle this?

You need to cut your top plate pieces into parallelograms that match the angle of the ceiling. If you are framing the wall with 2x4’s then you’ll need 2x6’s to cut from, or maybe even larger, depending on the angle. A steeper ceiling will require a wider parallelogram.

You can cut these top plate pieces easiest with a table saw or with more effort a hand rip saw.


Which wood turns grey, and which turns black with time? There are types of wood that turn grey with time, and others that turn almost black. At least, unfinished wood changes color rather quickly.

The question is which turn grey, and which turn black?

It is to build a tiny house. Most Swiss chalets turn black with time and I wouldn't want that.

You don’t want to leave the wood unstained. When wood weathers “naturally”, it will be 1) uneven and 2) blotchy.

1) Siding under an overhang will remain its natural color while siding with direct exposure to the sun and elements will fade quickly.

2) Wood will fade and weather differently based on where each piece is cut from the tree.

Most paint manufacturers make a “weathering” stain. It helps all siding to quickly weather uniformly.

Wood should not be left untreated. Even wood siding near the ground will have water (and dirt) splash up on it and stain it.

BTW, we use Western Red Cedar, White Cedar, or Redwood for siding. You can order it with 3 sides surfaced and the face “rough-sawn”. It comes in shiplap, bevel, and board and batt.

Any wood left to the weather long enough, will eventually turn black without some protection (stain).


Water seeping from grout in tile shower I have water seeping from the grout where the wall of my shower meets the floor. (The tile is travertine, in case that's relevant).  In the picture below, the shower hasn't been used in over 24 hours, and the rest is completely dry, except for two other similar spots on the grout.

I first noticed this about a year ago.  I removed a large section of the old grout, and discovered a surprising (to me) amount of water, maybe 1/4" in the gap behind the grout.  I let that completely dry, then re-grouted and applied sealer.

A few months later it re-appeared.  Since then I've just been letting it dry and applying more sealer, but it is reappearing more and more frequently.  I can also see hairline cracks in the new grout already - I'm assuming this is where most of the water is getting in.

My thought is to tear out the grout in the floor-wall joint and replace it with caulk.  But I'm a bit concerned that if water still gets back there somehow, the caulk will seal it in and prevent me from noticing until it starts coming out somewhere worse.

Any advice on how I should deal with this?

Well this is working just like a travertine shower should.

Travertine is porous.  You can apply sealer but honestly unless the travertine was honed specifically to take sealer - which most residential tile is not - sealer may help a bit but in no way will seal your tile shut.  Trust me I have been there.

So water is getting into the tile and the grout probably and will travel the course that gravity tells it to.  It is perfectly normal to see water coming out of grout in a shower floor - especially on a porous stone.

So why could this be an issue:

You do not have proper backing behind the travertine.  Meaning you do not have some sort of concrete backer or waterproof membrane.  If you have drywall behind the travertine you would basically need to paint on the sealer every other week and that might not help.  I seriously doubt anyone installed travertine on drywall but you never know.  The only way you can tell is open up the wall behind it.  Even then you always install drywall+plastic+thin backerboard which works - but would make you think it was installed on drywall.
If the water is making it outside of the shower area from below.  You are on a slab which takes away 95% of the issues.  But you still don't want water spilling to the next room.  If the water is contained in the shower... well that is what the system is supposed to do.

A properly designed shower system isn't supposed to keep water from going in grout, it is supposed to last and keep water in the shower.  If it is doing those two things it is doing its job.

What should you do?

Look for water in surrounding rooms - you don't have to go all Mike Holmes here.  I would personally just point the shower at this wall maybe 3-4 times for 20 mins in one day.  Let it get really really wet.  And then see if that day or the next there are any moisture issues in the next room - you should be able to put your hand on the wall and feel this or pull up a bit of trim or carpet.  You do not need to open walls.
If you do find water you need to open walls though.  See what is behind the travertine.  It is usually at this point where you have to seal it from behind or figure it was made wrong and start over.
However the most likely scenario is you don't need to do anything at all and let the shower function.  I would not under any circumstance caulk the bottom.  You know the water is getting in the wall - why would you want to hold it at the bottom?  If you feel the need that you HAVE to caulk the bottom leave drainage gaps in the caulk.  I would personally not seal the travertine if I thought (and I would assume this until proven otherwise) there was proper waterproofing behind.  The reasoning is that with something like travertine you are never going to seal it perfectly.  So water will get in, but if sealed well the water may take much longer to leave/evaporate.  There is a good chance that you adding sealer already has caused more water at the floor because it is not evaporating and it can escape there.  Nothing to be alarmed about concerning past sealing - just telling you why you are getting the result you are.


How do I remove this window sash to replace the glass pane? I have watched a lot of videos on removing the pane and reglazing. It doesn't seem that hard. I'm stuck though on how to remove the sash. I have a video I made which goes over the entire window.

See the window in a video

Pretty sure the sash is stuck within the frame.

However, there might be glazing stops that you can gently pry off with a stiff putty knife. (This is hard, btw. Every one I've ever met has been thin and easy to mangle.)

If you get the stops off successfully, you can order a new thermal unit from a specialty place. (While you're there, show them the stops to see if they have new ones.) Install is pretty straightforward, though you'll be happier if you have a couple of suction cup grabbers.


Built-In Shelves/Bookcases - IKEA vs Built I come from a family that is not shy about woodworking, so I am not scared of building a carcass with dados for shelves, tacking on a face frame, then trimming it out; however, I would love to hear others' views on the advantages and disadvantages of these two popular methods.  Instead of the traditional build I just described, the many homeowners will take a pre-fab bookcase from IKEA ( IKEA Billy ) and trim them out to make them look custom.

Which method is considered more valuable to a home's value?
Which method is stronger?
Which method is easier to finish (paint or stain)?
Etc.

I plan on doing a series of these built-ins as my next DIY project, and the IKEA Billy method intrigues me.  It would so super fast, but I am wary of it.  The adjustable shelving with the pins makes me ponder them, but I am not sure how much they would really be used to adjust the height of the shelves.

I have experience with both.  I'll try to answer your bullets and then some other thoughts.

Which adds more to a home's value?  Well, typically bookcases don't add to the value because some people want them and some don't.  If you wanted to build them in, you're typically going to go custom with that and build it yourself.  The rigid dimensions for a pre-made bookcase will normally not allow it to look truly built in.  Also the particle-board-covered-with-paper finish is not going to look good in the long run and could actually detract from the home value because of the cheapness.

However...  I have used the more modular Bestä system to make a built in TV entertainment area that looked very custom and fit the area well.  The reason this worked better is that the "lower quality" IKEA frames were mostly hidden by doors that have better materials and finishes.  I wouldn't have ever built in a Billy.

Which method is stronger?  This is going to largely come down to your building skills and materials, but custom can be stronger.  However, Billy bookcases when properly assembled will be strong enough for their purpose.  Any weakness will only show when it's time to move the bookcase.  They don't hold up to twisting and racking forces as well because they are not glued and only use a few locking fasteners.  They are great for sitting in the corner and holding things tho!

Which is easier to paint or stain? Custom is going to take the lead here for sure.  IKEA uses a particle board covered with a paper-based finish.  This can't be sanded or easily repaired if scratched, nicked or drilled.  It's designed for you to leave it the color it was made, and they do come in a variety of colors.  I'd worry about adhesion issues and what happens to the paper finish when it gets wet (if using water-based paints) and it can't be stained because it's not wood.  There are a few solid wood items that IKEA makes, so none of this applies to them.  They are just wood and you can do whatever you want.

So, you say specifically you want a built-in project.  Unless this is a very low cost home I wouldn't consider Billy bookcases.  They can't be easily painted and can't be easily repaired (like if a shelf peg breaks out).  They just are not intended to be that type of furniture.

As far as stand-alone shelves go - they are great and I've found that you typically can't build your own for less money.  What you pay for lumber and hardware/fasteners might be a little less expensive, but not by much.  You'll end up with a nicer custom product in the end, but not cheaper.


Problem with GU10 LED bulbs tripping out power I have had some re-plastering and re-decorating work done in my kitchen. I had a new light fixture installed which takes 6 GU10 type bulbs. When the light fixture was first installed I placed 6 LED bulbs into it. The bulbs are Aurora branded and consume 7W of power each.

When I switch on the light it trips out the power on the Residual Current Detector (RCD) in my house.  We assumed the problem was with the old wiring - perhaps it got damaged when the work was being done.  So we ran a new wire to the fixture from a new light switch.

The power still tripped out. Next we assumed the light fitting itself was faulty, so we returned it and got another.

Still the power trips out.

Then I thought it might be the LED bulbs, so I swapped them out for the 6 Halogen bulbs that came for free with the fixture - it works perfectly!

So the problem seems to be with the LEDs, but how can LED bulbs cause electrical problems?  I paid £10 per bulb so wouldn't expect them to behave this way.

The LEDs do not light up (ie conduct) for a brief time after switch on. During that time there is current in the Live wire but not in the Neutral. The rcd reacts to this imbalance  (residual current)  by breaking the circuit.
Neither the rcd nor the LED lighting system is faulty.


Three way light switches in a tower Talking with an electrician some time back when the house was being remodeled we were discussing the virtues of the remote control of lights.  He had boasted that while the technology is neat, there are some things that just don't work well unless you wire them traditionally.

The example that he had used was a light house.  On the ground level, you flipped the switch, and the light at that level and one floor higher in the stairs went on. When you got to the second floor and flipped the switch there, the light on the ground floor went off, and the light on the third floor went on. And so on and so forth up the tower - each flip of the light switch turned on the light above and turned off the light below as you went up.  When you went down, throwing the switch would turn off the light on the floor above, and turn on the light on the floor below.

Now, I could probably do it in today's world by spending a boatload on hue taps and lights (it wasn't feasible at all in the x10 days - and I don't think that technology would work at all), but the classical approach still eludes me.

So, how does the wiring that the electrician work? What is the arrangement of switches that facilitates this?

As Wolf says, a combination of SPDT and DPDT switches. One switch on each floor, top and bottom are SPDT, all others are DPDT. The number of switches is one more than the number of lights. Here are a couple of ways to wire it:

The left diagram shows the sane way. Blue is the neutral leg.

The right diagram shows how to use the Carter three-way pattern to save copper. I think this is now banned throughout the civilized world because sometimes when a lamp is off it is hot on the shell side. It requires turning off the entire circuit at the service panel to safely change a light bulb.

EDIT 2/4/16: The actual requirement is for two lamps to be controlled by each switch. I think that the stairway should be usable serially in the same direction (the accepted answer only allows descent after ascent). Here are a couple of ways to wire it:

The left diagram shows the safe way. Blue is the neutral leg.

Note that, except for the lowest and highest floors, it is not possible to control a lamp on the same floor as the switch. I'm sure this can be done with an additional switch on each floor. However the instructions for using the switches will become too confusing for most users. And I am drifting away from the core subject of this SE.

The right diagram shows the functionality of the left diagram, implemented in the Carter system. Note the remarkably reduced number of wires and switch contacts. Remember, this method is very dangerous. You might get electrocuted maintaining it, you might lose your license for building it, and you might get downvoted just talking about it.

This pattern, and other too-clever circuit solutions, often find application in low-voltage, signalling, and railroad block controls. It is not used in residential structures, which are typically required not to kill their occupants.


Removing Carpet Glue I installed outdoor carpet on my porch.  The glue bled through in spots.  What can I use to remove the spots from the carpet?

Roberts 8000 concentrated stripper is suggested by mfg for glue removal. The roberts adhesive you used is a solvent free adhesive so best to use what they recommend. This a concentrated latex adhesive remover so you will want to probably apply it to a cloth and work the spots to remove the stains. Non VOC and enviromentaly according to the documentation.


Safest way to mount Bench Grinder I have very little room to work with and have decided some things I am going to end up sticking where there is room, but would it be any less safe, if suppose I wanted it on a stand alone platform that I've cemented the mount to a reasonable depth, instead of an actual "bench"? I don't see why it would matter but again I don't see a lot things that are common sense to others. Thanks in advance.

Often seen grinders mounted on a pedestal, as long as they don’t move it gives more access for odd shaped work pieces.


Individual conduits for each phase to reduce amount of stud being drilled I'm trying to do some improvements on an existing structure that leaves me little room for maneuvering. I'll break it down as simply as possible. I have two large PVC junction boxes (completely nonmetallic) separated by a standard 2x4 stud. It's a total distance of 4 inches. I need to get 120/240 200A from one junction box to another. That's two 3/0 THWN-2 (ungrounded), one 2/0 THWN-2 (grounded), and one 2AWG THWN-2 (grounding).

I really don't want to put a 2-inch conduit between the boxes. That requires drilling a hole 2 1/2 inches in the stud, leaving only 1/2 of stud on either side. Basically, there's no stud left there (and it's a load-bearing wall).

I had a thought that I could run four 3/4" 4-inch-long PVC conduits (completely nonmetallic) tightly grouped together (just a few millimeters from each other) from one junction box, through the stud, to the other junction box and put one conductor in each conduit. Electrically, this should work perfectly. As there are no metallic components anywhere in the boxes or conduit, there should be no inducted voltages or inductive heating. But there's electrical theory, and then there's the code.

In general, the code would seem to prohibit this. I think I may have found something in the code that will support it, but it's not very clear, and I could use some help interpreting. First there's this:

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

300.3(B)(1) is only for parallel installations and doesn't apply. 300.3(B)(2) is only for grounding and bonding conductors and doesn't apply. 300.3(B)(4) is a special rule for enclosures, pull boxes, and neutrals, and doesn't apply.

But 300.3(B)(3) is interesting, and may provide me the out I need. Maybe.

  300.3(B)(3) Nonferrous Wiring Methods. Conductors in wiring methods with a nonmetallic or other nonmagnetic sheath, where run in different raceways, auxiliary gutters, cable trays, trenches, cables, or cords, shall comply with the provisions of 300.20(B). Conductors in single-conductor Type MI cable with a nonmagnetic sheath shall comply with the provisions of 332.31. Conductors of single-conductor Type MC cable with a nonmagnetic sheath shall comply with the provisions of 330.31, 330.116, and 300.20(B).

This isn't Type MI or Type MC, so the last two sentences don't apply. But the first sentence seems to leave things wide-open as long as everything is nonmetallic. It doesn't read very well, but it seems to say that the conductors can be in separate conduits as long as everything is nonmetallic. It's restricted by 300.20(B), but that doesn't seem to hinder me any:

  300.20(B) Individual conductors. Where a single conductor carrying alternating current passes through metal with magnetic properties, the inductive effect shall be minimized by (1) cutting slots in the metal between the individual holes through with the individual conductors pass or (2) passing all the conductors in the circuit through an insulating wall sufficiently large for all of the conductors of the circuit.

Since everything here is non-metallic, I would be in compliance with 300.20(B). So everything here hinges on the reading of the first sentence of 300.3(B)(3). 300.3(B)(3) is listed as an exception to the requirement in 300.3(B) that all conductors be in the same conduit, and the first sentence of 300.3(B)(3) appears to permit my proposed solution, and my proposed solution complies with 300.20(B) since it never passes through anything metal.

Thoughts? Again, we're talking about 4 inches of conduit here, and I'm struggling to comply with both the electric code and the building code (can't structurally compromise the load-bearing wall).

You don't need to make your single conduit nipple that fat

A 2" nominal nipple is overkill here -- a 1.25" nominal Schedule 40 PVC nipple provides 561mm2 of usable fill since the 60% nipple fill rule (NEC Chapter 9, Note 4) applies to your circumstance as your nipple is far shorter than the 24" limit on this rule, while your four conductors add up to just under 533mm2 of area using Table 5 dimensions for the THHNs and a bare 2AWG copper wire for the ground (this saves a bit on fill compared to using an insulated THHN for the ground wire).

Given that the OD of 1.25" nominal schedule 40 PVC is 1.66" as per Cresline's specifications, this fits within the 2.1" maximum bore allowed for a doubled load-bearing 2x4 (3.5" wide) stud by the 60% rule in IRC R602.6.  If doubling the stud is not an option, then the alternative is to use a high-strength (tensile capable/wraparound) stud shoe such as a Simpson HSS2-SDS1.5 with the full complement of specified fasteners to reinforce the bored area.

If you want to use RMC instead

If, for one reason or another, you want to use RMC or EMT with bonding bushings instead of PVC here, a 1.25" nipple will suffice as well, given that you only need a bit under 500mm2 of fill as the nipple becomes the grounding conductor in that case, whereas a RMC or EMT nipple provides over 590mm2.


What is the purpose of the twin single pole breaker? I just moved into a rental property and was doing some electrical work such as replacing ceiling fans and outlets (reimbursed of course).  When working with the breaker box, I encountered breakers I have not worked with before and frankly seem dangerous.  As in, you can have to flip both half switches before the breaker is off.  That and there seem to arbitrarily be white plastic clips place thru out to help turn both off at the same time.  Honestly, most just seem to be missing with age.

I have yet to remove one from the panel, but so far I cannot find them online to see what they are.  I'm under the impression the house was built in 92', but already I've been finding what I believe to be electrical violations, even for 92', every time I pull off a wall plate or fixture.

What are these breakers and should they be replace?

Also, a well pump is positioned between two breakers.  This really feels like someone was cutting corners too. That and whom ever label the panel put GFI #1 and GFI #2, which went to the bathrooms that had nothing close to GFI (Just cheap 50¢ outlets).  Needless to say those have been changed out.

Some things don't need common trip, they just common maintenance shut off. A 2 pole breaker provides both these things but not everything needs that.

The white things are called handle ties. You wouldn't expect to find them on every breaker, just the ones that need common maintenance shut off.

The two Breakers in one space are exactly what it says on the tin. They are separate Breakers with separate trip. I have never seen double stuff Breakers with handle ties, but if the manufacturer supports it then okay.

One thing that does need common trip is the pump. That should not be on a double stuff with handle tie. That should be on a 2 pole breaker. Now they do make quadplex Breakers which are two double-stuffs with a proper two-pole breaker in the middle; all that will fit into 2 spaces. That is what they should have used in that location.

I certainly hope that you tested the bathroom receptacles to see if they already had GFCI protection before installing a GFCI receptacle for no reason. Putting a GFCI on a GFCI is a waste of money. None of the breakers in that panel are GFCI Breakers, in fact there's no such thing as a GFCI double stuff.


Can I safely remove/reattach the back of a fitted wardrobe? I've recently gotten a new flat, and the second room has fitted wardrobes along one wall (e.g second picture). I would like to put a TV and playstation in one of these as I don't need the storage space. However, the only accessible plugs are on the opposite wall of the room.

Along the opposite side-with the wardrobes- I do not know, but I suspect there could be a mains socket or several behind the wardrobes somewhere.

I would like to unscrew a fitted wardrobe from the wall (two screws along the top, below) to check for a plug, and if it is there, I will make a small hole in the back panel for mains access.

Can/Should I do this, would it be safe and will I be able to screw the wardrobe back into the wall (i.e through original holes)?

Alternatively, if you have a better suggestion for what I could do, I'm all ears.

It is probably safe, but I don't believe that you need to remove the screws. If you loosen the left screw on the L-bracket (the screw into the wall), it appears that the smaller piece with the keyhole will slide up.

Before I moved anything, I would take a step-stool, a flashlight, and a mirror, and see if I could see down the crack in the back. Maybe you can see where the outlet(s) are.

You might want to remove the doors before you move them. It will make them lighter and also less likely to damage something.

Finally, someone more familiar with the electrical code will need to help to decide how big the hole needs to be. It will probably depend on whether the wardrobes are considered to be "built-in" or if they are freestanding furniture that are screwed to the wall for safety. If they are considered to be built-in, recessing is often not allowed. Please add your country tag.


how much damage does window condensation cause We recently replaced about 2/3 of our windows with reasonable Anderson ones (vinyl covered wood). We're in Chicago, and I try to keep the humidity around 40-45% during the winter for comfort. I generally get very little / no condensation on the new windows, and a touch on the old ones. With temps dipping into the -20s F this week in Chicago, I'm wondering if I should drop the humidity level in the house to not have the windows freezing over. The new windows are definitely picking up a pretty significant amount of condensation, and I'm concerned about damage.

Question: will a day or two of heavier condensation cause any permanent damage?

The critical point here is that your interior humidity level should be based on the outside temperature. At zero Fahrenheit you should be down around 25% inside, or maybe lower.

That said, it's difficult to eliminate all window condensation while surviving as a human. Weather can change abruptly, and it's difficult to get your house to keep up.

When things get very wet I'll go around and wipe up the liquid water each morning before it starts puddling. Wood damage occurs fairly easily. A bit of fog isn't a big deal.


How to tell if light switch box is grounded I'm attempting to install a smart light switch in an existing light switch box. There's isn't a ground wire I can see, nor does my voltage detector light up when I touch one end to hot and the other to the box. My outlets are all grounded, so could it be that my light switch box is not? This condo was built in 2004 in the Chicago area, so I imagine a ground of some kind must exist.

You have metal conduit connecting metal junction boxes.

All of it is ground.  The conduit, the boxes, all of it.  This is the ideal system.

Switches ground through the yokes and mounting screws. They don't need ground wires.

Receptacles are not allowed to do that unless they yoke has hard clean flush metal-metal contact with the box, and yours won't because the box is painted.  However, in the back of the junction box will be a hole that is tapped #10-32 for a ground screw.  Any #10-32 screw will do, but they sell little green ones very cheap.  Then you can just run a recep ground to the green screw.


How should I treat and store an unused water heater to protect it? We have turned off one of our gas water heaters because we simply have low demand. What we wonder about is how to treat the mothballed heater? Should we leave the water in it? switch between water heaters monthly or at all?   What problems with the water itself will occur if we do not use a water heater?

What is the best scheme to keep the unused heater in good shape so as to be a replacement should the other heater fail?
Thanks for  your help,
E. Underwood

I would be 100% sure that the power is disconnected (or the gas supply and controls are turned off), then drain it completely. Water heaters should be drained annually anyway to purge sediment, so this won't hurt a thing.

Take precautions to be sure that power won't be reconnected until the heater is completely full of water to avoid damage to heating elements.


Pex Pipe Freezing & Tankless Hot Water Heater Too I have Pex pipes.  My issue is freezing pipes and tankless hot water heater on the north side of my house (built in 2009) where my master bath is (the tankless is on the outside of the house on that north wall).  The house is 2-story.

The builder unfortunately ran the Pex in the attic and they sit about a foot from my continuous soffits, so cold air blows in there all the time in the winter.  I'm stuck with it being where it is, so I don't need comments about it being in the wrong place.  Also, my toilet lines in my Master Bath run on the north wall.

I'm in Texas, but when the temps gets in the teens, my pex lines coming into the toilet always freeze.  I trickle water in the sinks/tub and they are fine (but only if I trickle water).  Also, if it is in the teens for 2 or 3 days, my tankless water heater gets frozen (the lines into the tankless freeze; although this last time it froze on up into the unit).

I have had holes drilled in my brick on that wall to blow in foam insulation in the walls on top of regular insulation.  Didn't help.

I've had foam insulation things put around the Pex in the attic.  Didn't help.

I have had a company blow in a ton of loose insulation over the Pex in the attic...didn't help (but I think the wind blows it back off).

Bottom line, the pex continues to freeze and I can only surmise it is because of them being in the attic in the location they are in.  I can't move them.  I've never had the pipes burst, but eventually, I'm afraid they will - I would image pex can only freeze/thaw so many times. I don't like being without a toilet during cold snaps, and having my tankless freeze is costly.  (It cost be $475 the last time I had a plumber out to thaw it out, but it could be even more costly if I didn't get it thawed).  Builder will NOT help.

Looking for suggestions to keep the pex from freezing in the attic, as that might solve the freezing pipes to the toilet and even possibly solve the frozen lines to the tankless.

To prevent freezing of the PEX water lines in the attic I think you should consider covering them with a cover that would allow them to be kept warm from the space heating of the house. Insulation over this cover would prevent heat escaping into the attic. The cover would go all the way to the attic side of the ceiling and insulation would be removed from under the cover to that heat flow from inside the house can keep the pipes warm.

You report that putting foam tubing over the PEX lines did not work. The next thing to try would be electric heating tape, but covering the lines would seem to be a more permanent solution. I have never heard of covering of the water lines being done, but I have never heard of freezing of plumbing on the scale that is occurring in your house.


115V to 230V converter In the US some air conditioners require 230V outlets. My apartment only has 115V outlets. Is there a way to convert 115V to 230V so AC can run without loss in cooling power?

It is in principle possible to run a 240V load off a 120V supply using a transformer.

However you must understand that transformers can trade off voltage for current but they can't magic power out of thin air. The feed supplying the transformer must cover both the power requirements of the load and the losses in the transformer. Power is proportional to voltage times current (if the power factor was 1 it would be equal to voltage times current).

In other words if a transformer is converting 120V to 240V then the input current will be more than double the output current.

The problem you will run into is if an air conditioner designed for the US market requires 240V then it probablly requires more power than can be supplied by a normal domestic socket.

  I am looking at this unit  https://www.amazon.com/Frigidaire-FFRH2522R2-Window-Mounted-Room-Conditioner/dp/B00VV2JORQ/ref=sr_1_10?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1525402023&sr=1-10&keywords=16000+btu
   https://www.frigidaire.com/Owner-Center/Product-Support--Manuals/?productCode=FFRH2522R2

https://www.frigidaire.com/Owner-Center/Product-Support--Manuals/?productCode=FFRH2522R2 claims that unit takes 11.3 amps, double that and add some overhead for the transformer and you would be looking at around 25 amps from your 120V supply. Regular domestic sockets in the USA are rated at at best 20A and more commonly 15A. Furthremore those are only intermittant ratings.

Sorry but you either need to find a smaller AC unit that will run off a normal doestic socket or you need to get an electrian in.


New replacement windows: what happens when I change thickness of exterior siding? Can I order/do they sell windows that can accommodate changing the wall thickness at a later date?

I want to replace some windows in my house, but - at some later point - I also want to re-side the exterior.  Right now, the house has vinyl over 1" rigid, and I plan to do cedar shakes over 2" rigid. Will I accommodate the windows simply by installing a deeper sill and trim on the exterior?  Or do I have to remove the window, install my rigid, install a new nailing flange on the window, and then add a deeper stool and trim on the interior?  Is there a particular type of replacement window I need to order?  If so, what's the terminology for this type(s) of window?

Yes, I'm quite aware that the easiest thing to do would be to do the siding and the windows at the same time, but that's not an option for my house right now.

You don't need to move your windows. What you do need to do is be sure to maintain a proper drain plane. Flashing tape, metal flashings, a deeper sill, and caulk (the latter used sparingly) should handle the situation if done well.

It's a bit difficult to say more without specifics. Post a photo if you like.


Is this patch panel used for phone, security, or data? I just moved into a townhouse. Each bedroom has a CAT5e panel on the wall. I've went up in the attic and I can see the blue ethernet cables running from each bedroom to a central location right above the utility closet, so I'm assuming that the cables I see coming into the utility closet panel are the ones that I see in the attic. Furthermore, whoever set up the panel in the utility closet labeled each wire with the corresponding room.

Here's my confusion: There's a patch panel in the utility closet, but it doesn't have any sort of plug-in for me to plug in my router. Furthermore, the box that the patch panel is installed in has a sticker on it that says "Honeywell security panel". And finally, the ethernet cables are all spliced together. Some have the blue and blue/white twisted pair spliced together with another cable from another room. Is that standard practice for using the ethernet for telephone?

The patch panel has 6 outbound panels and 1 panel labled "input", but the input panel is already used and has a cable going up and out of the box and into the wall. You guys think this has something to do with the security panel or is this just a weird ethernet installation? Seems to me that if they intended on this beign hooked up to a switch/router it would have a RJ-45 input port.

CAT5e wiring is now commonly used for voice lines, since it's basically the same price and you can run multiple lines over the same cable if you want. All the wiring you've shown is only for voice, not data. If you want to repurpose the cables for data you will need to cut and re-patch the cables to RJ-45 connectors on both ends (in the closet and in rooms).