Basic instructions for building a cabinet? I've been asked to make a cabinet, (basically a box with doors). It will be 3 1/2' long x 4'high (2-2'sections)x 2' deep. I have 12" boards planed down to 3/4" width.

What is the best way to join them? There will be a centered inside shelf and two sets of doors (upper section and lower section).

I'm having trouble getting started because I don't have a plan. It's hard for me to work without one.

This isn't an answer, I just have a feeling I'll run up against the character limit for comments. What kind of wood do you have? How will it be finished? What is the basic construction style desired, face frame or Euro? What hinge hardware do you have or want? Is there backing? Solid wood or plywood? What wood working tools do you have available? Are you willing to acquire or rent what you need, within reason? Where will this be used, garage, bedroom, living room? Each implies a different quality of cabinetry. Is it wall mounted or floor standing? How much time are you willing to put in to this? What is you general skill level in woodworking?

You can see there's a lot of factors to consider for an ideal design. You don't really need to answer all of these, but the more you can communicate your expectations, the better an answer you will get. In reality you could end up just screwing together some basic butt joints and have a serviceable box, but it will not exude an aura of quality woodworking. Or it could be a literal work of art. Something in between probably, but where?

Hard to work without plans? How about hard to answer without information? :)


Can you mount a plastic junction box to metal studs? Inspired by this answer

  Forget about plastic boxes, they are a wild misfit. They are generally kitted up to nail to wood joists. Can't nail to a steel joist.

For a standard "new work" box, I expect this is largely true. They expect to be nailed and come with regular wood nails to do the job. But the question has this image (cropped to show the box in question)

That appears to be a plastic box with a metal bracket side clamp (example). In addition, there's boxes with a plastic side-tab

Can junction boxes with side tabs/brackets be used in conjunction with metal studs, or must the junction boxes be metal as well?

You usually see wood framing with plastic electrical boxes and nonmetallic cable in residential construction, and metal framing with metal boxes in commercial construction.  However there's nothing that specifically prohibits the combination of metal framing and plastic boxes.
NEC* article 314.23(B) addresses how boxes are mounted, and there's nothing in there that would prohibit you from mounting a plastic box to a metal stud.

B)  Structural Mounting.  An enclosure supported from a structural  member  of  a  building  or  from  grade  shall  be rigidly supported either directly or by using a metal, poly-meric, or wood brace.
(1)  Nails  and  Screws.  Nails  and  screws,  where  used  as  a fastening  means,  shall  be  attached  by  using  brackets  on  the outside of the enclosure, or they shall pass through the interior within  6  mm  (1⁄4in.)  of  the  back  or  ends  of  the  enclosure.  Screws shall not be permitted to pass through the box unless exposed  threads  in  the  box  are  protected  using  approved means to avoid abrasion of conductor insulation.

There are NEC rules restricting the use of armored cable with plastic boxes, but if you are using nonmetallic cable (type NM B, such as Romex) and following the NEC rules for running NM in metal framing, that could be compliant.
Like other electrical equipment / materials, the box has to be used according to its listing - that is, you have to follow the manufacturer's instructions, specifications, and restrictions - and the listing may restrict the use of the plastic box in certain fire rated walls, etc.  But that's not necessarily going to rule out plastic boxes with metal framing.
*The National Electrical Code (NEC) applies to most electrical installations in the US.


How to get this finish on a ceiling? The ceiling in this image is very typical of houses built in the 90s in the UK. Wondering if this type of finish is still available and what it would be called? I'm guessing its a kind of wallpaper that was put over the ceiling boards.

It also has a flat border around the edges next to the coving, any idea how to achieve that kind of finish?

This is done with a special roller and common plaster/mud.  It's just sort of hackle-dackle spackled on there, really amazingly cheap.

The purpose is to roughen the surface to conceal lack of parallelness in the ceiling panels, drywall taping lines, hole patches, and other surface defects.


Safe/ less damaging way or method to attach/ screw these wall hook fixtures for easier future removal? So I've got 2 (small 4 hook) + 1 (Long 6 hook)  of these collapsing hook fixtures (each has 2/3 holes for screws) as shown in pictures. I've tried to label the surrounding things as well as I can.

This is currently at my family's home where I needed some functional modifications in my current room.

Problem is I may end up changing rooms in few months or move to a separate apartment and would like to have these fixtures wherever I end up staying for longer.

Also, these were the last few pieces in stock and are not being manufactured anymore and I didn't like any others after lot of hours of physical leg work during market search (in humid Asia).

I'll either have to buy or borrow some tools or ask someone to help me do this.

So I'd like to attach/ screw in these fixtures with following in mind:

Least damage to fixture & wall during attachment
Easy remove ability with minimal damage to both during detachment
Easy cleanup, filling of holes etc once done

The construction is concrete columns & beams & walls are mostly brick, so I'm not sure what's behind the surface in each of the above variations/ scenario.

So is there a way or method or "dos & donts"  from experienced folks/ experts for someone who is a newbie to DIY stuff, at ones family's home.

PS: Any tips on whether placement looks better in line with top of frame or slightly moved below the line of the wood frames

I can't think of a good way to solve your problem with your existing hooks that meet all of your requirements. Instead you should use 3M Command Hooks. They are removable and stick really well, and for your door you can attach as many as you need of them in a row.

Save your existing hooks for when you eventually move out.


Do I bond ground and neutral for a feed from a disconnect? I have a detached garage that has a 3 wire feed, powered from a separate 100amp disconnect from the main panel. Originally the old box had the ground and neutrals together on the same bar.  I discovered this upon installing a new box and assumed it was wired wrong due to everything I've read about sub panels and how they shouldn't be bonded.

Upon further research I have seen others say that since my sub panel isn't connected to my main panel in the house, that my sub should have ground and neutral bonded. I'm without power for 3 days now.

Since it's a subpanel, neutral and ground should be put on separate bars.  That's always the case.

If you are certain you have an ungrounded 3-wire feed, then you can jumper neutral and ground at the panel.  However you should be prepared to easily remove that jumper.

Not all grounds are wires. Metal conduit is a grounding path.

As soon as feasible, run a ground wire.  It doesn't need to be in the same cable or route as the feed.  If it's conduit, it can be fished with some difficulty. It also doesn't need to enter the house, if the house has a ground rod, it can go there instead.   As soon as you have retrofitted, remove the neutral-ground jumper.

Remember the detached outbuilding also needs its own ground rod.


Enclosure for whole house water filter I plan to install a whole house water filter system. I will buy the cartridges separately and have a plumber hook it up. I don't want to trench from one end of the house to the other to put them on the garage wall, so I plan to just have it installed outside in the bushes where the water line comes in from the street.

I will have 3 cylinder cartridges that are about 7" diameter and 24" tall.

For reference, 3 of these: http://www.purewaterproducts.com/whole-house-filters-compact (Style C + Style B). One particulate filter + 2 carbon filters in parallel.

Any ideas on enclosures I can use to protect them from the weather?

So if I understood you correctly then you want to dig in the ground, raise the water pipe to a filter, then back down into the ground?

I have to say that doesn't seem like a good idea to me. If I were doing this I would just cut a pipe in the basement and put the filter there. In particular I would cut just the pipe going to the kitchen, and not the whole house.

But if you really want too...

For the enclosure use double layer (4 inches) extruded foam sheets including on the ground! Then cover them in some exterior-grade plywood on the outside to protect from damage.

i.e. build a plywood box without beams/poles inside it (put them on the outside), then glue the foam sheets to the inside. Lay some plastic on the ground with small holes for the pipe, tape the plastic to the pipe, then foam sheets on top of that, and put the whole plywood box on top of it.

You'll probably need a 3rd hole for some sort of support to hold the filters.

I would suggest you wrap the pipe first in electrical heating tape (they sell it to protect pipes from freezing, it's what you want) then in waterproof (i.e. closed cell) foam rated for underground use several inches think and bury it.

Taxes is rather large - if you happen to live in a place that doesn't get very cold then this might not be necessary. I checked and record low in taxes was -23F, but that's probably not where you live.


Is it normal to install (pvc) decking like hardwood flooring? Forgive me I'm a newb.

We have become the proud owners of a new deck. One of the features that we thought was great was that the boards are installed fairly snugly and diagonally nailed into joists like hardwood flooring. However, I'm used to seeing decking installed with screws nailed into joists from the top.

Is the method my contractor chose normal? Will boards be popping up on me in the years ahead?

Edit
I'll add that there is some spacing between boards, just not as much as I am used to seeing. Maybe on the order of a 1/8 inch spacing.

Edit 2: Turns out that this product is PVC plastic, and uses a HIDfast hidden fastening system Fastener System,  Azek decking product installation videos.  The product is also tongue and groove.  Sounds like the contractor did a good job.

I would not build a deck that way for a couple of reasons.
First, decks should have some space between the boards for drainage.  Otherwise water pools, accelerates rotting of the wood and makes the deck slippery.
Second is expansion.  Given that outdoor boards are alternately soaked and baked, there is significant shrinking and expanding of the boards (another reason for gaps).  That will be most pronounced in the width of the board versus the thickness. As the board expands it pulls out the nail.  If the nail is pounded into the edge it will pull out more since there is more expansion in that direction compared to a vertical nail.
Screws don't pull out at all, and that's their principle advantage and why I always screw down deckboards. Nails are preferred by many, but I haven't seen them nailed into the edge, and I think it's for good reason.
Edit: if it's a composite as others have suggested, everything I just wrote is a waste of pixels.  Unread it.


What tool is used for this tight plumbing situation? Our tub drain is severely plugged. Cannot get a snake down into it.  Our crawlspace is only about 18" tall (WHY?!?), and due to both the confined space and the angle we cannot leverage the wrench in position to loosen the  clean-out plug.  In addition, the clean-out plug is VERY tight.  What is the ideal tool for flexibility, strength and leverage in this confined situation?

If you haven't already, the cross-hatched drain cover in the tub can be removed with this wrench, called a bath tub drain wrench (or similar):

There should only be plumbers putty underneath it, so it will be hard to turn at first, but then quickly becomes quite easy.

Once that is out of the way, running a small drain snake down the drain is comparatively easy.  There is probably no need for you to go under the floor.


How to fasten one pipe to another under sink See attached picture. I have a pipe that is inserted into an expanded pipe. Problem is, sometimes the expanded pipe slips down, spraying water everywhere. How would I go about keeping the expanded pipe held up?

Both the pipe connections on the vertical pipe run in your picture (the one with the nut and the threaded one which is missing the nut) are designed as slip-joint connections. They utilize a rubber or plastic slip-joint washer that squeezes down on the inserted pipe when the slip-joint nut is tightened.

The assembly coming down from the sink is called a pop-up drain assembly and it has a 1 1/4" tailpiece pipe that you cannot see in your picture because it is inserted entirely into the 1 1/2" slip-joint extension which, by the way, is the piece that is missing its slip-joint nut).

You will need to get a couple parts from the plumbing shop: (1) 1 1/2" x 1 1/4" slip-joint nut; and (1) 1 1/2" x 1 1/4" slip-joint washer (rubber or plastic, don't matter)

Then you need to do exactly this:

remove the trap u-bend at the bottom
remove the 1 1/2" slip-joint extension and cut it down 1"
slide an 1 1/2" x 1 1/4" slip-joint nut up onto the 1 1/4" tailpiece, followed by an 1 1/2" x 1 1/4" slip joint washer
slide the (now 1" shorter) 1 1/2" slip-joint extension up onto the 1 1/4" tailpiece and hand tighten the nut and washer, from the previous step, to the threaded top of it
slide the trap u-bend back up into place
wiggle everything about until it's straight and clean
tighten all slip-joint nuts with a wrench, not too tight but more than hand-tight.

It should look something like this when you are done:


Heat radiators not all working I am new to this place and looking for help. Just feel that I wanna try to fix my heat system by myself rather than waiting for (really sucking) pes&g guys.

Repairmen came days ago and was bleeding the system. Now the radiators on the 2nd floor is warm, but the ones on the 3rd floor are not. I tried to bleed at one of the radiators on 3rd, water came out, it turned warm for a while but again became cold very soon. When I check in the basement, one of the pipes on the top-left corner of the picture is hot, the other is not (as marked in the pic)

FYI,

That is a brief look at the heating system (boilers and pipes) in the basement. On the top-left corner there are 2 pipes which, I believe, come into 2nd and 3rd floor of my apartment. No other valves are found. The pressure meter is provided because I want to know whether that is too low pressure.

Any idea why this is happening and how I should solve that?

Judging from your pressure gauge your system pressure is far to low. You want the system to operate between 15 and 20psi. You need to make sure the pressure reducing valve is operating correctly and adding water/pressure to the system. Also make sure there is no valve closed going to the boiler fill line and pressure reducing valve. Some systems will just have a regular valve and it is up to you to add the right pressure to the system and then close the fill valve once complete.

You will also have to bleed any air from the system. You will need to have the system fill as you bleed it or else you will just remove more and more pressure instead of purging air.

If you can purge all the air and have the system fill back to 15psi your issues should go away. You will have to bleed out every radiator in the system to properly purge it.


How to prevent vermin from entering garage via space under garage door? I found mouse or rat dropping in the garage in our 'new' house. I cleaned it up thinking that maybe it was old.

The other day I saw more droppings.

The garage door faces the back alley where our trash cans are. There is about an inch or two of a gap between the floor and the bottom of the garage door.

How do I seal this space to prevent vermin from entering the garage?

Note: the garage door swings up it does not roll up.

Install weatherstripping on bottom of garage door. From the pics, I can't tell if the garage door rolls up or swings to open.

If the door rolls up, the weatherstripping can be installed on the very bottom of the door. Weatherstripping comes in various shapes and thicknesses. Filling a 1 1/2" to 2" gap seems excessive, but possible.

If the door swings, then the weatherstripping will rub on the floor so you need a threshold mounted on the floor and directly under the garage door. Then you can install weatherstripping on the door and have it "reach down and touch" the threshold. So, when you swing open the door, the weatherstripping will "come off" the threshold and not touch the slab.

Remember, those vermin can squeeze through a very tiny hole, COMPLETELY fill the gap.


Code compliance with 120/240v outlet I am updating the electrical in my garage. Right now, it has two GFCI 120v outlets, one on the outdoor outlets circuit and the other on the garage opener circuit. I am looking to add locking 240v outlets, and have two questions about it.

1. Can I install a NEMA 6-20 outlet, and connect a device shipped with a NEMA 6-15 connector, provided I change the connector to 6-20?

2. Can I install NEMA 14-20 outlets, and disregard the unused leg for different voltages? i.e. connect a plug to the outlet, and not wire the neutral to anything for 240, not wire anything to the second hot for 120.

Item 1 would be convenient because I wouldn't have to install both NEMA 6-15 and NEMA 6-20 outlets, and item 2 would be nice because I could wire 120v devices as locking with existing outlets.

EDIT: I'm talking about locking versions of these outlets.

Locking or not, it makes no difference.

Most likely yes you can. Provided the item does not stipulate that it must be on a 15A circuit.
No, you cannot install 14-20R receptacles and only wire some of the terminals, if that's what you mean.
Re-reading it I think you want to install the 14-20's normally and only use what you need as per each item. This would be OK.


How do I level a small yard? I have a small grassy area in my back yard surrounded by one of those "curvy concrete" borders. The ground is wavy and needs to be lefeled but the ground is solid as a rock. I have no idea how the grass even grows. I'd rather not have to rent some big machine for such a small area. Am I doomed to a round shovel, several hours and blisters? Even after I loosen after all the dirt, how to I make it level and not settle into the pattern that ended up there in the first place?

Consider renting a rear tine roto-tiller. They are very easy to use and very effective in breaking up hardened/packed soils. I would advise tilling to a depth of 3 to 4 inches. Buy a landscape rake. This is an aluminum rake that is about 3 foot wide with strong rigid tines for sifting out stones etc, and a scraper edge on the top side that is used to level and move soil.  After you have loosened up your soil, you can add amendments, starter fertilizer etc if wanted, level out the area with your landscape rake, reseed, and roll it flat (optional) if you wish. Midwest Rake 10030 Aluminum 30 Inch Landscape Rake  apx $40


Hanging Cables Along the Corners of Walls My girlfriend wants to run ethernet cable along the corners of the walls of her apartment, but is rather particular in that it needs to be discreet. Cable covers are NOT an option here, as the trimmings would only run up one corner of the room, then along one corner of the ceiling until reaching a wall mounted PoE (power over ethernet) camera placed over the front door of her living room. I have suggested command strips numerous times, but she insists that these are unacceptable, as they would not allow the cable to rest flush against the corners of the wall.
I've thought about double-sided tape, but she reasonably suggests that it would last all of 15 minutes before falling off the wall. This is an apartment, so drilling holes or nailing anything down is completely out of the question.

Command strips "cord bundlers" and a nice hunk of decoy fake Ivy or other imitation vining plant (unless there's enough light and willingness to care for to use a real plant - unlikely.)
Alternatively, fairy lights, etc.
Basically, it will be in plain sight any way you slice it, so might as well just make it disappear by having something more noticeable that makes it non-obvious (the decoy need not stop where the ethernet wire does, either, which can help.)


Identifying light socket in kitchen I have 5 light sockets in the kitchen. Two of them are A19 style sockets and three of them are the following sockets:

They fit a CFL type bulb in them. I would like to replace it with an A19 socket style. Can this be easily adapted or does it need to be rewired?

Those have ballasts in them, so it's not a simple re-wire, per se. Nor do I think any adapter would be available, because of that.

You'd have to swap the guts out (the inner can) with one from a new can, and hopefully it will fit (they're not fun to get back into the can they came out of in the first place, so expect some difficulty).

I don't think you can buy 'can innards'; you'll be buying a whole new can light and just using parts of it.

Another consideration is determining if they're IC can lights (Insulation Contact) and if so, finding the correct replacement 'innards'. But I don't think that's a concern; the 'IC' part of it, is the shell that will remain. I'd just make sure that any replacement had an over-temp cutoff switch.


Mounting light to vinyl siding block? I have two exterior lights that need installed.  I have the vinyl siding blocks and am not sure if I can just run romex to the light itself or if I have to have a 3 or 4" round light box installed before I mount the light?

This is an image of what MY siding block looks like.

The family handyman has an image showing just what I want to do but I do not know if that is allowed in new construction and more for a retrofit job?  My only guess is they are allowed to do that because their mounting block has a recess for the fixture to attach and may even be water tight?

Your guess is correct.  The mounting block shown in the Family Handyman image has a self contained wet rated box.

You cannot run Romex to your fixture and connect it behind the mounting block and expect it to pass inspection.  The mounting block in your image would be appropriate for attaching an outdoor electrical box on top, to house a receptacle or light switch for example.

Here's a mounting block containing a wet-rated box:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Durabuilt-8-5-in-x-7-5-in-White-Woodgrain-Vinyl-Electrical-Mounting-Block/1000047117


No hot water (at all) on upper floors A few days ago, the bathrooms on the 2nd and 3rd floor of my townhouse stopped getting any hot water. Nothing comes out of the faucets when they are turned all the way to the hot side. The cold water works fine. The kitchen on the main floor and bathroom in the basement still receive hot and cold water.

On the day this happened, we checked our smart thermostat and it shows that the basement was under 10 degrees Celsius, and main floor was around 14 degrees. The weather outside in Toronto was around high -10s and low -20s. We suspect this has caused a section of the hot water pipe to freeze and have been keeping all areas of the house around 23 degrees for 3-4 days now, but a couple things don't seem to make sense if this suspicious is true:

How does/did the hot water pipe freeze before the cold water pipe?
How has running heaters near the walls and increasing internal temperatures not melted or thawed the problem sections yet?
We have been keeping a couple of the faucets on the 2nd and 3rd floors slightly open to relieve any pressure buildup. With only the hot water tap turned on, sometimes nothing comes out and at other times, a slow stream of cold water comes out.

Townhouse was built in 2012. Water boiler/heater is in garage. Heating works fine. Water pressure in working areas (basement and main floor) seem fine. I have no idea what is going on. The weather is not going to warm up anytime soon and I want to prevent any further damage or complications.

Photos of faucets: https://imgur.com/a/lIjIK

Any suggestions/advice/tips are welcome! Thanks!

We brought in a couple heaters and set them to 26 degrees Celsius. We also kept faucets dripping "hot" (actually just cold) water. We additionally opened the water main access door and blew hot air into the walls, as well as heating up all our bathrooms with the vent fans on. This all happened for over 72 hours. A few hours ago, our hot water has been restored.


How can i fix sweating Duct work in my unconditioned garage? I had a water stain appear in my garage right near where the main AC trunk comes up the center of the house.  Of course at the time I did not know this I thought i had a leaking pipe.  After I opened up the ceiling I found that it was a duct that was leaking.  The insulation was completely soaked.  I took off the insulation and the duct was rusting away.  I guess this has been a problem since I bough the house.  The builder said its because they did not spray foam around the joints where the duct cuts through the joints.  I took down the dry wall to inspect the rest of the ducts and looks like there are several places where they did not tape it well and there are small gaps where hot air can get to the duct.  What should I do to fix this?  The insulation is R8.3 fiberglass.  Should I take all that out and wrap the duct in a better type of insulation?  The rust did not eat through the duct so I hope I don't have to replace any of it.  Any guidance you could provide on the best course of action would be greatly appreciated.  The house is out of warranty and my insurance considers this a maintenance issue so I am on my own to pay for this fix.enter image description here

Air seal with air duct sealant (a gray goo that hardens after it's brushed on or applied with a putty knife), not duct tape, and insulate, preferably a LOT better than R8 (your heating/cooling cost is hugely affected by poorly insulated & leaky ducts in unconditioned space.)
You can reinforce the duct sealant by embedding fiberglass mesh drywall tape in it. I don't suggest using duct tape because it has a habit of falling off after a few years.


What do the buttons on a Comelit Okay Simplebus2 Intercom/door entry system do? I've got a Comelit Okay Simplebus2 door entry system which yesterday wasn't able to be used to let someone into the building, however I'm not sure if the buttons next to the phone were being used correctly.

The interface has 2 buttons, 1 with a key and 1 with a lightbulb symbol, and I'm wondering if anyone has seen this style before and knows how it should be used?

I've tried calling the manufacturer but like most places the phone line's closed at weekends

It can be configured to turn on an external light


Why is my fridge not getting cold and is it fixable? I noticed a fridge I use for home-brewing was running 24/7 to stay at only 10C, and a while later determined it was simply making the inside warmer not colder.
It sounds like it is running flat out, it just doesn't get cold.
It's a modern fridge about 5 years old, nothing fancy. What are likely causes and can I fix this or is it realistically a symptom of "dispose culture" and I need to replace it?

New consumer-grade refrigerators do seem to be built with the "dispose culture" mindset as it applies to cheap components. I have had electronic failures, compressor failures, and refrigerant leaks.
Whatever your problem is, it is almost always "fixable"; the dilemma you will likely have is that the repair will amount to a significant percentage of the cost of a new unit (oddly, the repair cost always seems to be right in the range of 1/2 the cost of a new fridge...) so you end up doing a "good money after bad" analysis.
I had one with the same symptoms as yours and it was a minor coolant leak. The technician soldered the tube leak, installed a charging point (which the fridge did not have stock) and recharged the freon for $225 U.S.


Washer drain pipe overflow We recently just moved. A week in. It's been raining on and off for the past few days. This morning I noticed a huge puddle in my laundry/half bath. Couldnt find the source. An hour ago I heard a gushing of water and ran into the bathroom and notice water coming from the washer drain pipe behind drywall. Currently we don't even have a washer hooked up. Haven't since we moved in. Has anyone had this happen or know what it could possible from???

** the pipe comes from the the wall to the basement where the water tank is. That's a bit damp too.

You have a combination of a partial blockage somewhere in the drain system combined with something that causes too much water at one time to come through. Since this doesn't happen "all the time", you have to figure out what item(s) trigger the problem. The solution will depend on where the problem is. Water will always flow out of the lowest possible open location, which in your case happens to be the washer drain pipe.

Washing machine - You can rule this one out since it isn't connected.
Dishwasher - If this happens only when you run the dishwasher, then the problem is in drain pipe shared between the dishwasher and washing machine. If it happens other times as well then the blockage is farther along.
Bathtub/shower - If this happens only when you drain a full tub or towards the end of a long shower, then the blockage is in drain pipe shared between the tub/shower and the washing machine drain.
Sump Pump - This is the one possibility that would be related to recent rain. If you have a sump pump then every time it activates it will pump a large amount of water very quickly (like a dishwasher or washing machine draining) and that would match the pattern your are seeing. If you don't have a sump pump then this probably has nothing to do with the rain.

The most common solution to a drain problem is a snake. The catch is that the snake needs to be long enough to reach through to the blockage. A blockage that only affects one part of the house is likely to be close - often within reach of a 25' handheld snake. But if it is a longer distance to the clog then you will need to either rent a bigger snake or call a plumber who has one (and who knows how to use it). The bigger snakes are a bit tough to handle - I rented one once (and was successful) but usually if it gets to that I call a professional.

There are also chemical and air pressure solutions. They may work but a lot depends on the location and type of blockage. I find that a partial blockage (which it sounds like you have) is easiest to clear with a snake because the chemicals tend to pass a partial blockage without sticking around long enough to clear it.


Do I need outlets in a built-in bookshelf? I know that there is normally an outlet every 6 feet rule for electrical code.

However, I am doing a renovation in which an entire wall is a giant bookshelf and cabinet built in which is 17 feet wide. Do I need to somehow get outlets into the cabinetry?

I read the 2017 code (clause 210.52(A)(2)(1)) as such:

  ... a wall space shall include ... any space 2ft or more in width and ... unbroken along the floor line by ... fixed cabinets that do not have countertops or similar work surfaces.

This says to me that walls on either side are to be treated separately, not that the cabinet requires outlets as though it was wall space. Therefore, you aren't required to fit outlets into your cabinet.


Restoring my deck: is washing necessary if I sand? I'm restoring my untreated/unsealed cedar wood deck. It was left with no care for 12 years old before we bought it.

I changed the damaged board and I'm now at the sanding stage. I saw all the how-to guides, but the only question that I have is: is it necessary to clean (either w/ high water pressure or with washing product) the wood if I'm going to sand it anyway?

The surface will be a mix of old (12 YO) and new cedar.

No washing will not really help and will slow the process,
to get things to match a fair amount of sanding may be needed to remove the weathered surface. In cases where I have a mix I usually paint but some stains will work ok.


Do I need 5V or 12V to power a LED light strip? What is difference between 5V and 12V power supply?

I want to power my WS2812B LED light strip (5m at 60 LED/meter) and don't understand why I would want a 400W 5V 80A power supply vs a 400W 12V power supply?

What is the impact of using 5V vs 12V?

Each individually addressable LED on the strip (needs?, accepts?) 60mA and 3V forward voltage.

LEDs don't really have a forward voltage requirement. They have a forward current limit, and that in turn affects the voltage. Current limiting is most commonly done with a resistor, the value is chosen with simple math using the forward voltage drop and desired/maximum current. You can use almost any voltage you want until you reach the sparky levels.

However, the above only applies to raw LEDs. if you are using a manufactured product you must use whatever power the product calls for. If it wants 5V, you buy a 5V supply.

5V is standard USB bus power, so if the product is intended for use anywhere near a computer they will probably build it for 5. 12V is standard in vehicles. Both voltages are popular away from those markets, with the choice often as boring as it matches other things that company makes.


Install wall or ceiling light in room with concrete walls I have a bedroom with no ceiling light. The main switch controls a power outlet to be used probably with a floor lamp.
I need to install a wall or ceiling light from the power outlet controlled by the switch that doesn't involve loose wires on the wall (as I have young kids). A large LED light bar on the wall would be good.
What is the best way to do this ?

The only way is usually surface mount conduit.
We can not see the existing wiring.
Outlet wires go to the ceiling:  it is possible that the feed from the light switch goes into the ceiling space and down in this case opening the ceiling and installing  a couple of boxes could do the trick.
Why would I need more than 1 box? At each box we need a minimum of 6” it is rare there is 1 foot extra wire in a run that would allow tapping the existing line so 2 boxes would be needed or a new wire pull with longer wires to allow a tap then possibly a 3rd box in the ceiling for the light.
Outlet wires not in ceiling: with no accessible wires a box extension at the receptacle or light switch if embedded would be needed, box extends so the conduit can enter and be surface mounted.
If already surface mounted install conduit to the existing location up to the ceiling the new light could be in parallel with the switched receptacle.
Although it is code legal to run NMB or romex in conduit it is much harder to do than using individual conductors of black, white and green building wire or THHN
a first time diy I would suggest 1/2” pvc conduit, it is easy to glue together and will not rust on basement walls that may be damp at times.


How serious is building subsidence I own a flat in the UK, in which I live. I own it. It's part of a block of 50 flats.

I have learned recently that there was a subsidence problem. A large tree has been drinking the water from under the building, which has started to move. Some walls show some cracks.

The freeholding company is talking with the insurance, trying to get underpinning work done.

My question is this: how serious can that be? Should I be looking to move flats because of this? Of course, I am not expecting someone to be able to answer definitively without seeing the building, but I am after a general case answer. What's the likely outcome, and what's the worse outcome?

In particular, can I be fairly certain that in the vast majority of cases, some underpinning will fix the problem? Or is it sometimes the case that a building is beyond hope, and therefore my flat could lose all its value?

The very likely outcome will be that the structural engineer will go away to do the necessary calculations, specify the requirement for the underpinning to be carried out by a contractor, and the tree will be converted to firewood (tree preservation order permitting).

The underpinning will be carried out and leave the building stronger than it was before. Any additional remedial work (eg to the cracks) will be carried out. Over time (once the repairs have weathered), you probably won't even be able to tell that the work was done.

The problem has been identified before the worst case has happened (crater), so now it can be fixed to mark sure that it doesn't happen.

Without a thorough assessment by a qualified individual (or company), I can't say for absolute certain, but I'd say it is very, very likely that a satisfactory solution to remedy the subsidence will be found.


How can I remove 6-8 inches of concrete from a wooden floor? I have inherited a 143 year old building.  Somewhere in the past someone poured 6 to 8 inches of concrete over top the wood bathroom floor.  I really want the weight out of the building.  Any ideas on a way to remove it? I expect to replace the original floor when I get down to it.  Floor joists are still good and solid, would like to keep them that way.

Rent a concrete saw, make cuts more than halfway through it (preferably within an inch of the wooden floor) in a grid pattern, insert prybar in cuts, break chunks loose. Once you get the first chunk out, pry towards the hole.


Can I hang a countertop microwave oven under a cabinet with custom hardware? I want to mount a microwave under a cabinet and I have selected the GE model that will work (the cabinet is quite shallow, so the depth was important).
The problem is that GE produces two nearly identical microwaves: JEM3072SHSS and JES1072SHSS, the difference is that the JEM model says it has an "optional hanging kit available" and the JES model does not.
The JEM model is $70 more at retail than the JES model, plus I'd have to buy the hanging kit separately, and it is also pricey ($50+ for basically, some hardware), so obviously, I'd prefer to go with the other model that is just under $100. The JES model also has holes on top (according to the product picture).
My questions:

Can't I just make my own template and attach the microwave to the cabinet with heavy duty machine screws, washers and nuts that I purchase myself?
If that is indeed the case, wouldn't the head of the bolt have to go on the inside of the microwave and come out the top to be screwed into the underside of the cabinet?

I thought you weren't supposed to put metal in a microwave, so how do these mounting kits get away with that issue? Will that be an issue for me if I carry out the above plan and DIY my own "mounting kit"?

Yes, you could build this yourself. It wouldn't be easy for someone without metal fabrication tools and knowledge on hand, but it could certainly be done. You'd want to try and procure the templates, which often have location dimensions printed on them.
It's worth mentioning that third-party manufacturers have made it available for barely half the price you quoted. Unless you have a lot of time and ambition, that seems the prudent route. Part #JXA019K.


How can I fill these holes? Previous owner of our house left some large-ish holes in the wall. The biggest one is 8cm in diameter and the smaller ones are from dry wall anchor (Molly) bolts that I removed. They are about an inch wide. What's the best way to go about filling these?

If this is drywall I would buy a small bucket of plaster and some drywall tape (the mesh kind), drywall knives and patch the smaller once that way. The bigger one I would cut a bigger square hole from stud to stud and cut a nicely fitting drywall piece to fit into the square. Fix it to the studs with drywall screws. Then use the same drywall compound and drywall tape to patch up the seems of the patch. All the stuff should be easy to get in the store. It takes some skills to get all of that smooth. Check out some drywall videos on youtube


Can XPS foam support the weight of a bath? For a design project, we're looking to use XPS foam boards that are 5cm thick (15 cm wide strips) to support the underside of a bath without legs or wall fixtures, but a supportive frame at each end.

The bath is steel enamel with a slightly curved underside and will be supported by 4 layers of XPS.

Will the XPS foam be able to withstand this kind of pressure with regular use?

Intuitively, we were thinking several thicker boards would be superior in terms of pressure resistance rather than many thinner boards, but please advise otherwise if this is incorrect.

It depends on what you mean by "support". It will hold the tub up but it will flex. The movement of the flexing may loosen plumbing connections ; not the first time , but movement over an extended time could work things loose. It may even cause leaks at what ever caulk or trim is used on the top edge of the tub.The weigt of 6" water in a 5' tub is roughly 300 lb. plus occupant(s).


Under-slab insulation vs. slab perimeter insulation Currently in the final planning stages of my new house ("raised ranch" style), and the first floor is going to be slab-on-grade.  My current insulation plan has 2" of XPS under the slab across its entire area (with a vapor barrier and 4" of 2B stone beneath).  However, when I went to put the compliance information into ResCheck, that application only had parameters for entering perimeter insulation (e.g. from the edge of the slab, vertically down to the footers).  That leads me to believe entire-slab insulation isn't that common.

My question is, from a thermodynamic standpoint, is it pointless to insulate the field of the slab if the perimeter is insulated, or do you still get a lot of energy migration down through the stone into the dry earth below?  Does most of the energy loss in a basement occur from conduction of the slab to the foundation walls to the exterior, or is there still a significant amount of vertical conduction into the soil?

Concrete 4" thick has a r-value of roughly 1 (a lot depends on the weight of the concrete).  2" of XPS foam board has a r-value of 10.  So roughly speaking, using the 2" of foam board under a 4" slab is going to reduce your heat transfer (loss) by ~ 90% (going from a u-value of 1 down to 0.1).

If you know the area of your floor, you can then estimate the amount of heat flow through the floor into the ground (winter scenario), in BTU's per hour.

Then you can do a similar calculation to estimate the heat loss through the perimeter, compare the two, and see how much the under-slab insulation buys you.


How do I secure wooden balusters to an exterior stair railing? I'm building an exterior railing for my front porch & stairs.  I will be using pressure treated lumber.  My balusters will be turned like these:

(source: elyriafence.com)
To secure the baluster to the bottom rail I was planning on nailing straight up into the baluster from the bottom.
I am unsure how to attach the balusters to the top railing.  My handrail will be plowed on the bottom to provide side-to-side stability.  I was thinking about using a finishing nail gun to toenail in the baluster to the bottom of the handrail.  Is this sufficient? What size nail should I use?  The top of the handrail will be routed decoratively, and I do not want to have the profile marred by a nail.
Edit:
I just saw the question on using dowel pins in railings.  Would 1 dowel pin at the top and another on the bottom of the balusters hold securely?

Toenailing through the baluster on the uphill side with a finishing nail gun should be quite sufficient. The plowed channel holds them laterally. If you wanted extra strength, you could add glue just before nailing.

16 or 18 gauge nails about 1 inch to 1 1/4 long should suffice. The hole will likely be nearly invisible.

Additionally, plowed railings usually come with a filler strip that is angle cut to sit between the balusters after they are attached.  If you use the nailing gun (and glue if you wish) to attach those as well, they would further lock in the baluster.


can i make a p-trap from a 45 degree can I make a  P-trap for 2 inch PVC out of a 90 degree and a 2 45 degree the 2 45 degrees arranged in a s pattern

No. That will likely not pass inspection.  Most codes require a trap seal of 2-4", which you will not get with a 45.

Trap seal is measured from the top of the trap bend, to the trap weir.


How do I read the specifications for this Panasonic microwave trim kit? The web page for the NN-TK922SS 27" Wide Trim Kit for select Panasonic Microwave Ovens includes these specifications:

TRIM KIT OUTER SIZE
Side A: 18-9/16"
Side B: 27"

TRIM KIT INNER SIZE
Side C: 24-5/8"
Side D: 13-7/16"

CABINET OPENING
Side E: 25-1/2"
Side F: 17-3/8"
Side G: 21" minimum

What is meant by Sides A, B, C, D, E, F, and G?

The cut-out in the plans for my cabinet is 25-1/2" wide and 15-5/16" high. I want to make sure that the trim will fit in/on the cabinet.

Click on the link you posted at the top of your question. Look at the frame pictures to the left. In the middle is a small picture. Click on it and it shows the a,b,c,d,e, etc.

Good luck


How to stop my washing machine from squeaking? I own a GE WHDSR316G2WW washing machine. It was whisper-silent when new, but after a few years and several off-balance loads, it developed a persistent squeak that seemed to happen mostly when the motor would change direction while agitating a load.

Yesterday I finally got around to changing the drive belt, and that helped a bit, but the squeak's still there. While I had the machine apart, though, I found the source of the squeak. There are two metal tabs that, when the tub is filled with water and riding low, rub against the inside bottom of the washer shell:

Here's a wider view for context:

I'm not sure about the purpose of these tabs, nor why they didn't squeak when the washer was new, but do now. In any case, I can think of a few possible quick fixes:

Grease the points of contact between these tabs and the washer shell. This might work for a while, but there's no evidence of grease there now, so I doubt this was the original solution. It probably wouldn't take much time for the grease to be rubbed away, either.
Use cable ties (or similar) to fasten the tabs to the nearby brackets. This could prevent them from getting close enough to the bottom shell to make contact, but it would also restrict the tub's range of motion, which is probably a bad idea (e.g., I could see that worsening vibration).
Bend/shave the brackets to increase clearance. This could work, but it seems like they're meant to be the length they are now to prevent other parts of the tub assembly (like the motor and ballast) from bottoming out.

Is there a proper way to handle this - maybe just another common maintenance chore that I'm missing? Can I tune up or adjust the tub's suspension to be firmer and thus ride higher to avoid bottoming out on these tabs? Any other ideas?

congratulations on your choice of machine - it was sold by sears, even if you did not buy it there, they have parts, unless you find them somewhere else on line.

So, i visited

http://www.searspartsdirect.com/GE-Washer-Parts/Model-WHDSR316G2WW/0432/0153200.html

On to this page

http://www.searspartsdirect.com/ge-washer-parts/model-WHDSR316G2WW/0432/0153200/G0803213/00004.html

We see part 414 Rod and suppression spring assembly part  WH16X544

This is a mfg substitute part which to me has always said 'we found the problem after we sold that one to you - now buy this part to fix it right'

RepairClinic, my favored appliance parts place - this week has the part for $23.40
http://www.repairclinic.com/PartDetail/Suspension-Rod/WH16X544/278886

Sears has it for $25.23
http://www.searspartsdirect.com/ge-washer-parts/WH16X0544/0026/363/model-WHDSR316G2WW/0432/0153200.html

Since the entire motor assembly is supported by those springs, and the weaker the springs get, the closer they get to scraping the motor mount on the bottom of the washer pan.

I think you replace those and it will have its spring back in its spin cycle


What could be causing my kitchen faucet to not work? For a while our kitchen faucets (both hot and cold) were not working properly.  Sometimes we would turn one or both on and no water would come out, so then we turn it off then back on and it would work, or water would trickle out then all the sudden go fast.  Now it is getting worse and worse and this morning I couldn't get any water out at all, and I know the problem is not the aerator.  Also when I unscrew the middle thing in between them both I can see water there so I know the water is getting up the lines.  Any ideas?

The diverter for your sprayer is faulty. Typically, when the sprayer is used, the faucet will completely stop. Once you stop using the sprayer, the diverter redirects the flow back to the faucet. Depending on your faucet model, this part may be replaceable, and you may be able to open up the valve and find something clogged or broken inside. But I'd personally take the opportunity to replace the entire faucet. Pull-out faucets eliminate this valve, look cleaner, and leave the old sprayer hole available for a soap dispenser.


Can drywall with ripped paper be repaired? I damaged some drywall when doing demo in a bathroom.   Some of the paint peeled back and exposed the paper, which ripped off of the drywall.   Can I do a thin coat and sand?  please help, already have enough drywall to replace!

Short answer:  Yes.

Long answer:  How

Use a utility or x-acto knife to cut away enough of the paper that you get a nice clean edge that isn't pulled away from the underlying gypsum.
Use a very small amount of joint compound and a 6" putty knife to apply a nice thin coat of joint compound over the damaged area.  Don't use too little - a little too much is easy to fix, too little isn't.
Allow to dry until it's firm to the touch.
Use a clean damp sponge to smooth the surface of the patch down to a nice clean finish.
Let dry completely.
Prime!!!  Always prime fresh joint compound or the paint won't stick.
Touch up with existing paint color.


Extending concrete Slab I have a 10 x 10 slab (4 inches thick) that is already in my back yard in the corner. I bought a kit to build a 10 x 10 shed on it, and then realized that would put it right up to my fence. So my thought is to essentially extend the size of the slab to a 11 x 11. This should give me enough space around it.

Since I have not really tried to attach new concrete to existing concrete before, what is the best method for this. Two of the four walls of the shed will be resting on the new portion of concrete I pour, so I want to make sure they do not pull apart over time.

Any suggestions?

Your best bet for a good finish relies on doing three things:

Making sure that the foundation for the extension is well compacted and onto good material
Cut back and scable the joint with the existing 10x10 slab so that there is a good bond when the new concrete is cast.
Drill and fix dowel bars into the existing slab across the joint with the extension.

The number and type of bars will vary depending on the load from the new shed but you should be fine with something like 8mm (3/8") bars at 200mm (8") centres.

You should probably note that this will give you a full structural connection and so may be too much for your particular problem unless you want to be absolutely sure that the slab and the extension don't separate.


How do I choose the correct size pump and pressure tank? I'll have a 3000 gallon water tank (around 8 feet tall) located at the same elevation as my house.
The distance between my house and the tank will be about 90 feet, with the water traveling through a 2" line.
I use about 10000 gallons per month, or 323 gallons a day.
My house (1700 sq. ft.) has a total of 14 'water outlets' (spigots, faucets, toilets, showers etc).
The water tank is filled through the top, and water will travel to the pump through an aperture located at the bottom of the tank.
The placement of the pump in relation to the tank is show below:

How should I choose the correct size pump and airbag?
I won't have access to the inside of the tank, and I would rather have the pump located outside of the tank.

I'm looking for a formula, or some general guidelines.

Two factors matter: flow rate and pressure. Pressure is determined by friction loss and elevation adjustment. Since the tank and house are at the same elevation, we don't need to account for that. We do need to account for your friction loss, though. To do that, we need to know what your pipe diameter, length, and flow rate.

We start with flow rate because the amount of water flowing through a pipe determines its friction loss. That's what we size the pipe from. Your flow rate should be based on maximum flow: everything that could possibly ever run at one time. Your shower, dishwasher, washing machine, somebody washing their hands, etc. There's no uniform minimum standard for that, so check the fixtures around your building to find out how muh they would draw.

According to a plumbing design guide from Michigan, this can vary from 7 gpm for one bathroom to 17 gpm for a 3-4 bathroom residence. After you've determined the flow rate, you must select a desired pressure for the house inlet pressure.

If your pump is able to fully supply your house without the aid of a tank (sufficient flow at operating pressure), then your only consideration for tank size is the cycle time of the pump. For smaller pumps, you want your tank to provide at least 2 minutes of water. For larger pumps, you may desire a higher cycle time. There is no harm in a larger tank size.

If your pump isn't able to provide that level service, then you'll need to size your tank to provide supply for a period of time. Remember that pump supply in gpm is also related to pressure. The more pressure the pump needs to provide, the less flow it will have. Calculate your pump flow based on the pressure needed to charge the tanks.

The ultimate calculation is (maximum flow * maximum minutes) > (tank capacity / minutes + pump capacity * minutes). You can use any combination of tank and pump capacity as long as the tank + pump capacity meets your demand needs. A 1 gpm pump and a pressure tank that can supply 300 gallons could probably hold you over just as well as a 14 gpm pump and 28 gallons of supply tank. Remember again that supply is not equal to full capacity: you only have supply if it is higher than your necessary pressure. Your goal is to find a combination that is most cost effective.

For another good resource related to tanks, see Flotec's pre-charged pressure tank FAQs.

By the way, since you gain 1 psi for every 2.31 feet of elevation gain (referred to for some reason as "feet of head"), you can get a lot of "free" tank supply pressure by putting your tank at a higher elevation, though that will increase your pump charging pressure.

For absolute luxury, keep your entire supply system able to supply above your desired household pressure and slap a pressure reducing valve on the supply line just before it reaches the first appliances. 60 psi is the ideal dream coming out of your pressure valve (fantastic showers!), but pressure does cost in terms of electric usage for lower pump capacity because, again, higher pressure means lower flow. Most systems are designed to start charging at 40, 30, or 20 psi, though. Note how the pressure corresponds to the amount of water that can be supplied in this example tank.


Tightening a Moen Faucet Lock Nut I have a Moen single handle kitchen faucet that I cannot tighten adequately due to lack of room.  I can get some turn on the lock nut with needle nose vice grips but not enough to completely hold it in place.  Does anyone know if there is a special tool for this?  Also should I be caulking the small gap between the faucet and sink bowl?

You could try one of these tools to see if it would get up in there to tighten the faucet anchor nut.

It would be used something like this:

I also wonder about whether you should have first removed the rusty old washer (A) and the dried plumbers putty (B) before installing the new faucet.

First off it seems very likely that the replacement faucet would have come with a new washer. And secondly it would be much easier and secure to tighten the nut against a new washer surface.


How risky is it to cap an old (metal system) sprinkler head? We have an all metal sprinkler system. I need to have one head capped. What is the chance of the pipe breaking? Is it better to leave it alone? The sprinkler head in question is going to be right in between pavers of an occasionally used pathway

The chances of breaking the pipe with equipment are the same whether capped or not. You can minimize the risk further by digging out the riser and plugging the fitting below.

If you live in an area subject to hard freezing, you will need to make provision for draining any lateral line serving the former head. Lines are usually cleared by blowing them out in the fall. A capped riser will have mostly air, but any horizontal pipe serving only that riser will fill with water and need to be cleared. This may just be a matter of removing the cap before clearing the lines.


How long should the hot water last during a shower? Given a 40 gallon natural gas water heater, and a shower head with a flow rate of 2.5 gallons per minute. How long should the shower be able to maintain 105°F water temperature?

Assume the average cold water supply temperature is 58.7°F. The tank will be set at 140°F, to avoid Legionella. The tank recovery is typical of a natural gas heater, so it can recover its volume in an hour (40 gph in this case).

Model the water heater as a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR), so it is always at a uniform temperature. Assume the recovery time is not dependent on temperature and completely accounts for insulation losses and the like. Neglect losses in pipes and assume the operator controls the shower temperature to 105°F perfectly. Taking the stopping criterion from the question, the shower is over when the water in the tank becomes 105°F.

The recovery rate raises 140 gallons of water by 81.3°F in one hour. We'll say this is a constant heat input of 9118 W.

The key is that a constant-temperature shower removes a constant rate of heat from the tank, that which is associated with raising 2.5 gpm of water from 58.7°F to 105°F. This is 16986.5 W.

The difference is 7868.5 W. With constant heat, you don't need any complicated integrals.

The time for the tank to drop from 140°F to 105°F is 1568 s or 26 minutes.

The (maybe counterintuitive) fact that the variable flow rate from the water heater does not influence the rate of heat removal from the water heater comes from the fact that the incoming cold water is the same temperature at the shower and at the water heater.

Note that, because  does not appear in the expression for ,  is now a constant.


How to wire a switch with two black wires and one yellow wire? I'm new to the DIY community. I'm currently working on changing my switches to smart switches. I've done two single poles successfully but now I have some trouble with this one.
This is my bedroom light switch. I think it's a single pole as I don't see any other switches that control the same light. But there's two black wires and one yellow wire, which confused me.
Can anyone let me know what they are and how I can wire them to a smart switch?
I'm using lutron smart switch that has two black wire, one green/white wire, and one bare wire.

This is the same as your other single pole switches except it has one extra black wire that is sending power to someplace else.
One black wire brings the power into the box and the other black is connected to it on the switch, this is how it is getting power and sending to where it needs to go. The yellow should be the switched power or the the wire that is sending power to the fixture when you flip the switch on.
Does your new switch require a neutral (white) to operate correctly?
If not then;
Just wire it up the same. If your new switch does not have screw terminals but only wire leads then you wire all the blacks together with a wire nut. You will need to tie the ground on the new switch to the screw at the back of the box that the green wires are attached to.


Replacing light switch with motion sensor switch I am trying to replace a light switch with a neutral required motion sensor light. (occupancy sensor).
The motion switch has a black, red, white and green wire connected to it. Upon taking off the current switch, I have a blue and black wire connected.
In the box, I see two red wires connected by nut and what looks to be three white wires connected by nut. So no green ground but an extra color plus too many whites!
Any help will be appreciated.

There are not too many whites!  All those whites have a job. They are "working for a living".  You do need to add your switch's neutral wire to that bundle. Do so competently. All the whites must still be connected to each other when you are done!
The red wires are probably the other half of a multi-wire branch circuit. This is a serious complication.  Because the black?Blue? wire will be on one circuit breaker, the reds will be on another breaker, and you must turn them both off in order to safely separate the neutrals.

In fact, Code now requires those 2 breakers be handle-tied so they must be shut off together. (for this very reason).  If you're lucky, they're already that way.  Otherwise you will need to do the "legwork" to identify the red breaker and assure it is off, before separating the neutrals. Once you've done that, either acquire a correct handle-tie, or get a 2-pole (NOT A DUPLEX) breaker (whose handles will be tied from the factory) and replace both breakers with that. Note the 2-pole breaker will take the same amount of room in the panel as both old breakers.

The new switch will care very much which wire is the supply from panel and which is  the onward wire to the light.  In your box, one is black and one is blue.  It's legal both ways, so we don't know what the installer did.  Regardless, it is safe to experiment here: simply connect them black-black and red-blue. If that doesn't work, swap them.
You must wire a ground wire to this switch, as Patrick discusses.  That is because the mounting screws can't make contact with the junction box through that wood-like material.  In fact, you can't have burnable wood-like material like that be a "sleeve" for a junction box!  That needs to be notched out (e.g. with an oscillating saw, those things are amazing lol) to fit either a box sleeve, or better, a steel box extension.  That needs to be done everywhere that is like that.  Otherwise a wiring problem in the box couls start a fire!


how to fix an (extremely?) uneven wall before tiling We're doing a kitchen remodel, and we're prepping to have a tile backsplash installed on one wall, from the countertop to the ceiling. There's a window on this wall, which the sink is centered on. The area of the wall to be tiled (minus the area of the window) is 37 square feet.

The problem is that the wall is uneven. If you put a 48" straight edge up against the most sunken areas, there's a gap of almost a 1/2".

There is also a spot near the window trim where the wall appears to be built up too much, enough so that the tile could end up proud of the trim, which I'm pretty sure won't look so hot.

My inclination is to tear the wall down to the studs and redo it, but our cabinets have already been installed (though not the countertops). There are no upper cabinets on this wall, so I am wondering if it's possible to redo only the part of the wall that is above the level of the countertop?

Or would it be easier to fill the valleys with drywall mud? If so, which type of mud would be best for this application? Are there any issues to consider, like cracking and water exposure? (There will be a sink under the window.)

I would take out/off the drywall if not from the whole wall then from the cabinets up, take off the window trim , casing and sill. Then address any unevenness of the studs with furring strips or shims.  Since the wall is open I would replace all the electrical boxes with the new adjustable depth boxes so you can set them to match your tiled wall. I would then use Denshield in place of drywall, it is similar to drywall, cuts and installs the same, 1/2 thick with a coating on it specifically made for tile. You would only use it where tile would be installed so if the tile will be going all the way to the corner then install it to the corner. If not install it so that it will be just inside ( an inch ) of the tile line so that the texture of the denshield is not visible after tile is installed.  install new casing and sill on the window, straight and true so tiling will be less complicated. if you are wrapping the tile into the window you can use the denshield to case and or sill.


Do I need to use an oil-based primer on old woodwork? I bought an old house. I have dark wood trim around the doors and windows. I'm pretty sure it was some kind of oil/glossy finish. The wood is pretty worn. I fixed and sanded. I got a primer that claims to work on everything.. it's latex. I did this before most of my research. I put 2 coats of the primer on because the dark wood was coming through. I have not painted yet, but the primer chips if I do a fingernail test. Question is.. Do I need to sand it off and then use an oil primer instead for it not to chip? Or Could I continue with the Latex paint and then just maybe put a clear finish over it to help with the chipping?

Unfortunately, you're best bet is going to be to scrape off the primer. There are chemicals that will help make this easy, but in my experience a mechanical scraper is less of a hassle and mess. Something like this scraper will work if your trim is relatively flat and level.

Kilz has a number of products that will bond to various surfaces. I would buy a quart of Kilz Adhesion and apply a small amount to a sample area of your trim. Let it dry for a couple of days, then try your fingernail test again. If you still get flaking, try another product, like Kilz Complete.

If you don't want to scrape all of the trim down, you could also use a wire brush and aggressively brush down all of the trim. Whatever doesn't flake off is probably bonded well enough. But then you'll be left with low spots where you had flakes, which might be obvious if your trim is already in pretty good condition.


If a living quarter is built in a basement, is 5/8 drywall required on that ceiling? I am constructing a home where the owner is having a complete living quarter installed in the basement for an older relative. Just needed to see if it required 5/8 drywall on ceiling. Also, wondering if the door going from basement steps to upper living area requires a fire rated door.

5/8" drywall is rarely required in single-family residences. It was used historically because ceiling joists are often 24" on center, and 5/8 resists sag.

You can certainly use no-sag 1/2" if you like. If your joists are 16" on center, standard half inch may be fine, by I don't know why you'd risk it for the minimal upcharge.

A fire-rated door is also probably not required. If this is a rental situation, check with your local building authority on both counts.


USB wall outlet charger not working By not working I mean even when installed in the simplest configuration, it does some sort of low power pulsating. It will cycle between charging and not charging a USB device every half second or so.

By simplest configuration I mean hot to hot, neutral to neutral, ground to ground.

I am using this USB wall outlet: http://www.legrand.ca/adorne/select/outlets/arusbw4.aspx#res [PDF]

I also have a night light in a wall outlet connected to the same circuit and while the phone charging connects and disconnects, the nightlight fluctuates a low illumination automatically becoming brighter, dimming, and becoming brighter again, etc.

What is wrong with this configuration or is it the USB unit causing problems?

Have you verified that the hot is actually hot? Not to insult, but verify that the hot and neutral are identified and connected correctly. Use meter to go from hot to ground and verify voltage and neutral to ground to verify no voltage.


Should I stain or paint my blotchy concrete? The house I just moved into has a lot of white spots all over the concrete. I want to stain the whole slab to get it looking fresh and nice.  I had a couple contractors come out to help me resolve the issue.
One of them said a stain would work no problem, get it covered right up and looking nice.
The other said, no way that even after staining after a while its still going to continue to bleed through. Probably forever, because the concrete wasn't laid properly.  He said the best bet is an epoxy with a nice sealant. Even then there is no guarantee, but it has a better chance of working.
Who is correct?  Does anyone have any other advice on what I can do?

I think the white spots are lime leaching up to the top. If the concrete stays wet, that is hard to stop. Sealing the concrete can help but it can wick up moisture from below too. I stained an interior slab and haven't had this problem but I think there is plastic below the slab. But personally I think your concrete looks fine. I would find another project to worry about.


Drywall mud on ethernet connectors We are in the process of renovating our house and I ran CAT6 cable to an area with plans to put a network switch there.  I now find that the drywall people did not try and protect the connectors and they are caked in the stuff.  Yes. I know I should have covered them... What will dissolve the mud?  Anything?  I would like to avoid cutting the connectors off and re-doing as they were factory cables.

Water is useful to soften drywall mud.  Be aware, however, that it may take some time.

You might try a wet rag placed over the connector and then try to remove the bulk of the material with tweezers or a small tool.  Be careful not to bend any of the pins inside the connector.


How do I install a coat rack on drywall over concrete? Ok, here's the problem. I have a coat rack that was installed poorly by the previous owner, who firstly installed it upside down and then secondly didn't use any drywall mounts. It came right out of the wall. I purchased some toggle bolts and some dry wall anchors only to discover what I believe is concrete behind the drywall (the back side of the wall is the elevator shaft).

Given that I cannot damage the concrete (it belongs to the condo's common property), and all of the drywall hangers I've seen are either too long or rely on the backside of the drywall being open, is there any way to mount the coat rack safely?

Any attachment should probably be able to take at least 50 lbs of weight, given I live in Canada and it will be holding up to five winter coats, mitts, hats, scarfs and it has a shelf above it where I occassionally put books and the like. Also the coat rack only has two holes for screws.

TapCon concrete screws would be minimal damage to the concrete, so I'd consider them first.

However, if you must not damage the concrete, then it's more challenging.  My next recommendation would be to use a wooden backing that is vertically longer/higher than the coat rack.  If your coat rack is 20cm high where it contacts the wall, then make your wood backing something like 60cm high. Then you attach the wood backing with construction adhesive and small/shallow drywall anchors around the perimeter of the wood.  Then you paint the wood to match the wall, and finally attach the coat rack to the wood with two screws.

By spreading the load out over a larger area, you greatly reduce the stress at any of the individual fasteners.


Dry Rot (?) in Exterior Trim, patch or replace? There is some moderate deterioration and cracking in part of the exterior trim of my house. I believe the trim in question is cedar.

Looking for repair advice.

My thoughts were:

1) Get some epoxy wood filler (Abatron WoodEpox) and attempt the repair. My only fear here is that the decay seems to be fairly deep.

2) Attempt to find lumber of the same size. Use a multi-tool to cut out that section of trim ~ 3 feet from the corner and replace.

Are there any alternatives to what I was considering? Is it worth attempting the epoxy route?

Photos of damaged area:

Don’t fiddle with epoxy. You’ll want to remove those boards and see what’s happening on the other side. You’ll want to replace the boards. As mentioned in the comments - you’ll need to assess why the wood rotted. First place to look is the flashing/trim right above the rotten boards - is water getting behind it and the rotten boards? Around it? Next time it rains go have a look at the situation - is water dripping off the edge of the flashing/trim to the ground, or is it working around the flashing/trim and running down the face of the rotten boards? Water is somehow collecting somewhere it’s not supposed to be.


Refrigerator seems to run continuously (or very long times) It's a beko CRF4800. The coils get hot and it runs for 40 minutes straight, resting for around the same time. It makes quite a loud buzzing noise, I think something is up with the fridge. I've already tried:

Cleaning the refrigerator coils and compressor completely from dust

Unplugging and melting it for 12 hours

Adding a layer of petroleum jelly to the gaskets so it would insulate better and cold air couldn't go out

Is it OK to remove the Vaseline now?

It started just buzzing like insane and running for about 1h30min after I added that jug of water into the deep freezer like I was told it's supposed to decrease run time... The deep freezer doesn't get used in our house, so it just runs without a purpose. I was told that it's better than "cooling volumes of air"

It also makes a bubbly or a wave noise when it's running and seems like it's "breathing" for some time after the compressor stops running

The temperature setting is on the very warmest, it still cools the food like a normal fridge with that setting, which is awesome (6C max in the freezer) but it hums all the time.

Thanks!

If it's "bubbling" while it's running it could indicate improper charge. A refrigerant system should have liquid at the metering device. If there is still vapour in the mixture(saturation temperature) then you are loosing capacity which would explain the long run times. It doesn't mean there is a leak it just means that it's not running at full capacity.

In this image the metering device is an expansion valve. www.wikipedia.com

It gets pretty complicated but to aid you in your search for the problem if something you try makes the bubbling sound go away you may be on the right track. Keep in mind any changes to system take about 15 minutes to stabilize. Sometimes just pulling the fridge away from the wall does the trick. With fridge has bubbling often indicates too much heat overall in the system.


I need to hang a mirror above a vanity, with plumbing running down alongside the stud. How do I make sure I hit the stud, and not the pipe? The mirror hangs from a single strap, and is heavy enough that whatever I use needs to go into the stud.I know that the water pipe is there, running along the side of the stud. I have tried using a stud finder, and there appears to be a gap in the stud - I assume the break between the stud and the pipe. But I still can't tell which side is pipe and which is stud.  Because the strap hangs well above the mirror, I don't want to go poking around in the drywall if I can avoid it as this will leave an unsightly mess. Help, please!

Use the stud finder across a wider swath of wall. Using a pencil, removable tape, or other method mark the edges of every stud you can find, including the possible edges where the mirror should hang. Measure the spacing of several studs. Do you find two or three that are spaced the same - 16 inches, perhaps? Builders like to place the studs with consistent spacing.
Does one of the "maybe a stud, maybe a pipe" markings follow the spacing pattern you observed with the other studs? If so, that's where your stud is.
You could also look inside the vanity. The pipe emerges from the wall in there, right? Measure how far it is to some reference like an adjoining wall. The pipe will probably go straight up from there, so you can use the same measurement up at mirror level to identify where the stud isn't.


High temperature aluminum to copper connection Summary
120v Oven power wire connector melted and shorted out. Was going to splice the wires together with high temperature wire nut, but found that internal oven power wires are aluminum and the power cord wires are copper. Oven wire sheathing has 150*C temperature rating. What high temperature, aluminum to copper connectors exist?

More Detail
I have a GE model J2B912SEK2SS oven that uses 120v power. Was using the oven when arcing started to occur behind the oven. I unplugged the oven, took off the back plates and found this:
https://imgur.com/a/O9weZOU (scroll down and see all 3 pics)

I read that corrosion just happens over time which increases resistance which increases heat which probably melted the connector. I figured I could just cut that melted connector out and wire-nut the wires together. So I bought some high temp 150*C wire nuts and they finally got here today. I cut the melted connector out, stripped the wires about 7/16", and noticed that the RED oven internal wire (pictured in link above) is aluminum. Power wire is copper. Argh.

Then I started going down the copper+aluminum connector rabbit hole and read about some options that appear are NOT going to work for me:

Purple Wire nuts specifically for aluminum to copper connections. Can't use these because they're only rated to 105*C
AlumiConn connector. Can't use this because it is also only rated to 105*C
Squirt some anti-oxidation paste inside the wire nut -- Don't want to use this because it seems super sketchy. This wire obviously gets hot and from what I've read, aluminum and copper expanding at different rates inside a wire nut is not good.

So I'm reaching out to people smarter than me to figure out what I can do here. I'd like to avoid buying a new oven if possible, but if it means that I don't have to worry about starting my home on fire then maybe I will go that route. Thanks all!

UPDATE

Wire has "3321" written on it, which according to HERE is a "Fully annealed tinned copper, flexible stranding". Which I think is great news! Will I be okay with just a high temperature wire nut, taped up liberally around where it touches the sheet metal?

Parts for that model are still available.  Instead of trying to fabricate your own solution you can buy a new cord with connector for under $30. GE P/N AP4412100.

I'd also inspect the mating connector and replace that component too if it shows damage.


Splitting 220v breaker to two separate GFI circuits I have a mobile home that has an outdoor box which is just used as a main 200 amp breaker and spaces for 6 breakers. One double 20 amp breaker is used for 220v pump circuit which the pump installer used 12-2 romex with ground in PVC conduit. There is just one ground bar where the bare ground wire attached. I have two sheds and wanted to put separate 110v in them. Installing a 20 amp dual breaker(both white and ground to same bar)  I ran 12-3 with ground UF cable out between the sheds. I installed an outdoor box  with a GFI and 110v (black wire) in the shed for grinder/cordless chargers. All working well. Today I used the red with the ground and neutral to a GFI recpt. in the second shed. I have an octagon box below the first GFI where I did all the connections. I had a float charger in the second shed GFI and as soon as I connected the load red to the red to the second shed with the float charger the  black circuit kicked off. Baffled me. Is this a phase issue, ground/neutral or something I'm missing. Thanks and God bless.

You tried to poach the second shed's neutral from the GFCI protection on the first shed, so its no wonder the first GFCI tripped
What happened here isn't as weird-sounding as you are thinking it is.  You just need to remember two fundamentals here: first, that electric current flows in loops (it always has to make it back to the utility, generator, battery, or so on) and second, that a GFCI has nothing to do with ground as it simply compares what went through it on the hot side with what went through it on the neutral side and trips if they don't match up.
This all adds up to this being a simple wiring error; namely, that you tried to tap neutral to the second shed from the load side of the GFCI in the first shed.  As a result of this, when you tried to use the receptacle in the second shed, you injected the charger's running current, taken from the red wire (which the first shed's GFCI has no clue about) into the load neutral terminal of the first shed's GFCI.  Said GFCI sees this inexplicable-to-it flow of current on neutral, goes "WTF?!", and trips, just as it's designed to do, thinking something is wrong, which is true.
Fortunately, the fix here is simple; you just need to move the neutral connection going off to the second shed to the LINE side of the first shed's GFCI.  Note that you'll probably want disconnect-rated GFCIs here if you don't have them already (they're denoted by having ON/OFF labeling on their buttons to go with the normal TEST/RESET labeling).


How to make the door shut on its own after opening? There are some kind of door devices which push the door back after we open the door and come out.

My problem is that the door area is not constructed in a way that such a device can be installed.

There is no space adjacent to the door anywhere.

Automatic closure of door is extremely important to me.

Please see following pictures and tell what choices do I have.

You could use a hinge pin door closer:

or try replacing one hinge with a self-closing hinge:


How to make a wooden box with a hidden lid My aim is to make a wooden box that doesn't look openable, such that a cursory inspection and handling would not give away that it had a lid at all. A sort of diversion safe that will be placed somewhere it looks like a bit of boxing that covers a pipe.

I'm new to wood working, so I'm not sure how to accomplish this. Is this possible?

The trick here is to actually have the lid start out as part of the box, so that the grain of the wood all runs right across the separation between box and lid.

One way this can be accomplished is to build a solid "block", and then turn that into a box.  You first cut off a "lid" off of the solid block, and then by one means or another, hollow out the inside of the box part.

Then you would often use a belt sander or just sand paper on a flat surface and tidy up the two mating pieces (lid and box lip) so that imperfections from the sawing go away and leave an imperceptible gap between the lid and the box.

Since the lid "came from" the box originally, it will all match up and look like a single piece of wood if you get your gap perfect enough.

To better understand the techniques, search on YouTube for "bandsaw box".  It is a "thing" in the woodworking community.  Some people specialize in making small boxes similar to what you've described but for decorative rather than deceptive use.


How to insulate around heater exhaust vent pipe? In the winter I noticed that my garage (and the den next to it) get really cold by the morning. As in very close to the outside temp cold. I didn't know where to borrow tools to detect where the leak was so I did a couple of basic inexpensive things like insulated the garage door, foam sprayed the gaps in the garage everywhere I found them, insulated the interior door to the garage etc. It helped, but not that much.

The other day while cleaning I discovered that the gas water heater vent terminates on the side wall and there's almost an 1'' gap around it going directly outside without any insulation. I understand it's probably a legitimate part of the design as the pipe might get hot and needs some clearance.  But at the same time, does it mean that there's nothing I can do to reduce leaking and not have to heat the space the entire winter?

Does anyone know of any solutions to that?

This is in the PNW, US.

The pipe looks newer if it is double wall it could be sealed using fiberglass insulation with the foil on the outside (paper) not touching the pipe. If it is single wall rock wool would be the product I would use. Wrap insulation around pipe and slide to the opening.


Indicator with two-way switch We have a two way switch for an exhaust fan. The fan is out of sight from the switches.

So, the problem we face is we have no clue if the fan is on or off looking at the switch.

I tried to see if there are two-way switches with indicators attached (like this one for a one-way switch).

But there are none. They have a stand-alone indicator lamp, however.

Will it be OK if I connect the stand-alone indicator lamp is series with the exhaust fan?

BTW, this is at home on a 220-240V 5A circuit.

If you want a solution that doesn't require running any additional wires, you might consider getting a couple of 1000:1 current transformers. Run the common leg of each switch through a transformer, and put a couple of back-to-back diodes across the secondary. If one (or both) of those diodes is an LED, it will light up whenever load current is flowing in the circuit.

For example, 5 amps of load current will put 5 mA through the LED. But modern LEDs will light up quite nicely on much lower currents.


How can I protect existing fence pickets/rails from raised garden/lawn soil rot I have an existing fence which goes some way into the soil and we are cleaning and painting it then we plan on further raising the garden and lawn.
What are the best ways to protect the partially buried wooden fence from rotting?
There is already some rot but the posts are stable. Good ground clearance is not an option and most of my searching only reveals advice for fence posts although the are some threads about what is best for a garden bed. I am thinking garden edging could be retrofitted
Update: i think effective ground clearance is very unlikely (comment below). Even the neighbour's garden (lower) is against the base rail (also on their side). It isn't designed with proper clearance.
Update 2: the concensus is ground clearance, so after much hard work... images below

As noted in this answer the only way to slow the rot is to avoid ground contact entirely (Note: Nothing will prevent rot - wood is a natural product and will, when exposed to the elements, eventually turn to dust no matter what protection is applied without continued maintenance, which will be difficult on the portions against dirt.)
You need to minimize/avoid contact between wood and dirt to slow the rot, and that leaves you with a few options:

Build up the dirt, but slope it down before it gets to the wooden fence
Build up the dirt within a retaining wall that keeps most of it from the fence
Cut the bottom of the fence to be ~1" above the dirt
Take down the fence, build up the dirt, rebuild the fence on top of the new elevation

There is no magic solution to having wood buried in dirt that will prevent/minimize rot. You could have tried some of the old creosote based wood preservatives, but those are highly toxic and have been banned in the US (and probably elsewhere). It was reasonably effective, but no longer available.
You could try a spar/marine varnish on the to-be-burried portion of the fence, but that will be rather expensive and who knows how long it will actually last.
You could just mound the dirt up against the fence, wait for it to rot out, then cut the pickets 1" above the ground once they've rotted out. (Effectively the 3rd option I present, but waiting for rot first instead of cutting first.)
Beyond that, expect accelerated rotting.


Replace 240 receptacle with one or two 120 I found some similar questions but given possibly different base assumptions I would like just to check that what I want to do is possible with existing wiring.

In NYC, where everything is armored cable and all metal boxes are grounded I have a NEMA 6-20R outlet (in the closet) that goes to a dual breaker (labeled range, welcome to NYC). Given that every other outlet around this room is on a single breaker that’s shared with the AC :( I would love to have some plugs for vacuum, etc that won’t risk tripping the breaker if I decide to vacuum on a hot day!   Is it possible to convert this outlet to standard 5-20 or even better, two of them?

Pictures of the outlet, box, breakers.

I tested the plug before turning off the breakers and it was showing 240 (120 when each side was tested against neutral)

Blue wire is capped off so it’s black red and white that are connected:

The blue wire turned out to be capped off on the panel side as well:

Can I use existing wiring and replace just receptacle and breakers (if needed)?

Yes, you should be able to do this. But along the way, you need to fix the problems.
A NEMA 6-20 is supposed to be hot/hot/ground. It is NOT hot/hot/neutral. But yours is wired up as hot/hot/neutral. In the US, black & red (and blue) are hot, white is neutral. Ground is green or bare or, fortunately for you, armored cable. So the first step is:
Make this a valid 6-20
You don't actually have to do this, but if you actually wanted to use the 6-20, you would want to make it safe. Ground is not neutral.
To do that, cap the neutral (since you aren't using it) and instead connect the ground pin of the 6-20 to the metal box. That doesn't always work, but with armored cable and metal boxes that is the normal way to do things. You can get a green wire with a screw attached and screw it into the metal box.
Switch to MWBC
You can get a single 120V 20A circuit easily - just use one hot + neutral. But you can actually get two circuits. This is an MWBC - Multi-wire Branch Circuit. Each circuit gets a hot (red or black) and they share the neutral (white).
The two circuits have to be on separate poles and common shutoff - but that's already done, so this one is relatively easy. Plus everything gets grounded to the metal box. There are a few ways to proceed. The simplest that I can think of is:

Get a 5-20 dual receptacle. This has 2 20A 120V receptacles, which can accept plugs from any standard 15A or 20A 120V devices (like vacuum cleaners).
Break off the common tab on the hot side. Do NOT break off the common tab on the neutral side. Which side is which? No guarantees, varies by manufacturer/model, so check the instructions.
Connect red and black to the hot side - one to each screw.
Connect white to one of the neutral screws.
Connect ground with a green wire/screw to the metal box.

AFCI and/or GFCI
Depending on specific code requirements, it is likely that this circuit (120V instead of 208V/240V) now requires AFCI and/or GFCI, depending on location. The easiest way to retrofit AFCI and/or GFCI for an MWBC is to replace the double 20A breaker with a double 20A breaker that includes the necessary functions. That is different from a single 120V circuit where it is very easy to use a GFCI/receptacle combination - but those generally don't support MWBC.


How do I unscrew a hex screw that doesn't have any grip anymore? I messed up the screw that fits this tip of this particular type of screwdriver bit (circled in red):

That screw now has almost no edges and is basically oval. I tried lubricating the screw so that I can get it by the neck on the opposite side with a set of pliers but I had no luck there as well.

You may have some luck with a screw extractor. They come in various styles - here are two of them:

The extractors are designed to screw themselves down into the head of the screw while at the same time applying torque on the screw in the direction that would loosen the screw. Your described screw had a hex socket type hole so the extractor may be ready to try. Sometimes it is necessary to drill a small hole in the screw head to engage the extractor. The first type shown has extractor on one and a suitably sized drill on the other end.

It the extractor fails to remove the screw or if the thing is too far gone already to accept a screw extractor then it would likely be a next step to remove the core of the screw by drilling it out. With care you can drill down the center of the core and use a diameter that is smaller than the outside thread diameter. Then you can come back with a threading tap to remove the reset of the screw material and clean up the threads in the mating part. Here is a picture of a typical threading tap.


How do I stop water from coming under my multitrack sliding doors? I live in a desert where seasonal hard rains occur 5-10 times per year.  We have an automated door with a multitrack slide that it lets quite a bit of water in when it rains hard.  The door is an architectural feature and very good looking, but the random rains create quite a mess.  The patio is not under deep cover, which might prevent the problem.  My question is what can I do to stop the rain from coming in under the doors?  I don't want to lose the function of the doors, so caulking shut is unfortunately not a solution.  One solution might be something that I can place in front of the door before a rain, but I don't know exactly what that could be.

Here is a picture of a similar door:

First does the patio roof have eaves drops/gutters?  If not I would recommend installing them.  This will help divert some of the rain water away from the deck and keep water from splashing on the deck. If you still get a lot of water at your door after the eaves drop/gutters you can then try one of the following:

1) Re-grade the deck away from the doors (as Tester101 suggested in the comments). This would be the best solution.
2) Install a trench drain system (flush with the deck) to divert water away from the door.   Some issues with would be making sure the locations of drains catch and divert the water away from the doors.

3) Use a leaker blocker dike (http://www.newpig.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10651&catalogId=13007&productId=141454&langId=-1&cm_vc=vc_fast_finder) to divert the water away from the door.  Some issues with this method would be installing it before it rains, slight leakage between the dike and floor, installing in the correct location to divert the rain, and getting rid of the water after the rain.


How to attach metal knife rack to tile without ruining tile? I'd like to attach a magnetic, metal knife rack to a tile back splash in the kitchen of my rental apartment. The tile is glazed white and the attachment points on the rack are small (about 0.9 sq in of metal). The rack weighs 2.5lb and with the knives and a margin for error, we're looking at about 5.25lbs total weight.

Lsat week I asked for guidance on choosing an adhesive, but that was roundly identified as a bad idea. Now I'm looking for alternatives. Since it's a rental, I'm not willing to break the tile (or risk breaking it).

Could I drill into the grout?
There are white formica wooden cabinets on either side, but I don't know how to drill into those in such a way that I could patch it later without being obvious.
Could I use a horizontal tension rod between the cabinets?
Could I use vertical tension rods between the sink and the cabinet above the sink?

If the tiles have a non-porous glaze, an adhesive over a larger contact area should work fine.
Adhesive Joint Strength and Surface Area
The strength of the adhesive joint is proportional to the area in contact.  This is how drywallers hang 100lb sheets of drywall with adhesive and almost no screws: Because of the large area over which the adhesive spreads the holding force to the studs or joists.  The larger the sheet of drywall, the larger the adhesive surface area, the higher the holding strength.
Adapter Plate
Because the rack's mounts have small surface area, you would build an adapter plate with adequate adhesive contact surface area to support the weight.  You mount the rack to the plate and adhere the plate to the tile.
Suppose the plate had an area 4"x4" in contact with tile.  That bond will be 20x the strength of the 0.9"x0.9" area of your existing mounts.  Increasing the contact area is how you get strength from your adhesive joint.
Adhesive Type
Once you've increased the contact surface area, you are no longer requiring anything extraordinary from your adhesive.  I would guess that something like silicon tiling caulk that is designed for clean removal from tile would work best.  You don't want something with too much holding force per unit area because it will take too much force to pop the plate off when you're done.
Plate Material
Ideally the plate material is something slightly flexible so that you can peel rather than pop the adhesive joint when you remove it.
If the plate is rigid then you'll be applying the entire failure force to the tile when you remove it.  This could crack or lift the tile.
On the other hand, a flexible plate allows you to peel the plate which means overcoming only a small area of holding strength at a time.  This is the exact same principle as peeling scotch tape.
Sacrificial Test
To be safe you'll want to test a representative mockup of an adapter plate and tile to test the following:

the plate/tile bond is adequate to support the weight
the adhesive can be removed without marking or marring the tile or grout
you can pop the plate from the tile without breaking or lifting the tile