Rebar required for 24 ft tall 4x4 square steel tube 1/4 inch thickness, 4ft deep in a concrete base, horizontal load of up to 1,000 lbs at the top I am installing a 24 ft 4x4 square quarter inch thick steel tube 4 ft into the ground with a concrete base of 28 inch diameter and just over 48 inches deep, so 20 ft of the post is above the ground. This post will be have heavy horizontal loads pulling it from the top of the post. I`m curious if the concrete base is deep enough and if reinforcement is required to keep the concrete from failing.

Thank you,

Whether your concrete base will survive is irrelevant, because your beam will fail.

See: https://www.amesweb.info/StructuralAnalysisBeams/Stresses_Steel_Hollow_Structural_Sections.aspx

Input:
Output:

Notice the highlighted field of the output.  That's the stress you'll be putting on the connection with the ground, (assuming it's rigid).   The yield strength of steel (where it stops bending back when unloaded) is 36,300 psi,   You'd be overloading this beam 1.5 times.  It will fail.

Consult an engineer to design something for your purposes.

EDIT:  I've done a recalc with a cantilevered beam calculator in response to the comments below.  The result is essentially identical, and any difference between the two calculations is likely rounding. Simply put, two different calculators, with two different sets of input, give the same result:

I = 8.82813 in^4, and the 2 inches is the distance from the edge to the center.

There are two things to note in the results:

A stress of > 36000 psi, the yield strength of steel, and
A deflection at the end of almost 18 inches, which throws the geometry completely out of whack, and accelerates failure.

Further EDIT:
The Plastic Modulus for this section is 5.28 in^4
Multiply that by the yield strength gives a Plastic moment of 190,000 in.lbf, which is ~16000 ft.lbf, which is LESS than the moment at the support of 20000 ft.lbf.

TLDR: You're loading the entire structure into the plastic region, turning it into a plastic hinge.  This WILL fail.


Toilet flange issue. Any hope? The last plumber suggested glue-ing (caulking) the toilet to the floor without any bolts. Is that the best solution for this ? Attaching the photo. The old flange does not gap to fit in the screws / bolts.
My experience level is 1/10 :)

Thank you for reading !

I would get a repair flange (screws to the old one) then fire your plumber because he should know how to install this 10$ repair kit. Added there are compression flanges closer to 40$ that will also work but I would choose the <10$ option.


12 Volt DC wiring in existing home for under soffit LED lights I am toying with the idea of putting in down facing LEDs under the soffits in an existing vinyl sided home.  I have an old 300 W landscape lighting transformer I wish to use for this.  What kind/gauge of wire should I use?  How do I run the wire?  It is not a huge home, but by the time wire runs up over and around to all the points I need it, I can see it being 80 to 100 feet from the transformer.

The main issue you'll have is with the power supply.  The "old" landscape lighting power supply is designed to drive incandescent bulbs.  Incandescents don't care whether power is AC or DC*.

The problem is, LEDs very much do.  Now, you know 120VAC LEDs don't care; that's true, but the way they fix that is with a diode bridge rectifier. The rectifier has a voltage drop across it of about 2 volts regardless of input voltage - no big deal on 120V, but a big deal on 12V.   So 12V lighting usually omits the rectifier and expects you to polarize correctly.

Best case: the LED shimmers, being on 50% of the time. Worst case, the reverse voltage damages the LED, or the fact that LEDs are non-linar does not play well with that 16.9V RMS* peaks, and fries the LED.

I recommend one of two options:

Get a correct power supply for this application.  I for one am a fan of GE power supplies.  However if you prefer this Amazon/eBay "fell off a truck in Shenzhen" cheap Cheese, get units that are much larger than your actual draw.  These products are wildly underbuilt and overrated, and will fail quickly at anywhere near nameplate.
Or keep your power supply and deal with a technically competent domestic supplier who really knows his product and can address the "working on AC" issue. I'm sure there are products that do; they aren't sold for peanuts on Amazon/eBay/Ali*.

While you're at it, you might want to revisit whether you want these bulbs to be all one color (and what color temperature, also CRI).  Or whether you want them to be color-changeable in unison; or be individually addressible - each color set separately.  This can't be retrofitted; each of these schemes requires different initial wiring.

A monochrome system requires only 2 wires (earth/ground is not needed for low voltage; DO NOT USE the AC power system's earth/ground as a current return!) An RGB "in unison" system requires 4 power wires (5 for RGBW), with 1 wire being larger than the others.   Individually addressable systems vary by the system, but only 2 wires handle all the power, the others are signal.

Sizing the wires:

You may need to do some light conversion between watts and amps, as needed.  Amps x 12 = watts, close enough.

Once you know how many amps you will be carrying what distance, head off to a voltage drop calculator (I like this one) and punch in your numbers.  Voltage is 12.  Percent allowable, I'd put in 10%, or 99% if you just want to see what the voltage drop will be.  Don't use 3%.  For current, put in your actual draw current of your lamps.**

High voltage drop is "dangerous" to you in a different way.  Now, overheating the wire is not an issue with this voltage drop calculator -- it automatically upsizes the wire to prevent overheating.  The problems are

12V systems flow more current, to make up for the lower voltage. More current equals more voltage drop.
12V systems don't have much voltage drop to spare.  A 7V drop isn't a big deal on a 240V circuit, but it dooms a 12V circuit.
LEDs are non-linear.  With an incandescent bulb, dropping voltage 10% drops current 10%, resulting in a 19% reduction in light - mind you, that's linear.  LEDs are much worse.

The upshot is if you don't keep a close eye on your voltage drop, your faraway LEDs will be noticeably dimmer than the nearer ones.

I would draw it out on paper, then calculate each segment of voltage drop separately.  You may need to allow some voltage drop on a long run, and focus on keeping each of the bulbs relatively equal.

A little bit of sharp-pencil work will help your project go much better.

* in fact, cities were already being wired for 110 volt DC when they converted to AC power.  (110 was due to two "bumps" from the original, nice round 100V). They needed to find an AC power voltage that would just work with all those existing 110VDC bulbs. (the main purpose of electricity in those days was lighting.) They figured out the bulbs were happy with AC voltage that was 155 volts peak to center, and this is how they worked out the "root mean square" method of defining AC voltage.  Since then, in the US/Canada there have been 2-3 more bumps to 120V, our now-official voltage.

** Some people will get mad at this advice, because they have been taught to always use 3% for allowable drop and the circuit breaker capacity (i.e. 20A) for the current. That's not always a good fit; this here is an example.


Are my circuits properly grounded? I have a Cutler Hammer CH30e panel. On the right side on the panel there is a neutral bus with the a #6 cu ground and a 1/0 Al THW neutral. The bus is also connected to the panel

What I find very strange is that on the left side of the panel where I'd expect to find a ground bus, there are two lugs with all the grounds from the panel connected to them and screwed into the panel.

Is this proper?  I have never seen this done before. Should the grounds have been connected to the empty slots on the neutral bus?

Here are the labels from inside the panel. It appears I can use a CH9G ground bar but I don't know how I'll get it in there as the 2-2/0 AL go right up that left side

No, that's not right.  -- Unless UL says it is (i.e. if they approved the labeling and instructions for the lug to say that you can do that). But I really doubt that.

Retrofit a ground bar.  They are readily available in the $7 range.  Your panel probably has holes pre-drilled and pre-tapped for an accessory ground bar; add a photo of your panel's labeling and someone (ThreePhaseEel :) might even be able to identify the particular Eaton part number that will fit right up.

Then attach the wires 1 per hole, or whatever the ground bar's labeling/instructions tell you to do.

About separate bars

In a perfect installation, this N-G bond is a heavy wire (or several, redundancy allowed) that, ahem, you can put a clamp meter around.

In a best-practice installation, they may skip that, but still put neutrals and grounds on separate bars -- not least, this makes it easy to convert a main to a subpanel.

Worst-practice (but still legal) is to simply declare all bars neutral+ground bars, and simply land all neutrals+grounds onto the nearest convenient bar.  Obviously, that makes it a lot harder to put a clamp meter around the neutral-ground equipotential bond, or convert to a subpanel.

So it looks like somebody started out doing the "best practice" version of this, with neutral on one bar and grounds on the other.... and somebody else came along and added a circuit with the latter doctrine.

Since fully separated N-G has its usefulness, and it's 95% done already, I would maintain that in this panel.

Those MWBCs

One other thing.  Judging by the red+black wires, it looks like you have some multi-wire branch circuits.  From the numbered stickers being out of sequence, it also looks like breakers have been moved around.  This combination is a recipe for disaster.  To fix it, follow each red wire back to its origin cable, identify the red+black pair from that cable, then follow them back to their respective breakers.  Make sure the breakers are adjacent (240V between them) then add a handle-tie ($3) or replace both breakers with a 2-pole ($9).


How much ceiling fan wobble is acceptable? I've got 3 flush-mount ceiling fans.  The large one (well, when it was working, the motor is seized up now and needs replacement) has always been rock solid.  No noticeable vibration/wobble in use.  Pushing on it, there's not any play at all in the fan assembly or mount.

However, the other 2 show some vibration (very minor wobble, barely noticeable).  Both of them are smaller fans and the mounts show more play when I push on them.  They also have lights (which the big one does not).  So, they're heavier, hang down further, and have smaller mounts...  Just what one would expect to lead to less stability even under ideal conditions.

In the Kitchen it doesn't seem to have any ill effects (other than if you look close you can see a little motion), but the bedroom fan makes just enough motion to generate a "tick-tick" sound.  It also has a much wider spread of lights, so it's more noticeable.  Doesn't bother my wife at all, but makes me wonder at what point does it become a problem and require rebalancing.  As it stands, the rebalancing instructions I've read aren't helpful as it's not wobbling enough to determine where to place the weights...

Get/use a balancing kit.

An off balance fan shortens the life of the motor bearings, and if extreme, could pose risks if the mount is less than perfect. Also, a vibrating fan significantly shortens the life of attached light bulbs.

The kits allow you to experiment with a temporary weight (the U shaped slide) before mounting permanent balance weights. It is a trial and error process, but not overly difficult.

You start with the temp weight very close to the motor and test each blade to see if it helps. If you find one that responds well, you then experiment with moving the temp weight further out until you find the sweet spot.

If the initial close placement does not show improvement on any blade, you repeat the process on each blade with the temp weight a bit further out.

 Images and links are for illustration only and not an endorsement of a product or source.


How do I fill in around waste pipes? Broke the concrete in my basement to run new pipes for the basement bathroom. The plumber put sand under the pipes to support them at the correct angle. I asked him not to glue the vertical sections as I'd probably have to disassemble them to build the wall there.

My question is now... What type of cement do I use to fill it back in? Should I hammer drill into the sides of the cutout and put a few pieces of rebar in? Can I just fill it up with sand and level it?

Click for full size

Can you just fill it with sand and level it? Yes, I suppose so, though it is not a good idea. This would probably be viewed as a problem when you decide to sell this house. It would be a tripping point, so dangerous. It might also be an avenue for radon gas to get into your basement.

Do you need to have rebar into the sides? I doubt that. There is no load being carried here. No real need for serious strength.

Just pick up a few bags of cement from the home store, mix it up as indicated in a wheelbarrow, and trowel it in. Make it reasonably flat, but you need not be a perfectionist if this is simply a storage area. Just try to minimize any trip points.


Is the trim and wall using same latex paint? The color seems exactly same. The paint on trim and door looks smoother. But I am guessing they are using same latex paint. Is it possible that trim is not latex paint?

I am asking the question basically because I am planing to repaint the home....

A common approach is to use flat paint on walls and satin or semigloss on trim. This is independent of whether the paints are latex or oil based.

Even if the same color, a higher gloss paint tends to look lighter than its flat mate.

Often an additive is included in trim paint to make it lay smoother and to reduce brush marks. Again, this is done on both water based and oil based paints.

It is uncommon to us the same paint on walls and trim. Flat (or other low luster textures) are less durable and do not hold up to the touches and bumps that trim receives.

Some purists use latex on walls and oil based finishes on trim. There are now water based alkyds that are positioned somewhat in between water and oil.

When repainting, the key is to clean, sand, and prime (if needed), and then put quality paint of whatever type on top. More and more, even pros are leaning toward high quality water based paints. Plus you avoid that whole nasty VOC stuff.


How do I extend outlets after installing a backsplash? I have installed a back splash in my kitchen, if I use the plastic spacers how many should I use or is there a limit? I understand that this can cause to much air space around the receptacle or light switch.

If your problem is that the thickness of the back splash material has caused the electrical boxes to become recessed you may need to use electrical box extenders. These come in a number of styles depending on the type of electrical boxes you have. There are options for metal or plastic boxes for starters. Other factors would be amount of extension needed and whether you are dealing with a single width type box or a wider type.
Here is an example of a metal box extender that works in a telescopic manner to accommodate just the amount of extension that you require.

If you're in an area that follows National Electrical Code (NEC), the boxes cannot be set back more than 1/4" (6 mm). If the backsplash has caused the boxes to be set back more than this, you'll have to use extenders to bring the box out to the proper depth.

National Electrical Code 2011
ARTICLE 314 Outlet, Device, Pull, and Junction Boxes; Conduit Bodies; Fittings; and Handhole Enclosures
II. Installation
314.20 In Wall or Ceiling. In walls or ceilings with a surface of concrete, tile, gypsum, plaster, or other noncombustible material, boxes employing a flush-type cover or faceplate shall be installed so that the front edge of the box, plaster ring, extension ring, or listed extender will not be set back of the finished surface more than 6 mm (1⁄4 in.).
In walls and ceilings constructed of wood or other combustible surface material, boxes, plaster rings, extension rings, or listed extenders shall be flush with the finished surface or project therefrom.

If the box is less than 1/4" from the finished surface, you can use as many spacers as needed to mount the receptacle in such a way that the yoke is held rigidly at the finished surface.


How to install Water Heater drain pan to sump pit? I want to replace my electric water heater.  The current water heater does not have a drain pan.  I'd like to add one with my new water heater.  This is all in the basement.

Our basement does not have a floor drain.  The waste pipe is about 4 feet off the floor.  There is a sump pit however, and I'd imagine that's the best place to connect the drain pan to.

How exactly do I do this?

The sump pit is sealed (piece of plywood).  I can certainly drill through that, but if I connect PVC from the drain pan to the sump pit then I'm effectively "unsealing" the pit right (air can travel freely from the pit to the drain pan)?  I notice the A/C condensation line has a trap built into it, so it's still sealed.  Would I need to elevate the drain pan and water heater, and install a trap?

See the picture.

I have a setup similar to yours and the radon installers put a foam sheet over a hole in my sump cover, almost like a thin sheet of packing foam. This is almost airtight but allows some suction for the fan. You could terminate the drain line over a small hole that was covered with foam or paper such that the the air would be sealed in, but in the case you get water from the heater it would drip through it. You could also put a check valve in the pvc line from the heater but it would have to be loose so a trickle of water would trigger it. A trap would dry out, although the HVAC trap probably dries out during the winter anyway....but the suction from the fan should override that small opening.


How can I make my hard stone entrance staircase softer and more kid friendly? I live on the top floor of 3 storey housing unit. When you walk into our house, you are immediately faced with a staircase that takes you up to the third floor.

The stairs are made of stone slabs and are extremely hard. Our child is getting better at walking and more independent and wants to go up and down the stairs by herself. However we are worried about this since even a small fall on such hard and sharp edged stairs would be painful and possibly catastrophic.

What can I do to make the stairs softer and more child friendly, while also taking into account that this is an entrance staircase and will encounter snowy boots during the winter and wet shoes in the summer?

Carpet the stairs. A fairly thick outdoor carpet could be secured using high-strength construction adhesive along with screws into the metal risers under the lip of each step. Perhaps even a rubber "nose" under the carpet, along the sharp edge of the steps. That would lessen the danger of a fall, at least a bit.

When unbearably muddy/dirty it could be water blasted and wet-vac cleaned.

When the tykes have grown the carpet could be removed (albeit with some labor to scrape off the glue and patch work on the screw holes) to reveal the nice original stone steps.

Contact the local flooring industry council or guild for advice; they would love to offer solutions and supply and install it for you. Or you could take a chance and do it yourself.


Air flow and ventilation in an apartment with all windows on one side I am considering renting a 2 bedroom apartment with all the windows on one side(south). But I am concerned about the overall air circulation in the apartment and eventually moisture and mold problems.

Is ventilation greatly compromised by this layout? Is it possible to retrofit a ventilation system?

You can easily circulate air in this scenario with forced circulation / pressurization, AKA a box fan. A fan in the bathroom and partially open windows in the other rooms will achieve suitable circulation.

I used to make use of a whole house window fan (~$200) in an apartment I lived in years ago that could push 3,560 CFM, or put another way enough to dump all the air in the entire apartment in less than five minutes. I'd leave the AC off during the day and vent the apartment in the evening rather than (or before) turning the AC on at night.


What - if any - annual maintenance is required for grout/caulk in a shower? I'm a new home owner who has been living in house that was built last year. Upon moving in the builder mentioned that grout needed yearly maintenance--would he referring to re-sealing the grout? Are there other types of maintenance involved for tile grout? Any recommendations here about the process would be greatly appreciated.

Below is a picture of one of the corners in my shower where the grout has cracked. Does that area need to be re-grouted or would caulk be sufficient to seal the gap? Thanks!

The surfaces that the tile are mounted to can shift with respect to one another over time and through the seasons. This can be caused by temperature changes and by general "settling in" of the house itself.

The nicest way to reseal the cracked grout is to scratch out some or all of the grout in the cracked areas and reapply new grout. Having said that this can be more than a simple 5 or 10 minute task. It is also possible that further movement is possible of the tile mounting surfaces and your re-grouted joints may crack again.

Caulking with a silicone based sealer can be a quick and easy way to cover up the cracks. Silicone will stay flexible and will permit additional movement of the tile surfaces while still staying sealed up. Now with that option put on the table it is up to you to decide if the appearance of the caulk sealer is acceptable to your tastes and aesthetics.


Thermostat "fan" function actually using air conditioning A few months ago, my wife and I started sleeping with our bedroom doors closed to keep out our cat. We would wake up in the middle of the night to find our bedroom was very hot and it felt really hard to breathe. We got an Awair some time later and noticed the CO2 was shooting up to about 1500ppm within 2 hours.

To solve this, I began using the thermostat's "Fan" function set to ON to get ventilation continually throughout the night. My understanding is that this only blows air, but is separate from heating/cooling.

The problem is that even when we set our AC to heat or turn that system off, the fan appears to be cooling the house. Despite it never getting below 70°F outside, this fan function is getting the house down to 64°F within a few hours. Then, because I have the heat on to prevent it getting so low, the heat starts running.

I am running heating+cooling all night just to prevent from suffocating. Obviously our energy costs are out of control.

Am I misunderstanding something? Is it possible that thermostat is miswired such that the fan is hooked up to the AC itself? And how would I even begin to diagnose this?

Sounds like it's miswired... But maybe your unit has limitations. Pictures would be great.


Can I run stripped Romex/NM through conduit? If I have NM cable running into a junction box, can I strip the sheath of the NM cable starting inside the junction box and run the conductors without a sheath through conduit that is connected to the junction box?
I understand that the wiring you'd typically use through conduit is THHN or NM (if you want to use the conduit solely as protection).  But I'd like to be able to take this incoming NM cable and have it's conductors only continue on through conduit along with some other THHN that's coming from another source.
The individual conductors of the NM cable while not labeled can still be traced back to where the sheathing ends, so technically the conductors are still identifiable as to what they are.
If need be, I could splice the NM conductors to THHN wire in the junction box, but I don't see a reason to add a splice where I don't think it's needed.
My reasoning for why I think this should be OK is that if you terminate NM cable in a panel, you typically have a foot or so of the conductors without the sheath and there's nothing identifying those other than tracing it back to the sheath it came from.

The wires in NM aren't labeled for use outside the cable jacket, and may not be the correct type for use in conduit to begin with
First off, the wires inside a NM cable are not marked or labeled at all, which automatically makes them unsuitable for use in a conduit wiring method, as NEC 310.120 requires conductor insulation to be marked/labeled with the correct insulation type letters, the rated voltage, the wire gauge, and the manufacturer.
Furthermore, the wires in NM are not required to meet any of the type standards in Table 310.104!  In fact, while UL 719 section 4.4.1 permits the use of THHN type insulation on wires in NM cables, it also permits the insulation on said wires to meet the standards for type TW wire.  It even allows cablemakers to use an insulation material that's not PVC at all, provided it's electrically and mechanically comparable to type THHN insulation and meets the aging requirements set out in UL 1581 Table 50.144.
As a result, you have to treat the individual wires in NM as if they were "mystery meat"; once they have departed the cable jacket, they can only live within a single box, either as wires emerging from a cable that enters the box or "shucked" from their jacket for use as pigtails or jumpers that never leave the confines of said box.


Rewire polarized power receptacle that is installed backwards The extension of the house I just bought seems to have the US 120V recpeticals wired backwards. The large blade tests hot and the small blade tests neutral. This and a bunch of other issues where found during the home inspection. Given some of the craziness in the house, I am a little worried that there is more to it than simply being wired backwards. In addition to my general wariness, I have tried plugging in a number of things and none of them work.

I guess I have two questions. What typical device in a house should work in an incorrectly polarized outlet? Can I simply turn off the power and flip the wires?

Sometimes, HIRE AN ELECTRICIAN is the right answer, especially considering you are wary of other electrical issues. Sounds like they had some handyman or hack wire up this addition. I wonder what else is wrong structurally?


How to remove mirror stickers from a painted wall? Can you tell me the easiest way to remove adhesive mirrors from a painted wall? The mirrors are made of a thin plastic material and the adhesive is completely covering the back, it is not double-sided foam. Thank you! The first attempt took me down to the drywall.

Sounds like you're dealing with a pressure sensitive vinyl. It's not going to go down with out a fight. The best course of action is to hit it with a heat gun and very slowly pull with light steady pressure, let the heat do the work. If you do it right the adhesive will detach from the wall and the vinyl in about equal measure, which of course means you'll have to deal with the residual next. If it's the kind of adhesive I think it is, Goo Gone works okay (or any of the orange oil based cleaners) but Rapid Remover is designed for the job. If none of those will touch it then it's something solvent based and you'll have to step up to something with acetone in it (Goof Off) but test a little spot first to make sure it's not going to ruin your paint. He's a link with a bit more information.  http://www.signwarehouse.com/blog/a-basic-guide-to-vinyl-removal-options/


How can I prevent moisture from damaging my tools overnight? I just bought a Nissan NV200, which I've had outfitted with a partition and shelves.  My tools stay in the vehicle and after a really cold night, I find a fair bit of condensation on them.

I've tried running the defrost on high, even the AC to dehumidify, but until the tools warm up, they'll collect whatever moisture is in the air.

How do you manage moisture in your vehicles ?

As you said, until the tools warm up, you will have condensation problems. Cold tools and warm air will always give you condensation problems. The only option is to prevent your tools from getting that cold.

Using heat to protect expensive/precision tools is nothing new and is commonly done to preserve firearms. I use this GoldenRod heater type dehumidifier http://amzn.to/2utHyWQ to protect machine tools with exposed metal surfaces like lathes from the dangers of condensation corrosion.
I have even seen these heater bars used on pianos to protect the wooden structure.

I suggest you place them in or under your tool racks and leave it plugged in overnight. These simple resistance heaters can also be hooked up to a 12v line, though it would most likely only output 10% of the original amount of heat when done so.

Then again most of my hand tools and even the vast majority of my power tools seem to be unaffected by condensation/moisture/rain. The only things that get their own heater are the expensive precision tools and measuring devices.


Replaced motion sensor light switch; extra red wire in wall I recently replaced a Leviton PR180-1LW Decora motion sensor light switch. The switch had four wires: red, black, green/ground, and yellow with a red stripe. The green, red, and black wires were connected to green, red, and black wires in the wall. But the yellow wire was connected to a second red wire from the wall. I believe this was in order to use it as a three way switch, though the second switch in this arrangement never functioned since we moved in.
I replaced the switch with a TOPGREENER TSOS5 switch. This switch included red, black, green/ground, and white/neutral wires. I connected the red, black, and greens to the same wires that my previous switch was connected to, and then connected the white wire to the previously unused white/neutral wire in my wall. But I was left with the extra red wire in my wall that was previously connected to the yellow wire in my old switch. I put a cap on this extra red wire, and everything seems to be functioning normally.
I just want to check: did I do this properly? Is it normal to have an extra red wire, and if so, what is it for? This is my first time doing any home wiring, and I just want to make sure I haven't done anything wrong. Thanks for any help.

Yes you are fine the extra wire is so you can install the switch in a 3-way switch set up. Where you would have two switches controlling the same light in different locations like a hallway.


Connecting new Pex water line to 20 yr old Pex I'm preparing to connect new 1” Pex water line from well to 20 yr old house, that is also Pex piping. I plan to either use copper crimp rings or shark bite clamp fittings. My question is, could there be brittleness & leak issues when I compress the rings around the older Pex tubing?

The life span of Pex can be as much as 40 years. When you make the connection to the old tubing, I would use a Sharkbite fitting at that point instead of crimping. You won't use near the pressure and they hold really well.


Well pump cycles, presure switch on and off ,contacts keep breaking in the pressure switch My pump is set on 40-60 lbs when the pressure gets to the shut-off pressure the contacts in the pressure switch keep breaking off and on. there are 25 lbs different between the line pressure at the bladder tank and the pressure at the gauge on, should pressure at the pump and the line pressure not be the same

With a rapid on off cycling of the pressure switch the bladder has usually failed or lost its air charge.  (Bladder or diaphragm).
Turn the power to the pump off and drain the water pressure open a spigot.

Now use an air compressor , bicycle tire pump or some method to pump up the tank to ~38 psi.  There is normally a small valve like a tire valve stem on the top of the tank. This is where to add the air. If you leave the spigot open and air starts coming out or you can not pressurize to 38 psi the bladder or diaphragm has failed.
If you stain 38 psi close the spigot and let the tank fill it should now cycle normally.

On older diaphragm tanks that had failed I had charged them and the system will cycle close to normal but the charge will be lost if the water level in the tank gets low and over time the air dissolving in the water will require recharging but this may provide some time to save for a new tank I am not sure if a bladder tank will have enough volume for this to work but may be worth a try.

I would not leave a system with a failed tank powered up as the rapid on off will damage the pump and the switch contacts along with creating a large number of voltage spikes that can damage sensitive electronics in the home.


Should I have thicker areas of foundation under posts? I am building a structure with large frame timbers. The structure rests on 16 8x8 posts. There will be a foundation with a perimeter footer, but I want to know if the posts on the interior of the structure should have a thicker foundation as well. Should there be some sort of pier or footer under these interior beams poured with the foundation?

At a 3000psf bearing capacity of the soil underneath, each 8x8 post without footing can bear a paltry  27 sqft at 50psf live load.
(3000psf x 64 sq-in / 144 / 50psf) = 27 sqft
If this is all you need, you still have to worry about post tilt due to an uneven bearing capacity or hardness gradient under such a small post.
You need a soil analysis and a load calculation by a structural engineer.


Is a reciprocating saw the right tool to saw 2cm/0.8" hardened steel? I have a bicycle that's locked with a 2 cm/0.8" hardened steel lock that I have unfortunately lost the key to. I would very much like to get the bike operational again, but all I have is a 900W reciprocating saw. I had some moderate success with it and a metal blade, until the blade became dull after getting about 1 mm through the lock. Note that this was a very cheap blade, and I'm sure I can get some that are harder and more durable, but is it actually worth the effort and cost of blades to use a reciprocating saw for this? Or is an angle grinder a better tool that I should acquire instead?

EDIT: And for those who are curious, the lock looks like this:

For cutting locks, nothing beats an angle grinder.  Good locks are all made with hardened steel that should be as hard as any metal cutting blade for a saw.  The reciprocating saw will be able to make a little progress into the shackle, but its speed will dull the blade quickly, and once it's even a little dull, it will stop cutting and melt/grind the teeth completely off.

A grinder on the other hand works by heating the metal, softening it and scraping away particles.  The grinding disk is meant to be consumable, so rather than getting dull, it just wears away as it does the job.

Of course, you should also consider that a lot of locks are very easy to pick open.  While you are trying to get access to a grinder, spend a few minutes to research picking and determine the type of lock you have.  It's unfortunate, but many locks claiming to be "high security" can be picked in minutes or seconds using improvised tools.


How could I insulate a thin hot roof and bring it to current Southern CA code? So we started an exterior remodel today, and found that our roof construction is way more mickey mouse than I thought it was.
Our house has vaulted 2nd floor ceilings through most of the 2nd floor with only a small ventilated attic space, but the majority of the 2nd floor is tongue and groove vaulted ceilings with no attic space above.
I learned today that our roof is simply layers of comp shingle laid on top of the tongue and groove one inch panels.  There is no OSB.   No air cavity.   No insulation.   The rafters are BELOW the tongue and groove panels as the rafters are visible from inside (painted).  We have already contracted to replace the siding and roof but now I'd like to do a better job.  We live in SoCal so we have mind weather but our insulation is horrible and I assume this is a big reason why.
Whats the right way to do this?   My contractor suggested laying down OSB first, then polyiso (just one inch?) and then weather barrier and tiles.
If I do this, and the roof then becomes insulated, I should change to an unvented attic at that point?
Also does anyone know what code is likely to require for insulation?  I'm reading R25 but that would require 5 layers of polyiso stacked on top of each other and that cant be right?  Given each panel is only R5

I have resolved cases like this (in Minnesota, no less) in two ways:

Keep the "hot roof" but add polyiso insulation, as you described. In our case we put down two layers of ~3" panels (which gets you more than R-25), then OSB. Obviously it took some long fasteners to do that. I'm not sure why it was suggested that you put down OSB first. Of course the shingles need to be removed, leaving you with a suitable deck, I'd think. One challenge is working out fascia structure. There's not much to fasten to with the foam, so you need to embed backing lumber or fasten to the new sheathing and original decking.

Overlay scissor trusses with modern energy heels. This gives you space for blown insulation or batts, which you'd probably install from above before you put sheathing on the roof. Scissor trusses leave a very short space that's difficult to work in otherwise. This approach also provides a vented attic, which is good for efficiency. The drawback might be that you have to deal with siding on the gables.

Both are substantial and somewhat expensive projects, but if you want a modern, energy-efficient solution they're worth it. Chances are your home's value will increase comparably to cost.


Can I step over pink wool like insulation in the attic? This is related to this thread
How do I get rid of this ceiling finish and what is its name?

I have Artex on the ceiling and I am thinking about removing the drywall entirely and replacing it with brand new in an attempt to minimize the air born artex which might contain azbestos.

My strategy would be to go in the attic, remove the insulation from above the area where I need to replace the drywall and then try to unscrew the drywall panels one by one after determining their size by pushing through a knife from above right between the drywall panels.

Now I guess I will need to find out how my ceiling beams are oriented and try to step on them on my way to the area in question here but here is my challenge with that: the pink insulation seems to be easily compressible and it does not come back which I guess reduces the insulation capacity big time; the other thing is that under the ping wool mentioned above there is a layer of paper with insulation in between as you can see in the picture.

An now the questions:
-can I step on that  insulation on my way to the work area,can I safely remove that insulation and put it back ?
-do you see any issues with my approach to removing the drywall ?

The only place I would step is on the ceiling joist. The only thing that holds the insulation is the drywall. If you step on it you will probably end up back in the room below. A foot print on the insulation that covers the joist will not hurt anything. Before I would remove the old dry wall, I would mark the location of the ceiling joist on the existing drywall and install 1/4 inch drywall over the old. I have done this several times and it works fine.


Spa Panel with 50a breaker I had a spa panel installed when the home was built for a future spa.  Now we've found a spa and it requires 60a breaker at the panel.  The panel has a 50a breaker in it.  The panel inside the house at the other end has a 60a breaker.  The wire between the panels is 6 AWG copper.   I've read 4 gauge wire would be better for the 60a but also that the 6 gauge wire is enough and is what is required per the spa manual.  Can I just swap the 50a breaker for a 60 at the spa panel and not have to install 4 gauge wire and a 60a spa panel?

Your #6 wire is good to 60A.  (Actually it's good to 55A, but they don't make 55A breakers, so you get to round up to the next available size).

As such, there is nothing wrong with fitting a 60A supply breaker inside your main panel.

The ruling question is whether your spa subpanel's internal buses are able to handle 60A.  Did they put a 50A breaker there to protect a spa they never bought? Or is it there to protect the subpanel itself?  Model numbers would help us research this.

Separately, if it is not attached to the house, it will need a main disconnect switch or shutoff.  Usually the cheapest way to get a shutoff is to use a sub-panel with a main breaker (just using the breaker as a switch, not a breaker).

So what's up with people telling you that you need to bump to #4 copper? (which you would never do by the way, you'd use #2 aluminum if you needed that, which you don't). They are probably up-in-arms about that because of the long distance, and voltage drop which results.

However, voltage drop is the victim of an "old wives' tale", cheerfully amplified by the sales departments at wire manufacturers.  The wrong info is to calculate voltage drop on breaker trip current, and that 3% is condemning.  Wrong and wrong.

Actually, calculate voltage drop on what the load actually is (if you are at breaker trip current, you have bigger problems).  And 3% is a rosy ideal; depending on application, 6%, 8% (Code starts objecting at 8%) or much more are perfectly acceptable.  And this is one of those applications where you have a lot of slack.

So you don't even need to think about voltage drop for this spa below 250 feet of run.  (That's not universal. On some circuits it's a concern in as little as 100'). Even above 250', I'm only saying find a piece of paper to run some numbers.


Are there ways to determine if a wall is load bearing? Other than looking up blue prints, which many homeowners may not have, are there ways to determine if a wall is load bearing?

Methods I can think of might include:

Going up in the attic to check if ceiling trusses run perpendicular to the wall
If the wall is an exterior wall

Any others?

Without looking at blueprints, all you can do is make an educated guess. Possible methods include:

If it's an exterior wall it's almost always load bearing.
If the joists are not continuous over the wall (they are cut short and meet on top of the wall) it is definitely load bearing.
If there is a load bearing wall or beam directly above or below this wall, it is likely load bearing.
Check the direction of the joists (as you mention). If a joist is running perpendicular to the wall, or happens to fall directly above/below the wall, it can be load bearing.
If there's a single top plate, the wall most likely isn't load bearing, unless the wall uses deeper studs than 2x4 (such as 2x6).
Expose the wall over a doorway or pass-through. If it's a solid 2x6 or greater turned vertically going from the jack stud on one side to the other, there's a good chance the wall is load bearing.
If there are only cripple studs on a flat 2x4 to give you something to attach the drywall, it likely isn't load bearing.
Look for signs that the wall was added after the house was built, newer wood materials, drywall or finished flooring that extend over/under the wall, etc. If the wall was added, then it isn't load bearing.
Calculate the span from the known load bearing walls on either side of the wall you are removing, look at the type, size, and spacing of joists above the wall, and calculate if the joists can support the load above the wall without the wall being in place. If the joists can't support the load without the wall, then by definition, it's load bearing.
When removing the wall, cut the studs with a sawzall. If the blade begins to bind in the middle of the stud, then there's load coming down from the ceiling through that wall and there's a good chance it was load bearing. Stop what you were doing and sister a stud to the one you were cutting.
If, after you remove the wall, your home collapses, it was load bearing.


Is it OK to leave an in-ground sprinkler "winterized" all summer? My parents have an in-ground sprinkler system. It was winterized last fall.

My father passed away and my mother is thinking of just not using it this year.

We're wondering if leaving it "winterized" until next spring (1 year from now) would do any damage to it.

You'll be fine.  Winterized involves removing all of the water from the system so the pipes don't explode from the freezing temperature. Empty pipes during the warm summer won't be a problem.


insulation of a basement A question about insulation of a basement.

First, the house is built near Montreal, Québec, Canada.
Climate, cold in winter and hot and humid in summer.
To give an idea, -30 C to the coldest in winter, and + 30 C maximum in summer.

The wall of my basement is constructed as follows:

The concrete wall is underground for 2/3 (2/3 of the bottom ... of
course!). A membrane was installed on the outside and a drain
installed to correct water infiltration.
Inside, a 1.5 inch air space was left between the concrete wall and the
wooden wall.
The interior wall of 3 1/2 inches is made of wood insulated with rock
wool (Roxul).
A plastic air barrier was sealed on the wall, so inside.

I suspect that the air space is harmful: possible convection and condensation.
Can you find me serious links, supported by science explaining why this is bad, if that is? What is the risk of this construction?

Now what can I do, do I have to do with this wall?

(sorry for my english... google translate help me a little bit!)

I'm in a similar climate, and what you describe is standard aside from the insulation. Rock wool is no longer used in favor of fiberglass or spray foam where I am. I have no reason to think that it's a problem, though.

Convection isn't a concern outside the heat envelope. Condensation isn't either because it's on the cold side.

That said, some recommend against vapor barriers in basements due to the dual-membrane situation they create in conjunction with the foundation waterproofing. This can trap moisture and promote mold and decay. It was probably installed as temporary covering for the insulation.


Wiring for 3 switch in a 3 gang box (1 switch is a switch with fan speed control) I have a similar situation to wire as mentioned in this post. Mine is different in the fact that 1 switch is for a light, another switch is for another light, and finally, there is a ceiling fan that I have a switch with a fan speed control. I have 12/2 wire coming into the 3 gang box from the breaker to power everything. I have 12/3 available if needed for anything. Would this diagram mentioned in the above post change much and if so, how should it be wired?

This is the drawing that came with the fan speed control:

Anyway, there are two separate lights and 1 light/fan that I want to control from this 3 gang box, so all switches are going to be there in that 1 box.

Here is a diagram that represents what you want to do:

Run a 12/3 from the fan/light combo to the 3-gang, and a 12/2 from each light to the 3-gang.

I have not drawn the fault ground wires into the diagram. You will have a bare or green wire from the power feed cable, bare wires from the 12/3 and 12/2's, a green wire from the DVFSQ-LF, and green screws on each of the simple switches. Connect them all together. Don't let them touch any of the terminal screws on the simple switches.

In the fan/light combo box, connect the red wire to the fan, the black wire to the light, and use a wire nut to connect the white neutral wire to the neutral connections on both fan and light.

In each light box, connect the white wire to the neutral side of the light and the black wire to the hot side. If the lamp wires are not marked, the neutral side of a lamp is always the connection to the threaded part, and the hot side is the metal button at the bottom of the socket.

In the 3-gang box, use a wire nut to connect the neutral wire from the power feed cable to the white wires in the 12/3 and the two 12/2's. Use a wire nut to connect the hot wire from the power feed cable to the black wire on the DVFSQ-LF and to the line terminals on each of the two simple switches. The terminals on a mechanical switch are interchangeable and usually not marked for line and load. Just choose.

Connect the yellow wire on the DVFSQ-LF to the black wire in the 12/3 cable. This will control the light in the combo. Connect the red wire from the DVFSQ-LF to the red wire in the 12/3 cable. This will control the fan in the combo. Apparently the DVFSQ-LF has no screw terminals so you will need wire nuts for these connections.

For each cable from a light, connect its black wire to the load terminal on one of the two simple switches.

As discussed in the comments to the linked question, you must add up the amperage of all the lights and fans, and make sure that the number is not more than 80% of the circuit breaker rating.


Vinyl siding replacement and existing light fixtures I am thinking of getting the vinyl siding replaced for my house.  Currently there are three electric light fixtures and two outdoor power receptacles attached to the siding.  Is it the responsibility of the vinyl siding installer to take care of removing the fixtures and reattach them after the new siding installation, or I have to hire my own electrician?

Normally the contractor removes the fixtures and outlets. In most states you do not have to be a licensed electrician to remove replace existing fixtures and outlets, (I believe there are a couple that may require it from reading different forums). You do want the siding company to mount the fixtures or they may end up looking bad. The siding company has the trim and experiance where an electrician may have no experiance with the siding type.


How to replace a razor only outlet with a gfci So when I opened the razor only outlet, I found 2 wires connected to either a pair of white and black wires. I'm not sure how to determine which white goes with which black. Help?

Disconnect to two black wires that go to the back of the outlet and add a white wire and a black where there instead, matching the colors of the existing wires. Connect these new wires to the back of the GFCI at the line terminals.

to make this work you're probably going to need a new cover on that electrical box too, some sort of flat mud ring.

Get some white glue and dilute it 50% with water and use that to stick the torn paper back down.


Fix attached laundry room roof framing I have a laundry room attached to the back of the house (was done by previous owner). Recently I found a leak (due to some nail wrongly on the shingle exposed). But then when I "uncover" below the roof which is the ceiling, I saw this structure:

Just to help understand better, here is the framing NOW:

The "blue" is roof rafters of the existing home structure. I suspected the previous owner built out a patio roof section and then add the laundry room which is the "red" color rafters above. However, the laundry roof was "hang" on the "green" lumber w/ U-bracket and use it as a "ledger".

What are my options? I am thinking:

Option 1: Do nothing. It's just 4.5 feet so that 2x4 ledger might be good enough?

Option 2: Redo the entire roof of the laundry room by doing the below. Basically re-run the rafters higher so it's on top of the existing beam ( 2x 2x4 on top of the gray studs):

Please advise.

Your Option 2 is still not going to be a really great solution. If you are going to lay the new rafters on top of the existing rafters and existing roof sheathing you will need to taper the upper rafters as shown below. This way there can be a smooth transition of the roofing materials from the existing roof down onto the new extension rafters.

Ideally the solution would have the full width of the new rafters up above the double top plate of the original wall but full width out somewhere along the old rafter tails is going to be workable as well. Overall this will be way better than the hack job done for the original build.


Can a window A/C unit be installed on its side? I have a very small window (narrow) Can you install an A/C on it's side and run or will it burn up the compressor? Thanks Jerry

Absolutely not on its side!!! I know of NO compressors that can be installed on there side the lubrication will not stay in the compressor and it will fail in a very short time! This is not a uninformed opinion I have EPA 608 universal license (3) and a 609 license. Laying a unit on its side during shipping is enough to destroy a unit if not left in the correct position for a few hours to 24 hours to allow the oil to return to the compressor.


is it okay to flatten a slightly curved 2x4 against the wall with lag screws? I bought a slightly curved (0.3 inch elevation in one corner if I lay it flat) 2x4 that I bought in order to mount a hanging bar on it. I need it to be flush against the wall so that it aligns with another 2x4 to form a flat surface.
Is it okay if I use lag screws with washers to force the 2x4 completely flat against the wall?

I'd like a pic but if it's typical construction-garbage grade then I think so.  If you just force it flat with your hand then how much pressure does it take?  If you can do that and it goes flat then once you bolt it down (how thick is your drywall and how long are the lags?) after a year of exposure to the environment in the house it will "warp flat"


Multiple wall switch wiring issue I am replacing wall switches and unfortunately did not label the wiring before removing. I also changed 2 outlets that were switched on the bottom and always live on top to always live.

Wires 2W & 2B when tested are live and are switched by the Living Room Breaker.

Wires 5W & 5B are live and controlled by the Front light and time clock Breaker. Time clock is for driveway lights.

Wires 3W & 3B when connected to 2W & 2B allow all Living room outlets to work correctly.

Wires 4W, 4R (Red), and 4B, I currently do not know if or where these need to be connected.

Wires 1W and 1B, if I turn of breaker and connect white & black wires together that lead to porch light then I can read that I have a complete circuit with a ohm meter when testing across 1W & 1B.

Now my problem...If I connect 5W & 5B to 1W & 1B, I believe I should get my porch light. My porch light is a motion sensing light and only clicks and doesn't turn on but my driveway lights will work but pulse off every second or two. I disconnected porch light and the driveway lights do not work at all. I hooked another light to porch wiring and the light did not work but the driveway lights do work without pulsing. The light I tried was a direct wire ceiling light.

I originally had 3 switches. 1 for driveway lights, 1 for porch light, and 1 for living room outlets that I no longer need.

I believe/thought that 4W, 4R (Red) and 4B was wiring for the switched outlets that I changed to not switched.

Help, I need to figure out how to wire the switch for the porch light and then also a switch for the driveway lights.

Thanks for your help!!!!

PROBLEM RESOLVED! #5 was a switch connection from the timer. #1 was porch lights. #2 was main feed. #3 was living room outlets and #4 was no longer used


Why did city utility work require me to modify my faucet aerator? The city utilities came to my neighborhood this week to replace a few fire hydrants. They had to shut off water to my home during this work. When the work was done, one of the water fixtures in my home no longer worked at all and one had drastically less water pressure. Both that had issues were at the highest elevation in my home(i.e. all basement fixtures worked fine)

I called the city and they sent someone out to look at it. All the worker claimed that he did was use a wrench and turn each faucet aerator a quarter turn or so. This seemed to completely resolve the issue.

Why did this happen and is it expected?

Here is one of the faucets that didn't work at all after the maintenance work:

The most likely scenario is that the work on the system disturbed sediment/debris that migrated to your home water piping, plugging up your faucet aerators. Rather than the "quarter turn" you describe (which would accomplish nothing) it is probable that the aerators were removed, flushed, and reinstalled to restore flow.

You should remain diligent, it is not uncommon for additional debris to continue to cause issues. Not just aerators but toilet fill valves as well.


What is a butcher block? I had so far gathered that for a block to be called a "butcher block," the grain must be perpendicular to the surface.

I guessed that this orientation of the grain is meant for beauty. A table made with the grain in this direction would be weak in both direction.

Can you correct the terminology and/or my understanding?

"I had so far gathered that for a block to be called a "butcher block," the grain must be perpendicular to the surface".

It refers to both end grain and edge grain.

The ones for butchering or chopping typically are end grain and are more forgiving or self-healing, they will not show blade marks as readily or be as damaged by the knife/cleaver blade.

Butcher Block Wikipedia

  "Butcher blocks have been used in butcher shops for centuries, and
  still are in many European countries. Increasingly, though, butcher
  block is being used in domestic kitchens as an alternative to stone
  and laminate countertops. This has created a new industry in the
  kitchen design arena and many furniture manufacturers and hardwood
  flooring companies are getting into the production of butcher blocks
  and butcher block countertops, in part because the countertops can be
  constructed from left-over wood that would otherwise be discarded."


Water backing into dishwasher WITH new check valve and loop in place? So this is really baffling... Our GE Profile dishwasher is having an issue with dirty water backing into it while it's off. We've had the dishwasher for years with no issues, it just recently started doing this. And the water is really gross. High drain loop is correct (and always has been with no issues). We figured a check valve somewhere in the pump must have gone bad, and the water is somehow siphoning or backing up from the kitchen sink? (We have no disposal FYI). So we added a secondary check valve in the drain line, thinking that would surely solve the problem (as opposed to trying to replace or fix an interior one in the pump?). This worked for a day or so, but alas the problem has returned. Totally baffled how drain water can be backing into the dishwasher with the new check valve in place. And high loop in drain line. Driving us crazy. Any ideas???

Fill kitchen sink with water and drain it while observing high drain loop if it is translucent.  Or disconnect drain hose from Dw and drain sink . If no water travels to the dishwasher the issue is with dw not getting rid of waste water correctly.

Find image and info here

If water is traveling from sink to dish washer there may be a change in how your sink is draining like a partial blockage in drain line or an obstruction in plumbing vent.

Edit
Since you commented that you tried the experiment above but saw no water in dishwasher and sink drains well the only other thing I can think of is perhaps it is filling with fresh water. A faulty inlet valve could cause this. Even fresh water will get gross if it sets in the bottom with the traces of bacteria laden gunk in the strainer etc...
Try turning supply off for a week to test this theory.

Info


Two 20-Amp circuits in one box for outlets I would like run two 20-Amp circuits to a 2-gang box with two duplex outlets.

One duplex outlet on Phase A and the other on Phase B.

I know to keep the hots and neutral separate and that the grounds can be combined.

Is there anything special I need to do at the panel?

For example, should I use a tandem breaker with these two circuits.

Revised: 2020-June-04

More clarification to come.

All work will be inspected by the city that I live in. I want to make the inspector proud of me and my quality work. I am taking no short cuts. If the inspector makes me do it again, I'll do it again. This is how I will learn.

The work will on a 2-story unfinished 20x24 detached garage. The second floor will be a studio apartment style (for my personal use only - no renters). I plan to use the first floor for combo car-garage and workshop (car/wood/kids projects/etc.). I do not believe I will need any 240V circuit.

The idea is if I have a 120V air-compressor and 120V ShopVac running at the same time, I did not want to start tripping breakers. All the equipment would not be stationary. For example, I can move everything to one side if I need to work on a my car.

Trying to plan for a future requirement is driving me crazy. So I am trying to build in flexibility so I want have to bang my head on the floor too hard.

I had the panel upgraded to 200A Eaton Plug-on Neutral and I have currently installed plug-on neutral breaker (GFCI/AFCI combo).

Well, you can run two totally separate circuits to the box, from two toally separate single-pole breakers. That way if one trips, the other does not. Nothing wrong with that.

You can also run a "Multi Wire Branch Circuit" (MWBC) from a two-pole breaker (a fault on either will shut both down) with a single neutral and two hots. The savings is not particularly large so you can go either way. If doing this, you need to pigtail the neutrals so that removing one outlet would not interrupt the neutral on the other outlet.

My personal preference with this sort of setup is to use different receptacle colors, though choice is limited without having the price get absurd (many colors are made, but some cost 10X what the "common" colors do) so some other sort of indication on the faceplate (such as actual labels) to indicate that they are different circuits (and hey, state what breaker number they are, too) is another approach.


How easy is it to expand a door's rough opening? My handyman said that my door's rough opening is 30x80. The problem is that none of the doors that I want are in this size.

How hard is it to expand a door's rough opening to ... say ... 32x80 or 36x80, I'd have considerably more choices. And I might save a few hundred dollars since those doors are cheaper.

My handyman didn't seem happy with this suggestion but I'm not sure if it's beyond his capacity or not.

My house is a 1917 Craftsman with stucco. This would be the rear entry door.

The question describes this as a cosmetic change rather than a necessity, and it's in an exterior wall. It will be a structural change and a serious expense to expand the opening.  It will be much less expensive to find a door for your existing opening, or even get a custom door or modify a door.

Expanding the opening would not be a handyman job. You would need to provide plans, get a permit, and have it inspected (and it isn't the kind of work where you should think about bypassing that process; doing it improperly could have serious consequences, your insurance company wouldn't cover it, and it could jeopardize selling the house in the future). Have a general contractor give you a price if you're curious.

There are still options for dealing with the door.

Widen your search for a standard door you like.
The manufacturer may be willing (for a cost), to make a door you like in a narrower size.
A solid wood door that you like in the next larger size can sometimes be trimmed on the sides enough to fit the smaller opening.  If the rough opening is nice and square, it may be possible to make a slightly wider custom door frame that would reduce how much needs to be trimmed from a wider standard door.
A door can also be custom made from scratch to whatever exact size you need.

These options would be more expensive than a stock door, but they will still be much cheaper than widening the rough opening.


Tightening Garden Hose to Hose Reel I have a slight leak between the hose and where it connects with the reel. I hand tightened it as much as I could but it still leaks. Pliers will not fit inside. I removed the reel and tried to tighten the connection from the top but that didn't work either. Any tips on how I can tighten? Thanks.

Make sure the gasket/oring is still in the hose fitting if not, get another one at your local hardware store.  You could even try some Teflon tape.


Are there ways to minimize the area of my septic leach field? We have a working septic system that we have no complaints about.

However, we'd like to add a guesthouse and more bedrooms and that requires expanding the septic system.

I am happy to do this and happy to spend whatever it takes to do it.

However, I insist on a simple system relying on gravity and no pumps.

The problem is that our available leach field is relatively small ... we need something like 8400 square feet and we have something like 3500-4500 square feet.

The solution suggested is to pump effluent uphill, elsewhere, where other field space can be found.

My question:

In general, are there practices that can reduce leach field area?

For instance, could we cascade from one septic tank to another and the resulting effluent is ... thinner ?  Needs less leach field?

Interested in any and all comments and suggestions - thank you.

I know you said "However, I insist on a simple system relying on gravity and no pumps", but I am going to ignore this and suggest you consider a mini-sewage treatment works.

We used to own a house with a Klargester biodisc, and it ran without problems for the 10 years we owned the house.  The outflow was clean enough to discharge into a ditch.  One of the advantages of the Klargester is that there is no leech field to get blocked, and if the pump does need to be worked on, it is reasonably accessible.

We did have a problem with the electrical supply (which I fixed by replacing the wire with an armoured cable).  Before I did that, we had to switch off the Klargester when the ground was very wet (otherwise the RCD/GFGI tripped); this means I know that leaving the Klargester without power for a couple of days every so often is not a problem.


Mild water damage on drywall from leaky roof We have a fairly new house (built in 1997). Cheap roof and we had a big windstorm a few years back that resulted in some lost shingles that I had patched -- no major problems. Recently we had a much more mild windstorm that stripped off some more shingles. I was lazy, didn't check the roof for about a week or two and I noticed some water damage on walls. I went up on the roof, found a missing patch (that was clearly leaking) and patched it.

The damage is basically just a darkening along the top edge of the wall along 3 walls in the house. It's not immediately noticeable but it's fairly obvious upon close inspection. The areas around screw heads are darker and the screw heads themselves are in a few places slightly bulging.

What's more concerning to me is that some walls (and some ceiling joints) have become very visible. There's no obvious sagging or bulging, it just looks as if it was painted and someone someone didn't tape the joints at all. I don't know if this is normal water damage...

Because of the type of damage, it took me a while to notice much of it. Although I don't see any sections getting worse, I'm concerned that the leak may not be resolved.

Two questions:

Assuming that the leak is stopped, is this sort of damage something
that I can simply prime over and
repaint (and in the case of the
joints and the screw heads, just add a little joint
compound to level things out). Or
should I be cutting stuff out and
replacing entirely? The
perfectionist in me wants to replace
everything, but this is going to
cost a lot...
Are there are tips or
    tricks that I can take advantage of
    to test whether I do in fact have
    any additional leaking? I feel kind
    of stupid asking, but it's a real
    pain to crawl around in the attic
    trying to feel for dampness when
    it's a bit damp everywhere (we live
    in the Pacific Northwest). What
    should I be looking for to identify
    "chronic" leaks? I hate to wait
    until additional damage is apparent
    in the walls and would like some
    "assurances" if possible. There are what appear to be discolored rafters in the attic, but I'm assuming that that's from previous water damage -- not ongoing leaking.

A few additions to Jeff's advice if you decide to replace the damaged drywall.

I'd suggest you look into waterproof drywall or mold resistant drywall.  There are various products that do a better job than the typical green board that you would use in the bathroom that will help if you are installing in an area that has a lot of exposure to the elements.
Double check the thickness of your drywall if you are patching.  If you replace a 5/8" with 1/2", you'll notice it.
Use screws, especially on the ceiling.  They take more time, but hold better and are less likely to cause the nail pops that you are seeing.

That being said, I think it's entirely possible that you're just more aware of drywall issues and there may not be anything wrong.  To know for sure, I'd go up to the attic, pull up the insulation where you suspect damage, and look for water rings or other mold growth.  Use a flashlight, no need to feel with your hands (and risk falling through).  While you're there, check the insulation for blackening that would indicate mold is growing there, and if so, replace any damaged pieces.

Your ability to see the joints between the drywall is just a sign of not enough paint and/or primer.  And popped nail heads are normal as a home moves.  My personal plan is to replace all the popped nails with screws and double up on the spacing the next time I paint to minimize this issue.


Which concrete mix is better for these particular countertop dimensions? Background:

Been going back and forth about which option to go with so thought I should ask the community what you think and which concrete mix is best.
Dimension for each slab are listed in the table.
As you can see, opting for 2" thick countertops.
Listing three options that are available to me in my area.

Of these options, which is best?

Quikrete 5000
Quikrete Countertop mix
Spec Mix Premium Concrete Countertop Mix

1) is the most economical, but worried it's not the right product for the job unless maybe I add PVA fibers? 2) Is supposed to be made for countertops but it's hard to get in my area and I haven't heard great things about it. 3) Is pretty expensive and would cost me close to $465 before tax.

Just being pedantic: PVA is glue; polypropylene is the term you're looking for.

Cheng, in "Concrete Countertops" isbn 1-56158-484-3 states (p. 98) that Quikcrete 5000 is fine if you add fibers, water reducer, and pigments. If you don't already have the book, get it.

As a general tip regarding concrete (or any mix-ables, for that matter), buy more than you think you'll need and be prepared to return excess. There's nothing worse than being in the middle of a job and realizing that you're short.


Fill about a 2.5" gap between drywall frame and and brick In the basement, we got done getting drywall up, but there is a gap between the frame and the brick wall. In addition, Perma-seal put there cover up the wall.
Eventually, the window will completely replaced and a frame will be installed.
For now, I would like to fill the gap between the brick wall and the wood frame. Insulation was installed, however I don't want to fill it with that as I have a cat who likes to look out the window and don't want that getting on her.
What can I easily put in there that's not too costly? Appearance is not a large concern.

Here is a picture of the gap.

What about just drywalling the faces of the 2x4s and letting it hang off, to fill that 2.5" gap? E.g., use a 6" wide strip. You should probably plywood the bottom sill for safety (yours and the cat's) before you drywall it.

Use corner bead and mud it for a 'temporary-permanent' solution, after you do shove a little more insulation back there.


what NEC addresses using GFI breakers to address outlets with no ground What NEC section addresses the use of GFI breakers to remedy ungrounded outlets

NEC 210.8 covers GFCI , in my 2014 version the replacement of 2 prong receptacles with 3 prong when GFCI protected was in 406.4.d
But not the same in 2017 , I will update this when I find it for the 17 code.
I looked at 406.4.d and did not see it in 17 code
250.130.c  “non grounding receptacle replacement” information note states see.406.4.d ,,, oops I must have been in 404.6 because this time 406.4 paragraph D replacements subsection c specify replacing 2 prong with 3 prong. Sorry about that
406.4.D.2.c is the paragraph you ask for.


Gas clothes dryer is venting into the crawl space I have been living in a house in Southern California for 18 months and while crawling around under the far end of the house I found that there is about 2 inch deep lint over a 200 sq ft area where my gas clothes dryer vents into this crawl space. I would like to find a way to put in a lint trap rather than change the whole layout of the garage.

I don't like the "OMG" abbreviation and seldom  use it, but in this case OMG! It would have been bad enough to vent an electric dryer into a crawl (lint, moisture, fire danger), but to vent a gas dryer into a crawl is unconscionable. Gas dryers vent carbon monoxide. It interferes with your body's ability to transport oxygen.  If that seeps into the house it could create a myriad of problems, not the least of which is killing the occupants.

Get that thing vented properly, regardless of the cost. Risking your lives on this failed setup isn't worth it. And clean out the lint, it's a fire hazard.


Is it possible to wire this diagram the way I want? This all started when I tried to attach a fixture in my Mudroom to a Ceiling Box that I was told was ready for it. The house is older (1948) and undergone some "interesting" DIY additions by the previous owner(s).
The Ceiling Box had four (!) cables coming into it, so it was a little scary to look at for me; however, there ultimately was one black and one white wire hanging down seemingly "ready" for a fixture. But, testing my fixture after attaching it, the bulb did not turn on, so I set about mapping out where all the cables went.
I'm pretty confident my diagram below is correct for the boxes I have access to.
I'm most likely going to hire an Electrician, but, I'd like to know if what I want to do is even possible without having to run new wires, or tear open walls.
So, I'd like to know if it's possible to:

Switch 1 (S1) operate the Garage Lights (E)
Switch 2 (S2) operate the Mudroom Light (F)
Mudroom Receptacle (D) be ALWAYS ON

Or, bonus points, turn (D) into a "half-hot" with Switch 2 (S2) operating the switched outlet

More Details from my troubleshooting and Googling:

I believe the Power In (A) from the Panel has an "Open Ground"
I believe the Circuit Breaker for this circuit is a Combination AFCI (black case with white button)
The Garage Lights were currently operated by Switch 1 (S1). However, there was A LOT of wire-nut gymnastics that seem unnecessarily complicated, so I'd rather start from an unbiased starting point and do it more simply (if possible).

Here is one way to wire your lights. The diagram does not include switching half the outlet because you don't have enough switches and wires. If you use S2 to control half the outlet, how will you control the mudroom light?


Free-standing deck joist layout I'm trying to plan out a free-standing deck in an irregular-shaped garden. It currently has railway sleepers marking a garden bed around the west, north and east edges and the missus would like to keep them there. The deck will sit just below the height of the bed. I've done a sketchup model to help me figure out materials and make sure it's properly supported.

Looking at joists from B&Q: http://www.diy.com/rooms/softwood-deck-joist-l2400mm-pack-of-3/666416_BQ.prd I've allowed for a 400mm gap between centres and planned out 7 modules. There are 2 'holes' in the frame to allow for existing trees. I'd appreciate 2 bits of advice please:

Does the layout look ok, i.e. anything obviously silly about it??
Where should I be placing concrete supports? (edit - the current garden has grass laid on it)

Many thanks in advance

I would suggest using software to determine a reasonable design. Lowe's has an online deck designer. There are lots of others, too, like Design-a-Deck.

The most obvious omission from the design is that there are no beams. Where is the house?

Although railing posts can theoretically be slapped on anywhere, the layout of the posts will change its aesthetics a lot. Decks with the usual slapped on railing posts tends to have that chock-a-block treehouse look to them.

The structural design can vary a lot depending on how solid you want the deck to be, how much creakiness you can stand. A completely silent deck will be a LOT more work and money than a slightly creaky deck.

I notice that very high quality decks tend to have trusses or even cross bracing.


Chipping drywall with brown spots We recently moved into a house that had chipping drywall in a doorway between the living room and kitchen. The chipping seems to be getting worse and now has brown spots in some spots. We live in a ranch style house with an unfinished attic. Any ideas what could be causing this? I wasn’t to  concerned until the brown spots showed up.

Pretty much just moisture is the cause, not the house collapsing or anything like that.

The moisture may just be right above and at this beam or box in the form of a Mouse Infestation or by simply being the only place where insulation isn't. Where cold air slams into hot air is where condensation happens...insulation eliminates the collision so condensation doesn't happen in a gross amount.

The moisture's introduction could also be from a Roof or Plumbing leak or even an improperly installed exhaust fan from the kitchen and/or a bathroom(s). Their exhaust may not be going outdoors and is just dumping humid house-air into the attic.

On a much more rare level, it could be the combined efforts of air-leaking Electrical Outlet and Light-Switch boxes, poor fitting Attic Access Panel, shoddy or clogged Clothes Dryer vent pipe and even incorrect Furnace and Water Heater exhaust pipes.

Nothing's expensive and you can likely handle most everything yourself, the stores even have electrical box foam insert gaskets for both outlets and switches...usually in the Weather-Stripping section owned by Frost King.


When to use snap-off blade knife and when to use trapezoid blade knife? I want to buy a utility knife, but I don't know what are the advantages of snap-off blade knife over trapezoid blade and vice versa.

Trapezoid razor blades are stronger, so they can be used for cutting thick or very tough materials better than snapping blades. Examples where I use this blade:

Cutting carpet or vinyl
Cutting/carving wood where cleanness of the cut isn’t important

Snapping blades are super convenient when making lots of cuts on materials that dull or gum up blades quick and the material isn’t really thick or tough.

Cutting packing tape
Cutting thin/medium gauge cardboard


Is it possible to seal a leak that's coming through a fitting? I've got a brass valve in my plumbing system that has a leak coming through the valve body wall.  I can watch tiny droplets of water diffusing through the metal itself.  I'm positive the connections on the fitting are good, and that they do not leak.  My guess is that the casting process went wrong somehow.  Short of replacing the valve, which would be a pain but would be possible, is there any way to seal this leak?

While you might be able to find an epoxy our something else out on the market your best option is replace the valve. If it was a failure in the casting process then you'll never be sure that another part of the valve won't fail. While it might be a pain it would be better to just replace it and have the peace of mind that you shouldn't have any future issues.


changing water pump outlet connection from 1.25-inch to 1-inch, how to calculation flow and pressure Submersible well pump with 1.25-inch outlet connection I've changed to 1-inch how to calculation the flow and the pressure?

Here's the submersible well pump details with standard 1.25-inch outlet connection.

Q = 100 L/min

Head = 213 m

How to find out the Q and the head of the same pump with 1-inch outlet connection?

First off, the largest residential submersible pumps (5HP +/-) will not typically have 25 GPM flow at a total system head of 800' or so, so I think you might be a bit misinformed as to the capabilities of your pump.  A 5 HP pump I found showed about 4GPM +/- at 800' of head.  At that flow 1" pipe will be no problem.

Second, pump aside, 100L/min will flow way too fast through 1" pipe, so assume you will not be getting any where near that even if you could.

A typical way to identify flow from a pump through a system is to calculate an equivalent head, then reference the pump data to find the flow at that head (PSI instead of ft/m).

That is

  actual head + head from pipe losses (typically PSI per 100' at given flow) + head from fitting & valve losses + target output pressure.

Say you had a bushing and fittings that added 2 PSI and 700'+100' of 1" pipe that adds 3.5 PSI per 100' @ 15 GPM + target output pressure of 50 PSI , you would have an equivalent head of about 875'.  Then you could reference the expected output on the pump chart at 875' of head and select a pump based on the total system head pressure.

Although again, to get the flows you are talking at the head you are talking would be a three phase higher HP (for residential) pump which would be rare.

Fluid dynamics is actually rather complex to predict.  This is why manufacturers use test and measure methods and then let you extrapolate on the data based on your total calculated head.


Will a 3 inch (8cm) separation between CAT6 cable and 120V HV cable cause problems for 10-Gigabit Ethernet? I recently had an electrician wire my house with CAT6 Ethernet cable and install a couple of outlets in my unfinished basement.  I recently noticed that there is only a 3-4 inch (8-10cm) separation for 15 feet (4.5m) between a newly-installed high voltage cable and all of the CAT6.  See photos below.  I'm not sure how long the runs are, but I'd estimate they're all less than 100 feet (30m).

My understanding is that it's best practice to separate high voltage power and low voltage communications cable by a minimum of 12 inches (30cm) when run in parallel.  I'm concerned that the failure to follow that rule may cause interference that will limit the future upgradability of my network installation.  I was hoping to someday upgrade to 10-gigabit Ethernet, but my understanding is that it's much more sensitive to interference than previous versions.

I've asked the electrician to relocate the high-voltage cable to another joist, but he doesn't see a problem with the installation.  He says the interference caused by this will be no more than that caused by "the nail that is used to connect the floor boards to the joist or the cable straps itself."  However, he doesn't specialize in computer networking and I have reason to believe he's unfamiliar with cutting-edge Ethernet technology.

How much interference in the CAT6 will be caused by the high-voltage cable installed like this, and will it actually cause a problem for the upgradability of my network to 10-gigabit?

High voltage/low voltage cable spacing:

High voltage/low voltage cables run in parallel

If you look to the NEC, which in the US is probably the only legal standard the install will be held to, you don't really have an issue.  The NEC doesn't require any separation between the NM and the Cat 6 cable.  (See 800.133(A)(2):

  Other Applications. Communications circuits must maintain 2 in.
  of separation from electric power or Class 1 circuit conductors.
  Exception  1: Separation isn’t required if electric power or Class 1 circuit conductors are in a raceway or in metal-sheathed, metal-clad, nonmetallic-sheathed, or underground feeder cables, or communications
  cables are in a raceway

Note that the two inches of separation applies to bare conductors - not your metallic cable!  This article applies more to routing cables in enclosures where you have both power wires and communications cables.  Does not apply to your white NM sheathed cable.

But the NEC is mostly concerned with safety, not performance, certainly not 10GBE.

In my experience / opinion - which is just a third opinion to add to yours and your electrician's - I doubt you'll have a problem with this, usually interference is an issue with long parallel runs at significant current.  Your 15' running 3" away along a residential 15A circuit is very very unlikely to ever cause a problem.

If however for peace of mind you'd rather re-route that power cable, by all means spend a few bucks and have it moved.  Every mysterious network problem you have, you'll be second guessing it.  Doesn't look like it could be a very big job.

BTW - Cat6 is available shielded, but I think what you have there is unshielded.


Replacing existing ceiling fan but there’s no junction box I’m replacing an older existing ceiling fan in our home hat was built in 1997, located in Corydon, Indiana. We’ve lived here for 4 years. When I removed the existing ceiling fan, I noticed there was no outlet box, the wiring is simply staples to the ceiling joist and the fan itself was screwed into the joist. I’ve replaced several ceiling fans but this is the first time I’ve come across an installation done this way without an outlet box. I am concerned this may not be code and may pose a safety concern. The wire can be pulled down 2-3 inches.

Indeed this is a code violation and shows that some previous cowboy owner or DIYer installed it in an inappropriate manner.

To get this right you would have to install an electrical box rated for hanging a fan mounted in the ceiling. The box should have a built in or applied cable clamp to secure the wire.

If you have access to the attic area above this ceiling the best way I've used to secure the electrical box in place for hanging a fan or heavy lighting fixture is to cut several pieces of wood that span across the ceiling joists as shown in the picture below. The top piece is screwed to the upper side of the joists and the lower piece is screwed to the upper piece. The lower piece is typically part of a 2x4 ripped for width and sits on edge under the flat upper 2x4. After careful measurement and cutting the two pieces can be pre-assembled before installing over the electrical box hole.


Sharing 1 dryer outlet I have a situation where there are two apartments and one laundry room.  Room for 1 washer and 1 dryer.  There are 2 circuit boxes and 2 meters.  We want to have a run for each circuit panel the dryer outlet.  Thereby flipping the breaker to run each apartments laundry so each pays their own way.  Is that possible?

The shared washer-dryer is a commons-space load.  Those are required by various Codes to be on their own meter.  This is obvious in an apartment building with parking lot, hall and stairway lighting, coin operated laundry etc.  Duplexes are often built as independent homes with no commons spaces at all, and I would imagine that's what you had if your AHJ permitted your build with 2 meters.  Unless the tenants agree to do it on a handshake (that's what we did), you'll need to go back to the AHJ and have a conversation about this sutuation, and whether a changeover switch would be allowed.

Generally with a washer-dryer, you have 6 utilities to plumb.

Cold water
Hot water
Sewer
120V (low power) electricity
Gas or 240V (high power) electricity
Dryer vent

So it's not quote as simple as a transfer switch.

Just swap plugs

Were it any other load, I would propose blue receptacles and red receptacles, and have the tenant switch the cords.  However the large dryer receptacles are not durable enough for frequent change.  Breaking a neutral on a NEMA 10 plug or socket will kill your tenant, but you will hook it up NEMA 14.  They do make frequent-swap styles, such as NEMA L14-30 or other makes; the solution could be as simple as that.

Subpanel

Since you need to power the washer too, and possibly a water heater, a subpanel may be called for. This might seem like a clever way to kill 2 birds with one stone using "generator interlocks" made for a panel: wrong!  This application requires we switch neutral also, which calls for a 3-pole  transfer switch.  You could do that with a 3-phase panel and wire neutral as a phase, with two breakers backfed to the two supplies, and the dryer and washer on additional 3-pole breakers.  It would be up to the AHJ to understand and approve that.   Otherwise you'd need an external transfer switch with 3 poles, and rated for the current.  That's one neat thing about subpanels as transfer switches, they can handle high current cheaply, since they are just breakers.

Each tenant would need to shut off their house breaker to keep the other tenant from just leaving the switch on them and poaching power. That might be a problem for the AHJ.  A better answer might be an Intermatic style timer rundown switch that operates a contactor, so the tenant can set the timer and power the washroom for 2 hours, say.  The contactors alone could not be the interlock, unless the AHJ certified that, and I doubt they would.

60A is a good feed current as it works with #6 wire, the breakers are still cheap, and will power an electric dryer (23A), a washer (12A on half the circuit) and a "20A" on demand heater (15A) without kissing circuit limits too badly.


Can I step down 220 V to 110 V for my whole apartment? Our country's voltage setting is 220 V, but I have a bunch of devices that are rated 110V (surplus coffeemakers from Japan to the awesome Philips Hue smart bulbs).

So I was thinking of adding a 110 V source throughout my apartment. Would this be easy? Would it be costly?

I read somewhere that all I had to do to step down "cheaply" is ground one of the 2 LIVE wires, instead of hooking up a massive transformer for the lot.

Is this safe, logical, recommended?

What if I'm on the higher floors, and the building doesn't have "grounds" (our country doesn't use grounding, so 3 prong plugs need to be converted to 2 prong)?

You can't step down 220 volts by using two live wires - that voltage is between phase and neutral and the voltage between phases will be 380 volts, so no cheap 220 volts is there.

Note that besides different voltages there's 50 Hz versus 60 Hz issue - your country likely has 50 Hz mains and if you use an ordinary (not switching power supply) transformer it can't get 60 Hz out. If any of your devices are for 60 Hz the problem gets worse.

You certainly can use the transformer and separate set of wires scenario, but...

that's a separate set of wires and breakers and junctions and everything - you need to find place for all that, install it and maintain
if the transformer happens to be too small you'll have to either replace it (quite costly) or set another one and another set of wires in parallel (quite complicated)
you now have two sets of outlets with different voltages across the house and if you plug a 110 volts device into 220 volts outlet it likely breaks and maybe starts a fire. Even if you have two sets of outlets such that they require distinct receptacles one can always use an adapter and plug into the wrong one. In general this is why two sets of outlets with different voltages is quite a bad idea in real life. Every time there's an outlet with voltage different from country mains this problem arises, the only real solution is to have the same voltage everywhere.


Potential issues of wet ceiling damage Yesterday my contractor (who is in the middle of redoing an upstairs bathroom) had the outflow of his tile saw effectively draining into the space between the floor and the downstairs ceiling.  I only discovered this when I went into the kitchen and saw water dripping (almost flowing) through the tape joints in the ceiling and pooling on the floor.

At the moment I have visible wet areas in two locations in the center of ceiling panels (12"x"12" and 8"x 20") and a lot of visible damage along some of the tape joints (up to 3ft in two locations).  This morning I bought a non-contact moisture meter and mapped out the moisture content across the entire 12x20 kitchen ceiling and discovered significant 8% readings at the point furthest from where the damage started (worst location was where a can-light had been previously removed and plugged).  But there is no visible damage at these locations.  So water has obviously flowed the entire length of the kitchen ceiling.

My contractor's opinion is that the ceiling will dry out and there will be no issue and that there is enough airflow in the ceiling to achieve this naturally.  As such he is doing nothing right now to remediate the damage. (Note that my contractor has not yet seen these moisture readings.)

My concern is that this will take an extended period to dry and in the interim it will be a huge potential breeding ground for mold, especially in the current warm and humid weather where I am.

So:

Is my contractors belief valid?
Is my concern valid?
Are there any other hidden issues that I should be concerned about?

(Note that I am not ignoring the visible damage right now - At least that is something I can see)

FWIW this is a house built in the 1980's and the kitchen ceiling has a slightly textured finish. I have no idea what lies between the upstairs floor and ceiling, but I am guessing not much.  In discussing textured ceilings in general with my contractor he said the easiest thing to do to refinish it is to just layer it with more drywall - which in this case IMHO would be the worst thing to do.

"It depends"

I own a duplex (upper and lower unit) rental property built in the late 40's early 50's.  The original ceilings were made up of double layer plaster board which is very heavy to begin with, and it was nailed in place.

A tenant left the water running in the kitchen by mistake in the upstairs kitchen and the drain was blocked.  The water soaked into the ceiling below and caused a substantial part of it to collapse.  Some sections collapsed before others.  One section fell, hit a tenant on the back of the neck/shoulder area, and had to be hospitalized.  While the upstairs tenant was at fault, we got sued, and my insurance eventually paid the medical bills.

In your case, having been built in the 80's, there is less chance of this being a concern.  However, the facts as you've laid them out are:

1) The contractor was negligent with his tools by using them in an area where water drainage could cause damage;
2) The contractor does not wish to fix the issue.

You should insist upon him fixing / replacing it, at his expense entirely, and get a lawyer just in case.


Switch Between Paint and Sealer for Sprayer I have a Graco Magnum x9 airless paint sprayer. I have only used it for latex paint. I am planning to refinish my deck this spring with a sealer of some sort. Can I switch back and forth between type of product as long I wash the sprayer out or should I stick to latex only?

If you want to switch back and forth between oil and latex products, it is best to have a separate hose for each (as per Graco).

  Graco sprayers, hoses, guns, etc, are designed to be compatible
  with all of these types of fluids. There are a few other
  considerations that you should be aware of. Be sure that all equipment
  is of sufficient size and of a high enough pressure rating to work
  with the material that is being sprayed. Another issue to be aware of
  is that no matter how well a sprayer is cleaned out, some residue will
  remain behind. It is not uncommon to have pigmented paints contaminate
  a clear coating like varnish and lacquer. Switching between
  water-based and solvent-based materials can also make the insides of
  the pump gummy and sticky. Ideally, we would recommend two different
  sprayers, but at the very least, you should use a dedicated hose for
  lacquer and clear coatings.


Should I use nails or screws to refasten my subfloor to the joists? My subfloor is squeaky, and there's a small window of opportunity I'll have to fasten it down  before/during my carpet being replaced.  I have available to me a nice corded drill, and an air-powered framing nailer.  My chief concern is longevity of the solution, I don't want the floor squeaking again in 5 years.  Screws will likely hold longer than nails, but with the way higher nailing rate and the right nails (suggestions?) will nails be a better choice for me?

Cost isn't really a factor, as this is only one job.  Carpet installers show up tomorrow :)

Screws:

It doesn't sound like you're reattaching the entire floor; this is more like strategic intervals to solidify the fastening. Your nail/screw rate is not as important as if you were attaching a new subfloor from scratch.
Glue and screw is popular for more reasons than just rhyming
You're going through this effort to make it right. So do it right.


What are the building regulations in the UK for fitting a light in a bathroom? What designs of lights are allowed?

When do I need to get a building regulation inspection?

Depends on the distance from water. Homebase, of all people, have a good guide here.

In summary, lights in the bath must be 12V and completely waterproof (zone 0). If it's in reach of a bath (standing up or sitting down) your choices are limited to completely waterproof sealed units (rated IPX4) and you'll need a 30mA RCD (zone 1). Other areas at risk of splashing (Zone 3, including above sinks) need IPX4 splash-resistant fittings but don't need the RCD. Outside of that - in zone 3 - anything will do.

You may need to have the completed work inspected under Part P of the buildings regulations. Give buildings control at your local council a call - they can advise.