Nails coming through the visible underside of roof sheathing I have a rental unit that has a large single slope roof. There is exposed roof decking all around the outside of the house. It is an older place and has been shingled and re-shingled previously.

This has just been re-shingled again, and the nails come through the decking all around the house about 3/4". I have carefully looked at this and it is clear to me that no previous nails have come through in this manner, only the current job.

Nails used were "the shortest nails possible," but in future such jobs should I insist that 1" hand nailing be done over such areas?

This is industry standard to make sure the nails penetrate the decking. If you don't like it box in the area but you will waste your time in court in my opinion.


Accessing Upper Shelves of 8 feet high pantry I am planning a kitchen pantry which will be 8 feet high and 24 inch deep.
I need a solution to reach upper shelves of pantry - without having to pull dining chairs or put a folding step stool in bottom shelves ( making accessing items in lower shelves difficult ).
One solution might be to design a built-in step stool which folds into sides of pantry and whenever needed unfolds out.
Anybody familiar with either a product like this or custom made one ?

I mean what you are talking about is a sliding ladder - picture below.
I worked in a french bistro in the 90s that had one for storage.   This is basically the only thing that will get that high and deep along a long width.   If done right it would be "cool as sh!t".   If done wrong it would be an eye sore and in the way.   Another part of this is how big your kitchen is.   A humungous kitchen could support this.   A large kitchen that had just one wall that needed it could do it especially if there was a nook to fold it away.


How do I make my room stop smelling so bad? My parents keep on complaining about the smell, but I don't smell anything at all.

I've put in two odor-maskers, but they're not helping at all.

I also try to ventilate, but it's almost always way too cold to open the windows here (yes, even in the middle of summer right now - Seattle has been unusually cool this summer)

The other thing is that it smells even after I leave the room for months on end (for college). So it's not me.

They've tried to aggressively identify the source, but to no avail.

Smells don't just appear out of nowhere.  Something in your room is the source of the smell (dirty laundry, rotten food, etc).  Find the source and remove it.  If you can't identify it (too used to it?), then ask your parents to look for it.

If the smell seems to be everywhere in the room, consider deep-cleaning the carpets.  (Buy/Rent a cleaner, or have a cleaning service come in.)

If you can't remove the source, all you can do is mitigate.

Leave the door to your room open to avoid stagnant air.  Even if something is only mildly stinky, if you leave it in a sealed off room, the smell will permeate the room.

Consider getting an Air Purifier, which will churn the air in your room and filter it a bit.  Make sure you stay on top of cleaning/replacing the filter in the unit.

If the smell is a musty/humid smell, consider a Dehumidifier.  You will need to empty the drain pan periodically, or attach a drain line to your plumbing.  You can also use Damp Rid.

Also, consider that the source of the smell may be you.  Your parents may be trying to politely tell you something.  Do you bathe every day?  Do you wash your hair regularly (at least once every 2-3 days)?  Do you put on a fresh change of clothes every day?  Do you wear antiperspirant/deodorant?  If you answer "no" to any of the above, it may be time to re-visit your hygiene.


Will I see any performance gains if I reconfigure my thermostat to control the second stage of my 2 stage furnace? Our furnace is a two stage one that was installed last year (a Bryant 80t). When it was installed, it was installed with a thermostat for a one stage furnace. This appears to be because this model furnace has a mode where it will accept being controlled by a single stage thermostat and determine for itself when to fire the second stage based on its memory of recent cycles.

We just got one of those new fangled Nest thermostats that has the ability to control the second stage directly. When I installed the new thermostat, I left it configured as it was before (not wanting to change too many things at once), so the new one is controlling the furnace as a single device.

I'm curious now whether I could expect any significant difference in performance if I reconfigure the setup to allow the thermostat to control the second stage?  Or, will I see similar results because the furnace probably is smart enough to activate itself at an appropriate time?

Without the thermostat telling it, the furnace has to guess how much heat you need, and those guesses may not always be right. The thermostat will know how far you from your target temperature and know which stage you need to be using. That means a thermostat wired up for both stages will heat up faster when you get back from vacation, and the temperature stays more constant all other times.


Where should the ground wire connect in a new sub-panel? I have an old style service panel - the ground wire (from a rod in the ground) and the neutral wire (leading in from the pole) are both bonded to the box.  I want to install a sub-panel where I will be using a 120v and a 240v circuit.  I am planning on running a 10/3 line with a ground wire to the sub-panel from the service panel.

I will be attaching the neutral wire to the neutral bar which is not bonded to the box and will be sinking an additional ground rod then attaching the ground wire to a ground bar which is bonded to the box.  Where should I place the ground wire coming from the service panel, to the neutral bar or to the "new" ground bar?

Here's a shot of the subpanel (work in progress). 20 amp breaker on the left powers the A/C, 30 amp breaker on the right to power sauna and light.  Main lines from service panel not installed yet. #6 ground wire connects to newly installed ground rod below the subpanel.

You don’t say if the sub is in the same building or not. If it is in the same building, use the existing ground as separate grounding systems can create a problem in the same building. Since you are going to all the trouble to put a sub in I would bump the size a bit--10 awg only provides for 30 amps for the sub. Bump up the wire size and have some space for additional circuits later. I don’t waste time on anything less than 50 amp subs for the most part.

Bring the hot, hot, neutral and ground from your main panel to your sub and make sure the sub ground is isolated as you mentioned.


What is this part called on a bathtub handle One of the handles in my bathtub spins and after taking it apart I noticed it was missing the piece that would prevent it from spinning. I'm having trouble finding the name of the part yet alone an exact replacement. Anyone on here happen to know?

Thanks in advance.

I'd call that an 'adjustable stop'. But it's not a standard part.  It's something unique to that exact model of faucet.

So you will need to find the faucet manufacturer and ask them for the replacement part as you're not going to find it in a hardware store.

If the faucets were low quality or just a very old model, I doubt the original manufacturer, even if you an find them, will have the part to just give to you.  You may have to buy a new unit of that model faucet just for it.

If you can't identify the manufacturer or thy can't give you the part, things get worse.

You could replace both faucets with new. But I know I wouldn't want to deal with the tile work.

You could 3d print a replacement part.  You'd have to carefully measure the existing one in extraordinary detail though, or find someone with a 3d scanner that can do internal negative space like that part has, which is  going to be tricky.

You could remove the part from the other faucet so both work the same way, which may be better than the current state.

You could try to find a small hose-clamp.  They have a similar shape, and the screw one ones can go on tight enough to use for something like this.

You could 'slice' the existing part into two, perpendicular to its axis and use one half on each faucet.  This may be tricky if the keying on the handle isn't full length.  If that's the case, you could wrap some electrical tape around the shaft or fashion a spacer to hold it in the correct position.

This last one is what I'd do.


Options for skirting board on slightly different levels My kitchen floor is higher than my dining room floor and there is no door between them.

Since removing a thick carpet from the dining room and rescuing the wood floor there is now about an inch gap between the floor and the skirting board coming in from the kitchen.

I'm not sure what to so with the skirting board. At the moment I'm thinking of just ending the kitchen length at the boundary and then starting a new run in the dining room at the lower height.

Is there a more correct way to do it?

Image of boundary between kitchen and dining room:

There are a few different options that I'd consider:

Ordering made-to-measure skirting for the dining room that's taller than the skirting you have the kitchen, but with the same top profile. This allows the tops of all skirting (and hence the grooves) to line up.
Stepping it down with a transition piece. You can either cut at 45 degrees and have the transition piece run vertically, or cut at 22.5 degrees and have the transition piece run at 45 degrees. In the following diagrams the black diagonal lines represent cuts, while the blue lines represent one of the grooves on your skirting. Note that the 45 degree transition in version A leaves a gap underneath it, which will require wood filler before painting. Or alternatively the transition can be moved to the right to avoid this, version B, but this leaves the skirting looking too low at the end of the kitchen.


Is 12-gauge wire adequate to run into between a 7000 watt generator and circuit box? I have a Briggs and Stratton model 040301A stand-alone generator I bought used I'm trying to figure out what gauge wire I use to feed my circuit box. When I took it apart it had a black and a red wire plugged into its terminal and they were 12 gauge wire it also had a white pig tail looks like gauge 8 wire twistid to the generators red and black lead. And it has a negative ground block that you would put the ground wire in and tighten it down. This generator has a 30 amp breaker on it but it is rated for 50 amps. Is the 12 gauge wire big enough to run into my circuit box? This unit is only powering a garage that I do not have any power to I am using this generator as my power source. Please help

No, 12 AWG conductors are not large enough for 30 amperes.

Powering a structure is a complex task, which would require more details than can be provided in a short form Q&A site like this.  If you need help with a small portion of this project, you might find help here.  As for planning the entire project, this is not the place for that.

My advice would be to hire a local licensed Electrician, even if only for the planning part of the project.


Repair a popped up brick in an otherwise level brick patio My brick patio is very level. Unfortunately, a nearby tree has sent a root that is now causing a brick to pop up. Before the issue spreads I'd like to pry the brick up and remove the offending root. What are my options to get the brick in and out without damaging it or surrounding bricks?

Pictures of popped up brick

This is a far easier job than you may think.

First, pry out the brick. An old screwdriver will help. Stick it in one end to pry up, then the other end. Before long you will work it out. Once it is high enough, you can grab it with your hand, pulling straight up. You will want to remove a couple of bricks in that area, since there is a root to deal with. Of course, once the first brick is out, its neighbors will come out easily.

Once removed, deal with the root. Cut/shave it back with an old hatchet perhaps. (Yes, it will dull the blade, digging in the dirt. I did say to use an old hatchet.) And, don't worry, the parent tree will survive this bit of surgery.

Now, pack the area with stone dust. You can buy this by the bagful from your local home center for only a few dollars. (In a pinch, sand is ok, but it does not pack as well.) Bring this back to a perfect level. As you put a bit of the dust in, I'd tamp it down using the end of one of the bricks you just removed. You want this underlayment fully packed in, with no voids. Later settling is something you don't want. So I might lay down a half inch of dust, then tamp it in, then another layer of dust. Finally, smooth it out using a small trowel if you have one, or just the edge of one of those bricks. Get the level of the underlayment just right, so that when you replace the brick it will be perfect.

Now lay down the bricks in place again. A rubber mallet is good here as a tool of "persuasion", in case any are too high. Tap on all of the bricks to make sure they are settled in. If a brick is too low, pull it out, and add some more stone dust. You want the final surface to be as smooth as a babies bottom. Trip points are to be avoided here.

When the bricks are back in place, lay down some more of the stone dust on top, and sweep back and forth with a push broom. Work the dust into the cracks between the bricks. This locks them in place. It may require another pass with the push broom and more stone dust in a few days to fill in the cracks, or after the first good rain.

In all, expect this to be an easy job though, taking perhaps 30 minutes to do the complete repair.


some baseboard heaters not working while others are in same zone I have three heating zones (forced hot water in baseboards) in my house. On the top floor, one zone controls all the baseboard heaters on that floor.
None of the baseboards on one side of the house in that zone work, while the baseboards on the other three walls does work.
None of the baseboards on the non-working side have bleeder-valves that I can find. I have tried bleeding the entire system from the boiler, but still those baseboards do not throw any heat.
Any ideas on the cause and possible solutions?
Thanks!

It sounds like the second floor system is split (one zone, but not a single loop of pipe) so that water is circulating in half (or three-quarters), and not in the other half (or quarter).

You either need to look harder (pull the covers off if you have typical fin-tube baseboard) for bleeder valves you are not finding, or cut the system open and add some. You have classic symptoms of air in the system, and there should be bleeders at the high points of the system, since you really can't get all the air out by bleeding down in the basement. If you have any bleeders on the working sections, certainly give them a try to see if there's any trapped air there, even though they are working.

The small-percentages possibility other than that is that the system has actually frozen on that side. Air-lock is far more likely.


Increasing water temperature in water heater What advantages do you get by increasing water temp on dual thermostat water heater?

Advantage: you keep Legionella bacteria from harming your family.

Disadvantage: risk of scalding at any temperature that will kill Legionella

Go with automatic anti-scald blending faucets, and you get the best of both worlds and longer showers too.


Why did my lights go out when I accidentally dropped a charger plug on a power cord with empty sockets? I unplugged my computer charger from a multi-plug extension cord with many empty sockets and the wires were still tangled on the floor so I pulled on the charger to get it loose, but I accidentally dropped it onto the cord. Suddenly there was a small bright spark when the plug hit the cord and it tripped a breaker and the lights went out. The extension cord is type F and looks like this one.
Everything still works fine, but I wonder what exactly happened that made the breaker trip. Any ideas? I would guess that the plug fell into the socket at an angle or something, but I don't know if that would make it trip. It could've also been the other end of the computer charger, but it's much wider than the plug pins for example.

That small bright spark you saw was probably the prongs of the charger, with the weight of the charger behind it, penetrating through the extension cord insulation and hitting one or both of the extension cord's conductors.
You should carefully inspect the extension cord for the damage.  It potentially might be a shock hazard if it were to get wet at all, so its probably best to either wrap with electrician tape to protect casual contact if you intend to continue  to use the extension cord.
Most of the time the electrical tape will be sufficient for guarding against a shock hazard but realistically, if you're in doubt, get a new one.


Advantages to quotes from Lowe's/Home Depot vs direct from contractors? I am looking to have vinyl siding installed on my home. Are there any advantages to getting a quote from Lowe's or Home Depot instead of contacting contractors directly? It seems that this is just adding a middle man that needs a cut of the profit. Does going through a store provide additional warranty on the work or anything else for peace of mind?

HD and Lowes to my knowledge do not have any contractors on staff.  Meaning that they outsource all of their services to local contractors.

Pros

you get a warranty from a company you know will probably honor it in a year
you can sometimes - not all the time - use their financing and may be able to have zero interest for a year if your credit is good enough (if you don't pay it in that time you do pay back interest)
edit:  Adding in another pro since I forgot about why I have used them going back 15 years ago.  During one of my flips I couldn't find a licensed plumber - well I could but I was new to flipping in the area and was under an immensely quick timeline, so the bids I was getting were high but the worst part is no one would guarantee a deadline.  I got a 4k plumbing bid from bigbox but stipulated that it must be done within 10 days or money back.  I couldn't believe the supervisor at bigbox signed it... Day 9 they were 20% done.  I called and informed supervisor and took pictures (with a real camera).  4 plumbers finished the next day.  I doubt bigbox was worried about the job but sure the supervisor was worried about his.  But if you can get them to agree on timelines it is probably very easy to deal with your credit card company to decrease amount.

Cons

HD/Lowes make money by jacking up the normal price by 20-100%.  I have seen very simple small bathroom installations get 20k quotes.  Just thinking I could do 20 of these a year and live very nicely just by doing bathrooms.
They do very little to vet out contractors.  Usually these are guys who aren't drumming up enough business on their own.  For the bigger companies that HD/Lowes deal with you aren't getting their best people.  The only thing that HD/Lowes does is take contractors off their list once they have had issues.
you will now have a middle man to deal with that will be fed part of the information/issues from you and part from the contractor.  Also you will have to deal with admin issues with the middle man.  I have seen many times HD/Lowes mess up these small contracts and leave something off or promise something to one side and not the other.
you could have multiple contractors for a seemingly easy job.  There is no one "owning" who is going into your house.
Good luck taking one of the big boxes to court if you can't resolve an issue.  Most of their small print would probably make you file hundreds of miles away and moves things out of small claims.  You are also dealing with a legal team.  Back in the day I had a friend who was using one of the "orange" ones to sub subcontract... He had several disputes.  He basically got a letter from their lawyer banning him from their stores after he filed a police report.

My advice.  I would only use them if you feel that you don't have any reputable businesses around you that can do the work (not reputable Joe from craigslist - and nothing wrong with using Joe if you are confident on what you need to do) or if you feel you are just the type of person everyone takes advantage of.


Did four LED light bulbs break my light fixture? I have a bathroom light fixture with 4 light bulbs. Until yesterday, those light bulbs were the classic incandescent light bulbs from GE. That light fixture has been working for the last 7 years with those light bulbs.

I replaced the light bulbs with 4 Greenlite LED light bulbs (3000K, 9W). I turned off the light fixture. Replaced the light bulbs and turned it back on. The 4 LED light bulbs were turned on for half a second and then short circuited (it tripped the breaker). I removed the LED light bulbs and put back the GE incandescent light bulbs. Reset the breaker. Same results: the light bulbs turn on for half a second and then the breaker trips. I cannot use the light fixture anymore. I haven't tried the LED light bulbs in another light fixture.

What did I do wrong? What am I missing? Did the LED light bulbs broke the light fixture?

Sounds like you broke a socket or wire when replacing the lamps (bulbs). This could have happened with any lamp, it was not the fault of the LEDs.

Try to reset the breaker with no lamps in the fixture at all. Then put in one lamp at a time and try again each time.

Either way, I'd replace the fixture. If that is not possible financially I would remove the fixture and find the bad wire/socket and remove it.


Am I allowed to put a wall standard within 18" of a fire sprinkler? From my understanding, in San Francisco, CA, there is a code requirement that you cannot obstruct an area within 18 inches of a fire sprinkler. What is meant by obstruction? Say, you installed one of these: http://rakks.com/wall-mounted-standards/

It depends on the shape of the spray and the rating of the sprinkler head.

Sprinkler heads are rated for various situations. Based on the head rating, the sprinkler engineer can layout a pattern that “covers” the spaces based on the occupancy rating. That is to say, one kind of head will work in a narrow residential hallway, while another type is rated for business areas with tall shelving.

Very complicated. I’d contact the sprinkler installer. Their name will be on a metal plate chained to the “riser” or where the water enters the building.


Is there a way to secure a hoop house other then driving posts into the ground? I wanted to build a hoop house, but I need to be able to drive stakes or 1 5/8" pipe into the ground to hold the hoops (pvc or 1 3/8" top rail.)  From all I have read, these ground pipes or stakes need to be 2' in the ground.  The problem is I am on a septic system, and I don't know if there are lines I could be driving the stakes/pipes into and breaking my septic system field lines.
Is there a way to secure a hoop house other then driving posts into the ground?  I considered a greenhouse on piers, but I don't think it will be secure either.  Foots are probably too permanent and require permits.
The problem is the wind on any of these structures, as I see it.
Edit:  The ground is clay.  I could probe it by slowly putting a stake of some sort  in the ground.  I am guessing if I hit gravel, stop, move over, try again?
Edit:  The hoops will be top rail fencing and will be bent at the time.  They are then put in the post in the ground and have a bolt through both pieces and a wood frame along the bottom.
Edit:  It is at the bottom or near bottom of the leach field, and I don't know if I could hold the structure down with sandbags.  I can look at it.  I have a lot of cinder blocks sitting around.

Or, stated differently: is there a way to get posts into the ground without blindly driving them in?
Yes. Use a wet/dry "shop" vac to dig a hole. If needed, loosen the soil carefully with an appropriate tool (a digging bar, a large screwdriver, a crowbar, etc).
Once you've excavated a hole, set a post in the hole and backfill. The backfill could be native soil, imported sand, concrete, etc. Vibrate the post by thumping it sideways with a mallet or dead blow hammer to help the backfill compact around the post.


How to correctly varnish/lacquer all sides of a countertop? I am about to apply a varnish/lacquer[1] to a fairly non-small countertop (200x50cm). Because it'll be in the bathroom I want to apply it on all sides. I also want to minimize the amount of times I have to turn it around and want to minimize the amount of stains on the visible edges.

One solution seems to be to paint while keeping the countertop vertically, so that any stains from drips will form on the small side that'll be invisible in my case. But how do I hold the countertop while working and how do I rest it while it dries?

And if the better option is to apply it while it's laying flat, how can I avoid stains on the underside?

[1] - I don't really understand what's the difference, they both translate to the same word in Polish.

What I would do is set the top vertical and varnish it as much as you can without varnishing the floor. You'll get about 90% of it done.
The simple path
Let it dry, flip it over and varnish it on the side you couldn't get. Requires nothing special, only time
The complex path
If it has to be done all at once (or you ever want to do this again), you'll need 1x4 boards (scrap boards if possible) or something similar in size. You could also use some old plywood, provided it's at least as large as the countertop. I find a couple of 1x4s would be cheap, but I have no idea what they run in Poland. You'll also need some 2 inch (50mm) nails. Lay the boards down across a sawhorse or some other support and drive the nail heads flush (the nails should be sticking out the other side). Put one nail every 2-3 inches (5-8cm).
Now, varnish the inside and bottom edges of your counter. Set the nail-boards so the nails are facing up. Now, take your counter and carefully set it on the nail boards so the bottom edges are resting on the nails. It would be a good idea if you secured the boards somehow (say screw a cross-brace between then), but it's not hard to set it on them just resting on the sawhorses. The nails will support the counter while you finish the top. It's unlikely anyone will scrutinize the bottom edges.
This setup also has the advantage that you have easy access to use a sprayer if you want


T5 bulbs with T8 Ballasts Can 4 ft T5 bulbs be used with T8 ballasts?  Why?

No t5 bulbs are 54w or t5ho are, T8 have a lower wattage 32w for example.
The lamp may start but the ballast life and the lamp will be greatly reduced if it strikes (starts).
Ballast are designed to limit the current to the lamp. They strike or ignight the gas in the tube , once the lamp starts the resistance starts dropping, the ballast limits the current and creates the strike voltage both of these are different when comparing t5 & t8 lamps, so although it may work for a short time the lamp will not provide the rated light output, and the higher strike voltage needed for the longer T8 lamps may actually dammage the shorter t5 lamp. This is why the lamps and ballast need to be matched.


Replacing an existing ground rod I recently accidentally knocked the ground clamp off of one of my two ground rods with my lawn mower. This rod is the one connected to the water line, not the one connected to the main service panel.
I had an electrician come out and he (understandably) would not replace the clamp because the rod is from the builder in the 80's and isn't up to current code. So now I am in a dilemma that I need to re-ground my plumbing, but I don't have a suitable grounding rod installed.
I know that for a new install, DIY is not an option unless you are licensed. This is a replacement.
I would like to fix this myself.
I am in Texas. I realize I have to follow the NEC.
I believe that fixing an existing install should be no more difficult than removing the old rod, installing the new one nearby, and attaching the ground wire from the plumbing.
The new rod will be 3/4" x 10 feet. The old rods are 1/2" x 8 feet (or shorter).
I am not planning to replace the rod near the service panel myself, I will call an electrician for that.
The service panel's rod is at least 40 feet from the rod I would like to replace, so I am well beyond the 20 feet minimum requirement of the NEC for 2x 10' rods.
Does the wire from the plumbing have to be upgraded as well? It's original and runs through the brick, and is a #8 (measured by my wire stripping tool). I believe the NEC requires #6 now for new installs and retrofits, but since this is not a new install or retrofit, I am not clear on the requirement.
I'd also like to confirm if there is anything else I am missing, unaware of, or just plain wrong about?
Any input is appreciated.

Maybe the electrician wouldn't just pop a clamp on there because there is too much not seen to the eye, he was confused, and didn't want his license to be on the hook without opening a big can of worms. (Also it looks like you may have some solar equipment, and that may be over his head or license.)
I would expect to see the water pipe bonded and two ground rods connected with #6 bare copper wire for a 150A service. The wire to the water pipe needs to be connected within 5' of where it enters the building. I would call the local inspector and ask if local ordinances requires the ground rods be further separated than the 6' required by the (2017) NEC. One jurisdiction I have worked in required 16'. It is acceptable to run separate Grounding Electrode Conductor (GEC) to each electrode. Usually you loop the GEC through the connector at the first ground rod and extend to the second. Then a separate wire is run to the water pipe, but you could extend the wire from the rods to the water pipe or pipe to a rod. Generally the conductors need to be continuous or spliced with irreversible connection. I would only use ground rods with a (UL or other) Listing mark.
Now some explanation and disclaimers. An unaltered system is legal as long as it was legally installed when installed. The open question that is left to local interpretation is "when does a repair or addition trigger the requirement to bring something up to current code?" So any advice here may exceed the minimum work you might be able to get by with, but will reflect what most electricians would expect an Inspector would expect to see. A local jurisdiction would likely require updating with the addition of solar equipment.
The cold water pipe used to satisfy the Grounding Electrode requirement. Then the Code was revised and said a water pipe needs a supplemental grounding electrode, which for most purposes means a ground rod. This is likely what was required when your electrical panel was installed. Then the Code writers decided that ground rods had to test 25 ohms or less to ground or a second ground rod at least 6 feet away is required. Also Communication systems, lightening arrest, and other systems need to be connected to the Grounding Electrode System, the methods have evolved also, and the NEC hasn't always been adopted or enforced by local jurisdictions or even interpreted the same. Sometimes a 5 ft. ground rod has been driven to satisfy those systems, but they don't satisfy the requirements for your electric service. A fuller mostly accurate description of current requirements for ground rods can be found here. Currently most jurisdictions have adopted the requirement of a Intersystem Bonding Termination for new services, you likely do not need to worry about that.


How to paint the hilltop house What equipment would you guys use to paint on a slope? The house is at the top of a hill (basement plus two stories) and there is no level place to paint from. It is quite high. My husband is afraid of heights, but I’m not. Is there a way to do it safely with a ladder? Is there a way to navigate the roof more safely since I will be painting from there at times?

A ladder can be difficult to manage on a slope.  I'd use some scaffolding.  You can get extensions to level the structure so that it can handle a slope.  It's relatively inexpensive to rent.  Talk to your local equipment rental dealer about some specific recommendations for your situation.


Can I create concrete driveway with forms to get the paver stone look without the need for all the aggregate beneath? We are in desperate need of repaving our backyard that serves as a parking lot in addition to redoing our driveway. After weighing the pros and cons and taking in aesthetics we are interested in doing concrete. We don't want a completely solid concrete look. We do not want to go with pavers because that seems a lot more involved with removing another 8 or more inches of soil below the existing ground line to install the appropriate layers of compacted aggregate before finally putting the pavers on top.

From what I've seen on YouTube videos, masonry pros who do this type of work all day remove existing cracked concrete, compact the soil, add rebar for support and then pour new concrete onto the ground into forms that are 4 to 6" deep. As it stands now we currently have a pretty thin layer of asphalt with tons of cracks all over that can be broken up and removed with a shovel.

What I'd like to know is if I can do this approach by pouring concrete into my forms, but I'd like to create a 'giant' paver look with minimal space in between. This is sort of the look I'm talking about:

The space in between my pavers will probably be the thickness of my 2x4's that I'll use to create my forms. I'd like to do this look for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it would make it a lot easier for me to work with such a large area as I can do a little bit at a time.

First, We share a property with another owner and there are three cars I'm going to have work around as I conquer this project.

Second, as it stands now since the parking lot is currently cracked and broken up asphalt rain doesn't accumulate and goes right into the ground beneath. The parking lot is approximately 36x60ft. It would not be smart to make this a solid concrete parking lot without a designated water drain. When it rains the water will have nowhere to go.

My question are: Can I lay concrete with my design idea in mind but approach it as if I were just laying concrete on freshly compacted ground? I'll use my forms and apply ether the appropriate gauge mesh or rebar for reinforcement. Or do I have to lay down an aggregate first like I would with smaller pavers; which is something I don't want to do.

I'd also want to use some landscape weed barrier fabric between the 2" spaces of my pavers to prevent weeds from growing through them. And instead of planting grass I'm just going to use garden mulch that will be extend into the planted landscaped areas along the sides of our parking lot.

Are my ideas doable?

If this was just a patio I'd say you have a good chance of getting some satisfactory results except for the fact that it would be about 2.5" above grade and there's be the possibility of tripping over it. This is a parking lot and driveway. You'll have cars driving over these slabs and parking on them. They will be shifting and sinking because of the weight and cracking. Rain will probably erode the ground between the slabs causing further movement. Doing it piecemeal will also cause some problems establishing final grade as you proceed. I think you need to bite the bullet and remove the extra ground and install a proper base.


Do I really need dedicated 20 amp circuit? Am installing a sauna and manufacturer says it needs 20 amp dedicated circuit or the warranty is voided.
My question is that since I already have 20 amp shared circuit, so long as I don’t plug anything else in that circuit is this okay ?  The manufacturer says that is not okay but I’m doubtful about what they say.  Seems to me they may not trust people when they say they won’t plug anything else into the circuit.

Code requires us to follow the MFG instructions per NEC 110.3.B .
Could there be issues using a circuit with multiple receptacles?
Possibly; additional splices or receptacles wired to code might create issues with devices that draw the maximum allowed amount if 1 screw or wirenut is not completely secure. This can create a high resistance connection where it may start arcing. Arcing can damage sensitive electronic components, so even without having anything else plugged in the multiple receptacles could be an issue, even if rare.
Because the instructions state it requires a dedicated circuit, a licensed electrician could not advise you otherwise.


what kind of floor tape can I put on my polyurethaned hardwood floors for spot re applying polyurethane.ng up I have some areas on my new hardwood floors where the polyurethane needs to be redone.  What kind of masking tape can be used to isolate the area that needs to be retouched without pulling up the polyurethane from the other floor boards.

Painters tape should work just fine (the blue stuff)...but...I'm not sure you really need to tape it off. A light sanding of the area and you should be able to put the poly right over it to blend it all in.


Why are my three-way switches behaving differently than they were? I have four lights in my new house that each have two different switches to control them. They are wired so that one of the switches would have to be ON and the other OFF for the light to be ON. If both are ON or OFF, the light would be OFF.

The power went off a couple of months ago for a couple of hours. I now have 3 lights that the double-switch now works the opposite of how it used to work. Now if both switches are ON or both OFF, the light will be ON.

I tried turning off the power to the house when the switchers were all in the OFF positions but when I turned the power off, the lights went back to being ON. I then tried changing one of the switches to ON position and turned the power off and on again but the light remembered the state it was in and stayed the same.

I'm not sure what else I could do. How can I reset them to work like they did before - so that OFF + OFF = OFF?

Here are pictures of one of the switches. I thought they were normal switches and there was some other sort of switch that controls the light but it does look like there are two white leads and one black to each switch.

This kind of switch does not have "ON" and "OFF" positions, just "UP" and "DOWN".

There are two and only two ways to set up the action of a circuit with two "two-way" switches:

(1) ON when switches are in different positions
UP + UP = OFF
UP + DOWN = ON
DOWN + UP = ON
DOWN + DOWN = OFF

(2) ON when switches are in same position
UP + UP = ON
UP + DOWN = OFF
DOWN + UP = OFF
DOWN + DOWN = ON

I have no confidence at all that you correctly remember which way your switches worked before your power failure incident. This kind of switch is entirely mechanical with no electronic parts and cannot suddenly change its behavior in the way you imply.

Apparently from your second and fourth paragraphs, on three of your circuits, you currently have (1) but you want (2).

The standard way to switch between actions (1) and (2) is to pull out one of the switches and swap the travelers, which are the wires on the two terminals that are not marked "common".

In your case, however, I note that your switches are wired using the backstab terminals, which makes it hard to remove the wires without damaging something. So I recommend this method: in each circuit you want to change, unscrew one switch, don't change any wires, rotate it one half turn, and screw it back in. Replace the cover plates.


Why won't my ceiling light turn off with the wall switch disconnected? I want to install a ceiling light where previously only a box cover existed, no fixture. I connected the black wire to the black fixture wire, white to white, ground to ground. No other wires are present.  I turned the breaker on and the light only stays on. I disconnected the wall switch completely but left the wall wires unconnected (black, white, ground). I think it could be a possible faulty switch. I turned the breaker on and the ceiling light remained on with no switch connection.

What is going on?

It sounds like you're poking around in the wrong hole. The circuit you describe looks something like this...

Which obviously is not possible, since you say the light is on.  More likely, the switch does not control the light at all, and the circuit looks more like this...

It's possible (as previously mentioned) that the switch actually controls a receptacle, or some other device. In which case the ceiling box is probably wired directly to the circuit, and is intended for a fixture with a built-in switch (pull chain).


How do I repair a broken polystyrene part? I have a speaker whose mount broke. I previously tried to fix it using a common 2-part "5 minute" epoxy (I believe I did 2 or 3 separate applications, trying to get some thickness on it), but after a few months that repair failed (if I remember correctly, it was being picked up to clean underneath, as had been done many times before, and it simply gave way).

The base (light gray, right side of photo) is polystyrene and I'm almost certain this piece is as well.

It originally broke on a bit of an irregular slice, going through some of the reinforced ridges on the part: it is 3.2mm at the narrowest to to 6.5mm at the widest. The break is also right where it sits in the base, so there's not a ton of lateral area to work with.

What can I use to reliably glue this part back together again?

Forget trying to glue it, repair it some other way. "McGyver" it.
Like maybe buy a lock hasp of appropriate size and use the staple, which is the piece that the lock shackle would go through (see picture). Sorry I could not find a picture of just the staple.
Screw the staple to the speaker body and the staple hole would rest in the base, aligned with the hole in the base. Use a nut and bolt to secure it, with washers and bushings to take up any slack. paint it black to match and only you will know it is there.
Or find some other alternative way to rig it, as glue is likely to disappoint you.


Are power outlets for window A/C units likely to support 220V? The windows in my apartment have single power outlets next to them like the one pictured below, presumably for use with window A/C units. Are these likely to be 220V outlets, suitable for use with larger units like this one? One point of evidence against is that I have used these outlets successfully with smaller window units (which I do not know to have voltage transformers) in the past.

If these are not 220V outlets, what is specially about them that requires them to be different from standard, two plug outlets?

That is a 120v outlet.

220v outlets use different shaped slots - both horizontal instead of vertical. Like this:

The plugs and outlets are made to be incompatible with 120v ones because plugging a device into the wrong voltage outlet could cause serious damage or fire.

IF that is a dedicated circuit for the AC it can be rewired as 240v quite easily by replacing the breaker and wiring it differently at both ends, using the existing wire in the wall.  It will still be limited to whatever amperage the existing run supports - probably 15 or 20 amps depending on the wire gauge.

If other things are on the same circuit you would need to run new wire from the electrical panel.

Assuming you rent the apartment (not a condo that you own) you would usually need the landlord's permission to get it changed.


What's this part on my water main and could it be making a consistent tapping noise? I've been noticing a consistent knocking/tapping noise when cold water is running in my house.  It gets louder with more volume.  It stops when the water is turned off.  Not sure how long it's been happening.  It appears to be coming from the vicinity of this part.  Can anyone tell me what this part is and if there is a valve or something in it that could make this noise?  If so should it be replaced?  Since the whole pipe is vibrating it's difficult to pinpoint.  This is the only part I can find on the water line between the shutoff and the rest of the house.  However, given that this was buried in the wall, it's possible there could be something else.

That is nothing.  It's just a tee fitting with a short piece of pipe that is capped off.  That shouldn't make any sounds or cause any issue.  As for why it is there - no telling.  Installer could have ran out of couplings and had a tee handy, or read a diagram wrong and thought there needed to be a tap there.


Pipes flooding downstairs While my daughter was showering upstairs, one of my downstairs toilets started flooding with hot water coming from underneath the toilets. It flooded my bathroom n living room. Then in the master bathroom someone flushed the toilet and it flooded over and I notice that in the shower it had water coming up from the drain. What could the problem be?

The drain line is plugged beyond the downstairs toilet.


Water radiator system has single loop instead of flow & return pipes -- does this make sense? I have a hot water heating system connected to several radiators throughout the house. While all diagrams I have seen of radiator plumbing have a separate flow and return pipe, this one has a single loop of pipe from the furnace outlet to its inlet. Each radiator branches off this main loop and returns to it a little further along the loop.

My first instinct was "this doesn't make any sense", that there should be very inefficient, if any, circulation through the radiators (though they do clearly heat up).

But I'm noticing that each radiator has one plain 3-way split from the main loop, and one joint that has something else going on:

(Flow direction is left to right; this picture is the only example where I can fit both pipe connections in the same picture)

I tried some googling to find what this device might be called, but no luck. My best guess is it's a valve that prefers flow from the return pipe but will open to through flow if the return pipe does not have sufficient pressure (i.e. radiator is shut off). Can anyone identify this device? Is this a typical water radiator setup?

I'm hoping to learn a little more about how these systems are connected and if there's anything I should seek to change if I end up redoing any of this plumbing (for ex finishing the basement)!

The heating system that you have is called A "mono-flo" hot water system. The tees in your system can either be standard or restricted tees. The usual installation practice is to have one restrictor tee on either the supply or return and a normal tee on the other supply or return pipe. When I was still installing these systems I would usually install 1 tee if the radiator was above the supply pipe and 2 tees if the radiator was below the supply piping. However the use of 1 or 2 tees is usually dependent upon the size of the radiator. A very large radiator would require 2 tees to provide adequate flow. These systems can be zoned at each radiator or room if desired. If you desire to learn more about these systems, just type in " a mono-flo heating system" using any search engine. (I use google)


What are some tips for working with inaccessible power receptacles? When a power receptacle is blocked by large or unwieldy furniture, but there is a small amount of clearance available, what are some good techniques for plugging in?   I'm looking for ways to solve this problem when the receptacle is inaccessible by hand - the furniture or other blocking object is large enough to prevent using one's hands to plug something in.  I'm also looking for solutions that presume that there is no choice about the placement of the furniture or the receptacle.

I have a specific case in mind, but I am also looking for general approach tips.

For example, I can guide a power strip with a low-profile plug to the receptacle, but if that receptacle is in the middle of a triple-wide bookcase, the final step of insertion requires leverage that is hard to come by.

I'm familiar with the technique of using snakes, string, etc. to guide a cable through an area and out the other side, but stopping in the middle of an inaccessible area and applying leverage to insert a plug is particularly tricky.

I thought about using two long bungees on either side to provide enough tension to orient and stabilize the plug, and then using some kind of long-handled calipers in reverse to guide the plug in, but this seems sub-optimal to me.

I am interested in hearing both about highly specialized tools for this purpose, and about solutions that only require relatively common tools or household objects (to enable improvisation in the field).

After some experimentation, I have a solution that I think will be useful to others.  I go into some detail here, so that people can take the principles and adapt them to their own circumstances.  A lot of it seems obvious in retrospect, of course!

Tools I used:

Two long plastic yardsticks (wood or fiberglass would be fine, too).
One small plastic binder clip (like the ones used for potato chip bags).
One high-powered flashlight.
(Optional for other circumstances: a piece of plywood)

First, here are some questions that capture the underlying principles that I puzzled out.

How can I have fine-grained control over rotation of the plug parallel to the wall, so that I can properly orient the ground pin and prongs clockwise/counter-clockwise relative to the receptacle?
How can I control rotation of the plug perpendicular to the wall, so that the prongs and pin are properly facing the receptacle?
While maneuvering the plug, how can I detect when the plug is properly aligned with the receptacle, so that the insertion is accurate and safe?
Once the plug is properly aligned relative to the receptacle, how do I apply the proper amount and direction of force to insert the plug?

For #1, I used a plastic binder clip (like the ones used for potato chips) to attach the cord (near the plug-end of the cord) to a long plastic yardstick.  By changing the angle of the yardstick relative to the ground, I had fine control over the rotational position of the plug.

For #2, I angled the plastic binder clip so that it secured the plug as close to the end of the cord as possible, so that it was firmly holding the flat side of the flat plug to the flat side of the yardstick. By keeping the yardstick parallel to the wall, the plug stayed naturally aligned.

For #3, I used a high-powered flashlight to illuminate the area, so that I could clearly see when the alignment was close to perfect.  By aligning my vision to be at the same height as the receptacle, I could see when the two prongs were parallel to each other relative to the ground.  When that happened, I could also feel the prongs and ground pin settle gently into the outer edges of the holes, so I had both visual and tactile confirmation that my alignment was good.

For #4, I inserted a second long plastic yardstick between the first yardstick and the bookcase with its flat face parallel to the flat surface of the first yardstick, but at a 30-degree angle or so relative to the ground, so that the two yardsticks intersected at the point directly behind the plug.  I then rotated the second yardstick around its long axis, which, once the second yardstick contacted the back of the bookshelf, gained some leverage and, as rotation continued, it naturally applied progressive pressure directly against the plug assembly.  This gently pushed the plug right into the receptacle.

Once I had the principles worked out, and tried a couple of approaches, it worked like a charm.  I believe that my method is reproducible and safe.

This method was dependent on having the hard back of the bookcase available for leverage.  In other circumstances (for example, if the receptacle was behind a soft-backed piece of furniture like a giant sofa), a section of plywood (flat enough to insert into the area, but wide enough to span any open space) could be positioned to provide the needed leverage.

And yes, I know that I could have spent the same amount of time emptying all three sections of the bookcase, unscrewing the earthquake brackets, emptying the filing cabinet portion of the middle bookcase, detaching the brackets connecting the three bookshelves together, moving the entire thing, and then reassembling everything.

But now I know how to solve this class of problem in ten minutes ... and hopefully, someone else will find this information useful.


Is there such a thing as wall lights that you can plug into a power outlet? There is a room in our house with a fluorescent bulbs from the dark ages and they've stopped working a while back. We've tried replacing the starter, it worked for a moment but stopped, maybe a loose connection somewhere. We can't get an electrician to come check it out for the time being, so what I'm wondering is, are there any wall lights that you can plug into a power outlet and hang on the wall? This might be a stupid idea, but is there? Googling only brought out accent lights, but I want something a little more powerful.

Yes, absolutely: what you want are called "wall mount plug-in lamps". You have a number of choices, e.g.:

See that pipe going downward? It's a conduit that dresses up the extension cord and protects it from getting yanked on. At the bottom is a standard plug.

These come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. I have one in my house which takes a 3-way bulb (50/100/150W) so you can get a lot of light out of them, and they often have hinges to let you swing them in and out.

Generally you will need to drill 2 holes into your drywall, hammer in a set of drywall anchors, and then attach a plate to it. (All the parts are included in the light.)

If you're renting, check with your landlord before drilling holes in the wall--but often it's easy enough to use spackle or compound to fill the holes you made, and then paint over it.


Is there a reason the hot wire is connected to the neutral bar and the white to the breaker? The black wire is connected to the neutral bar and the white wire is connected to the breaker. Should it be this way for any reason?

No. I suggest you test the outlets on the circuit with an outlet tester. I use the
Gardner Bender GFI-3501.


Are there long pipes that either increase speed of water or at least do not decrease it? I need a long pipe of almost 100 m for filling water into buckets at my home from municipal tap provided outside of my home.

Many people have to share that municipal tap and hence a hose would allow me to get the water I am allotted in less time when my turn comes.

There are two issues involved in it

  1) The velocity of water either decreases or water flow gets stop
  because the pipe can't be horizontal and there are some elevations the
  pipe has to go through.

  2) Should not forcefully pull the water from the municipal tape
  because of the legal reasons.

Water speed has nothing to do with it.  All pipes have a very, very large surface to interact with the water therein (hydrodynamic term: "wetted area"), and will quickly brake any water velocity.

No, water moves because of pressure.  For passive movement, that means height/gravity.  The trade language for height is "head".  The pressure is 1 atmosphere per 10m of height (about 1 psi per 2 feet).   Water does not flow uphill.  If you have a hill to climb, you either need forced pumping..... or for very small climbs, highly competent use of syphons.

Obviously you cannot syphon more than 10m of head, since the pipe would be 100% vacuum inside.  You do need a pump capable of removing air at the top of the syphon. (The mouth will do for less than 800mm, fit a check valve so you don't get spit in the pipe).

Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley had the finest water engineering in the history of the world, until the British gained the crown. And they weren't the only ones. So mastery of hydraulics might be your birthright!


Is the maximum load of my circuit panel split evenly between the two legs? I’ve been curious about the max load of the home. I have a 200 amp service coming into my home. My question is, is it 200 amps per phase or 100 amps per phase 200 amps total? I couldn’t seem to find an answer simply my searching.

We’ve bought a few large appliances and when the ac and dryer and cooktop are on it draws close to 80 amps per phase. I started to wonder if this was approaching the limit of the service.

What you have is 240V @ 200A, with a center tap neutral giving you a neutral/center return.

This is single phase with a center tap, it is not conventionally called "two phases" but rather "two poles", L1 and L2.

If you fully load it, you will pull 200A down the L1 pole and necessarily by the nature of current flowing in loops, 200A down the L2 pole.

You can pull any amount of current you please down the neutral. Since the neutral essentially breaks the big loop into two little loops, neutral only pulls differential current: if you pull 40A across L1-neutral, and 30A across L2-neutral, then neutral flows 10A.   If you draw 200A down L1 and 0A down L2, neutral carries 200A.  There is no combination of draws that can make neutral draw more than the largest pole.

If you're now thinking "I can power two 120V circuits with a common neutral", you are correct and that is called a multi-wire branch circuit.  It's fallen out of style in the age of GFCIs, because it requires GFCIs which are special.   The three conductors in a GFCI only carry two wires' worth of current, so only count as 2 wires for thermal calculations.


Ceiling paint peels while rolling new coat We are repainting ceiling in the kitchen of a summer house.

First, we scraped a lot of old paint (yellow) and laid joint compound on top of the patches without yellow paint (looks gray in picture)

After that we sanded joint compound, and started applying white latex-based indoors ceiling paint (Behr). When we use roller we see old paint peeling off in patches. There is no peeling of joint compound. The peeling paint is not yellow underneath, so we are peeling off flakes of old yellow paint plus whatever it was painted over.

When we use brush, there is no peeling of the old paint.

Is there a way to fix that?

Our plan so far looks like:

wait till new paint dries
Try to scrape as much as possible where paint peels
Apply joint compound again
Let it dry, sand it
Paint over using our new white paint

Yes, but you won’t like it...

Had this before, and you have to remove the old paint back to a secure, stable layer.

Think yourself lucky - we had to do it on the ceiling of a paper mill.. hundreds of square metres...


What is the best wire (material, construction and gauge) for a 30 meter wire telephone? I am asking about constructing a non-electric telephone made of two thin plastic cups (these seem to resonate the best) and wire between them to exchange secret messages with my neighbor across the fence.

I've looked into cotton but I've found negligible scientific evidence that this is the most effective engineering solution.

The wire will be fully free floating but support can be arranged along its route.

You want very stiff taut wire.  Otherwise you will have to pull it VERY tight to pull it to the limits of its springiness so the sound won't get dampened by that spring action.

Also preferably nonconductive.   Maybe something in the FRP/carbon fiber family.

My vote is for fiberglass electrician's pulling tape.   Nonconductive, stiff and mad tensile strength.


What do I do with a leaky roof in the middle of January? I removed the ceiling Sheetrock and insulation during a bathroom remodel in my master bathroom on the 2nd floor of my house. I have snow on the roof that is melting and I found two small drips coming from the roof. I can see black decayed plywood that is bowed in between rafters. I already have two layers of shingles.

I know it's not a great idea to do roof work in the cold, but my bathroom remodel hinges on it.

What's my best approach to this dilemma? Should I cut out and replace the roof over this room alone now, and maybe do the rest in the spring? Or tarp it, finish the remodel and wait for spring to repair the roof?

Ideas?

If the leak(s) are due to water backing up behind ice dams, you may be able to keep the problem at bay and defer the roof work until summer, by addressing the ice dams and using a roof-rake to remove most of the snow.

There are a few approaches to battling ice dams; chipping away, electric heat tape, or ice melt that is safe for your roof/siding/yard/pets... I currently have some ice-melt-filled nylon stockings draped across a problem ice dam, so that it creates a drainage channel for the melting snow I miss or can't quite reach with my roof-rake.

Don't put off the roof work for a full seasonal cycle tho, or you may find your newly remodeled bathroom drenched next winter.


Old light switch wiring question not using black wires? I pulled off a light switch and was going to replace it, but the wiring seems non-standard. The switch is evidently a three way, but has no ground. It has a brass common screw and two traveler screws.  See the picture in the box...the black wires are not even being used?!

The metal box appears to be grounded, so the switch can acquire ground via the mounting screws.  (this doesn't work for receptacles).
Here is the crux of how a 3-way circuit works.

Note that your light is probably shifted to the left, i.e. in between the power supply and the first switch.
3-way switches have 2 travelers (on brass screws) and 1 common wire (on black screw).  3-way cables contain 2 travelers and 1 other wire; the function and color of the other wire varies and can be anything.
When it comes to 3-way circuits, identify the travelers (the ones on the brass screws; also in the same cable) and wrap them (both) with yellow tape to re-mark them. This will save you a great deal of time and trouble.
The two yellow-marked travelers will be on the brass screws.
As to why the white is being used as a hot, this appears to be  a "switch loop" which is 3-way.  The /2 cable carries always-hot (on the white by law) and the switched hot.  The /3 cable carries 2 travelers and the switched hot.


How to connect transformer to outlet for humidifier I purchased an aprilaire 700, and I plan to install a 15a electrical outlet on the furnace right where the electrical comes in. If I first feed hot wire to outlet, and then feed off outlet to furnace, what is the best way to install the transformer? Can I just double up and twist the hot wire together on one of the terminals? Also, can I just sit this on top of the outlet box or should I try to put it inside the furnace?  Thanks!

Picture:

https://imageshack.us/i/pn36DL2sj

If I were in your shoes, I'd use a small box (a handy box with a blank cover is A-OK) placed at the rigid to flex junction and supported from a metal hangar strap attached to the ceiling (vs. mounting boxes to the ductwork, which isn't such a hot idea) to hold the "tap" connection to the furnace power wires, and then run a flex (or a MC cable, your pick) over to another strap-suspended box that mounts the transformer (as 24V HVAC transformers generally mount directly to a box) and a single 120VAC outlet for the humidifier's power cord.


Will there always be studs in the corner of two walls? My stud finder seems to have trouble when I'm in the corner of two sheets of plaster/drywall. Can I just assume there will be studs behind each wall in the corner?

And what about where the wall meets the roof, is it safe to assume there will be a top plate behind the highest part of the wall plaster/drywall?

Those are all reasonable assumptions. But, you never know for certain whether anything was built by someone who knew what they were doing. Or whether it was inspected.

I'd guess those assumptions are accurate 90% of the time?

Safe? Well, that depends on what you are doing in those areas. I wouldn't hang anything heavy that could fall and hurt someone if the assumption were not true (without 1st verifying the assumption).


How can I connect coaxial cables to my wall? I have cables that my cable company laid running all over the place. How do I connect these cables to the wall?  What is the name of this part, so I know what to buy?

It sounds like you're looking for "cable staples" or "cable clips" which look like this:

If you want to get fancier you can get "cord covers" which come in a lot of different styles, such as this:


Repair broken desk lamp I recently bought a desk lamp from the 70s at an auction site, but sadly it did not survive shipping. Even though I will most probably be compensated by the shipping company, I wonder if there are any good ways of repairing the lamp?
It is made of plastic, and gluing it is a possibility, but there will still be visible cracks. Is there any good way of covering these cracks, perhaps? I'm really a newbie when it comes to repairing things, but very much willing to try with this lamp:)
I'm attaching some images -- any suggestions on how to repair it

I'd suggest some plastic cement from a hobby shop (different from CA/superglue). The good stuff will glue the plastic, but will not stick to your fingers.
If you've got all the pieces, you should be able to hold the plastic together to make a nice tight seam, then you dab a bit of glue on with a small paint brush. The glue sucks into the joint and chemically welds it. If you're holding it right, you should be good to go.
Take your time and be patient and there's a high likelihood that you'll never see the seams. While you're at the hobby shop, take a look at the plastic models they've built using this stuff - most likely you won't see seams in it, either.


What could cause tiles to suddenly separate from a wall? There is a row of tiles (1 tile high) behind my kitchen sink. Recently I noticed one or two of them were separating from the wall slightly. This continued to happen over the next few days until about 5 of them literally fell off. I checked behind the missing tiles and the wall appears fine - no moisture or mould, just bare bricks.

I've only owned the place for about a year, but judging from the design of the kitchen the tiles are probably 20+ years old.

Would anyone know what could have caused this?

Tiles that were attached with a substandard, incorrect, or poorly prepared adhesive and/or were bonded to an improper surface or a surface that was not properly prepared, will tend to release over time. Especially in areas where water is present.


Fixing leak in tub overflow with old style drain closer I couldn't find any examples of my tub drain lever online, so I can't figure out how to remove it. The overflow is leaking, so I'd like to open it up and see what the gasket is like to replace it. On the back of the tub, it looks like there's some corrosion at that point, so that's probably the culprit.

I got the handle loose, but the overflow cap is blocking my access to screws. I can't get the handle out of the assembly, it's connected somehow to the tub drain.

Pix:

I figured it out! Figured I'd answer my own question in case someone else has a similar lever. The lever handle was stuck onto the shaft. I just needed to force it off.


What's the best way to label a double gang box with two circuits I'm installing some lights in my basement, and will be replacing the single gang box in the hall (currently only for hall light) with a double gang box.  The idea is to accommodate the hall light switch and the basement light switch in the same box, but I want to inform anybody who comes after that they will have to turn off two breakers to safely work in the box.

What's the best way to label the box, so people know there are two circuits in the box?

Put a divider between the two sides of the box:

Then simply label each side of the gang box as belonging to the appropriate circuit.

Note: Make sure the divider you pick will fit your gang box.  I've picked up dividers that don't before.


Appropriate copper pipe length for shutoff valves We recently renovated our home and paid to have the plumbing roughed in.  I am planning to try and tackle the kitchen sink installation.  I have 1/4 turn angle stops for the hot/cold water for the kitchen sink.  Is there a recommended amount of length to leave on the copper pipes coming from the wall that I will install the angle stop on?  The stub outs are about 3 inches right now.

I would leave the pipes at there current length. The reason I would leave the extra length is if you have problems with the compression fitting leaking now or in the future you will have enough space to cut it off and put a new fitting on.


electrical - preparing smoke detectors for rough inspection To get past the rough inspection, should I have the wiring for smoke detectors just pulled through the ceiling box (and stripped, pigtailed etc) or should I have the mounting bracket (for the detector) also installed?

The level of inspection depends on the inspector. Some get weird on a rough inspection with devices attached some love it. If your detector has a quick disconnect so it doesn't have to be unwired for the Sheetrock I would put it in. I regularly would wire outlets and switches that can be stuffed in the box when putting the Sheetrock up and the 2 main inspectors would ask if I wanted a cover or final because they had already verified my wire length & connection methods.

With this said I had 1 inspector that was a total nut case and went berserk with devices connected. After 3 hours on one occasion I called her boss she just had to find something. Only got her on finals after that. If the wiring needs to be disconnected to cover don't hook it up! Because this will be a waste of time.

Last but not least, four things they usually look at on rough inspection. #1 Make sure your wire lengths are 6" or more from the back of the box. #2 double gang or more boxes or a high wire count verify box fill. #3 make sure to correctly staple Romex flat and at proper intervals. Last all drilled holes 1-1/4 away from edge of board. These are the things I notice on rough inspection.

If the inspector fails you on any area ask for the code reference. I'm my state the inspector must cite the reference to write a violation. Whatever you do don't argue just take notes. That's the best advice I can give.


Ideas to hide pipe between bathtub and drain not sure if it's the right forum for my question, but I'll give it a shot. I'm about to start a quick and cheap renovation of my Bathroom (basically putting some finish on top of the walls and floor without knocking down the existing tiles first).

I have this bathtub shown in the picture in my Bathroom, and someone decided that the Drain should be in the middle of the Room, with a pipe leading from the bathtub over the floor and down the drain.

If I were to redo the flooring, I'd raise it, move the drain and change the bathtub for a shower, but it's not an option.

My question is if anyone has any idea on how to hide this ugly drain pipe (and perhaps the metal vents as well) without moving the bathtub, moving the drain or raising the floor.

All ideas are welcome, though some of them may not be accomplishable due to details I have forgot here. Thanks!

Sometimes a step is put along the side of a tub to assist in entry. You could form one that straddles and covers the pipe and half the floor drain. Just make it removable (screws are OK if accessible) so that you can access the drain if needed.


How do I bleed a noisy radiant heat system? I have a gas fueled (converted from oil just a few years ago) boiler in my basement with an integrated tank-less water heating system for the showers/taps/etc. The output is three zones as shown in the picture below. Only zones one and two ever get used. Zone 3 maybe twice a winters gets turned on. Not shown in either picture is a drain spigot.

To describe what is happening here:
The water supply comes from outside and splits. Half goes directly into the tank-less water heater part of the boiler and the other half move through the PRV and mixes in the air scoop with the return pipe from all three heating zones. There is one pipe and throughout the house the zones all drain into it. This enters the heating part of the boiler. One the left side of the boiler the water moves through a circulator (not shown) and then is split for each of the three zone valves. Each line after the zoning motor has a shutoff valve and a spigot.

Last year (late winter) I noticed my hot water heating pipes sounded like a river was flowing through them and efficiency was reduced. I had a plumber come out and he bled the system and recharged the expansion tank (hadn't been done since I bought the house three years ago). He also replaced the bleed valve on top of the air scoop. Unfortunately the baseboard radiators do not have any bleed valves (project for next summer).

This past weekend I was installing an ecobee and was shutting off the boiler periodically to do some wiring etc but now the pipes sound like a river again.

What could be causing the reintroduction of air into the system?
How do I bleed my system?

UPDATE: I went down to check the expansion tank and on a lark loosened the bleeder valve cap a little more (it wasn't previously tightened down) and I got a huge spurt of air. Maybe making it a little more loose will help the system.

I ended up not having drain or replace anything. Just loosening the shrader valve cap a little let all the air out and the system is working normally again. Thanks for your help.


BASEMENT EMT CONDUIT + 12G THNN WIRES + NM-B Sometime I started (slow pace) the rewiring process of a large mansonry house. Overall I intend to use EMT conduit inside walls, and in the attic mostly bx/mc conduit. Will mostly use 12G THNN and sometimes I will use romex (and will derate the conduit whenever required: 100% filling rate) The house has a small basement (which is a breeze to do for what there is no ton of insulation there) and I plan on using mostly EMT, THNN, and sporadically nm-b.

I understand that romex is required to be affixed/clamped 12" from a box and also in the box's knockout. I have a situation whereby the romex  travels a very short distance (about 4 feet) inside a partial wall which then makes it very difficult to clamp the wire at the box end or inside the wall cavity. The pic below depicts the situation:

The box below will contain a light switch and a dual receptacle, and the romex come from inside the wood joist and unless I drill a large bore there (or a special fitting exist) I don't see how to clamp the wire to the box itself:

The romex travels about 3 or 4 feet to the junction box (left of the switch box facing) inside the narrow wall cavity, thus making it difficult to clamp within the wall too.

By the way, most of the wire is thnn traveling in 1/2 emt conduit, as shown below:

So, I was wondering whether or not I could use the exception present on NEC 334.30(B) [see below exception] and thus do not use clamp at the box, at 12" of the box, and within the short section inside the narrow wall cavity.

334.30 Securing and Supporting Nonmetallic-sheathed cable shall be supported and secured by staples, cable ties, straps, hangers, or similar ﬁttings designed and installed so as not to damage the cable, at intervals not exceeding 1.4 m (4 1⁄2 ft) and within 300 mm (12 in.) of every outlet box. junction box, cabinet, or ﬁtting. Flat cables shall not be stapled on edge. Sections of cable protected from physical damage by raceway shall not be required to be secured within the raceway.
(A) Horizontal Runs Through Holes and Notches. In other than vertical runs, cables installed in accordance with 300.4 shall be considered to be supported and secured where such support does not exceed 1.4-m (4 1⁄2-ft) intervals and the nonmetallic-sheathed cable is securely fastened in place by an approved means within 300 mm (12 in.) of each box, cabinet, conduit body, or other nonmetallicsheathed cable termination.
FPN: See 314.17(C) for support where nonmetallic boxes are used
(B) Unsupported Cables. Nonmetallic-sheathed cable shall be permitted to be unsupported where the cable:
(1) Is ﬁshed between access points through concealed spaces in ﬁnished buildings or structures and supporting is impracticable.
(2) Is not more than 1.4 m (4 1 ⁄2 ft) from the last point of cable support to the point of connection to a luminaire or other piece of electrical equipment and the cable and point of connection are within an accessible ceiling

While your local code amendments may differ, the following codes are recognized in the National Electrical Code 2014

Conductors entering boxes need to be closed and protected with approved means.

  314.17 Conductors Entering Boxes, Conduit Bodies, or Fittings Conductors entering boxes, conduit bodies, or fittings shall be protected from abrasion and shall comply with 314.17( A) through (D). (A) Openings to Be Closed. Openings through which conductors enter shall be closed in an approved manner.

An exception is allowed when NM wire is used BUT ONLY when a single gang box is used not larger than 2 ¼ in. × 4 in. and mounted on walls or ceilings and the cable is fastened within 8".

  314.17 (C) Exception: Where nonmetallic-sheathed cable or multiconductor Type UF cable is used with single gang boxes not larger than a nominal size 57 mm × 100 mm (2 ¼ in. × 4 in.) mounted in walls or ceilings, and where the cable is fastened within 200 mm (8 in.) of the box measured along the sheath and where the sheath extends through a cable knockout not less than 6 mm (¼ in.), securing the cable to the box shall not be required. Multiple cable entries shall be permitted in a single cable knockout opening.

NM wire installed on A WALL of unfinished basements requires proper protection with conduit or similar tubing AND the conduit shall be provided with a insulated bushing or adapter at the point of entry.

  334.15 (C) In Unfinished Basements and Crawl Spaces.  Nonmetallic-sheathed cable installed on the wall of an unfinished basement shall be permitted to be installed in a listed conduit or tubing or shall be protected in accordance with 300.4. Conduit or tubing shall be provided with a suitable insulating bushing or adapter at the point the cable enters the raceway. The sheath of the nonmetallic-sheathed cable shall extend through the conduit or tubing and into the outlet or device box not less than 6 mm (¼ in.). The cable shall be secured within 300 mm (12 in.) of the point where the cable enters the conduit or tubing. Metal conduit, tubing, and metal outlet boxes shall be connected to an equipment grounding conductor complying with the provisions of 250.86 and 250.148.

Conductors entering building need protection.

  300.5 (D) (2) Conductors Entering Buildings. Conductors entering a building shall be protected to the point of entrance.


Detaching wires from an outlet doesn't seem to affect others on the circuit I'm trying to ID the first outlet in a circuit. I've done this procedure successfully before, to install a GFCI, but this time around, I'm utterly confused. I've removed the wiring from three different outlets (separately, one at a time), all on the same breaker, but each time I had one disconnected, all the other outlets on the circuit continued to work. How can this be? Is this some novel wiring configuration? Each box houses a duplex and has two copper wires coming into it: white & black. The white wire is attached to one side of the receptacle and the black wire is attached to the opposite side.

This pertains to my upper-level bedroom circuit, but my kitchen circuit is (apparently) a multi wire branch circuit (I barely know what that means). I had previously suspected that perhaps my upstairs confusion was for the same reason (MWBC), but with only two wires in each box, it doesn't make sense to me. Is my upstairs just wired in a 'star' configuration: where all the outlets are fed individually from a single feeder line or junction box?

You are going to have to identify every outlet on the circuit you want to place the GFCI on.  Just turn off the breaker and test with anything,  A simple lamp will do.   Most likely you'll find the head of circuit for your GFCI location. EDIT:  The wires in the outlet boxes aren't pig tailed are they?  You should have 2 blacks, 2 whites and grounds connected to each outlet.  If pig tailed, that would explain why other outlets aren't affected.


Is the Back of Kerdi Board the same as the front? I'm trying to save on my Kerdi board and I have mitered a few pieces. One fits exactly how I want it, though with the back facing out. Looks like the same stuff not he front and the back of the Kerdi Board. Is it the same?  Can I have the back of the board facing out?

Thanks!

According to Schluter: http://www.schluter.com/7728.aspx

  Schluter-KERDI-BOARD is made of an extruded polystyrene foam core with reinforcement layers and fleece webbing on both sides for easy anchoring in thin-set mortar.

So yes!


Can I skimp on the jack stud? Installing a closet in the very corner of an old house. Note, I don't have a proper king stud, but two 2x4s with a plywood spacer in the middle. This is a load bearing wall.
I'm working with very limited space. Right now, it looks like I will end up with an 18 1/4" door which is inconvenient and looks ridiculously small. However, if I use 3/4" plywood instead of a regular 2x4, I would end up with a 19" door which to me is worth it. This is on the top floor, so there's no wall above it, but there is a ceiling joist roughly in the middle of the door. The floor in the attic is plywood screwed to the joists.
Is this OK to do?

Understand the constraints of the existing framing. I'd have probably kept the new vertical 2x4 you added 3.5" shorter (along with the plywood spacer you added), and made the header stick out 3.5" on that side to rest on top of that new 2x4. You'd essentially be using the existing vertical 2x4 as the king stud and your new 2x4 as the jack stud, just oriented differently than normal. This would at least give the header a solid piece to rest on, rather than relying on the sheer strength of the nails/screws you used to remain in the proper position. This is referred to as a "lap" joint.


Dimmer Circuits 230v My question relates to a commercial building, but the theory I guess is common to all.

Can I safely use a 230v dimmer circuit to feed a general lighting rig? I need to drop a 32A Ceeform cable to a portable show stand and have been advised not to. I believe the person who has made the statement, but want why it would be a problem?  My logic says that a dimmer set at 230v should have no problem in supplying a 500w (2Amp) lighting circuit!

You can't put a dimmer on a socket, unless it is a special socket type only used for lighting.  If there is a possibility of someone plugging a motor into it, nope.

The Ceeform family of sockets have quite a variety of keying, and they are specifically used for theater lighting... so it's definitely possible.


I replaced my door hinges and now the door is too tight at the door jam. Why? The original is a 3.5" square hinge and is 1/8" thick and replaced it with the same. With the old hinges in, I noticed 1/16" gap at the door jam. But, when I put the new hinges on and hung it, there was no gap at the door jam and it was too tight to close.

Does that mean that for some reason the hinges may be slightly less thick and are recessed too much?

thanks,
mark

Since to problem occurred only after the hinges were replaced, and presuming the door had no other issues, the fix will need to be only with the hinges. There may have been a cardboard shim behind the old hinges to tweak them in place, many doors need this as time goes on. That is all you should need as well.
Cereal box cardboard or similar material work best since it is relatively thin. If you put something too thick behind it, the hinge problem will go away, but you will have the door hitting the jamb on the other side.
I slice the cardboard into 1/4" strips the length of the hinge, in your case 3 1/2" or slightly shorter. Loosen the screws on the hinges you need to adjust one at a time on the jamb side and slip the cardboard shim behind the hinge and push it in far enough to flush up with the jamb. Tigthen those screws.

2-6-15 Edit

I add the cardboard to one side only, the jamb side. Adding it to the door side will show an unsightly gap, whereas when you apply it on the jamb side, the trim and hinge barrel hides the gap. If the gap needs to created all the way through, in other words, on all hinges, then the procedure is simple, add shims at all hinges. I find that sometimes the hinges need more than one shim, sometimes it needs to be doubled. Then I take the cardboard, cut it 1/2" wide, then score it lightly in the middle, so it will fold like a hinge on the score and I have a double thick piece that is easily controlled as it is inserted.

If you find that the gap is tighter on the top end or perhaps it is the bottom end, there is nothing wrong with adding a double thick on one and a single on the other. Another tip I always use is, and this is only if you have a door with 3 or more hinges. Remove the center hinge pin(s) first. The door leaf is typically considered straight, very rare when the edge of a door is not. Jambs can be installed very crooked without knowing it, for the center pin will hold the jamb "straight" I have removed the center hinge pin before on a door I had to correct, and had the jamb shift a 1/4" on its own without touching it to make it move. This was the worst one I seen, and I seen various movement to lesser degrees too. A 1/16" is nothing, but not desired but if you do what I suggest, it can be no deflection from straight. The door will work the easiest if all hinge pins are in a straight line. If they get out of alignment the door will work stiff, or noisy.

Back at the shims. with the center pin removed, gap the jamb the way I described above with the shims to make the door work freely, remember no middle pin. After that is accomplished, and if needed, loosen the screw on the center hinge and apply the needed amount of shim(s) to the center hinge. Tighten the screws, open and close the door a few times to make sure the hinge is settled into its new position well before you drop in the pin. Adjust one last time if you need to get it just right, the set you pin to finish the job.

End Edit

Note: Be CERTAIN that the new hinges are set properly in their mortices before you start this, many time a hinge will lay over one edge of the mortice or the other and yank around the door fit that way. So much for that detail.

No, the cardboard does not have to be all the way across the setting of the hinge. The shim as I describe it will eliminate the possibility of hinge binding.


how to cure scratches and dents on hardwood floor What is normally recommended for fixing scratches1, dents, or chips2 on hardwood floors? Is there a special type of glue, caulk or epoxy out there?

Michael Karas's answer is the standard way to refinish the floor to an "original" appearance if there is enough wood left.  If sanding out deep scratches, dents, and chips isn't an option, or you will be satisfied with "less than perfect", a light sanding just to evenly remove the old finish and then refinishing may be adequate.  Short of that, there are still some options, especially for dents and chips that light sanding won't help.

Minor scratches and scuffs can often be masked by just cleaning and putting down some clear water-based polyurethane finish.  You can use a small brush or cotton swab to saturate the scratch, then feather the area.

Sometimes, rather than staining the floor and then putting down a clear shine coat, installers or refinishers take shortcuts and just use a colored finish.  If scratches leave bare, unstained wood showing, you may need to stain the scratch to match before putting down clear poly.

Note that touching up in this way can be a fast, big improvement, but it won't match the results of sanding and doing it right.  The scratches are likely to still be visible from an angle if the lighting is good.
Dents sometimes respond to steam, re-expanding the wood.
Chips can be a combination of a dent and missing wood, so steam may lessen it.  Then the appearance can be improved through filling and matching, depending on the wood and the nature of the chip.  The result will be much less noticeable, but will usually look like a color-matched knot or paint spot.  An artist can sometimes match the wood pattern, making it hardly noticeable, but those efforts tend not to stand up to wear, especially if you allow the poly coat to wear off.


Electrical tester says its hot but nothing is working I removed a section of wall not too long ago and did have to rewire some but everything was put back together and has been working for a couple months. The other day it seemed like the breaker popped except there were things on that circuit that were still working. I tested all the outlets with a tester and it says they are hot but when something is plugged in it doesn't work. For example the TV was plugged into one of these outlets and works fine when plugged in to another outlet but not to the original. When plugged into the original outlet the cord is "hot" according to the tester but still the TV doesnt work, what is going on?!!!!

You are not using a "tester". You are using a voltage sensor. Big difference.
You are getting a voltage reading but it's not working? This is almost certainly an open neutral on this circuit. A circuit needs both hot and neutral to work.
Get yourself a real tester and test from hot to neutral and hot to ground anywhere possible.
Find the open neutral and you'll find your problem.

My real advice is to call an electrician. This would be the safest bet.


Led ceiling light has extra wires! I recently bought a ceiling light from Costco. The Artika - Zane.

The fixture has
2x black (one is thin)
2x white (one is thin)
1x gray (thin)
1x red
1x copper(grounding)

My ceiling only has
1x black
1x white
1x copper

I tried:
- Connecting the whites and gray together as well as the blacks with the red.
- I have also tried without the red and gray connected.

I'm no electrician and don't have any friends with any electrical background.

Please help!

I'm having trouble finding an exact match on the Artika site, and the Costco site (as usual) does not list all the products found in stores. The products that I checked manuals on the Artika site have no mention of the other wires.

My hunch is that the thick black, thick white and copper ground wires should be attached to the matching ceiling wires, and that the other wires are for daisy-chaining to additional matching fixtures. Unfortunately, without a manual it is hard to tell for sure. I would try connecting just those 3 wires and cap (wire-nut) the thin wires for safety (each one separately) and see if that works.


are there places that can duplicate a vanity mirror? or places to re silver an old mirror? my vanity mirror is really old and you can tell it needs to be resilvered. I read online that the price can be more expensive than just buying a new mirror, but I was wondering if there are places where I can take my mirror and they can just give me an exact new one? also places that resilver as well so I can see which option is best for me budget wise.

Assuming the actual mirror can be removed from the frame, getting a replacement custom-cut mirror shouldn't be too hard. Finding a place that can do re-silvering sounds more difficult and more expensive. It can technically be done yourself, but is probably more trouble than it's worth, and also requires removing the actual mirror from the frame.

Finding a place that sells custom-cut glass and mirrors would need to be done locally; this isn't an Internet type of thing.


Receptacle tester shows all lights on while checking out all receptacles in our home two bathrooms show the hot side bright as normal while the neutral side is dimly lit as well as the ground light is dimly lit.  Also checked with a multimeter and voltage reads 66v from black to ground and same voltage white to ground. 115v black to white. Any suggestions as to the cause?

"Two dimly lit" means the wire between the dim lights is connected to nothing.

If the center one is solid, that means hot-neutral are good and ground is missing.  If the side yellow is solid, that means neutral is broke.

Make very sure all your grounds go back to the main service panel. It is allowable to retrofit just a ground wire if one is missing.

Do not connect an isolated group of grounds together; I call that an "island of grounds", and all that does is spread around the hurt.  If one of them ground-faults, then instead of just that appliance chassis being electrified, the shock is spread around to every connected ground on the island, so you are getting nailed by touching cover plate screws, any piece of equipment, even conduit.


Is it normal to see moisture inside my solar panels? They are installed about 10 inches above my sheet metal roof. The solar panels are Monocrystallin.

It isn't normal in the sense that it's normal operating procedure. It can be normal in the sense that it does happen as it is hard to keep moisture out over the long term.

That is the answer to your specific question and I wonder if you more want to know if you should or need to do something about it or can stop worrying about it.

You do need to do something about it. My understanding is that moisture degrades performance, can cause electrical issues or corrosion, and can shorten the overall lifespan of the panel. Moving forward, I suggest contacting either your installer or the manufacturer to discuss the situation and what to do about it, and who pays for it. Also I suggest reviewing your installation contract about warranty and service.


What Size Screws Should I Use to Mount an Electrical Box Bar Hanger? What size/type screws should I use to mount a Raco electrical box bar hanger (Model #920) to studs?

The screw should not be larger than the factory drilled hole which looks to be 1/4".  Typically seen in the field are #10 x 1" Slotted Hex Washer Head Sheet Metal Screw.

You can go longer than 1" but for that bar hanger probably not necessary.


How to remove a tub drain with no spokes? I attempted to use my tub drain removal wrench to remove a bath tub drain. Unfortunately the spokes of the drain broke and the drain flange cracked. Not being terribly skilled at plumbing I am now unsure of how to remove this tub drain. How do you remove a tub drain with no spokes and therefore no removal wrench?

You could try putting an expanding plug into the drain which should give you something to grab hold of with a pair of vice grips. I would replace the wing nut with a regular nut so that you have better access to the stud.

Expanding plugs from McMaster-Carr


Outswing Door Strike I have doors I would like to electronically control remotely.  I have seen  door strikes in older NYC apartments that I thought would be perfect: until I remembered the target doors are outswing.

Is there a solution similar to an inswing electronic door strike for outswing doors?

Yes, there are outswing electronic strikes. Sometimes you see a cover plate bolted onto the door to prevent tampering with these. There are also magnetic locks that can be installed in both in and outswing configurations.


Insulation challenge - exposed wood beams with 6" tongue/groove slats on top form ceiling with attic above 1950s Los Angeles ranch style house with 32F lows in winter and 95-115F highs in summer. Ceiling above family room has exposed 6x6 wood beams with 1x6 pine tongue and groove slats resting on top.  Above this ceiling is the bare wood slats with an inch or two of blown in insulation.  No paper, no housewrap, no drywall, no other insulation, nothing but dust.  Roof above barely-standing-room attic has turbines and ends of home have gable vents, no soffit vents where roof line meets walls.

Access to attic is through 30x30" entry.

How to insulate above slat ceiling?

After removing existing blown in insulation, I'm thinking:
(1) lay housewrap and use some kind of caulk/sealing around edges imperfect air seal
(2) drywall* screwed to slats with mortar between edges, expanded form all the way around to complete the air seal
(3) blown in insulation on top

Of course, I'll spend time looking for air gaps and use spray foam to seal those cracks.

Your goal here is a significant improvement in energy efficiency without causing any unwanted side effects, such as moisture buildup in the wrong places. With that in mind, I'd keep it simple.

Lay 4 mil poly sheeting right over the existing insulation. Unless the stuff is filtering through your ceiling and making a mess, just leave it alone. Lap joints 2 feet or so. This will provide an effective seal. It's not critical to create an actual balloon out of your house. You just want to eliminate the majority of airflow between the conditioned space and outdoors.
Blow the appropriate amount of cellulose over the poly.

That's pretty much it. You'll probably need to build a simple barrier around your access port to contain the insulation, and be sure any recessed light cans are rated for insulation contact. Otherwise, don't overthink it.


Bathroom wiring question Need advice on how to wire everything properly. There are two wire harnesses coming into the junction box:

H1: black(!), white, ground - comes from the fuse box
H2: black, white, ground, red(switch) - beginning of a circuit, extending into 2 rooms on the same floor.

I am adding an electrical outlet therefore i have black wire nut with 3 black cables, white wire nut with 3 white cables, red wire nut for the switch wire and ground cables are under the screws.

If I were to add a light fixture, obviously black is going under the same wire nut with red(H2), ground goes under a screw but I am not sure where the white one goes.
From my understanding, it can go under the same white wire nut that will result in 4 wires on a same wire nut BUT i could be wrong. Still reading material but not able to put everything together when it comes to the neutral wiring.

You didn't say how the wires are connected, and what is already in the junction box. I'm assuming there is already a switch in the junction box, and that the switch is connected to the black wirenut and the the red wire.

In all cases, the white wires all go to the same wire nut. However, your existing wirenut may not be larger enough for 4 wires. You would have to know the color of the wire nut and the gauge of the wires, then look up a wire nut table.

If you want the light fixture to be switched, then you connect the black wire from the light to the red wire. If you want the light to be on all of the time, then you connect the black wire of the light to the black wire nut. Again, make sure your wire nut is not too small.