How do I fix a coarse paint job on interior doors? It starts with one mistake and compounds to several other.

Number one, the plan was to spray the interior doors and since we did not have a good inside place to do it, we had to do it outside. It was hot and humid but that did not seem to be a problem as the day before I sprayed one of the doors and it turned out fine.

However, the next day I had one of the employees do the spraying and another grabbed a 3/8" nap roller and started back-rolling to prevent drips. By the time I caught it they had all the doors done (13 in all). I was worried about it but the paint was initially laying down and leveling out and looked as good as the previous day's door.

Then it all went horribly wrong. About two hours later it started to create a stipple effect but overly exaggerated. It has been several days since and it shows signs of leveling but not enough to create a smooth finish that the customer wants. The paint is still tacky a week later and I need a solution to fix the doors. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. By the way the paint is Valspar premium.

Sand them LIGHTLY with 120 and then 220 grit on an random orbital sander, taking care not to burn through the paint that's already on, and then re-spray.

When spraying, lay the doors flat. Apply a THIN coat of paint. The doors can be stood up once the paint has flashed. Try to do it in a place that's out of the sun and preferably out of any blowing dust.

It's probably going to take two coats, honestly, to get decent coverage and finish. Between coats, if you got dust in the paint during the first coast, use a "between coats finishing pad" from 3M. (You would use steel wool if you were using an oil-based product, but you're using a latex product, so you need to use a non-metallic pad.) Take your time, or you'll just waste product, as you've already seen.

If you have to backroll to control drips, whoever is applying it is applying WAY too much product. Thin coats. THIN coats. (Although you'd probably have been mostly OK if they'd just used a foam roller instead of the 3/8 nap one.)


Lampshade With Dimmer Causing Electric Shock? I bought a lampshade from a market. I live in a country with 220V supply. It gave me an electric shock when I touched the dimmer control while plugged in, but I'm not sure if it was a static shock. Please help me look at these photos to determine if the wiring is faulty, and what I can do to fix it? Or if the design itself is faulty?

With a very high degree of confidence, that dimmer was not part of the original manufacture.  The way the cable has been split to bring the live wire out looks very much like a post-consumer hack.

Having said that, the box and the dimmer knob both appear to be plastic, so it is hard to see how you could have got a mains shock from the unopened dimmer.

On the other hand, given it looks very dodgy, I would cut it off and throw it away, and replace it either with a simple on-off switch, or a proper inline dimmer.  I searched for "inline dimmer switch for lamp" and got lots.


how do I remove this old track light hanger from junction box? I need some guidance on how to remove this late 1980's vintage track light mounting strap or hanger (brace?) from the 4" round junction box? It appears to have the two small threaded rods, that the cover plate attached to, go all the way up through the two layers of the metal hanger. There are also two philips head screws holding the "top" of the strap into the j-box just above the lower metal strap. Both appear to be going into some of the plastic 'tabs' of the j-box.

If you can push the machine screws up, then you can just spin the bottom half of the bracket and get at the screws that are holding it.

If you can't push them up, grab them with locking pliers (ie, visegrips) and spin them out.

If that doesn't work, use brute force to bend the bottom half of the bracket to give you access to the screws holding the top half. Then you'll be in a better position to assess the hanging machine screws.

oh, and so I can sleep well at night, please put a cap on that black wire... you never know who'll flip a switch on you at the wrong time...


Can Arrow brads (BN1810) be used in Stanley staple/brad guns (like TR250)? Staples seem to be widely interchangeable among stapler brands, in terms of the compatibility that is listed on the box, but brad nails are more specific.

If we are to believe the packaging, Arrow BN1810 nails (5/8", 18 gauge) can only be used in a few Arrow guns, whereas a Stanley TR250 calls specifically for model SWKBN625 brads: also 5/8" long, 18 gauge.

How different are these, and are they really not interchangeable? Do they have some key dimensions that are different?

My personal testing shows that Arrow BN1810 brad nails load into a Stanley TR250 stapler and work without any problem.


Securing NM cable along a steel beam I'm planning on finishing my basement, and the wiring as-is is a mess, in the way of putting up a ceiling, and code deficient in several ways. So I'm looking at ways to rework the wiring, and I'd really like to avoid drilling several dozen holes in the joists.
To me, the obvious answer is to run everything from the panel, through the joist bay directly over it, to the central carrying beam, and then run wires in both directions along the carrier beam to their destinations. The beam has to be boxed in anyway, and will definitely provide support and mechanical protection. But I can't find any examples or talk of doing anything like this, which makes me wonder if there is something I'm missing that makes this undesirable or against code. The only thing I can think of is that it's not the most efficient path and contractors want to save copper.
Is there any reason not to do this? And if not, does anyone have suggestions on how to attach a running board/cable tray/cable stacker to a steel beam?

Attaching wiring hangars to an I-beam is simplicity itself.  You need these, which run about a buck each.

This clamps to the flange of the I-beam.  Note the 1/4”-20 holes, which let you attach whatever you need.


How can I fasten a threshold to concrete? BACKGROUND

A threshold was purchased from HomeDepot:

The item comes with screws and needs to be fixed into concrete slab.  I would like to understand how to properly screw the threshold into the slab.  If it were a wood surface I might drill a pilot hole or use a wood screw, however, given that this is concrete, I get one shot at getting this installed correctly.  If not then, it creates a whole new set of problems.

QUESTIONS

What is the correct procedure to screw the threshold into a concrete floor?
Is it necessary to drill a pilot hole?  The screws are not wide.

UPDATE: screws were misplaced so maybe tapcons may be used

There are two recommended approaches:

Use plastic plug anchors. Use a hammerdrill or rotary hammer to drill holes sized for the plugs--typicaly in the 5/16" to 3/8" range. Drive the plugs in with a hammer and run the screws into them.
The advantage of this approach is that you can use a variety of screw types, depending on your needs, as long as they're the right size for the plug. Also, the plug can be removed and replaced if necessary. A disadvantage is the larger required hole size.

Use masonry screws. Pilot holes using a hammerdrill or rotary hammer according to the manufacturer's specifications. Drive the screws directly into the concrete.
The advantages of this approach are the smaller hole and greater holding power. Disadvantages include difficulty in driving the screws, the chance that the screw strips the concrete, the non-reusable nature of the system, and the limited head styles.

With both approaches, precise hole placement is critical. There's virtually no adjustment in position once they're drilled.


When switch furnace on, ventilation fan turns off Ventilation fan works fine when heating is off but immediately switches off when heating is turned on.  Consequently the furnace runs for a minute and then overheats and turns off.
Any idea what could be the cause?

Many thanks to all who have attempted to help. I am afraid the question was based on my mis-interpretation of the symptoms.  In fact the furnace was attempting to light, but failing due to an exhaust problem (now fixed) -sorry!
Martin


GE refrigerator will not get cold My refrigerator got unplugged for about 5 hours.  I plugged it  back in.  It is running and freezer is getting colder but the refrigerator is staying at 65 degrees.  It has b

Typically when the freezer works fine but the fridge part doesn't get cold it's because the fan that blows the cold air from the freezer into the fridge isn't working.

If you are comfortable taking apart and reassembling the covering inside at the back of the freezer:

Unplug the refrigerator and look at the fan.
Is it jammed?  Does it turn freely?
If it looks okay, plug the refrigerator in.
Does the fan run?
If so, are the vents leading to the fridge part blocked?

Replacing a broken fan is easy enough, but, as with most replacement parts, it can be expensive.

For illustrations, see the manuals for your specific model on the manufacturer's web site.

There are also many YouTube videos showing how to replace the fan (e.g. Whirlpool).


How to repair porch slab that has bricks embedded inside it I have a cracked front porch slab at the front corners where it supports two decorative columns that support a small roof covering the entry door.  I discovered that the pillars are on a stack of bricks which, after freeze/thaw cycles, are crumbling and shedding, and cracking the corner off the slab under the posts.

How should I go about fixing this?

my Thoughts:

Support roof with beam and jack posts
remove existing posts
break up areas of concrete slab containing bricks, and completely remove brick
drill good concrete and place rebar extending into void areas formerly occupied by brick
place forms to be able to pour concrete.  Pour concrete
put posts back in place and remove forms
skim-coat the whole slab for uniform appearance

What would you do?

I'd shim a board neatly underneath the cement and brick overhang.
Use cinder blocks or bricks to jam a piece of pine somewhat longer than the break up against the solid cement, and pour fresh concrete into the resulting mold. Hit that brick with a steel brush on a drill before starting. It looks like it's going bad. You'll want to erode it down to a solid surface. Wear a dust mask.
Once the concrete has set, remove the wood and use an angle grinder disk to match the bevel of the rest of the cement. Angle grinder is best, but you can get away with a drill, and any number of grinding bits. Again, a dusk mask is essential. Paint the new cement after a month or so, so everything matches.


How do I add a commercial coffee maker to my fridge's water line? I tried tapping into the ice maker feed, but it doesn't seem to be working.

There's typically a solenoid valve right down at the bottom where the supply line from your house connects to the fridge, and this valve is activated by the ice maker when it needs more water.

Unfortunately, you've tapped in half-way up the back of the fridge - after the solenoid valve - so as a result, your coffee machine is only going to receive water for the brief period that the ice-maker in your fridge refills in between ice-making cycles.

You need to put that coupler back where you found it and instead find a way to tap into the water line which supplies your fridge from the wall.


Should I increase the duct size of my bathroom fan outlet? I have a new bathroom fan that I'm installing that is 70 CFM. It will only be in the water closet part of the bathroom as the bathroom already has a larger 150 CFM fan in it.

The 70 CFM fan has a 3 in. duct outlet. I was wanting to use insulated ducting to run to the outside of my house but can't find any locally and am not finding many options online either.

Am I ok in using a 3 inch to 4 inch duct increaser to attach a 4 inch duct to my fan or would I be causing some issues with the air movement?

The duct will be about 12 feet in length and will have a pretty strait shot venting out through an exterior wall.

There's no problem doing so. You'll have a lower air velocity at the outlet, but that shouldn't be an issue. It certainly won't result in lower overall exhaust efficiency.


How can I remove one switch in a three-way circuit and maintain switch function? I have a double light switch that should operate 2 seperate lights in the lounge and dinning room. There used to be a single light switch that was operating the light in the lunge, but it was removed as i wanted to keep the double switch only.
The wires Ive got coming out for the double switch is:
    Cable 1: red, black, earth
    Cable 2: red, blue, yellow, earth

The lit switch has 2 leads, each with L, L1 and L2.

Is there any way of connecting the witres to the switch so i can operate both lights again without needing to have the other single light switch connected?

Please advise.

Thanks

More information would be helpful, but here's what I think you have going.

It sounds like you're outside the U.S., probably in the UK or India where red, yellow and blue are used for hot wires and black for neutral?

What we call a 3-Way switch here in the U.S. (because it has 3 terminals on it) is called a 2-Way switch in the U.K. and areas using the same terminology, because it controls the lighting from 2 different locations.

So the 2-Way switch is the switch with 3 terminals on it, labeled L or C (common), L1 and L2, plus possibly a 4th terminal for the "earth" wire.

In the "double switch box" (it's a double-gang box with two switches), you have 1 single pole switch, and 1 "2-way" switch.

The single pole switch controls a light by itself, simple. That's connected to the cable with 3 wires (red, black, earth), which is a "switch leg." The red and black are both hot wires in this case, one bringing power to the switch, and the other taking power back to the light.

The 2-Way switch (called 3-Way switch in the U.S.) is the one connected to the cable with 4 wires (red, blue, yellow and earth). The "common" is the incoming hot wire, and both L1 and L2 are hot, depending on the position of the switch, feeding power through to another 2-Way switch (then out the common wire on that other switch).

Your "single switch" on the other end should have also been a 2-Way switch. So there should be a cable with red, blue, yellow and earth wires in that box.

The 2-Way switches work as a pair, bringing power in the common wire on one switch, and out the common wire on the other switch. The other two wires are "travelers" and carry electricity between the switches.

So... you could try this:

Leave the wires alone on the 2-Way switch that's still connected. Note which colors are connected to the common and L1 terminals.
In the "single switch box" on the other end, connect the common and L1 wires with a wirenut. Cap off the other wire with a wirenut.
Try the switch, it should switch your light on and off.


PIR sensor Cracked on two of my outdoor lights and the other shattered. Allen & Roth from Lowes. No support at all Good Day, I have been trying to find a replacement for my 3 motion sensor light PIR lenses. But Have had no luck. I read about using the milk carton plastic and this seems to be the only option I have unless replacing all 3 at $70 each. Any ideas or solutions would be appreciated. Thank you

I've had the same problem and I don't like buying a new sensor for want of a $0.01 piece of plastic.  Yes, I've found that a piece cut from a milk jug seems to work perfectly for me.


Can cutting pressure treated wood harm my saw blade? Should I take time to clean my circular saw blade after cutting pressure treated lumber? Since fasteners other than stainless steel or galvanized can corrode when used in pressure treated wood, is it going to cause my blade to corrode? Or is it only prolonged exposure?

You have to cut the wood somehow... You can give your blades a wipedown with a slightly damp rag to remove sawdust particles (let them air-dry well afterward), but I wouldn't worry too much.

Corrosion involving PT lumber is mostly a problem with long-term contact; the copper compounds in the chemical treatment are more "galvanically noble" than many common metals including carbon steel, and so an electrochemical reaction will result in the less noble metal (here the steel or iron) oxidizing. The same happens with ordinary zinc-coated or uncoated iron or steel fasteners in PT construction. To prevent this, stainless steel alloys (containing low carbon and higher concentrations of even nobler metals like chrome and nickel) or hot-dip galvanized fasteners (which cover the steel with a thick protective coating of zinc oxide which shields the fastener against further corrosion), are recommended for long-term contact with pressure-treated wood (on the scale of years).

However, your carbon-steel/carbide saw blade will only be in contact with the wood and its chemicals for some seconds. Your saw blades will dull naturally through age and use before the chemicals have any detectable effect.


What is this thing on my wall? Some sort of alarm? On the wall in the hallway of my new house is this thing:

It's about 6 inches to a side and mounted right at the top of the wall.
I assumed it was a wireless chime for a (since removed) doorbell, so I opened up the case to find the mounting screws.
What I actually found, was this:

I'm guessing the warning sticker indicates that it's mains powered. It also looks too complicated to be a doorbell chime.
Finally, there are a couple of little buttons next to the black cylinders (capacitors?). One of them is labelled self-test, which makes me think it might be an alarm of some kind. We do have a burglar alarm, but this doesn't appear to be related. I guess it could be a smoke alarm, but there's one quite close by. Or perhaps it's a carbon monoxide alarm, but there aren't any things close by that burn anything.
I could try to dismantle it more, but am reluctant to do so until I know how to isolate it and discharge those capacitors.
So... I'm kinda stumped. Anyone got any ideas?

Edited to add some pictures.
Having been reassured by the comments, I pulled the black things free. They are indeed Li batteries:

There are no real labels to speak of on the inside of the front cover:

But there are these marks, which I presume are just about the batch and type of plastic:

Edited a second time to add the smoking gun...
As suggested by NoSparksPlease in the comments, I disconnected the batteries. The burglar alarm control panel immediately started complaining about a tamper alarm on the indoor siren:

It is a DSC PowerG Wireless indoor siren.
The batteries are the sole source of power.  It's a good idea to replace them on the expiry date, which we can't see but you should have a look now that you have them in your hand, or six years after the installation date, which we can see in the photo.
The high voltage warning pertains to the strobe light.  There probably is a capacitor on the logic board that you would not enjoy discharging manually. That's why there is an interior cover that allows you access to the batteries.
Here's some gratuitous advice: You probably have other wireless components in your alarm system and ADT expects you to keep track of battery life and replace them.  It's a good idea to open up all the window, door, fire, heat, and other sensors to check the battery installation dates and if you bought the house with this system already installed, to just replace them all regardless.


Cutting wire/cable in close quarters I need to cut some steel wire/cable (the type that's a bunch of little wires twisted together--not sure the technical term for it). The wire is maybe a bit more than 1/16in in diameter.

The access is pretty limited. The wire is set back a few inches from an opening that's only 3 inches wide and 4 inches tall.

I've tried cutting it with some cheap snippers: they aren't powerful enough. I'm not sure I'd be able to fit some real bolt cutters or the like.

What might I use? A narrow hacksaw blade and some elbow grease?

You could try a wire rope cutter like the Felco C2.


Repair old cracked wall spackle from foundation shifting Some weeks back I woke one morning to find a large flake of spackle(?) had cracked and almost come completely off the wall in my apartment entrance:

According to the board of our housing cooperative there have been multiple reports of similar damage in other apartments, and it seems the building suffers from some foundation shifting.

Behind the flake the wall seems to be solid concrete. Here's a close up of the flake material from a small piece I broke off:

Looks like it's just paint on spackle on old newspaper?

I have never done much DIY work before, so any advice on how to repair this would be greatly appreciated.

My initial thoughts would be to:

Carefully remove the flake and any loose bits around it (hopefully avoiding having to remove the clothes rack).
Fill in the hole with some flexible(?) spackle (there may be more movement in the building foundation in the future)
Paint over

Location: Norway

Building construction year: 1933

My DIY skill level: Complete novice

Obviously, this is a structural issue with the building and not something that you can correct. All you can do is make a sort-term fix which you can probably do with drywall.
 However, it sounds as if this apartment is part of a cooperative. Are you an owner in the cooperative or are you only renting? The owner(s) should be responsible for the damages in your apartment and the others. If you as an owner are responsible then you might want to work with the co-op to try to find (A) solutions to the structural issues and (B) a common approach to handling damages.
In the meantime any drywall repairs will only be topical and probably short-lived.

Edit

Whatever action you take should depend on what the co-op board is doing and how quickly. In the short-term, if the concrete wall has furring strips on it you could just cut out that bad section and mount a piece of drywall to the strips. Mud and tape the cracks and ten paint. YouTube can show you how to do that. If there are no furring strips, I would mount only a few with concrete tap screws and attach to that. I would not use adhesives to attach the drywall to the concrete since any additional minor shift will probably crack it again. The less contact you have between the drywall and the concrete the better the chance it won't crack - but nothing is certain in this situation.
What I would do is hang a picture or tapestry up there until the co-op board comes up with a real solution.


How to assess deal with termite damage I am under contract on a house in AZ. There is obvious termite damage. The termite inspector found half a dozen spots (in rooms that hadn't been painted recently) near ceiling and top of walls where tubes where showing thru drywall. And, there's this in about 5 spots in the attic, mostly on top 1/3rd of horizontal 2x6s (that I could find easily):

...and this sporadically around fascia board. It looks like some fascia board was replaced and some wasn't. All of it was freshly painted and caulked. But, much (about half), you could easily break with your hands due to termites.

and caulked over...

My dilemma is obvious. My issue though, is that no one I hire seems willing to say anything other than: "This house had termites recently." --- well, you don't say?! Thanks for that!

How does one determine / asses the actual damage on a house that's had termites? Should I get another company that does the infrared imaging? Let's say I want to sell this house in 3 years. I'm confident I can repair visible damage, like fascia boards and I know the approximate cost. I want to know is there stud damage? Is the attic considered unstable at this point? How much of an issue is this and how often will it be an issue on future resale? Is it going to be like selling a meth home?

If you want detailed evaluation and estimate, get a contactor in and (probably) pay for that analysis. In this situation you want them to tell you what the worst case is likely to be, so you can decide if you are still interested and for use as a negotiation tool if you are. ("It's going to cost at least $XXXX to fix this, possibly $XXXXX. Unless you knock that much off the price, the deal is off.")

Personally, this sounds like more trouble than I would invest further in, and I'd cite the termite report and walk away now, unless the price more than makes up for this.

Be careful what you commit yourself to.
I'm reminded of a neighbor's house which they bought as a fixer-upper, only to discover that it was off the foundation and had a cracked main beam. Nobody was willing to touch either for fear that the other would let go. In the end their least expensive option was to demolish and build from scratch.


Replace light fixture ceiling box between levels I was attempting to replace a simple light fixture on level one of our two story home.  As I went to install the new fixture, I discovered the bracket attachment point on the old electrical box was stripped on one side.  This was a box on bracket (between braces) installed, I assume, new with the home in '89.  I took the box off the bracket, thinking I may have access to remove the bracket - no such luck.

So, what I am stuck with is a bracket, surrounded by insulation, right in the way of any old-work electrical boxes that I've been able to find in town.

I have never attempted drywall work, plus I'm looking at a spackled ceiling, so I am attempting to avoid cutting if I can.

My question is this: How can I remove the old bracket (without starting a fire using a metal cutting bit on my Dremel)?

A sawzall should make quick work of this. If you don't have one and know no one that does, they can be rented. There are also handles that clamp onto hacksaw blades so you sort of have a small, manual sawzall. It will take some work, but you will be able to cut enough that the remainder can be twisted off or chiseled aside.

If done carefully and methodically, a dremel tool can do much of the work without starting a fire. Try to direct the cut so that the sparks are ejected mostly downwards. Stop often and check the area for signs of burning. Have a spray bottle handy to quench any embers, as well as a fire extinguisher just to be safe. When finished cutting, spritz the area with water and check the area frequently for the next hour for any signs of embers developing.

Finally, depending on the finish, cutting and patching the ceiling is not that big a deal, then you can ensure the new box is properly supported instead of relying on the little tabs of the old work box and ceiling material for support.


Does polymeric sand make patio repairs impossible? One of the contractors bidding on my concrete-paver patio said that using polymeric sand between pavers makes repairs impossible. I will need to make small repairs to this patio since the posts of an existing shade structure will someday need replacement.

Is it true that polymeric sand will make repairs very difficult or impossible?

No that is not true at all. Maybe your contractor was thinking of mortar but a) no contractor should be confusing those and b) even if you used mortar, it'd still be repairable (albeit with a bit more work).


Mysterious Ceiling Damage About 5 years ago I noticed the paint chipping on the ceiling around the chimney that vent my furnace and water heater so I hired a guy to replace the flashing around the chimney.

Since then I've noticed further damage and paint peeling in the same area, so I went up in the attic and monitored the roof during 2 rain storms. I observed no water leaks and the chimney, sheathing, and tar paper around the chimney were bone dry.

I also looked for leaks along any of the sheathing and observed no leaks.

I'm very stumped as to what is happening.

Some background information on the house:

-Built 1930
-No insulation around the brick chimney
-Chimney liner is original as far as I know
-Area below the damaged ceiling is a stove with no range hood

[![enter image description here][3]][3]

As much as you may want to avoid it, the best way to find the source of the water leak is to open up the ceiling and trace the path back to the source. Water can run a long way across ceilings, joists, roofs, etc. So if the non-destructive investigations didn't reveal anything, it's time to do some investigative demolition. You'll also want to leave it open until you see the leak happen again and then wait until the fix it tested before closing it back up. The only positive in this is that you really should remove and replace the moldy parts of the wall anyway, so this is positive motivation to fix it right.


How to raise an old footing? I have an old deck taken down and the old footing is 3" above the ground but the building code requires 6". Do you have any ideal to increase the height of the footing without replacing it?

Thanks a million.

I do not know how big they are but one idea is to use a hammer drill and a masonry bit to drill 4 holes in a square pattern about 6 to 8 inches deep, not too close to the sides (three holes would work for a smaller footer diameter).

Place a  piece of rebar long enough to make a  6 to 8 inch addition into each hole and wire them so they do not move around.  I do not think i would add just 3 inches as that may not hold up, go for at least a 6 to 8 inch gain.

I would grind the tops of the old footers, rough them up or create voids and ridges, and prime them with a concrete patching primer. The rebar is doing the holding but the primer will help make a good bonded seal between old and new to keep out water.

Place a sonotube the same size as the old footer around the old footer (if they are round) or build a form around them if they are square. The form should be about an inch higher than the tops of the rebar. Make sure the rebar will not interfere with post brackets you intend to use.

Now you can pour new concrete and add post brackets.


Straightening a bend copper tubing of an air conditioner filled with refrigerant I have a bent copper-tubing of an air conditioner filled with refrigerant that I want to straighten (because I need make some space for mounting a curtain rail). Now, I'm fully aware that it is not recommended to bend/straighten a copper-tubing due to risk of:

Leak
Cooling inefficiency

Since, I really need to mount that rail. I was hoping that someone could see the attached images of the situation, and tell/guide whether

these bends are really severe to cause the risks
If so, what are my options to get this tubing straighten

Will being filled with refrigerant (higher inner pressure) would prevent potential kink?

Images description

Red circles: are the bends that I want to straighten.

Green arrow: shows the desired path of the tubing

Box: that the tubing runs into is a large PVC wire channel to get a cleaner look.

Image: 02

First, is that electrical box secured or just hanging on its wires? if it is just hanging that needs to be addressed as well.

Then, is there any spare length in the copper pipe, assuming it is covered by the tape stuff? I think the pipes will be too short if you tried to put two 90 bends in them with a pipe bender. Also, copper pipe work hardens so the original bending will have made the pipe harder to bend a second time around.

I would consider making new pipes to meet the proper run you want then refill the system.


What are the steps to raising an interior wall header? First of all, thanks to Dale Cox. I copied and modified his diagrams on https://www.do-it-yourself-help.com/.

1st diagram shows partial section of wall between my kitchen and dining room.
There is a serving window where yellow section is.

My goal is to create pass through opening where serving window is. Opening will be of same width as serving window. I don't want to install door, I just want to create pass through. 2nd diagram shows my goal.

I have already removed bottom cripples (red color) and Sill plate (green color).

Next thing I need to do is raise the height of header.
To do that,  I will have to cut top cripples halfway (depends on measurements) and replace existing jack studs with longer jack studs to
support header.

Distance between left side king stud and right side king stud is around 3 feet 6 inches. I am in 2nd storey condominium, I asked few contractors about whether it is load bearing wall or not. They said that it is partially load bearing, I should be good as long as I only create door opening of same width as serving window and not remove any king studs.

Here are my questions. It may sound stupid questions but I am new to this and need some expert advice.

What is the first thing I should be cutting/removing to release header ? Cripple studs or existing jack studs ?
What tool should i use to make sure all 4 cripple studs are cut in level and straight so that it can be flush against top of header when i install it.
After I cut cripple studs and remove existing jack studs, What should I do first ?
Nail header to cripple studs first and then  install longer jack studs below header ?
 (If I do this, How can I measure length required for new jack studs so that it is not too long
 that it can't fit and not too short that it cannot support weight of header.)
 OR
 First put new jack studs in place, then rest header on top and then nail headers with cripple studs.
When should i cut my soleplate ? Should it be flush with new jack studs ? I guess yes.
I know that actual width of 2x4 is 3 1/2" but my existing jack studs width is 3 3/8" (1/8" shorter). Where can I get that size ?
Building is around 25 years old.

First things first. That header is there for a reason. Simply cutting it out could result in crunchy sounds at best, and significant sag at worst (which is difficult to reverse). I'd consider a temporary wall along it to carry the joists above. Use towels as padding to prevent damage. Cut the studs a bit long and drive them in to create lift.

What is the first thing I should be cutting/removing to release header?

Since you've eased the load on the header, it doesn't much matter. If you're discarding the header, cut through it to allow it to drop out, and start cutting nails where you can access them. They're likely along the top of the header and at the ends.

What tool should I use to make sure all cripple studs are cut in level and straight?

Use a carpenter's square to mark them. Mark the outer ones first, then use a straightedge between to mark the inner ones. For best accuracy, mark at least two faces.

Use a circular saw to cut them, or a reciprocating or hand saw. Be sure to keep the saw table tight against the stud so your cut is square. They'll be flopping around, so you might lay a horizontal board across them all and run screws in to stabilize. You could also just pull them out, cut new ones, and toenail them to the top plate. 3" gold screws instead of nails can make this type of work less frustrating.

After I cut cripple studs and remove existing jack studs, what should I do next?

With a helper (or a temporary support leg), hold the header tight against the pin studs. Toenail it into the king studs from the face and/or below.
Cut your new jack studs to fit snugly. Set the bottom in position and drive the top into position, using a block of wood as protection against damage from the hammer. You want a snug fit, but if you're really wailing on it you might shave 1/16" and try again.
Nail the jack studs to the king studs.
Toenail the bottoms of the pins to the header.

When should i cut my sole plate?

Doesn't much matter. Mark 1-1/2" from the king stud with a scrap block and cut it, or cut it flush later.

Where can I get studs to match the legacy size of the existing ones?

I'm surprised that a stud from the 90s is undersized (it may have just shrunk a bit), but you can just run them through a table saw, pass a hand planer over them, or ignore the issue altogether. 1/16" on each face isn't much of a problem.


Will it affect the water pressure if a 3/4" meter is installed on a 1 1/2" water line? We have a 1.5" water main line coming into our house (inside the house piping is 3/4" or less).   We are on a small private water district and the administrator of the well district wants to put in a 3/4 inch meter by cutting into the 1.5" main line.  Is that going to affect the pressure and the water flow into the house?   What are the negative implications of doing this?  The total distance from the pump house to the house is over 1500 ft long.

Thanks all for the great feedback. Very helpful. Appreciate it. Confirms my stance that the meter should be of equivalent size.

They were originally talking about putting the meter at the entrance to our property which is about 500 yards away. We discovered there are lot of utilities including gas lines in that area. Now they are proposing to install the meter where the pump and water tank is located (over 1500' away). It is community well with about 15 or so houses connected to the well. Ours is the longest from the pump house.

Putting any obstruction or turn in a water line will affect the flow and hence the water pressure. Not only will narrowing the line cut the pressure, but all the meter-related crap inside the device will cause massive turbulence and other flow-restricting effects.

As far as legal issues are concerned, read whatever agreement you may have signed with the district.

Note that state laws always trump any bullshit local regulations, so read state law carefully. In my experience, local administrators often do things that are ridiculously illegal under state law. Often you can coerce such pint-sized local despots by finding some violation of state law they are making and threatening to complain about to the AG or to sue them outright for it.

Water is always very political. In many cases your best course of action is to gather a large group of people (like all your neighbors) and storm city hall. This will often frighten the local gauleiters into stop doing whatever it is they are doing.


What is N/mm² in block characteristics? In brick/block datasheet I found strength parameter in N/mm². Does it mean how much weight can a brick hold? So, for example 10 N/mm² of 10x10cm brick could hold 100.000N ~ 10 tons? Is this correct? It just seems way too much (in my opinion). Or does this need some more advance calculation?

Presumably, being force per unit area it's compressive strength. Pounds per square inch in our non-metric units.
As such, under perfect conditions of perfectly even loading and adequate support, your 10x10cm brick would hold just over 10 metric tons. Given 10.5 metric tons, or any imperfection in how evenly the load was spread, it would crush.
So, that's an informative number, but not one you'd actually design to. It does tell you that these bricks are stronger than ones rated 8, and weaker than ones rated 12, but any of them you'd expect to design to a safe loading a signifcant factor less than that for a structure you wanted to stand up for a long time. One quick search finds a document claiming typical masonry safety factors range from 2.5-4, so you'd limit your actual compressive loading to between 4 and 2.5 metric tons on that brick. In most real-world applications, loading would be much less.


Do all horizontal-surface mount outlets need to be "floor receptacles?" I have a horizontal surface that borders a room - basically a wall, but with a 6" jog in it about 4' off the floor that serves as a ledge or shelf.  I'd like to put a couple outlets on this surface.  Would this surface require that I use "floor mount" receptacles (the kind with seals and moisture barriers)?

I get the use of floor receptacles on floors: someone is probably going to run a mop over it at some point, etc.  I could see the possibility maybe of someone spilling a drink if they put a glass onto this "shelf".  I'm really trying to understand the Code here; I'm not trying to cut corners.  A floor receptacle would work.  There are more aesthetically-pleasing, cheaper, and easier to install (in my case) options if I'm not required to have one, though.

Thanks!

You are correct in assuming that your ledge is not a floor. The NEC would define it as a work surface or a countertop. That would lead you to NEC 406.5 (E) & (F) which would tell you that the device installation must be GFCI protected and listed for countertop and work surfaces. Most of the ones that I have seen are the pop-up type. A standard flush mount wall receptacle will not work.

FYI. My other concern would be whether or not this 6" ledge top is a 2x6 plate on the top of a frame. Not that it matters code wise but cutting and mounting into it may pose to be a problem. You might want to confirm how this wall was constructed and plan it out before proceeding to cut holes in it.

Good Luck


Should I replace carpet over ancient linoleum that might contain asbestos? One of my smaller hallways is carpeted, for no highly obvious reason. That carpet is on its last legs, and I'd prefer a wood floor anyway.

Taking a peek under the carpet, it looks like the surface is flooring squares... which, given the age of the house, are almost certainly asbestos linoleum.

I didn't see any obvious fraying of the linoleum. But I still hesitate to tamper with it, even just to take up the carpet and put down hardwood over it.

Is there a good way to approach this? Or should I just treat it as a hazmat and call my favorite contractor?

(The most important skill in DIY is how to recognize when you're in over your head. Preferably before you need rescuing.)

EDIT: Took another look, and it's the same linoleum as the bathroom floor next to it. So either there's no problem, or I have a larger problem.

EDIT 2: Contractor looked at it.

"In that pattern, I'm guessing 1970's. Asbestos is not likely, but not impossible either in the tile or in the adhesive. Typical installation was adhesive, tar paper (as a water seal), more adhesive and the tile.

"The best way to remove these tiles is to use a heat gun to soften the adhesive and lift them up gently with a flat scraper. Homeowners are allowed to DIY even if you suspect asbestos, and if you're careful it shouldn't be a problem... but that still leaves you with the question of whether the adhesive residue will be a hazard.

"I'd suggest taking up one tile and some of the adhesive, putting each in a ziplock bag, and asking the local lab to test both. That'll cost you about $50 total, and you'll know how careful you have to be with the rest. After all, you might be lucky enough that there's a decent hardwood floor under there."

(I doubt the hardwood floor, but one can always hope.)

So: I have a Plan Of Action, and it's probably less of a problem than I feared. That's about what I expected, but... "Better to ask, and be thought a fool, than to not ask and remove all doubt."

Thanks for the sanity check, folks.

You should be able to remove the carpet and padding without disturbing the tile.  Then you can install a floating laminate wood floor without any concern.

A hardwood floor that requires nailing would be a bigger concern.


How can I adjust a whole-house ventilation bathroom exhaust timer? We have a home built in 2008 in west-central Minnesota. As a cost-saving (I perceive it as such, and may be mistaken) measure to fulfill air quality and venting code, the builder set up an upstairs bathroom's exhaust fan to run on a timer - something like 45mins of every hour. It's apparently designed to replace the entire house's air volume once each day.

The switch can also be flipped up to run the fan on demand, and turns the fan off when flipped down. I'm not sure if the timer has any relation to whether the switch is on or off, though.

I've been thinking of either adjusting the timer so it runs less frequently, or disabling it  entirely (with an easy option to re-enable it).

Any thoughts? What should I look for? Is there a timer at the fan, or is this something a little more intricate at the switch? Would this be a two-way switch with one end controlled by the timer?

Look at the vent:  take the cover off and examine it for mechanisms, part numbers, etc. that you can see without taking it apart further.  Take photos and post it.

Likewise, take the trim plate off the switches and see if there's anything interesting or whether it's just a plain switch like any other.

I installed a timer for the bathroom fan that's just a fancy switch, and it's quite obvious because it has time buttons and lights at the switch.  If your behavior is independent of the switch position it needs a power supply separate from the switch, and the switch may be wired funny even if it is a plain switch.

I'm guessing it's built into the fan unit.  IAC, it would have to accessible somewhere, not invisibly sealed up in the wall.  So "it" is probably either at one end or the other.


Herringbone flooring from regular laminate I'm looking to do the floor in out new house, we love the herringbone design but the specific planks are quite expensive.
I'm wondering if I can achieve a herringbone style by just following the pattern with regular laminate planks?

The ratio of length to width needs to be exact to make a herringbone pattern work. The width needs to be an exact multiple of the length. You can check this by laying a row of planks next to a lengthwise plank. Then you can decide if you think it will work by cutting the length of the plank to match.
If this is a floating laminate you'll need to cut off some of the interlocking lip of each laminate plank and figure out if the planks will hold together still. You'll probably be outside of the overlap spec of the manufacturer so warranty will be void. This is very much an advanced layout and your floor needs to be dead flat to have any chance of this working well. Picking a glue down plank will likely yield better results


Receptacle replacement I an trying to replace a receptacle that has 4 push-in wires and 2 more wires attached to the side screws. New receptacles won’t accept the 12ga. wire in the push holes. What’s my options?

Pigtails and Wire Nuts

Use short pieces of 12 AWG wire as pigtails. If you have any 12 AWG NM (aka Romex) lying around, you can take a black and white wire out of that. Connect all the hots together with a black pigtail using a wire nut and connect the other end of the pigtail to a screw on the new receptacle. Same for all the neutrals with a white pigtail. All grounds should be together as well, using a bare or green wire.


Dishwasher Drain Pump: How to Test? my dishwasher isn't draining.

I checked the drain hose and it's clear enough that I could blow air through it.

I removed the drain pump, model #W10158351B I measured the resistance
between the two connector pins: ~24ohms.
I connected the two leads to
a 120VAC supply. The impeller would turn maybe 2-3 degrees and stop,
with the motor making a hum. I did this with the polarity only one
way (randomly chosen).

I think this is pretty conclusive that the motor is dead but I'd like to be sure before I buy the replacement.

I'm also surprised to find water has been leaking out of the pump bit by bit. I presume that means water has made it past the impeller seal and is generally bad?

Is my drain pump bad? Are there other tests I should perform?

Thanks!

I have the same problem you had.  I am not sure of the proper impedance you should have.  One internet repair place says 200 ohms for a good motor.  I did the same thing you did (same problem - dishwasher not draining) lines were clear to disposal - I also exercised the check valve which is in the 90 degree black elbow right off the drain pump on my machine (Whirlpool model WDF760SADM) forward and backward to ensure it flowed and would stop flow in the reverse direction, which it did.  I do not have leads that are compatible with the motor to check that it runs.  I am going to replace the drain pump to see if that is the problem.  Also, the jerky motion on the impeller is due to the magnetism on the motor.


How to remove tight screws from wall plug? I have concrete wall (plastered), 8 mm holes, plastic wall plugs, intact Philips head screws, and a bracket outside.
Accidentally I screwed the screws too tight. They stuck at one point, and won't loosen with the same force. I cannot apply enough force with Philips screwdrivers.
Not even with a ratchet wrench (because the head simply pushes the bit backward when turning, and it slips out).
Can not use pliers to pull the screw because I can not prop the tool against the wall (can only prop it against the bracket, which is on top).
I tried to use a wedge under the bracket, to strain the bracket and the screws outward. So far, the plaster on the wall would break and collapse.
I can grab the higher screw with pliers but can not even grab the lower screw, both screws are stuck.
Can anyone provide some advice?

I would try these things in this order:

Use an impact driver to loosen the screw. You can either use a full impact screwgun or air impact tool to remove the screw (make sure you apply lots of pressure against it so the driver does not slip out of the screw head). There are also hammer impact tools available that are more used to loosen stuck screws, and then you use a regular screw driver to fully remove. With these, you place it on the screw, and pound on it with a hammer. If you don't have an impact tool (electric or air-powered) available, this would be a good solution as these hammer impact drivers are relatively cheap (can get them for around $10 US).
Use a cutting tool to make a slot for a flat-head screwdriver. These allow you to apply more torque then a Philips head.
Cut the head off the screw altogether or drill it off. This will allow you to remove the bracket at least, but you will have to abandon the screw shank in place and move your bracket slightly if you need to re-install it.

One more thought, since you said you are using plastic wall plugs. If all that's holding the screw right now is the wall plug, you could also try some gentle heat on the screw, before unscrewing or pulling it out. You might be able to heat the plastic enough to where this will work. But it's also possible the end of the screw is stuck in the concrete. Concrete will also be destroyed quickly by too much heat, so you would need to be quite careful with this method.


Should I grout the walls or floor first? I have finished tiling my shower and am ready to grout. The walls are LFT 6x24 tiles and the floor is natural stone pebbles. The grout color for the wall tiles is slightly darker than the grout color for the floor. Do I grout the walls or the floor first?

I can not think of a reason that it matters.

I would do the walls first, i would protect the floor with some heavy duty plastic sheeting taped down at the edges.

Wait a day and Then do the floor, use painter tape around the base of the walls.

After the grout has cure for a day then you can pull the tape off the walls and caulk the joint where the floor meets the walls with 100% silicone, mold and mildew resistant caulk.


Advice on light switch replacement in old house The light switch in my bedroom just started having issues. Sometimes when you flip the switch off the light remains on or the light flickers as if it's still getting partial power.

The house is from 1947 so the wiring is old and all of the original electrical outlets are two prong. I'm assuming no ground is available near this switch, but I haven't taken it out to look.

I see various switches on Amazon but the differences aren't very clear and I'm not sure which one would be the best replacement. Also, not sure what type of wiring I have (aluminum vs copper) and if that matters.

Thanks for any advice!

That's a standard plain light switch. Any home store, electrical supply house, or even Wal-Mart can set you up with the right thing.

I realize that some people don't want to waste their Prime membership and so they buy everything on Amazon, but you should not buy electrical supplies on Amazon for 2 reasons:

Most Amazon listings are actually Amazon Marketplace, an eBay-like flea market of not-necessarily-cheap Chinese junk. It's very difficult to tell the difference. Even if you watch out for "Ships from and sold by Amazon.com", you can get counterfeits.  Using cheap Chinese on mains electrical is not a good plan.
Electrical gear is low value, quite heavy, and stocked everywhere.  A $50 roll of wire weighs 27 pounds.  That switch you need is 60 cents. As such, the business doesn't lend itself to mail-order; so there are few people selling. This has a very adverse effect on price.  Online generally, you have what I call the "I don't wanna ship it price", and on Prime you have the "third party sellers pay for Prime shipping" price.

If you really like the Amazon model, use Home Depot. Use their "Pickup in store" option. They'll cheerfully pick the order for you and text you when it's ready.  At the store they have something like Amazon Locker where  you can pick up your order contactless.


The best way to fix a deteriorating foundation? I've got a corner of my foundation that is crumbling. I tried concrete vinyl patching but it only lasted few years and got worse. Here is what I used before:

I am not sure what else to use, other than straight Quickrete.
I can't seem to find any information on how to fill gaping holes like this. The only thing I found is how to fix small cracks or small depth holes.
Home was built in 2015 in Houston.

That corner looks like it was screwed up from the start with the way that bottom corner brick was laid. I would be drilling a number of holes in that bottom brick's mortar and removing it. Scrape away all that patch stuff from the slab.Then hammer away at that corner to break away any weak concrete. Then I'd get some 2x4's or 2x6's and re-frame that corner level with the existing slab and support the framing with a a few stakes/rebar. Drill and screw in a few Tapcons to act as mesh/rebar. Mix up some real concrete and re pour that corner. After it hardens, get some mortar and install that last brick correctly. Fill in any other voids in the brick mortar. This is a bit more work that you were probably hoping for but this is what I've done up North where they have harsh winters and it holds up real good.


Does my furnace suck air from outside? I've tried Googling this but the stakes are quite high and I don't want to be wrong, so I'm asking here.
Wildfires are raging in California where we live, and the Air Quality is nearing the 'hazardous' AQI level. I just bought a 6x16" 400cfm active carbon air filter/fan, and I have 1 other air purifier running in different rooms.
The problem is it's extremely cold in our house as I have the heater off. I am wondering if it's safe to turn the heater on, or if it's going to pull in air from outside?
I'll try to give you details which could help figure it out.

Our heater box is in the closet under the stairs (photo below).
Also, there is 14x14x1 sized air filter behind our couch which I feel it sucking air from when the heater is on. Is this the only location the air comes from?
The thermostat offers heat/cool and is a digital box on the wall
We have a gas stove so I assume the furnance is also gas?
We live with someone with COPD and I also have asthma, so it's important to me not to just rely on some old ass filter which is supposed to filter air from the outside.
important side question does it look like my quatro heater is dangerous? In trying to research this i found that some were recalled and now I'm scared because our house has this furnace...

I think some of the answers here are confusing because they don't really address that your furnace has two different air intake/outlets.
One is for the combustion system. Air is pulled in from somewhere (usually outside, probably the metal duct on the right), mixed with natural gas, and burned. All of the outside air and combustion products go out of the chimney to somewhere definitely outside. Very hot air from the burning of gas heats a metal piece called the heat exchanger.
The "makeup air" mentioned elsewhere would be if the combustion loop sucks air from inside the house instead of through a duct from the outside. In this case some air from the house is blown out the chimney and is replaced by air seeping in through the cracks. This would not be code compliant where I live, for example.
The other air loop is through the ducts in the house. Typically a furnace will suck air from inside of the house (probably the vent behind your couch), pass it over the heat exchanger, and blow the now hot air out of the vents in your rooms. This typically does not pull a significant amount of air from outside because that would waste a lot of $$$ by displacing heated air to outside. Houses are not airtight though.
Your furnace is obviously gas because of the supply pipe on the lower right, and the presence of a chimney on the top of the unit.
There is really no way for anyone here to tell you whether it is safe or not. Age and presence of recalls are good places to start though. Adding a CO detector and making sure you have enough smoke detectors would help significantly.

We live with someone with COPD and I also have asthma,

If this is a matter of LIFE AND DEATH, there is not enough information in your post to provide an absolute answer. YOUR SYSTEM MAY NOT BE NORMAL.
Have you ever changed the furnace air filter?


Do modern energy saving light bulbs class as "fluorescent lighting"? I am about to replace an ageing smoke alarm. The current one is battery powered, but I was thinking that it might be good to replace it with a mains powered one (no need to change battery, cannot be easily disconnected to stop it sounding, etc...).

In the instructions for many of the mains powered alarms I have seen, it says that they can be connected to a lighting electrical circuit, but only if the circuit does not have any fluorescent lighting attached to it. All of the bulbs in my house are energy saving, of two differing types:

Do these energy saving bulbs class as fluorescent lighting, or are the instructions referring to only the more traditional long fluorescent strip lights?

Both of the bulbs you show are fluorescent (or more specifically, compact fluorescents "CFLs"). Fluorescent bulbs are characterized by their long opaque glass tubes and the electrical ballast in the base of the bulb which controls the light. (Commercial fluorescent lighting usually has the ballast built into the fixture instead of attached to the tube, but they work the same way).

Fluorescent lighting is one type of "energy-saving" bulbs, although it's not the only kind. Other types of energy saving bulbs are LEDs (newer, more expensive than CFLs but even more efficient). Halogens are sometimes considered "energy efficient", though they're only marginally better than old-fashioned incandescents.

You might contact the manufacturer and find out what exactly is the problem with fluorescent lights. It's possible the ballasts create some electrical "noise" that the smoke alarm doesn't like. Or maybe the alarm sends a trickle of current through the fixtures which is not noticeable for incandescents but can cause fluorescent or LED bulbs to glow slightly. See also Why does using a dimmer with this ceiling fan and lights cause energy saving bulbs to flicker? and Why do my LED lights stay on, even when the switch is off? .


In a conventional boiler setup, is hot water usually dispensed from the hot water tank quicker than it refills? In homes that I've visited that have a conventional boiler setup (where hot water is stored in a tank usually contained within the airing cupboard), I've noticed that after the hot water has been used continuously for several minutes, the tank appears to then take several minutes more to refill. As an example, if a shower is used for 15 minutes, the sound of the tank being refilled is audible for around 10 minutes afterwards.

Taking this into account, does this then mean that the tank is typically filled slower than hot water is taken from it? If a shower was to stay on continuously for several hours, for example, could the hot water tank then run out of water completely (including cold water that is yet to be heated)?

The tank fills at the same rate the water exits this is simple physics. However the tank starts heating water when some is removed. Since tanked water heaters are limited to about 5kw on average they have a limited ability to heat new fresh cold water. This is where tankless water heaters have an advantage they can supply hot water for long periods of time (I used to fill my 600 gallon hot tub at 103f every few months when I cleaned it. A 40 gallon tank well it has 40 gallons of much hotter water but in the US this is normally a 240v split phase circuit at 30 amps. The tankless electric can be 60, 90 or the largest I have installed 120a , this required a huge service upgrade to a true 400a service since the home was all electric and could supply 119 deg f water all day long where a tanked heater has ~20 minutes of hot water then the temp starts to drop because the heating elements only can supply 5Kw of heat but the pressure remains the same on a tanked system where a tankless system may reduce the flow to maintain the temperature.


Do multiple ground bus bars need to be tied on subpanel? I'm adding circuits to a subpanel.  For wiring neatness sake, I'm considering adding a second ground bus bar.  Do I need to tie both ground bars together (if so, what size wire), or is screwing them to the panel enclosure sufficient?

Depends, are we dealing with NEC, or Harper (that's me)'s Law?

NEC: The screws attaching the ground bar to the panel are fine if they are 32 thread pitch or finer (e.g. 8-32, 10-32, etc.)

I would also run a ground wire with the thickest wire you have on hand.


Can I setup insulation without tearing down walls? My situation is this: I moved into a new apartment last year and my office is the only room that isn't insulated, which is annoying. My daughter's room and her playroom are both insulated as expected. My office door has to be closed when I'm not in there.

Currently, I am using a meager space heater, but I feel like things can be better. Are there insulation boards I can nail to the walls and ceiling? Or should I try and get my landlord to do it?

This is done all the time by insulation contractors. The technique is to drill a series of holes at the top of the wall. They next use a commercial 'blower' that forces insulation into the walls bay. It is a very non-invasive form of insulating because (as you asked) it doesn't necessitate the demolition of existing walls. It is also well with-in a competent DIY-ers capabilities and machines can be rented at most home centers.


Double window has play when pushed on My son bought a house that has a window like this one.

When I push in the center from the inside, there is some play of a quarter of an inch or so at the bottom (and the top I presume). Maybe more. What does this mean? Was it not installed properly? Is there some part that needs nailing in the center? How difficult is the fix?

There is no caulk around it but the window is original, I think.

EDIT: The rumors of how much play is there were greatly exaggerated. The amount of give at the bottom and top of the window is just about 1/16-inch in the center. Still, is this too much?

It's hard to tell exactly what the problem is, but it certainly doesn't sound right. It may be that you have a mulled window (here's a video about mulled windows), and perhaps the flanges were not nailed in or the nails missed the (rough) sill or header.

I think that the place to start would be to remove the siding under (and around) the window to get a better look at the problem. Here's a quick video about working with vinyl siding.


How do I fix an exterior door knob that will unlock but not turn? My back door (which is only two years old) has a door knob that recently suddenly stopped turning. I can lock and unlock it, but it just won't turn. Here's a picture of the inside of the door knob:

The very center bit is the lock mechanism, and I can turn it (locking and unlocking it) easily with a hex key. The half-circle immediately next to it appears to me to be the mechanism for opening the door — I could be wrong about that, though. It will not budge. The only two options I can see now are:

taking the door off its hinges so that I can completely remove the lock set and possibly replace it with a new one; or
calling a lock smith.

I'm more inclined to go with the latter than the former. Any other suggestions?

In its currently disassembled state, there is nothing locking the mechanism. You are correct that the C shaped half-circle shaft is what pulls the latch back when turned.

If you cannot push the latch back with your finger, the anti-jimmy device has had a piece break in it.

I had this happen on a bathroom door latch about two weeks ago, probably made by the same manufacturer as the shape of the lock actuator rod and latch actuator are exactly the same.

If you look at it, the lock actuator rod (the center piece you were turning) has a taper section just where it passes through the latch pull which means that during assembly, you manually push the latch back and it passes straight through.

In order to get clearance so the lock actuator rod will pass through, I pried the folded piece that they pass through till I got clearance so the shafts would pull out. I then squeezed the folded piece back together and pushed the latch out. It didn't even require taking the door off the hinges.

Replace the whole door knob/latch assembly with new and you're back in action.


Summerhouse door hinge repair/replacement My wife and I recently purchased a house that came with a summerhouse in the back garden. It's brilliant having it there, very useful and I have started working on the internals (installing a bar and making it a place for gatherings once lockdown is over!)

I want to now focus on the externals. Specifically the door and window. The window won't open due to the top dropping, and the doors do not shut correctly due to dropping too. Fortunately, I can still lock it! The hinges are not in great condition, but they are ones I haven't seen before so I'm not sure how to fix them or replace them.

The hinges look like this:

Here is a closer look at how the hinges connect to the door and door frame:

This is a front view of the doors, showing how they have dropped (and thus do not close)

And finally, the window uses the same hinges as seen here:

I' like to eventually replace the doors when I have the money, but for now I'd like to repair or replace the hinges just to get the windows and doors functioning properly again.

If anyone can let me know how to do this as I have never see these hinges before and can't see how I would get to them as there is no visible plate where they screw into the frame.

If more pictures or information is required, please let me know.

You're looking at a screw in, lift off  barrel pin hinge.

The one shown above has a set screw to prevent unnecessary lift off, yours might not have it.

There are better hinges out there for door and windows that are more available so look around. These hinges are going to be hard to find at your regular home stores. You'll need a speciality store unless you can reuse the ones you have and just mount them in new holes.

Spray some liquid wrench in them and then work them out... you might have to get rough...


Wiring a new pendant light to an existing ceiling box My new light fixture has three silver wires, one is ribbed and I assume neutral, but the live and ground appear exactly the same.

How can I tell the difference? Does it matter?

It absolutely makes a difference.  If you attach the hot from the mains to the ground on the fixture, it will most likely energize the entire fixture body (extremely dangerous). Assuming that you're in the United States (or another 120v country), there should be a faint green stripe visible through the insulation on the ground wire.  If you can't make it out, use a multimeter or continuity tester to check for continuity between the base of the socket and each wire.  The one that gives a continuity reading is the hot.  Then double check your result by testing continuity between any metal part of the fixture outside of the socket with the other wire. A ground wire should give a continuity reading to pretty much any other part of the fixture outside the socket that is conductive.


How do I remove the white residue on fresh tile grout? The day after grouting my tile, a white residue formed on top of the (grey) grout.  Moistening the grout makes the residue go away until it dries again.  I've been told the problem is because I had too much water in my grout mixture when I applied the grout, but how can I get rid of this residue?

This is typical.  It's called "grout haze", and you might have to wipe it off a couple of times before it won't reappear.

You just need a clean, damp rag, and some scrubbing.  If you didn't take it off immediately, it can set up, so you might need to check your local hardware store for 'grout haze remover' if water and elbow grease isn't doing it for you.

Well, if it had been on the tile, it'd have been typical, but as Jeff pointed out, you said it was on the grout itself.  I've never done colored grouts, so I have no idea if it's typical or not ... and you wouldn't want to scrub at the grout to remove the haze, particulary when the grout's fresh (which is when you want to remove it from the tile).

Looking around on the internet, I found mention that leaving water-based grout sealer to evaporate could do it.  They recommended re-sealing, and wiping off any excess, but others mentioned it took a lot of elbow grease and solvents.  On another site, it was mentioned it could be too much water in the grout, and suggested vinegar or a stronger acid to clean, then resealing; a few people mentioned getting grout dye to cover it up, but you have to strip any grout sealer first.


Do I need to replace the foundation under porch posts when replacing them? I need to rebuild my porch this summer. I think its circa 1970 and the flooring is starting to rot through. The only part of the job that is really throwing me is replacing the load bearing columns (I have roughly a 4' overhang).  It is difficult to see but from what I can tell they are resting on cinder blocks (I am not sure if this is legit but my guess is no).  I am looking for tips and recommendations on how to replace it and any known building codes that I should be aware of regarding it.  Do I need to pour a cement base for the new?  From what I understand I need to jack up a 4x4 to support the roof and then replace the post but I am not sure what I need to do to secure it to the ground.  Here is a pic from this past winter

I would say this home is C 1920. But I guess it could be built more recently like and older home.  It's possible those columns are not so load bearing.  The joists above the porch could be cantilevered. Like.. But even if load bearing I don't think it is that big of a deal. Just support them well under the porch. http://stairs4u.com/glossary/images/cantilevered-floor-joist-fr.jpg

I did pull out a column like this on a couple houses. I did use a jack to lift the corner of the porch ceiling a little to be able to pull the post/columns out. Once you jack it up you just jam a 2x4 under and going down to a support board on the ground.

If the corner of the porch has not sunk down much over the years, it seems what was there is working ok.  Or if you want a more substantial support you could pour a small square or round (they make tubes you can dig in then fill) foundation and embed a post base in to the concrete when wet. Like: https://resourcefulsupply.com/storage/products/107379-400x400-resizeupscale(1).jpg

You could put a concrete pier with wood top in a pad of poured concrete too. Like https://images.homedepot-static.com/productImages/87e13217-d9b6-4993-8dc9-9d855ba3000f/svn/cinder-blocks-100014754-64_1000.jpg

Sometimes those columns on the porch are not solid and just nailed to the deck of the porch. If they are solid 4x4 or 6x6 they could be nailed to the porch deck too.  They seem to have some finishing decorative wood around them.  You might be able to just use the same columns after removing them  then cut of a few inches of rotted material and reinstall on top of a 2x6x6 (or?) base that you could route the edges to be decorative.

If unsure or uncomfortable or in earthquake area have an engineer look at it.  Probably best to get a permit too and the city inspector might be able to give you and idea or two to be at current standards.  Best of luck!


Why won't my Heil 7000 natural gas furnace ignite? I have a Heil 7000 gas furnace

Model: NUGK100DH12
Serial: L933050100

When we turn it on at the thermostat, the exhaust blower will kick on. We checked to be sure the gas is reaching the unit and it is. It also has an electronic igniter (kind of like a glow plug) but it does not glow.

Here is the basic ignition sequence for a furnace.

Thermostat signals for heat.
Exhaust blower creates a vacuum in the tube and causes the vacuum switch to operate.
Pilot valve opens allowing gas to flow to pilot burner (if there is a pilot).
Spark generator produces spark.
Pilot lights and flame is rectified (if there is a pilot).
Main burner valve opens.
Pilot ignites main burner.
Blower motor blows air across heat exchanger, and into conditioned space.
Thermostat signals set temperature is reached.
Gas valves close, main burner and pilot shut off.
Exhaust blower motor shuts off.
Blower motor shuts off.

If your exhaust motor is coming on, but the gas is not flowing.  The first thing you should look at, is the vacuum switch.  This switch is used to tell the furnace that the exhaust blower is on, and that the blower will clear any exhaust gases produced.  If the switch does not close, the furnace will not light to prevent toxic gases from being spread through the conditioned space.

Check the tubing attached to the switch, to insure it's clear.  Sometimes creepy crawlies like to make homes in things like this, so make sure there are no obstructions.

To check the switch...

Turn off the breaker to the furnace (or the serviceman switch where applicable).
Locate the vacuum switch (it will be a small metal bit, with a rubber tube attached to it).
Disconnect the wires from the switch (make sure you mark them and remember where they're supposed to go).
Set your multimeter to check continuity.
Connect the probes of the multimeter to the wires on the switch.
Check continuity (should be open).
Suck on the tube (lightly).
Check continuity (should be closed).

Professionals will likely use a different technique, but since it's not the safest practice I will not explain it here.

If the switch tests OK, you'll have to move on to the next part of the system.  If the switch does not close, replace it and test the system again.

The next thing to check would be the pilot assembly, control module, and gas valves. However these checks are probably best left to a professional.


Can I connect two soaker hoses with a normal garden hose in between? I recently bought this soaker hose kit for a couple of garden beds.  In one section of the garden I have two beds with space in between.  Is it possible to connect two stretches of soaker hose with a normal garden hose in between as per the image below?

I know that the diameter of the soaker hose (3/8) is much smaller than that of the normal garden hose (5/8), so I am worried that I would lose the pressure for the soaker hose section in Bed 2 and it wouldn't seep out any water (or considerably less than for Bed 1).  Or is that irrelevant?

If it won't work, does anybody know of any other solution to connect the two beds?

I have something like this and it works just fine. (I have only one soaker hose in each bed, and both soakers are the same size.)

The flow rate involved is very slow, so the hose and connector sizes cause no interference. The pressure will be the same throughout.


Amana washer floods my floor on warm/cold cycle My Amana washer model#NTW4650YQ0 works fine on cold/cold but spills onto the floor when on warm/cold cycle. How can I fix this?

The washer has an internal leak.  It is on the "hot" water line, and only leaks when the washer is trying to fill the tub.  That places the leak past the solenoid valve but before the washer tub.

The answer is get the owner's manual and pop the back off the washer and look for problems.  Could be a simple as a loose clamp, or as bad as a cracked solenoid valve assembly.


Does my panel with a separate disconnect need an isolated neutral bus? Sorry about lack of language ....just need a little guidance!

After a fire I had to install new meter below which I installed a small exterior breaker box . Here I can switch all power off to the new breaker panel inside. There is a 100 amp breaker in the outside box below the meter and both neutral and ground are on the same bus there.

There is no ground bus in the new consumer box ....just two neutral buses running either side . Can I wire in both neutral and ground to same bus or will I need to create separate bus for ground leading back to outside shut off box ?

You will need to isolate the neutral bus from the ground bus in the new panel. These are usually a separate item and can be found in most hardware stores. Do not bond the neutral busses in the new panel.

Good Luck


How to cool a steel roof during summer I'm from South India.  My home roof is built with steel panels. During the summer, the roof will get too hot.  I don't know much more about how cool in natural way.

Is there a way to cool the roof naturally?

Paint the roof white or silver to reflect as much sunlight as possible. This is a passive method once it is done.

Water removes heat better than air so if you have a source of water, or collected and stored rainwater, it could be sprayed on the roof during times of high heat.

This isn't "natural" but if you have an attic, you could install an exhaust fan with a thermostat switch that comes on when the attic gets too hot.

Good luck!


What kind of glass should I use for insulating a garage door window? While insulating my garage door, I'm considering replacing the existing plain glass with something better.  I'm considering replacing each pane, or simply attaching a second layer on the inside of the door, to create a double pane effect.

What kind of glass should I use for insulating a garage door window?

That would be double pane or triple pane, gas filled windows, but you would likely have to have them custom made.


What kind of (1950s era) lock is this My home, built in the late 1950s, has these cute little additional locks on top of the main doorknobs to many of the interior rooms.  I can't seem to find the correct term for these locks, which would allow me to find parts for them, etc., as several are broken.  Photo attached.  Any ideas?

You can try a different search phrase as "Thumb Turn Security Latch".

There is a seller on eBay that has new stock available in range of finishes. Here is a picture of the offering.

Considering the price you may just want to consider purchasing new units instead of trying to locate parts for the old ones that are broken.

The trade name for these seems to be: Deltana mortise bolt

You can find those at many web sites including at MyKnobs.com.

Here are some dimensional pictures from a Deltana specification sheet so you can compare to your existing items.


What to do about a damaged stipple ceiling? We have a stipple ceiling in our master bedroom, it appears to be lining paper over lathe & plaster with stipple/textured paint over that. We are concerned that it may have asbestos in it (we are getting it tested) and want to work out our options for it.

There are sections of the stipple that have been ripped off a little bit, and another section that has had some water damage from a dodgy flashing around a chimney which has been plastered over very roughly.

Should we cover this completely with plaster board, plaster it over completely to be smooth, or is there another option?

Edit: asbestos test results came back fine, no worries. Strip stipple, skim coat/plaster and paint?

What I ended up doing was putting up batons on the ceiling and plasterboard over the top. We did this with the other wall which was questionable too.

Benefits here are that the finish is much better once finished, and it's decidedly less plastering than doing the entire wall.

The cost was likely higher than if we had plastered, but the end result was much better.

If we had decided to plaster over, the stipple paper would have come up relatively easily with a scraper and some elbow grease.


How can I repair a fiberglass ladder? I have a 10 ft fiberglass step ladder that was damaged when someone used it on unstable ground.  This ended up ripping one of the rivets on the middle locking brace out of the fiberglass.  Anyone have any recommendations?

I was thinking that I could clean up the fiberglass and make a repair with the fiberglass mat/cloth/resin they sell at auto parts stores.

I could also just try to sandwich the damaged area between two pieces of steel bolted together.

Fixing the fiberglass is not a good idea. The point where the brace attaches to the ladder is frequently stressed in multiple directions and any fiberglass repair you do is likely to not hold up.

Fixing it with 2 steel plates is a better idea. If the damage to the fiberglass is small and isolated to just one face, then I recommend the steel be at least 6 inches long and as wide as possible. Use at least 6 bolts, if not 8.

However, if the damage extends past the face and on to the front or back face then I don't think repairing it is a safe idea.


Can I just glue the "fin" thing back onto my dryer? Not sure the right name of the part, but it's one of the "fins" on the inside. One of them came off, and looking at it tells me there were screws going through the drum to hold it in. The screws fell out, and are presumably inside the dryer somewhere.

So basically two questions:

Is it going to cause problems if I just leave the screws inside the
dryer?
Can I just use superglue or something to put that "fin" back
in place?

Bonus Question: If I'm way better off getting the screws out and actually screwing it back in, how difficult would that be? Should I just find a repairman?

Find the maintenance manual for your drier. (It may be online from the manufacturer, or there are services which will sell you a download for a few dollars). Unplug the drier, and follow the manufacturer's instructions for opening it up. You'll probably find yourself looking at the drum, with plenty of space to drive screws back in. (You may or may not find the lost screws in the bottom of the machine).

If you don't have sufficient space, follow the instructions for dismounting the drum. Re-affix the fin, then follow the instructions for reinstalling the drum.

Follow the instructions for closing the patient. Plug it back in and make sure it still runs. If not, take it apart again and figure out what you did wrong.


How can I connect multiple lamps to a single cable? I have 5 lamps, which I want to attach to a single power cord. If it was only 1 or 2, I'd just plug the wires into an insulating screw joint like these:

But 5 cables are just too thick. How should I do it properly?

There's a lot of approaches there. This solution is not the most pretty but is effective. If the only problem is the amount of wires you can set several joints in a row as in picture (sorry about that picture, was the best I could to this quick)

You can also use a screw press line cap

I would recommend to keep that joint inside a electrical joint box. Hope this helps.


ECO 36 on 200 amp panel I want to install an ECO 36 36kW electric water heater which requires 150 amps max. My house panel is 200 amp and is out of space. What are my best options?

I have installed similar water heaters and because of the large amp draw you will need a larger service a sub panel alone is not enough. Several homes I was able to use a 30/40 service panel 300 amps continuous / 400 peak I think some call these 320 amp services. In one large all electric home I had to install a 400 amp panel. From either of these you can feed your existing main that would become a sub panel (some rewiring may be needed to isolate the neutral from ground) a 2nd sub could be added to power your water heater and any additional loads for future use. Because of the size of this load it is not as simple as just adding a sub from your existing main panel. The service drop and usually the meter base will also required to be changed. I would first check with the power company to verify your service can be upgraded without you having to purchase a larger transformer. Most customers making this change have been ok with the costs and results but I had 1 customer that after spending +10k or more had the tankless removed because he liked the 80 gallon electric better.


Solution for fiberglass ducts that have collapsed in basement? I have two furnaces in my house, one for the basement and one for the rest of the house. I noticed that while using the basement furnace this winter that no air was coming out of any of the basement vents (all under cement/under padded carpeting) except the one closest to the furnace in a bathroom. And it was blowing what looks like dirt out. I have had two HVAC professionals come for other things, routine maintenance and have asked them what would be a good solution. One guy said to ditch the system and invest in a Mitsubishi splits system. The other simply had no idea if it could be repaired (easily/inexpensively).

I don't really need the bottom furnace since the other furnace actually does have some output vents in the ceiling in 3 places. But the basement is always about 3 to 5 degrees colder than the rest of the house, so the second furnace would be nice to have. I mean, the furnace works and everything, it just can't circulate because all of the vents are collapsed. Also, it's not very comforting having a broken HVAC system lying around.

If your basement is already mostly comfortable without the problematic supplemental furnace and its ducts, why not spend the money on properly insulating the basement instead? That way it will likely be all the way comfortable when heated from the heat of the main furnace, and then you can fully abandon and/or remove the redundant furnace and have lower bills too.


What would cause my dishwasher to leak when it starts filling? my Maytag DW-2 dishwasher started leaking water from a small hole under, near the back and to the left whenever it starts filling with water. It must leak +-1 cup then stops leaking for the duration of the wash. Any idea why it would do that?

Update:

I have 2 more photos:

the inside lock looks like an X inside an O. Presumably the ends of the X should fit in the 4 notches to take it out but it seems that a special tool must be required to twist it in place.

this is where it leaks:

Bad Seal! Or cracked pipe.

You will need to take it out completely.

Properly dismantle it  in and open space and trace/examine the source while the power is on

(this can be dangerous so do not take chances)

If it only happens on the start- maybe it the inlet pipe cracked, seal perished.

If you do not feel comfortable with dissembling it call a recommended local service man.


What is this triangle shape thing that holds the bottom of shade to the door I am wondering what is this triangle shape plastic thing that holds the bottom of the shade to the door?
I need to buy multiple of them but I don't know the name.

They are called mini-blind hold down brackets and can be purchased on E'bay, Amazon, and at Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot etc.


How to fix small holes in a wall caused by throwing darts? I can think of a few ways of fixing these marks on the wall but I don't want to try anything without first getting some advice.

I have a dart board on a painted wall and as is inevitable with darts, there were quite a few misplaced darts which have left marks in the wall.

I'm wondering what's the best way of fixing these holes?

The right answer is to fill them with spackling compound or taping compound.

Spackle dries hard - applied with a putty knife and then has to be sanded to remove excess and flatten surface. There are various flavors including lightweight, fast drying, purple-stained until it dries, etc.

Taping compound is also applied with a putty knife. It is water soluble and can be wiped with a sponge to level and remove excess (probably the easiest correct solution). Not as hard as spackle, but in a hole of that size, not an issue.  Slightly harder to get a perfectly smooth surface.

If you are really in a bind and cannot go out and buy the right stuff, a common quick fix is plain white toothpaste. It consists of about 50% aluminum hydroxide and/or calcium carbonate - the kind of stuff you find as filler in real fillers. Won't cause significant problems, but does not set up as firm as correct patches. Can be applied with a finger, a butter knife or whatever. Not pro, but fast.

All such patches will be white or off white. They may stand out unless painted (depending on wall color). Most of these fillers can be tinted but if painting will follow, not an issue.

SUPPLEMENT: Two other variants on spackle are painters' putty and painters' caulk. Both are less hard than traditional spackle and usually come in bigger containers or caulk gun tubes.


Running power to an external building I'm thinking of running power to my garage, it's about 40 meters away (as the cable flies).

I've been researching and already know the best way to do this would be to run a cable from the house consumer unit to a consumer unit in the garage, and then run a ring of sockets and lighting on appropriate fuses.

My question is, if I ran steel armoured cable from a normal UK plug socket to the garage (no CU) and only run basic lighting and restrict my use of power tools (nothing too high load) would I get away with this simpler setup?

Basically treating this as a large extension cord.

For those interested, the reason I ask is because the solution would be semi-permanent, in that I would be able to remove it in the future. I can't bury the cable and as I don't own the house don't fancy messing with the consumer unit.

As this is, as you suggest, effectively a long extension cable, as long as you don't exceed the 13A maximum that you can draw from the single plug, there is little to stop you doing what you suggest (though it would be prudent to check that you will have enough "headroom" in your proposed cable in terms of voltage drop and earth loop impedance).

While you could run armoured cable, you might not want to. SWA can be pretty "uncooperative", although this is less of a problem at the cable sizes you are likely to need for a 13A load.

Personally, I'd give serious consideration to using some 2.5mm2 arctic grade flex rather than SWA, as it will be a lot more compliant to get it connected into the plug. (I'm guessing you'll need 2.5mm2 to meet the requirements for voltage drop over that distance and the earth loop impedance). Unless of course, you have particular concerns about damage to the cable.

For protection, it would also be worth making sure that the this is fed via an earth leakage circuit breaker, be it either in the plug, socket, or within your current consumer unit.


Is this smart plug safe? only 2 pins I would like to use the TP-link HS110 to control my plant grow lights and monitor the energy usage. I have chosen this model specifically as it has many raspberry pi compatible hacks to avoid using their stupid app.

The problem: my local variation of this product has only 2 pins:

whereas the UK variant has 3 pins:

Are those 2 metal pieces acting as the grounding connection? is this safe to use with 1x 500W (LED) and 3x 600W HPS lights at the same time? (it is rated for 3.8kW).

I don't know much about electrical which is why I opted for a commercial product, I just dont want to accidentally kill myself and/or burn down my house :)

It seems from my own research that the local variant is a type F plug in which those two clips do act as the grounding connections. It is equivalently safe to the UK variant.


Are ultrasonic ant repellents effective? I'm considering an ultrasonic ant repellent for the kitchen (where I'd rather not use a chemical pesticide).

Do these things work?

Not sure about how effective they are specifically on ants -- but I do know one major drawback with these devices: they don't work around corners or behind objects.  In other words, they are line of sight only.  If the ants are behind cabinets, appliances, in the walls, etc, these devices won't work.

My own approach to this issue has been to use pesticide in the yard so they don't get into the house in the first place.  That, and I try to make sure the house is clean (floors vacuumed, counters wiped, food in sealed containers, etc).


How do I wire up a shed for 60A service today with the ability to grow later? I've been doing my research, reading tons of messages here and on other sites, and I think I know what I need to run power to my shed, but wanted to put it all together and have the collective mind check my work.

Physical:
Detached Garage 75' from the panel box on the side of the house where I'm tying in the power. 90' wire distance.

SubPanel:
- 60A Main Breaker Panel
- I bought a CH22B100V panel for in the shed, but will swap the 100A main with a 60A Main Breaker.
- From what I see the 60A Main can handle wire up to #2 as this panel is fed through the main not through lugs in the panel.
- Need 2 Ground rods on the shed end tied to the panel ground.
- Ground and Neutral bus not bonded at the shed

Wire:
- Planning to run 2-2-2-4 Al wire as it's the largest I can tie into the 60A in the shed. MHF (Mobile Home Feeder seems to be suggested in multiple places)
- That should get me the ability to upgrade to 90A later if needed as the breakers and panels are rated 75deg for Al.
- Plan on running 1-1/2 or 2" conduit 24" underground to the shed.

Questions:
- Is the wire choice right? I think I just need to make sure I am using THWN cable. Are there other types that would work. It will be in conduit all the way from the main panel to the subpanel. The MHF I see is RHH/RHW/USE rated, which I believe would work. No issues with running that cable in conduit the whole way?

4 wires (2hot) (1 Neutral) (#4 Ground). Do the colors matter at this size, or can you wrap them with tape if needed?
Anything else I am forgetting?

Subpanel

I'm glad you got a decently large panel because you don't want to know what a CH duplex breaker costs.  CH products are great and sturdy, and I would use them everywhere, but the deal-killer is exotic breakers are wildly overpriced. Other people make great panels too.

You're making a classic blunder by worrying about the size of the main breaker in the subpanel.  It doesn't matter; it's nothing but an on-off switch.  Whatever practical reason you might imagine, isn't going to work the way you want.  Particularly, you can't get the local breaker to trip first, doesn't work.

So just go ahead and do what's cheapest, e.g. keep the 100 it's supplied with.  Its only purpose is a shut-off switch (and GFCI or AFCI if it does that, but you can't backfeed those.)

Gory details?  OK.  The breaker in the main service panel protects the wiring to the subpanel.  The main breaker in the subpanel protects the subpanel itself, but that is almost never an issue and won't be here.

Conduit and wire

You upsized the panel, good plan. You're going conduit, good plan.  Upsizing the conduit above minimums, also good plan: it makes pulling easier and lends future expansion.  Easy pulling is vital for DIY, so you can avoid hiring an electrician simply for his truck full of pulling tools. Electricians won't like doing just the pull and will want a bigger bite of the whole job.

Try to keep bends to a bare minimum, as they make pulling much more difficult. I aim for a maximum of one 90 degree bend between access points (boxes, conduit bodies etc.) but that is not possible in an outdoor run.

"Cable" describes a bundle which contains more than one wire.  You don't need to use cable in conduit; it's redundant and a waste of money (unless it's not, best to price it all ways).  You can use individual wires such as THWN-2.   You can use all-black if you want; wires 4 AWG or larger can be taped to indicate neutral and ground.  Wires are easier to pull than cable.

Aluminum wire is perfect for this.  You're absolutely welcome to oversize the wire (use a greater ampacity than you're breakered for).   If it won't fit on the breaker or lug, pigtail it with a screwdown splice.

As of NEC 2017 you will need to use a torque wrench/driver to set torque on screwdown connections.  So hurry :)


How to lock this closet with a non-standard knob size? We have a small closet in a spare room that we'd like to be able to lock with a key. It has a small, non-standard doorknob. I thought of using a hasp with a padlock, but that's ugly and more security than we actually need. Will I need to upgrade to a full-size doorknob, or is there another solution?

I can't tell what the existing backset (distance from front-side edge of door to center of knob shaft) is, but you can buy mortise locksets that lock. A bit of chisel work would expand the existing mortise.
I shudder to offer this link, but as an example of widely available things, mortise lockset
The linked one appears to have a 2-1/2" backset.
I'd suggest an architectural scrap yard, except that their locksets don't always come with keys...


GFI Breaker at Subpanel - Does it need a separate neutral to the main box I have a Subpanel in an outbuilding.  I've got two hots, a neutral, and a ground going back to the main.  I want to install a GFI breaker at the Subpanel and use one of the hots.  Do I need to run a separate neutral for the GFI breaker or am I okay using the one neutral for the GFI breaker and the the non-GFI breaker?  Please help.

Hook up the GFCI in the usual way, entirely inside the sub-panel.

That is to say, hook the GFCI's pigtail to the neutral bus on the sub-panel, then wire hot and neutral from that circuit into the GFCI breaker.  Do not connect the GFCI's pigtail to the ground bus on the sub-panel (even if that's what you normally do in the main panel).  Do not run a separate neutral back to the main panel.