Beefing up deck joists: Decrease spacing or increase joist width? I'm looking for an expert opinion from builders that have been there done that:

I am laying out a 5' x 90' deck that is 40" above the ground.  I'd like to meet 100 psf live + 10 psf dead load.  This span card says that I should be able to run the 2x6 at 24 o.c. up to 5'2".  That's just over my 5' run for the joists (actually 4' 7 1/2" after you subtract the width of the beams and ledgers they will be hanging off of).

The question is:  I know that's a minimum spec, and I don't want this deck to feel bouncy at all, so what's the most economical way to build this so that it's super solid feeling but can meet 110psf load?

I could go to 2x6 at 16 o.c. to make it beefier, or I could go with 2x8 at 24 o.c. (or even 16 o.c. if necessary).

For you guys with experience, if you wanted to beef it up more than minimum spec to make sure it's not bouncy, what direction would you go?

Thanks!

First of all, those load tables are for L/360 deflection, which is already pretty stiff. That means that fully loaded, the beam will only deflect 1/360 of the length of the beam, or in this case about 1/8". If you can find a 480 deflection table that would give you even stiffer numbers.

Having said that, both adding depth and increasing the number of joists are valid ways of increasing the strength and stiffness of a floor. Upsizing to 2x8 would be a lot easier than adding more joist, and in general it is a more efficient use of materials to make a beam deeper than wider (and adding more joists is effective adding to the "width" of the joists). If you want to compare your two options, you can see that 2x8 @ 24" will give you a stronger floor than 2x6 @ 16" by just comparing the permitted span lengths. E.g. if you are using No. 2 southern pine with your loading conditions, 2x6 @ 16" has a max span of 6'-3" and 2x8 @ 24" has a max span of 6'-6". That means that the 2x8 is stronger.

(By the way, 100 psf live load?? Do you live in an area that gets a ton of snow? Or is this a public/commercial building? Typically residential decks are designed for 40 psf. Note that if you are serious about building a 100psf deck you will need to make sure that all parts of it are built with that load in mind... decking material, rim joists, columns, foundations, etc.)


How to move outlet in wall? I'd like to move an outlet that is in a wall between a finished spaced and an unfinished space.  Right now my TV is hanging on a wall and connected to an outlet that is too high for my tastes.  I'd like to move it down maybe 18-24".  I know that I could put in a junction box to extend the wires down, but from what I've read you can't have a junction box buried in a wall.  I could put a blank template on the existing outlet, but that'd just be ugly.

Since the current box is in a half finished wall (i.e. it's in a wall with a workshop on one side that's not finished), is there a way that I can extend the power cables and drywall off the old hole?

My guess would be that I could take out the old box and put in a junction box, but instead of the "facing" towards the finished space, I could just put the access panel part toward the unfinished space.

That is fine

You can do as you desire -- take the old j-box out and replace it with one facing into the unfinished space.  I'd use a 4" square junction box and mount it so the front lip is flush with the edge of the studs -- this way, if you want to finish the unfinished space later, you can simply slap a mud ring on the box in place of the existing cover, then put a new cover on after the drywall's up.


Are small air bubbles on the surface while applying wood finish normal? While finishing my door, I've noticed a lot of small air bubbles after applying the finish.  I asked a painter about it and he told me it's normal, but it doesn't seem normal to me. Is this normal or should I hire some other person?

It can be a problem when drying conditions are too fast for the finish to release the bubbles.  Here are some strategies to try.

Good quality brush, china bristle (boar) for oil
Slight thinning (up to 10%).
Drying extenders (retarders): Floetrol for latex, Penetrol for oil based paints and stains
Don't shake your finish, stir only (to prevent mixing air into finish).
"Tip off" slowly (lightly drag brush almost laying flat, no pressure) to integrate sections and even out finish.
HVLP spraying is within home user capability and pricing.


Can I connect the R and C wires directly to the HVAC transformer? I have a Rheem furnace and a Ecobee3 smart thermostat. I'm having a problem where the Ecobee3 randomly loses power and reboots. I've traced this back to the control board (IFC) inside the HVAC unit. I don't know exactly what is causing the power to cut out, but my guess is that it is some type of kill switch built into the unit. Regardless of the reason the power is cutting out, I want to see if I can first fix my Ecobee3 issue.

To fix the Ecobee3 issue, can I remove the R and C wires from the IFC and wire them directly into the transformer inside the HVAC unit?

EDIT: Here is the wiring diagram image.

Also, the IFC model number is 1012-925A and the HVAC unit is a Rheem Classic 90 Plus. I don't know the if the number on the wiring diagram is the model number, but that number is 90-24007-03.

EDIT 2: I pulled two different switches. One of the limits for the burners (first image) and one for the pressure switches (second image). When the burner switch was open, the thermostat lost power. When the second was open, the thermostat didn't lose power.

It looks like the HVAC system or the IFC is opening one of the limits, which is cutting power to the board. This must be how it prevents the house for exploding. :)

I don't think it is normal that the HVAC/IFC is killing power multiple times per day, but it sounds like it might be time to have someone take apart the whole system and see why that is happening.

Based on the ladder diagram, it looks like the R terminal is only energized when all the limits (main limit and however many rollout limits there are) are closed. So if any of the limits open, the thermostat loses power (maybe).

I can't say for sure; since I'm not familiar with that board, but if that's how the furnace disables itself during a problem. Then bypassing that safety system can be quite dangerous.  I'm not sure if the board monitors the limit circuit, or simply cuts power to the R terminal in the event of an open limit.  If it's the latter, then connecting the thermostat directly to the transformer would be hazardous.

WARNING:
The following procedure requires working on energized equipment. If you're not comfortable with that, please contact a local licensed HVAC technician.

Connect the thermostat as normal, with the system powered on, and the thermostat not calling for heat/cool/fan.
Open the access panel for the furnace, and locate one of the limit switches.
Remove one of the low voltage signal wires from the limit.
If removing the panel cuts power to the system, replace the cover.

In this state the furnace will not work. But what you're looking for, is whether or not the thermostat has power.  If not, then you're not going to want to bypass the IFC. It also means that whenever a limit opens, the thermostat is going to reset. Which is not a terrible thing, as it makes it obvious that there's a problem with the furnace.

Right now the thermostat is connected to the IFC terminals like this.

If instead you connected the thermostat directly to the transformer, then it would look more like this.

You'll notice that the limit circuit (highlighted in red), is completely bypassed by connecting the thermostat directly to the transformer. Which means even if one of those switches open, the thermostat will still be able to signal for heat/cooling.
Again, I'm not familiar with this IFC, I'm simply basing this on the diagram provided.  The IFC may in fact monitor the limit circuit, which is why I recommend testing it.


Natural gas range emits kerosene/propane burner odor I have a natural gas range. The cooktop part seems to operate normally, with the flames blue. But recently, the oven has been emitting a smell that smells like those forced air portable propane heaters. Best way I can describe it. I know what unburned natural gas/mercaptan smells like, and it is not that.
When I look in there, it seems the flame from the burner is orange instead of blue, but I'm not sure if that's how it's always been or if that is normal.

I recently had to replace the igniter in this oven. This started after that replacement, but not right away. Could it be that the new igniter is not letting the gas valve open fully? Or is there something else I should look at?

The oven is a Hotpoint Model RGBS100DMWW.

UPDATE: I have noticed this smell now when the cooktop burners are on without the oven - at first I thought it was just the oven. The flames there are definitively normal, all blue and the normal length they always are. But I can smell the propane heater / kerosene like smell from those burners. Is it possible there is something contaminating the natural gas supply?

UPDATE 2: Turns out my oven flame was not orange. What I could see through the oven part was the orange glow of the igniter. The flames are perfectly blue, as I found a way to see them better through the bottom drawer. I think the answer regarding oil-based paints was correct here, whenever there was still a whiff of the varnish in the air, the oven would produce this smell. Now it has cleared out, and the oven smells normal again.

Yes, you have a problem!  An orange flame, as opposed to a blue one, indicates too much fuel and not enough air (i.e. a RICH combustion condition) that is very dangerous.  Excess CO is produced in this case and can be deadly.

Get a qualified service tech to correct this immediately and don't use the oven until it's fixed!

With respect to your igniter question.  I think it's unlikely that the igniter itself is at fault but perhaps the gas valve was disturbed during the servicing of the igniter.


Do dimmers and timers not have Amp spec? I have noticed that single pole switches are spec'ed for either 15 or 20 Amp.  However, I could not find this rating for dimmer and fan timer switches.  They only list voltage.  Is this because they can be used on either 15 or 20 Amp circuits? If so, why?

Follow the instructions regarding amps, watts and/or VA

First, you need to know how to convert between amps and watts or VA*, and apply Power Factor.

 VA = amps x volts
 Watts = amps x volts x PF

and volts is 120 in the US typically. For incandescent lights, PF is 1.0.

Their power limits will be expressed in terms of one of these units, and it's up to you to do the conversions.

If you don't know PF, be very generous.  Certainly if the fixture has Edison screw-in sockets, you can't possibly know the PF. Size it by assuming some epsilon minus will stick actual incandescents in there. It's unlikely for any random CFL or LED to have worse amp draw than the incandescent it replaces!

Respect ballast and tungsten limits

The typical device may have several limits stated in several ways.  Select the one that applies to your load, and respect it...

Tungsten rating is about inrush current. This is the surge of power some devices draw initially on startup, notably incandescent bulbs (hence the word "tungsten")**.  However, CFLs, LEDs, modern electronic ballast fluorescents and electronic power supplies also have inrush, and you must respect the tungsten rating for this.
Ballast rating is about the inductive kick generated by magnetic inductive ballasts for HID, neon and old style fluorescent lights - generally, lights that hum.  This occurs when you shut power off to them.
Motor rating is concerned with a little of both, as a motor starting up draws its locked-rotor amperage, and packs a rather considerable inductive kick when shut off.  Typically motor ratings are in horsepower, another conversion to do, yay...

I would expect a dimmer to be sold on its tungsten rating.  With a timer, all bets are off.

It is quite common to see devices with an impressive amp/watt rating, and then you see the tungsten, ballast or motor rating and it's much smaller...

Notes

* some equipment uses power irregularly, I.e. "it doesn't use the whole sine wave".  Watts is what it does use, and VA is the whole sine wave which the equipment must deliver.  The equipment cares about that!  So when considering PF, we are concerned with instantaneous max amps during the normal AC cycle.  PF does not concern itself with inrush.

  Watts / VA = Power Factor

** An incandescent bulb, when unlit, bears a strong resemblance to a dead short.  As such, it draws many amps until it starts to warm up (which it does rather quickly, given the huge shot of amps going through it!) Once at operating temperature, it behaves in a linear (resistor-like) manner, including a perfect 1.0 PF, like a resistor.


How to address mold/moss on newer roof? I have an old house with a new(er) installed roof shingle that's about 5 years old. In removing leaves from the gutter today, I noticed green moss? mold? around some of the areas close to the house. A couple of questions:

Should I worry about this? (does it reduce the effectiveness of the shingle). If yes, then question 2 come into play.
Can it be corrected in the area that are truly unsightly with a chemical or something? I have kids so it would need to be safe. If yes, question 3 comes into play.
If some cleaning can be done to fix, is this a DIY or does a service have to be contacted?

Once corrected, is there any preventative measures that can be done to avoid this?

Appreciate time in advance for your thoughts.

Actually, there's a great suggestion in one of my favorite general-knowledge renovation books about how to prevent moss growth. This is a much more permanent way to solve the problem, IMHO.

Tack up a line of copper wire (not zinc) just after the first line of shingles (close to the top). Copper is bad for plant life, and so the slight copper solution from rain washing over it will kill off moss. Obviously the wire needs to be bare, so if you're using scrap, be sure to give it a good wipe with 80 grit sandpaper before putting it up. Sorry I don't have the book in front of me, so I can't name the page number or quote it precisely.

Of course, take care tacking up the wire to observe common-sense principles about putting holes in your roof. Depending where & how you attach the wire, you might want to cover the nails, staples, etc with roofing cement.

Also, while this solution makes sense to me, I haven't used it. I'm basing my suggestion on the stellar reputation of this book.


What is causing my light bulbs to burn out so quickly? I have some 12-volt outdoor lighting that is quickly blowing through light bulbs (couple weeks at a time.) I just measured the voltage and it read 13.4 volts. Could this be the culprit?

The other potential issue could be that the bulbs are running too hot for the enclosure. This used to be a 120-volt system, but we had some landscaping lighting work done and they decided to convert it to a 12-volt system. The problem is that the sockets are still standard home style sockets and the only light bulbs that are easy to find are 50-watt marine light bulbs.

What is more likely the blame for the short light bulb life?

I'm looking into purchasing some 12-volt led lights from Amazon but I'd like to solve this problem before spending more money on bulbs.

Both the voltage and temperature could be culprits here - many bulbs are sensitive to overvoltage.

If you are going with LED bulbs, you usually have a wider acceptable voltage range, but you should be able to get the max-voltage info before you buy.

Additionally, LED's have very low heat output, so will be just fine in the enclosures.

So I'd say the problem will be solved by getting LED bulbs (just check that max-voltage on the spec first) - these will last so much longer.

Alternatively, If you are handy with electrics, have a look at the power supply circuit and see if you can reduce the voltage. Are all the bulbs in series? If so, adding a power resistor will drop the voltage (at the expense of some heat generated across the resistor). If the bulbs are in parallel, you'd need to see if there is a voltage control on the power supply itself.


Is it possible to fit a 5000 litre tank on a normal rooftop? I currently have a 750 litre overhead water tank installed. Is it possible to install a 5000 litre water tank in the same place? Would the weight be a concern? The house is a two storied buliding bulit on a 1200 square feet site. The total height of building is about 23 feet. Thanks beforehand.

You need a structural engineer. There is no way for us to judge the stability of your roof


i have a 220v well pump is it ac or dc that i should set my tester on when it goes out I have a 220 well pump that has stopped working .  I bought a digital multi tester to check it but I don't know if I need to check ac or DC

220v to a well pump is AC. Such a high voltage delivered to a home would never be DC. In fact, DC of any voltage, except low voltage lighting for example, in a home would be rare; maybe unheard of.


Adding a new switch with an independent light in an existing circuit I have two switches at the bottom of my stairs in the basement. One switch is a three way to the switch at the top of my stairs. The other switch lights a series of lights all connected to the same circuit.
One of those lights is in the pantry and what I would like to do is isolate that light from the rest by adding a single pole switch to the room.
The switch at the bottom of the stairs would still light up the rest of the lights.

Based on the input by the contributors, I was able to make an informed decision. I passed a new cable down through the wall to the main switch box at the bottom of the stairs. I wired in the new wire and passed the wire across to the pantry room. I removed the wire from the fixture and tied those together in a junction box. I passed the new cable down to the new box and passed a new wire from the box to the existing electrical box. The fixture box is plastic and doesn't have a ground screw so I just capped it off with a wire nut. I wired the light and the switch without any issue.


how can I convert my AC under kitchen cabinet lights to LED lights? Under my kitchen cabinets I currently have 120 volt AC florescent lighting.  I want to replace these lights with brighter LED strip lighting, which typically is run using 24v DC current.

The lights currently are turned on using a central single-pole switch.  I want to keep the single switch where it is and I don't need a dimmer.  My six cabinets sit to the right, left and across the room from the switch.

Under each cabinet there is a place where the electrical wire comes out of the wall and connects to the lighting fixture.

One way to do replace the current lights with LED lights and keep the same On/Off switch,  is to put a 24v transformer at the point where the current 120v wire comes out of the wall, for each cabinet, but that is six transformers and moderately expensive.

What is the right way to do this?  Do I need to rewire?  Or for instance, if I want to use a single 120v to 24v transformer, probably near the current light switch, can I use my current wire to run the 24v DC?

These are currently available:- "Gx53 LED Light Bulb 110 Volts 5 Watts Warm White with Lamp Base for Ceiling Downlight Under Counter Lighting (5 Watts)" and will hardwire directly into your existing 120V wiring.
It also removes the requirement for AC/DC transformers which are just another link for failure.


Hose bib below grade, yard hydrants Does UPC 2015 allow hose connections below grade (e.g. in an underground valve box)? Is a regular vacuum breaker sufficient in this situation or is a double check valve needed (typical for sprinklers)?

  603.5.17 Potable Water Outlets And Valves. Potable water outlets, freeze-proof yard hydrants, combination stop-and-waste valves, or
  other fixtures that incorporate a stop and waste feature that drains
  into the ground shall not be installed underground.
  A vacuum breaker is not considered a "stop and waste feature" correct?

Related question regarding yard hydrants, which would be an alternative if I can't put a hose connection under ground. Per Table 603.2 "Freeze resistant sanitary yard hydrants" "Such devices are not for use under continuous pressure conditions."

Does this mean a valve is required a before a yard hydrant? i.e. when you close the valve on a hose bib "hose connection vacuum breaker" is no longer subject to operating pressure, however the "freeze resistant sanitary yard hydrant" assembly as a whole technically remains under pressure when you shut off the yard hydrant.

You'd probably need a double check valve like a sprinkler system to put a garden hose connection underground.

For the yard hydrant:
Your link says "Frost Proof" which is different than "Freeze resistant".  Further your referenced code says " that incorporate a stop and waste feature that drains into the ground".  The description for the yard hydrant you have linked says "Unlike conventional hydrants which drain the water into the ground, these use a reservoir below the frost line to contain the water".

I'd argue that either point makes this portion of the code inapplicable but certainly the 2nd portion where it doesn't drain into the ground at all.


why doesn't my washing machine spin when it's full of water? I bought a brand-new washing machine, a 3.4 cubic foot Whirlpool top-loader (model # WTW4800XQ), and it's not working properly. When I put in even a very small quantity of dirty clothes and set it on a wash cycle, it fills the tub up with water and then tries to start spinning it, but the motor makes a very labored sound and only succeeds in turning the tub an inch or two. Then it tries again, ad nauseam. It sounds very much like the motor is not powerful enough to turn it, or the transmission is slipping, or something like that… the point is that it doesn't spin properly when it's full of water.

If I set the machine on a heavy cycle, the tub fills up nearly to the top with water, which seems very high. If I put it on the lightest cycle with almost nothing in it, it still fills up about halfway with water, and the noise of the motor/transmission is different for the light cycle, as though it's almost able to turn it but still can't quite manage. Could it be filling the machine up with way too much water? Maybe some water level sensor or something is broken? The machine has been leveled.

The motor is perfectly capable of turning the tub in the "drain and spin" cycle, even when the tub is full of wet laundry. It's like it can only do it when there's no water in there.

One final thing to mention is that even after a "drain and spin" cycle, when I turn the tub by hand, I can hear some water sloshing around in the bottom of the machine. Even when I make it easy on the pump and put the drain pipe in a bucket on the floor, it still doesn't seem to be able to pump out all the water.

Any idea what could be wrong with this thing? Again, it's brand-new. I guess it could be a lemon, but that just seems unlikely.

Pardon the inevitable indicators of n00bness; this is first washing machine I've ever owned.

Are you sure it's not doing exactly what it's supposed to do? It's not supposed to spin during the wash part of the cycle. When it's full of water it's supposed to agitate.  I don't have a Whirlpool washer, so I don't know exactly how yours agitates, but usually this means it turns back and forth, a little one way, a little the other. Once the wash part of the cycle is done it should drain, then spin. Then it will refill and go through the same routine to rinse.


Metal basement window frame casement rotted out We bought a house that was completely remodeled but the metal framing for the basement window was left even though they installed a new window. The rust is beyond repair. Does anyone have experience wrapping the frame with aluminum? What can be done ? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. This is such an eyesore .

I think I'd get some thin (1/4" or 3/8") vinyl plank and some white soffit nails and cover it as-is. Fill the outer section out flush with the inner stop using treated lumber and wrap it all. Caulk the joints blind as you assemble the parts.

Here's a plan view section of the right side:

___________________ ___
   vinyl window    |   |
___________________|   |
                *|_    |< -- old steel window frame
                *|x|   |
                *|x|   |
                *|_|___|*
                *********
                  ^--------- filler block (x)
                ^ ---------- vinyl plank wrap (*)


C-Wire identification I am interested in replacing an older thermostat with a modern networked 'smart' thermostat \ humidity monitor.  That being said, does the photographed thermostat have a C-wire?

The thermostat controls an air conditioner in a Florida storage facility.  Fortunately, the AC handler is proximal to the thermostat controller

As I understand it, the common wire is often necessary to provide a return path, one of two wires necessary to power the electronics in a smart thermostat.

UPDATE:  upper thermostat panel removed.  Blue wire not connected:

QUESTION

If there is 24V AC between the RED and BLUE wire, is it reasonable to conclude that the BLUE wire is the 'C Wire' required for smart thermostats?

There is no such thing as C-wire per-se.  What we call the C-wire is a wire that is connecting your thermostat to the C-pin of your AC.  It provides the return path for the power from your thermostat.

From this picture, I don't see any free wire to use as C-wire.  But once you remove it from the wall, you might be pleasantly surprised to see an unused wire from the black cable concealed behind your unit.  Then connect that free wire to your AC C-pin and follow the wiring our your new smart thermostat.

Look at my furnace, you see that blue free wire.  I connected it to the C-pin currently connected to the yellow wire (the leftmost of the 5 screws) and it becomes my C-Wire.


can I use a 10WATT LED BR30 on a recessed light trim that says MAX:9W BR30 LED? i just bought a 6 pack of:

GE Relax 6-Pack 65 W Equivalent Dimmable Warm White Br30 LED Light Fixture Light Bulb

it says it uses only 10-WATTS on the back of the package.

to make a long story short....i am buying new bulbs for the recessed can lights i have in my living room. (basically switching over to LED)

i also bought new recessed light trim to give it a bit of a makeover. as I took it out of the package i notice the sticker says MAX:9W BR30 [LED]

am i now screwed with the bulbs i bought as it states they use 10 watts? any help would be appreciated. thanks

I'm not sure anyone can give you a definitive answer on this.  You could ask the manufacturer whether 10 watts is close enough, but they came up with 9 watts as the maximum; if 10 watts was really the maximum, they would have labelled it 10 watts.  That said, I'll offer a guess.

I can't envision a 110V fixture where a 10 watt load would overheat the wiring or electrical elements, or damage the fixture.  My guess is that the rating relates to the LED bulb.  LED bulbs need to dissipate the heat they produce in order to keep the electronics in a working temperature range.  If you exceed the maximum temperature range for the bulb, the bulb will have a much shorter life.

Recessed fixtures trap heat.  The 9 watts probably reflects the amount of heat it can get rid of to keep up with what the bulb produces.  A higher wattage bulb will generate heat faster than the fixture can dissipate, so the temperature inside the fixture will continue to rise.  Eventually, it will exceed the maximum temperature the bulb is designed to operate in, and the bulb will have a short life.


What could cause my garage door opener to stop working? My garage door opener will not work. I can hear an audible click like a relay but the door will not go up or down. Also the the lights will not work. Again by using the control console I can hear a click like a relay but no lights. There is power going into the unit.There is a green light on the PCB. Tried pushing what looks to be a reset button on the board. I have a Craftsman opener mod.# 139.53975SRT1.

There are several things that could cause a door opener to not work properly. Tester101 put most of them in his comment, but most of those would at least result in the opener visibly and audibly trying to open the door, and then giving up.

This may sound counterintuitive but my first priority would be getting the light working. Most garage door openers use the light as the primary indicator of a problem, by blinking it a certain number of times. Replace all bulbs in the unit (preferably with bulbs designed for use in high-vibration applications) and see if the light will turn on.

The second thing to do is verify that whatever control you are using to try to open the door is properly connected and/or programmed. Replace any batteries, check the inputs on any hard-wired switch or panel, and have the opener "re-learn" any wireless control modules you're using. Understand that many systems require at least one hard-wired multi-function switch in order to access all the features of the opener.

Also check all the safety interlocks. Most openers on the market will not operate at all without the electronic eye system properly installed, connected, aligned and the lenses cleaned. Certain systems may have eyes at multiple levels to allow the eye to "see" things that could cross the threshold at different levels, like a car bumper vs a truck bumper; every installed eye system, and there must be at least one, must be working properly.

Next, pull the red handle on the traveller shuttle to disconnect the door from the drive mechanism. Press the garage door button, and see if the chain drive operates. If so, the problem is the door; it's locked, jammed or improperly counterbalanced. If it still doesn't move, the problem is the drive mechanism; either the travel settings are messed up, such that the door thinks it's fully up or down no matter what position it's really in, or else the motor has burned out, seized up, slipped a gear, etc. Try adjusting the travel and see if the drive will move. Also, some openers are pressure-sensitive and will abort closing if they sense that the door is pressing on something (like a kid who tried to slip through and got caught); that pressure sensitivity is often adjustable, and you may have it set to be too sensitive so it's tripping based on the weight of the door itself.

If none of these at least indicates a further course of action, you're probably looking at replacing the door opener.


How can install rafter baffle venting without removing drywall? I have a finished attic, that needs to be updated. The pitched sides of the roof are sheetrocked & insulated, the ceiling is a suspended ceiling (will be sheetrocked) and the low knee walls are insulated and paneled (will be sheetrocked).

The pitched ceiling does not have rafter baffle venting. It does have continuous soffit vents, a full length ridge vent and a gable vent. I realize it's best if the soffit vents have air movement up to the ridge vent, however I'd like to avoid ripping out the sheetrock and insulation on the pitched ceiling.

Is there an alternative to the standard rafter venting that can be installed on old versus new construction?

Typically this type of structure is properly vented already as you described it. The pitched part of the roof is typically insulated tight with a 1" sheet of foam at the roof then friction fit unfaced. Then a plastic vapor barrier then drywall. Sounds like you're doing a roof so you might consider a foam roof substrate over the pitched rafters. Your existing  Kraft face insulation could be causing tagger show because of leaks in the seams. Consider a vapor barrier paint for the interior.


Would insulating a basement prevent it from passively cooling the house in the summer? I have an unfinished basement in Upstate NY in a large old house that helps in keeping the house cool in the summer. Would insulating it limit the cooling effect in summer?

Yes, insulating the unfinished basement would limit the cooling effect in summer and increase your cost of air conditioning. On the other hand, the uninsulated basement cools your house in the winter. The question is, which one would be less expensive if you want to keep your house comfortable in both summer and winter?

The only way of avoiding the tradeoff is likely impractical, you would need to build in an extensive air plenum behind the insulation which would allow you to extract cooling when desired by blowing air through the plenum. This is actually a form of geothermal energy.


Removing fibreboard plinth from concrete floor A previous owner of our property fixed a fibreboard plinth to the concrete floor under our kitchen worktop to raise the height of the dishwasher there; I'd like to remove that plinth to fit a taller dishwasher, but I'm struggling to find a way to actually get it up.

The plinth appears to be made out of some sort of fibreboard with a solid, matt veneer, and it appears to be very well affixed (possibly using cement?) to the concrete floor. It's about 2–3cm thick, and about 45cm square.

I've attempted to take a crowbar to it, but I've not managed to get the end of the crowbar sufficiently under the plinth to get any useful leverage. I was able to get a chisel into the fibreboard, but it was very hard work, and attempting to lift the entire thing up like that seems like it'd be many hours of miserable work.

This is going to be out of sight, and the new dishwasher has adjustable feet, so it doesn't need to be particularly pretty or perfectly level. How can I get rid of this plinth?

I would use a flush cutting end saw like this one

Ease the wood cutting blade in between the plinth and the concrete.
Break away the pieces as they are separated from floor with chisel or flat pry bar. Maybe you will get lucky and only perimeter is glued or there are just a few beads of adhesive instead of full glue down.


Could treated water backflow into my RO system? This may be a bit of an odd question, but where I live, the well water is extremely bad.  The amount of sulfer in the water makes it unusable for anything other than washing dishes and laundry.  I had a chlorine injection system installed shortly after buying my home and it does a great job removing the odor.  In 6 years I have not drank the water or cooked with the water, or let my pets drink it.  It's disgusting to be honest.

I installed a  reverse osmosis (RO) system that is now tapped in (using a saddle valve on the PVC) before my softener and my chlorine system, whereas up until recently, was AFTER both the softener and chlorine systems.  This RO system will soon fill (I am still working on this) two 55 gallon potable water barrels to have on hand to top of my tanks after cleaning/partial water changes.

Previously(when the RO was installed after the softener and chlorine), I would disable my softener and chlorine system, and run the water until it stinks to make sure all the chlorine and treated water passes.  I would then turn on my RO system to top off my tanks (125g and 180g tanks).  This takes an incredibly long period of time.  The RO system does roughly 5 gallons an hour optimally.  I could need 30-50 gallons of water to top of the tank(s) after a quick cleaning, which means ~10 hours of having my softener and chlorine systems disabled.  During this time, I can't take a shower, flush the toilet, run any water during this time, or else my house will smell of rotten flesh and rotten eggs.  It's VERY inconvenient.

With the old setup (RO after the softener and chlorine), If I leave the softener and chlorine systems enabled, the RO water is very high in nitrates, ammonia, and basically the levels are bad enough to kill my fish.  This just happened recently.  I had 10+ freshwater fish die from a water change.

I want to know if my treated water could backflow into my RO system.  I only thought of this after I tapped into the water just after the well pressure tank.

My water system is currently setup like this:

Well to 27 gal pressure tank,
pressure tank to chlorine system (pressure tank injected by a stenner pump),
chlorine pressure tank to softener,
then onto the house plumbing and hot water tank

The softener is after the chlorine system because previously, when the softener would run, my whole house would smell INCREDIBLY horrid(softener was before the chlorine).  The place that installed a NEW softener(and also did my chlorine system) said it would have to be installed after the chlorine system to avoid this.

So now, for my RO system's water supply, I tapped into the main water line just after the well pressure tank thinking that since it was before the softener, chlorine, etc, it would be feeding my RO system with un-treated water.  But after thinking about it, I am concerned that treated water could backflow into my RO system's intake.

I hope this makes sense.  I've searched and searched and haven't been able to decide one way or another.

Sorry if my terminology is off, but I am not a plumber (you guys are WAY underpaid).

It can backflow if you lose pressure. Perhaps from a power outage, or if you draw water faster than the pump can replenish it.

Backflow valves (check valves) are pretty cheap (about $5 - $10). If the consequences are as severe as you make them out to be, I'd put one in.

Also I would add a carbon filter after the RO system, that would remove ammonia and other things, just in case. If the water was clean the filter would not get worn, so it's cheap insurance that you can leave there for a long time without replacing the filter.

PS. It's good you are not trying to drink softened water - the extra salt is not good for you.


Installing 4 piece shower enclosure that's slightly too small I am looking to install the Delta 400 shower system from Home Depot. I chose this system because the price and setup works well for my current situation.

Shower Pan

3-Piece Shower Surround

The issue I am having right now is that the rough-in needs to be 60"; however, my rough in is 60.75". Obviously, this isn't going to work as the shower pan won't be able to attach properly to the studs and the 3 piece enclosure will not properly butt up to the studs for a good fit. So far from my research this is that I have seen should be done.

Fur out one of the walls with .75 inch furring strips.
Attach everything now that the rough-in will be 60"
Create a small drywall return corner on the built out wall so that there will be about a 2-3 inch strip of drywall over the flange and .75 - 1 inch small strip of drywall cut out and placed in the small space caused by the furring out to create a tiny corner.

The only problem with furring out the entire wall is that on the right side I have a door and on the left I have a window. The wall with the door would be easier but I am unsure on how to extend a door jamb so that it would be flush.
Does this make sense or does anyone know of possibly a better way?

For reference here is the location that the enclosure will be going.

Since you don't yet have drywall up anywhere, I would fur one entire wall out 3/4". Then attach your drywall to that and you don't have to deal with the return.

With openings on each wall, it's a decision of which wall is easiest to fur out. First, make sure that either one would work (e.g. if you fur out the right, make sure your drain still lines up). Then you have to make the door or window jamb work with the deeper wall. Even if the door wall is easier to fur out, I'd still go with the window wall, simply because a prehung door & custom window would be easier than the other way around.

And completely unrelated to your question, but something I wish I knew when I put in my first tub - pack the tub full of insulation, in addition to the walls. A piping hot bathtub cools off mighty quickly.


Do outlets in damp locations require GFCI protection? The title says it all. It appears wet locations require not only GFCI protection but also weatherproof boxes and appropriately rated everything, but I can't find much addressing damp locations. Most prototypically damp locations are called out directly (kitchens, garages, basements); I can't find any blanket statement applying to damp locations.

Part of the issue might depend on how one construes "outdoors". Is a screened patio that's fully under the same roof as the primary structure indoors or outdoors? The glossary at the start of the document unfortunately does not formally specify this term.

NEC GFCI requirements
Underwater pool lighting since 1968

On Receptacles:

Outdoors (since 1973)
Bathrooms (since 1975)
Garages (since 1978)
Kitchens (since 1987)
Crawl spaces and unfinished basements (since 1990)
Wet bar sinks (since 1993)
Laundry and utility sinks (since 2005)

Looking for any further wiggle room?

Feeling that light tingle in damp conditions might be the last thing you remember.


Range hood installation for non built-in stove I'm looking to buy a range hood for our stove. The hood will be externally vented through the roof (1 story house) since it's on an interior wall.  It seems that most of the wall mounted chimney units assume that the range itself is flush or almost flush to the wall, since they have a depth of around 18".

We have a free standing stove, (i.e., not built into the cabinets) with no cabinetry on the wall the stove is against and if I measure from the wall to the back of the back burners, it's about 10", so 18" from the wall will not really cover the full stove surface, and won't cover half of the front two burners.

Does this mean that I need to install an island model instead of a wall mounted model hood? Or is it possible/desirable to add some sort of spacing so that the wall mounted unit hangs out further?

Your stove slides back to the wall. Your venting mounts to the wall - how much over hang of the stove and how much height you have to be able move pans in and out has some factor in this and aesthetics play a part as well - because if you do not have a perfect overhang of the vent - the fan will cause forced air venting.

The Vent you purchased may or may not be suitable for your taste - for example you might not want it to sit back a little but instead cover the entire stove area. Your vent might be for a cook top and not a stove or for a smaller stove.

Many if not most people prefer the unit to cover the burners in their entirety - I will assume your local code does not require a vent for the stove, if it did there might be some local laws that specify what is acceptable or not acceptable.

I would suggest a properly sized vent - typically they are 24 inches deep.


Does the pilot flame of a gas furnace stay on for the duration of a heating cycle? I was looking at my furnace a couple of days ago and I notice one thing: there is something red hot there where the spark igniter and the thermocouple assembly is. I can hardly see it and I am not sure what component is that but I was just wondering if this is normal.

This is what I have for thermocouple and spark igniter

here is what is hot red. I looked again from a different angle. I think that the pilot light stays on for as long as the thermostat asks for heat. After that it turns off, that does happen I am not concerned about that. I am just wondering if, after the burners are lit, the pilot light should still stay on. I see no sense in that.

Here is the electrical scheme for my igniter

This is an edited answer

After reviewing the additional information provided above along with relevant information obtained from this post: What is wrong with my gas furnace? I have entered my answer below.

The "something red hot" in your furnace is apparently a "hot surface ignitor".  The red hot glow is produced by passing current through the ignitor and is the intended function.

Now, to my concern for your safety:

I originally stated that there did not appear to be a thermocouple on your furnace.  While I maintain that there is indeed no thermocouple, I also add that the hot surface ignitor is likely monitored by the control module in the furnace.  While I am not intimately familiar with this furnace nor the application of such an ignitor, I can safely presume that the control module senses the resistance of the ignitor and can tell this way whether the pilot light is lit or not.

One way to verify my assumption about the control of gas flow would be to remove the connector for the ignitor while the unit is off and then see if you can hear the gas flowing (or can otherwise sense the gas flow - temperature, smell) when a demand for heat is made.  Just make sure you do this quickly and safely! (i.e. Do not reconnect the ignitor unless the thermostat is off!!!)


What could be causing the bizarre whistling sound that is coming from the pipes around the en suite and main bath? The sound changes frequency in a regular pattern, and almost sounds electronic, like an old radio with a bad antenna. We can only hear it in these two bathrooms, and it occurs whether or not the water is running. There is another bathroom right below, but we cannot hear the noise there.

All drains must be vented to the atmosphere, to allow water to exit smoothly..  Vent pipes (on the roof, can act as pitch pipes, as the wind blows across them.

Clogs (or restrictions-soon-to-be clogs) in the drain pipes can cause water to rise into the vent pipe, changing the pitch as the water level varies.

Sometimes a bird can block the pipe with a nest or other critter can bodily block the pipe.

In any case, checking the main vent pipe is a the first order.


What terminal to use on AC for C wire / nest dual transformer install So i purchased a nest gen 3 and proceeded to install it. This is on a dual transformer system, separate boiler and AC system. The good news was i had a unused G wire on the Heat side that I was going to use to supply constant voltage. I wire everything up turn on the Nest and get E79 error. I checked between C/Rh at the thermostat and around 26 volts. I call up Nest and they tell me that when you have the heat and ac connected to thermostat on a dual transformer system, the nest wants to see power from the AC side. The problem is the AC thermostat wire coming for the air handler only has 3 wires, G/R/Y - in my case the Y is white wire.

Nest tells me i can jump/group the Rc to C on the AC transformer, thats what i understood, or run and new wire and connect to the C wire on the AC transformer.

I have added pictures of my system, the wire will the R/G/Y is going to the thermostat, can I just take the R wire and jump it to the C, basically wire nut a small piece of wire from the R bundle to the Common? If so which one is the common, the blue???

If i run new wire that has an extra wire for the common, where on the transformer/air handler to i connect to. The brown wires look like they go to the compressor. I would basically connect everything as it currently is but where would of tap/connect the new C wire to? Directly to the Transformer where the blue wire is? or could i wire nut the new C wire to the blue/white bundle that is currently wire nutted? Again Im assuming that the blue is the Common.

I guess i can always run a voltmeter from the Rc to the blue to see if i get constant 24 volts.

If someone can point me in the right direction i would really a appreciate it.

Thanks, Paul

This is your common
You connect here and bring it up to the stat with the spare wire from the boiler.

Nest is also capable of power stealing in many cases. Here's a link to check before running a new wire.

https://nest.com/ca/support/article/When-Nest-needs-a-common-C-wire#wire-you-checker


Are the rotting windows and window sill salvageable? My windows and window sill have rotted on the bottom. The quote for the windows without installation are thousands of dollars. Could this be salvaged with epoxy, bondo, and making frames for the glass? The top portion is solid.

The frames for the glass are the least of your worries as they are removable.
You could attempt some sort of patchup job with bondo and paint, but it wouldn't remove the problems that caused the rot and it would be very difficult to actually bond to partially rotted wood.  Your goal would be to cut out all the rotted wood, reinforce the structure if necessary, fit wood to replace as much as possible and then re sculpt the frame with the filler product.  The difficulty level of getting decent fit and finish is incredibly high, let alone the difficulty of accomplishing a good seal and shape at the same time.  When it leaks or the edges start to rot out again, you're back to square one with the addition of a potentially extremely difficult and complicated to remove section.
You could attempt to properly repair the frame, but that might involve anything up to completely uninstalling the window, replacing any flawed pieces and reinstalling it.  This would normally only be done to protect or restore pieces of historical or sentimental value.  You could get a quote on it, but it's likely to exceed the cost of new windows.  You try not to throw away burled walnut or bubinga, but for common wood, the labor is worth more.
If you don't already know how to do this and want to do it yourself, the carpentry skill and tools could also exceed the cost of the new windows.  That said, it's not impossible, just a lot of skilled work.  You can do almost anything with fairly basic tools and ample expertise, but the right tool can turn a 9 hour task involving great precision into something you can do casually in under a minute.


Where do I measure a building's height on uneven ground (for UK Planning restrictions)? UK Planning states that an outbuilding must remain below 2.5m in height, otherwise planning permission is required.

My problem is that the ground is uneven, but the roof would be flat, so where do I measure this height? Should it be an average of the tall side and short side, or should it be the tallest side alone?

Edit to answer new question:

It appears that currently you'd measure the height from "the highest part of the
adjoining land.", which would mean that you'd measure from the up side of the slope. Source.

So your building; as planned, is in compliance.

  ‘Height’ - references to height (for example, the heights of the eaves on a house
  extension) is the height measured from ground level.
   Ground level is the surface of
  the ground immediately adjacent to the building in question. Where ground level is
  not uniform (e.g. if the ground is sloping), then the ground level is the highest part of
  the surface of the ground next to the building. Source

Original answer:

The verbiage of the laws is very important.  After some research, I think I've found what you're referring to.

  Outbuildings are considered to be permitted development, not needing planning permission, subject to the following limits and conditions:

  Outbuildings and garages to be single storey with maximum eaves height of 2.5 metres and maximum overall height of four metres with a dual pitched roof or three metres for any other roof.

Which means for a flat roof shed, you can have an overall height of 3m, with an eaves height of 2.5m.

Furthermore:

  If you want to put up small detached buildings such as a garden shed or summerhouse in your garden, building regulations will not normally apply if the floor area of the building is less than 15 square metres and contains NO sleeping accommodation.

  If the floor area of the building is between 15 square metres and 30 square metres, you will not normally be required to apply for building regulations approval providing that the building contains NO sleeping accommodation and is either at least one metre from any boundary or it is constructed of substantially non-combustible materials.

  Building a detached garage of less than 30 square metres floor area would not normally need building regulations approval if:

  the floor area of the detached garage is less than 15 square metres.
  the floor area of the garage is between 15 square metres and 30  square metres, provided the garage is at least one metre from any boundary, or it is constructed from substantially non-combustible materials.

Quoted text comes from the Outbuildings section, of the Planning Portal.

NOTE: Check with the appropriate government agencies before starting this, or any other project.


how can i make a garage door opener run in one direction only I am using an old garage door opener for a school project but the motor must only run in one direction. How do I get the motor to run in one direction only?

The problem is that all garage door controllers built since roughly 1990 automatically stop , then reverse direction when you hit the control button.  (Yes, I used to have a 1986-era opener where you could stop the door with the button but not reverse it. )

Since the control logic, aside from limit switches and strain sensors, is almost certainly hardwired into the control electronics board, you are going to have some difficulty.

What I'd do is remove the electric motor entirely from the electronics. Make sure you know what voltage drives the motor, and wire an appropriate supply directly to the motor (with on/off switch, of course).


How to attach ledger board to under-roof siding? I want to attach a ledger board, over the existing wood siding. Something similar to this, but immediately underneath the roof

How do I determine where I need to drill the holes to attach it to the siding - basically, how do I find the joists?

An additional complication is that there is just a small distance between the roof and window edge

Are there any drilling recommendations, to avoid hitting wires or whatnot?

Since the new rafter section will cover any siding you may remove, layout how far the rafter section covers the siding and cut it about a 1/4 to a 1/2" lower. This will let you find the framing pretty easily, even remove a little subsiding to confirm, careful how deep you set your saw. This will show any conditions you may need to attend to. Set the bottom of the ledger at the on a chalk line set at the level you predetermined before you cut the siding. Set a ledger at the top of the rafter section as well to control rotation of the new section. This is an expansion on what Comintern suggested with his ledger and joist hanger idea, make sure the joist hangers approved for your framing condition.

Here is a little sketch to help illustrate. Doing it this way will allow a finished ceiling to go uninterrupted to the existing wall.


My roommate accidentally(?) left the stove on. Should I be concerned? Not sure if this is the right place to ask, but it's somewhat of a safety question, so here goes...

I came home from work the other day and saw there was a pot on the stove. Thinking one of my roommates got home before me, I thought nothing of it. After a while though, I realized that I was the only one home. After taking a closer look, I saw that the pot was completely empty, sitting on a gas burner adjusted to the low setting. I shut it off, put the pot in the sink (which sizzled when I doused it with water), and saw that the bottom of the pot had been warped due to the heat.

Most likely, someone turned the knob the wrong way by accident when they shut the burner off. However, the paranoid side of me is thinking "sabotage". Is coming home to a burner set on low something to be suspicious about? Even if it was an accident, what harm could there be from having a burner running this way unattended for hours (excluding the waste of gas or the risk of fire, I'm thinking along the lines of gas leak or something nonobvious)? Is there a legitimate use for doing that, such as heating a pot of water to humidify the room?

The only risk is the obvious damage to the pan, and the risk of whatever was in the pan catching fire and creating a lot of smoke, or possibly igniting surrounding materials.  If they meant you harm, they would have left the burner on without lighting it.


How can I attach a Pergola/lean-to to a pebble dash wall? I am planning to install a Pergola/Lean-to to the back of my house, to use as a sheltered patio.  I have been watching numerous videos and have picked up some fabulous information, however, I'm a little bit concerned with regards to the wall plate.

My house is rendered with pebble dash (in good condition no cracks)
Now the thing I need assistance with, is how do I fix the wall plate to the pebble dash? I am in a housing association property, so chipping away at the pebble dash back to brick is out of the question. I would probably get into big trouble for this, but I suppose I can chisel the stones off to create an even surface. What bolts/screws etc. are best to use for fixing the wall plate?

I would suggest fastening a piece of wood horizontally across at the top, and then fastening your shelter to that.  Using the appropriate fastenings (for either wood or masonry) to fasten the wood to the house.  This would only leave two or three holes that need to be patched if your pergola/lean to was removed.

Don't chisel any stones off the wall.  It will be unsightly and a difficult repair if the pergola is ever removed.

Before you proceed, make sure it is not against your housing association rules...


Name for tombstone-holder parts? What are the names of the metal photographed parts?  The tombstones are inserted to clarify function.

I would like to order more of these metal parts, however, I do not know the terminology to Google for them. There are two different though similar parts:

Your terminology is correct: they're called tombstone (or bi-pin) fluorescent lampholders. In particular, those in the photo are locking or turn-type, a nice safety feature that makes it less likely for a lamp to fall out of the socket. A search at Amazon.com for Fluorescent Tombstone Lampholder found more than 30 similar devices.

N.B. There are two types, shorting and non-shorting, also called shunted and non-shunted. Be sure you examine your socket (you may need to pop off a plastic cover) and get the same type. Also, if you're converting from fluorescent to LED, check the type needed for the replacement tubes -- it might be different from your current lampholders.


kitchen falcet over pressurized when you turn on When turn on water it comes out at first with so much force it will knock cup out of your hand then its normal after using but let it not be used for awhile and happens all over again

This is a symptom of over pressurization from a closed system (check valve somewhere in the line) and a hot water heater. The check valve could have been introduced by the municipality as part of a water meter replacement, or it could be located near the water main shutoff. These prevent water from flowing back into the municipal supply should there ever be a drop in pressure.

When the system is closed like that, using the hot water causes the tank to fill with cold water. Then when the faucets are closed, the heating of the water causes the pressure to rise. This will happen on both the hot and cold sides since the water heater is connected to both.

The standard solution is an expansion tank. These tanks are a couple gallons in size and attach anywhere in the system to give water somewhere to go. They contain a bladder that can rupture over time, and they need to be pressurized to match the water pressure in your home. If the bladder ruptures, then there is no longer space for water to expand and you'll experience the same symptoms you're seeing. Other symptoms include leaking toilets and a leaking TPR valve on your hot water tank.


"Neutral wire required"! I have a dual switch in my bathroom with two separate controls -- one for the fan and one for the light. It has the following four contacts:

Ground (duh!)
Two "common" ones, which seem short-circuited together -- only one is currently wired.
Connector for device A (fan)
Connector for device B (light)

I want to upgrade that to a switch smart enough to turn the fan on and off automatically, depending on humidity. All such switches are marked with "Neutral Wire Required" -- but I thought, I have it, because our wiring is only 7 years old.

The new switch has 6 connectors:

Green for ground (duh!)
Black "hot"
Blue "hot" -- to be tied together with the black and to the "hot" wire
Red -- for the light
Brown -- for the fan
White -- for neutral

Do I have any chance of wiring this device instead of what I currently have? For example, in the same 4-gang box, there is also a power-outlet, which does have a neutral wire. But it is on a separate circuit (because lights are separate from outlets) -- so I can not use it, can I?

Is there anything else I can do, other than to return the new switch?

There are two main ways of wiring a lighting circuit:

The wiring for the circuit goes to the switch. From there a live and a neutral are teed-off. The teed-off live is switched, and teed-off neutral unswitched, and then run from the switch to its relevant light fitting.
The wiring for the circuit goes to the light fitting. From there a live and a neutral are teed-off. The teed-off live for that fitting is then run to the switch and back, the teed-off neutral connects directly into the fitting. - This is the setup you have

It sounds like the new switch you've bought requires setup 1. There is absolutely no problem mixing these two setups. You could run a new cable from the fitting, taking the live and neutral together to the switch, and get rid of the existing cable to the switch.

Running the new cable may or may not be easy. In my house I can access the light fitting from above, as its in the loft. I can then find where the cable drops down into the wall to reach the switch, and feed a new cable through there (or tie it to the existing cable and pull through).


Can I fix hardened bumps under inside corner tape without removing the tape and starting over? I installed new inside corner tape in a bathroom. After all attempts to make it smooth, there are several 4 to 5 inch long bumps of hardened compound under the tape. Yes, I mudded the outside of the tape and wet and dry sanded. the compound has thoroughly dried. Is there any way I can get these bumps out without actually tearing out the job and starting over?

You don't have to tear out the tape, just sand or scrape through the high spots and skim it. The only problem with doing that is if you have a substantial length missing at the actual joint, say over an inch.


Should I open the top or bottom of double hung windows? I'm a new home owner and was wondering if there is a "right" way to use the double hung windows in the house. Should I open the top or bottom?  Is there a seasonality to it?  Does it even matter at all?

I've looked around and haven't seen this answered well or with most anything other than a "try and see."

Generally, is there anything special I should know to maintain the windows?

Can anyone shed some light?

If you open both the top and bottom about 3" the hot air goes out the top and cooler air comes in the bottom.


Why not double up on PEX cinch clamps? I'm looking to replace some copper pipe with PEX. The online debate seems heated, although local plumbers I've talked to seem indifferent about the particulars, just praising PEX in general vs. copper.

Some of the online debate around cinch clamps involves anecdotes about them failing a small percentage of the time. For example, it was mentioned in this question. Given the low cost of cinch clamps and ease of application, would it be a good idea to double up on clamps on each fitting? Any reason this wouldn't be cheap insurance?

I do not think it would be a good idea to double up on the clamps.  When you are clamping PEX onto a fitting, you want to try to get the clamp near the middle of the fitting, ideally between two ribs.  With two clamps, it wouldn't be possible to do this.

To ease your trepidation about the staying power of the clamps, do a test clamp on a fitting.  Let it stay overnight, and then try to get it off.  You should find that it's very strong.  If you ask me, the PEX + clamps is tougher than copper and solder.


No studs for glass shower door - Can I hollow wall anchor? I am looking to install a glass shower door using this frame.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Delta-48-in-to-60-in-Semi-Frameless-Contemporary-Sliding-Shower-Door-Track-Assembly-Kit-in-Nickel-SDLCS60-NIK-R/206195442

The glass is really heavy. The concern is I won't really be installing this door into studs. The vertical bar will be in studs but Most of the weight is in two collars that site on top and protrude about 1.5 inches from the vertical bar. Those collars have two anchor screws. They will sit next to the stud but not be on it.

https://images.homedepot-static.com/catalog/pdfImages/7b/7baa3fd5-f83d-4234-a27b-f1875b91010a.pdf

Page 22 through 24.

That section is a hollow back wall. I have tile and 1/2 inch cement board. No stud is available at that section. I called delta and they said I would need to purchase and use 3/16th inch tile anchors. They did not seem concerned with hanging these doors using anchors.

So two questions. Will it be safe to hang 75 lbs of glass door using 4 anchors? If so what type of 3/16 inch anchors would you use? When I search home depot there are a lot. I would prefer to get them at home depot. I am having my bathroom guys hang the door but I have to supply all the materials.

If it matters the anchor positions will be about half an inch from the studs.

Yes you can install it.   I would use a very rigid highly rated (100 lbs plus) toggle anchor and epoxy anchor to tile.

Honestly these screws aren't doing much.   Your side bar is sitting on shower pan, the top bar should not be loose, therefore pushing side bars, the screws literally just need to make sure the side bar stays on the wall/tile.   There may be some slight force against during shower door openings but nothing significant.   No issues at all with this install.


When installing hardwood floor which room should I start with? Below is the layout of my ground floor. I would like to redo the hardfloor. The old one is still in place, the house was built in 58 and I beleive that the floor was never replaced so it is about the time :-)

The grey areas do not need hard floor.
I would like to start with the empty bedroom but I am not sure how that will impact the later work for the long central hallway and the living. I have never installed hard floor in my life and I read that you need to start with the biggest room, parallel with the longest continuous wall
My reason for doing it this way is the lack of experience. Since that is the smallest room I can try to learn to install hard floor without wasting tons of money, time and without turning everything upside down around me. I want to be able to regroup and call a pro if I fail or get bored
The other question that I have is this: is it doable to install different hard floor in each room ? I would like to do that for variation and to give each room a specific personality or touch to say so...

For purposes of this discusion, Top, Bottom, Left, Right are oriented to the drawing.

I've done my share of flooring, and one thing I found out is that working backwards is a pain.

You can lay boards perpendicular to each other if they have the same tongue and groove on the ends as along the length. -- But only at your starting end.  At the finishing end, it's nearly impossible to get a tight join.

You can convert a groove to a tongue, but not the other way around.

If you start in the bottom left, You'll have to work backwards in the two bedrooms.  If you start in the Master bed, you'll have to work backwards in the living room and spare.

Might I suggest the following, but unorthodox technique:

1) Lay the Office first, Parallel to the long wall. When you finish the office, Leave a TONGUE in the middle of the threshold.

2) Now start laying in the hall, from (drawing) up to down.  The groove END of the boards should fit nicely into the tongue of the board in the threshold.  You can choose to continue into the bedrooms now, or leave them until later, leaving a clean tongue in the threshold.

3) Carry along the upper line of the hallway, and extend that row of boards across the living room to the left side. DO NOT NAIL!.  Temporarily lay in a couple of rows, squeeze it all tight, and make sure your line is straight.  Three rows total should be good.     Now, with a couple of friends, lazers, chalk lines etc. Screw down a straight piece of wood to the floor up tight against that first row.  You can now pull up the temp flooring and use the piece of wood you screwed down as a backstop for your nailing.   You can rip it up after you've nailed down a few rows, but leave it down as long as possible.  (This should be about $15 for 2x4's and good screws)

4)  Now go to the store, and buy yourself a groove/tongue converter.  This is a hardwood strip that you stick in the groove of a board, that converts a board into a double tongue.  Now you can lay the rest of the living room in the other direction.


Do I need to finish or top coat oil-based stain so that it doesn't rub off on a bed? I built a headboard out of 1x4 common boards and stained them with Minwax  Wood Finish Honey Oil-Based Interior Stain. Since the finished product will be in close contact to bed sheets, pillows, etc. - I want to make sure that the stain will not rub off on the bedding. Do I need to further finish the wood with a finish/top coat or similar product to protect my bedding?

The headboard itself is rough/rustic and I'm not interested in protecting the headboard itself from elements per say, I'm interested in protecting the bedding.

Once dry, the stain won't rub off on the bedding.  However, a sealer of some sort (polyurethane, shellac, etc.) will make the surface much easier to clean, resist staining, & wear better, etc.  I understand that it's a "rustic" look, but without a sealer it will tend to get grimy & dirty - even from skin oils - and you won't be able to clean it. It won't look rustic - just dirty.


Wire a 30A/15A/30A fuse box to a 4 wire 120V/240V oven This is for a Canadian Oven being installed in Canada.

Used oven came with this box.

The manual is not available.

The incoming line from both oven and junction are Red/White/Black/Ground.

I understand that the 120V needs the neutral to balance it for the clock/timer but am unsure how.

Control board.
To the left of the white connector it reads 120V

Light switch.
asr 2178-179
203863-1020
10A1/2HP 120VAC

Broil/Bake selector.

Tempature dial.

Interior back.

I am not against using a volt meter but not sure what I would be testing with it.

Are the pictures ones for your oven? If so it's a bit confusing that the oven control panel wiring is shown intact and the fuse box picture doesn't show this wire coming in. I assume the fuse box was disconnected from the oven for some reason? The schematic of a similar oven looks appropriate with red/black/white/green coming into the fuse block box but this schematic uses a Yellow for control. The oven control panel pictured is taking off one leg of the 220V power for use as the 120V control power. I would ignore connecting the 15A fuse and connect the red and black to the 30A fuses. White power and white from oven control to the fuse box connection block center terminal and the red and black power to the connection block red and black going to the fuses.


how can I drill a 1/2" diameter, 1/2" deep hole in 3/4" particle board? I need to drill a couple of holes in the bottom of a kitchen cabinet to fit it with IKEA Akurum legs. I thought of using a 1/2" spade drill bit but its' narrow end - the tip of the spear so to speak - protrudes too far and would drill through the 3/4" board before the 1/2" diameter cylinder could reach 1/2" depth.

Forstner bits (as mentioned by @keshlam) have much less of a protruding point, and would do an adequate job of drilling a 1/2" hole without poking though the remaining 1/4"

If you pick them up cheaply (bucket-o-bits at the flea market or yard sale) you can also grind off most of the point on a spade bit - start the hole with the normal "long-point" version, then change to one with the point severely shortened.

In the event that you want a truly flat-bottomed hole (which does not seem essential here), and if you happen to have the tools (buying them for the sake of making holes for cabinet legs is not economically sensible) a 1/2" plunge (or "end-cutting") router bit and and a plunge router will get you a totally flat-bottomed 1/2" hole 1/2" deep (if you set the plunge depth to 1/2", and hold or clamp the thing firmly in place so you son't cut a slot.)


How can I repair a damaged UF cable I'm in the US, and have a run of UF cable serving floodlights along my driveway.   It leaves the garage in a conduit, and reappears at each of 3 locations where a junction box about 12" above ground level connects the incoming line, one running up the tree to a light fixture, and the outgoing line.  (I believe it's just directly buried once it leaves the vicinity of the garage).

At the second location, both the incoming and outgoing wires were damaged right at ground level; I'd like to be able to reconnect them (I've disconnected the run at the first location temporarily).

Is there a safe (and ideally, code compliant) way to splice UF at or below ground level?   I have enough slack to connect them, but not much to spare.

Replacing the run is not feasible, as it crosses under a driveway.

Your UF cable can be easily spliced to either add in a new piece of cable or to rejoin a break in an existing cable. The splice kits are typically specified for copper wire only and consist of some set screw cylinders that join the wire ends and then some heat shrink tubing that has a very sticky adhesive inside. The splices can be buried and it may be preferable to do so from an appearance standpoint so just new wire shows above the ground level.

One product I am aware of is from 3M company and is called their "UF Splice Kit" as shown below.

Another very similar product from Tyco is available at Home Depot stores.

Do read the customer comments on the Home Depot page. One thing to learn from there is that a torch is not right tool to use for shrinking the tubing. Instead I recommend using an electrically heated hot air gun. (Although do use care using an electrical appliance outside, particularly of you are working in a wet hole in the ground). Another point of note is that successful sealing of the UF cable with these splice kits is to clean the wires very well before applying the tubing.


What are my options for refinishing these cabinets? We have some old kitchen cabinets in poor shape.
I think they are stained wood, but I'm not certain.  I'm looking for an easy way to refinish these to make the kitchen look nicer.
Could they be cleaned and painted without being stripped to bare wood?

The word "refinish" and the word "easy" do not belong in the same sentence.
Options:

If the doors, face frames, and boxes are real wood (as opposed to plasticized printed laminate) you could strip them, restain then, and varnish them. While not really "hard" per se, labor intensive when done correctly.
Sand and paint them. While not really "hard" per se, labor intensive when done correctly.
wash them, clean stuff like grease, dirt, and tape residue off, lightly sand with fine paper, re-varnish. While not really "hard" per se, labor intensive when done correctly.


Can I vent plumbing in an old house to the crawl space? I have an old farmhouse with a bathroom vanity, laundry room, and kitchen sink/dishwasher draining into a single septic run. There aren’t any vents installed in the system with only a crawl space under the two rooms. Is there a way to add a vent in the crawl space or without running it up through the walls or ceiling?

If allowed in your location an air admittance valve can be added. It needs to be close to the level of the drain. I put them in the sink cabinet as close to the top as I can. I agree with @kris my 1930 farm house has the vent outside several Victorians I remodeled also had them outside. But an AAV if allowed is the easiest but not in the crawl space.


Why does my Whirlpool refrigerator ice maker not make ice exactly one day a week every week? My Whirlpool Gold refrigerator's ice maker does not make ice one day a week. After that day it begins to make ice again as normal. I think I read in the manual about a setting for Jewish households that would halt ice making on the sabbath, but, I can't find it again. I need it to make ice everyday.

I've never heard of this,

Here's what I could dig up:

  Hold down the "Door Alarm" button for three seconds until "F or C" or
  "On or Off" appears on the display. Many Whirlpool food appliances
  comply to Jewish religious law by including a "Sabbath" mode, which
  disables many of the refrigerator's features, including the ice maker.
  Tap the "Freezer +" or "-" buttons until "SAB" appears on the display.
  Tap "Refrigerator +" until "Off" appears on the screen. Hold down the
  "Door Alarm" button for a further three seconds to confirm the new
  settings.

  Read more: How to Fix an Ice Maker on a KitchenAid Refrigerator |
  eHow.com
  http://www.ehow.com/how_7954484_fix-ice-maker-kitchenaid-refrigerator.html#ixzz29aiNXHuy


Is Ground plug replacement necessary? The ground prong on my backpack vacuum came off and stuck inside a wall outlet.  Should I replace the plug or does the ground not matter much?  The plug itself gets really hot now when I use the vacuum.

Thanks for advice.

The ground prong is important. If a failure occurs that connects the hot to the parts of the vacuum that are supposed to be grounded, a functional ground prong means the circuit breaker trips. Lack of it means you get to play with electrocution. Devices that do not have a ground prong from the factory are "double-insulated" meaning that two separate failures would have to occur to connect the hot to the case (and in most actual product, have non-conductive plastic casings so you cannot touch any metal parts)

The plug overheating is an additional reason to replace the plug and would be even if the ground prong was intact.

So, replace the plug.


Are hairline cracks in a stud a problem So related to my question Do the nails stick out at all when toe-nailing studs?, is it a problem if the studs develop hairline cracks from the nailing?  It seems like almost every nail splits the board ever so slightly.

No, it's not a problem. It's almost unavoidable with dry lumber, and it doesn't appreciably weaken the wall.

If it really bothers you, shoot one nail into each narrow edge of the stud up about 6 inches. This will tie the grain together tightly... probably making the stud stronger than it was originally.


While drilling into kitchen wall, hit a wire - any advice? While fixing the extractor hood yesterday, I accidently hit a wire when drilling and exposed the copper. The wires are too tight to get some kind of a box in there and putting an electrical tape may be too fiddley.
Any advice will be greatly appreciated even if you believe hiring a tradesman is a better option.

See the pictures attached:

Edit: after repair by the pro:

Obviously, safety considerations like isolating that circuit are paramount, and note that even if that circuit's breaker is off, then the neutral touching earth can still trip the Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker...

Find the socket / box that that wire goes to, disconnect it, then pull it out from the other end (which you need to find - either in the roof space or under the upstairs floor) then replace it.

If the copper has been damaged then just covering over with tape may not be safe.

Looking at the plastic cover, this looks like you are in the UK. You can hope that the wire is not totally trapped somewhere...


Waterproofing weeping tile inside vs outside I just bought a new house. The basement is mostly concrete slabs, except for under the porch steps: there is a single row of cinder blocks. It's leaking water from a corner (at eye level) in that area.

They had already injected (something: foamy to touch) through the visible holes and it even came out from the porch steps outside. However, when there was a day-long heavy rain, I could still see liquid water on the wall. There was only 1 day-long heavy rain since I bought the house, so don't have much more observations. We didn't really have heavy rainfall other than that 1 day.

The contractor said that since there are hollow cinder blocks, they will always collect water, and I need to install a weeping tile. He says it's just as efficient inside and outside.

But my question is: if I install the weeping tile inside, then water is still going THROUGH my basement walls, doesn't that create the risk of water freezing and making cracks even bigger?

Concrete is porous. Consider it a sponge. Any water that comes in contact with it will be drawn in via capillary action.

If water is coming into your basement, it's likely because it's the easiest route for the water to take. Ideally, you'd slope/grade your yard away from the wall to get the water away from the block wall as soon as you can.

Freezing water in concrete is a concern, but that usually requires a frequent freeze/thaw cycle. Something of concern on say a driveway in cold climates, but likely won't have too much of an effect on a wall.


HPS bulbs and ballast wattage compatibilty vs replacement technologies I have a few questions regarding HID lamps, their ballasts and their replacement options and strategies. I have been spending a large amount of time researching this subject and I still have unanswered questions.

I am looking for a deeper understanding of the underlying technological designs and principles of operation to have a more informed guess about whether I would be expecting compatibility issues with a confidence of 80% or 10%. (If someone has references to good documentation and detailed principles and compatibility principles, feel free to share)

I am also trying to tap into the experience of others with such technologies to get a broader understanding.

First off, can a bulb of a lower wattage can be used with a ballast of higher wattage? For example, install a 250W HPS bulb into a 400W HPS light fixture with integrated ballast.

I am pretty sure the reverse option (400W HPS bulb into 250W HPS fixture) is not adequate, notably based on temperature levels reached in the fixture and the increased current drawn from the ballast/ignitor.
I have gathered than 250W into 400W HPS fixture could also be an issue. However, I don't have a good understanding of where the issue is coming from.
I have also seen ignitors with wattage ranges, for example "for use with 200-400W HPS lamps". Are those specially designed to handle such a range, what difference does it makes?

Can a different HID type bulb (such as Metal Halid or Mercury) be used with a HPS ignitor/ballast?

Can standard 200W MH bulbs be fitted in a fixture designed for 200-400W HPS lamps?
Are all ignitors/ballast basically designed for/compatible with handle any type of HID bulbs? Even old ones?

I guess modern/fancy electronics ignitors/balast designs are quite universal.
But for old ones, if not compatible, what difference is there between ignitors for various HID types bulbs?

Are special MH bulbs required/exist which would "appear" or work like a HPS bulb for the ignitor/ballast, although using MH gas and technology?

Now, there are a number of more "greener"/less energy hungry alternatives, such as Induction Lamps and LED bulbs. When switching to those technologies, a lower wattage bulb can be used to get a similar light output (example: 220W HPS bulb replaced a 100W LED or induction bulb). Given the answers to the previous question about the ballast wattage and ignitor compatibility, can a 100W LED retrofit bulb (such as GE LED80) be used with a ignitor/ballast designed for 200W-400W HPS?

I know that the final answer to this has to rely on having all manufacturers specifications (ignitor/ballast/bulb) to agree with each other regarding compatibility.

But, when working with retrofitting 20-30 years old stuff, it can get quite complicated to get the exact specifications
And getting a manufacturer to commit to such a statement in the first place is quite a challenge in itself, especially for small installations with not much of a "sale" incentive.
And on what specifications should they agree to in the first place?

I am looking for general rule of thumbs and expected issues if there would have any, to be able to reach some kind of conclusion like:

It may work, but that will be a lucky shot!
It should work, don't worry too much!
It may appear to work at first, although bulbs may get progressively damaged and expected life time of 50000h may get much lower or light output may be much less than expected.
It is a fire hazard in the works, never do that!

1.  With HPS, no for smaller bulbs on bigger ballasts.

Discharge lights are current devices. They are non-linear (behave almost like a dead short)  and so, must be externally current-limited.  That's the whole point of a ballast or driver.

HPS bulbs work at a specific current in one of four working voltage ranges (page 9): 52V, 55V, 100V or 250V plus or minus 15%.  To swap, the bulbs would need to be in the same voltage range.  Too small a bulb, the bigger ballast would force the higher current through the bulb, burning it out.  The reverse, the bulb might work, but might not warm up properly.

By comparison, if you stick a VHO 8' fluorescent tube in an HO fixture, you get HO light output from the VHO bulb.

2. Nope! Different and incompatible, especially ignitors

You absolutely cannot interchange various types of discharge lighting - not least because the way the ignitors work is very different.

Here, HPS is an odd duck.  It has an ignitor which fires a 2000-3000 volt spike to ignite the bulb. The supply is constant-current, so it will increase voltage under no load.  This triggers a VBO, which flows a burst of current into a winding on the ballast transformer, inducing a spike to the bulb.

They make special MH bulbs made to run on HPS fixtures; these are resistant to the spike and are tuned for HPS voltage and current. They cost 50-100% more than a stock HPS or MH bulb.

Other than that, facility managers don't intentionally use the wrong bulb.  Nobody will support that, so if you want to try it, you're on your own.  It will either not work, give poor life, burn out the ballast, or blow bulbs - and these suckers run very hot and you don't want molten sodium raining on your head.   Some are even reputed for starting fires.

3. LED replacements must be designed for that.

You linked a compromise screw-in LED meant to go into an HPS or other HID light without removing the ballast. If they are designed, (UL) listed, and labeled for that use, it's safe and legal.  Otherwise, it is not.  The operative word is "compromise".

HPS is more lumen-efficient than any but the most efficient LEDs on the market - if you like yellow light.  And if you're trying to light the inside of a sphere, which you might if you're growing pot.  Reflectors suck. If you really want a cone of light (and most people do), LEDs win big, because they inherently emit a cone of light.  They are far more lumen-efficient inside that cone, and weak reflectors don't help enough.

Of course, if arranged like a "corn cob", the advantage is utterly lost.  SMH... Those are for people in a hurry looking for a screw-in replacement that uses their same reflectors and lensing.  But wait.  Why keep the old fixtures?  Do you really want to keep the old ballast?  No, it wastes energy and is a maintenance item.  You want to direct-wire existing line voltage to the LED device. Do you honestly foresee rolling back to actual HID lighting?  Never gonna happen.  Throw the fixture in the attic, get a modern LED fixture for 1/3 the cost - and don't look back.

Standard practice is replacing a 400W HID with a 6-tube F32T8 fixture. 4' LED replacement tubes are a commodity item, and prices are in free-fall -- $8 last I checked for a top brand. $48 and you have a HID light's worth of LED light.  Hit up Craigslist for a used fluorescent fixture, yank the ballast and rewire direct - you're in business. Given how cheap LEDs have gotten I wonder why anyone would fool around with HID lighting anymore.

Real fluorescents are even cheaper if you get eBay ballasts, and the superb tubes now available.


How can I level my basement floor, which has a 4-inch dip? I googled today on how to level a basement floor. Most people recommend using SLC (self leveling concrete)... I don't think I can just use that because of the pitch of my floor (and from what I hear, the price of SLC). The house was built in the 1930's and has settled since then. Its higher in the middle. About 3-4 feet away from one of the walls it start to dip and at its lowest its about 4 inches down.

So what I imagine I can do is this:

Clean the floor
Use some sort of primer so that the concrete sticks together
Pour regular concrete, so that it comes close to level
Once that drys use the primer on top of that
Pour SLC

Will the SLC be strong enough to support wooden beams for the walls - that will be butt up against the joists near the wall?

What would your recommendations be? Please note that I plan on finishing the basement so I will be putting horizontal wooden beams around the room with drywall in front.

As a bonus question. There are two wooden joists in the ceiling in my basement that are holding up my fridge in my kitchen (as well as a wall). They have warped (sagging) about 1/2 - 1 inch and I would like to put a supporting beam underneath it in the basement. What can I get to very gradually lift the beam back in place so that I can place the supporting beam underneath it?

You may want to google "concrete leveling" in your area.  There are companies that will come out and pump concrete under the floor to raise the level back to where it was.  This will likely be a better solution, and may prevent further settling in the future.

For your "bonus" question:  A cheap bottle jack with a 4x4 should be sufficient to lift the studs back into place.

A side note:
You may want to think about getting a structural engineer out to your place before you attempt to fix either of these problems.  The large amount of settling may be pointing towards a larger problem that you would be masking by just leveling it off.  The beam sagging is also alarming.  If there is too much load placed on that section of the floor, you may have other (and perhaps larger) structural issues that may or may not be readily apparent to you.  Also, the floor which will support the new beam may not be sufficient to handle the extra load from above.

It is likely worth the couple of hundred dollars to make sure your repairs will, in fact, fix the problem instead of just masking it or creating larger problems.


Abrasion on shower head pipe -- must replace? While renovating a bathroom, during demo I discovered that the pipe leading from my water valve up to the shower head had a slight bend in it, causing it to press against the inside of the greenboard that used to be installed over it.  Over the course of 15 years, vibrations in this showerhead pipe caused it to develop a flat spot where it had rubbed against the greenboard.

I have since bent the pipe inwards a little, at that location, to stop this abrasion.  And, I believe it is safe to not replace, since this pipe never sees much pressure (as the shower head is never in a sealed state.)

But, I thought it wise to at least ask for a semi-professional perspective on the topic.

I would estimate that 1mm or less of thickness has been lost.

If I have to replace it, then I'd need to call in an actual plumber to sweat it out, and a new one in.

If it's mainly just smooth and not flat, I wouldn't worry about it. If it's actually flat then it's more of a concern and depending on the type of water you have, the inside of the pipe might be worn down a bit as well. Keep in mind that there is some pressure on it when the shower is running but of course it's released when you turn it off. In the end, it's a peace-of-mind thing. If you're worried about it and don't want to deal with it later, have it fixed. If you're not worried, leave it alone.


Repair asphalt driveway damaged by transmission fluid leak I am looking to repair a driveway damaged by transmission fluid (ATF) in the photo below.  As you can see the driveway has pitted and cracked where the fluid was standing. Once winter comes I expect the freeze/thaw cycle will wreak some real havoc.

There are two other small holes in the driveway caused by a floor jack, which I intend to fill with one of the products available at home improvement stores.

Is there a good way to dig or scrape up the ATF contaminated asphalt so I can use the same product to fix this damage?  Or is there another preferred fix for this kind of damage?

With a diamond blade on a gasoline powered saw you could remove a neat square out of the pavement, and then fill with fresh concrete and/or asphalt. Such saws can usually be rented.


Can I use 1 Nest Thermostat with 2 boilers? I have 2 boilers in my house. 1 is for the main house and the other one is for the annex which is built a few feet away from the main house. My 1st boiler is connected to Nest thermostat. Can I connect my 2nd boiler to the same Nest thermostat?

If the tstats get power from the boilers, the OP would have to be sure than only one of the boilers is supplying power to the Nest tstat. If the transformers were out of phase, you'd have a direct short. A dry contact relay for the 2nd boiler control would be safer, triggered by the call for heat on the first boiler.
But clearly the OP has 2 zones and 2 tstats are called for...best and safest approach. Like Freeman said, unless the heating performance and heat loss of the two spaces are identical, one space will be either over-heated or under-heated compared to the other.
BTW, what is currently controlling the 2nd boiler? A tstat in the outbuilding? An old fashioned manual one? If so, I really think the best solution would be to replace it.  It doesn't need to be a super expensive Nest type...programmable tstats for heating only shouldn't cost much more that $50-$60.  Probably the best and least expensive solution.