Replacing original 1950s exterior door with new prehung: threshold question I'm about to replace the original 1950s era back door on my house with a pre-hung. I'm planning this as a DIY job and have watch plenty of videos, but one thing that hasn't been well addressed is what to do with the original threshold.  I have added a couple of pictures.   I imagine i have to rip it (the green piece) out, as it is sloped, and then replace with a level piece and put my new door frame on top of that.  Am I on the right track?  Any further advice specific to the threshold aspect of this job?  Thank you.

Most if not all doors available today are sold at a 6' 8" standard height. There are several widths to choose from. The new pre-hung replacement door should have a slanted sill attached to it's jambs. So, when you are ready to remove the old door: remove old door from entry (remove the pins or unscrew the hinges),  remove exterior trim from top and sides. (This will expose the edge of the doors jamb). The easiest way to remove the jamb is with a saber-saw and cut the fasteners securing the side and head pieces from wall (check for electric runs and water lines). The jamb will tilt out in one piece if cut all the nails. You now have a hole in your wall, but technically is labeled a "rough opening". Take measurements side to side and from the bottom of the header to the sub-floor and decide on the door size.


Dishwasher water backup My dishwasher empties just fine But, a day or 3 later, I have water backed up into it. How do I fix this myself? Please be very precise, I am a retired lady whose plumbing experience was replacing washers back in the day.

Check the drain hose
A dishwasher normally requires either an air gap or a high hose loop. Both are ways to make sure that water can get out of the dishwasher but can't easily get back in. In the case of an air gap, if it breaks you will have a mess. But in the case of a high hose loop, if it falls down (or was never installed correctly in the first place) then water can come into the dishwasher from using the sink.
A high hose loop is normally a flexible hose that goes from the dishwasher up to just underneath the counter, but at a minimum it must be above the bottom of the sink, and then goes down to either the disposal (most disposals have a special connection for dishwashers) or to the sink drain pipe just before the trap.
If you are not sure how your dishwasher hose is connected, post a picture.


What are these parts! I have a generator with a briggs and stratton engine which kept dying on me. While trying to find out why, my neighbor helped me disassemble the carburetor. Finally, a week later a part arrived and I am trying to put everything back together. I tried my best to pay attention to what he did, but alas, I am only human and cannot recall where two parts came from. I even went and asked him and he cannot recall either.

I went through the parts manual and am 99% sure that one of the items (I believe the left one) is the shield-heat (#725) and one might be (kinda looks like) a piston assembly (#25), but super seriously doubt it as we did not mess with the pistons at all.

Both items have the same outside diameter, but one of them has a much wider inside diameter. One of them must connect two different fuel lines (assuming the one on the left which I assume is the shield-heat).

Can anyone identify these mystery pieces?

The one on the right looks like a spacer that goes between the air cleaner and the engine. A long bolt goes through the spacer.


How to fill gap in front door trim Moved into a home which has a wooden frame strip around the front door. The strip does not extend all the way to the ground, and there's a small gap there (as shown in the attached photo). That gap leads directly into the basement. I can stick a rod straight through.

How would you recommend I fix this, both temporarily and permanently? It's winter in my region, and cold air is just leaking into the basement. Luckily the front door has a large awning, so no direct water has been getting here.

Thanks

The metal sill was sized/cut incorrectly.  It should have horns, cut at where the stop trim is, extending under the jamb, to the full rough opening of the doorway (to under where the jamb trim piece is).

Also, the piece of wood the leading edge of the metal sill is resting upon should not be sitting so proud.  If this piece of wood can be recessed, so that only about 1/2"-3/4" extends forward of the metal sill, this may solve (though not ideally) the issue of the gap.

I'm concerned there may be a hollow space along the entire sill that isn't particularly well sealed from water infiltration.  You may want to remove the aforementioned piece of wood and consider what is required to seal this area with a 1x or 2x flooring/sub-sill/framing.


Suitable work surface and tolerances for casting concrete countertops I'm casting 2" thick concrete countertops using ¾" melamine forms/molds.  The largest piece is about 26" square and the longest is about 55" x 11".

I thought I'd make a large flat work surface for setting these forms for pouring and curing.  I purchased this nice flat 7-ply 4' x 8' sheet of ¾" plywood sheathing and some 2" x 4" studs to stiffen it up.  It will be set on heavy welded steel saw horses.

I've never cast concrete counters before and I have very tight tolerances for a slide-in style range and a farm sink.  As such, my templates are very accurate (within 1/16") and I'd like to cast as uniform 2" thickness as reasonably possible.  I plan on a concrete mix that is as stiff as possible without being crumbly.  Any pinholes or voids will be filled with slurry when I do the polishing.  My point in mentioning this is in regard to any slumping due to leveling issues.

My question is about acceptable tolerances for level and warpage of the work surface as it relates to this project.  After stiffening it with the studs, I'm seeing some unevenness on the order of ~¼" or so over the 8-foot length and ~⅛" variance over the 4-foot width.  Because of this variance, being flat/level depends on where 48" level is placed.  Should I just go find some straighter 2 x 4's?  Or am I just making myself nuts?  Is this close enough for the concrete to not slump out of level?  With all the careful measuring, templating, and mold-making, I don't want to spoil it all with a work surface that's out of whack.

I'm also open to other suggestions.  I thought about setting the forms on the garage floor.  It's flat, but it's sloping maybe ¼" or so per 4-foot towards the door.  I can move to the back where it's not sloping, but it's not perfectly level there either... plus I'm farther away from the door where concrete will be mixed outside.

I've even thought about shimming each mold off the floor or table individually, but don't know if the melamine is strong/stiff enough to not bulge in the middle where it's not laying flat.

EDIT:  I'm familiar with woodworking/carpentry.  I'm looking for answers from people with some experience casting concrete counters in melamine molds.

EDIT 2:  Not sure if it's overkill, but I ended up buying some high quality, super straight, 2" x 6" lumber and built a new framework for my plywood.  My table is now level/flat within 1/16".  What I built is probably overkill, however, I'm leaving this question open because I'd still like to hear from anyone experienced with making concrete countertops regarding such working tolerances.

I could suggest that maybe you would want to carefully select your 3/4" plywood first to make sure the sheets are very flat to begin with. Then I would select multiple sheets of this flat material and glue then together to achieve a 1 1/2" or 2 1/4" thickness slab. This will give you the stiffness that you want.

The fact of the matter is that a single sheet of even 3/4" plywood (especially the lower cost sheathing grades) flex more than you think. A higher quality plywood with 8, 10 or 12 layers would be stiffer but even then it may still flex too much if just one sheet was used.

Stiffening with separate lumber like 2x4's may work but 2x6's on edge would be much better. However the stiffening would need to be made into a frame or matrix across the bottom so that the above plywood cannot flex between the stiffening members. Building that is possible but likely takes very straight lumber that is constructed into the frame using tolerances as good or better than you used for the molds.


Do I buy a travel adapter or can I simply replace the plug? I'm in Singapore and I just bought a dryer. It came with this plug. it's listed as a BS 546/A plug

my wall socket fits this plug

can I simply switch the plug or do I have to buy a travel adapter? I'm not very good with electricity and stuff and I don't want to run the risk of blowing up my dryer!

I'm not very good with electricity and stuff

Put down the screw driver and step away from the appliance.

Yes, you should just buy an adapter.


Reducing wind noise inside Living in suburbs west of Denver, we sometimes have rather windy nights. Tonight it's blowing about 25mph from the west, which means mostly parallel to my bedroom window.

The windows are about 12 years old, double pane, and still well sealed as far as I can tell. However, when the wind gets blowing it's easily loud enough to wake us. Most of the house really just seems to be air movement; not things outside going bump in the night.

I'll remove the screen on the windier nights, which helps somewhat. Any other suggestions to reduce the wind noise through the window?

In my experience there are several common sources of sound caused by the wind at a window.

Banging screen. The screen is loose and the wind rattles it back and forth in the frame. To test, removed it and see if the noise goes away. To fix, put something in the track to hold the screen tight. Just about anything will work including a stick, or a piece of foam, such as a piece of door weather sealing foam
Banging glass / the window slider. Very similar to the screen issue but for the opening side of the window, especially for a slider window. You don't want to remove it to test like the screen but you can test with the fix noted for the screen. Shim it tight and see if the noise changes
Whistling. This is usually about the shape of the house or a part of it, which can be the edge of the window frame or trim. You might need to go outside to investigate and narrow down the source. Likely sources include anything with a sharp edge (think of blowing over the lip of a bottle as a musical instrument). Changing the shape of the edge will change the sound until its gone. Use something appropriate, whether it is a new piece of trim, sanding the edge, or so on


GFI Leviton installation corrected I corrected the Load and Line wires and now the green light is off but when i try to reset it just keeps popping out, i dont have anything plugged in for it to surge from, what do i do now?

The most common reason for not being able to reset a GFCI after performing work on the circuits is miswiring the GFCI. Verify both your source or line side circuit neutral and hot conductor are connected to the Line side of the GFCI and the Load side circuit neutral and hot conductor is connected to the correct terminal. The neutral must be separated and fed though GFCI device also. So no pigtails. This is a common mistake and has happened to many professionals myself included.

I can't definitely say this is the problem but it is a good start. Good luck.


How do I loosen nuts on bottom side of faucet are connected to each other I am replacing a 4-inch spread faucet. The hot and cold water taps each have a big brass nut threaded under the sink (in addition to the basin nuts). These nuts are connected to each other by something I’ve never seen (I’ve only done about a half dozen sinks in houses I’ve had). I don’t know how to remove the piece connecting those nuts so that I can remove the nuts.

This was a bottom-mount faucet.
I was able to pry out a plastic ring holding each side, and drop it down from the bottom.
See the hot water side in the picture.
A small screwdriver easily fit in the notch.


What type of screw is this? I have to replace several light units that are secured with this type of screw. I assume this is a type of tamper resistant screw. Can anyone tell me what it is called?

My guess is that this is a Clutch type screw. (First row, sixth column)


How do I drill a long hole lengthwise all the way through a post to make a standing lamp? I have a beautiful post of reclaimed wood and I'd like to make it into a lamp. Not sure how to do this but I know the first step is to drill a hole all the way through it lengthwise. What is the tool and technique for this job and might I find a woodshop that could help me with it?

Long (18" and longer) drill bits do exist. If the hole is wide enough, bit extensions are also usable.

However, there's also a simple-but-elegant cheat. Cut the piece lengthwise, rout a channel in one or both sides, glue back together. If you make a thin-kerf cut, and are careful during reassembly, the glue line can be nearly invisible -- especially on straight-grained wood with the cut aligned with the grain lines.


What kind of gravel should I use to pave over dirt and grass? I want to "pave" a path from our deck steps to a fence gate, and about 200 square feet under the deck, with gravel.  Currently these areas are dirt and grass.

Two things I want to consider are

a) avoiding weeds and grass growing in/through it, and

b) I'd like to be able to blow leaves off of it in the Fall (and not have very many leaves get stuck and become very difficult to blow away).

What kind of gravel should I use?

It depends a lot on the kind of traffic you expect and the condition of the ground. I'm going to write from my experience, outside Seattle, WA, USA, where the subsoil is glacial till.

For light foot traffic, pea gravel can be nice. Rocks are under 1", uniform in size, and have smooth surfaces. Every time you step on it, the rocks will shift, softening the footfall. This is also noisy and causes the gravel to spread out. You can contain it with edging, or just let it spread and refresh it periodically. It's not good for wheeled traffic, as the wheel will just sink in.

If you want to push a heavy wheelbarrow, ride a bicycle, or drive on gravel, you want to pick something with sharp edges. It also helps if the rocks are a mix of sizes. They will lock together over time, providing a sturdy surface.

If the ground is soft and collects water during your rainy season, smaller gravel will just get pushed in to the mud with traffic. An initial layer of larger rock (say, 3" minus) will stabilize things, and a top layer (say 3/4" minus) will give a smooth surface. Mud will still work its way to the surface, but the ground will remain stable. In very wet soft ground, I've heard that a layer of 3" - 5" crushed rock works well under the 3" minus, but I haven't tried it.

To keep mud from working its way up, put a layer of landscape fabric down first.

Look at the shape of the land and the history of draining. Avoid low, wet areas, or reshape them to drain elsewhere. Consider how your traffic will wear and shift the ground, and how that will affect draining in the future, too (e.g. tires leaving ruts).

It a good idea to remove topsoil and other organic matter first. Keep it, though, and use it elsewhere.


How to improve garage floor look and color? Here is a image of my garage floor.

Hi-Res Link

This is after a professional high pressure water cleaning contractor that used degreaser and bicarb soda chemicals to try to rid the floor of oil stains, rust stains and general garage abuse stains.

I have a function planned where I have 2 days of prep time. What are my options on making this floor look the best possible?

People will be walking on it, a car will be driven in and out of it repeatedly.

Have considered painting. Dry time not enough and the job should be good enough for future use.

Have also considered lino using double sided tape.

Budget is a concern too.

I have used Rust-Oleum Epoxy Shield on a few concrete applications and I have to say it may be the "cheap"/non-fancy alternative but it has handled soaking into the concrete (instead of other paints that only sat on top of concrete) to provide a little more protection.  I have bought the two part epoxy speckle kits and have never been happy after a few months.


How do I remove the acrylic knob on my faucet? Faucet with one knob does hot & cold. Single screw. Plain old crystal knob. Just want to take off knob & replace it with brand new one. Don't know how to remove the knob.

It's in a splined (fluted) shaft and it pulls straight out.   It's common for them to be a little sticky.

If you just leave it like that with the screw out (don't lose it) it may work loose from the stress of normal usage.  Let time do your loosening :) If there are a lot of threads engaging the faucet, you could try loosening the screw about halfway and leaving it like that.  Then it wouldn't come off entirely, just get sloppy.


I have 3 sets of wires going to an outlet. I would like to add another outlet from this one, how do i do it? I am trying to add another outlet to this one but i'm a little confused as there are 3 sets of wires going to this one outlet that i want to daisy chain from.  How could i add another outlet from this one?.

Be aware that all electrical boxes are restricted on the numbers of wires they are allowed to hold based on their basic volume.  (Over-crowding in the box is considered inherently unsafe.) That being said, for the new outlet, simply add the new cable into the box. Tie all the blacks together under one wire nut. And under this nut as well include one free length of black wire the same gauge about 10" long.  Ensure the wire nut is tight and all the conductors are captured. Push this wire nut to the back of the box.  Do the same with the whites and grounds. Reinstall the original outlet.


Can I carve a portion out of the side of a floor joist to accommodate a Fernco Clamp I am tying a pvc sanitary tee into a 3" copper DWV line which runs along a floor joist (2x12) in the ceiling of my basement. I plan on using a fernco shielded coupler 3007-33 (https://www.fernco.com/specifications/pipe-material/plastic-connecting-to-copper) to connect the copper to the pvc. There is very little to no clearance between the copper pipe and the joist. To be able to fit the coupler onto the copper and accommodate the pvc, I'd need to carve out about 1/2" out of the side of the joist along the circumference of the 3" copper. This would need to happen near the end of the joist, where it sits on a beam which supports the entire house.

Am I ok to carve out part of the joist or am I running a risk of causing a structural issue / running afoul of code?

Usually we find plumbers notching the bottom of joists, not “trimming” the sides of joists.

Structurally we check for three things: 1) bending, 2) shear, and 3) deflection.

1) Bending is critical in the middle third of the joist. You indicated that the side trimming will occur close to the end. So, bending will not be an issue.

2) Horizontal Shear generally occurs with large concentrated loads on SHORT spans. That is to say, normal joists spaced evenly across a floor, usually fail because of bending or deflection not shear, (unless you have a refrigerator or water bed located directly above this particular joist, I doubt if horizontal shear is an issue.)

Vertical shear occurs when large loads are imposed on joists at the bearing point. Usually this becomes evident when the the joists start crushing. For this to happen, you’d have to have a very large load (like a post carrying a large roof load) directly on the joist.

3) Deflection is a problem with longer spans (in your case I’d guess 20’ to 22’ span or longer.) When joists deflect too much they will first crack the gypsum board on the bottom of the joists and will first become evident in the middle third of the span. You’ll also “feel” the floor bouncy or spongy when you walk across it. In your case, I doubt if you’ll notice a difference.

The Code does not have a “rule of thumb” or limit to the amount of side trimming on any one joist...it just requires you to calculate the strength. Fortunately, the code allows an increase in stress values when joists are used repetitively. So, I’m sure you’ll be fine if you trim no more than 1/2” off the side of a 2x12 near the bearing end.


How can I trim off the corner of this stud? As I was preparing to install a 3-gang old-work box I discovered a random cripple stud whose only purpose for existing is screwing up this project for me:

In the bottom right is the corner of a 2x6 which is flush against the back drywall and against a stud to its right and extends all the way down to the sole plate. Using an inspection mirror I determined that there is nothing attached to it or passing through it anywhere along its length, and there's nothing on the other side of the wall either (not even any sign of drywall patching).

How can I trim off the corner of this stud so that I can install my old-work box? (The actual area of interference is about 1" high and 1/2" wide.)

Maybe there was a drywall patch and this is a back brace?

From your description, it appears that trimming this piece will do no harm (and a lot of good).

The easiest method is to use a multitool.

There are numerous good brands, and they come with a variety of blades and other attachments.

These versatile tools make cutting, sanding grinding in tight spaces much easier. They vibrate their blades and other attachments very rapidly in short strokes from side to side. If you buy one, you will be surprised how often is it the easiest way to do a job (e.g., trimming the bottom of door jambs to insert engineered floor boards).


Are self-grounding outlets appropriate for use in metal boxes with BX cable? Would self grounding outlets (15/20 amp) be useable in metal boxes fed by BX? The house was built in 1959 and all original wiring is BX! Any new wiring (Romex/style) has the appropriate ground wire!

If the BX is properly installed, the cable's metal jacket should provide a ground path. BX should always be connected into metal boxes with the appropriate clamps so that the box itself is grounded. You can test for this using a voltage tester - the box should test at 120V to hot and 0V to neutral.

If that's the case, a self-grounding outlet receptacle installed in the box will be grounded. The ground terminal on the receptacle is connected to the box mounting hardware, so you're just having the box provide the ground path instead, and connecting it via the existing mounting hardware. Note that this method of grounding (relying on the BX jacket) is no longer code compliant, but it is functional and safe as long as there is a reliable grounding path.

If the jacket is not properly grounded, you can use a GFI to provide some ground fault protection. You can also run a new ground conductor in some cases.


What's the best way to touch up spray paint? Complete DIY newbie here!

What's the best way to touch up something that's been spray painted?

I have some MDF/wooden furniture (the type that comes flat packed) that seems to have been spray painted (?) white but in some parts the paint has come off (the actual underneath is fine).

The standard repainting advice applies:

Get matching paint.  Ideally, the same paint as was used on the product.  Failing that, buy a small container of acrylic interior-exterior paint in a matching color and flatness/glossiness from a paint store.  Acrylic paint can be cleaned up with mild detergent and water.
Choose a day with good conditions for paint and primer to "level" and dry.  Temperature of 50°F - 95°F (10°C - 35°C), not very humid, not rainy.  Work in a well-ventilated area that does not have dust in the air.
Test the paint next to the rubbed off spots with a fingernail.  If you can peel it off with a fingernail, scrape it off.  If the object might have lead paint on it, follow best practices for cleaning up lead paint dust.
Use painter's tape to mask around where you will touch up.  Protect any areas that the paint might drip or splatter onto.  If you are really messy, wear eye protection while painting.
Roughen the surface with a sanding block or similar tool.  Optionally wear eye protection and a dust mask while sanding.  If the object might have lead paint on it, follow best practices for cleaning up lead paint dust.
Prime, using a paintbrush and water-cleanup primer.  Clean your priming paintbrush afterwards.
Wait the amount of time recommended by the primer manufacturer.  If the workpiece is warm, this should be about an hour.
Repaint, using a paintbrush.  Clean your paintbrush afterwards.
Optionally, apply a second coat of paint after the amount of time the paint manufacturer recommends between coats.  This might be a few hours, or it might be a day.  Clean your paintbrush afterwards.
Remove the painters' tape, and finish cleaning up.
Wait a week before doing anything to the object that might rub off the paint.  The paint manufacturer's instructions will mention a "cure time"; this is longer than the time until the paint is "dry to the touch".


Wiring help for a Switch with LED Guide Light In my bathroom I have a dual switch box. The left side controls a light, the right side controls a bathroom fan.

I'm trying to convert the light switch (left side) to a Switch with LED Guide Light.

The right side (fan) I will replace with a simple Decora switch.

The old light switch (left) has a black, red, and copper wire.

The new light switch w/nightlight apparently wants a white/neutral wire, as well. Is this white wire mandatory?

I see there are 2 white wires (one from each initial bundle source from the wall) that are connected together. Should I somehow use one of those?

Yes, the white wire is required for the light built into the switch to work.  It does not affect the switching of the bathroom light.  You will need to create a pigtail (a short piece [6-8"] of wire connected to the two in the box) to join to your switch.

In you picture, the red wire going to the switch is the load, and the black wire is the hot.


Sanding solid stain off I've been told I can not strip this stain off and need to sand it off. The spindles can stay as they're in good shape still.  It's about 800 sq feet plus stairs. What would be the best and most time effective way to tackle this?  What would be the best sander and paper grit?

That looks like paint to me. Anyway, I don't ow why you wouldn't be able to strip that off. I've done very similar jobs with great results. Get some of your favorite stripper and try a small section. I think you'll be surprised at the results.


Am I having trouble finding studs because my walls are lath and plaster? I picked a TV mount from Ikea. The TV itself is being mounted to some paneling which in turn is mounted to set of wooden draws. In addition, it gives you hardware to mount the panels to the walls. It's not really meant to support any weight, just to keep it from swaying back and forth. So I picked up a cheap stud sensor (Zircon E30) but I'm not having very good luck with it. As soon as I start sliding it, it usually just starts indicating an error. Occasionally it tells me there's a stud, but on subsequent passes the results are far from exact. Right now I think I have an idea of where two studs are but it's a very rough guess.

I'm wondering if this is because this model is junk, or could I have lath and plaster walls? I'm pretty sure the walls are not drywall, just judging from the way they have crumbled when I tried to put a screw in them previously. Usually the paper coating on plaster doesn't allow it to crumble like that. Plus drywall usually seems to crumble more into a fine powder and this crumbles more into sand or little pebbles.

So does anyone know if there's a way I can tell if the walls are lath and plaster? Or does anyone know if this stud finder is no good? They do make a slightly more expensive model which is supposed to work better with lath and plaster walls. I just don't want to go and spend the money buying if it I don't really need it. Plus I'll probably wind up using it this one time and never see it again.

Any suggestions? I did try knocking on the walls and trying to hear a difference, but that wasn't really working for me.

edit: I just wanted to let people know I used this sensor: http://zircon.com/products/metal_m40.html and it seemed to work pretty well. So if you have lath and plaster walls, might want to give that one a try.

Look for wall outlets. They are usually mounted on a stud. Then start measuring in 16 inch increments to find other studs. As a backup, I would use a small finish nail to hunt for the stud in the area that you want to put the TV in. Some studfinders have a "hi" and "low" setting that will adjust how sensitive it is to things behind it. Sometimes for instance, its harder on external walls because there is insulation in them. Maybe go to Home Depot or Lowes and buy another brand of stud finder. If it doesn't work you can always return it. Another kind of stud finder has a magnetic sensor and detects nails which are in the studs. You could try that type.


New garage door opener belt sags when opening I recently replaced our chain driven garage door opener (which functioned fine for 9 years) with a Chamberlain MyQ opener which runs off of a belt, instead.  It was nearly a direct swap and all works as desired except... when opening the door, the belt on the non-pulling side is very loose.  So loose that it drags along the top of the door as it's pulling up.
It's been suggested from neighbors that this is not normal, and I'm not sure what/if there's a solution for it.

The door is a typical steel rollup with the addition of styrofoam insulation on the interior, and cedar veneer on the exterior.  The cedar is heavy.  Pulling the quick release to open the door by hand takes some effort, but is not too burdensome and it lifts without any dragging or catching. The majority of the cedar veneer is 5/8".  What is seen in the pictures below includes a 3"x5/8" border on top of the vertical planks.

The motor seems to show no signs of strain (and neither did the old-lower-powered one)

So, the cascading questions are:

Is this really abnormal?
Could it be due to the added weight of the cedar, thus is the belt not adequate?
Can/should the roller springs be adjusted or upgraded to accommodate the added weight
of the cedar?

Thanks for your assistance --

This is a Youtube link to a video demonstrating what I'm experiencing, and some closer pictures below

I had the same issue on a brand new opener I just installed. The non-pulling side of the belt was loose and floppy when opening. Turns out I just didn't follow the instructions for tensioning the belt properly.

Tensioning instructions right here: http://support.chamberlain.com/articles/How_To/How-do-I-check-and-adjust-the-belt-drive-tension-1484145517129

Once I made sure that the tensioning nut was tightened until the spring was compressed to 1-1/4 inches as instructed, the flop in the belt went away.


How high can a 'sub floor' be raised withh plywood sheets? Re-tiling the entryway to my home and had to remove the old mud floor that the old tile had been laid on top of.  This lowered my floor by approximately 2" so now assume I need to raise by that much in order to place the new tile.  My question is can I install multiple 1/2" or 3/4" plywood sheets on top of one another to build up my subfloor the additional 2"?

You can, but it's an expensive way to go, usually.  And plywood is an inferior top surface for tiling onto.

If not simply re-doing the "mud" approach (worth considering - works well, may cost less) you could use (top down) 1/2" backer board (set on thinset), 3/4" plywood, and set the plywood on 3/4" strips spaced 6-12" or so apart, rather than two full sheets of 3/4" ply.


No screws on drywall near top plate? I was reading some tips from a pro-drywaller and he stated to not screw within 7" of the top plate when attaching wall rock.

  Do not screw into the top plate. Fasten walls about seven inches below the top plate. On the rare occasions that I have had screw pop problems, they were concentrated at along the top plate.

I was wondering if this has any science behind it? And doesn't it go against the installation instructions per building code and USG company? (8" to 12" on all edges)

My assessment: This guy drew an incorrect conclusion from one experience and has made a personal rule of it without good reason.

My suggestion: Disregard that advice. 99.9999% of all homes built with modern drywall have screws in the top plates. 99.9998% of the time it's not an issue.*

* 99.99999% of the statistics used in this post are fabricated.


Does paint flashpoint have any thing to do with drying time? I was looking at the specs for Kilz original and saw it had a flashpoint of 75 degrees Fahrenheit. I didn't know what flashpoint was, so I found the following definition:

  Flammable liquids have a flash point of less than 100°F. Liquids with lower flash points ignite easier. Combustible liquids have a flashpoint at or above 100°F. The vapor burns, not the liquid itself. The rate at which a liquid produces flammable vapors depends upon its vapor pressure.

Source: https://blink.ucsd.edu/safety/research-lab/chemical/liquids/

It's interesting that the dry time for this paint is cited at 77 degrees Fahrenheit, two degrees higher than its flash point.

  Dry Time at 77°F (25°C), 50% RH
  Dries to the touch in 30 minutes at 77°F (25°C) and 50% humidity.
  Recoat or topcoat after 1 hour.

Does drying at a temperature over have any beneficial effect such as less fumes or improved drying time?

Flash-point only has an indirect relationship to drying or curing times. Generally , the warmer the curing temperature , the faster and stronger a resin cure will be.


Range Hood - external blower: Is the design different? I'm looking into installing a range hood. I'd like to install the motor in the next room, right on/in the wall that has the exhaust port. There are many companies offering external motor/rotor combinations for this exact purpose, but they always seem to cost about what a cheaper range hood with internal motor would cost, even when only in the 500m³/h range. A blower from a usual hood will produce about 400-900Pa pressure stoppered, or 600-1000m³/h flow, free blowing. Every design i saw (internal and external blower) was a radial rotor setup.

My question: I there a difference between the design for suction (as an external motor mainly needs to produce) vs. the design for pressure (as an internal motor mainly needs to produce) - or could i remove the motor from an internal design and just house it and install it externally? Is suction more difficult to produce and therefore more expensive, or are the products on the market just more rare and thus more expensive?

To answer your question, there is no difference between ‘pressure’ and ‘suction’. To point you in the right direction, get that blower outside the house in its own little vibration insulated metal shed. Roof or wall is fine. The main issue is noise. If you ever want to both cook and have a conversation at the same time, heed this advice. I have installed both types and I will never install an in-hood blower again.


How do I check continuity without having a multimeter to see which white wire is my hot? how do i check continuity without having a multimeter to find out which one of my white wires are hot and I need to hook my black and blue wires to ?

Go purchase the correct tools to do the jobs safely, rigging up some makeshift test device won't solve your problems and could end up injuring or killing you so please ignore those types of answers.

Get a basic multimeter from the hardware store please, read the instructions, and only work on confirmed dead wiring. It only takes 0.01A to kill someone and you're working with 15A-20A here.


Why is roof underlayment nailed in? Roofing underlayment ("felt") is immediately covered with shingles which are nailed in. So what isn't it redundant to nail in the felt as well?

If the only purpose is to keep it from sliding off during the installation process, nails seem like super overkill. Why not simple staples (if you're not going to be walking on it)? Or why not  install one strip at a time and then immediately follow with a row of asphalt shingle?

Staples are far more prone to cause leaks than roofing nails. For a  pro roofer with a coil nail gun, they save no time at all .vs. using nails. For a non-pro who can actually use a hammer, they save very little time .vs. nails.

Likewise, in the normal process of construction, it's quite common to have some period of time where the underlayment is the only thing on the roof surface. While you may have time to screw around with "a strip of underlayment, a few rows of shingles" it's not efficient for a roofing crew - get the underlayment on the whole roof, which is then considered "dried in" as it will immediately shed water if not left like that for too long, come back and shingle (if shingles are what you are using on top) in one go.

(While we are here, might as well mention considering upgrading to ice and water shield, aka self-sealing membrane, for at least the bottom few courses as insurance in case of ice dams. Some folks do the whole roof with it.)


Can I use knee bracing to cantilever a deck further than code allows? I live in Florida and currently have a deck support by ten 9" round, 10' high pilings. The outer ledge boards are double 2x10x10 bolted to the piling which are notched to accommodate the double 2x10s.

The current deck is only 5.5' wide. The pilings are spaced 9 feet apart with one piling on each side of the deck every 9 feet to support it. I only want to extend the deck 30".

Instead of tearing the whole deck off and redoing the supports to cantilever it which can only be 24", I thought I could use 2x10s for a knee brace on each side of the piling and run 14" galvanized bolts through it. Then I would run a 2x10 parallel to the house on top of the knee brace on the outside and use lag screws to attach it to the knee brace. Then use 2x8x30" long with galvanized joist hangers to attach to the existing double 2x10 which is resting in a slotted space on the piling and bolted to it And the 2x10 bolted on top the knee brace.

____________________________
        | <-- hanger      |/|
    old | new             |/|
  joist | joist           |/|
________|_________________|/|
|   |/|/|             /     /
|   |/|/|            /     /
|   |/|/| <-- beam  /     / <-- knee brace
|   |/|/|          /     /
|   |_|_|         /     /
|       |
|       | <-- piling
|       |
|       |

Do you think this would work or do you have any other ideas?

To answer some of your questions. The pilings are pressure treated wood telephone poles. They are 9" round. I have attached a side view of the knee brace I'm considering using,

That seems reasonable, but your local inspection office is the ultimate authority. You should sketch it up and meet with an inspector.

I'd be a bit concerned about drilling completely through the pilings, though (which I assume are concrete). That's a lot of rough treatment for a relatively thin structure. Instead, I'd use expanding anchors and lag screws.

You'd also have to connect the top of the knee brace to either the pilings or the existing joists to keep it from rotating outward.


Best setup for 5.1 speakers in room I've got a 5.1 speaker system and I need guidance to place the speakers(5 sub-woofer/speaker and 1 main-woofer).

I heard that, for best experience there are specific guidelines for placement.
Like,

The distance between each speakers
Height from ground level.
Distance from seats, etc.

Below diagram shows the space of my room.

Yes there are guidelines for how to place the speakers. E.g. here is a Dolby 5.1 placement guide. But the short answer is A, B, C, F, and E in your diagram, if you have to pick from those exact spots.

Also note that some higher-end stereos have a calibration feature that will use a microphone and test tones to detect the placement of each individual speaker, and can correct for some non-optimal placements. If you have a stereo that is capable of that you can rely on that to fix some problems. Few people are lucky enough to have a room 100% dedicated to a home theater, so it is common to have non-optimal placement due to other factors (doors, other furniture, etc).


How much sagging is considered normal for floors in old (100+ years) houses? I am currently looking at a house in New England that dates back to the 1820's that has a sagging floor in the living room. The floor dips down about one inch near one of the walls and I was told by the owner that it has been and is structurally sound and that sagging floors are "normal" in older homes. Is this in fact true and if so what would the typical amount of sagging be?

Assuming the sag is new/progressing.

There are countless hundred+ year old homes with proper structure that have floors that don't sag, bounce or shake.

Sagging is never good.  Sagging is a sign of either poor engineering to begin with or structural damage done later.

bcworkz does raise a good point about older foundation methods and short term sags that stabilize.  I still maintain that even in such cases, a sag isn't "good", but it may not be deal breaking.


Should I replace a single powered roof vent with ridge vent according to my roofer's advice? I am new to home improvement, and I'd like to ask your advice. I am the owner of a house in Maryland. Within a few weeks, we will install a new roof.
Currently, my roof doesn't have a ridge vent, and an attic fan only runs.
My contractor told me he can add a ridge vent.
Do you think I'd better keep the attic fan running in addition to a new ridge vent? Both can be working together?
or
do you think I'd better remove the attic fan, and have the new ridge vent only? It should be a good idea?
or
do you think I'd better keep the attic fan without installing a new ridge vent if Howard county doesn't require it.
I thought that in the long run, if the attic fan could cause any rain/snow/leaves-related leaking issues, it could be safer to remove it. The chance is extremely low? or my thought is a good idea? Usually, how often (in years) do I need to replace an attic fan with a new one?
I appreciate your advice in advance.

(Added)
Yes. we have soffit venting (under the eaves), and each vent on two sides.
However, I found that some portions of the soffit venting are closed somehow, maybe (see the picture). I am not sure how though. Should I clean them up ASAP?

In my personal experience, a "real vent" on top of the roof (cupola, turbine, etc) is far more effective than continuous ridge vent, and I will in fact be retrofitting a cupola onto a roof with continuous ridge vent for exactly that reason. The space feels nearly unvented, despite "being vented" as the air movement through the ridge vent (with plenty of venting at the eaves) is pathetic.
What you have there appears to be a "mushroom fan vent" rather than a turbine vent (i.e it only really moves air when powered up, while a turbine vent as I understand the term vents passively all the time and more actively whenever the wind blows.) That can be useful for increasing air movement in the space when needed, and should not be particularly prone to leak if it's in good shape. It would not meet code requiring passive ventilation, though.
I would strongly suggest reading the actual code applicable to your local area to see what it actually calls for, rather than accepting that it specifies "ridge vent" if, in fact, it simply requires passive vents but does not specify how that is to be done (which would be more likely, in my experience.)


What's the best way to connect up the outlet of a plastic tube so it doesn't clog? I have a fountain/stream setup in my front yard. Water comes out of the bottom of the fountain, goes through a stream, and at the end of the stream is a pump that sends the water back to the fountain through some plastic tubing.
This being an outdoor setup, there is a lot of dirt and debris which, despite my best efforts to keep the system clean, still finds its way into the pump and clogs things. One particularly common choke point seems to be where the outlet of the plastic tubing connects back into the fountain:

It's currently going in through a barb connector. It is very common for this to be clogged by even very tiny pieces of debris that get through the pump and get stuck at the tiny opening of the barb, reducing flow through the fountain to a trickle. The solution is to briefly disconnect and reconnect the hose, which I am presently having to do almost daily because little pieces of bark from my garden are getting into it. Removing the hose, you can see that the opening the water is going into is quite small:

You can also see that the piping after it is quite wide, so there is really no reason the inlet needs to be that small. A better solution would be if I could somehow make the connector male on the tubing or otherwise have a wider opening so this was not a choke point. Any suggestions on how to do that?

Depending on the nature of the "fountain" - if it does not have small jets, then run larger pipe to it. If the output of your pump is all being driven through that tiny hose outlet, (which is my reading of what you wrote) there'a design flaw here someplace.
Otherwise, filters. You want a great deal of filter area so that it will continue to flow when partially clogged, so that you don't have to clean it too frequently. You definitely do not want the filters to pass anything small enough to clog the fountain jets, or any other part of the plumbing. You know full well it will have to catch a bunch of stuff, so make it big, which keeps the flow on any one section low. Then hose it out monthly or weekly or at whatever frequency it requires to maintain flow.


Why in the UK would a garden room have a canopy? I'm putting a gym and art / craft rooms in the garden for the kids to mess around without making a mess in the house.  Typical garden rooms seen on architecture sites have patio doors, French doors or bifold doors in order to connect with the garden, and have a canopy over like these, then a patio outside.

Why would a garden room in the UK have a canopy?  And when would it be better to build one with, or without a canopy?

To keep rain and dirt off the glass an to offer a bit of shade?

We have an Orangery with a wide cornice around the roof. It does a good job of sheltering the windows.

It also stops a square. flat roffed building looking like a bunker.

Our Orangery look crap until the cornice went on. Then it looked epic!


Refrigerator is not making ice or serving water UPDATE 3

I replaced the water filter with a brand new one from Home Depot. When I went to dispense water, about 1/2 a cup came out. That's the first time any water has come out of the dispenser. Over the next hour, I tried dispensing more water. One time a blast of water came out, but every other time I would just hear water bubbling and gurgling in the freezer door. I thought maybe things just needed to fill up since it hadn't been used in a while, but now it's back to how it was before I got the new filter. I press the button to dispense water, and I hear a 'click' and a motorized sound, but no water dispenses.

Could my lines be clogged?

UPDATE 2

I forgot to mention that I've thought it was weird that this guy was sticking out and was so visible. It looks like it's a water supply line that goes up the freezer door, on the left. Could the plumber have tweaked this?

UPDATE

With the help of Jimmy-Fix-It, I was able to get the water filter removed after applying considerable force. Water dribbled out, and it was, as expected, filled with water.

After I removed the filter, I took a cup and tried to get water out of door, and about 1 Tbs came out. No water has come out since.

We just moved in to a new home. The former owner was in the field of risk management/disaster cleanup, and so when they put the house up for sale, they disabled the refrigerator's ability to make ice and serve water. We didn't realize this of course until after we moved in. I spoke with him on the phone, and he told me he had his plumber essentially disable the ice making/water serving abilities of the fridge. He was supposed to send his plumber out to turn it back on, but he's stopped returning my emails.

I've pulled the fridge (an LG LSC26905) out from the wall. The water line is connected just fine to the refrigerator, and I've confirmed that the water is in fact on (coming from the wall). It's a simple silver flex tube coming from the wall with a blue valve that is in the 'on' position. I disconnected from the fridge and verified that water is coming out at a very good rate. I can't figure out where the plumber might have disabled or prevented the water from flowing through the rest of the system.

The only other thing I've noticed, and I'm not sure it's related, is that the water filter will not come out. It looks to be pretty old, and for the life of me I can not pull it out. I'm wondering if perhaps the filter is old and clogged and that's preventing water from flowing through the system? I've twisted both directions, pushed up, pulled down; it's not budging.

So turns out the water valve in the back of my fridge was bad. All rusted out. I broke down and called a technician (thankfully) and he said we were lucky it didn't burst, as it probably would have flooded the house. On top of that, the condenser fan motor was dead.

I suspect the former owner knew all of this, and just had his guy go behind the fridge and shut off the main water line to the fridge so they wouldn't have to deal with it before selling the house.


Floor sagging between joist- please help I recently bought an old home- 102 years old and have some flooring issues. The long story is we bought it knowing it had foundation problems in the rear right corner. The home had a poured concrete foundation with the exception of the rear back of the house that had 3 ft added on and a brick and mortar foundation that needed to be repaired. Basically with the brick was crumbling and had sank about a foot- pulling the house down on that side by about 10-12 inches.

We had the brick removed and replaced with rebar and a poured foundation in that area but the damage to the floor inside remains. When they replaced the foundation they did jack it up maybe an inch to replace everything but considering the age and how much it sagged we did not want the house to be jacked up back to its original level state.

It’s a two story home with original hardwood flooring that we have had restored. The subflooring in that rear room is damaged and basically is very spongy in places. I was told one way to fix it was to jack the existing subfloor up between the joist with and add a “subfloor” (plywood) and secure it in place by nailing 2x4 to the existing joist on either side to hold my new subfloor in place. I don’t want to compromise those existing joists though and this seems like a really good way to do that.

Is there another option out there or is this a legitimate way of fixing the problem without ripping up these beautiful 100 year old floors? There is a conventional foundation so I can crawl around there without issue.

The given parameters are that the floor joists and the flooring are good, but the sub-floor has "received significant damage." The solution then, is to replace the sub-floor. Don't assume that removing the existing hardwood floor will destroy it. Re-using old hardwood flooring is common. It reads like the hardwood and the sub-floor have already separated. With a 100 year old home, there probably isn't any glue (construction adhesive) to deal with, just nails that have lost their hold. An added benifit is that after removing the bad sub-floor, you could shim up under the replacement to correct the leveling issue.
A few floor boards could be damaged during the removal. And the removed hardwood needs to be prepped before re-installation. But those issues are part of a good floor restoration project. With a bad sub-floor, it is hard to imagine a practical or quality alternative.


Woodlouse that already infesting applied plywood floor I'm building a server room that is using plywood as its flooring, which unfortunately is infested by woodlouse, wood beetle, or some kind. I realize it just after the floor is finished being installed.

Since it is impractical to replace the flooring, I'm thinking about apply a new layer, rubber or vinyl flooring on the top of the plywood. The question is, will the insects, bugs, louse, or termites able to penetrate the rubber or vinyl layer? Or is there any more practical alternatives?

well, I decided to tear down everything and replace it with concrete and granite floor. If I overlaid the infested floor, the pest would just eat the plywood until it was completely deteriorated


Removal of a 2x4 with roof truss built on top I am remodeling my bathroom and I have run into a problem removing some of the framing where a shower used to be. There is a 2x4 spanning the 5 1/2 foot width of the bathroom and it has been built into the top plate of the exterior wall and a roof truss sits on top of it. My question is can I get away with cutting it flush with the wall or should I just live with it and tile over it.

This 2x4 in question was a part of a wall that separated shower from vanity/bathroom. This shows the bathroom at a full view then a sketch of it. The walls are both load bearing. I have already removed one just like this on the far side near the toilet. All these walls that have been removed run parallel to the ceiling joists. Also there is an image of a spot where I removed a wall that created a shower surround and shows how the 2x4 was laid into the top plate of the wall.

Cutting it flush is the right solution. It's typical that double plates of intersecting walls interlock like that. There's nothing apparent to indicate that the plate continues to be structurally necessary.


Bathroom Faucet: Identification of Cartridge Replacement I have a very nice faucet that needs new cartridges but have been unable to find the manufacture of this unit to source out the correct replacement.

Does anyone here know how may have made this and where I might source these replacements?

Thanks

Call community home supply in Chicago.  It’s a Fluhs 16 or 18 point ceramic cartridge.   I’m sure a Newport brass cartridge or something similar will be correct.   If not, they’ll be able to ID it from a picture.


Should I install a sub-panel or add a second service drop? I am considering converting my barn into a woodshop. It would require me upgrading the current wiring to handle the tools that would end up in the shop.

I have a very old farm house and the main house (not including additions) would only be accessible by one side. The driveway side of the house would need to be tunneled under in order to get into the main house basement. Then, I would need to trench back about 50 or so feet to the barn.

My question is; would it just be better to have a new direct line from the pole to the barn, or tackling this tedious way previously listed? Also, if the direct line would be easier/more feasible, does national grid charge a separate delivery fee or is it comparable cost-wise?

Also, if I was to do the dig version, would I need to upgrade to a 400 amp ( I am guessing?!) to be able to handle two 200 amp service panels?? If this is the case, I am guessing that should be factored into the over all cost of the dig option

Regardless of how much work it takes, if you are considering adding a large number of tools and a large load then a sub-panel would be the way to go.

With more information we could give you better advice.

Good luck!


How can I cut and cap a hot water supply line that has no shut-off after the HWT? I have an old hot water supply line that is no longer being used and I want to cut and cap it for later use. The problem I have is that it has no shut down after the hot water tank. My other hot water feeds have shutoffs. What should I do to cut and cap without a flood?

You should have a shut-off valve before your hot water tank (your main entry valve), shut that one off, open all the faucets in your house to drain the hot water from your system, do your repair, turn on the valve that is before your hot water tank and turn off all your faucets.

You could keep a bucket closeby, just to get what's left in the pipe.


Diagnosing problem with new shower grout--coming off to the (dry) touch and cracks/holes appearing We just moved into a newly constructed apartment (construction finished on this unit at least 8 weeks ago). When I set my hand on the shower wall getting in and out, I noticed that a powder stuck to it--both with a wet and dry hand. It appears that the grout is coming off. I also noticed a few spots where there were small holes and cracks in the grout. What could be causing this? What is the fix?

When I set my hand on the shower wall getting in and out, I noticed that a powder stuck to it

I suspect poor / lazy grouting technique. After grouting it is normal for the tiled surface to be covered with a "grout haze", which is just a very thin film of dried grout left by the grout finishing/sponging process. Good sponging practices, e.g. using multiple buckets/sponges (dirty, cleaner, cleanest) and frequent sponge wringing and water changes minimize (but do not eliminate) the haze. Pros will wait till the grout is cured then use a mild acid rinse followed by clear water rinse, to remove all haze.

  I also noticed a few spots where there were small holes and cracks in the grout

Again, not unusual with inferior technique. Common cause of small holes/cracks are poor grout installation, e.g. lame technique with grout float, incorrect water/grout ratio, improper mixing, failure to allow grout to slake, crappy / lazy sponge technique, etc.

You can try to mix up a bit of additional grout and use a finger to smooth it into uneven areas and small pits/cracks; make sure to moisten existing grout in the area first. This will almost always be visible to a critical eye but may be better than leaving as-is. Alternatively you could grind down all the grout and completely regrout... You are a victim of money vs. craftsmanship, which is more common than not these days.


What should I do with the ground wire on a replacement bathroom fan motor? I bought a new motor for my bathroom vent fan and it came with a ground wire.  The old motor does not have a ground wire, or not that I can see.  What should I do with the ground wire?

As long as the motor is solidly mounted to a metal bracket and in turn solidly screwed to the fan housing then the ground wire may not be needed. The old fan may have gotten it's equipment ground from this method so the new one can also.

It also possible that this replacement motor is also sold for appliances that have plastic housings so the ground tail is required.

If there is no grounding means existing then the same really applies. There is nothing I can think of that says if you have to replace a small motor like this that you have to upgrade the circuit feeding it.


Check if metal junction box is "charged" from bad wiring I was painting a joist in my basement and my roller bumped a junction box and sparks flew out.  I suspect that a hot wire is touching the box.  I was going to take apart the box and replace it with a plastic one that is bigger since a light fixture is there as well.

Can I just use a multimeter set it to V and press the positive and negative probe to the box itself?

thanks

I am addressing your question first. You can't use a voltmeter to check the box by putting one of your probes to one side of the box and one on the other side. You need to kill all power to the electrical circuits in the box and using you continuity tester to "ring out" which hot wire is going to ground at the box.

That being said, replacing the metal box with a plastic does not fix the problem of a shorting circuit. It simply removes point of grounding which allows the short to trip your overcurrent device (the breaker). This means anyone who comes into contact with the box and is grounded will be subject to electrical shock or a burn hazard. So the box is actually telling you that you have a problem with a circuit inside the box and it needs to be repaired ASAP.

So your wiring is in need of repair and you should address that problem immediately. As @SDsolar has said if you are not skilled enough to make the testing and repair. You need to get a professional to do it immediately.


How can I soundproof a grille in a wall? I have a niche as a wardrobe in my bedroom. The niche is built upon the stairs and has a wooden grille on the wall facing their side (think of it as a window-shutter, I guess it was made to give the clothes new air).

I don't live alone and I can clearly hear anyone in the hallway or in the stairs as they were in my room (and the other way around). I share the room with my girlfriend in the weekends, so I'd like to have some privacy; right now it's kind of not having a door. :)

How can I soundproof my room?

Some additional info:

the grille has no moving parts and it isn't linked with any duct, I can surely tell because I can see its back from the stairs;
there is no forced air system for heating or cooling the house;
the grille dimensions are roughly 85x70 cm (width x height), the room is about 9 square meters;
a 3 cm thick panel could easily fit over the offset between the grille
and the wall the grille is placed upon;
I don't use any speakers in my bedroom except for a small tv (volume is never loud);
I don't own the house, so I'm not allowed to make any extreme (= hardly reversible) change.

EDIT: Here are two pictures of the grille, the first one from within the niche in my room, the second one from the stairs my room is next to.

Soundproofing and ventilation are not compatible.  The louvers could be blocked/unblocked at will with a rectangular piece foam rubber that is several inches (10cm or so), for example from an old sofa cushion.

Insert it when you want privacy is desired. Take it down, or pull it back otherwise.  You may find that you don't notice any difference in air quality inside the room, and end up leaving it in place all the time.  Or you may find that the louvers allow heat into the room in the winter.

Cut it to size + a couple centimeters.  If cut too big, it may bow away from the louvers.  If too small, it may not have enough friction against the walls to keep it in place.

Larger cities have stores dedicated to selling foam rubber or different dimensions and densities.

Thick foam rubber is also available from repair shops that re-upholster furniture.

Looks like people are selling foam rubber on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=foam+rubber

Per @longneck's comment, foam rubber can be purchased at craft and sewing stores.

A sufficiently thick pick can be built by laminating together thinner pieces, say 3 or 4 layers of 1", using double stick tape for example.


How close to roof should downspout be? I know it is common for 2nd story gutters to empty on the roof surface; however, houses I've seen the gutter empty close to the roof.  my recently install gutters seem to be four to five inches off the roof.  Is there such a thing as too high?

Just extend the downspout with another section and put another elbow on it  so it dumps directly into the lower gutter.
That would eliminate the water wearing the roof prematurely or the need to alter the roof.


Why is my toilet flushing slowly and not emptying the waste from the bowl? When I flush my toilet it fills up to the rim with water. It will then drain slowly but not even a piece of toilet paper will go down the drain. I've tried plunging it and nothing is coming up like it had a clog. I plunged and flushed about 30 times. I then did the soap and hot water method. Sometimes when I pour the water in it would flush like normal just from adding the water but when I try and flush again it is doin the same thing. So I tried the soap and hot water method again and poured it slowly to not cause it to flush. I let it sit 20 min add more water and repeat about 3 times. Then when I flush it will flush normal one time and then when I try to flush it a second time and it does the same thing again. I've tried plunging with the soapy hot water in there but I cannot get it to flush normally more then once. My other toilet works fine and so do all the drains in my house. Any suggestions would be helpful

It sounds like the clog is far enough down so that, given enough time to let the water drain out, there is enough room for one flush to enter the pipes fully before hitting the clog but not for any subsequent flushes.

Like Nate suggested in the comments, your best bet is to snake it. Here is a how to: https://www.wikihow.com/Snake-a-Toilet


Masonry protruding entrance water protection My rear entrance is wood frame set in masonry (brick + terracotta brick) wall. It has aluminum flashing but it's old (way before I got the house) and the top edge isn't protected anymore (since I tore down the vinyl siding to stucco over, which hasn't yet been done), water naturally found its way between the masonry and wood/flashing so I need to devise a solution how this entry can be wateeproofed.

My initial thoughts were to take a 2-1/2 to 3" lintel plate (each side of the L measuring that much) and anchor it horozontally along the top to the brick that can be seen in the first photo using lead anchors in the masonry. That would create that deep a cover over the head piece of PT 2x4 (which will of course also be replaced, along with its flashing) so that the joint between the wood/flashing and brick isn't directly exposed, i.e. has something over it.

Q1: What do you think of the above plan?

Q2: If favorable, should the lintel be installed so the the mating surface is above the horizontal plate (_|) or below (7, with upright bottom line). I'm inclined to go with above and then stucco over the mating side and caulk the joint because I'd like to have clear access to the brick to anchor the 2x4.

Q3: Should I go with an aluminum ($$), stainless steel ($$$), or regular steel ($) lintel, the last option assuming paint?

I don't like the plan & only think your plan, which will work fine, would only perpetuate errors. You got rid of the siding, so now it's time to get rid of the trim.

The trim should not be there AT ALL & top rightfully want's off anyway. The bottom entrance should be exactly like the top window. Nothing sticking out & stucco right over the existing top lentil, which is currently covered by the entrance trim.

That trim looks to be just face applied 1x3 enveloped in flashing & should pop right off. If anything goes on the wall, I'd vote for giving yourself an upgrade over the doors. Do a 2' or 3' Awning Roof over the door, just Tapcon & Lag a 12" tall (whatever pitch you desire) triangle cage into the brick mortar (never into the brick) & then Tapcon aluminum flashing over the awning roof's seam to then stucco over.


AC comes on randomly Even though my thermostat was set to "Off" or "Heat", my air conditioner is coming on randomly and blowing cold air out of the vents.  I figured that the thermostat was bad so I disconnected all of the wires to replace it, but even without a thermostat attached, it's still blowing cold air.

I have an upstairs and a downstairs unit, but only the downstairs unit has this problem.

What else could cause the AC to be turning on?

Probably a problem with the control board on the AC unit.  If the AC unit comes on without a signal from the thermostat, there must be a short or something that is giving the AC unit the "turn on" signal.

Contact the company that installed the unit (if it's still under warranty), or your favorite HVAC company to come take a look.


Wiring question regarding switching wire gauge within a circuit I have a 20 amp circuit that was run with 10AWG underground to an outside GFCI outlet. Can I switch to running 12 awg (since its 20 amp) to have a light and switch after the GFCI?

Go for it

Since it's a 20A circuit, you can use any wire size 12AWG or larger to run it.  (The existing 10AWG may have simply been what the original installer had on hand, or may have been installed for voltage drop control reasons.)


Can I remove ceiling joists without risking the integrity of my roof system? We have a 23x12ft room that we are looking at opening up the flat ceiling. The 2x6 rafters are parallel with the long side the the room and there is one beam (3 2x6s) that seems to be a rafter tie running this long length of the room. Looks to have a 2x6 coming down from the peak of the roof at the ridge board down to the beam.

The ceiling joist 2x4s are running at right angles to the beam and rafters across the 12ft span of the room. These joists are below the beam and are tied to it by 2x4. We were told that the joists are not providing structural support and were merely for affixing the flat ceiling.

We had hoped to remove these joists and wonder if the 23 ft beam of 3 sandwiched 2x6s (board seams are staggered) will have any sagging/structural issues if we did. Are there structural concerns with removing these perpendicular ceiling joists?

There are collar ties at in the top third but no other rafter ties besides this beam.

I believe that you're correct about the ceiling joists being entirely for cosmetic purposes. The rafter tie keeps the walls from spreading, and it appears to be adequately suspended by the roof structure as a whole.

You're probably doing the rafter tie a favor by eliminating the ceiling joists from its bearing, and unless you add substantial weight back onto it I don't have cause for concern.

All that said, I'm sitting here in Minnesota looking at your place in Washington through a peephole. You really do need to get a qualified professional on site to make a more reliable assessment of the situation.


Why would a water fountain pump make a lot of noise before it is submerged in water? When I was really little, our family got a gentle rains fountain. It had a horseshoe-like  hole in the back, and a somewhat round hole in front. It came with the pump the one we’re supposed to plug into the wall.
 However, we didn’t know what to do with the pump. Only plugged it in, it made a really awful noise, but after we figured out that we needed to put it inside the water, the noise thought of   Wound down. It was a really loud, high pitch noise, around 520 Hz, or something like that.
 Surprisingly, it didn’t sound like that again, even when we took it out of the water. Instead, it just made a 60 Hz hum.

The magnet rotates with the incoming mains frequency .When there is no water there is no lubrication of the plastic coated magnet and the plastic housing .Water is a good lubricant for plastic parts .Also the water muffles some of the remaining sound .


Trying to install a dimmer switch for my light attached to my ceiling fan thanks in advance for the help!

I am attempting to install a dimmer switch to solely operate the light on my ceiling fan light fixture. I have read that installing a dimmer for the fan is dangerous, however I have been told that having the dimmer only control the light, not the fan and the light, is okay. Correct me if I've been told wrong!

Before I attempted to install the dimmer, there was one switch on the wall that controlled the light and the fan was operated by the pull cord attached to the fixture. This is what I continue to achieve after I have installed the dimmer switch for the light. In the switch box there were 2 black wires, 1 red wire, and the ground wire. On the switch, the black wires were attached to 2 brass screws, the ground wire attached to a blackish-green colored screw, and the red wire was inserted into a small whole in the back of the switch labeled a "push wire".

On the dimmer switch that I bought, there is a ground wire, a red wire, a black wire (and a red/white striped wire, which the instructions said to cap as it could be used for 3 way switch, which I don't think I need for this job.)

I have left the red/white striped wire capped, as instructed. My ground wires are connected. And the 2 black wires from my wall are connected to the black and red wires on the dimmer switch box. And I have capped the red wire from the wall. This combination controls the light appropriately, however the fan is not working at all.

From this combination, I have deduced that the red wire controls the fan. Is the "push wire" hole on the original switch just a constant source of power and is not operated by the switch?

When I had red to red connected, with the 2 black wires from the wall connected to the black wire on the dimmer,  the dimmer switch controlled the fan motor and the light did not even turn on. When I capped one or the other black wires from the wall, the dimmer still controlled the fan motor, or the whole fixture did not work, if I am remembering correctly.

So my question is, is there a way to wire the dimmer switch to have it solely operate the light and have the fan be controlled by the pull cord with the dimmer switch that I have already purchased? Do I need to buy a different type of dimmer switch? Or should I scrap the idea of having ambiance in my living room from my ceiling and invest in some lamps?!

The dimmer switch that I bought is a Lutron C-L Dimmer.

Lastly, I've also noticed a buzzing sound when the light is on. Is there a way to fix this? FYI, I've been keeping the light off to avoid something bad (fire) happening.

Thank you all for the help and suggestions!

The red wire powers the fan, yeah

The existing arrangement has separate power wires for the light and the fan running from the switch box to the fan box.  This is a great thing, because it means you can pretty much do whatever to control the light and the fan separately, instead of having to faff with fan remotes or being limited to setups that use multiplexed control if you want the fan and light to do something different.

In the existing setup, the "back wire" hole was used in place of a pigtail and wirenut to feed power from the incoming black always-hot to the red wire that powers the fan.  So, nut the red fan-hot wire from the wall with the black wire from the dimmer and the black always-hot from the wall (with the power off at the breaker of course!), and your fan will work again.


Can I replace a mechanical doorbell with a digital one? In my home, I have a mechanical doorbell chime that I would like to replace with a new digital chime (a chime with features like volume control, different tones, plays through a speaker). Is it possible to easily replace the chime without too much complications? If so, how can I do this?

As long as both require the same voltages you will be fine. If you are in the U.S. the line voltage to the transformer is standard house voltage (120 volts AC). The output voltage of the transformer to the chime is nominally 16v.


Can I have independent heating zones with a standard boiler? We have a new standard gas boiler in our home along with two thermostats, one for the basement and one for the rest of the house (living room, bedrooms, etc).
The problem we're having is that the basement has become the main thermostat and the upstairs thermostat doesn't even work. Whenever we raise the basement thermostat just a little, the upstairs gets extremely hot.
We wanted to know if we are able to have 2 separate heating zones with the same boiler so that the basement is able to have its own temperature while the upstairs can also be independent. We're not sure if we would need a different boiler to provide this kind of service or if it's possible to stay with the boiler we have to control the 2 separate zones in our home.

Yes, it can be done.  It just needs to be plumbed (and wired) right.  Each thermostat should control a valve that admits hot water to its section of the house.
The boiler should be wired to fire up whenever either thermostat is calling for heat.
For example, if the basement is cold, but the rest of the house is warm, then the valve allowing water to the basement should be opened, and the boiler turned on.


How can I add flooring to an attic floor with electrical wires running across it? Want to floor attic space that has electrical wires tacked to joists.  is the best way to notch out additional boards over wires and add to the top of these joists and then floor?

Definitely consider the first couple of comments regarding whether the joists are even strong enough to support a floor.

Presuming the joists are strong enough, you could probably run firring strips on top of the existing joists, these could be 2x4's on their sides, or you could rip them down to 2x2's. You would either notch them or just cut them and leave a gap every place a wire crosses the original joist. You would have to put metal plates across the gaps to protect the wires. There just isn't enough depth otherwise and you'll drive screws or nails through the wire when you install the flooring.

Alternatively, you may consider running new "joists" (check around with some builders, but even 2x4's might be sufficient if you're on 16" centers?) ACROSS the existing joists, perpendicular to them, rather than directly on top of them in the same direction. You can probably reduce the number of notches you need to cut for the wiring this way, and it would also raise the new floor high enough over the wires that you don't need to put a steel plate over each wire.

It would be pretty easy to secure these "cross joists," especially if you run them clear over the tops of the end walls.

If your original joists aren't strong enough to support a floor, you could either sister the joists, or possibly place new joists on top of them that are strong enough and are supported on the load-bearing end walls. But if you go there, you want to get a builder or engineer/architect involved if you don't have the background to design it yourself.

There might be something in the N.E.C. about a minimum distance for the wiring under the flooring, as well, despite the use of the metal plates at the points where they cross.

What's to keep somebody (even a kid) from driving a nail or screw into the floor at some future date and drive it through the wire?

You might consider laying sheet metal strips down the entire length of all of these cables.

The N.E.C. does say that cables stapled across the tops of joists the way you describe have to be protected with boards running alongside the cables (so someone stepping on the cable doesn't damage it--the board helps keep the weight off the cable).


Heater causing dry uncomforatable air My bedroom is a bit cool so I started using an electric space heater (that doesn't have a fan). I noticed it makes the air very dry. What's the best way of counteracting this? I was thinking of putting a bowl of water beside it, using a humidifier or using a fan. Would any of these help?

EDIT: I should ask, are humidifiers safe? I've got wood furniture and a computer in the room and was wondering if they would grow mold or damage electronics? If they are safe to use, should I put it right beside the heater? Should it be a warm mist or cool mist?

UPDATE: it appears the heater blows cold air, and it shouldn't be doing this.

A humidifier is made for this exact purpose.

However

I personally do not care for any form of a humidifier, and I tend to like my environment on the drier side (<30% humidity).

Only by using a humidity, and some common sense can you monitor the actual moisture content of the room. Most humidifiers belong to two groups, heat and ultrasonic. The first group simply heats water from a resevoir and allows the steam/vapor to enter the room. The second uses ultrasonic motion to disturb the water from the liquid into the atmosphere, without greatly affecting the temperature.

Most of these are meant to be temporary and mostly intended for those ill with respiratory infections or similar (unless they are part of a central heat/air system).

A better solution would be to identify the reason your room is cold, rather than run a space heater. These are notorious for causing fires, drying out the air, etc.

Any time the humidity starts to creep above 50% and/or a mist/vapor is deposited/concentrated there is a chance for mold/mildew.

Electronics generally do not like any form of moisture, but again, so long as you keep the humidity under 50% and prevent any misting or precipitation, there should not be any issues.

Prior to getting a humidifier or putting out a bowl of water anywhere, I would purchase an inexpensive humidistat to try and figure out what the moisture level is. Watch it for a day or so, then decide how to proceed.

Also, please be safe with your space heater. Many a desk, office and home have been lost to these things.


How can I build shower niches into an old plaster and lath wall? I'm in the middle of remodeling my bathroom, and am about to tackle putting up the shower walls. My house was built in the 1930s, and thus most of the walls are lath slathered with mortar that holds the plaster wall.

The bedroom is on the other side of the show, and I would like to keep its plaster intact. My problem is that I would like to install shower niches (for shampoo, soap, etc.) in the wall. However, the mortar holding the plaster on is brittle, and if it comes off, so does the plaster. I was planning on putting a piece of plywood for the back of the niche. However, I'm worried I'll lose at least a 1/2" because the of the mortar pressing against the back of the plywood (not to mention potentially being destructive to the wall behind it).

Does anyone have any suggestions or experiencing dealing with this type of configuration?

What I did in that same situation was tear the lath/plaster down to the nearest stud and then install drywall.  It is very likely that the thickness of your lath/plaster will be thicker than drywall (1/2").  So what you will need to do is shim below the new drywall to even it out with the old covering.  What I did was use 3/8" plywood as substrate then drywall over it.  Then just regular drywall finish (tape+mud) to make the transition between the plaster and new drywall.


What are the NEC rules for holes in a wooden top plate? What are the NEC rules for holes in a wooden wall top plate?  Specifically, how far apart do the holes need to be and what is the max diameter of a hole?  In NEC 300-4 I found "...holes shall be bored so that the edge of the hole is not less than 1 1/4 in. (31.8 mm) from the nearest edge of the wood member."  Is this all there is regarding this topic?  Thanks.

Don't make it larger than half the top plate's width
Since the size of holes in a top plate is a structural concern, not an electrical concern, you need to be looking in the IRC (or other building code) for these details, not the NEC.  In particular, IRC R602.6.1 states that a metal top plate tie strap is needed for a notch or hole in a load-bearing top plate that extends through over half of the top plate's width; unless you're running fat conduit or SE cable, you won't come close to this, though.


Is it safe to discharge a water softener into a saltwater swimming pool? I want to use my water softener's recharge water to fill my pool instead of having it going to the drain. My pool is also a salt water pool.

It will depend what's in your water, among other things - the last place I used a softener, the clear water iron made the softener discharge a very rusty orange. Not exactly appealing for a pool.

If you add salt to a salt-water pool that is presumably losing water primarily via evaporation, it will become hyper-saline over time. I'm not sure how much this would be regarded as a problem in a salt-water pool - perhaps you want it to be like the dead sea - very buoyant.

Even if you don't have iron turning the discharge water rusty, the calcium removed by the softener will accumulate in the pool, and may cause some water quality problems there.

On the whole it seems more likely than not to be a bad idea, but if you are determined to go ahead with it, I'd suggest that you start by catching a bucket of the discharge water and let it sit for a few days, to see if that offers you any insight on what you get with your particular water.


Replacing toilet tank gasket One of the toilet tanks in my house is leaking water slowly into the toilet bowl. A pic of the inside of the tank is attached. I believe a gasket is the culprit (the pink gasket pointed to by the red arrow in the pic), but I can't figure out how to remove all the black parts above that gasket to get to and replace the gasket. I tried pulling on and twisting the small part above the white ring to release the cylindrical part (which slides up and down) to which the gasket is secured but no success. Can someone please advise? Or, do I have to somehow unscrew the entire assembly (at the joint pointed to by the green arrow)?

Thanks.

That is a Kohler "canister style" flush valve.

First, carefully remove the "rim-clean/bowl-fill" water supply hose (the little black hose that runs from your fill valve to the flush valve. Also, remove the chain that attaches the trip lever to the flush valve.

To get at the gasket in question (which is very likely, but not 100% certainly, your problem) you need to carefully twist the "small part above the white ring" counter-clockwise 1/4 turn. This will release the entire canister assembly from the base. It will look like this (note chain still attached in my pic):

The pink washer on the bottom just stretches and pulls on/off. Reverse previous step to reinstall...

NOTE- I have performed this job without removing the hose and chain, but it is easier with them removed.

screen-shot courtesy of REVIEWS@ca.rr.com


Muller TC 24.21 Timer Wiring Help A very basic question. I've just bought a digital time switch model TC 24.21 from Muller. According to the back of the timer it takes 230V~50-60Hz, and I'm a bit stuck exactly how and what to connect the timer up to to get it working.

All I'm trying to do at the moment is connect up the timer so the front turns on. I'll worry about the relay wiring once I've gotten that sorted.

Here is a picture of the back.

I presume I need to connect the  L (live?) terminal to the positive terminal of the power source and the N (neutral?) terminal to the negative terminal of the power source, but I'm stuck with what power source to use? I can't safely plug it into mains power?

Datasheet is here: http://www.hugo-mueller.de/download/39_DB_TCx4_en.pdf

The datasheet clearly says "Supply Voltage 230 V, 50/60 Hz", so I would connect a 230 V "Hot' wire to the "L" terminal, and the neutral wire to the "N" terminal.  The timer would connect terminal 1 or 3 to L, depending on the state of the timer, so you would connect your 230 volt load between either 1 or 3 and N.

It appears that you can connect a switch between L and Ext to start/stop the timer.

With luck, there should be a more detailed user manual included with the timer.


UK Nest Installation - Underfloor heating including floor temperature sensor/cutoff I would like to use Google Nest with my underfloor heating system which is under a wooden floor.  Other thermostats allow the user of a floor sensor which monitors the surface temperature of the floor - a probe sitting between pipes at floor level. If the sensor records a floor surface temperature of 27 C it will shut off the system to avoid damage to the floor, even if the room is not yet up.to desired temperature.

My question is - can I achieve this with Google's Nest and Heat Link products here in the UK?

Google's support wouldn't help me, instead referring me to Nest Pros, who understandably didn't want to spend time giving me free advice.  I've been searching for days online and cannot find anything that gives me a definitive answer.

Many, many thanks if you can help me solve this! The Nest Pro I did manage to engage in a conversation said it could be done, but wouldn't tell me how. I knew I couldn't be the only person in the world with this setup!

Thanks,
Tom

If and only if Nest is now producing a thermostat that is designed specifically for in-floor heating.  All thermostats and or controllers that control the water temperature that flows through the floor have a microprocessor and algorithms coupled with actual temperature sensors embedded right in the floor that will in real time design an on & off strategy or a mixing strategy that will heat the room adequately without over-heating the floor surface.  This is a very sophisticated process.

The Nest thermostat as I understand it is really long on programming capability and the ability to control the heat from a remote location.  It also works well with a home automation system.  But this Nest thermostat simply will turn the heating system on and off. There is a whole other class of thermostat with a whole lot of other functionality that is required to control floor heating systems. Hope this helps.


How do I change lights bulbs that are 20 feet off the ground and pointing up (in a vanity fixture)? How do I change light bulbs that are 20 feet off the ground and pointing up (in a vanity fixture)? Does anyone know of a bulb changing kit that has some kind of arm attachment that will allow me to reach down inside and unscrew the bulb?

If you don't want to get an 20' extension ladder (which can be very difficult to transport home from the store), then you can get one of the  Little Giant or Werner multi-ladders:

Or you can get the werner folding ladder:

But, a good ladder will pay off in more ways than just this - cleaning gutters, etc.


How do I convert an A/C window unit from thermostat to humidistat control? I've managed to get my hands on a really nice window unit AC that can cool my entire living space (about 900 sq ft), but the downside of it being so powerful is that I either have to

leave it running on max, which gets the house too cold and uses too much electricity,
use its thermostat, which causes it to switch to just fan after the air gets cool enough, thereby re-humidifying the house. (This is problematic as the temperature setting needed to get the humidity to an acceptable level varies greatly by time-of-day and weather, and aside from eliminating extreme heat, removing humidity is my main reason for having an AC.) or,
keep manually switching it on and off based on temperature and humidity

What I'd like is to find or make a sensor-based switch I could put between the outlet and the plug to turn the unit fully on or off (not on or fan-only, where the latter actually makes the climate worse by re-introducing moisture) based on the humidity, rather than the temperature. Is there a product to do this, preferably something purely mechanical rather than over-priced electronics? I would think such a switching device would be a standard component in dehumidifiers, but I don't know what it's called or how to search for it.

Edit: Before commenting that this won't work, please be aware that the AC unit does not itself have any electronic controls that would misbehave when power is cut and restored. The control system is purely mechanical switches.

http://www.google.com/search?q=humidity+sensor+switch

assuming it is rated for the draw on your A/C unit, the very first hit is this item:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003Q6CGKW

I didn't look any further than that first hit.


Cover up these water heater pipes? I live in Austin where it's about to get much colder than normal (single digits). Unfortunately the house in question (we're not currently living there) has no power at the moment. We just had the electrical panel replaced and the city won't turn the power back on until they inspect it probably a few weeks/months from now. We are in the process of covering up all the exposed pipes around the house to prevent them from freezing. Fortunately, the water heaters run on gas so we can still have hot water in the house.
Anyhoo, we have a water heater in an outside closet next to the pool. It was recently replaced and the plumbers insulated some of the pipes in there but not all of them (see pics below).
Do any of the exposed pipes need to be insulated? I have some foam tubing I can put around them if necessary. I did notice the the exhaust vent does get fairly warm when the water heater is on. Maybe that's enough to keep everything from freezing up?
I wasn’t sure if covering up the hot water lines would be bad for them.

Defiantly cover all pipes. Several dollars worth of foam may prevent a big ,expensive problem , why even think about it ? I recently had a gas water heater replaced in the attic  and just recovered some pipe that was involved in the work. Although it was short lengths close to the heater ,I did not want to wonder if they were close enough.


Dryer vent: proximity to electrical wires We recently moved into a new home, and the ductwork for the (as yet uninstalled) LG DLE3500W electric dryer is the flexible foil type. To avoid an additional bend in the duct, it runs across some electric wires. Assuming we eliminate the slack shown in the picture below, my questions are:

Is foil ductwork okay here, or should I replace it with aluminum ducts?
Is it okay for a dryer duct to be this close to electrical wiring, or does it need to be re-routed?

In my personal opinion, this type of duct is NEVER a good idea for a dryer vent.

Lint sticks to the inside much more than smooth metal.

It's virtually impossible to clean effectively, without damaging the duct.

How long do you think it will last (contain the flames) when the lint inside catches fire?

Solid, smooth metal is the only sensible choice. Making it as short as physically possible is also sensible. Long, complex dryer vents are just an invitation to problems.

Having it touching the wires is likely to overheat that portion of the wires each time the dryer operates, so at minimum providing some insulation between the two would be better.


How do I install a ceiling light where one never existed? I am installing a hanging light fixture in a room that had no lights in the ceiling. There is a ceiling joist running down the center of the room. What is the best way to mount the fixture? Is there a finished piece that is big enough to cover the box if I mount it to the surface?

You could use a pancake box mounted directly on the joist. (I'd suggest "fan rated" for future options.) This will end up flush with the drywall. Use 2" wood screws; not drywall screws to attach.

Alternately, if you didn't want it right on the joist, and you want to be absolutely sure your fixture isn't going to come crashing down at an awkward moment, get a retrofit ceiling box with a brace. They are really easy to install and might cost you an extra 10 bucks. This will also allow for a fan in the future if you want to go that way. Old work ceiling boxes that are rated for light fixtures do exist, but you're relying on the strength of the drywall and the accuracy of your install to hold them up.


Indoor vs outdoor fire safety training for kids I want to train my two sons on how to use a fire extinguisher.

It's pretty wet this time of year in the northwest, so I was considering making a fire in our fireplace inside, and having them take turns using the extinguisher.... But could this cause a big mess inside? Or lots of smoke? etc...

If the indoor solution is no good, I think I'll have to wait for a dry night to dig a hole and make a fire in the yard (or buy a metal platform for fires).

Any advice is appreciated.

Whilst learning how to be proficient with a fire extinguisher is a good thing doing it inside in a fireplace is pretty foolhardy thing to do. There is danger of the fire bursting out of the fireplace, getting icky chemicals all over the place and the flat out mess of it all.

My suggestion regarding the fire place is to teach your youngsters the proper care, usage and cautions of using the fire place in the correct and safe way.

For the basic fire safety training (including use of the fire extinguisher) I think you should check with your local fire department or community fire safety officials to see if they offer anything in the way of training, classes or workshops. If you attended these with your youngsters and participated the same as they would it would likely have a more lasting impression on them than something ad hoc that you could fire up in your back yard.


How do I water wood to open the grain? Does anyone out there have experience with watering wood?
Specifically a new piece of red oak furniture. I want to open the grain to get better color absorption/penetration with stain.

I prefer to use dyes first.  Metallic dyes can be mixed with either alcohol or water.  Using water will raise the grain, alcohol won't.  Dyes allow a progressive tinting, that is even reversible.  Dyes penetrate more deeply, compared to pigment based stains.  Dyes can also tint shellac as a base coat and will seal the wood for any further finishes.

The grain will raise slightly with the first water coat.  Light sanding with 220 will knock it smooth. Be sure to use an dewaxed shellac as a sealer. A 1lb cut is sufficient for sealing.

Once the color is sealed, water based finishes are fast and a lot easier to get a dust free finish, compared to an oil poly.


Tool recommendation for cutting curve in tiles I need to cut curve in a few tiles. The solution I have found is to use a Dremel rotary tool with a diamond wheel. But I have read some reviews that most recent Dremels are not the same as the ones 5-6 years before, so I am not sure whether to buy it.

Are there better alternatives for this?

I believe they are basically saying "They don't make them like they used to". Which is always true. Some things get better, some get cheaper. Many companies make pencil grinders and you don't have to buy a Dremel. Look for something of a quality level and price that matches your purpose and budget.

If you only have a few small cuts to make you might consider a coping saw with an abrasive tile blade. You can also use a set of tile nippers to carefully remove small chunks of tile from a corner or edge.

If you have holes to make for pipes, they sell abrasive hole saws made for tile.

Good luck!