How to split an existing circuit breaker? My home has too many receptacles and outlets to one circuit breaker. For example i have three bedrooms, hall lights and even some bedroom
Lights connected to this circuit. My question is that I want to take some of those receptacles/outlets and place it to another circuit breaker. What is the best way to split them to another circuit breaker? Do I need to go to the panel to trace originally that one circuit breaker goes to first? Can i intercept these wires at the junction box locating those that mostly belong to that circuit (split them there) and then run new wires to the panel box to create a second circuit breaker? Or what would you suggest to lower the number of outlets/lights (22 of them) belonging to that one circuit? I do know exactly where all the wires belong to each receptacle and light fixture-that belongs to that circuit including end runs? In short how do i change that single circuit breaker so i could have two breakers to reduce the load on that circuit breaker?

Yes, you can run a new cable directly from the panel to a junction box and split it there. Getting the new cable to that box might be a problem, but you can figure that out.


Spring/Coil tool that will add pressure/force to support holding object in place I need a tool that will add pressure on a board to be able to support keep it in place. The design of the tool needs to allow other objects, the yellow board in this case, to wedge easily between the red board and the tool as shown below:

The red board has the black hook attached to it. We then need to drop it onto the yellow board like in the picture. I'm looking for something along the lines of the second drawing, where the coil/spring pushes against it.

I'm also open to any other tool that can accomplish this

Use wooden shims.  You can use two of them (pointing opposite directions) to get a nice flat surface, and if they are not thick enough on their own, use more scrap wood to tighten the gap.

This solution is easy to tap into place and later remove with a small hammer, will give you as little or as much clamping as you need.

If you need to move this item around a lot, just glue one shim in place (on the metal), so install and removal can be done with one hand.


How can I wire an HD antenna into my attic? I have a 2 year old house 2 floors and then an attic that you have to use a pulldown to get into.  The house has an ethernet cable (90% sure it is an ethernet cable) that is in the attic, I have a HD antenna that I want to hookup in the attic, that comes with a 100 foot cable, so I am pretty sure it will reach there.  On the 1st floor I have a relatively cheap media cabinet where all the ethernet/cable cables originate from.  How can I pipe the tv antenna cable up into the attic?

There's no substitute for it:  You're going to have to fish that wire.  A couple observations:
1.  If you were the "cable guy" you'd probably take the easy way out:  Drill from the living room through an exterior wall, then go up the outside of that wall.  Pretty cheesy, but common enough that people pretty much accept it without much question.  I'd recommend against it, since you don't need any extra penetrations of your exterior walls, but it is commonly done.
2.  The right way is to fish it up an interior wall or chase:  You could cut into a wall, fish the wire, then repair the drywall.  Or you could run it up a corner and make a mini chase by covering the wire with some kind of molding.  Or you could run it in a surface mount wiring tray. I've even seen some people get pretty creative with removing door molding and running wires in the space between the jamb and the framing, then drilling up through the header to get through the ceiling.  But I wouldn't recommend it, because you'll more than likely weaken the header when you drill it.  What this all adds up to is, unless you're feeling pretty ambitious, you may want to call in a pro.

Edit after all this typing:  There are TV Tuner-over-ethernet products out there.  Perhaps you put the antenna in the attic, put the TV Tuner sending unit up there, and put the TV-Tuner receiving unit in your media cabinet.  Whereby you can ignore my entire first paragraph.  :-)


Should I remove old thinset to install backsplash in kitchen? I've recently had new kitchen cabinets installed in my kietchen. I'd like to install a new backsplash as well, the old one has been removed as shown in the picture below:

My question is - should i sand off or further remove the thinset in order to properly install a new backsplash, or is the old dried thinset still OK to leave on there without issue?

I installed subway tile with an accent strip around the top in a bathroom, and the drywall was severely damaged from removing the previous tile. I ended up doing a skim coat of drywall mud (there was not any thin set mortar left, just chunks and gouges out of the drywall from taking off the old tile with paper torn off everywhere) then painting it to seal the mud and finally sanding it a little to give the thinset a dull surface to adhere to instead of a glossy surface.

If you do try to scrape off the thin set, a bent angle painters' scraper that is used to remove wallpaper works great. If you are going to try a skim coat with mortar, you probably will have to bring the outlets out a little to compensate for the added thickness. Originally I was going to use glass tiles for the accent pieces on my wall, but the contractor I hired to set the tub told me that they are terrible to cut and they show wall imperfections behind them, so I don’t have any experience with working with those.


Flat roof ponding near drain - should roof be raised? We recently raised a dipped section of our flat roof in order to reduce ponding. We're not sure we've raised the roof enough. Here's what it looked like as the rains died down.

Do you all think we need the roof raised here? Or did we raise it enough?

2" deep puddles on a flat roof are a definite problem, and imply at least 16 feet of problem if the minimum 1/8" slope to drain is to be restored/preserved/maintained. And if that makes new puddles, even more area needs to be fixed.

I'm not clear on your (non-described) process, but this mess seems ripe for building up a proper surface with rigid foam and a new membrane, rather than jacking the roof boards from underneath, if that's what you have been doing.

Regardless of process, the entire roof surface needs to slope at least 1/8" per foot towards the drains. No part of the roof should actually be "flat".


DIY way to wash sand/clay out of driveway gravel? I hate how the sand and fine dust blows around on our dairy farm's gravel driveway in the dry summer months.

It's not reasonable to talk about blacktop due to the long driveway and the fact that it would get pummeled and potholed year-round by a huge heavy milk truck constantly rolling in and out.

Is there any reasonably low cost DIY way to remove the sand and clay dust from a gravel driveway myself, that does not involve:

hire contractor to remove 6-18 inches of gravel top layer
they haul it away to an old quarry for burial
they bring in washed gravel to replace it

I've been looking for some way to do this myself, to buy or rent a very small sized "gravel wash plant", but I don't think there's anything affordable. I might have to build a one-off machine myself to do it.

(Most web searches for this topic are SEO'd heavily by idiot mining and gold prospector companies. Trying to find answers via a direct web search for a "DIY wash plant" is useless, as it all is steered in the direction of huge expensive mining and highway resurfacing equipment.)

In order to not create a ridiculously huge mess, I'd apparently need:

baby track excavator to pull up the gravel
baby trommel (rotating screened barrel sieve) with high pressure water spray wash heads
settling tank or centrifugal separator to separate the agitated/suspended sand and clay from the wash water
sealed dump truck bed for the liquified clay and wet sand.

The separated sand and clay gets dumped out in a pile in a back field or woods area somewhere, and goes back to nature.

Once all the clay is removed (consisting of possibly 50% or more of the volume of gravel removed for cleaning), I'd apparently still need to bring dump trucks full of fresh washed gravel to replace the large volume of clay removed.

Signs seem to point in the direction of just hiring a contractor as mentioned at the top, as full-DIY is probably going to be too ridiculously complex and expensive, requiring buying or building one-off gravel wash, and clay/sand settling equipment, that then is never used again.

Also, I am aware this is not a permanent solution, as the gravel will slowly fill with sand and clay dust as the years go by. But it may be a decade or more before it gets very dusty again.

The clay/sand/finds help bind the gravel and create a macadamized and tough surface.  Removing the fines will loosen the gravel, and unless you have  a vibrating tamper/grader, your road will be in far worse condition when you are done.

Traditionally, people simply watered the roads to keep the dust down, but you can also put some lime on it.


Any fabrics that block visible light without blocking IR/Bluetooth? I'm wondering what materials would block visible light (emitted from LEDs, for example) but would not impede IR signals or Bluetooth.

Context: I'd love to block all the blinky lights on my home theater setup without invalidating any of my remotes and PS4 controllers (or wifi devices). Ideally I'm looking for a fabric of some sort, but open to other suggestions.

I'm thinking it would be cute to install a pull curtain over the part of my shelving where I want to block the visible lights, thus why I'm inquiring after fabrics. If there's a glass or other material that might work, then I might consider a door of some sort.

Any help/insight would be appreciated. Note that I am aware of IR repeaters and am not interested in installing one. Plus my understanding is that it wouldn't help at all with my PS4 controllers.

EDIT: Many have suggested I just "tape" over the lights themselves. I really would prefer not to do this, as I find value in being able to see the lights easily when I need to debug an issue. For example, one piece of equipment is an HDMI switcher where the lights indicate which input source is currently selected; it doesn't switch automatically with the Apple TV I have connected to it, so I would need to see the lights to determine if I need to switch the input. I need to do this before consuming media, not during, thus why I'm interested in a fabric or a door that can conceal the lights temporarily. Another item in this space is my cable modem, so same deal: if my internet is acting wonky, I want to see those lights easily. But if my internet is fine, I don't want to see them while watching a movie or playing PS4.

Unless you get metal lined material or mirrored glass doors the radio won't have an issue. And to be honest even if you did it would probably still work fine by going through the wood or whatever the sides of the shelves are made of unless they are solid metal.

Any solid fabric is going to block the IR. You could potentially go with a fairly lose weave fabric so that the light can get through the holes. The remote will probably still work but you will also still be able to see the blinking lights.
If the amp is right at the front of the shelf you could potentially put a small hole in the curtain in line with the IR receiver in the amp to allow the remote to get through. But if there is any separation between the two you end up either needing a big hole or the remote only works from one direction.

A dark tinted glass or plastic may be your best option. Some will block IR, some won't. The problem is being able to test the material without having to first buy some doors made out of it.
You could do a test, get some of the stick on limo tint plastic, it's fairly cheap, and see if your IR remote works through that with sufficient range. If so then get some plain glass doors and add the tint. That wouldn't completely block the blinking lights but would make them a lot dimmer.

The other option is the more direct approach, put something over the blinking lights. You could use something solid like a sheet of black plastic in front of everything with a cutout where the IR receiver is.  Or you could use a dark colored tape and put it only over the lights.
Visually not always the nicest approach but once everything in there is dark then you could put some fairly transparent glass doors over the front and it wouldn't be visible.


Painting walls after taking down wallpaper What do I need to do to be able to paint walls that at one time had wallpaper on them. I want to take wallpaper down and then paint. Help

This really depends on how the old wallpaper was installed, what type it was, if the walls were primed before and so on.

Best case scenario (happens 10-15% of the time I have to redo walls) is that your walls were painted/primed, they didn't glob on glue, the glue has broken down due to age and you simply pull off wallpaper and paint.

Good case scenario is that after you pull off wallpaper you are left with some felt/paper or some glue residue.  Here I suggest using super hot water and vinegar and a grout sponge (rough side).  If it is really bad you can go through with fine drywall sandpaper (black mesh).

Bad case scenario is wall paper has to be thoroughly wetted and scraped off using a wall paper scraper.  Then you have to fix issues with drywall mud and sand that down, prime, and paint.

Worst case scenario is wall paper is stuck on the wall and the walls haven't been primed.  Wall paper tears off drywall top layer no matter what you do.  At that point its a test of will.  Will you tear down all the drywall (the sane/faster way but also "harder") or will you diligently scrape off every single inch, do tons of touch up which equates to skimming mud on the whole wall...


Why can't I (or: shouldn't I) run a power cord through a wall? I would like to wall-mount my TV and have the wall be as clean as possible. I found this box and my idea was to mount this on the back side of that same wall , then run the power cable (and other cables like Ethernet and Audio) through a hole in the wall to the back, where I can plug everything in without having a wire mess in the front. The room layout and the fact that the TV is very thin and the mount is visible from the sides, makes anything behind it visible from some angle, so I'd like to minimize that...

The fact that every single cable plate specifically says "low voltage" makes me sceptical whether this is possible / allowed. I can't see the real-life issue with it, but would I run into legal/code issues if I installed it that way? If so, what's a smarter way to solve this? I would just like to have as few cables in the front. Any help appreciated!

Sidenote: I'm in Massachusetts and a homeowner (in case that makes a difference regarding code).

Of course it's illegal to run power cords inside walls. National Electrical Code 400.8 rolls through the things you can't do with cord, and it's mostly a list of schemes to use them as a substitute for the permanent wiring of a structure.  Nope, just nope.

Data cables, on the other hand, can go right into the wall cavity.  Punch a hole in the drywall and drop the cables down to another hole you've punched out; reach into the lower hole and fish the cables out, it's that easy.  In fact, cable ducts that don't provide power are nothing more than a pretty frame for those holes.  There's not even a real duct.

But take a close look at that cable duct that you linked.  See the 2-socket receptacle built into the cable duct?  Behind the receptacle is a  proper junction box: it is to be installed using normal and proper wiring methods for in-wall wiring, such as MC, NM, UF or conduit. Separately from that, the data-cable hatch is just an opening into the wall cavity.

...or use an inlet

Some TV ducts come in two parts, providing an upper and lower duct.  The upper duct has a receptacle but the lower duct has a power inlet, which is hardwired to the outlet via MC or other legal in-wall wiring method... as part of the kit.  In that type, you plug an extension cord between the inlet and power strip you're using for the rest of the entertainment center.  That lets you turn off the TV on a surge suppressor.

You ar also welcome to hire an electrician to install a receptacle and inlet, connected through the wall using proper wiring methods.  Or DIY if you are able.

Cheat the rule - low voltage wiring

Some TVs actually use low voltage internally. Either they have a low voltage (e.g. 12V) input, or they use a "wall wart" or power brick to convert their power to low voltage before it even reaches the TV.

Low voltage circuits of 55 watts or less follow the same rules as data cables, i.e. You are allowed to run them inside wall cavities on flexible cordage.   So if you are able to power the TV with low voltage, that is the way to beat the rule.


Is there any reason that plumbing can't be adjacent to a heating/cooling duct? I'm installing a utility sink and the only place to put the plumbing (if it's going to be right under the sink) is either directly behind or infront of this vent... Is there any reason not to put it within inches of the duct vent?
The sink will be on legs so it's not going to block the duct.

In my experience, there are at least two things you should be aware of.

Running hot and cold water lines will cause the water temperature in the lines to change a lot quicker than ambient. The actual distance of the run and distance between pipe and duct will affect the effect. When my air conditioner is running, the hot water gets cold within 15 minutes since it's last use and then requires running the water for an extra minute or two to clear the lines. The opposite is true for the could water when the heater is run. This is really only a minor inconvenience, but a moderate inefficiency.
A floor vent in a room with running water will eventually flood, even if it's only a small spill or leak. The water will run through the vent and eventually come out in an inconvenient and unexpected location. The moist duct will collect lint, then mildew or mold and will be a pain to get clean.

Because of point 2, I would strongly recommend raising the duct and vent at least an inch proud of the floor around it.


Which end of an Allen Wrench should I be using? When using Allen Wrenches (Hex Keys), I've always held onto the long end because I figured it gave me better leverage and torque.  Sometimes, in hard to reach places, I would hold the short end.

Then I saw these ball end hex keys.  They claim that:

  The advantage is that their ball end make it easier to slide the
  wrench into the receiving slot.

In my opinion, they've put the ball end on the wrong side.

Have I been using these incorrectly my whole life?

The ball end of the wrench fits less securely in the socket than the squared off end so you can't apply as much torque without risk of the wrench slipping or stripping the bolt head. So it makes sense that if your wrench only has the ball end on one end, that it's on the long end so you have to use the short end to hold the wrench to limit how much torque you can apply. That preserves the more securely fitting squared off short end for applying the most torque on the fastener while you hold the long end.

Its ok  to use either end of the wrench on the fastener and sometimes space limitations will force you to use one or the other.


How can I control two ceiling fans and lights with one single pole switch? I have two ceiling fans with two aftermarket light kits installed, all controlled from one single pole switch. So when switch is flipped, both fans and lights turn on or off at the same time. Only way to individually control each ceililng fan is to manually pull the chains. Is it possible to control the lights and fans separately using one single pole switch (switch that has fan/light controls)?

FYI - There is currently only a single black wire going from the breaker, to the switch, to the ceiling fans. I'm guessing some sort of canopy module would be needed? Is it possible to control the lights via the switch, but the ceiling fans via a remote system?

The only product that I know of that will do what you want is the Lutron Maestro Light/Fan control.  This product consists of a switch and canopy module.  The switch will digitally talk to the canopy module over the single ungrounded wire and control lights/fan separately.  The kits are one switch and one module but the switch can talk to 4 modules at once.


How can I reduce outside noise inside my apartment? I would like to reduce the outside noise from inside my apartment. Outside, of my apartment is the hallway, and it can get noisy.

I was thinking about placing felt pads on my door to reduce the noise. My thinking is the sound vibrations from outside travel underneath the door and reach my room. My strategy is to place felt pads on the sides of my door, so the distance between the floor, the door ceiling and the door edges is minimal, meaning sound vibrations can't penetrate that place.

If you have other answers, lets hear them.

Your options are limited being in an apartment, since you likely can't make very many permanent changes.  I'll run through some ideas, though.

First, putting felt pads on the sides may help a little, but not for the reasons you think.  They will do very little to dampen the vibrations -- you need mass or a dedicated damping agent for that.  What the felt pads will help with is to reduce the mount of air flow through the door.  Air flow is one of the absolute enemies of sound proofing.  The more completely you can seal a door, the better it'll be.  If you have the opportunity to attach an automatic door bottom (surface mount) and then some gaskets, then that'll go a long way towards quieting the noise.

Is your door hollow core?  That is, does it sound hollow when you knock on it?  If so, then you may look into replacing it with a solid core door.  This can be done on a temporary basis as long as the hinges match up and you can simply pop out the old one and pop in the new one.  A solid core door (especially a 1-3/4" thick one) will do a substantially better soundproofing job than a hollow core one.  It does depend on you sealing it, though (see above) or else a lot of that benefit will disappear.

Beyond that... well, it really depends on how leeway you have towards making alternations to your apartment and how what your budget is.  Attaching mass loaded vinyl to the walls and door would help, but would get pretty expensive very fast.  Building an entirely separate interior wall would do a massive amount of help, but would absolutely cause noticeable marks when it was later removed.  The flooring under the wall will certainly have to be re-done.


Ground wire behaves weird I never experienced this and it doesn't really make sense.

I installed recessed lights(6) with the switch. I connected them all in parallel. The house uses only two wires for lights, white and black. I connected all ground wire and connected it together. I also tried to connect ground wire to every metal box so it's all grounded.

When I turned on the circuit breaker the lights were ON bypassing the switch. The switch was connected correctly interrupting black wire. The only logical thought I had was that the live wire is white and is trying to go through the bulbs into the ground. So I disconnected ground wire in the main box and that worked. But it still doesn't make sense because bulbs aren't connected to the ground wire. They are connected to white and black. Their box is connected to the ground wire.

Does anyone has any explanation for this?

Best guess from the limited details is that you have a ground/neutral short somewhere and also a switched neutral. That would result in the lights always being hot and turning on as soon as there's a path to neutral or ground.

To diagnose this, you'll need a voltage tester that can handle line voltage (120vac). White to ground should read near 0v, white to hot should read 120v, and ground to hot should read 120v. Then disconnect the line from the load and check for continuity in the circuit. The switch should show no continuity when off, and near 0 ohms when on. And the ground should show no continuity from both the hot and neutral wiring. The neutral to hot should show continuity until the lights are removed from the sockets, at which point it should show no continuity.

If the voltage readings indicate a reversed hot/neutral, then correct them and label the issue so it doesn't confuse a future electrician. If the continuity tests show unusual readings, there's likely a short and I'd recommend disconnecting the light fixtures and retesting after connecting them back one by one until you locate the short.

Standard disclaimer: if you're at all uncomfortable around household voltage or do not know the proper safety precautions, please consider hiring a professional electrician.


How to reinforce a joist with plumbing running through it? After removing the sub floor in my bathroom in order to extend the sewer pipe for the toilet (it's too close to the tank-side wall), I found that the floor joists have extremely large holes cut in them to make way for the plumbing.
What are my options for reinforcing them?  I don't think I could do a sister joist both because of the plumbing running through the joist and because the joist runs quite a ways through the floor of my second story, and adding a sister joist would involve taking up a ton of the floor.
Should I brace it with steel bridging?  I'm concerned about the potential vertical load.
What options do I have?
The room is approx 74" by 105" (the 105" runs in the same direction as the joists, it appears that the joists are at least that long, but may extend beneath other rooms)
Joists are 15/8 inches wide, 71/2 inches tall.
There is a 1st floor bathroom below.  There is a tub in the 1st floor bathroom bordered by 3 walls - one of these walls runs perpendicular to the joists 4 feet away from the wall shown on the right in the first picture below.

You can see in this close-up that the furthest joist is completely missing it's bottom:

I had an electrician notch the top 5" of a 2x10 (9" old growth Douglas fir) in the middle of an 18' span.
I brought in a structural engineer and he said the 18' 2x10 was already over current span code limits without the 5" notch.  He specified 3/4" continuous ply gussets nailed to each side of the joist extending 18" past each side of the notch.  He allowed the gussets to only be the 4" height and fit under the notch.
In your case, you are not in the middle span, I assume this is the start of the joist?
The toilet rough in appears to have completely cut through the joist so there is no connection and it has been blocked to the side joist with a single 2x4 and a single nail.
You likely want to get a structural engineer to specify a prescriptive fix for this.  A site visit and prescription is likely to cost less than $1,000 and be well worth it.
You might be able to sister with steel that is shallow and could sit above and below the plumbing penetrations and not need to be sistered the full length of the joist.


Can I build a hot tub using lumber? So, as it stands now I am hoping to build a hot tub from lumber. I've done ponds and makeshift pools and such, but this I want to be a lasting thing. It'll be framed and then lined with a thick rubber.

The hot tub will be rectangular or square, on a professionally poored concrete pad. I don't think I'm worried about weight of the tub pushing onto concrete, correct me if I'm wrong. I plan on using lumber in the 2x4 to 4x4 range. But could go bigger.

My concern is would the weight of the water put to much force pushing out? Thinking like either 6'x6'x3'. Or 8x8x3'. Maybe a 5'x10'x3'. I may increase depth to four foot.

Any of you guys see an issue with the weight of the water if I fully frame and support the outer structure? Or anything else?

You need to calculate the outward force.

Assume 8' x 8' x 3' hot tub, filled to the top.

3 ft of head * 0.424 * 1(specific gravity of water) = 1.302 psi

That's the pressure at the bottom.  Obviously the pressure at the top is 0.
If I were to sketch the pressure gradient, it would be a triangle, so we can easily calculate the average pressure as 1.302 /2 = 0.651 psi.

That pressure is acting over an area of 8x3x 144 = 3456 si.

So the outward force on the side wall is 0.651 lb/si * 3456 si = 2250 lbs.

For tipping purposes, take this force to be acting as a point load at a height of 1 ft from the ground (Centroid of the pressure gradient triangle).

So, whatever you build will need to support an outward push of 1 ton on each wall.  You might be able to get away with it using some sort of steel banding, but I wouldn't consider it with just lumber -- your corners are going to rip apart.

Look into buying a pre-formed fiberglass hot tub liner.  That will support the outward forces, and all you have to do is build the appropriate frame to support it.


How high can I stretch my washing machine drain hose? The waste hose through which the water is removed from my washing machine is inserted into a vertical pipe extending from the floor with a U shape at its end.

The problem is that there is foam coming out of the pipe where the waste hose is inserted.

Can I extend the pipe that is after (above) the U to leave more room for the foam to form and hopefully prevent it from overspilling?

Is there a height limit ?

If the hose can reach 1 meter above the washing machine, does it mean that it is safe to have the hose connected so high?

Is there a danger of causing damage to the washing machine's water pump that pushes the water outside if it has to push a water column that is too long/high ?

An overflow of suds is what you get when you use too much laundry detergent, or when you use a cleaning compound that is not intended for use in a washing machine.

If you are using an appropriate product and you are getting excess foam (foaming out of the machine, or residual foam in the garments, or foaming out of the drain), cut the amount you use in half. If you continue to get foam, cut it in half again, and so on. For example, if you normally use 1 cup, reduce to ½ up, then to ¼ cup, and so on. Do this until you eliminate the foam problem.

If at that point you are not getting adequate cleaning, increase the amount by ½. For example, if you reduced the amount to ½ cup, try ¾ cup. If you cannot get adequate cleaning without foaming, your detergent is at fault. Get a better quality detergent and start over.

If you have a top loading machine, you can use any standard machine laundry detergent. If you have a front loading machine, you should limit yourself to detergents which are compatible with front loaders. These are often labeled "high efficiency" detergents. Foaming products, such as those made for manual washing of delicate garments, and other foaming products such as hand dish soap or soaps for hand cleaning, should never be used in a washing machine.

This answer is based on information I learned while managing a detergent manufacturing company and laboratory.


How do I fix a leak in this roof? A few days ago we had a good amount of rain that fell over a 36 hour period.  During this time, a leak showed its ugly face. I got up into the attic, found the water stream and traced it back outside to the pictures you see below.  The shingles are about at half of their life.

For reference, I didn't know the exact names, I cheated and used this that way I could speak half-intelligently on it and probably even make sense.

As you can see from the pictures, the water seems to be rolling up under the edge  (where's the drip edge?! even I know that one), getting under the the fascia and on the soffit.  I have a good feeling its following that outside wall there and getting inside.  Bonus, this is a joint between two, decently long slopes (~12'), so it sees a LOT of volume.  As a matter of fact, that last picture, the wood is STILL wet -- it rained 2+ days ago.

Anyway, my idea is to pull the rotten pieces out, nail in some flashing, replace the rotten pieces with fresh ones, maybe put in a drip edge if I can.  Anyone else have any better ideas/pointers and also -- if I had someone do this, what would that run?

It is really impossible to correctly answer this question without discovering the root of the problem. Some removal of shingles and or siding may be necessary to inspect the flashing etc. If you find the problem in the valley or around the sidewall, i'd recommend using some ice and water shield under any flashing that may have to be replaced. It can be difficult to find these leaks, so start high and work you way down.  Good luck.


I have a Kenmore dryer that the Timer doesn't time and I have no heat I have a Sears Kenmore dryer that the timer doesn't time and the heater doesn't turn on and the dryer does tumble, model 110.66652501, this is an electric heat dryer.  I have already tried to replace the time and there is still no change.  Also, if it is the thermostat fuse would that cause the timer to not function?

So if someone could let me know which wire is the for the timer and the heater I could follow them?

You may have a broken supply wire.  This could happen one of several ways.

A broken "hot" wire (L1 or L2) would knock out the 240V components (heaters) and randomly knock out some or all 120V components (timer, drum, etc.)
A broken "neutral" wire would allow power to the 240V components(heaters), but may not allow them to turn on, as it would randomly break and even damage 120V components such as the timer controls, drum, etc.

Warning: On the obsolete, 3-prong NEMA-10 dryer sockets , a broken neutral is extremely dangerous, because the entire metal chassis of the dryer becomes energized at 120V, either all the time, or the moment it is switched on.  A person can get a fatal shock if they touch the dryer and also anything properly grounded, like the washing machine right next to it, a water pipe, receptacle or switch, etc.  A 4-prong NEMA 14 should be safe if both cord and receptacle are installed correctly.

Turn off the dryer circuit breaker and unplug the dryer.  If it's a 3-prong NEMA-10 socket, proceed with great care, and maybe even call an electrician.  (not something I say lightly - those guys cost money). If at all possible, upgrade to NEMA 14 -- and remember, you can reuse the existing 3-wire and retrofit a ground wire separately from the other wires!  You would also need to change the dryer cord, and remove the neutral-ground jumper on the dryer.

It's rare for a cable to be damaged (though it does happen, especially if you've recently done construction or had a handling problem.)  Usually, a wiring problem is at one of the terminations.  So it's possible for a homeowner to skill-up on electrical, get a few basic tools, shut off the circuit, and follow it, disassembling and inspecting each connection point for a bad connection or broken device.  This often yields fruit, but it does require some learning.

It's also possible for wires to come loose between the dryer cord and the dryer proper.  This, you can do, by unplugging the dryer, pulling it back, and checking the connections.

Why am I up-playing a wiring problem and downplaying a mechanical problem? Because you report 2 things failed at the exact same time: the timer and the heaters. That's not likely.


How do I frame walls on an uneven concrete slab? I'd like to convert (and finish) the back section of my 2-car tandem garage into a separate utility room.  This would involve 4 walls and a floor.  2 of the walls would be attached to concrete walls, 1 would be attached to existing house/garage wall, one would be new to separate front car space from rear utility space. My concrete slab garage floor is sloped towards the center to allow for drainage into a sewer pipe.

How do I frame everything to be plumb and level when the garage floor has slope?

You could lay your top and bottom plate, then measure and cut each stud. But since it's not structural you can prefab your wall a little short of your finished dimensions and then shim under each stud. Either way a chalk line and a laser really help


Load Bearing Beam Hole So my dad came over today to do electrical but I didn't realize he was going to drill holes into the load bearing beam to route cables.

It looks like this and there's 2 of them:

The diameter of the hole is 1 inch.

One in a 14ftx6in beam and another in a shorter beam I'm guessing 6ftx6in.

Is this okay or should I somehow fix them? I read that you can use epoxy glue to fill the holes?

Thanks,

I wouldn't be taking you father-in-laws key from him or you'll find yourself outside sleeping with the dog.

I think I understand all your dimensions and explanations. Very good...except I want to clarify two things: A.) The 260" long beam runs PARALLEL to the 160" long beam, but they are NOT side by side. That is to say, they're separated by 10' or so, and B.) When you say the 330" and 264" long joists are PARALLEL, you mean PERPENDICULAR.

If so to BOTH those issues, then the following applies and you can still let you father-in-law help with the remodel.

1) These are older style glue-laminated beams. (Beams now are 5 1/8" wide.) These beams are fairly "beefy" which indicate they are holding up a significant part of your house.  In fact, they are size appropriately to hold up 2 stories.

2) With the holes, their size has essentially been reduced to 5 1/4" wide x 10 1/2" high.  (I'm guessing all the holes are drilled up from the bottom about the same distance.)

3) The maximum load on the beams, (this means when all your friends come over for your daughter's birthday party and stand on the beam,) is about 1,000 lbs. per foot.

4) The 60" beam will support a gazillion pounds plus a car. No worry.

5) The 160" long beam will barely support 950 lbs. per foot, depending on the sources of wood, etc. (I don't know where this is located...I doubt Kenya.) However, the good news is that is a lot of support and I wouldn't worry about being 50 lbs. off the MAXIMUM allowable load for that beam.

6) The 260" long beam has some problems. We calculate beams for bending, shear and deflection. This beam can support about 350 lbs. per foot, about 600 lbs. per foot and about 250 lbs. per foot. Not so good.

Now, the good news: beams fail by cracking over time or bend and allow walls setting on / near the beam to settle and crack. So, we can monitor the area over this beam and see if cracks develop in the walls above the beam or the beam starts to crack. (You probably won't see the beam start to crack, because this failure is going to be "horizontal shear". Which means cracks will be horizontal in the beam and be disguised by the grain.) But you will see cracks in the walls above the beams until they become unsightly. Beams are designed to fail in tension first...not in compression, which would fail with an explosion...that's the good news.

Houses are grossly over designed (here in the states). Depending on where the hole is drilled (how far in from the end of the beam) it may not matter...much. If you want, let me know 1) where the hole is located along the beam, 2) species of beam, (or if you don't know let me know where the house is located,) and 3) keep all waterbeds and parties over 100 off this beam.


How to turn off all power to the electric panel? What if I want to run all new wiring in my house and also replace a panel.
Is there a way to disconnect main line somehow before it comes to the panel?

You need to call your utility company and have them come and disconnect the meter.

To re-install it, they will likely require the new panel has passed inspection, so be sure to check and coordinate that as well.


How was the wood grain aligned in this set of decorative wall panels? Can anyone tell me how the wood finish look on this wall was achieved? My guess was either by staining plywood or using vinyl sticker.

I am planning to  build a wall panel similar to this and was trying to find an affordable option.

Any suggestions???

Those are match grain veneer panels. They are usually made by attaching selected hardwood veneers to plywood using contact glues. Veneers can be purchased from specialty woodworking dealers.

The technique is not hard but requires some care (and practice) to get straight, bubble-free surfaces.


Window Manufacturer - Anyone recognize this window? I am trying to find the manufacturer of this window or anyone that sells it.  I'm in the northeast (NY).  It's set in a poured concrete foundation.  The glass only has "strips" on either side (which is unusual), so the top/bottom actually fit into the tracks in the window frame.  Need to find the "strips" if possible, as the previous owner of my home broke the windows when they were locked-out and threw out the strips instead of trying to replace the glass.  I tried Home Depot, Lowe's...asked several concrete companies, construction supply stores, etc. with no luck.  window/glass

You may very well be looking till doomsday trying to find repair parts for old broken windows. And even if you do find parts you will still be left with some thirty five or forty year old window.

You will likely be better off looking at ripping out the remnants of the window and replacing it with something new that is double or triple glazed in an all vinyl frame that will provide much better energy efficiency than the old unit ever did.

Measure carefully and study replacement type window styles that will install easily. Most windows like this are custom made to size.


How to create or find a PVC coupling for a 2" diameter PVC to a 2" 1/8 diameter PVC? I am a pool service tech working on a very old pool for a client.  I am fixing what is called a discharge leak currently.  I installed a new fitting onto the pump which uses the standard 2" PVC schedule 40 pipe.  What I need is something like the following.

Pump Fitting —> 2” PVC (requires 2” 3/4 diameter reducer on this side) —> (reducer) —> 2” 1/8” PVC (requires 2” 1/2 on this side) -> Rest of her System

Essentially I need a reducer that has a diameter of 2 1/2 inch on one side and 2 3/8 inch on the other.

Some things I noticed:

Fittings require 3/8" difference increase from diameter of the pipe to fit it for snug fits.  I found this by studying a 2" fitting diameter and that is the difference from a 2" pvc pipe in diameter.

Her System

Her plumbing system uses 2" 1/8" diameter piping for some reason which is making it very difficult to connect the pipes from her current system to the new fitting for the pump which uses 2" diameter piping to fit nicely.

The Question

How do I do this? Where can I buy this type of fitting or how can I make it manually?

Possible Solutions

I did a little research and I have an idea but I don't know if this will work.

Idea #1: There is a technique where you can heat the PVC pipe to soften it.  I noticed the diameter of the 2" PVC pipe (for the thin pipe part it's self) is exactly 1/8", this means if I heat the 2" PVC correctly I can warp it possibly to be 2 1/4" diameter since the width is 1/8" equally for the pipe it will expand the pipe 1/8" equally all around making a new size of 2 1/4" which will fit the 2 1/8" pipe maybe? (Assuming I do this procedure first with the 2" pipe and then with the 2 and 1/8" pipe to add another 1/4" around warping it twice)

I think it will fit the 2 1/8" diameter piping because 3/8" extra is required for snug fits from my tests.  and 1/8" or + 3/8 = 4/8 or 2 1/2" diameter. I got the idea from this video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKkMM_b_Mc8 , but not sure if this will work?

Any ideas on this?

Idea #2: They do sell 2 1/2" reducers to 2", however, 2" is not 2 3/8 inch required to fit standard 2" diameter pipes, but I could use the heating technique from above to fit a 2" pipe into it creating the 3/4" difference this way and fitting it in?

A Fernco type coupling may work.  These are available to fit a lot of different pipe types. They are available at the BB stores or the plumbing supply houses. They provide a lot of flexibility. I would get a very inexpensive caliper and get the exact outer diameters.  Then talk to someone in a plumbing supply house about the right or closest Fernco size. Good Luck. P.


Can I extend my loft hatch opening? I am hoping to extend the opening for my loft hatch using the following method.

I want to move the cross piece from position Q to position P. I intend to screw a temporary support across the top of the joists at position P. Then remove the cross piece at position Q, cut joist B where it intersects with line P and reattached the removed cross piece by screwing it to joist A and C. I will then remove the temporary support.

I have two questions:

Does this method sound sensible?
The cross piece is currently nailed between joists A and C. How can I go about removing it? The nails are driven in below the surface so I can't see how to get any tool on to them. Is there some other method? Ideally I would like to reuse the cross piece, but I can replace it if necessary.

Your plan sounds fine.

If it were me, I would likely do the temporary support from beneath (a temporary stud extending from the floor below, intersecting the ceiling at the intersection of B and P).  Either way, I think you will be fine.

A reciprocating saw is the right tool for this job.  It will allow you to cut the nails holding the existing cross member in place.

I'm not sure of your particular situation, but since you are already reframing the opening, you should consider adding a drop-down ladder.  As long as you have the space, this will make the attic much more usable in general.


How do I select the right generator? I'm looking for advice on what kind of generator I should get for my mobile home. We have had 3 pretty bad storms (2 hurricanes, 1 blizzard) and am looking to give my home backup power.

Now I have done some research and I am looking for a generator to run my heat, refrigerator, entertainment system, and maybe hot water heater.

My biggest concern is my heat and hot water; my heat is oil burner and hot air and my hot water heater is a 30 gallon tank. My entertainment is all relatively new (purchased within the last 2 years so I know my TV doesn't draw more than 300 watts). Now what I have noticed is it looks like both water heater and my heat are running on 110V.  I do not see 240V anywhere but my dryer. My service coming in is only rated for 60A by the way. I've heard that the are start-up loads and nominal loads. I'm not sure what size I would need and most likely wouldn't have both the heat and hot water on at same time but in the event that does happen I want to know I'm OK.

Also I install entertainment for a living and have a general knowledge of electrical. I would prefer to keep this within a budget.

I wouldn't need a transfer switch either; I would probably install a sub-panel.

List up any device you'd like to run from the generator, every machine and every lightbulb, too. Look into the manuals or on labels of these devices and sum up their power consumption (Volts and Ampere). Add 10% and look for the next bigger generator.


How can I convert my dryer to plug in in my apartment There are no hook ups in my apartment there is an air conditioning unit though. Is there away to connect my dryer there

You can't modify the building wiring without your landlord's permission, period.  And you won't get it.  Most places it's not even his permission to give, as by local ordinance, work on rental units must be done by licensed electricians.  If he is willing to give permission, and you are willing to front the cost of the electrician, then you might as well do it right and install a proper NEMA 14-30 receptacle and dryer vent. Do not install a 10-30 simply because your dryer has that cord: change cord to a 14-30.

That said, it's possible, not easy, to hack a dryer to run on 120V only.  The secret is that a 240V heating element will also work on 120V at half the amps and 1/4 the power.  This puts it within reach of a common 120V/15A receptacle.  It will dry clothes rather slowly and more by blowing dry air around than actual heat... So you'll need the dryer exhaust to be absolutely tip-top.  If the dryer is discharging into the dryer room, it will be ingesting its own 100% humidity air, and won't dry at all.


Should i use Acetone on the walls before painting? Can i use Acetone on my bedroom walls before painting with Latex satin? I washed walls in another room with soap and water, painted the walls. When i took off the frog tape 1 hour later, the paint came off with it. It was like the paint had turned to plastic. Help!

You can use a primer.

A latex primer will help the latex paint adhere to the wall. The latex paint may not be sticking if there is too much soap left over on the wall. A primer will stick a lot easier and the latex paint will stick to that without issue.

Since it only takes an hour (though you should probably wait longer than the minimum time), you might also try making sure there is no soap left over on the wall. If it's still failing, I'd go with a latex primer.

To directly answer the question: No; you should not use acetone.


removing electrical sockets from bathroom I'm in the process of planning a conversion of a room, from kitchen to bathroom.

I live in the UK and there are regulations prohibiting electrical sockets to be within 3m of a bath or shower, essentially meaning I need to have them all removed - there are 2 single sockets, 4 double sockets, and a fused outlet for the cooker.

My question is, how should I go about making these outlets safe so I can ideally fill & skim over the top of where they were - should the wires be removed from the walls, or is it safe to have them disconnected from the fuse box and terminate the other ends, then plaster over the top?
They are part of the top floor ring circuit, so I may need to connect them together if those wires also power other sockets.

I would hire an electritian to do anything required with the fuse box, and am competent enough to wire connector blocks, sockets etc myself. What is the correct approach?

Why not just remove the receptacle and add a blank plate?  That would seem to at least comply with the intent of the regulation.


Leveling out a basement floor So I am in the process of finishing out my basement. I am going to start by first building my office, and later doing the rest of the basement. My basement is divided in half, and I have the typical metal floor to support beam jacks running down the middle. The floor also slopes towards these jacks, and back towards the back of the house, where the cleanout for the sewer is. When I install the 2x4 framing, one side of the room is going to be lower than the rest.

In measuring, it's 7 feet exactly on the low side, and 7'-4" on the high-side. That's a 4" difference in height between the two sides.

Can I just pour some self leveling cement on it and let it fix itself? If so, hoe do I know how much to mix up so I don't make the new area higher than the rest of the floor?

What are some solutions to remedy this?

I think you should just leave the floor slope as is. It is designed to help support drainage to one end of the basement in the event that there is ever an accumulation of a large amount of water into the basement space.
You should ask yourself if it feels awkward to walk around on the existing floor with its slope. Most likely it is not a big problem at all.

The varying length of the studs should not be a problem because you are going to be cutting them all anyway from the standard lengths that you can buy. They come either as 8' long or as studs they will be 92 5/8" long.

After you have finished out your office it there is a need for anything like a bookshelf or a desk to be perfectly level or plumb all you have to do is to shim under it with wedges or adjust its legs.


Bathroom vent fan electrical question Wiring Diagram

My Diagram of how the wiring should be. Can someone confirm the diagram?
Also on the actual switch box, there is currently three pairs coming. I.e. with only one hot. Why would there be three wires when there was just a light and switch before? I got confused after removing the original equipment.

The one hot is the supply to the switches and outlet your incoming hot should be a black wire that should be connected to 1 side of each switch and the outlet. The white neutrals are pigtailed together and feeding the humidistat, light and outlet. The grounds should be pigtailed and attached to the metal box. So 3 cables is correct: 1 for incoming power, 2 supplying the fan & light.


*Reduce* shower pressure? I just moved into a new apartment on the 2nd floor of a 30 story building. The shower is one of those single-handle types where you turn to change temperature, but flow isn't adjustable (unless I'm missing something)

The problem: the pressure is really high. On my back is tolerable but not comfortable. On my face face feels like taking a punch.

I realize half the planet wants stronger water pressure, but I want less. I (obviously) know nothing about plumbing, but how do I go about reducing the flow from 'as used by riot police' to 'normal shower'?

Usually people want "less pressure" because the showerhead is laying out an unusually harsh spray.  I've had shower-massage heads for the last 20 years, that are switchable between any of up to a dozen  patterns, and I've found 1 or 2 are always harsher than the others and give that "getting pummeled" feeling but not in a good way.

So the first stop, I would say, is to change the showerhead, which I gather came with the apartment.

The purpose of the single knob is to provide thermostatic control so you can set it to a temperature and it will stay there regardless of pressure fluctuations. That's a nice feature, but their reason for doing it is to obtain anti-scald protection, which is easy once the thermostatic mechanism is present.  They care about anti-scald because they run the hot water temp high enough either a) to provide anti-legionella protection, or b) also work as district heating, which runs quite hot.


Water heater pilot light always goes out during the night I have an AquaMax 205 water heater. Recently the pilot started going out, so I replaced the thermocouple and cleaned the burner.

After replacing the thermocouple, the pilot would go out sometime through the night. I would like the pilot in the morning and people would use hot water during the day and cause the burner to turn on and turn off and the pilot never goes out. However, when I wake up in the morning, the pilot is always out.

Nighttime temperatures are around 11 to 16 Celsius over the last few weeks.

What could be causing this?

The problem ended up being my gas supply. I was sure the thermocouple was installed properly and the whole assembly was cleaned properly as well. The other thing being that the pilot would always go out in the morning and would be fine during the day was another reason.

I called my gas distributor and they sent out some guys to pump the water and condensation out of the gas pipe entering my property. Unfortunately, I live in an area where they still use low-pressure gas which are susceptible to condensation. A lot of pipes are also very old, and have small leaks and cracks, enabling water to enter.

After the water was pumped out, my pilots have been rock solid ever since. They are going to upgrade our area to high pressure soon, so hopefully this should not be a problem for long.


Electrical panel monitoring Any tips on a DIY solution to panel monitoring?

My electrical panel has separate breakers for three different baseboard heaters and each major appliance for two apartments in my house. It would be illuminating to be able to set up something central to get a view of what's contributing to my electrical costs.

I've seen "Eyedro EYEFI-4" and "Emporia Vue Energy Monitor" and a few others. Emporia's solution seems close, but it's a closed system and there's no API access to the raw data, everything requires manual control from the app.

But what I'm really hoping for just the basic hardware which might be connected to an arduino or a hat on a Raspberry Pi, and which I could monitor with my own software. I've found this split core current transformer on Amazon, but I'm left with two problems:

I don't know what I'd need to do to convert its output to something that, say, and Arduino could understand (i.e. a voltage from 0 to 5V for an analog_in). And.
Given that the arduino only has 6 analog_in ports, how do I switch a port so that it can alternately take reading from more than 6 CTs? Might there be ab IC that could take a binary number on one set of pins (driven for example by the arduino output pins) and control a switch based on the number selected? Or is there another better way of doing this that I haven't imagined yet? (I'm sure there must be.)

I would love to get any advice as to the approach I should take. (Maybe not even arduino?) Then I'll be able to direct my research so as to improve my next question here. :)

Your ambitions exceed your abilities... and there's a lot of problem scope you haven't really thought through.

Don't reinvent the wheel

First, really, seriously scour the market for existing consumer products which might provide an API.  I'm seeing good signs that several consumer home power monitors can provide raw data streams.  For instance neurio said in 2016 they were expecting to have this data.  Sense has it in beta.   It's around; look harder.

Also look into talking to your smart meter directly, which has the CT's in place. Some smart meters use Zigbee Smart Energy protocol.

Research the literature on the subject

If you can't find any datastream access, then research what's already been  done in the field.  I see plenty of halfway respectable efforts.

Use items that are actually UL-listed (CSA-listed, ETL, ЯU etc.)

CE is not a testing lab, it's the standard mark China puts on everything that will never see the inside of a testing lab because it's junk.  It's a fake of a European self-certification standard, but without the actual self-cert.  Everything you see on AliExpress, eBay or Amazon Marketplace will be rubbish from Alibaba.

For instance, Magnelab makes CTs with either ЯU or UL listing (component vs. product suitable for direct use).

Don't exit the panel with electrical wires of any kind

Any electronic equipment that lives inside the panel, stays in Vegas.  You cannot have any wire between your homebrew stuff inside the panel and the outside world.  The only possible communication scheme is wireless; and that's what all consumer home energy monitors do - they stick a WiFi antenna out a knockout.

That means you'll be doing Raspberry Pi and not Arduino.

Or both - the way you get >6 analog inputs into an Arduino is to use two Arduinos.  They could be slaved to the Raspberry Pi.

Absolutely no signal wires in or out of the panel.

No running with your panel cover off - it's not a PC.  The panel cover has a vital safety function other than the obvious; it holds the breakers in.  Without it you can rock a breaker out by turning it off.

One more thing: On simple circuits, put the CT's on the neutral wire.

And lastly, no signal wires in or out of the panel.


Should we install carpet before the baseboard and door casings? We just had a carpet layer come in for measurements and a quote. We've not put in the baseboard or door casings yet, but the carpet layer has suggested that this will make things easier.

Is this true / good advice? Are there any pitfalls to watch for when we go to install the door casings / baseboard?

It makes it easier for the carpet installer because they don't have the baseboards in the way when they're nailing in the tack strips next to the wall.

On the other hand, it makes things a little more difficult to install the baseboard later because the carpet and tack strips are in the way when you're trying to nail the baseboard to the sole plate in the wall.  This is much more of an issue if you're nailing by hand than if you're using a brad nailer.  (I've done it both ways; use a nailer.)  If you're doing a long wall, it can make lining up the pieces of baseboard a little trickier because the tack strip and carpet can get in the way.

On the whole though, I'd follow his advice and use a nailer to install the trim.


What does C, W, Y and S Plans mean when talking about central heating controller? I have seen control systems sold as C, W, Y, or S plan, what the difference?

Are there any other common setups

(These are water based CH systems, so are unlikely to be used in the USA)

The type of plan refers ultimately to the arrangement of the pipes and thus the type and number of valves you have in your system.

This page has explanations of all types (Y, S, W and G (not C)). Y Plan is based on a single three way valve that either allows the hot water from the boiler to the heating circuit, hot water circuit or both.

With S-Plan:

  ... you can have as many zones as you like, but each zone must have its own valve and thermostat. A popular way is to have 4 valves, 1 for the hot water, 1 for upstairs,1 for downstairs and 1 for say, the conservatory.

The W plan is an older control system.

The G plan is for gravity assisted systems. I couldn't find a "C" plan though.

I've also found this page which has diagrams of the Y-Plan and S-Plan controller circuits. They're quite technical so I'm reluctant to summarise here.


Adding two 240 Circuits I have done some basic wiring on 120v circuits, adding outlets etc.  I want to add two 30 amp  240v circuits to this panel (w/dual pole breakers).  Its a 200 amp box with 100 amp breaker going to a subpanel and a 40 amp breaker for the oven.  My question is about connecting the neutral wires to the same bus bar as ground.  It looks to already be set up this way, but I'm just looking for some feedback on this plan.

Also, there's no main shut off, and while I would prefer not to work in a hot panel this one looks like I should have plenty of room to stay safe.

I wouldn't recommend working in a live electrical panel unless you are very experienced and understand the considerable hazards.  Especially in this situation where there is no obvious upstream overcurrent device.  Slip with your screwdriver and you could have a pretty serious fire, arc explosion or electrocution.

I highly recommend consulting with a electrician licensed in your area.  Not just for the task of adding the circuits but also to investigate why there is no upstream overcurrent device/disconnect. (edit: ThreePhaseEel reminded me of the "Rule of 6", where a panel does not need a main breaker if all the power can be turned off in 6 switch flips or less.  This installation may be correct under that exception.)

If you are worried about cost you may be able to reach an agreement with the electrician where you do the majority of the work, with them just doing the final hookups.  You'll stay safe, and guarantee a safe installation.

As to your question you cannot know if it is correct to connect the ground wire to the same terminal bus as neutral without knowing more about the overall electrical system.  Neutral and ground should be connected (bonded) in only one place, usually the main panel.  If this is the main panel, ie the two heavy gauge wires in the lower middle come straight from the utility or meter, the installation is probably correct and you can wire additional circuits like the range circuit is wired already. If this is a subpanel (perhaps in an apartment or multi-tenant situation) the panel may need to be corrected to separate neutral and ground.


Remove a screw stripped head with the reverse and hammer function of a power drill, instead of a lefthanded drill bit? I just learned about left-handed drill bits that can be used to removed screws with stripped heads. However, without those lefthanded drill bits available, can I use the normal (right-handed) drill bits, and the Reverse function of the power drill to undo a screw with stripped head?
My DeWalt power drill/hammer/driver has the Hammer function, so combining with the Reverse function, it would additionally help?

can I use the normal (right-handed) drill bits, and the Reverse
function of the power drill to undo a screw with stripped head?

NO it will not grab onto the head.
The reason the reverse bit may work is because the cutting part of the bit is designed to cut into the surface, when it starts to  cut or grab it then turns the screw counter clockwise.
A normal bit will just spin and not "grab".

My DeWalt power drill/hammer/driver has the Hammer function, so
combining with the Reverse function, it would additionally help?

No the hammer function will not help.
A screw extractor set is far better then a reverse drill bit.
How to use a screw extractor.


How do I vertically connect two 4x4s on a deck to build a roof? I have a deck I am going to put a roof over. It has 4x4s for vertical supports that I need to extend upward to attach my trusses to. What is the best way to connect two vertical 4x4s?

Current accepted practice that meets code in NC and is hurricane wind rated - cut a rabbet 24 inches in each piece. Sandwich the rabbet joint between 2 - 18 inch steel plates (galv for coastline) thru bolted with 4 equally spaced bolts.
Old method - 12 inch rabbet with 2 - 24 inch steel plates. 2 bolts thru the rabbet and 1 bolt above and below the joint.
I think the old method is stronger esp. for sheer but code is code.


How do I disable a main floor thermostat and add one in a basement suite? We are thinking of renting out the main floor of our home but don't want the tenant to have control of the only thermostat. Perhaps we could disable the one on the Main floor and add one to the basement suite.  What would this involve?

The thermostat wiring needs to be run to the location you want the thermostat or purchase a locking cover. Their are wifi controlled thermostats that you can install so it can be adjusted with your phone tons of option here I just grabbed one for an example.


Can I modify a load bearing triple stud? I am installing a small safe in a wall and when I cut the opening in the drywall I noticed that the studs were in an unusual distribution. The stud on the right was normal but then there were multiple studs on the left - obviously a support column with a narrower than normal distance to the next stud.  This is too small for the safe. Question: Can I safely (and if so how) cut out the portions of the involved studs? Since there will be a sturdy metal object between the ends, is that good enough for weight distribution? Or is this just a really bad idea? On the right, the drywall is flush with the stud. On the left, only 2 of at least 3 studs is visible. The outer square in my text drawing below is the drywall cutout and the columns on the left are to represent the studs that are visible in that cutout.

I am a new user so I cannot post an image... My best txt version of this would be:

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It is not safe to simply cut a hole in the studs, and while the safe probably would transfer the load, you do not know that the safe was designed to transfer vertical loads, or how it will react.  The consequences of a mistake here could be severe long term.

Therefore the proper course of action is to reframe the wall.  Generally you would do this by adding a lintel (a RIGID horizontal beam that spans an opening typically over a window or door) at the top and bottom of the wall wide enough to transfer load to either side of the existing column, and then add new columns on either side of the existing post to carry that now transferred load down to the floor lintel and thus to the underlying support.


What type of electrical box do I use for a hard-wired smoke detector? I am considering adding hard-wired smoke detectors to my house. Due to other in-process remodeling projects and the structure of the house, I have access to get behind the drywall at each location that needs a detector so this would be a relatively easy job.

After watching some videos and reading up on how to do this project I understand what needs to be done except that I am unsure about the electrical boxes for each detector.

The videos and tutorials all used single-gang old work metal boxes. I found a related question here: How can I install a wired smoke detector without compromising the fire rated sheetrock? The accepted answer suggests using metal octagon boxes with a fire protection layer added. However, this house has no fire protection: no OSB layers above the walls, no fire-rated caulk at intrusion points, no fire-rated drywall, etc.

Do I have to use metal boxes or is plastic acceptable? Should they be single-gang or octagon ceiling boxes? Do I need additional fire protection around these boxes? Given that the rest of the house has no fire protection does this even matter?

The house is located in the U.S. in a state that adopts the latest NEC unaltered every three years.

I'd use a round plastic cut-in box even though you have access behind. You'll find this much easier in the long run.

Remember, smokes do not have ground connections, so just splice the grounds with a wire nut or other approved method and fold into the back of the box.

Along the lines of this:


Why is my dishwasher drain pump constantly running? We have a late 1960's Kitchenaid Superba (by Hobart) dishwasher.

Problem: the drain operates continuously, so the dishwasher can never fill with water. (The water comes in, but it's immediately pumped out.)

Never had this problem until I tried one of the cycles that I don't regularly use. As soon as I pushed the button to start it, the problem appeared. Makes me suspect something went wrong in the control unit.

Is there an easy way to tell whether the issue is with the control/timer unit (maybe an electrical issue is keeping the drain gate open?) versus a problem with the drain solenoid/gate itself?

Replacement parts aren't cheap, so I'm hoping to narrow down the problem.

Answer is in the comments to the OP, based on suggestions given there.

Summary (but note that I may be calling some things by an incorrect name!):

Used a voltmeter to determine the voltage across the solenoid when I hit "cancel/drain" on the control panel. 120V. The solenoid/valve was thus most likely "normal closed".
Disconnected the leads to the solenoid and tested it with an applied 120V. Loud click/bang; the solenoid was clearly functional.
Reconnected the lead wires to the solenoid, and used the voltmeter to determine that 120V was applied during the drain portion of the cycle, not the fill/wash portion, meaning that the controller unit seemed to be functioning properly.
Removed the solenoid/valve unit from the frame/chassis and disconnected the tubes. Upon visual inspection, there was clearly a foreign object stuck inside that was preventing the valve from closing fully.
Was able to remove the foreign object, put everything back together, and voila! It worked.

[Note - I'm omitting all the other steps I took, when I was originally suspected that the controller unit was the problem. I still don't know what I did that originally caused that piece of glass to get dislodged from wherever it had been sitting for however many years, and get stuck in the drain valve. But the fact that I tried running a cycle that I had never used before seems to be ... unrelated. Or at least, I can't figure out the relation. It seems to be just a bizarre coincidence.]


subpanel breaker tripped as well as main breaker - should I be concerned? All...
My garage had only one outlet so I extended it using surface raceways. Like a dummy, I did not turn off the breaker when I started the installation of the raceway. "I know what I'm doing and I wrapped electrical tape around the existing outlet, and I'll be careful". (Stupid and lazy!) Of course, I created a short. No injuries - just my pride.
When I went down to the basement to check things out I discovered something odd. I'm not sure if this is something I should be concerned about...
The 15A garage circuit is in a subpanel. Our automatic backup generator (Generac) is not large enough to power everything in the house. The subpanel contains a transfer switch. Commercial power comes into the transfer switch via a 50A breaker in the main panel.
The 15A garage circuit breaker tripped, as expected. What I did not expect was to find that the 50A breaker in the main panel had also tripped. The generator and transfer switch did their thing, firing up the generator and throwing the transfer switch. I reset the 50A breaker and everything went back to normal, again as expected.
Is the tripping of the 50A breaker in the main panel something I should be concerned about? I would have expected that tripping the 15A breaker would have "protected" the 50A breaker. Is there a test I should do on the two breakers to make sure they are functioning correctly? They seems to be but...
TIA for your help...

Grats on your successful generator test :)
Whenever you have a bolted fault, you flow hundreds of amps.  The only thing that impedes flow is the resistance of the wires themselves, which you can look up on the internet.  "Hundreds of amps" is well within the range of the "instant trip" functionality of every breaker in the panel except perhaps the main.
Due to manufacturing tolerances and environment changes, "instant trip" has an acceptable range.  The acceptable range runs between 4x and 10x, where it becomes a guaranteed trip.
So for instance, a 500A bolted fault is a guaranteed trip for a 15A and 50A breaker, and a possible trip for a 100A main breaker.  Probably will not trip a 200A main.
If your short had flowed only 90 amps, both breakers would operate in thermal-trip mode (most likely). The 15A breaker would see a 6x overload, and the 50A breaker would see a 1.8x overload.  The 15A breaker would trip in a few seconds at most, and the 50A breaker would trip in a few minutes, based on the usual trip curves for breakers. In that case, the "selective coordination" you were hoping for would work as you'd expect.
However, all bets are off in a bolted-fault/instant-trip mode.


replacing pressure treated 1x4 boards on roof with non-pressure treated white pine - OK? On an 85 year old house there are pressure treated 1x4s running horizontally across the rafters, and the plywood sheathing is laid on top of those 1x4s.

I have to replace some of these 1x4s but there were no pressure treated 8ft 1x4s available at my local HD, so I bought untreated white pine 8ft 1x4s to use instead, and sprayed them with Concrobium (trademark) to prevent mold.

Will that be OK, or is pressure treated essential?

(I was thinking perhaps the reason for pressure treated 1x4s was to stand up to water damage that would rot plywood edges.)

Keep in mind that those boards that you see under the plywood sheathing were originally spaced out as they are so that they could accommodate the installation of either wood shake shingles or tile type roof. The boards were surely never treated lumber at the time your house was built 85 years ago. (1935 places your house build in the pre-WW2 years).

The most common lumber used at the time was rough sawn and may very well have been more than the standard 3/4" thick. White pine boards should be fine for replacement being as you are re-installing plywood over them. The white pine boards may very well not have the same strength as the original lumber but the plywood can take care of the difference. The difference in thickness should only be a problem if a plywood splice happens at the same rafter where new and old board butt up to each other. It the thickness difference is significant you may want to shim under the new pine board where plywood splices may occur.

Note that it has been my observation that roofers that are covering spaced board with plywood sometimes do not put much energy in trying to splice the plywood on the rafter centers so shimming may be a moot point if you are following that scheme.


Protecting bathroom mirror from corroding around the edges In my bathroom I have a beautiful illuminated LED mirror. It's now 10 years since I originally installed it - and over time, the edges have become de-silvered as the backing coat has corroded and peeled away.

Research into mirror re-silvering tells me that it's not worth it. Besides, some of the corrosion has extended beyond the edges and into the internal workings of the mirror: meaning it's not possible to access the backing coat in those places.

I have been lucky enough to find a replacement mirror from surplus stock: they don't make many of them any more, and I needed the exact model in order to match the mounting points in my tiles.

Before I mount the new mirror, however, I want to do everything possible to prevent the new one becoming similarly corroded. Research informs me that mirror edges corrode in high-moisture environments (like bathrooms) when water condenses on the backing surface and loosens it. I have no option to affix a physical frame around the mirror: its design does not permit that. Therefore I'm looking for some kind of sealant which I could apply to the exposed parts of the backing, in order to protect it from corrosion.

Given how common this problem is with bathroom mirrors, I would have thought that there would be lots of products on the market to do this. However I have only found one single product which is explicitly marketed to protect mirrors from moisture corrosion. This is only sold in Australia, and I'm disinclined to pay the exorbitant postage costs to send it to me in the UK (which are more than the product costs in the first place!)

So - I'm looking for generic suggestions for how to seal my mirror's edges to protect it for many years to come, so it doesn't corrode.

I would use a clear varnish. Varnish has very little body and would seal the edge where the glass and metalized layer are exposed. By sealing this edge moisture can not get in and start delaminating the new mirror. If you want something with more body use a silicone sealer. Both should work well to prevent your new mirror from having issues with the moisture.


How to repair damaged fence to its original strenght am farming with cattle. Lately my fences were cut by a team doing exploration. The fence consist of 2.24 fully galvanised  steel wire, 4 strains of wire. Straining posts are 500m apart with poles every 12m inbetween. Then i have hangers (droppers) every 3m apart. The fence was cut on all 4 wires.
What would the correct way be to repair a fence like that to its original state?
The company that cut the fence differs from my opinion.

There's more than one way to join galvanized wire, and a few ways you can do this. Some are better than others:

Solder: you can use solder to join ends. This is cheap if you have the equipment, and can do it in the field
Cable crimps: you crimp pieces of softer metal around the cable(s) you are trying to join. This requires crimps and a crimping tool, you can sometimes get away with using a pliers but the right tool makes a reliable crimp
Saddle bolts or cable clamps: saddle bolts are threaded u shaped bolts with a metal 'saddle', the cable(s) are put between the u and the saddle, which is then clamped down using nut on the bolt's threads. Cable clamps use the same principle, just a different shape. These are pretty cheap and you can put them on using basic hand tools with no special equipment. This is the option I would use, I would use at least 2, 1 isn't always good enough

Now as for how to do it, you have 2 options:

Butt end connection: this is where you overlap the 2 ends and then fasten them together using one of the methods above. This method is quick, has less joins and needs less slack, however I would not recommend it in your case as it's weak. Your wire is under tension, and the force will always be pulling directly at the join
Looping the ends: each end is looped back on itself and clamped to itself, the wires are joined through the loops. This is strong as the loops bear the load, not the joins. If you don't have enough slack you can use a loop of wire or a tensioner to bridge the gap. This is the method I would use, it may need more joins but it will last


Can somebody identify this Moentrol valve? I want to replace the cartridge for this valve because pulling the handle to turn on the water has become more and more difficult.  I would like to figure out what cartridge I need to buy for this.  The house was built in 1954, and I suspect that the valve is as old as that.

I think that it might be this valve:

3570

Also, what would the replacement cartridge be?  If it's is the 3570, then I guess I would need the 1225 cartridge.

Thanks!

As far as I can tell, what you have looks correct. It's very similar to the 3570 and that would require a 1225 cartridge.

However, I see that Lowe's (and probably most hardware stores) sells kind of a one size fits all cartridge by Moen for their older valves. The 1200E is most likely what you need.

1200E - Metal faucet - "Replaces single handle cartridges installed prior to 1990"
http://www.lowes.com/pd_27473-866-1200E___?productId=4750863&pl=1&Ntt=moen+cartridge

1225 - Plastic faucet - "Fits all Moen 1 handle faucets (excluding Posi-Temp and ExactTemp)"
http://www.lowes.com/pd_27375-866-1225___?productId=3133585&pl=1&Ntt=moen+cartridge

If it doesn't fit, don't forget that you can always return it and try the other. My guess is the 1200E, but it's going to be one of these two.


Does this look like loose fill Asbestos? I found some type of loose-fill insulation stuffed behind standard fiberglass insulation while cleaning up my basement. The home was built in 1947 and I'm not sure if what I found is Asbestos (see image below).

If it is Asbestos what the heck should I do, leave it alone? cover it? put a mask on and get rid of it myself? I'm not the owner of the house and am just renting.

Nope. Looks like cellulose. Of course, I'm looking from the other side of the internet and you shouldn't bank your health on my guess.

https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-test-for-asbestos/


What tools should I use to machine large holes in polycarbonate sheet? I need to drill two concentric holes on a 10 mm. polycarbonate sheet. The first one is 50 mm (diameter) and 6 mm. deep, while the second is 30 mm. (diameter) and goes through the sheet. I am not familiar with the polycarbonate material and I am not sure if what I am describing is even possible. In case it is possible, which tools can I use, I thought in using a 50 mm hole saw, but the afterwards I am not sure how to carve the remaining material. The idea is depicted in the schema.

Use a 30 mm hole saw for the hole going through, on the bottom side use a router with a rabbet cutter with a dimension of 10 mm from the bearing top the cutter edge.

When using the router on the bottom side, tape the surface where the router will be to eliminate the possibility of scratching the plastic.

Using a drill press to keep the hole saw square would help keep the router from making a slightly oval cut.


Lawn mower "bang", surge I was riding my troy bilt 42" lawn mower when it started surging, so I changed the gas filter and blew out the ports on the carb, reinstalled everything and it still did it.
So I changed the carburator with a new one, changed the head gasket because it was leaking and put all new seals on the carb, as well as a new filter.
Also the gas is new and the hoses are good, When I started it... IT still surges, but now it makes a loud "POP" in the engine compartment and dies, or just surges real bad at high and low idle
I'm about one idea from rolling this thing off a cliff if I cant find what it might be... The gas gap seal was checked and it seems alright

If you were riding it when it started surging and the throttle is still work, I would guess that the choke cable either broke or the choke return spring fell off.  The choke plate will be on the air-filter side of the throttle, so look and see if it is flapping around.  If it is, then check the choke cable and return spring.
What is the make and model of the engine?  Do you have any photos?


Can you serve a multi-wire branch circuit off a pendant? I've seen a slick trick done in some maker spaces.  They have a big room full of project desks.  Above each desk is an air hose on a retractable reel... And a NEMA L14-20 receptacle.

Dangling off the receptacle is a pendant: a hefty cord, properly strain relief'd, and it dangles about a foot above the desktop, with a 2-gang junction box with two of the usual NEMA 5-15 duplex receptacles. These exploit the MWBC in the usual way, sharing neutral and ground with each of the two hot's going to a different receptacle.

What's wrong with this? My intuition is that this wouldn't be legal either because of the MWBC or the pendant.

One of these maker spaces is on a site with highly professional property management, but on the other hand I've seen blatant codevio's there too.

Can you serve a multi-wire branch circuit off a pendant?

YES

  What's wrong with this?

Sorry code cop.  Nothing

In the situation you describe, the pendant is also, not permanently installed equipment.  Code has no business looking further than that L14-20 outlet.

IMHO, it was an unnecessary expense to use the L14-20 outlet, and the corresponding plug, but its neither unsafe nor illegal.


811 just marked my utilities, can I mow my lawn? I had 811 mark my utility lines. They were here today.They marked with both spraypaint and flags.

The markings are valid per their rules for 30 days. It will be about 2 weeks before I can get the landscaping work done. In the mean time is it OK to mow the spraypainted marks?

NO! Do not disturb the markings enough to make them disappear. Mow around the markings.


Clean out line and soft ground I'm trying to purchase a new build by a small builder. My home inspector was impressed with his build saying he did a lot of silent upgrades that were not necessary but a regular home owner would not know.

Anyhow, around the white clean out line for plumbing, the ground is soft. We've had 100 degree days and it's still soft. Not mud, just soft. The cap was broken and maybe sewage got out as there was a smell for a while but we assumed it was neighbor's dogs. The smell is gone now but wondered if having a broken cap could have made it soft for a while until it fully dries. Or if there could be a leak and something I should check for.

The broken cap would not generally result in liquid spilling to the ground and saturating/softening the surrounding earth unless there had been a stoppage/blockage and the entire line backed up.

If you have not had a blockage, consider whether the soft ground could just be the result of the recent excavation required for the install. After the line was installed in the trench, the builder would normally back-fill it with the same dirt that was removed but perhaps did not compact it enough.

If you need to reassure yourself that the line has not been compromised, the easiest and quickest solution would be to just hire a plumber with a drain inspection camera.


Can I make an improvised heating system that uses calcium carbide and water? Its winter in Australia at the moment and i'm cold. Today i found a few kilo's of Calcium Carbide (CaC2) which, if you react it with water, produces a sizable quantity of acetylene gas. I use it with this device for lighting at the moment but i'm wondering if its possible to make my own gas heater out of the stuff (we don't have gas lines here only electricity which is expensive). Acetylene gas burns quite hot so i'm not sure if there are many materials that can handle that heat

Is it possible/practical/safe to make my own gas heater using acetylene?

1983 Patent: Acetylene stove or heater uses Ca Carbide.
Seems to me that the water drippy thing could be hard to control over a long period. Plus, the wet residue is likely to annoy as well. If I could, I'd go with propane instead.


What is this round disk on my wall? My apartment has several of these plastic disks on the walls, all close to the ceiling. What is their purpose? I believe they have something to do with electricity. Thank you!

Most European homes use round junction boxes for electricity and other wiring, most likely similar to any of the round boxes found here.
Usually they're mounted in the ceiling (and used as a mounting point for a light fixture) but it's not unheard of to have them mounted in a wall.

The one in your picture has 2 screws with which the cover can be removed to be able to service what's inside.

It most likely contains electrical cabling but based on the height and it being located in a wall it could also be audio cabling as a preparation for wall-mounted speakers.


ISSUE: Snowblower pushes snow (forward) rather than throwing snow out of the chute I have an old Craftsman 3/21 snow-blower (Model: 536.884581).  The snow-blower starts perfectly, motor runs perfectly and the auger spins when the drive is engaged.  When I use it to blow snow, it “sometimes” blows the snow out of the chute but later it stops blowing snow.  I soon start seeing a lot of snow accumulating at the neck of the snow-outlet chute.
I initially thought that the drive-belt was lose and hence tightened it. This did improve auger spin-rate but did not solve my problem
I next checked on the internet and many folks suggested that the shear/cotter pin must have broken off in the auger-shaft.  However, when I checked my unit’s underbelly, I did not see any shear/cotter pin on either side of the auger.

QUESTION: What corrective action (fix) should I take to make my Craftsman 3/21 Snow-blower throw/blow snow without collecting snow at the chute's neck?

Help!!

Thanks.

My Craftsman 3/21 single-stage, 2-stoke snow-blower now works perfectly and discharges snow from chute as expected/desired.  Thanks to everyone that helped me solve this HI/DIY problem!!!

Corrective steps toward problem-resolution:

Replaced drive-belt (specification was 35"; my old one had stretched out by over an inch)
Replaced auger-blades (hard rubber) with new ones.  The old ones were worn-out and were not (almost) sweeping past the backboard near the chute.  The recommended gap is less than 1/4 inch.  My old blade had a gap of almost 3/4 inch
Sprayed snow/ice repellent near the neck of the chute to prevent ice build-up when dealing with wet-snow (as was the case today in Chicago).

BTW, I took this DIY opportunity to replace all screws & aluminum rivets with appropriate stainless steel nuts/bolts/washers.  It costed me an additional $6; however, I thought that it will save me a lot of time when it comes time to do maintenance on my snowblower some time in the future ... especially since the screws get rusted quickly as snowblowers are mostly/often used in wet conditions and we (at least I) often do not take the time/trouble of wiping the snow-blower after using it (since it is too cold outside).


When finishing drywall, is it a common practice not to mud the bottom of horizontally-hung drywall? I hung drywall horizontally in my bedroom and hired a company to mud and tape it so that I could prime and paint.  As you know, drywall sheets are recessed along the edges in order to hold drywall compound.  Well, they did not mud along the bottoms of any of the walls where the drywall sheets recess.  Shouldn't they have even so much as applied a sloppy layer of mud to fill the recess so that my base moulding would have something flat to be attached to?  Otherwise, when I go to put on the base moulding, it's going to dip inward.

Here's a picture of a corner in my room where the bottoms are entirely unfinished.  It seems like the bevelled edges along the bottoms of these sheets should have been filled in to provide a flat, vertically level surface to hold moulding.

Typically, drywall sheets hung horizontally are hung with the upper full sheet first against the ceiling, cut bottom sheet last. This is so you will have an indent at the top to tape and mud. Unless your wall is exactly 8 feet tall, the cut of the bottom sheet is at the floor, thus no indent.  Even if you have an indent at the very bottom against the floor, it is only about 2 inches wide. Common baseboard is 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 inches wide and will bridge this indent and is nailed mid and high.  We have never put mud on the very bottom of a sheet, even it the indent is there. I suppose if your baseboard is very narrow, you may have to ask the mudders to fill that area, but that is very uncommon and would be a special request.


Contractor scratched, gouged, and pitted my new hardwood floors The contractor that installed my beautiful new hardwood floors then scratched, gouged, and pitted them when dragging our new kitchen cabinetry across them.  He's trying to tell me that those dings are, "normal".  My brand new floor is scratched to heck!

The guys that he had install the cabinetry didn't use any blankets.

What are my options?

1) Make a complaint in writing and mail it signed return receipt (to prove it was sent and received).

-Make it short, specific as to the details (when, what, how, who, where), and make references to any violations or applicable sections of the written work contract regarding damages to property.

-Avoid emotions, threats, etc. while writing it.  It may be seen by a small claims judge or mediator so make is sound like it was written by a lawyer (they like such things).

2) Take pictures.  Use a artificial light at an angle with a tape measure next to each significant damage.  The angled light will let the damage show better and the tape measure will document the size.

3) Get 3 quotes of what it would cost to repair the floor; obviously not from the guy who damaged them.

4) Be careful about what you do or do not pay the contractor.  Don't pay for the flooring (if you haven't already).

-You might want to put all money normally due the contractor in a separate bank acct.  This will show a judge/mediator that you're not just trying to avoid paying or trying to renegotiate contracted costs.

5) After you have done #1-4 above, negotiate with the contractor re: repairing the floor (if possible...laminate floors or floors with a thin wear layer can't be repaired or repaired and still be worth their original new value).


How do I remove plastic bag print from outside surface of washing machine? I bought new sheets for my son, and I put the Target plastic bag, with heavy sheets in it, on top of the washer for the sheets to be washed. This morning I picked up the bag, and I've got red bullseyes on my white washing machine! How the print won't come off this surface easily is amazing, but per my Google search, this isn't out of the ordinary when you combine walls and furniture (and apparently appliances) with printed plastic bags. Who knows what causes it in each case, though. I checked the off-white carpet where this bag sat prior to being placed on the washer, and it's clean. I'm guessing I had liquid residue on my washing machine (probably from spraying stain remover on 1/4 of the clothes that get washed) that coaxed the print off the bag.

Windex did not work. Magic Eraser did not work. Baking soda did not work. Goo Gone did not work. Multi-purpose cleaner (generic 409) did not work.

I am left with light pink bullseyes :(

I also have Murphy's Oil Soap (which I have as a kind-of-solution for getting dry erase marker out of clothes, long story, only use on white fabric!) but have not tried it because I only have a few drops left. If I need to buy more, so be it. Does anyone have any thoughts on it?

Before I turn my laundry room into a deli, does anyone know what the alleged magic of mayo is? I see a lot of people suggesting using it both in this forum and elsewhere.

Thank you!

I don't see bleach on your list of things? Red has a real problem with bleach. If that doesn't work, you may try WD-40 or even carburetor cleaner. Just use either with a lot of fresh air available. Soft Scrub works pretty well for this kind of thing, too, but it uses bleach, so may not be any better than using straight bleach.


Is it possible to replace original vinyl windows with retrofits? We're in a split level, in Massachusetts, that was built in 1997 with contractor grade vinyl siding and vinyl windows, nothing fancy. One window has lost its seal, another has a broken tilt-in latch - nothing disastrous, but we would like to replace them, and figured we may as well do them all.  The catch is that the house has 17 windows.

We were told by the one contractor we've had in that because the original windows are new construction vinyl, they can only be replaced by new construction windows - no retrofit.  I've read a variety of threads on the new construction vs replacement window trade-offs, included good reasons why replacements shouldn't be used, but nothing saying when they can't be used.  So is this correct, that we can't use replacement windows because the originals are new construction vinyl?

We've gotten one quote for Pella Architect running over $1800/window (tricked out, high end screens and hardware), and another for Harvey Tribute, at over $1200/window (both including installation).  We know labor in MA will be expensive, but these seem insane.  At these prices, we're looking at just fixing the two windows that need it instead of doing the whole house.

The price you mentioned may seem a little high, then again maybe not. Your question, if you can use replacement windows, would be no. The extrusions of the  vinyl windows would not allow that. Just to get it out there, you could use them, but only after you remove the vinyl window completely, and install them like it was new construction. To do it that way would be a little counterproductive.

Depending on your rough openings, they may have spec'd custom sized windows that sent the price higher. I just gave a quote for replacing windows in a 1940's home with double hung weighted windows for just under $1000 each in Maryland. I spec'd 3-0/5-6 Andersen double hung windows with screens for new construction. It would be a total gut of the original window so the weight pockets could be filled in and reframe the RO. I could have spec'd replacement windows here and quoted it a lot cheaper, but that would have meant a lot of old wood still existing. I did not want to have that since the homeowner was remodeling the whole house in stages.

Keshlam's comment about researching replacement parts is a good route to take too.