source
stringlengths 620
29.3k
| target
stringlengths 12
1.24k
|
|---|---|
How can I "seal up" cracks in my wooden shed between wooden slats/floorboards? I've got a new shed being put up this weekend, I want to try to seal it up to keep some of the bugs from taking over. After looking around Focus DIY (large DIY chain in the UK) I found some "wood sealer", which comes in a tube and slots into a gun for squeezing out. Each tube costs £6 and I think I'd need about 20 or so in order to seal a 6' by 8' shed, is there a cheaper or more effective method? <Q> Just lay some tongue-and-groove OSB plywood on top of the planks. <S> For a 6x8 shed, you should only need two 4x8 sheets - which should certainly cost a lot less than the £120 you would pay for sealer. <S> Or for that matter, just have them use T&G plywood for the flooring in the first place. <A> Just be sure to wear disposable gloves while applying. <A> Because a shed is generally subjected to temperature extremes you need to consider that its floor is prone to expansion and contraction. <S> You therefore need to allow for some movement and whatever you use to fill the gaps needs to remain at least slightly flexible. <S> Something I haven't tied myself but think might work is the dense foam rubber strips that are used in some places for expansion joints in concrete, if your gaps are large enough to accommodate them. <S> Failing that I'd suggest a caulk that develops a semi-hard skin. <A> I tried foam spray to fill gaps in my kitchen cabinet under the sink. <S> It kept out the mice but looked bumpy and messy.
|
You can seal any gaps with expanding foam spray.
|
Why should I use advanced nails instead of wood screws for strength? Recently I found that there're some superior nails for constructing hurricane-resistant houses - with very clever design for preventing pulling the nails out and tearing the boards off when the structure is under harsh wind load. I saw similar nails before - those were designed for flooring, but that's the first time I see nails with such advanced design. What I don't get is why not just use wood screws? I mean wood screws are specifically designed for heavy loads - for example, for attaching door hinges - and they can be driven very fast with power drivers. Why go to such lengths and invent those extremely advanced nails instead of using screws? <Q> It is all about time. <S> In this case, the time required to drive a screw, instead of the time to drive a nail with a loaded nail gun. <S> Drive 10 screws, and who cares if it takes a few seconds longer to drive each screw. <S> Drive 10,000 screws, and it starts to matter. <A> I have heard that wood screws take longer, which if you have used a nail gun, then you'll see the huge difference. <S> Wood screws have their place but they are not efficient to build a home. <S> Considering the HurriQuake nails: It probably has not caught on yet. <S> When I built the second room on my house, I had to use hurricane ties such as SP-1 and SP-2 with 10d and 16d nails - standard nails. <S> These nails were driven at certain angles in order to provide strength and reinforcement. <S> When you consider the cost of the 10d and 16d compared to the higher cost of the HurriQuake nails along with spending the money and time to update structural specifications, then you'll see why these have not caught on even though they make work better. <A> Another big reason: Screws are brittle and can't withstand the stress of a shear loaded joint, so use of nails is necessary simply because screws will fail in that application (and are required by building code). <S> The only proper fastener besides a nail would be a bolt - and that would take even longer (and cost far more) than driving a framing nail. <S> And just like woodchips said above, speed/cost is a big factor - I can drive 20 nails with my framing nailer in the time you can run a pair of 3" screws into a stud. <A> Ever snapped every third deck screw in 1/2 with a screw gun? <S> This shows how brittle common wood screws are - very low shear strength, so they are not efficient for resisting cyclic (repeated back and forth) loading, as is required for wind and earthquake loads. <S> By the way, nails are considered "dowel" type fasteners in wood construction - they work by bearing against the sides of the holes made through the thickness of the two wood members ... <S> same as lag bolts and machine bolts - so bolts are very good for resisting shear, as that is their primary use. <S> They actually do not "clamp" for friction in wood construction, since wood shrinks... <S> thus you will lose any clamp effect (even in steel construction, special high strength bolts are required if "clamping" force is intended). <S> And, while adhesive is excellent for increasing strength and minimizing squeaks, it is rarely factored into the strength of structural wood connections, since it is difficult to monitor the proper installation of adhesive in a construction environment (notice that floor sheathing is typically glued to joists, while "shear panel" plywood is rarely glued to the studs since you're not walking on it). <S> Lastly, high-strength structural wood screws, with a flat head (e.g., GRK), are now available but they are extremely expensive and, as others have mentioned, time consuming to install compared to nails.
|
On the other hand, nails are very ductile and have a flat head which also resists pulling through the connected member (the tapered head of a wood screw will pull through when the connected member, or plywood, buckles or twists under load).
|
How can I increase the heating efficiency of a forced air system? What are some DIY ways to increase the efficiency of a forced air heating system? Please answer in Community wiki fashion: 1 tip per answer. As @Jay Bazuzi pointed out, tips can also include ways to increase heat retention or other ways to save money on heating bills. <Q> Look for cold spots in your home. <S> A room that tends to stay cold, despite your attempts to keep it warm is a signal of trouble. <S> A nice tool for all such problems is the hand-held thermal sensor you can now buy, like this Black and Decker Thermal leak detector . <S> Just aim it at a spot on a wall, ceiling, etc., and click the button. <S> It gives you the temperature. <S> Now move the sensing spot around, and look for cold spots. <S> This can tell you if you have missing insulation in a wall cavity, or a spot of cold air entry into your home. <S> Use this to decide to add weather stripping to a window or door for example, or to inject foam insulation into a deficient wall cavity, or simply to help you balance warm air flow through your heating system. <A> Not directly related to efficiency of the furnace, but... <S> Inspect around doors and windows for dry / cracked caulk. <S> Remove and replace if necessary. <S> Inspect weatherstripping around doors and windows for signs of wear. <S> Replace if necessary. <S> For older or poorly insulated windows, install plastic film insulation kits. <S> See here for a ballpark R value to shoot for. <S> Add more insulation where applicable / possible. <A> Get a programmable thermostat if you don't already have one. <S> They are cheap, easy to install, and setting it up to turn down the heat a few degrees when you aren't home can make them easily pay for themselves in just a few months. <A> Ensure all your ducts are properly sealed - you can use aluminium foil tape to wrap the joints and transitions. <S> Don't use "duct tape" - it will get brittle and become worthless pretty quickly, and despite the name is not actually designed for duct work. <S> Insulate all exposed supply ducting - there are many DIY products for insulating your ductwork. <S> Ensure <S> your return registers are clean so your furnace gets the proper amount of airflow, and make sure there is nothing blocking the combustion air to the furnace. <A> The #1 easiest way - remember to change your filter. <A> Keep your cold air returns unblocked, no rugs or furniture on top of them. <A> Install dampers to direct air flow to the rooms that need it most. <S> This will help if you find yourself raising the thermostat to heat a bedroom, addition, basement, etc. <A> Neither DIY nor guaranteed to increase efficiency, but worth repeating: <S> Get your furnace cleaned and inspected by a professional. <S> They can tune your system and make sure you are burning at peak efficiency. <A> Seal electrical boxes (usually light fixtures) in the attic, and use spray-foam on electrical conduit entrance holes. <A> Next time you repaint, pull off the baseboards on outer walls and use spray foam to seal the wall-floor gap. <A> If you are willing to spend a little money, get an energy audit. <S> It will tell you where you home's biggest losses are, and point out many other places that could use a little work.
|
Inspect insulation in your attic/crawlspace (where possible). And of course, make sure you have a clean furnace filter.
|
How do I connect an air compressor to blow out my sprinkler lines? I want to blow out my sprinkler lines before the freezing weather gets here (I am in NJ). I have an air compressor that I can borrow but how do I attach the air compressor line to the sprinkler system to blow it out? Here is the water line coming out of my house, into the pressure vacuum breaker, and then into the ground where the valve box is located. In previous years I have had someone come out to do it and I know they attach to that spigot in the picture but I am not sure how. What type of adapter do I need to get? <Q> What I usually do to blow out lines is just use a simple hand held blow gun fitting for the air line. <S> You can buy one that has a rubber end that fits inside the garden hose valve. <S> This usually fits well enough that I don't need to do anything special. <S> When that is insufficient, then I do have a short pigtail (a one foot long piece) of hose with a regular air line connector at one end, and at the other end a female garden hose nozzle. <S> At the other end, I would buy a barbed fitting of the right diameter that would allow me to connect to a 1/4 NPT threaded connector. <S> Then just screw on a ball valve to turn the air on from the compressor when you want it, and to that, screw on a male air line connector. <S> A GOOD hardware store will have all of these things. <S> The nice thing about a blow-out tool like this is it does not need to take any serious airline pressure because the end of the line you are blowing out is essentially open ended. <S> So a simple piece of garden hose is entirely sufficient. <S> You might even temporarily reduce the regulator on the compressor to about 40 psi to avoid damaging anything from overpressure. <S> If you don't know how to make this up, then I'd go to a local hardware store and ask for help. <S> Tell them what you need. <S> (Print out this response if necessary.) <S> Go to a GOOD one, not to the big box stores like Home Depot. <S> Find one of those stores where the person running it knows what they have in the store and where to find it, and they know how to use what they sell too. <S> When you do find such a hardware store, support them with your business on a regular basis. <A> Following the advice of both @Scott Vercuski and @woodchips I was able to build my own adapter to go from the air compressor to the faucet. <S> The three parts are: 1/4" Air Compressor fitting 1/2" to 1/4" Male pipe to FIP Hex Bushing <S> Swivel hose adapter (3/4" FH to 1/2" FIP) <S> The three parts combined look like this: <A> Something like this should do ya just fine. <S> You'd just have to attach it to the faucet you have and shut off the nearest valve. <S> Should redirect the air down your sprinkler system and blow the water out of the sprinklers. <S> You'll probably need to have a pretty hefty air compressor though, it's probably going to take quite a bit of pressure to get through your system if it's extensive.
|
You could probably just chop off the end of an old piece of regular water hose, since it will already have the male garden fitting on it.
|
What level of electrical service should I order, for new construction? Starting from scratch here. A transformer on the street, no buildings on the land yet. I want to order temporary electrical service now, for use during construction. So we don't have to dig the street up twice, I want to have the wiring installed for the permanent service, too. What should I ask for? This is strictly residential. EDIT I intend to use gas for domestic hot water, dryer, and range. Our summers are mild, so no air conditioning. I don't have any plans for any big loads, although I'd like to keep my options open. <Q> Most houses have either 100 or 200 amp service. <S> 200A service costs about 30% more, and I'd assume that cost is higher if you want to upgrade later. <S> What you need really depends on a few things, but the simple ones are: if you have electric heat or hot water, then go 200A. <S> The other big loads are things like electric dryers, ovens, air conditioning, and hot tubs. <S> Most of those are constant, but air conditioning power depends on the size of the house, and of course in general a bigger house will use more power (more lights and other electrical devices). <S> Here's a site to help determine the electrical service you need . <S> If money was tight and none of those conditions are true, I might try to get by with 100A. <S> Right now I have gas hot water/heat, in a ~1500sqft house with A/C, and don't have any problems. <S> I upgraded my panel from fuses to breakers, but still stuck with 100A because I just don't need more. <A> As a homeowner, I'd go for 200A service, so that you don't have to re-run later if you get a big-use item like a hot-tub or something. <S> It will cost a bit more up front, but it shouldn't cost you any more per month (you just pay for what you use), and it gives you plenty of headroom for anything you'd like to do later. <A> Without a building and a place for the perm service, I dont think you can have the wiring installed for both. <S> I guess you could have them run the line for 200A service to the temp pole, and have it close enough to the final service entrance that you could disconnect it from the temp and move it over to the perm. <S> I take it <S> the transformer is on the other side of the street? <S> Another thing they might be able to do is lay both a temp and perm supply lines in the trench. <S> Then leave the main perm supply disconnected at the transformer and lay it on the ground near where the perm service will be. <S> The temp service supply line would be connected at first and then later abandoned.
|
I would definitely install 200A service in a house >2000sqft, or if there was electric heat/hot water.
|
Can I use a PVC cleanout plug in a Cast Iron Cleanout? There's a cleanout plug on this pipe that I simply can't get loose. I've tried liquid wrench, PB blaster, heating up the area with a torch, everything I can think of. All that's really left is to go after the plug with a drill and a saw and just pull it apart. However, none of my local hardware stores HAVE any 4 inch cast iron, all they have is PVC. Can I put a PVC cleanout plug in a Cast Iron cleanout? <Q> Another option would be to cut the pipe above and below the cleanout, and install a PVC Y-fitting with a cleanout cap using no-hub couplings like these: I would think that drilling and/or sawing out the old cast iron cap is going to be a giant pain in the rear, and will be likely to damage the cleanout fitting to the point where it needs to be replaced anyway. <S> Make sure your cast iron stack is supported above before you cut it. <A> Yes, it should be no problem. <S> Just use teflon tape on the threads to seal it. <S> I would worry though if you can't get the plug out, that the threads in the pipe won't be any good ( <S> or you'll destroy them in the process of attempting to get the plug out). <S> If that happens, you'll need to re-thread the pipe. <S> You should be able to rent a tool for this at your local tool rental place. <S> You don't mention what the pipe is, so just be prepared that you may not be able to use it until it's repaired, if you do have a problem with the threads. <A> Hole saw out the center and cut a pie shaped piece out with a saws all all the way to the threads but not into the threads, then with a hammer and punch knock out the pie shaped piece and remove the rest with channel lock pliers. <S> Do it every day as a professional plumber. <S> And if the threads are different stop at a local plumbing outfit and get a lead plug. <A> I had to also cut down a rubber coupler to make it a closer match to the inner diameter)
|
Another options to the PVC one, in case the threads are damanged or the thread count doesn't match up, would be to use an expansion plug : (I couldn't get the right size for mine at the local store, so
|
What am I missing when blowing out water from my sprinkler system? I am trying to blow out my sprinkler lines and I put together an adapter to connect the air compressor to the faucet pictured below. The air compressor was charged to 140PSI, and then I turned on a zone and opened the air compressor valve to 40PSI (into the faucet). But as far as I could tell, nothing was happening as far as water getting discharged from the system. It appeared that all of the air was flowing out of the pressure vacuum breaker. The past couple of years I have hired someone to blow out the sprinkler lines and I know they attach to that faucet. I also know that when they are clearing the water from the system the sprinkler heads popup and the water discharges from them. So what am I doing wrong? EDIT (2010-12-28) :I am not sure why I was not able to blow out the lines through the pressure vacuum breaker (I imagine it is not sealing correctly as said by @gregmac is his answer) so I ended up installing a new valve beyond the PVB which is where I attached the air compressor. <Q> My guess would be that there is something wrong with the backflow preventer. <S> When pressurized from the side marked "normal flow" (which is where your tap is), it should open the check valve, and also force the air inlet valve shut. <S> It's probably a rubber gasket, and might be worn out and need to be replaced, or maybe something is physically holding it open. <S> Try pushing on it to see if you can get it to close all the way. <S> Some silicon grease around the gasket will help it form a good seal and prolong the life of the gasket. <A> Your pressure is probably too low to shut the backflow, so all of the air is coming out the PVB. <S> You've got to get sufficient pressure to seal the PVB. <S> Mine takes 50 - 60 psi using a compressor that delivers 6-7 CFM in that PSI range. <S> Also consider the professionals use compressors delivering much higher CFM... <S> their compressor may be quite capable of closing the valve at 40psi. <A> Sometimes DIY sized compressors have an easier time if you can find the spring that is preventing the blowout preventer from closing (under air pressure) and temporarily take it out. <S> This would be the spring that is mounted to the cap, in the case of 800M4QT watts units, but mechanically the same idea applies to others. <S> I used to be able to do mine, and it wasn't a CFM thing that made it impossible, after a blowout preventer replacement. <S> The new spring was too strong for ~90PSI, and my lower-than-commercial CFM. <A> I haven't done this work before <S> so I don't have much to add, but did find this tutorial <S> that mentions removing that backflow preventer before blowing out. <S> Of course, then you'd need to make a new adapter since your faucet won't be connected to the system anymore. <S> And this also doesn't explain why others have been able to do it in the past with the backflow preventer in place. <S> Overall this is a pretty crap answer, sorry!
|
Most likely, the air inlet valve is not sealing properly.
|
Is it worth spending extra to get a nicer circular saw? I'm doing some small projects such as building a workbench, and I don't have a saw to cut plywood with. I've got a 12" compound miter saw, so I don't currently need a circular saw for anything other than cutting plywood. I looked around and I think I found a good quality DeWalt saw as a candidate for ~$140. I also found some really cheap Harbor Freight saws for $25-$35. Is it worth paying 4x the price for a quality saw, if all I'll be using it for is the occasional plywood cut? (I'm also a little worried about safety issues with such a cheap saw. Do the blades have a higher chance of flying apart and sending shrapnel toward the user?) Follow-Up: I ended up going for a mid-range saw and buying a Ridgid . Several different factors weighed in on my decision: I borrowed a friend's 25 year old Craftsman, and one of the features I wish it had the most was a front and rear kerf indicator for both sides of the blade. It got annoying fast not knowing exactly where the cut line would be. The Ridgid has this. The DeWalt mentioned above doesn't. Tool weight and feel. I went to HD and held all the saws. I really liked how the Ridgid felt. Degree and depth markings. I was looking for a saw that had a positive stop at 45° bevel. The depth indication also helps a ton. Warranty: The Ridgid came with a 90 day money back guarantee, a 3 year warranty, and a limited lifetime service warranty. Did I mention it's QUIET? I can barely tell a difference when it's cutting vs. no load. The first cut I made with my new saw was at a 45° bevel through 1/2" plywood, and it didn't catch or bind at all. I'd recommend it - unless it ends up breaking in the near future, which I highly doubt. <Q> I wouldn't worry so much about blades flying out, even when using a cheap harbor freight saw. <S> What is more likely to happen is the motor will burn out quicker than a quality tool. <S> I've bought many harbor freight tools for "time to time" use. <S> I've got a drill press that's lasted quite a long while ... <S> granted <S> I only use it a few times a year <S> so I got my money's worth. <S> The blade won't come flying out but the motor will probably burn out and fail long before the DeWalt motor would. <A> If this is a one-off project it may be worth asking the ply merchant if they can do the cutting for you, which might work out even cheaper than a cheap saw. <S> Other than that, I suspect that if you do buy a saw you will end up using it more than you thought you would and should give consideration to buying the dearer one, which in all likelihood will last you many decades. <S> Also consider that a solid brand name saw like the DeWalt is likely to be maintainable over the long haul, whereas a cheapy is unlikely to even be worth maintaining. <A> If it was just for a one time project, I'd go ahead with the Harbor Freight. <S> Otherwise, for light occasional use, the DeWalt should be fine. <S> If you think you might become a heavier user, then I'd recommend stepping up from the DeWalt. <A> For such little use, you might want to consider getting a cordless circular saw. <S> If you don't already own a cordless drill (which is a must have), then you can buy a kit for less the the cost of the DeWalt that comes with a cordless drill, circular saw, and a few other pieces. <S> I bought a cheap Ryobi kit at Home depot for $69 for a gift and it works great for small infrequent projects. <A> I bought a cheap circular saw and had terrible trouble making 45 degree cuts on old hardwood, with the blade binding and smoking and blackening the wood. <S> It went OK with 90 degree cuts, but I guess that when rotated the blade was not properly aligned. <S> I replaced it with a Makita ($140) and it works beautifully. <S> I wish I had done it sooner. <S> I have cheap drills and a belt sander that work perfectly. <S> I have a cheap mitre saw that is OK. <S> I guess what you can get away with depends on the type of the tool. <A> $140 seems high. <S> I would go with a Black and Decker or Skil for around $35 to $60. <S> Check Amazon and Lowe's. <S> I have had a Skil for over 15 years. <A> For very occasional use, an option is to get a jigsaw instead of a circular saw. <S> You can still get straight cuts out of it if you use a good straight guide. <S> It will cut bevels the same as a circular saw. <S> It's easy to get a variety of blades for different materials. <S> A jigsaw will cut tight curves, including cutting a circle in the middle of material - a circular saw can't do this. <S> A jigsaw is going to be a lot slower for many tasks. <S> If you're not cutting often, that's OK. <S> A circular saw + a (battery powered) reciprocating saw is a better combination than a jigsaw, but for very occasional use, a jigsaw alone may be good enough. <A> Always buy the best tools if you can afford them BUT remember that Harbor Freight has a no questions asked return policy. <S> Just keep the receipt. <S> An old boss of mine returned an $14 angle grinder 7 times in 2 months because we abused the hell out of it. <A> Any saw now days would be fine, especially since it's not used alot. <S> The main thing to do to make a cheaper saw last is treat it gently. <S> Don't just drop it after a cut. <S> Don't force it, especially if you're ripping. <S> You can hear the bind. <S> Slow down, or straiten it up or maybe it's a dull <S> blade.save your$$ just take care of it! <A> I had a water leak in my fridge ice maker line and the plumber wouldn't open the wall up. <S> So I bought a Harbor Freight 7.25", set the depth to half an inch, and cut the plywood siding open. <S> For light duty use (cutting a few boards here and there) it sufficed. <S> Not longer after, I got a Craftsman 10" Miter Saw for a flooring project. <S> It cost roughly 3x as much. <S> The miter saw, despite heavier use, is still going strong. <S> The circular saw... <S> I recently replaced it with a $100 Skil model that's lighter and more powerful. <S> The motor in the old Harbor Freight is staring to go. <S> I've also noticed that Harbor Freight has stopped using their old neon orange plastic that was their hallmark. <S> I have one of their angle grinders and the plastic is sticky now. <S> Same with the circular saw. <S> In short, you get what you pay for. <S> If you can buy a nicer tool, it will last you a lot longer.
|
I think you'd be fine with the cheap saw as long as you're not going to use it all that often.
|
How do I repair a drywall ceiling when there is blown in insulation above? I was finishing the space above a garage. The space was buried in blown in cellulose insulation and we framed in some walls, laid a subfloor, and finished the room. During framing two different people punched a hole in the drywall ceiling below creating a couple large irregular holes and causing it to rain insulation. The space below is an unheated garage. Now it's time to fix those holes. I see two options: 1) Somehow patch the drywall as-is to keep from dropping another ton of insulation. The holes aren't nice and square and some of the edges would be a good 10 inches from a support to screw into. Don't see any way to easily frame or toenail in 2x4s without cutting more drywall and dropping more insulation. Is there any product or technique that could help here? I've tried those aluminum patches in the past, but wasn't very impressed. 2) Somehow catch all the insulation, then the holes can be cut square back to beams and patched in a normal fashion. How to do this? Vacuum? Any way to put the insulation back up there when installing the ceiling patch? To further complicate matters, the garage in question can't be emptied easily. <Q> Drywall is easy to patch without having to cut it back to expose a joist. <S> Here's how: Cut a piece of thin wood to a length that is a couple inches longer than your hole. <S> A paint paddle or the thick side of a wooden shim works well for this, but any scrap piece of wood will do. <S> Drill a screw partially into the middle of your scrap piece of wood. <S> Using that screw as a handle, insert the piece of wood into the hole and center it so that it makes a bridge across the hole from the inside of your ceiling. <S> Again using that screw as a handle, drive two additional screws through the existing drywall and into the part of the scrap wood that is hidden behind the drywall on either side of the hole. <S> Remove the screw that you've been using for a handle. <S> Use joint compound or Spackle to finish the cracks and screw holes. <A> Open the holes a little: make them square, and big enough to be able to get your hands through. <S> Next, get myself a roll of R-13 fiberglass batting (currently less than $10 at Lowe's or HD), and cut patches to fill the void in the cellulose insulation: you'd probably need two or three layers, depending on what size your ceiling joists are. <S> Stuff them through the holes and spread them out. <S> Finally, use a couple of 1x2's to cross each of the holes, and patch them as described in this answer to this question . <S> I've used a shop-vac for cleaning up blown cellulose, but for disposal, not for later re-installation. <S> It seems to me that it has a very different texture before and after: clumpy and with some structure, versus powdery, no texture. <A> For a larger drywall patch, say 2'x2', here's what I have done... <S> It's a little time consuming but fairly clean. <S> I cut 90% of the square hole out with a repic saw and leave enough uncut for the drywall to not fall out (making a huge mess). <S> I have someone hold a shop vac close to the saw to get the dust. <S> Then I get 2 pieces of wood similar in size to that of a yard stick and screw them into the surrounding drywall perpendicular to the ceiling joists. <S> Then I make the final cuts around the perimeter. <S> The drywall is still held in place by the nails/screws in the joist(s) as well as the yard sticks. <S> Next step is to cut along both sides of the joist(s). <S> You may have to add yard sticks or move the ones that are there to cut behind them. <S> This will release the drywall but it won't fall because of the yard sticks. <S> Next, remove the strip(s) of drywall that are nailed/screwed to the joist(s). <S> Next, take yard stick material and cut several down to about 4 inches longer than your opening and slip them into the opening, parallel with the joist(s), raising the now loose ceiling drywall up into the cavity. <S> The trick is slipping in the yard stick material without moving the loose drywall pieces side to side allowing insulation to fall thru. <S> Push them straight up. <S> Secure the yard sticks to the outside of the hole from below with drywall screws. <S> After that, simply remove the yard sticks you secured from below and the opening is now ready for your new drywall patch. <S> The old drywall stays in the ceiling. <S> Then screw, tape and mud as usual. <A> You will need to get in the attic if you have access to it and remove as much of the insulation above the area as you can with an insulation removing vacuum or shop vac. <S> Then do your repair and replace the blown insulation back in place. <S> Removing the dry wall without doing this will end up with a big mess.
|
Cut a piece of scrap drywall into roughly the size and shape of the hole, and screw it into the piece of scrap wood. I would clean out the area around the holes to give myself room to work without being showered with cellulose.
|
What can I use to drill dowel holes down the end of a long piece of wood? More of a DIY than Improvement question, but here goes anyway. We're building a shoe box with slatted sides and base and were thinking of joining the slats to the corner uprights with dowel (excuse the bad art): The problem we have is getting the dowel hole in the cross piece straight. The hole in the upright isn't a problem as we can use one of these : (something I've wanted an excuse to buy for years!). However, the one's we've looked at don't seem to be suitable as there's not enough clearance to insert the cross piece vertically (it's about 18"-24" long), and they don't seem to rotate on the pillar (I assume for safely reasons). I could use a hand drill, but there'll be 4 cross pieces per side and across the base which with 2 pieces of dowel per piece per end is 160 holes - which is a lot to guarantee getting perfectly straight. So what can I use to drill the holes in the cross pieces? <Q> Lee Valley has them, as will virtually all wood working supply sources, Rockler, for example. <S> The jig clamps to the end of your board, and then you drill through a hardened drill guide into the board, using a hand drill. <S> These dowel jigs used to be much more common in the days before biscuits, pocket screws, etc. <A> Maybe a 2 phase approach would work. <S> Buying a drill press attachment for your hand drill ... <S> much like <S> this one <S> and then building a jig where you could insert a dowel and attach the drill press attachment. <S> That way you have the freedom of the hand drill and the jig will give you precision and ease of use for 160 drillings. <S> A bit more complex than the drill press bur probably a bit cheaper. <S> I'd wager that any drill press that has a swinging attachment would cost a pretty penny more than your average drill press. <A> Are you absolutely committed to the idea of using dowels for this? <S> If so, in addition to a doweling jig you might want to pick up a set of transfer plugs to mark the hole locations on your upright. <S> (You might not need these if the doweling jig can be used on a board face -- hard to tell from the photo on the Lee Valley site.) <S> If you have no special attachment to using dowels, the standard way of making a joint like this is to use a dado cut so the shelf is slotted into the upright: <S> This type of joint gives you a lot more rigidity than the dowel joint will. <S> If you don't already have one you'll get to buy a table saw and a stacked dado head instead of the drill press, but I think a table saw is a more versatile thing to have anyway. <A> although this post was written some time ago, you could have used the wickes pillar drill by clamping your work piece upright to the edge of the swviel table to drill your dowel holes. <A> Matthias Wandel has a few tricks-of-the-trade on his website for doing this: 1) <S> Adjust an ordinary Drill Press: <S> place it on a workbench <S> so it's facing away from you, then loosen the setscrews that hold the head assembly to the column and turn the whole head assembly 180 Degrees back towards you. <S> Then pull the drill press towards you and lean it over the edge of the workbench. <S> You can now drill pieces as long as it is far to the floor. <S> See: http://woodgears.ca/shop-tricks/drilling-big.html 2) <S> Build a horizontal drilling jig. <S> See: http://woodgears.ca/horizontal_boring/jig.html
|
Buy a self centering dowel drilling jig .
|
Why do I have blue water coming out of the faucets? We have an upstairs bathroom that we've gutted and are having some contractors remodel. The toilet is the only thing that hasn't been touched. We had a plumber come and redo all of the source and drain lines for the new sinks and the shower. The other day, he turned off the water for the entire day to do his work and turned it on when he was done. That evening, we turned on one of the downstairs baths, and blue water came out for about 2-3 seconds, then it became clear. We tried other sinks and saw the same thing. My immediate fear was that this was somehow the water from the blue bleach tablet we had in the upstairs toilet and that somehow the sewage drain line water from the toilet was making its way into the source line. I'm no plumber, but this seemed improbable to me since they are separate lines and direction the water pressure would probably not allow it to go throughout the entire house the way it did. The plumber is a trustworthy guy who has done a lot of work for us before. He was pretty astonished when I showed him the blue water coming out of the downstairs bathroom faucet. He rechecked the lines and felt that it was unlikely that the sewage water was getting into the source line, but had no solid explanation for the blue water. He said it could be that the source valve for the toilet tank was somehow letting water back into the source line, but he seemed skeptical. He also said that it could be a coincidence of timing and that maybe the city's copper line has some corrosion which could possibly cause blue water. He suggested getting the city to come check the water quality. We caught some of the water in a glass to see how blue it is. I apparently can't seem to smell anything, but my wife assures me that it smells like the bleach tablets. We we're going to try to put some food coloring of a different color in the toilet and see if that color comes through. We're also going to experiment with whether it happens only after we flush the toilet. Any other suggestions? Has anybody seen something like this before? <Q> If so, it is still a bad thing that really must be repaired. <S> I like the idea of a couple of drops of food coloring as a test of this. <S> It might happen only when the toilet is flushed, and the faucet for the sink is also open. <S> If that test shows nothing, then redo the test, but this time, turn off the water pressure into your home at the main supply. <S> (There will be a shutoff valve in your basement.) <S> Now, open the valves in your downstairs faucets. <S> This will create a siphoning effect, trying to suck water back from the toilet supply tank. <S> Since this has happened only once, my guess is it happened when the water pressure for your home was turned off. <S> This allowed water to siphon back into the water supply lines from the toilet tank. <S> An old valve in the tank might explain that. <S> Regardless, if you confirm this is what happens, then I would add an anti-siphon valve (also known as a back-flow prevention valve) into the water line to the tank. <S> This is a spring loaded one-way valve, that allows water to flow into the tank, but not the other way. <S> Could this be a copper corrosion issue as the plumber claimed? <S> This seems unlikely for that to have happened since you have not seen it before, but anything is possible. <S> If you have that much copper in your water that is leaching out of the supply lines, this would be something to worry about. <S> So if you do the food coloring test, and there is no sign of backflow from the tank, then I would get a water test done for copper. <S> In fact, a quick check on Amazon finds a home water test kit that includes a test for copper in your water. <A> We had blue water coming out of our bathtub faucet for a number of months. <S> I talked to people at our local plumbing company. <S> They had no answer. <S> I gave up searching the blogs on the internet. <S> This is what I did to solve the problem. <S> Our gas hot water tank was almost 15 years old, past it's useful life. <S> I bought a new tank. <S> I first removed the cold water copper inlet pipe from the wall to the top of the tank. <S> It appeared OK. <S> Then I loosed the pipe fitting on the hot water outlet on top of the tank. <S> Black water started to seep out. <S> After removing the pipe I stuck my finger in the pipe end. <S> It came out totally black. <S> It stained my finger. <S> The black O ring seal had totally deteriorated. <S> It was leeching a black/blue stain into the bathtub water. <S> I replaced the tank and the flexible copper tubing to the tank. <S> Problem solved. <S> Try this first. <S> Turn on the cold water to the bathtub. <S> See if it comes out clear after a few minutes. <S> Then turn on only the hot water. <S> If it starts to come blue, then you may have a problem with the hot water pipe coming our of the hot water tank. <A> This is just a random guess, but if the plumber used pex piping, is it possible for the piping to leech some coloring into the water it contains (this only makes sense if you did use pex piping, and it is blue). <A> I wonder if there is some pipe that has had water sitting in it for a while. <S> I saw this at my grandmother's house where there were bathroom taps that didn't get used for months at a time. <S> It was so that blue my initial reaction was that it was blue toilet bowl cleaner contaminated from a cistern. <S> Blue or green water is caused by the corrosion of internal copper piping. <S> Generally, the water discolouration is accompanied by a metallic taste. <S> This is a complex problem that at elevated levels of copper can have health implications. <S> it is caused by the release of copper from copper pipes into the water. <S> While low levels of copper are essential for good health, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) have specified a health limit of 2 mg/L for copper levels in drinking water. <S> Water with a copper level greater than this amount should not be consumed or used for food preparation. <S> Water with levels this high is usually seen as cloudy or blue/green with blue particles present. <S> Sometimes, after boiling the water in a kettle or saucepan, the water or particles may change to black/brown and settle on the water surface. <S> Source
|
By the way, it is not at all easy for this to be sewage getting into your water lines, but it might be a problem of siphoning back into your house lines from the toilet tank itself.
|
What type of space heater is best for an uninsulated garage? I'm planning on applying stain and polyurethane to some furniture I recently built. I've been thinking about getting a space heater for my uninsulated garage, both to help the poly cure, and for my own comfort while working. What type of heater would be best? Electric? Kerosene? I'm not planning on having any ventilation, so how does that factor into things? A friend of mine mentioned that a radiant heater is most efficient for uninsulated spaces. Is this true? UPDATE: I decided on an electric ceramic heater. I got this Bionaire ceramic tower heater at Lowe's for $40, and I'm pretty happy with how it performs: It dropped into the low 20's last night, and I was comfortable in the garage with the door closed in just a t-shirt and undershirt. It heats up fast and even has an auto shut-off if it reaches the desired temperature. (Although I don't think it's got quite enough power to get the garage up to 70°F.) I'm pretty sure if I put on an old sweatshirt and cracked the door a foot or so for ventilation I'd be ok too. The rated power output for this heater is 1500W, but I had to open the box and look at the manual to find out - it wasn't written anywhere on the packaging. I wouldn't go by power rating alone though - get some recommendations or read some reviews. I got this Optimus heater first for about half the price, and it claimed to have the same power output. However, you could barely feel the heat standing directly in front of it. It went right back to Lowe's. <Q> I would recommend an oil-filled radiator style rather than an open coil style. <S> This should reduce the chances of fumes and sawdust igniting. <A> If you're not going to have ventilation (which I'd reconsider .. stain and polyurethane are pretty stinky materials to use, a lil air might help you avoid a nasty headache and potential health issues from inadvertently huffing) <S> an electric heater would be best. <S> Kerosene heaters are going to produce additional fumes which is going to add to an already smelly situation. <S> I'd go for an electric model and keep it as far away from the piece of furniture as you can. <S> Here is a good page on electric heaters. <S> I'd seriously consider having some sort of ventilation though just because of the odor and potential fumes <S> if the stain and poly get warmer, they're likely to give off more fumes than if they're cold. <A> I've spent far too much time working on projects in uninsulated spaces in freezing weather, and I'll tell you most of those electric indoor style radiant or ceramic heaters are almost worthless if the outside temp is under 50F. <S> If you live somewhere with a milder winter, you can basically ignore what I just typed below. <S> Burning propane does produce some condensation <S> so if you want to do any detailed finish work you may want to avoid gas. <S> One note - if you are doing a lot of paint or finishing work in the space <S> an electric heater is best, although getting a space heater heavy duty enough to heat a cold shop space can get spendy. <S> Basically if you're going electric... try to find a 240v heater to keep your electric bill from going stratospheric. <S> This site sells the types of heaters I personally would use in a garage. <A> A kerosene heater has an electric starter and is very easy to use. <S> It has a manual temperature regulation. <S> It needs enough air for proper ventilation, but can provide enough warmth for even a two-car garage.
|
If you really don't want to freeze and you're not doing any major paint/finish work in there, using a propane heater will work best - I prefer radiant heat but any gas heater with a fan will work best, unfortunately they are rather expensive.
|
Is a timed electrical switch causing vent fan to run slower / with less power? I bought this timed electrical switch and used it to replace a standard switch that turned on my bathroom vent fan (I'm always forgetting to turn it off and it often will run all day.) after the install, everything seems to work fine, but I could swear the fan is not running as loud / with as much power after the replacement. What could be causing this? <Q> The timer you installed is designed for incandescent lights only. <S> They make a timer suitable for induction loads (fan motor) <S> You need to switch it out for the correct timer switch. <S> I made the same mistake myself and getting the correct switch solved the slow fan problem. <A> Given that controlling bathroom fans is one of the intended uses of that switch, I doubt that they would affect the speed or power by much (if at all) under normal operation. <S> I would try reinstalling the original switch to see if I could tell a difference (though this might be very subjective unless you have a sound level meter or way to measure the airflow in the vent), and if so, bring the timer switch back to where you bought it for a replacement or refund. <A> We've used these times switches in two places so far, with good results. <S> They let you run the fan for long enough to clear the room of humidity, as opposed to turning off the fan as soon as you leave the room. <S> And I've not seen the problem you describe. <S> However, run a motor in under-voltage conditions and you may cause the motor to overheat, killing it prematurely. <S> A simple test is to temporarily bypass the switch completely. <S> I.e., Turn off the power to the outlet. <S> Remove the switch. <S> Use wire nuts to connect black to black, white to white. <S> (Better, if you have a simple two pole switch on hand, wire it in place instead.) <S> Turn on the power temporarily. <S> Verify that the fan is now running properly compared to with the timer, or that you were just hearing things. <S> After this test, return things to normal, in the end either by returning the timer switch to the store as defective and asking for a replacement, or rewiring the timer in the outlet box. <S> If you are still worried, a more complete test might involve checking the line voltage to and from the switch, and/or checking the speed of the fan itself, but these tests may well be beyond the tools at hand. <A> A simple multimeter will tell you what you need to know here. <S> Disconnect the fan from the switch, turn the switch on, and then measure the voltage before and after the switch. <S> If you are seeing a significant voltage drop across the switch, then it is defective.
|
If you're sure that there's a big difference between before and after installation, it may be that the switch is faulty.
|
What are the consequences of building without a permit? Suppose someone decided to build a house without getting the required permits. What are the possible consequences? I'm not talking about slipshod workmanship, or ignoring safety of structure, fire, and sewage. I'm talking about doing good quality work that generally meets or exceeds code requirements, but without going through the "proper channels". (I'm sure you'll want more context; ask and I'll edit later.) <Q> This wil depend on where exactly you live. <S> There're many possible outcomes, including the following: <S> nothing bad happens <S> you can be fined <S> the house can be demolished and you'll have to pay for that <S> you'll be forced to go through the "proper channels" <S> later you'll face minor or major problems when you try to sell/lease/insure the house <S> Also don't forget that the codes can impose some limitations that are specific to your exact location. <S> For example, the maximum height or pressure onto the ground could need approval from some certified state organization. <S> So if you ignore the procedure the following could happen. <S> You will not know that you house will be limited in electric power or pressure onto the ground (since that data is not obviously available until you contact the organization responsible for that) <S> and you'll only face problems when it is too late - so you will be unable to heat your house properly or it will excert too much pressure and collapse and even damage the surrounding buildings. <S> Or your neighbours might file a lawsuit agains you because your house casts too dense shadow on their land. <S> The bottom line is - consult a qualified specialist in your location. <S> Building without permit might be a Very Bad Idea™. <A> Just to add what others have said, the consequences can be extreme, or not. <S> But don't think that just because you believe everything is up to code, that high quality work was done, that this will be enough. <S> Look at this from the point of view of the permit issuing authority, and the building inspector who would check to see that work was indeed done to code. <S> Can a building inspector go back and be sure that work WAS done to code? <S> Sometimes, not without tearing things apart. <S> And a building inspector will not be happy to see their time wasted. <S> Do you want to make the person unhappy who must choose to pass on your work? <S> On top of that, a presumption might be that the person who could not be bothered to get the proper permits also might have skipped over something important. <S> The point is, do the work without the proper permits, and you risk creating a very irritated person, one who has the authority to freely order your fine piece of craftsmanship turned into a pile of rubble. <A> If your home insurance company finds out, you’re not covered for fire insurance... <S> especially if it’s for something like installing a wood stove insert, etc.
|
One of the consequences of building with no permit is that no inspections were ever done. It would depend on many factors beyond your control.
|
Why do our baseboard heating pipes make a loud banging noise after a new furnace was installed? We had a new furnace installed about a month ago. The heating in our house is hot water baseboards. Ever since the new furnace was installed, when the heat comes on or turns off, there is a loud bang in the pipes. It's not 100% consistent, but it happens quite often. We had the furnace company come back to look at the problem. They said it was likely water hammer because the new Honeywell valves flow twice as much water as the valves that were on the previous furnace. They only suggestions they had were adding padding around the pipes where they leave the furnace room and closing the ball valves on each zone a bit to limit the water flow. Neither suggestion helped. Would it make sense to try and fasten the heating pipes coming out of the furnace to the walls in the furnace room in an attempt to limit pipe movement and hopefully reduce the sound? Does anyone have any other suggestions? It sounds way too loud to be air in the pipes and it didn't happen with the old furnace, so something about the new furnace or piping in the furnace room must different enough to be causing this problem. <Q> It turns out the problem was that the zone valves were installed backwards. <S> They closed in the opposite direction of the flow of water. <S> Since the zone valves were fighting the flow of water, it was causing a great deal of vibration and banging. <S> The banging is completely gone. <A> As a first step I would secure the pipes properly, remembering to use strapping of the correct material (mixing metals can cause corrosion). <S> This would probably be your cheapest option, and the least time consuming. <S> You may also find this link helpful. <S> I noticed <S> the V8043 zone valves have 2 springs and that when the short spring was disconnected, the valve still closed but at a much slower rate. <S> Hence I disconnected the short spring on each of the 4 valves and have been running the system that way for a about a month and have had no problems with a water hammer or with de-energized zone valves being stuck in the open position. <S> You could also try Air Chambers as described here <S> (Air chambers can lose air over time, and have to be "recharged" from time to time). <S> The permanent air chamber is simply a vertical section of copper pipe with a cap on the end that is attached with a T-fitting to the supply line near a shutoff valve or appliance. <S> They are installed on both hot and cold water lines. <S> The chamber is filled with air which absorbs the force of the moving water by compressing within the chamber, acting like a shock absorber. <S> Or if applicable to heating pipes Hammer Arrestors. <S> Arrestors are sealed units that contain a spring and a waterproof air bladder to absorb the force of the moving water. <A> Take a look at @Mike Powell's answer for this question . <S> EDIT: <S> @Tester101 brought up a good point about a water hammer arrestor being used for heating pipes. <S> I looked up some max temperature specs here , and it's listed as 250°F for this particular type.
|
A water hammer arrestor may be the solution to your problem. I had the heating company come back and reverse the zone valves so they operate in the correct direction.
|
What compound is best to use when skim coating a plaster wall that had wallpaper removed? What kind of compound is best to use when skim coating a plaster wall that had wallpaper removed. Should it be thinned with water? when would one use Toping Compound instead of joint compound. Light weight compound, blue bucket, or regular, green bucket if going with joint compound <Q> I've used regular joint compound, thinned with water quite a bit. <S> Be careful with any areas where the wallpaper pulled up the outer layer of drywall and exposed the brown paper - those will tend to bubble up when you skim over them. <S> You might have some success with painting over those areas with something like Kilz, but even then, you might get bubbling. <S> In that case, I use a utility knife to cut out the offending bubbles, and skim again. <S> Thin coats should help reduce instances of bubbling. <A> General purpose compound will work fine. <S> Be sure to read the label as some manufacturers specificaly state "Not for Skim Applications". <S> You can also add a few ounces of Ivory dish soap to the mix. <S> It will really make the mud glide on smoothly with fewer tiny pock holes. <S> I prefer a good 12 inch knife to a trowel, and dipping it in water before final pass helps make a smoother surface. <S> If you do need to put on a second coat, which is almost always the case, be sure to knock down any trails or ridges with a drywall knife and lightly sand the surface to remove boogers and loose dried mud. <S> clean the entire surface with a damn sponge, rinsing the sponge often. <S> This will remove all the dust that will cause the skim mud to curl off the wall during application. <S> Once you are happy with the final finish, be sure to prime using a PVA primer or other primer specificaly described to be used on new drywall. <S> What you are doing is sealing the mud so the water in your latex paint won't be absorbed into the mud, lifting it and ruining all your hard work. <S> Good luck. <A> If you are going to thin with water, I would do it very sparingly (to avoid the compound sliding off the bottom of the knife when moving horizontally). <S> After skim coating and sanding, apply a coat of primer to seal up the compound before painting. <A> This suggests joint compound but still not sure if there is something else that might be better for some reason: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/asktoh/question/0,,455195,00.html <A> There is a product sold by Sherwin Williams its a solvent based spackleing its similar to joint compound <S> but it bonds a lot better than Sheetroc mud and dries very hard very much like plaster.
|
As said by the others, thin with water and mix well with a large drill and paddle to remove as many air bubbles as possible before attempting to apply. You can use regular "all-purpose" joint compound.
|
Could home phone wiring cause a one-sided phone call (where I can hear them but they can't hear me)? I have wired my phone from our cable modem to the phone junction box for our home in the basement. I stripped and hooked each of 4 teeny tiny delicate wires to the junction box. For the most part this works, but I'm wondering electrically what I could have done that would cause me to be able to hear the people on the other end--but prevent them from hearing me? <Q> One-way voice with VoIP is a networking issue, which is a bit off-topic for this site. <S> This article may help: What causes one-way conversation in a VoIP network? . <S> Unless you set up the voip accounts and hardware yourself (in which case you would have done things dealing with the acronyms SIP, RTP and/or NAT) then call your provider, because it's their problem. <S> It sounds like you're getting service directly from your cable company, and frankly, if they can't get this right <S> I'd be scared - <S> that is not a good sign of the quality of service <S> you'll get. <S> What your cable modem has in it is called an Analog Telephone Adapter <S> (ATA) <S> - it basically interfaces an analog phone line with a VoIP account. <S> Once you're on analog, both send and receive are on the same pair, and only a single pair of wires are used -- typically red and green (or blue and blue/white in Cat3+ cable). <S> If these are connected, you have two-way voice between your analog phone and the ATA. <S> If not, you get nothing at all. <A> I think it's unlikely that your wiring is the problem. <S> A single phone line is only two conductors, even though the connector has four contacts. <S> The four contacts are there so that a single cord can support a two-line phone -- normally the two inner conductors are "line 1" and, if connected at all, the two outer conductors are "line 2". <S> If one of the two conductors isn't connected, the phone doesn't work at all -- it's not like there's a separate wire for outgoing audio and another for incoming. <S> I'm not saying it's impossible <S> your wiring is the culprit, as I'm not an expert on phone systems and there may be some condition I'm not thinking of <S> that could cause this, but I do think it's unlikely. <S> If you see the same problem, then it's not your wiring that's causing it. <S> Try another phone just to rule out the possibility that your phone's broken, then call your VOIP provider to see if there's any network troubleshooting they can do. <A> No, that's not possible. <S> The two-wire phone circuit requires both wires for the connection to be made, so if voice is transmitted in any direction successfully both wires are intact and wiring itself is not the problem cause. <S> The problem is likely in the active equipment.
|
At any rate you can check your wiring job by plugging a wired phone into the phone jack on your cable modem. It's pretty easy to conclude that this is not a problem with your wiring.
|
Can I close the garage vent on my furnace? My furnace duct system has a vent in the garage, right over the furnace. Is it necessary for the proper operation of the furnace to keep that open? I'd hate to waste the money heating up my garage, but I don't want to close the vent if it means damage to the furnace. In the picture below, I have the vent closed, to increase the pressure going into the house. <Q> It's not necessary, they probably just put it in because it was easy to do and gives you the option of heating the garage if you want. <S> I would keep the vent closed, and if you want an even better seal, the make magnetic pads <S> that you can put over the vent as well <A> Even then, it might still arguably be smarter to just bundle up. <S> Close the vent. <A> I'd leave it closed. <S> I find that my furnace itself (located in the garage) keeps the garage pleasantly warm even with the garage vent closed. <S> If the furnace was in the house, I might leave a vent open though (to keep the cars from leaking coolant from the hose/tube junctions, which they're prone to doing on those really cold days if not kept warm).
|
There is no reason to leave the vent open, dumping warm air into your uninsulated garage, unless you intend to do some work there on a cold day.
|
Do I need a separate vent stack for my kitchen sink? The drain line from my kitchen sink drops down through the basement, into the basement floor (Concrete), and I assume under the floor to the main sewer line. The sink tends to drain slowly. Should I have a separate vent at the sink, or is it OK if the only vent is the main vent stack? Should I snake out the line to see if it helps, or is this more likely a problem with not having air behind water? EDIT: I have already taken apart and checked all the pipe that is above the basement floor (and it was clear), if there is a clog it would be in the line that runs under the basement floor. <Q> To answer the specific question of whether you need a separate vent for this sink: in my state (VA), the allowable distance between a 1 1/2" drain trap (standard size for a kitchen sink) and its vent is 6 feet. <S> If your trap is farther from the vent than that, then you should consider adding a new vent or an air admittance valve . <S> That said, too much distance from the vent won't cause your sink to drain slowly. <S> The problem with it being too far away is that the column of water flowing away from the trap is large and heavy enough that it has the potential to suck the water out of your trap as it leaves. <S> And along with this sucking comes the gurgling sounds mentioned in the other answers here. <S> EDIT: To be clear, your sink doesn't have to be 6 feet from the vent stack , i.e. the main vent pipe that goes through the roof. <S> Your DWV system may have other vent pipes that converge in the attic at the main stack. <A> From your description, this sounds more like a clogged drain. <S> If only the sink drains slowly, then it a more likely a problem near that point. <S> I'd look at the sink. <S> You might pull the elbow off under the sink. <S> Is it clogged? <S> That is a better place to use a snake from anyway, once this is opened up. <S> Be careful with chemical drain cleaners, as they can be quite nasty. <A> Snaking might help, as might opening and cleaning the trap (if water is moving slowly, you're more likely to have solids settling out, causing the water to move even more slowly).
|
If there is a venting problem, you might hear gurgling when the sink drains, or perhaps see the water dip down in a toilet when you use your sink. Ideally you should have a vent at the kitchen sink too; AFAIK, it doesn't have to be dedicated to the sink so you could hook up to an existing vent if you have one nearby.
|
Why won't my bathroom light fixture work? Had a surprise this morning when I went to turn on my bathroom light and it didn't work. All the incandescent bulbs (4 of them) appear to be fine, and the fan which is on the switch beside the light switch is working. I've checked and reset all breakers. Before calling an electrician, is there anything else I can do? Is it possible that the fixture has failed since none of the bulbs will light up. <Q> If you have a multi-meter and feel comfortable poking around, you can find out some preliminary info. <S> Take off the face-plate for the switches and check the voltage between the two screws on the light switch. <S> You should see nothing when it's on, and full voltage (120/230/etc) when it's off: <S> If you see no voltage all the time, then there's likely a power problem feeding the switch. <S> If you see full voltage all the time, then the switch is probably broken and can be easily replaced. <S> If you see no voltage (switch on) and full voltage (switch off), then it's probably the light fixture. <A> You already accepted an answer, so I'm assuming this is solved, but I'll throw this out there for others who might have this problem. <S> It could be that the light is on the same circuit as a GFCI outlet. <S> If the GFCI tripped, it would cause all other fixtures further down the same circuit to turn off as well. <S> I've had this problem before at my house <S> - we have a bathroom downstairs with a GFCI outlet and another bathroom upstairs (directly above it) that is on the same circuit. <S> If the GFCI trips downstairs, the power to the outlets in the upstairs bathroom goes out as well. <S> Was a bit of a head-scratcher for me the first time it happened. <A> This can be just a bad switch. <S> I would take off the switch plate, and verify that the switch itself is working. <S> Easiest is to use a voltage sensing probe . <S> These are tremendously useful tools when you are working with electricity. <S> With the power still on, CAREFULLY remove the outlet cover. <S> Turn the switch off to the light. <S> Now, one of the black lines running from the switch will be "hot", and the other black line will show no power. <S> If you now turn on the switch, then both black lines from the switch will be hot. <S> Make sure that all circuits into the box are dead. <S> Now, remove the switch. <S> With a continuity checker (a multimeter is another great tool to have around the home, and not at all expensive) verify that when the switch is off, there should be essentially infinite resistance between the brass screws on the switch (where the black wires connected to.) <S> Now turn on the switch, and that resistance should go down to zero. <S> If the problem is in the switch, just buy a new one to replace the old. <S> If the switch tests ok, then the problem is with the line to the fixture, or at the fixture itself. <S> With the voltage sensing probe, I would now check that the line at the light fixture shows power. <S> If not, then it is a problem in the line, and an electrician will be helpful. <S> REMEMBER: <S> ALWAYS TAKE EXTREME CARE AROUND ELECTRICITY. <A> In the end it was a simple short that the old breaker wouldn't always trip over. <S> I pulled the switch from the metal gang box and noticed a discoloration on one of the terminals. <S> Some electrical tape over the terminal solved the problem.
|
If you cannot reach into the box with a voltage probe, then you will need to turn off the power into the switch box. I had a similar experience and went as far as replacing a breaker.
|
What are some alternatives for a glass stove top replacement? As quite a few people are these days, my wife and I are in a difficult financial situation. About 5 months ago we got a HUGE break and purchased a Stove, Fridge, LARGE microwave and Dishwasher for $250 (basically a gift as it was all worth well over $3,000).Two days ago I tripped over my dog , dropped a full pot the stove and shattered the glass stovetop. It doesn't look like anything but the glass is broken but the glass is definitely ruined.I looked up the part from Whirlpool....it's over $360 just for that glass piece....and that doesn't include install. So my question is this: Are there any unconventional things I can do here to be able to use my stove again? Could I just get a piece of tempered glass? Remove all the glass and cook straight on the burners? Or better yet...are there any places I could get a used stovetop that would fit? <Q> Tempered glass is almost impossible to cut without shattering it after it's tempered, so you'd have to find a piece exactly the right size. <S> And even then I don't know if it would withstand high temperatures -- in fact it may get hot enough to un-temper it, in which case it would be a lot weaker and likely to break in normal use. <S> I have no idea if you can cook straight on the burners, but my guess is that since they're normally covered by ceramic glass, they're not constructed to support much weight. <S> Also I suspect they get a lot hotter than the glass surface does on a non-broken cooktop, so you'd be looking at an increased risk of fire if something spilled over. <S> I did a quick search and found a few online used appliance part suppliers, but I didn't check to see if any had that part available and at what price. <S> A nationwide Craigslist search turns up many instances of that model stove for sale, all at prices lower than your price for a new part. <S> Sadly your most cost-effective option may be to toss this one and buy a used one. <A> As a licensed professional home inspector (specifically inspects appliances and their safety), I am surprised to read some of the suggestions offered. <S> It is IMPERATIVE to replace broken or non-functioning stove/oven parts with OME or manufacturer approved replacement parts. <S> Any shade tree modifications could result in fires or worse, loss of life. <S> DO NOT replace a glass cook top with tempered glass, IT WILL SHATTER. <S> DO NOT try to cook directly on the exposed elements, extremely unsafe. <S> DO NOT try to fit the cook top with any metal tops. <S> The heat is uncontrollable and could over heat other unprotected areas of the unit. <S> The lady bought over $3,000.00 worth of appliances for only $250.00. <S> I'd say the unit was a free one to her, therefore is worthy of spending $300.00 for the RIGHT replacement part and have a qualified service technician install the part. <A> One other option to try before replacing it would be to check with a glass supplier - my local auto glass replacement place, for example, also does a lot of glass for wood stoves. <S> If they have the ability to work with that type of glass, they may also be able to help with a replacement piece for your stove. <A> I dropped a large pot on my glass top and due to repair costs I found a tacky but clever, alternative to replacement because the oven is still useable. <S> I already had a spare replacement sheet of glass for the oven door (can be found cheap at places like Habitat for Humanity or craigslist) and put that on top of the broken glass then purchased a counter top burner set that I put on the door glass & it works fantastic! <S> VERY budget friendly <S> AND it does the job for now. <S> Hope that description of my clever idea makes sense. <A> Your best bet is to replace the stove. <S> It will mean a downgrade while you save money. <S> You can get used stoves in the classifieds like kijiji, backpage, craigslist. <S> Some places thrift stores like good will, habitat for humanity will also carry them. <S> You can likely get a decent 2nd <S> had stove for $100. <A> Appliance parts can be purchased used. <S> A quick search on ebay turns up this part for $160 shipped. <S> (Only one listing, and it's not in great cosmetic shape, but whatever.) <S> If you look around, you can probably find other places with it for sale; I'd call up local used appliance stores and see how that goes. <S> Youtube has videos explaining how to replace this part, and it looks comfortably within the abilities of an average homeowner with a screwdriver and the ability to follow simple directions, so there's no need to pay for installation.
|
You might also call a few local appliance shops to see if they have any ideas on used parts.
|
What went wrong with my Washer and how do I fix it? For about a month or more my to-loaded washer was getting more and more off balance. Then it started ticking and not spinning, then recently it stopped spinning altogether.Everything else still works...it just doesn't spin (which basically means it's useless). I'm pretty sure that means a belt went out or something but I am a home improvement newb (and this site may be the best thing to ever happen to me....excluding my wife of course) <Q> Does it sound like a motor is still running in there when you turn it on? <S> If that's the case, it should be a pretty easy fix (replace the belt). <S> If not, then it's probably a bad motor. <A> with the little detail in your question, I'd look at several things. <S> first, remove front cover. <S> Check the four rubber stabilizer bands located at the top of the drum. <S> If some are broken or missing, excessive vibration will stop the spin cycle. <S> Does the water pump out of the drum completely? <S> OK? <S> If there is water still in the drum, the spin cycle will not activate. <S> And also take a look at the belt at the bottom of the drum connection to the motor. <A> Turns out that a small plastic piece in the motor broke. <S> It was going to cost quite a bit to replace because it made the transmission not work. <S> The part was cheap but the time would have cost around $150-$180 (this is a family friend doing the work).Found another washer for $250 down from $380 and bought that instead.
|
My first guess would be that the belt that connects the motor to the drum either broke or is slipping.
|
What is "3 inch minus"? My heavy equipment guy said we should put "3 inch minus" down on a new driveway. What is it, and is it a good choice? <Q> It's something that would typically be used as a deep base to support a finer top layer of gravel. <A> A search of the internet reveals that it is "rocks, dirt and stones 3" and under." <S> From the discussions I've found, it should only be used as a base at that size. <S> 3/4" minus is the most recommended. <S> http://www.indianriverenterprises.com/4.html http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=682267 <A> Interestingly, it seems that different localities tend to use different jargon for stone sizing, with not much standardization. <S> There is no government agency that regulates it. :) <S> Regardless, since the sources of stone tend to use sieves with defined size holes to sort the stone, this tends to tell you the size of the stone to use. <S> So around here, #3 stone means that which will fit through a sieve with 3 inch holes. <S> In some cases, the stone will already have been run past smaller sieves. <S> I will suggest that stone with dirt in it will tend to support the growth of weeds, encourage tree roots more, etc. <S> And since these stones tend to be more round, with few sharp edges, they don't really pack that well for a driveway base. <S> I have also seen that "crusher run" tends to pack very solidly. <S> This is crushed limestone, run through the same sieves to size the stone. <S> The sharp edges of crushed stone prevent things from sliding around, and the presence of smaller crushed stone fills in the interstices, locking things together even more. <S> In fact, #3 crusher run seems to be a common base for driveways around here, with smaller sized crusher run on top as a surface. <S> Our gravel driveway is made of exactly that. <S> So I would not be at all surprised if the heavy equipment guy was in fact referring to #3 crushed limestone for a base. <A> Old post <S> but i thought i'd add my two cents. <S> Granted the definition can vary from region to region, but i don't think any of the above got it right. <S> Any time I have dealt with any aggregate in the Midwestern states described as X" minus it has always been crushed stone. <S> As it is crushed it is screened so that only material of the desired size makes it to the desired deliverable. <S> So yes 3" minus means that the largest stone will be 3", but it will be very angular since it has been crushed and FULL of material less than 3". <S> In my experience it does 'pack' and tree roots and weeds aren't going to grow better here than any where else... <S> Other driveway choices are 21A and 22A. <S> Either choice is good, but determine if either has had a component of clay added to them. <S> The clay helps bind and shed water vs pass water through...which is most, not all, cases it better for a driveway.
|
It means anything that will fit through a 3" x 3" screen grid, including large stones, smaller stones, all the way down to dust. If you driveway has slope that is prone to erosion this is an excellent choice - as it will not wash away in the majority of cases.
|
Why are 2"x4"'s really 1.5"x3.5"? Just curious as to the reasoning, is it a spec, or is it simply 'backwards compatibility'? <Q> The 2x4 refers to the rough-cut green wood: <S> it shrinks during drying, then the dried wood is planed smooth, so the finished lumber is supposed to end up at 1.5"x3.5". <S> While it doesn't really shrink that much, the mills get more usable finished 2x4's from a given tree if they cut them slightly smaller to begin with. <S> Here's the Wikipedia article about it. <A> The reason given these days is quite a bunch of BS. <S> The real reason is the lumber mills decided some decades ago to cut green wood smaller - getting more boards out of a log. <S> The shrinkage continues even now as you'll notice all lumber sizes are shrinking even with the "reason" that was sold to the public as to why the boards are not full measurements. <S> It was in the late 60's, <S> early seventies they started shrinking more and more. <S> The norm prior was you asked for a 1x or 2x and you received a 1x or 2x full plus a 1/16"-1/8". <S> The 1/16" or 1/8" inch additional was given as most would want to plane the boards to the full thickness. <S> Same was for the width. <S> It was always the full measurement plus an 1/8". <S> And yes, everyone questioned why the boards where not coming in full anymore. <S> The reason given is what has been spread around and continues to be spread around as truth when in fact it couldn't be farther from the truth. <S> That's why today, at the time of this writing a 1x is barely over a 1/2". <S> It's shrunk from 1 1/8" to 1" to 7/8" to 3/4" to 5/8" to .61" at its current state. <S> They took into account warpage, and planning to achieve a full 1" thick board. <S> The excuse they give is like saying the bottle of water you bought is only half full because it evaporated on the way to the store. <S> Or the extra large shirt you bought shrunk after they washed it before shipping out to the store <S> therefore it's a medium. <S> It's all BS <S> and you're getting ripped off just like the rest of us <S> , that's why they're not the correct size these days. <S> Sad but.. <S> that's the truth. <A> You might find this interesting: History of Yard Lumber Size Standards <S> From the summary <S> Economic pressures among the regional areas of lumber production have resulted in a decrease of standard lumber sizes over the period covered by this history. <S> It goes into a lot of interesting detail.
|
The Mills took into account shrinkage when cutting way back.
|
Why has my bathroom cold water tap (but no others) stopped working? The basin cold water tap in my bathroom over the last week has gone from fully flowing, to half pressure, to a dribble, then to a drip and now nothing comes out. The 3 other taps in the bathroom work correctly, including the cold water tap on the bath. Are there a series of simple things to check before calling out a plumber? <Q> We just had this happen - there was an airlock in the cold water pipe to that tap. <S> As the tab was a mixer (two knobs, one spout), a simple solution is to put your thumb over the end of the spout, open the cold water completely (nothing happens) and then turn the hot water on. <S> Blocking the spout means the hot water is routed back up the cold pipe, eliminating the air lock. <S> Use a cloth/rag if your hot water is too hot to keep your thumb over the end <S> - it takes a minute or two. <A> I could be that the connection between the handle and the actual valve is bad - either it's loose, or stripped. <S> Is it possible to take the handle off (I'm assuming you have a separate hot & cold handle from the question) to check the condition? <S> Once it's off, you should be able to use a pair of plyers to try to open the valve directly. <S> If that doesn't work, check the shut-off valve under the sink - <S> if as @aphoria mentions it's something blocking the line, that's another place to check. <S> Turn it off, then back on again, which may dislodge the blockage. <A> There may be some sediment blocking the line. <S> Many faucets have a small filter right at the end <S> (where the water comes out) that you can unscrew and clean out. <S> Check that first. <A> I just had a problem with my cold water faucet in my bathroom sink. <S> It quit working out of nowhere! <S> My shower faucets worked just fine. <S> I put a plastic bag over my sink faucet with a little hot water running. <S> Pretty much suffocating my faucet. <S> Gave it a few seconds and now the cold water runs back! <A> It could very well be a frozen pipe if you live in a cold area. <A> We actually noticed the water was not running and immediately found a spot where the pipe was close to the outer wall in the basement where insulation was missing. <S> We were lucky and used a blow dryer to heat the pipe and we now will be insulating around it. <S> Glad the pipe did not burst!
|
For us it was a frozen pipe.
|
How do I replace a bricked in mailbox? My in-laws have a Mailbox that's a normal looking metal mailbox that's in a brick enclosure. It appears that when it was built, someone just put down mortar, set the mailbox in it, covered the mailbox in mortar and then bricked around it. Fifteen years on the box is rusting and the door has broken off. Any hope of replacing this mailbox somehow or do we just need to tear down the whole brick column and put in something new for a new mailbox? <Q> Is it rusted enough that you can pull the old one out? <S> If so, you might be able to find a similar model that could slot right back in the hole, possibly with a little modification. <S> A plastic one might be a good candidate, both for ease of modification and for weather resistance. <S> If you do manage to do this, I wouldn't try to mortar the new one in, but instead hold it in with Tap-Cons or similar self-tapping concrete screws. <S> A few of these could be driven into the inside brick surface through the mailbox shell, just to keep things from rattling around too much when you open the door. <A> Here are a couple links that might help. <S> How To Replace A Brick Mailbox How to Replace a Mailbox in a Brick Stand <S> If the mailbox is entombed too well you may have to carefully remove some of the bricks until you can get the old box out, install the new mail box, and then replace the bricks you removed. <A> I have a similar problem, but the door has not broken off. <S> The bottom was rusting out and the exterior was rusting. <S> I used a wire wheel to get the rust off. <S> Then I used Bondo to repair the hole and sanded that. <S> Now after taping we are priming and painting. <S> colored sanded caulk at the exterior.
|
The other solution is to cut in out (after measuring it), chip out the mortar until you can slide the new one in then affix it with some screws or caulk and re mortar or use mortar
|
Can you help me find this bulb? I need to replace the light bulb in my ceiling fan but the part\model number is warn off and I can't find it anywhere! I can read "Philips," "Plus," and "G5" but nothing else. Please see the attached photo. Can you tell me what the part\model of this bulb is and where I can find one (preferable online)? <Q> It looks a bit like <S> this - there are a number of options for this type of bulb, the length and wattage can vary. <S> If you have a local lighting specialty shop, they can probably also help. <A> Definitely a halogen bulb, take it with you to the home store to compare to the replacements. <S> It's a shame that it doesn't list the wattage, but the g5 may cross reference to something if they don't have the same exact brand. <S> When you install it, make sure you don't get oil from your fingers on the glass.. <S> They get really hot and oil from your fingers can cause the glass to shatter when it heats up. <A> you didn't mention the application. <S> It looks a lot like an automotive/marine type bulb if a 12vdc application, or a 120vac quartz bulb from a spot light.
|
Probably your best bet would be to take the burnt bulb to a big box home improvement store.
|
How good do I need to make my primer coat? When doing a primer coat do I need to get everything or can I pretty much fly through it leaving it kinda blochy? <Q> I find that primer dries so fast that you have to do the job quickly, but it's worth it in the long run to get it somewhat even: any time saved by doing a poor job of priming will be more than made up for trying to get the finish coats looking good. <A> You need to prime the surface thoroughly. <S> The purpose of the primer is so give the surface uniform absorbtion properties. <S> I'll need an extreme example to illustrate that. <S> Recently I tried to paint the wall already covered with glue liming - the cheapest water-dispersion paint possible. <S> The old paint had good adhesion to the wall and looked solid, but when I started to paint I just couldn't shade the new paint - when the new paint contacted the old one the latter absorbed all the water immediately and the new paint got dry before I could do anything. <S> This is how I found that priming is a good thing. <S> However that was not all. <S> I discovered than when the first layer of primer is applied it looks uniform at first. <S> However when it dries up and I apply the second layer I see dark spots - those are areas where I underapplied the primer during the fist pass and now those areas still absorb water and thus become dark. <S> The third layer of primer doesn't leave dark spots anymore - all the surface is thoroughly primed and the new paint applies allright. <S> Once I tried to paint over the first layer of primer - it turned out well except those underprimed spots where paint would still dry up very quickly and wouldn't be shaded well. <S> The bottom line is: prime with at least two layers until the primer doesn't leave dark spots on the surface. <A> It will come out blotchy because many times it is very thin paint. <S> Spread it on with no drips and let it dry well. <S> You may want to apply multiple coats as needed. <S> It typically will dry fast so you may be able to perform additional coats within an hour after first application. <A> If priming / sealing bare wood substrates, never apply more than two coats, one coat is best. <S> The substrate is now sealed with the first coat so a second coat will have nothing to hold to. <S> Yes, I know the rule of thumb is a maximum of two coasts of prime / sealer / bond coat or whatever but no more than two coats. <S> If you decide you need two coats of primer then lightly abrade your first prime coat with 220 grit and simply let the paper do the work, do not press and gouge, etc., then apply your second prime coat <S> and then your final top-coat(s) <S> Thoroughly remove all existing sanding dust prior to top-coating. <A> When applying your primer, you will want to make sure it is at least a thin coat over all areas to be eventually painted; if not your paint job will look tacky and blotched. <S> Also make sure you evenly coat your space, <S> not doing so will cause a difference in your paint color (meaning some areas will by <S> lighter/darker making your space looking as if your 10 yr old nephew was the painter) <S> lol <S> But seriously the primer need not be perfectly applied in straight lines its the paint whch will require your patience and time. <S> Turn on some usic loosen up and have fun with it, won't seem like work and removes a level of sress! <S> Happy painting....;)
|
The primer coat doesn't have to be perfect, but it should cover the surface (no bare spots) and it shouldn't be so blotchy that you get drips or visible unevenness.
|
How do I wrap pipe threads with teflon tape? When wrapping pipe threads with teflon tape ( thread seal tape ), what is the direction and recommended number of times to wrap the tape around the threads? Any other recommendations or tip/tricks when applying teflon tape? <Q> Wrap clockwise - i.e. in the same direction as the tightening action of the nut. <S> This means that you are also tightening the tape around the thread. <S> If you wrap anti-clockwise I find that the tape bunches up and comes away. <S> As for the number of layers - I usually wrap the tape around at least twice, maybe even three or four times. <A> It should tell you. <S> Different manufacturers will have different specs on this (depending on the thickness of the tape). <S> I highly recommend the higher-density pink teflon tape. <S> It is a tiny bit more expensive, but I have found that it stays put on the threads much better and seals better. <S> The pink tape I use (CFPC) says: 3 full wraps for pipes up to 1" 4 wraps for pipes 1" - 1.5" not to exceed pipes > 1.5" <S> Using too much tape is bad, too little is bad. <S> Oh, and ditto what ChrisF said about wrapping the tape in the proper direction! <A> Personally I would recommend avoiding teflon tape altogether and use TFE paste instead. <S> It can be a bit messy, but aside from that it's pretty hard to do it wrong - just goop the stuff on there and screw it together. <A> A good plumbing friend gave me a tip which is worth knowing. <S> After wrapping the tape, run the back of a hack saw blade across the threads. <S> This assists in the tape not slipping when you screw on your fitting <A> I watched a qualified person install my on demand water heater and he used the paste followed by the yellow Teflon tape. <S> I would do the same if I had to do an installation on my own. <S> This fellow is knowledgeable and a very good friend. <A> Do it 4 to 5 wraps around the pipe Hold the fitting with you left hand and <S> the Teflon tape with the thumb Go up first For pvc and any metal pipe use Teflon compound <S> so u don't put too much stress in the pvc fitting
|
For the correct number of times to wrap the tape, check the instructions on the tape package (that tiny little printing in white plastic you can barely read).
|
What's a good general purpose light-use drill? I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for a decent general purpose light use drill for around the home? It's not going to get a whole lot of use. When it does get used most of the time it'll probably be used to put a screw into some wood, or drilling a hole into a stud to mount some shelves on the wall. Stuff like that. I was looking at this . I'd prefer to pick up something at a local store so that if it turns out to suck I can just bring it back. Plus I have a TV mounting rack I'd like to finish putting together today. <Q> I've had pretty good luck with Ryobi tools in the past, and the drill you are looking at will certainly do what you want it to. <S> Normally I'd recommend a cordless drill to just about anybody, but if you find that you will hardly ever use it, a corded drill might be better. <S> No point in having a cordless drill if the battery is always dead when you need it because it sat around for 6 months without being used or charged. <A> Consider a brace. <S> Here's a really nice model: http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?c=&p=32300&cat=1,180,42337 <S> Lightweight Rechargeable batteries are made of nasty chemicals Less work than you might guess You won't drive a screw too far and damage the work <S> No worries about finding the battery is dead just when you need it <S> No need to string an extension cord through an attic. <S> (Also works when no power is available at all!) <S> Feel closer to your work <S> For heavy work, driving many screws or drilling many holes, the easy of a power tool stands out. <S> But for light work, a brace is a reasonable option. <A> Personally, I'd go with the freedom of a cordless for $10 more. <S> If you're just doing small projects, you shouldn't need to worry about battery life. <S> My only concern would be not enough power for drilling and long screws with only a 12V battery. <S> The drill in the link seems to have fairly good reviews. <S> @Eric makes a good point though about the reliability of a corded drill. <A> Corded will give you more power for less money but the value you get from having a cordless drill easily outweighs the extra cost and less power. <S> I have this Black and Decker Cordless Drill <S> but I do not love it <S> (plastic casing is not tough enough for some jobs, it bends in your hand) <S> but I do love several other black and decker rechargeable tools (cordless trimmer and reciprocating saw) and having them all use the same battery is awesome (I never run out of a charged battery). <A> I have a DeWalt 18.8V cordless and the thing is a workhorse. <S> Yes, it's more expensive, but there are some tools I feel you really should spend a little extra on, and <S> a drill/driver is one of them. <S> I've seen the same drill in ads this year for $99 with 2 batteries and a charger. <S> Definitely go for the cordless. <S> Not for lack of available outlets, but just for ease of use and convenience. <S> It's not something you think about until you have to deal with a cord all the time. <S> If you get a GOOD cordless, like the DeWalt, you won't need to worry about battery life. <S> Cheapy batteries will not last long at all. <A> The Ryobi will work fine for your purposes. <S> If you want to get it today, this is probably your best bet. <S> People tend to trash talk Harbor Freight tools, but I would say they will be fine for your purposes. <S> It is for light duty occasional use, and it is cheap enough that if it eventually breaks, you don't feel bad about buying another one (or upgrading). <S> Actually, I would get the corded drill and the cordless version , and you will only be spending an additional $5+shipping on top of the Ryobi. <S> Then, you will have the best of both worlds... <S> the freedom of a cordless drill, the power of a corded drill, and a backup in case one of them dies prematurely.
|
I would definitely recommend a cordless drill for the intermittent use that you are describing. If you are looking for the cheapest solution, it would be hard to beat the Harbor Freight variable speed drill .
|
How do I remove an oil stain from my concrete driveway? Anyone have tips for removing oil stains from a concrete unpaved driveway ? The spill was from a leaking car, now fixed, and they are a few months old. There are so many products and spurious reviews at Amazon. I'm not sure whom to trust... Does anyone have personal experience with products to clean these oil stains? Our driveway like most driveways has a slight slant to allow water to run-off to the street gutters. <Q> I've always used cat litter. <S> It's absorbent enough that it tends to pull the oil out of the concrete. <S> Not sure how well it would work on a stain once it's set in for a while though, but it's cheap enough that you don't have much to lose by trying. <A> You are going to have a real hard time cleaning it. <S> I had a similar situation, and the stains are still there after 15 years. <S> I haven't tried this solution myself. <S> I am inventing it on the spot from my chemistry background. <S> Don't use hydrocloric acid (muriatic) as you are only going to ruin the concrete and obtain nothing. <S> Oil is not attacked by acids. <S> You will just corrode the concrete and intoxicate everyone around. <S> It's also useless to try to soapify it with sodium hydroxide: engine oil cannot be made into soap, it's not vegetal oil. <S> Photodegradation is your best chance, so you could try to put a UV light for a year above it ? <S> Hardly doable. <S> Don't try to dissolve it with other oil, alcohol or solvents. <S> The only thing you will obtain is to expand the stain, pollute the environment, and have a stinky concrete. <A> This article ( Cleaning tips: removing oil from concrete ) recommends a paste of turpentine and lime that you can make to try cleaning it up: <S> Make a paste of two parts hydrated lime powder and one part turpentine. <S> Spread the paste over the surface of the remaining oil stain covering a larger patch than the actual stain. <S> Cover the stain with plastic sheeting to help prevent the turpentine from evaporating. <S> Leave the poultice covering on the stain overnight. <S> Scrape off the paste and follow with a good scrubbing of detergent and water. <S> Reference: <S> http://www.essortment.com/home/removeoilconcr_sbdw.htm <A> I recently found a product at AutoZone. <S> Oil Vanish stain remover is simple to use, and works fast. <A> Along with kitty litter, I've used Grease Lightning on oil stains with decent results. <S> Again it's cheap and can be used for cleaning your kitchen if it doesn't work out. <A> Shaklee used to make something called Basic I (letter "i" - it was the "industrial" counterpart to their Basic H ("home")). <S> It was a powerful surfactant. <S> I used it once on a restaurant parking lot with some serious oil stains. <S> Applied undiluted, it really reduced the staining. <S> I haven't used their products in years <S> so I don't know what's available now. <S> Another thing I've used for problems that nothing else could tackle is Simple Green. <S> I have not used it on concrete or motor oil <S> so I don't know how it would do there. <A> Royal purple is the best. <S> This is a magical product that actually consumes the oil with enzymes, and is environmentally friendly. <S> Hands down the best stuff for cleaning oil off a driveway. <S> Spray on oil stain let sit for 30 minutes hose down and the stain is gone.
|
What you can try is a long therapy with a high power steamer (heats, liquefy and mechanically strips the oil, hopefully) and something adsorbing, with low polarity and high pores, like cat litter, but also normal sand.
|
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. <Q> Either way, I think you will be fine. <S> A reciprocating saw <S> is the right tool for this job. <S> It will allow you to cut the nails holding the existing cross member in place. <S> I'm not sure of your particular situation, but since you are already reframing the opening, you should consider adding a drop-down ladder . <S> As long as you have the space, this will make the attic much more usable in general. <A> This makes perfect sense. <S> You would use a reciprocating saw to cut the nails holding the header at position Q in place. <S> Handy tool to have <S> but if it's not in the budget or you don't foresee needing it for anything else, it can be rented. <S> You might be able to re-use the header after you've cut it out, but I'd have a suitable piece of lumber ready to make a new one just in case. <S> Cutting it out will leave it a hair shorter than it was, and it may end up too narrow to fit snugly between the joists in its new location. <A> What you propose makes sense. <S> If the joists aren't doing anything other than holding up the ceiling, a temporary support across A, B & C should do nicely. <S> As for removing the cross piece, I would just cut it in half with a recip or circular saw. <S> You could try to cut the nails out <S> so you could re-use <S> the piece, <S> but I think you'll have a tough time with that. <S> I would just cut it in half and use a new piece. <S> Also, when attaching the new cross members, it would be best to use joist hangers where it connects to the A and C joists as well as where the B joist connects to the cross member. <S> Probably not strictly necessary considering the load, but as long as you are doing it, might as well do it right.
|
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).
|
Can I run a dehumidifier pump to a washer stand pipe? I have a very humid basement, in which I run a dehumidifier often. To allow for a more constant run, I purchased a dehumidifier pump . It says to run the pump out through a window or to a sink. I don't have a sink and I am worried about using the window in the winter (freezing, etc.). My question is, Is there a way I could use the standpipe that my washer drain goes into? It is in relatively good proximity to where I would be setting up the dehumidifier. <Q> Yes, there should be no problem with doing that, provided you're within distance constraints of the pump. <S> The washer stand pipe should just be a vertical pipe, with your washer drain going inside it, and not actually connected/sealed. <S> This is done so that there is a vacuum break. <S> In this picture, the white pipe is the standpipe, the black is the drain connected to the washer. <S> Basically, just put the pipe from your dehumidifier pump alongside the black pipe. <S> To echo @Jeff Widmer, you may want to tie the pipes down afterwards (a zip tie or some electrical tape around the whole thing may work), just to be sure neither pipe ever slips out and sprays everywhere. <S> Again, don't seal this up or use fittings - you specifically need an air gap. <A> I don't see why not: if you run it to a sink, it's going to go down the drain to a pipe which runs to your sewer or septic line, same as your washer. <S> To prevent water from the washer from backing up inside the hose from the pump, you'd need to make sure that the hose feeds downward before entering the washer's drainpipe, so at the very least you should mount the hose so that there's a few feet of vertical drop above where you connect it. <A> Our house has a pump to move the AC condensate, the washer stand pipe has a t <S> /y so that the washer goes into the side and then the pipe continues up for a foot or so <S> and then the discharge from the pump drops in the top. <S> Also, the discharge pipe is slightly above the top of the standpipe to leave an air gap. <S> The discharge from ours is a thin flexible copper pipe, so we don't have any thing tying it down, but if yours is plastic you probably want to attach it somehow, just so it doesn't fall over and spill water on the floor. <S> You should maintain an air gap, but honestly, if you go the t/y route, the entrance the washer uses will provide an opening that water can't rise above. <A> Is there not a floor drain in the basement? <S> Typically all basements will have a floor drain in case there is any water. <S> Most of the time the furnace will drain into this. <S> Where does your furnace drain to today? <S> Sometimes this basement floor drain will then go to a sump pump, to be carried out of the house.
|
You should simply put the pipe from this pump along side the washer pipe in the same way - do not attach it with fittings, otherwise you risk water from the pump going into your washer, or more likely, drain water from the washer going into the pump.
|
Why is there white crust on my dishes after they are washed in the dish washer? Recently my dishes have been coming out of the dish-washer with a lot of white powdery-crust all over them. It's extremely hard to scrub off and often the only way to remove it is to soak them in vinegar. What could be causing this and how do I fix it? My dishwasher is less than 6 months old. I have tried jet-dry and have been using the little two-pack tablet things that dissolve in the dishwasher (seems to give me the best of all the bad outcomes). <Q> It sounds like the detergent not completely disolving. <S> Is your water hot enough (it is hooked to the hot water, right)? <S> Does it take a long time for your hot water to reach it? <S> Try running it in the sink before starting the washer and see if that helps. <S> You could also turn up the water temp (be careful though if you have small kids). <S> Try liquids vs solids. <S> As a last ditch, it could be your water is hard and you need a softener installed. <A> It looks like from your profile that you are in Indiana. <S> In June of last year, Indiana (along with 15 other states) banned the use of phosphates in dishwasher detergent. <S> The story is that phosphates are difficult to remove from waste water, and end up being discharged into lakes and streams by the water treatment plant. <S> They, in turn, encourage algea growth, which clogs up the waterfront and starves the lake of oxygen. <S> In any case, the detergent you are buying in the store now is a different formula <S> then you could buy 6 months ago. <S> I am guessing that you ran out of the phosphate detergent 3 months ago, and the new supply that you bought is the low-phosphate formula. <S> The low-phosphate detergent does not clean as well as the phosphate formula. <S> You should try a few different detergents to see if you can find a low-phosphate one that will work for your setup. <A> I agree that it is the dry detergent not dissolving. <S> Try switching to a liquid / gel dishwasher detergent. <S> Like this one: Cascade Complete Dishwasher Gel Detergent <A> Could also be mineral deposits. <S> I've had to run a couple washes with vinegar in the dishwasher to clear out the deposits before. <S> Pour a few cups into the bottom and run a cycle to see whether it clears up. <A> Have you got enough salt in the dish washers water softer?
|
Switching to a detergent that disolves better might help, or use a little less.
|
Am I having trouble finding studs because my walls are lath and plaster? I picked a TV mount from Ikea. The TV itself is being mounted to some paneling which in turn is mounted to set of wooden draws. In addition, it gives you hardware to mount the panels to the walls. It's not really meant to support any weight, just to keep it from swaying back and forth. So I picked up a cheap stud sensor (Zircon E30) but I'm not having very good luck with it. As soon as I start sliding it, it usually just starts indicating an error. Occasionally it tells me there's a stud, but on subsequent passes the results are far from exact. Right now I think I have an idea of where two studs are but it's a very rough guess. I'm wondering if this is because this model is junk, or could I have lath and plaster walls? I'm pretty sure the walls are not drywall, just judging from the way they have crumbled when I tried to put a screw in them previously. Usually the paper coating on plaster doesn't allow it to crumble like that. Plus drywall usually seems to crumble more into a fine powder and this crumbles more into sand or little pebbles. So does anyone know if there's a way I can tell if the walls are lath and plaster? Or does anyone know if this stud finder is no good? They do make a slightly more expensive model which is supposed to work better with lath and plaster walls. I just don't want to go and spend the money buying if it I don't really need it. Plus I'll probably wind up using it this one time and never see it again. Any suggestions? I did try knocking on the walls and trying to hear a difference, but that wasn't really working for me. edit: I just wanted to let people know I used this sensor: http://zircon.com/products/metal_m40.html and it seemed to work pretty well. So if you have lath and plaster walls, might want to give that one a try. <Q> Look for wall outlets. <S> They are usually mounted on a stud. <S> Then start measuring in 16 inch increments to find other studs. <S> As a backup, I would use a small finish nail to hunt for the stud in the area that you want to put the TV in. <S> Some studfinders have a "hi" and "low" setting that will adjust how sensitive it is to things behind it. <S> Maybe go to Home Depot or Lowes and buy another brand of stud finder. <S> If it doesn't work you can always return it. <S> Another kind of stud finder has a magnetic sensor and detects nails which are in the studs. <S> You could try that type. <A> I took off the baseboard. <S> With a hammer I broke off some plaster and found the studs. <S> I found the height I wanted and drilled my holes, mounted the bracket then put the baseboard back on. <S> It took about 45 minutes total. <A> From your description of putting a screw into the walls, it certainly sounds as if you have lath-and-plaster. <S> Another sign is the color of the dust: with drywall, it will be very white and uniform, whereas with lath-and-plaster, it's greyish and has darker flecks. <S> Stud finders have a hard time with lath-and-plaster because the plaster is solid and can often be 1/2" thick, then underneath the plaster <S> you there are only small gaps between the wood lath, so you never really get the sharp change in capacitance that they look for. <S> On the other hand, drywall is spongy <S> so there's less material between the stud finder and the stud that it's supposed to be sensing. <S> I had a deep-scan stud finder, and it wasn't that reliable, but I developed a technique that I had reasonable success with: do several scans at different heights and different starting points on the wall, noting where it said there was a stud. <S> I also found that scanning slowly was better than faster. <S> Eventually, I would get to an "average" location that was a pretty good guess. <S> I later learned (at least in my house) <S> is that there's a stud on each interior wall <S> right where it runs into an exterior wall. <S> I could then mark 16", 32", etc. back from that stud and be OK. <A> I've come to rely on a pair of neodymium magnets for all things wall-related. <S> AND, while not relevant to your current problem, having TWO magnets will even let you go one step further and let you precisely line things up across a wall. <S> I just dragged some 300 feet of cable up two stories to my attic by only cutting two holes in my wall (at the top of each floor to drill through the wall plates) by using a pair of neodymium magnets to line everything up. <S> No exploratory holes needed. <A> The first stud finder you mentioned does not have a dedicated Metal Scan mode and will not always return accurate results with lath and plaster walls because of the inconsistencies common in this type of construction method. <S> For lath and plaster walls, without metal mesh reinforcements, you may be able to use a metal finder by detecting the nail heads that attach the wooden lath to the studs. <S> From the Zircon site <S> "Stud finders work by identifying increases and changes in density behind the wall. <S> To function properly, the wall surface must have a consistent density level and be less dense than the wood stud. <S> Although walls may have a smooth surface, some walls deceptively hide an inconsistent combination of wood (lath) and plaster, with deep and shallow levels of density among the plaster, lath and stud. <S> The keying in lath and plaster creates the inconsistencies that challenge stud finding technology." <A> You said the bracket is not carrying any weight, just to stop the TV swaying back and forth. <S> Why not just use butterfly bolts then? <S> They will hold just fine, especially if they are fixing a plate of some kind to the wall.
|
A single magnet will help you find studs (namely, the nails and screws in the drywall or lath), and help you avoid nailing into other nails and nail plates (or piercing your wiring). A lot of stud finders work by detecting the change in the dielectric constant of the wall as you move horizontally across the wall. Sometimes for instance, its harder on external walls because there is insulation in them.
|
How to heat my workshop? I want something that can warm it up fairly quickly. I may only be out there an hour or 2, but when I decide to work on a project I don't want to wait an hour or 2 for it to heat up. Right now I have a cheap portable oil heater and it takes a long time. Would prefer something cheap if possible. <Q> Look into the Mr Heater brand of propane heaters. <S> They make a round one that attaches on top of a standard propane tank like your bbq grill probably uses. <S> They make a full range of heaters up to giant ones that contractors use, but I'm only familiar with the round tank mounted ones. <S> I've been in house boats that use the single round burner mounted on a propane tank setup and they get unbearably hot after running the heater for a few minutes every so often. <A> If you choose one, make sure it has an automatic shutoff when tipped over, or for over-temperature conditions. <S> They start out pretty cheap at around $20; more money gets you nicer styling or features like a remote control. <A> If you want an shop heater that works really quickly, look into a torpedo (aka Salamander) type heater. <S> They are a forced air heater so it will quickly warm any space you use it in. <S> They're commonly used on construction sites, I've been on many jobs in the dead of winter where the heat isn't running yet but a salamander heater is keeping a large uninsulated inside space warm when it's 20F outside.
|
I like my ceramic space heater ; it warms up the otherwise unheated spot in my basement quickly.
|
What are the "must do" tasks before winter hits? I've had my furnace serviced in time for winter, but what other things should I consider doing before the snow and the ice come? <Q> Clean your gutters <S> Make sure your chimney is clean <S> Install storm windows <S> Empty the gas from your mower and <S> Reverse ceiling fans <A> Take the snowblower out of storage. <S> Put a little bit of gas in and make sure that it starts. <S> No sense in trying to diagnose a small engine problem in the freezing cold (if you can help it). <A> Give your car a once over: Check fluid levels (oil, coolant, brake, steering, transmission) <S> Check tire pressure, and adjust as necessary Check the treads. <S> If you insert a penny in the tread, and can see the top of Lincoln's head, then you are due for new tires. <S> Double check your spare <S> is in good shape, and is properly inflated Check the battery. <S> If you have any indications that the battery is weak, it will only get worse when the cold hits. <S> If your battery is older than about 5 years, you likely need a replacement. <S> Pack a winter emergency kit for the trunk <S> Blanket/boots/gloves/hand warmer packs <S> Collapsible shovel <S> Salt/Sand/Kitty litter Flashlight Snowbrush/Ice scraper <A> Drain all your garden hoses and insulate external faucets with these . <A> Every homeowner will have subtle differences. <S> My list runs like this... <S> Clean gutters. <S> Ensure no leaks in the gutters. <S> (A couple of the joints in our gutters need to be checked on a yearly basis.) <S> Pull the hoses from the hose bibs, shut the valve in the basement. <S> Then blow out the water from the lines to ensure no freeze-ups. <S> Check the outside of the house, the siding, looking for any spots that need caulking, repair, etc. <S> Place mousetraps in the rafters of the garage. <S> (I hate to do it, but this is when rodents are looking to move into someplace warm.) <S> On the last mowing, pull a plug aerator around the lawn, then spread (homemade) compost around those areas which need it. <S> Ground up leaves from this year will serve as a starter for the next batch of compost. <S> Remove the mower deck from the tractor. <S> Sharpen the blades as necessary, and store the deck in a spot out of the way. <S> Put snow-blade on the tractor. <S> Put a container of kitty-litter in the trunk of the car, as well as an ice scraper. <S> Check the wiper blades, replace as needed. <A> Blow out your sprinkler (irrigation) lines so the water does not freeze and break the line or sprinkler heads. <A> <A> Cover your air conditioning condenser to prevent snow/ice buildup. <S> Before covering, be sure to clean off the coil, and inspect for any damage. <A> HVAC Open cold air returns Prep humidifier: <S> Open intake, turn on water, set thermostat Change furnace filter Test furnace <S> Electrical <S> Shut off A/C circuit breaker <S> If you have baseboard heaters, turn on any circuit breakers, test heaters <S> Do you have a generator? <S> Does it start? <S> Do you have a plan to connect it if needed? <S> Outside <S> Clean out my garage <S> so I can get my cars in Lubricate garage door <S> Clear <S> any debris around foundation <S> Around the house <S> Check & replace weather stripping Lubricate door hinges & locks (helps prevent them from icing up) <S> Misc Stock up on road salt or sand <S> (I can go through a bottle a week sometimes!) <S> Fill and run snow blower Check all my shovels - any need replacement? <A> If you dont have storm windows, atleast take out the screens. <S> If you have a septic system withmultiple leech fields, rotate them <S> (Ido this twice a year). <A> Bring your pressure washer inside where it won't freeze or put anti-freeze in it. <S> It is impossible to get all of the water out of the pump and freezing will crack it. <S> If you live in an area with a lot of snow, mark the edges of your sidewalk and driveway with tall thin reflective markers. <A> Give your radiator space. <S> When it turns on, it may melt things you set near or on top of it during the warmer months while it was off.
|
Make sure I have plenty of anti-freeze Make sure you top up the washer fluid Check the tires. If you have a fireplace - get the chimney swept/inspected. Take the battery out of yourlawnmower. Clean all gutters & check downspouts Store away deck/outdoor furniture. Lubricate all points on the tractor.
|
What substances should you avoid contact with your bare hands? I started thinking about this yesterday because I currently have a weird feeling second skin from the polyurethane adhesive I used to attach my kitchen backsplash on Sunday. I foolishly assumed since the instructions say "cleans up with mineral spirits" that cleaning some incidental mess off my fingers wouldn't be a big deal. Boy was I wrong! Are there any substances you have worked with (adhesives, solvents, caulk, etc etc) that you really wish you had worn gloves (or otherwise not touched with bare skin) when you started working with them? I'll start with my example: Avoid getting PL Premium Polyurethane construction adhesive on your bare hands - it is harder to get off bare skin than silicone caulk! <Q> Expanding foam. <S> It seems like every time I grab a can of it <S> , I somehow convince myself that I will be very careful and not touch any of it until after it has dried. <S> I always end up with it on my hands/clothes. <S> I spend the next 15 minutes with a bottle of acetone promising myself that I will wear disposable gloves next time. <A> Mineral Spirits <S> Roofing tar in a caulk tube Gasoline to name a few. <S> I used to not wear gloves until I discovered that my local drugstore sells latex gloves for next to nothing (I think $2-3 per box of 100). <S> So now I use em for almost everything from painting to changing the oil in my tractor .... <S> but I keep a supply of GoJo Orange with pumice handy ..... <S> JUST in case :) <A> Acetone. <S> Great for prepping some surfaces for adhesives. <S> Also great for seriously irritating and/or drying out your skin. <S> Use nitrile gloves - it'll go right through latex. <S> This was a three part learning experience for me. <S> I was prepping a large surface for an adhesive, and my hands got really irritated. <S> " <S> Hmmm, maybe I should wear gloves. <S> " Out come the latex gloves. <S> Five minutes later, "Hmmm, my gloves have holes in them. <S> " Out come the nitrile gloves. <S> Much better. <A> I know this is along different lines, but I was staining my deck this summer, and I got oil-based stain all over my hands. <S> I checked the internet about how to remove it, and everyone suggested vegetable oil and some light scrubbing. <S> Imagine my surprise when just 2 minutes of work and my hands were cleaner than before I started! <A> I try not to get anything on my skin that claims to remove Rust. <S> The two products that come to mind are Rust Free and Royal Jelly. <S> When it gets on my skin <S> I swear it is taking off the outer most layer of my skin. <S> Might be all in my head though. <A> Not really a chemical, but... <S> pine tar. <S> That took forever to get off, even with turpatine. <S> High-quality primer is a pain to get off, too. <S> Reveals the difference between it and regular paint. <A> That dark, sticky, pasty, black stuff on the pipe snake when you pull it out of the drain. <S> Fiberglass Faced Sheet rock. <S> ITCHTY ITCHY ITCHY <A> Alcohol based primers - once they are on your skin you pretty much have to grow new skin to get it off. <S> Also, paint remover. <S> Even with gloves it gets on your hands and just eats away at them, in a very annyoing and burning way.
|
If you are going to use paint remover use the good heavy duty vinyl gloves, not the cheap latex ones.
|
How do I close and seal an old external vent? I was removing some ancient hanging cabinets in my small laundry room when I found an old vent of some kind. It had been completely hidden behind the old cabinetry. My dryer vents out through the roof so I want to close and seal this opening, especially before it gets really cold. I believe the gist of it is that I fill the hole with insulation and put some drywall on the inside. I then cover the outside with some sort of aluminum plate or plywood. Any experts out there have input as to choice of insulation or external covering? I think the box is too big for the kind of spray foam one would use around pipe holes. I have stucco on the outside of my wood house. Also, should I remove the inner walls of the box or just leave well enough alone? <Q> It looks like a metal sill all the way around, so that's going to cause a lot of heat transfer anyways - ideally, to make it as warm as possible, get rid of the metal. <S> You can also then pull off the trim and just put some backing in, and a piece of drywall (or plaster) to finish up the inside. <S> The most important part is making sure it's sealed to the elements from the outside, like rain/snow. <S> Depending on the outside condition, get rid of the louvres. <S> Ideally you would put a piece of plywood in place and then if you have siding on the rest of your house, put siding over that as well. <S> You might also be able to just leave the lovres there, but seal them up (with caulking outside, spray foam inside) so they don't open and don't let anything in. <A> I am very concerned about moisture and vermin in this case. <S> You need to seal the outside properly, much more than the inside cosmetics... <S> it actually is a fairly easy fix. <S> Just don't want your place to look like a trailer repair! <S> There are always a lot of considerations that are hard to get from a short description. <S> You really need to seal the outside hole and get rid of the vent hardware first, waterproof it, insulate it, then fix the interior. <A> Any sort of insulation would do - <S> it might be whatever you can scrounge. <S> It doesn't seem worth buying a whole roll/sheet for such a small space. <S> I might be tempted to fix a plate on the inside to stop any water getting in. <S> This could be any suitable material and it might be easier to fix from the inside. <S> As for the interior - I'd leave the frame blank it off with a piece of plywood fitted on the inside. <S> You might end up doing more damage to the wall ripping it out. <A> You want to check and make sure the vent wasn't intentionally left there (I'm thinking like if it was maybe a crawl space air vent <S> so it doesn't get moisture buildup somewhere else if air circulation/flow is blocked)? <S> I have no idea but am also a learn the hard way usually as I go and hate odd, seems so simple to fix.... <S> but why Was it left ... <S> especially when installing cabinet or whatever, they already had tools to do it why half ass it... <S> just saying <S> but I'm probably overthinking it since I have no actual training or expertise. <S> Call around and schedule a energy home audit (call elec or gas co. <S> Usually free) and ask their opinion just for reassurance. <S> Good luck and knowledge isn't always power <S> huh... <S> wasn't <S> it nice being ignorant having no idea hole was there in the first place, lol.
|
I would probably use some rigid foam insulation (2 or 3" is probably good, it's generally rated at R7 per inch - and you can stack it, it doesn't have to be a solid piece), and then use spray foam to seal it up around the edges and hold it in place. You don't want water coming in and getting into your walls.
|
What should I check for before turning on an OLD dish washer for the first time? We recently purchased a house with a REALLY old dishwasher. The inspection report says that it "appears to be in working condition" but I'm paranoid of having a plumbing mess if we start using it. What should I check for before turning it on? Water line condition? Subfloor condition? -M <Q> I would open the bottom access panel, and watch for any leaks while you run it the first time. <S> Often the parts used are not of the greatest quality, including the solenoid valve that controls the water. <S> On that note, make sure there is a manual shut-off valve, so you can turn it off quickly if there is a leak. <S> Beyond that, just make sure you run it through a cycle to ensure <S> it's clean. <A> Check the rubber seal around the door. <S> It may well have deteriorated to the point where it's unable to provide a proper seal and needs replaced. <S> If that seal dry/cracked this is probably the case. <S> Or if you run the dishwasher, watch for water leaking from where the bottom of the door meets the main unit. <A> Find a water shut off valve for it and know where it is in case you need to use it (even if the only one that will work on the dishwasher is a main shut off for the whole house). <S> Then turn it on and look everywhere around it for leaks. :)
|
Check the water line connections.
|
How should I drain fuel from my mower? I have a Honda lawn mower ( HRX217K2VKA ) and I want to drain the fuel for winter. How should I do this? Three options spring to mind: Run the engine until the fuel is gone. Tip the mower to pour the fuel out. Siphon the fuel. The manufacturer's manual ( see page 13 ) recommends option 1, but I was wondering if anyone could recommend an alternative that didn't waste the gas. <Q> I have always just had a "last mow of the year", where when I run the mower dry, and I've never had a problem. <S> Then you're not really "wasting" the gas. <S> Depending on your model (and it looks like the one you specified ought to manage this), you may be able to do option 2 if you have a really full gas tank. <S> Then, after emptying, you still ought to run it dry for what little remains. <S> Unless you wanted to go to the trouble of buying extra equipment to do it (and think about that - how often are you going to be siphoning gasoline? <S> Enough to justify a special purchase?), that means a distinct risk of drinking a little bit of gasoline... not exactly a pleasant experience, nor good for you. <S> from this site : <S> Many adverse health effects of gasoline are due to individual chemicals in gasoline, mainly BTEX, that are present in small amounts. <S> Breathing small amounts of gasoline vapors can lead to nose and throat irritation, headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, confusion and breathing difficulties. <S> Symptoms from swallowing small amounts of gasoline include mouth, throat and stomach irritation, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and headaches. <S> Some effects of skin contact with gasoline include rashes, redness and swelling. <S> Being exposed to large amounts of gasoline can lead to coma or death. <S> So, siphoning probably won't kill you, but I certainly wouldn't endorse it. <A> IMO run it dry, most of my neighbors and I do this by mowing our leaves. <S> Either bagging or mulching actually helps. <S> If this is easy to get to and remove you may be able to remove the line and use that to drain it. <A> I bought a little gas siphon with a squeeze bulb from home depot for $5. <S> I use that to empty the tank. <S> I then run the mower to pull the remaining gas out of the system (runs for like a minute). <S> Oh, and +1 for using Sta-bil. <S> Even if you don't leave gas in the mower, you should put a fuel stabilizer in your gas can. <S> Unless you use up the fuel in your gas can every 2-3 weeks, it needs some kind of stabilizer or the gasoline will start to break down. <A> Either run it until it's dry or put sta-bil in it. <S> Definitely don't just leave gas sitting in it. <S> Depending on how yours is setup, you might be able to unhook the hose that goes from the tank into the carb. <S> They usually have those spring clamps you can pinch with pliers to get off, but really, that is more work than you need to do. <S> And you can't reliably save the gas, and letting it run off on to the ground isn't a great idea. <S> I usually mulch down my leaves until it runs out of gas and then put it up for the year. <A> There is a drain valve to drain the fuel in my Honda mower. <S> See page 56 of <S> http://cdn.powerequipment.honda.com/pe/pdf/manuals/31VH7H20.pdf .
|
Alternately look for the line that runs from the bottom of the fuel tank to the carburettor. I personally would not recommend siphoning it.
|
How do I repair a curtain rod anchor that was ripped out of the wall? My children managed to pull on the curtains hard enough to yank the bracket which attached the curtain rod to the wall out. What is the best way to repair this? Here's what it looks like: <Q> There's several ways to fix this, depending on a few things. <S> The best thing to do is avoid drywall anchors, and screw directly into a stud. <S> If there's one close enough that it looks okay, you should do that. <S> You'll have to patch up these holes, which may be a bit of a pain to do with the textured walls, but it's doable. <S> The next best option is probably to use a toggle bolt anchor. <S> These are bolts that expand when you put them in the wall: <S> This site has some good info on them, including a sizing chart: Toggle Size Drill Bit Needed1/8" toggle <S> 3/8" drill3/16" toggle 1/2" drill1/4" toggle <S> 5/8" drill5/16" toggle 7/8" drill3/8" toggle 7/8 <S> drill1/2" toggle <S> 1 1/4" drill <S> This option has the advantage that you can probably use the existing holes (just use a large enough toggle bolt), and bolts are reasonably strong so hopefully <S> this won't happen again. <S> It's hard to tell from the picture, but if the curtain hardware doesn't totally cover the holes you'll need to do some cosmetic work. <S> Keep in mind though that if you patch these holes with compound, they still won't be as strong as regular drywall, so you won't be able to put the same size anchor back in and expect it to hold. <A> We once used 1x2 wood across the length of the window trim to attach blinds to. <S> It might be a bit excess, but with added surface area being screwed into the wall, much stronger. <S> You could paint it <S> the color of the window trim (or stain) before hand <S> so its less noticeable. <S> It worked for the blinds because the blind ran the entire span of the window. <S> Depending on how your drapes are made, you may notice it. <A> Another alternative to the standard toggle bolt is Snaptoggle bolt. <S> It will stay in place if you remove the bolt. <S> The only disadvantage is it should not be used if the area behind the wall is uneven. <A> If it is on an outside wall, a long screw (3 or 4") will bite into the sheathing of the house and hold up the rod. <A> In other cases, where a wood screw is stripped in wood, I just jam toothpick or other small pieces of wood in and glue them. <S> Then I redrill the hole. <S> This works well for loose door hinges. <A> I had the exact same problem. <S> The screw holes were ~0.5" in diameter and about 4.5" deep (may be ending at insulation). <S> My curtain was installed on drywall and did not have any stud behind. <S> I wanted to hang the curtain back in the same location, so I did internet search, tried Crackshot Spackling paste, but it did not hold. <S> I realized that toggle bolts won't work in my case. <S> So finally I came up with an idea. <S> I went to Home Depot and bought dowel, not the small packaged one but long stick that I can cut to the size I desire. <S> I cut those 4.5" in length and filled the hole with it. <S> You may put additional packing around it, if needed. <S> Now I had wood in the hole. <S> I screwed the curtain holder back and everything was back to how it was! <S> It was able to hold the curtain just fine. <A> Just read all of your responses above. <S> Didn't have dowels but cut up a cork in strips and shoved it into the whole. <S> Re-sunk <S> the dry wall anchor and it worked like a charm.
|
I agree that toggle bolts are the best solution in this case.
|
How do I fix a wobbly mailbox post? This evening, I had the unfortunate luck of someone completely taking out my wooden mailbox with their side-view mirror, leaving only the post. It was a total accident, and he was quite apologetic, and I had my mailbox back up in about an hour with the help of some 1 1/4" brads. The mailbox is now firmly reassembled - the only trouble is that he knocked it hard enough that the post is now wobbly! I'm not sure how deeply it's sunk in the ground, and from the way it wobbles, I'm pretty sure it's just a ~4"x4" wooden post sunk into the dirt. What is the best way (where best in this case means quickest and cheapest, without being slipshod) to firmly fix that post in place? <Q> You have a couple of options that I can think of, assuming that the ground around the post is fairly firm: <S> Wedge something in next to the post. <S> (thin rocks, cut down cedar shingles, etc.) <S> Fill in the gap next to the post by pouring in sand <S> If the ground's soft, you'll need to re-compact the soil around the post. <S> (and if it's not soft, you can always loosen it up, then re-compact it, as in some cases that may be the easier fix) <A> The post may be broke off in the ground. <S> If it's really wobbly, it won't hurt to try and yank it up and take a look. <S> You could try to sink something like a 1x4 down long side the existing post. <S> It's like $5 for a 50lb bag at most big box home stores <S> , you just dump it in the ground and add water, no special mixing or anything. <S> If you end up replacing it, use something that is pressure treated so it won't rot quickly, although anything in contact with the ground will rot eventually. <A> I would pull the post completely. <S> If it is showing some rot below ground (possibly why it is wobbly) <S> Then buy a stake meant for this purpose. <S> I used one years ago that was just a heavy steel stake, driven into the ground with a sledge. <S> The wooden post itself is then screwed to the stake, so all wood stays completely above ground. <S> A quick check online shows an anchor that you screw into the ground, or this stake that is driven by a sledge. <A> I found a product called Securepost on Amazon that is made to straighten mailbox posts. <S> Itis a plate that you dig down 4 inches and wraps the post and then pound 6 stakes through it. <S> It worked for me. <A> This person used external guy wires: (NOT A RECOMMENDED SOLUTION!) <S> A relatively quick and cheap fix is to drive a steel angle down beside the post and lash it with bailing wire. <S> It's not particularly pretty. <A> Dig a hole larger than the post and put gravel into the hole until the post sits on top of the gravel at the right height. <S> Then add gravel around the post a little at a time and keep packing it in. <S> The gravel is harder to displace than dirt, and it allows the water to drain away from around the post so it doesn't rot as quickly. <A> Dig out the post set a new one in its place. <S> If there is concrete <S> I use a demolition breaker to break it up, then remove concrete and add a new steel post followed by concrete. <S> Dome the concrete to shed water away from the post.
|
Of if the existing post isn't too damaged, maybe dig around it and pour some post hole cement in. I'd replace the post with a new one or cut off the rotten part.
|
How do I protect a coax cable junction from outside weather? I'm planning to re-arrange some coax cable lines in my house which will effectively require me to connect them to a 4-way splitter. The wifey would prefer these connections to take place in a discrete location outside of the house. My concern is that issues may arise later from the connections being susceptible to outside weather. Is there a special enclosure I could put this in to protect it? Or is the only option to just connect the junction in a dry indoor location (e.g. attic, crawlspace, etc). <Q> Here are some boxes I found . <S> Not only would it keep the connections out of the weather, but a box would dress it up a little and look more professional: <A> You can get waterproof coax connectors, though there's a bit tough to find. <S> They have a rubber gasket in them that seals the connection. <S> Another option is to use standard compression coax connectors, but put heat shrink tubing around the outside to seal them. <S> This will provide the best waterproofing. <A> I've had a coax junction screwed to the outside of my house for years (probably close to a decade) -- the only protection we have is that the cables connecting to it were made w/ the 'outdoor' type ends. <S> If you really wanted an enclosure, you could use an electrical box with a weatherproof cover, feed the cables up from below, make the connections, then shove everything in the box and close it ... <S> but it's going to make it harder if you ever want to change things out. <S> (I've changed mine out a few times as I've changed between cable & satellite a few times.) <A> Just did this recently when I installed my new antenna tower. <S> I picked up an outdoors electrical junction box to contain my grounding setup. <S> I couldn't get ahold of any of the old "outdoors" style coax connectors <S> (seem to have gone out of style), so I used the normal coax connectors, crimped on, then filled with dielectric coax sealant gel. <S> I also had some of the weather proofing "putty" to put around the connectors, but have not done so yet as the configuration as it stands seems to be quite sound.
|
If you have to locate the splitter in a location where it is more directly exposed to the elements (eg, not underneath a soffit or something), you might want to get a PVC box, and then put waterproof box connectors on it, which have a gasket that seals around any kind of wire.
|
What is the best tool/method for vine removal? i recently bought a 108 year old house with an ancient garage that has vines growing up the back of the entire structure. the vines have started getting into the gutters and even inside the garage. i want to rip them all down but i'm not sure of the best tools to make the job easier and what steps i can take to slow/stop their regrowth. <Q> In addition to the normal tools like pruners, hedge shears, etc., <S> my tools for controlling unruly vegetation include: pruning saw (look for one that cuts on both push and pull strokes): bypass lopper (much more leverage than a regular pruner): tree pruner (no more climbing on a ladder to get at high branches!) <S> : <S> In your situation, I would start by using these tools to cut back all the vines close to the ground. <S> Dig as much of the roots out as possible, then keep an eye on the area for new shoots and dig them out (or spray them with weedkiller) as they pop up. <S> Eventually you'll get rid of them, though it may take persistence on your part. <A> We had a bed of ivy, Virginia creeper, and god knows all what else. <S> It grew and spread a couple of feet per year if left unchecked, and was continuously trying to climb our house walls. <S> This takes serious effort to remove, since the roots go pretty deep. <S> First, I pulled up as much as I could. <S> Beware if there are nasty things like poison ivy in there too. <S> If that is an issue, then there are lotions you can apply before (and after) you get into it, to prevent problems. <S> And wear gloves, long sleeves, etc. <S> Be careful if the ivy is climbing your house, as the tendrils can be strong enough to damage your siding when you pull them off, especially if you just tear it away. <S> You may need to kill the ivy first, cutting away as much as you can on the house. <S> Next year you can return to any tendrils still hanging on the house to remove them once they are dried up. <S> Next, I used a pitchfork to dig as deeply as I could. <S> In my case, I went over a foot deep over the entire bed, turning over every inch of earth. <S> Once I dug up the ground, roots in that area could now be pulled by hand (with a pair of heavy gloves.) <S> Where roots went too deep to be pulled, I used a small hatchet to cut them off. <S> (Use an old hatchet.) <S> Next spring, my expectation is to need to treat any vines that still come up with concentrated Brushbegone. <S> I will apply this with a paintbrush on any leaves as they start to grow to avoid overspray. <A> My first weapon of choice now is the pruning saw. <S> This was my situation, and after some frustration I went and bought some tools that might make the job easier, and a pruning saw was one of them (I took the machete back, turns out the serrated edge was better than a smooth one). <S> What do I use to dig out those roots you ask? <S> My trusty 5lb pick mattock of course. <S> The wide blade helps to dig below the root bundles (a 5lb swing goes pretty deep), and using leverage I can pop them up. <S> It's hard work no matter which way you slice it <S> (!), and mine is still a work in progress. <A> I recently did this same task. <S> Our flower beds were over-grown with Vinca and English Ivy. <S> The English Ivy was growing into the grout between our bricks and killing our 100 year old Oak trees. <S> The most useful tools I found were a shovel and a pair of small pruning shears, like these . <S> Digging the roots out of the ground will help prevent the ivy from returning. <S> The shears help remove it from your house when it's grown into or twisted itself around stuff so badly that it will damage your house to just pull it down. <S> It was a very tedious task, and it's almost impossible to get all the roots the first time. <S> I was able to completely eliminate all the ivy by looking for spots where it popped up again over the next few months and digging out the roots at those spots. <S> Good luck! <A> I'd agree with all of the tools that Niall C. mentioned, and for those really, really overgrown areas, I made use of a weed eater (string trimmer), chain saw and prybar: <S> I had a tree that was covered in vines when I moved in ... <S> First, I cleared an area so I could see to work with the string trimmer. <S> Then I took a chainsaw to cut almost all the way through the 2+ inch thick vines, in a ring, all the way around the tree, then again, about 9 inches above it. <S> (one side being more difficult, as it was rather close to the fence). <S> Then I took the pry bar, and pried out the sections of vine. <S> Within a few weeks, the vines started dying out ... <S> unfortunately, I've never managed to get all of the vines uprooted, with it being so strong in the area, so I have to hit it with the bypass pruners every year ot two to keep it from climbing back up again. <A> A tool like this is great for ripping vines away from tree trunks etc. <S> Picture is of a large hay hook, but they also make lace hooks for hockey skates, or make your own with a couple inches of broom handle and a 20d box nail, or similar.
|
I grab handfuls at a time, and hack away at the vines until the ground is clear enough to dig out roots.
|
Should I cover my air conditioner for winter? Should I cover my air conditioner for winter? It's difficult to find an appropriate cover, but finding a cover for an evaporation cooler is easy (and because they allow for air flow from the outdoors, it makes sense). See this answer for things to do before winter hits, where it's not clear whether an air conditioner should be covered or not. I don't want to let water build up inside and given my climate, it will freeze and thaw repeatedly which can be very damaging. On the other hand, I don't want to create a moisture barrier that leads to other problems. Any official word on this? <Q> I have never covered mine and this article also seems to recommend not covering it: <S> Your central air conditioning unit consists of a compressor and condensing unit placed outdoors in a metal housing. <S> These units, built to resist the weather, generally do not need a cover. <S> In fact, covers can cause problems because they trap moisture and create an inviting winter home for small animals. <S> Professionals who service the units tell me that most of the damage they see in spring was caused by rodents living in the units and chewing on wiring. <S> Reference: <S> http://misterfix-it.com/blog/?page_id=36#cac <S> They make a great point that a cover would provide a perfect winter home for animals which would cause damage to your air conditioner. <A> I cover mine in the winter using a single unopened trash bag and some duct tape. <S> The bag is the right size to cover just the top and not much of the sides. <S> This allows ventilation on the sides while keeping snow and ice from entering from above. <S> With the duct tape, it's just a strip down each corner and then I run a band of tape around the perimeter of the bag to reduce the risk of it blowing away. <S> I think the important tip that Jeff's link mentions is to not completely seal the unit, but simply prevent damage from above. <A> Most people who advocate covering mention that debris, ice, and snow can get into your air conditioner in the winter if it's not covered. <S> Plus it'll end up more weather-beaten if left uncovered. <A> Never covered mine in the 31 years I've had it <S> and I live-in upstate New York--brutal winters. <S> no need to cover it. <S> It's designed to be outdoors. <S> Around here there's more damage done in the spring with the cotton wood seeds plugging the condenser. <A> It is good to cover the top 1/4 to 1/2 of the air conditioner. <S> This stops moisture from entering through the top and then freezing/thawing repeatedly through the winter. <S> First, although paint technology is very advanced, constant expansion and contraction of painted metal will eventually lead to cracking and this rusting of the metal. <S> Secondly, there are threaded connections between the tubing that goes from the compressor and condenser/evaporator cooling coils. <S> Water can enter these threads and expand and contract eventually causing a leak and thus loss of gas. <S> Covering 1/4 to 1/2 of the unit will keep the interior of the unit under the same temperature/humidity conditions as the outside air. <S> Although this cover will keep the interior of the unit dryer, it will not provide as good a quality of home for critters as if the unit was covered completely. <S> There will still be good ventilation of icy air to make animules look for better digs.
|
If your air conditioner is subject to falling ice or other debris, you could cover its top with a piece of plywood, plastic or metal held in place by a weight.
|
How can I speed up the rate at which putty dries? We're (slowly) renovating the sash windows in our house and the current window is causing problems. What should have been a quick job (especially at this time of year!) has turned into a marathon because the putty won't dry. We had to replace a couple of panes of glass (one was cracked and we broke another when using a heat gun to remove the paint) so we knew it would take a little while. On a previous window the putty took over three weeks to dry enough to paint partly because (as we thought) there was too much oil. So this time we rolled the putty on newspaper first to try to remove the excess oil. It seemed to work, but after two weeks the putty is still soft to the touch. We've tried standing the windows next to a radiator but all that seemed to do was make it softer (which was obviously going to happen in hindsight). So given that we don't want to reputty the windows what can we do to speed up the drying process. We've had to seal off the room and cover the window as best we can in the meantime. I've found this advice on DoItYourself.com which doesn't really help as it says use other materials! The answers to this post on DIY-Forums are confusing at best and possibly contradictory as one recommends exposing the putty to moisture(!) to speed the drying process. <Q> Heat will make the putty softer, which is why you can heat it up to remove it. <S> Putty pretty much stays soft for years. <S> Initially, it doesn't really dry out so much as oxidize which forms a skin on it. <S> If you absolutely must paint it right away, you'll probably has to use one of the latex based glazing compounds. <S> If you want to use a traditional one, paint it as soon as it forms enough of a skin that the paint will stick to it. <S> Also, I think you probably should be using oil based paints, but check the instructions on the putty. <S> If you let use know specifically which putty you are using, that might help get better answers. <A> Wipe down the putty with mineral spirits, this should remove some of the oils and help it cure faster. <A> I always use DAP glazing compound and have never had a problem being able to paint it 24 hours later. <S> I think you may have a bad or old lot there. <S> Go to the latex based products and you will not have the same problem again. <S> good luck. <A> I've been a glazier for over 35 years <S> and I've everything going with regards to putty. <S> The putty will be ready to paint within 4 days. <A> ive been doing stained glass for a number of years and i use a whitening powder that stained glass stores sell, you set your putty in place then grab a brush dab it in the powder and brush it over your putty lines works well dryies in a few days
|
You can buy rapid setting putty where you mix in a powder that makes it skin in about 3 days or mix in a small amount poly-filler.
|
Is there a standard way to block sunlight from a non-rectangular window? I'm not a DIY home repair guy but I'm handy with tools. I have a semi-circular window about six feet in diameter. It's right above my home office desk. In the afternoon, the sun often shines through the window and makes a terrific glare on the desk and makes the computer monitors hard to see (due to the high contrast). My question: Is there a standard way to block sunlight from a non-rectangular window? The desk looks out the window and I'd like to keep it that way. The problem is for a few hours in the afternoon. Ideally the shade would be somewhat translucent to block the sun. This must be a commonly-seen problem. Any suggestions on where to buy a solution which I can install myself? <Q> they make accordion style fabric shades for half-circle windows <S> http://www.amazon.com/Redi-Shade-3362548-Window-72-Inch/dp/B000LG7G0A <A> I've seen them build these type of blinds for almost any shape; <S> The semi-circle is a very common shape for plantation shutters. <S> Pricing typically depends of the materials you choose and the size of the window. <A> I can think of a few things that might work: <S> An awning. <S> There are ones on the market that have an electric motor on 'em, and you can control from the inside, so you can put it out or bring it in as needed. <S> (you don't want to leave them out all the time, as high winds or snow can be a problem ... <S> although there are metal awnings that are meant to be left up all the time, but they're not so pretty) <S> Unfortunately, not all styles work well for the late afternoon sun, where the sun's low in the sky, but they make 1/4 sphere ones that might come down far enough to block the sun for a 1/2 circle window. <S> Plantation shutters, as Shane mentioned -- my dad had ones that had adjustable louvers to let in more/less light, and they were split top & bottom <S> so he could just close off the top or bottom half of the window ... <S> but well, they'd likely be rectangular, and you'd just close over the whole opening, which might not be the best look. <S> Window screens. <S> Not bug screens <S> -- I'm not sure what else to call them. <S> They were very popular in the Netherlands. <S> It's a wooden frame, with a stretched material over it, normally something decorative like lace (or crocheted? <S> my mom's are all white, but there's pictures kinda knitted into it). <S> You set it in the window ... <S> they were decorative, but they also help to block out the sun. <S> You could make a frame that would fit into the window opening, stretch some sort of decorative fabric across it, and then just set it in the window or take out as needed. <S> ... <S> and in trying to find a better name for the screens, I somehow managed to stumble across items that might be exactly what you're looking for ... <S> If it's perfectly a half circle (you might be able to trim it, but it might look like crap) http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=16252255 <S> And if it's not, custom blinds: http://www.solaceshades.com/ <S> (It's possible there's other companies making 'em, but I also found a while lot of patents for sun shades, too, so it might be a limited number of vendors) <A> I recently solved a similar problem by building a custom upholstered valance box. <S> The total cost was around $75, including the matching curtain panel used for the upholstery fabric. <S> First, measure the window, and figure out the dimensions you need to cover. <S> A 2-3 inches overlap on each side should be enough. <S> Next, cut 1/4" plywood to shape, and make a frame out of 1x2's. <S> I ended up doing a framed design - an outer section with a cutout inset. <S> Determine where you want to place the buttons. <S> You'll actually screw through the inset panel to mount it to the outer frame after you've upholstered it. <S> You can hot-glue the buttons on afterwards to hide the screws. <S> I almost forgot to mention - you'll need fabric covered button kits to make the buttons match. <S> You can get them at Walmart for about $1 each. <S> Time for upholstering! <S> Buy an electric staple gun for this. <S> I ended up using about 1200 staples. <S> You'll probably want to finish the back with a white fabric so it doesn't look like crap from outside. <S> (I also added a screw in the middle for a support wire for the flimsy $3 Walmart curtain rod - <S> it was designed to have a center support, but the window shape didn't allow for it.) <S> Install the valance box using metal brackets and wall anchors (or preferably screwing to studs if they're in the right location). <S> Tools used: <S> Cordless drill/screwdriver <S> Jigsaw Electric stapler 18 ga. <A> You could make a pair of shutters that you could fold out, but if the window is truly semi-circular they'd be a little difficult to hang.
|
The most common solution I've seen to this is custom planation shutters. I used the leftover liner from the blackout curtain panel used to upholster the valance box. (Note the dimensions of the window drawn onto the plywood for reference.) pneumatic brad nailer Hot glue gun Three layers of batting and one layer of fabric later, your hands will thank you for spending $30. For something "off the shelf" you'll need to buy a blind that's a little bit wider than six feet and fit that "outside" the window which might not look very nice as you'll have a rectangle over your semi circle.
|
How do I stop the dripping noise from my gutters? It has just recently started raining where I live, and I am new to this house. When the rain ceases and the water is dripping from the gutters through the drain, I can hear the dripping from inside the house. It is REALLY loud and is driving me crazy. The gutter drains are right outside my bedroom and the living room, so getting away from these areas is not an option. Is there a way to get rid of (or greatly reduce) the dripping noise? <Q> I'm surprised the dripping is that loud <S> but there is a simple solution. <S> Drop a some rope, such as heavy sash cord, down the drainpipe and attach top end in such a way that at least a couple of inches of the rope is sitting inside the gutter itself. <S> The way this works is that the water will tend to run along the rope, which should ensure the water runs along the wall of the drainpipe instead of falling through the air. <A> I found a pretty good way of stopping the noise. <S> I cut some 5 mm thick rubber to the same width of the gutter then slid it in <S> so it went just past the angle. <S> It has poured down and they still run freely. <S> So I hope this works for you. <A> Here's a VERY simple solution. <S> I've had this problem for over a year <S> and it's been driving me crazy. <S> I finally found an incredibly simple solution, and it's especially good because I'm in an apartment where I'm not supposed to be "fixing" anything anyway. <S> Take a scrap piece of wood and wedge it between the building and the pipe at or slightly above the elbow that has been causing all the noise. <S> This should move the elbow away from the building about 1/4" to 3/4". <S> If it's anything like my place, the noise will stop immediately. <S> Now the water drops land silently on the side of the pipe about 6" above the elbow, instead of slamming into the bottom of the elbow. <S> It's probably best to do this fix while the noise is happening <S> so you'll know whether it works for you or not. <A> <A> Make sure the outlet on the gutter is touching the side walls of the downpipe. <S> That will also insure the water running on the inner wall af downpipe and fall down the centre. <S> Is it aluminium? <A> Try cleaning your gutters and down spouts, then instead of dripping through, the water would run out in a stream, making less noise and getting done quicker.
|
Stick a sponge at the bottom the drips will land quietly on it and when it pours the water still flows through.
|
How do I install cabinets on a floating hardwood floor? We just purchased a bunch of cabinets for installation of a bar / kitchenette in the basement. There are 4 wall cabinets and four base cabinets. These are going to be installed on the existing hardwood floating floor, which are sitting on top of a pad and then concrete. The wall cabinets I can do, I have installed many in the past. But what is the best way to install the base cabinets? Since the floor is floating, I don't know if i should attach them through the floor to the concrete (thus locking the floating floor down i think). Or should I just attach them to the wall and each other and let them float on on the floor? Or perhaps attach to the wall and then glue to the floor with a construction adhesive? Part of the layout is a peninsula, so two of the base cabinets will only be touching another cabinet and not the walls. If these are not attached to the floor, it seems like these would have the potential to move if pushed or bumped. I should also note that we will be installing a heavier counter-top, not sure yet if we will do granite, some other natural stone, or stamped concrete. But that might come into play as the weight may hold it down. <Q> Is cutting out the flooring where the cabinets will be not an option? <S> You don't mention it, so maybe there's a reason, but that's the method that would get you the best attachment for your cabinets, while still allowing the flooring to float and move as it's designed. <S> You could make these cuts with a circular saw set to just the right depth. <S> For the peninsula, I believe cutting out the flooring is your only option. <S> If you try to attach it through the flooring, you're either going to 1) <S> pull it too tight to the flooring <S> so the flooring can't float, or 2) not fasten it tightly enough <S> and it's going to creak and move every time someone leans on the counter. <A> For the floor cabinets that are not a part of the peninsula- <S> Fixing them to the wall and each other is sufficient. <S> Make sure to either fix them to a stud, or if they have fixed mounting points that don't align with studs, use a 3/16" toggle bolt. <S> For the peninsula- <S> I'd recommend anchoring them to the floor, or, as you say, they'll be prone to move (And depending on your counter material and peninsula length, possibly cause damage to the counter top). <S> When attaching the peninsula to the floor, do NOT glue them to the floating floor- <S> make sure you anchor to the sub floor. <S> Depending on the layout, It might be a good idea to cut/drill some larger holes in the floating floor, where your anchors will go through. <S> This will allow the floor to expand/contract/slide under the peninsula. <S> (e.g.- drill 1/2" holes, just through the floating floor, where your anchors will go, then put your anchor screw in the middle of this hole, so <S> the floor is free to move). <A> I contacted the manufacturer of the flooring and this is what they had to say: Thank you for contacting XXX <S> , I would be glad to help you with your questions. <S> Cabinets are not recommended to be installed over a floating floor, especially cabinets that have a heavy granite counter top. <S> Installing the cabinets on the flooring could bind the floor due to the weight of the cabinets. <S> If the flooring were to expand due to high humidity levels or other moisture sources the floor could potentially buckle. <S> So their response was very much in line with the other answers here. <S> The right thing to do in my case is to cut the floor out, and place the cabinets in the cutout. <S> UPDATE : <S> So I ended up attaching them all to the wall (including just the one side on the peninsula.) <S> Then for the floor, glued felt strips to the bottom of the cabinets, to reduce the friction to allow the floating floor to move more easily underneath them. <S> Now the cabinents do weigh a lot, and we have heavy countertops, so maybe the floor can't move, but it doesn't hurt. <S> Its been about 5 years since I did this, and we've been though many season with humidity, and the floor has not buckled. <A> There are two concerns here. <S> 1) installing base cabs on a floating floor is never a good idea. <S> 2) since it is a peninsula, I assume there will be a 90 degree angle at the counter tops with a miter joint. <S> Since a floating floor is usually installed over a thin foam pad, there is a bit of give to the floor. <S> This "give" will stress the miter joint of the counter top and potentially cause a gap to open. <S> I would recommend setting all the base cabs unattached, just clamped together, then draw a line on the floor around them and remove the flooring, giving yourself a good 1/4 inch clearance margin. <S> Secure the cabs to a spacer or shims on the floor that are leveled and securely fastened to the subfloor. <S> Trim out and over to the flooring gaps with the kick boards.
|
The proper installation would be to install the cabinets and then install the flooring around the cabinets.
|
Why does my furnace need frequent power resets? I have a NOMA Programmable thermostat attached to my furnace. The set point is usually around 21 degrees, and the room temperature is reading around 17 degrees. The furnace is not coming on. However, If I go down to the basement, and flip the power switch off and on, the furnace starts, and runs for about 10 minutes. Is the problem in the thermostat or the furnace? Where should I start troubleshooting? It's a gas Furnace with AC unit. Manufactured in 1998, no idea when it was installed. It when it's running, it pumps out a fair amount of heat, so I doubt it's gas line pressure. <Q> I had the exact same symptoms with my natural gas furnace, and it turned out to be the flame sensor. <S> It's an L-shaped metal bar (but can also be straight, depending on model) <S> that detects if there are flames actually coming out, and turns off the gas if not. <S> It had a white high-temp wire connecting it to the control board. <S> Taking it out, cleaning it with some steel wool fixed the problem for me. <S> If yours is like the above, you'll only see the back part of it and the bracket, as the L-shaped end is inside the heating unit. <A> Something is probably triggering an automatic "safety" shutdown of the furnace. <S> Most of the time this would prevent the furnace from firing up at all though. <S> A backflow issue. <S> If the chimney is clogged or if there is any kind of backdraft down the chimney that would cause exaust gas to come back down the chimney, that could trigger a sensor that would shut down the furnace. <S> Backflow seems more likely than an ignition issue in your case, but the error code readout on your furnace (usually a flashing LED) should be able to tell you exactly what the problem is. <A> It turned out to be a blocked drainage hose, so the condensation was building up. <A> it's likely the furnace. <S> but you didn't tell us anything about the furnace, so we can't provide any more detail. <S> something is happening inside the furnace that it decides it should not run anymore, so it shuts itself off and keeps itself off for safety. <S> for example, if it's a gas furnace, you might have low gas pressure due to a faulty regulator or clogged jet and the flame is not sustainable. <S> so if the furnace detects that the flame has gone out, it will shut down the furnace and refuse to come back on. <S> on my gas furnace, there are two lights on the front that tell you what the furnace is doing or if there is a fault. <S> yours might have a similar indicator. <A> I just fixed my furnace and it kept turning off and on as well. <S> I have never seen this suggested online yet and had to find this out myself. <S> it turned out the tube that the condensation water comes out of was frozen and blocked all the way back in the system. <S> I had to open up the release valve near where the hose connects to the furnace to let out the backed up water <S> and it worked perfectly after. <S> Currently working on thawing out the ice in the tube <S> and then I'm going to add a insulation sleeve to it to avoid this situation in the future. <A> This happened to me, and it turned out to be a leaf that got sucked into the air intake. <S> The leaf got sucked all the way across the house in the PVC, and was sitting right at the point of entry into the furnace (there was a screen there to prevent the debris from coming in.) <S> This blocked new clean air from coming into the furnace, and then the safety mechanisms would shut it off after a few minutes. <S> Once I removed the leaf, it worked fine.
|
When I've seen this, it's usually been one of two things: A bad ignitor - if the furnace doesn't detect that the ignitor has turned on, it will shut itself down.
|
How do I stain pine without streaks or blotches? I did some test staining on pine scraps, and I ended up with a cross grain arc that's darker than everything else. Where did I go wrong? (Or is it just the pine?) (Related to this question , as a follow-up. I realized I had already accepted an answer to the original, so this should be a separate question.) I recently built a pine bench, and I'm trying to figure out the best way to stain it. My wife and I decided on Minwax Hickory Gel Stain because we wanted a darker finish. The Home Depot paint/stain department employee also recommended it along with Minwax Wood Conditioner for staining pine. I applied the Minwax Wood Conditioner (oil-based) to a scrap 1x12, and then 15 minutes later I applied the Minwax Hickory Gel Stain (also oil-based) with a foam brush and wiped it off with a rag 5 minutes later. I noticed there was an arc of darker color going against the grain on the test scrap. Any ideas how this happened? I made very sure that I sanded with the grain (by hand), starting with 100 grit, moving to 150, and finally 220. The only thing that I can think of is I wiped the sawdust away with a very slightly damp rag, without paying attention to grain direction. Then about 15 minutes later I applied the wood conditioner. Could the be the cause of the streaking? I'd like to figure out the cause before I move onto staining my actual project. Also, I applied a second coat of stain 8 hours after the first. I let it sit for about twice as long before I wiped it off this time. I didn't notice much of a difference in color from the first coat. Is there something about gel stains that it doesn't matter number of coats/how long it's left on? EDIT: Here's a photo (the streak starts in the bottom left and goes toward the top right): The random little spots running in a line vertically are test distressing marks I applied, to see how they would turn out when stained. <Q> I prefer to use a thin, almost watery, stain applied with a cloth. <S> Two or three coats, with a light sanding between coats gives a good finish. <S> Maybe it's just the way I apply it <S> but I can't get thick stain to go on as evenly as I'd like. <S> I also haven't found any huge difference between similar products form any of the leading brands, so I don't have any preferences n that score. <A> Ditto on most of the previous advice, except that I've been working with pine for furniture/cabinetry <S> I've built over the last 35 years and my routine is to use a 3M scrubbing pad (green type, like the kitchen) to apply any type of stain that I use; circular motion to apply it, straight strokes with the grain to finish up. <S> Recently I have started using sanding sealer before staining if I feel the wood I'm using might have a bit more resin in the grain (newer wood from the lumber yard), or if the shade of the stain I'm using will show the grain more, i.e., dark walnut versus cherry. <S> If the first stain coat isn't to your liking, you can gently remove the offending stain with mineral spirits and a rag, then do a second coat. <S> Pine can be VERY forgiving if you take your time, and actually is much easier to produce an "antiqued" or distressed appearance. <S> If you're not in love with polyurethane, try a Tung oil finish; I know I hear alot of groans out there, but I have pieces I finished with it 25 years ago or more that still look great. <S> Good luck with your work! <A> Staining will highlight any imperfections in the wood. <S> From the photo it looks like something has been wiped across the grain. <S> That could be when you wiped the sawdust away or possibly if you wiped the stain across the grain. <S> Applying thin coats as John suggests is the best way. <S> Also, don't forget that the wood will age - especially for something left outside - so any imperfections you see now will blend over time. <A> Looking at your picture (good pic btw) tells me that there was a previous scuff on the wood at several locations on the piece. <S> Hand sanding an old or abused piece of wood will never remove enough material evenly enough to do a good staining job. <S> You need to use a DA or palm vibrating sander with 100 or 150 grit first then step down to 220 grit or finer to be sure to remove all the cross grain imperfections. <S> Once you apply the stain, it is too late to fix any marks, like I see in your picture. <S> Gel stain is very over rated. <S> It's only advantage <S> is that it is water rather than oil based. <S> Apply a good oil stain liberally , let it stand a couple of minutes then rub it in good with a stain soaked lint free rag to evenly distribute the color, followed by a final rubdown with a clean rag. <S> This will give you the smoothest most even result. <S> The piece in the picture will need to be sanded down to bare wood again and start over, it can't be improved by adding more stain etc. <S> If you want to "distress" the piece, make your dents etc after you stain. <S> If white wood shows in the distress marks, use a Q Tip and a little drop of stain to color the white wood. <S> Good luck. <A> Blotching is caused by some areas of the timber taking up more stain and other areas soaking in less. <S> You will find that this happens a lot with pine and other softwoods which have a faster rate of growth and are less dense (not necessarily softer though!) <S> The key is to prepare the surface as much as possible... <S> Start by sanding up through the grits and don't skip numbers. <S> Going up to 320 or 400 should be enough for most applications. <S> By sanding properly you get rid of any milling marks, dents and other aberrations. <S> Secondly, clean the surface . <S> I usually wipe it down with some methylated spirits to clean up any oil residue. <S> This will also highlight the areas prone to blotching and will show up any areas which might require further sanding. <S> Third, before applying the stain, if the wood is likely to blotch you can apply a type of sanding sealer to it. <S> Stain and oil seeps into the wood. <S> Other finishes like paints, shellac and polyurethane sit on top of the wood. <S> By applying an extremely thin coat of thinned shellac (with meth spirits) or a thin coat of a marketed sanding sealer, you create a reasonably flat surface for the stain to work with. <S> It will still seep into the timber because your sealing coat is so thin, but it's less likely to blotch. <S> Finally, apply your stain in thin even coats and you should end up with a good result. <S> Remember, some woods like pine are very prone to blotching so you may not be able to get away with it, but you can at least limit it.
|
Having a good surface to stain is pretty much essential as the stain will highlight even the smallest imperfections.
|
What should I know about radon levels at home? What levels are safe and do they affect resale value? My wife and I are looking to buy our first home. We recently found one, but a report says the radon levels inside the home are unsatisfactory. I've never really been aware of radon levels in homes before, but of course, look it up and it's not a good thing to have. :-/ What are the options that I have to mitigate radon levels in the home? If radon levels inside the home are high, and a mitigation system is installed, does that mean radon levels outside the home will be just as high? What I mean is, are radon levels only a worry inside because they collect in an enclosed space VS outside in the open air where it's diluted? The recent bad report has made me reconsider purchasing this home, even when negotiating price to compensate for radon mitigation. Is my worry justified? Or can installing a system fix it enough to where it's a non-issue? <Q> I gave a pretty detailed answer on radon mitigation systems in a related question . <S> Rather than repeat myself, I suggest that you read that and follow the links, particularly the EPA's guide on radon mitigation for home buyers . <S> Radon levels outdoors are pretty much always going to be zero. <S> It's only enclosed spaces you need to worry about. <S> Tell the seller to pay for a radon contractor, or have them knock a few thousand off the selling price and hire your own guy. <S> I would suggest getting a bid from a reputable radon contractor in the area <S> so you know how much is reasonable for the sellers to concede. <S> Make sure you also factor in the price of someone doing a re-test on the radon levels! <A> The house I am living in now had high radon levels when tested before we purchased it. <S> We negotiated in the purchase price to have the seller pay for radon mitigation. <S> We hired a company to install the radon mitigation system. <S> (Make sure you check their license. <S> Most states have to license the installer. <S> We learned a lesson there.) <S> In order to put the system in, they drill a hole in your basement floor. <S> There were two options for us, they could run the vent pipe out the side of the house or through the garage and up through the roof. <S> We choose the garage option, because it looked nicer. <S> The fan runs constantly to suck the radon out and vent it out the roof. <S> They also sealed up the sump pump pit, so air could not come up through there. <S> You can get home radon test kits that you mail in. <S> We test it about once a year, to make sure the levels are still below 4. <S> I don't think radon should discourage you from buying the house. <S> It is very common in my area. <S> A proper radon mitigation system is necessary to ensure your safety. <A> You can buy a radon mitigation fan for around $100 to install along with a vent pipe. <S> Keep in mind that the lifetime cost will be more than the part's price, since you've got to run it continuously. <S> You'll also want to check and make sure the fan reduces the radon levels below 4 pCi/L. <S> Here's a resource on figuring out what kind of power rating you'll need for a fan. <S> Also, here's a page on considerations before you start a DIY radon mitigation system install. <A> If the current owner is not open to purchace a professionally installed system and retest before closing, you must count on that expense yourself after you own the problem. <S> Not a DIY project. <S> I'm a certified home inspector and see a lot of buyers run away from houses in this situation.
|
As long as you can get a radon system installed without significantly destroying the home, and the radon levels aren't insanely high (100+ pCi/L), radon is not the end of the world.
|
How do I remove or paint over graffiti? Recently some graffiti appeared on the side of my house. I knew I should have done something right away but I didn't, and now there is more. Here is a picture: I read this article . I think I just want to paint over it. Someone told me to use dry lock. Is this the best thing to use for this, or might there be an easier way? EDIT : I finally painted over it with stucco paint. Here it is now: <Q> It is never nice to see that someone has chosen to vandalize your property. <S> I see main options here. <S> Leave it alone. <S> (Already ruled out, since you wish to deal with it.) <S> Remove the paint. <S> Paint over it. <S> If you do choose to remove the paint, a paint stripper is a good start. <S> I like the citrus based ones, as they seem less toxic than the old solvent based strippers. <S> Brush the stripper on, let it stand for the indicated time, then wash off, probably with a good stiff brush as an aid. <S> An issue here is you will essentially end up cleaning the surface where you just worked, so this action will tend to leave a negative of painted region. <S> The wall will be lighter in those spots, because it is cleaner. <S> So you will then want to wash down the entire wall. <S> A pressure washer will help, and you can get mild cleaners to help in this part. <S> The final choice on my list is to paint over it. <S> (Of course, a downside to paint is that once you paint that wall once, you will be forced to paint it again in the future when the paint gets old.) <S> An alternative to a blank white wall here is to do it as a mural if you have an artistic bent. <S> (My wife surprised me one day with her artistic talent, when I came home to find she had painted the block wall on our house with a field of cat tail reeds under a bright yellow sun.) <S> How about a nice field of sunflowers against a blue sky? <S> Or, perhaps you might paint the wall to look like a brick wall, but add several fake stained glass windows on this facade? <S> If you do decide to paint the wall, you might still want to wash it down first to remove any crud that will prevent good paint adhesion. <S> Give it a couple of days to dry before applying paint, especially if it is oil based paint. <A> Hair laquer and an absorbent cloth will remove graffiti. <S> Spray over the effected area and immediately wipe with the cloth. <S> Works well on flat surfaces. <A> Fixing wooden fence panels to the wall may be a good option, as it will cover over the Graffiti and also make the surface not as appealing for the next teenager that comes along.
|
A good exterior paint will cover the graffiti well enough.
|
How do I diagnose voltage fluctuations that affect my receiver? I recently moved into a town house and have noticed that my home theater, in particular the receiver seems to freak out and show only snow when I turn on and off fans and other electrical appliances. The snow lasts until I switch the input source on the receiver or power it off and on. This is despite having the receiver on a power conditioner. Equipment: Receiver - Denon AVR-1909 TV - Samsung HL61A750 Power Conditioner - APC AV H10 Cable Box Xbox 360 Connections: Receiver -> TV - HDMI Cable Box -> Receiver - Component Xbox360 -> Receiver - HDMI Do these fluctuations damage the receiver at all? Is this a wiring issue in the house? Also how could I track down the problem? <Q> How do you know that it's voltage fluctuations causing the problems and not RFI? <S> Consider adding RF chokes to your setup to minimize that possiblity. <A> Invest in a receptacle tester and make sure that the receptacle with your home theater system is actually wired correctly. <S> Do the same for all the other receptacles that cause the problem. <S> If you haven't already, map out which branch circuits supply power to the affected receptacles and fixtures. <S> If they are on one circuit, can you move one or more of them to a different circuit? <S> If they are on one phase (i.e. the breakers are all on one side of the service panel), could you move some of them to branch circuits on the other phase to see if the problem goes away? <S> Next, check that you actually have a ground from the service panel: <S> look for a thick copper wire from the service panel that feeds to a grounding rod outside the house (my service panel is in my basement; the ground lead comes from the top of the panel and feeds through the rim joist to the ground rod). <A> You'll watch the AC voltage on the meter while someone else flips stuff on and off, and you might see a voltage drop. <S> The only way that voltage (especially through a power conditioner) should be a problem is if it's going VERY low. <S> The power conditioner is nice, but it's not able to make up for insane voltage drops. <S> If you really believe that a voltage drop is the problem (as opposed to RF noise or something), get a real on-line UPS - Note the words 'on-line' there, that's important. <S> What you want is a UPS that provides constant power in the face of brown-outs, black-outs, etc. <S> The idea is to find one that's ALWAYS outputting from it's power conditioner and which has zero cut-over time in the event of power fail. <S> Some cheaper UPS don't do that - instead they switch the source AFTER the power fails. <S> That switch over can take hundreds of milliseconds. <S> That's OK for some things, but for your purposes, it's not useful. <S> One other thing to check is whether the circuit your receiver is on is heavily loaded. <S> If you are near the limit of the circuit (in other words, if you are close to tripping the breaker), then the breaker's activity when it's near tripping could be doing something funny to the voltages. <S> If you suspect this, then you should try to get as much as possible off that circuit. <S> A kill-a-watt can be used to measure the load added by plug-in devices. <A> If it is actually a voltage fluctuation, a simple multi-meter won't detect (without some finessing) since they typically measure RMS or average voltage. <S> Here's what you do: <S> Get an multi-meter, but make sure it has the capability to log min and max voltages, <S> the Fluke 114 should do the trick Plug an extension cord into the outlet that is causing your appliances to malfunction and plug them all into the extension cord, leaving one outlet on the extension cord open for probing with the multi-meter (I say use an extension cord to make sure that you're measuring the same physical outlet from the wall, as I've seen in vary rare cases where one plug in a two receptacle outlet was run to a different circuit breaker and so the extension cord prevents you from measuring the wrong circuit) <S> Place one of the multi-meter probes into either one of the slotted connectors of the open receptacle and place the other multi-meter probe into the other slotted connector. <S> Turn on the multi-meter to AC voltage <S> (should be a "~" symbol on the meter). <S> You should now be measuring AC voltage and the meter should read about "110Vac" <S> Hit the "Min/Max" button on the meter until the display says "Min" Do whatever you do to cause the equipment to malfunction and watch the meter. <S> It should be logging the minimum AC Voltage <S> it detects and displaying it. <S> If your voltage drops significantly far below 110Vac, you know you've got a voltage dropout problem. <S> If the problem is a voltage fluctuation or even EMI (electro-magnetic interference), a good UPS should filter out the noise. <A> The fist step is trace the circuit to the breaker. <S> Find out all outlets suppied by that breaker. <S> After turning off the breaker LOTO Check each wire to make sure they are securly landed to each outlet (make sure the screw(s) are tight no discoloration to the wire coating) <S> After verfying each outlet in the circuit you will know if you have 14 or 18 guage wiring and that will enable you to calculate the load you are putting on that circuit. <S> So you can adjust, lower, the load on that circuit. <S> If you use an UPS feed for your system it will help smooth out the current flow. <S> It will also help protect it from a power surge. <A> Easier solution may be to buy a power conditioner and plug the av equipment into that. <S> A "continuous coverage " UPS may accomplish the same thing. <S> (Learned the value of these the hard way when equipment being used in a hotel kept resetting itself. <S> Turned out the hotel's power dropped to 90V whenever someone used the copiers in the business center.)
|
If you want to try looking for a voltage problem, you could get a simple multi-meter, stick the probes into the outlet and then watch it while someone else fiddles with other devices. It could be a grounding problem -- electronic devices are often very sensitive to the quality of the ground line.
|
What kind of backing should I use for a glass mosaic backsplash? I want to install a glass mosaic backsplash. These are a bunch of small square tiles of different colors on a mesh. Each meash measures 13 x 13. They are so thin, that I want to put some plywood or 1/4 inch tile backer board over the drywall first because my wall is uneven and I'm afraid some gaps will show between the countertop and the wall. My question is is it OK to use 1/4 plywood for the backer or should I use hardibacker or something like that? Someone told me the plywood would expand and contract too much with temperature changes. Someone else also told me that backer board is overkill because its not a wet application and its not a floor. I'm also worried about what the glass tiles would stick best too. <Q> Here are some good points against using plywood, the source is talking about tiling a floor but most of the points are valid for walls as well. <S> In my opinion it's better to go the "overkill" route, then have to redo the job in the future because something didn't turn out right. <S> The cost difference between plywood and cement board is negligible, so your not going to save any money using plywood (unless you already have it). <A> I just finished installing the backsplash in out kitchen using the mosaic glass tiles like you are describing. <S> I had no problems with putting the tile directly on the drywall using the usual thinset mortar you would use with ceramic tiles. <S> I used a 1/8 in throwel with the little/thin tiles and the whole sheet of tile would attach pretty easy. <S> I think that whichever material you chose for the backing will work fine. <S> If you can patch up and sand down the drywall to fix the imperfections, that should work also. <S> Once you are done grouting make sure to seal the grout since the tile will be exposed to the water. <A> With the correct adhesive you shouldn't have a problem sticking the tiles to virtually anything. <S> It might be best to use a ready mixed waterproof adhesive. <S> The tiles will get splashed (it is a splash back after all), and you'll have an even consistency of adhesive to work with. <S> I agree with Tester101 on using cement board to "flatten" your walls. <S> Having recently completed a bathroom where half the tiling was done on Aquapanel (a cement board) and half directly on the wall, it was a lot easier to tile on the panel as the wall was flat and level.
|
Do the job right and use cement board, when you don't have any problems and you can enjoy the tile for years to come you will never regret the decision.
|
Are there any built in cabinet 'kits' available? I am wanting to do cabinets between a wall and a fireplace. This would separate our living room from our dining room, so I want to build media cabinets (A/V equipment, DVD shelves, and a full ceiling to floor 'closet' to store big equipment like Rock Band guitars. On the opposite side, the dining room, I want to have a counter for serving, and then upper cabinets have glass fronts for display (china, etc..). I think that maybe this is beyond my skill, so I was wondering if there were any kits out there that would easily let you change dimensions, change layouts, etc.. Here is a picture of the space I want to occupy. I am standing in my living room looking into the dining room: Also, what do I do with the angled ceiling, what kind of cabinetry or filler do I put there? Should I build a wall first (I hate the thought of loosing 4-5" of depth. Any thoughts? <Q> If you are not averse to designing/building the cabinets yourself, it is not a terribly difficult project to execute. <S> You don't even need a wood shop, only a few select tools. <S> Seek out a local full service lumberyard or specialty wood shop (not a big box store, a real lumberyard). <S> If you bring a cut list of panels that you need, they will usually charge only a nominal fee to break down the plywood sheets for you. <S> This will save you from trying to accurately cut all of the large sheet stock (if you do not have the capacity to do so yourself). <S> At the lumber yard, you can also purchase dimensional stock to produce the face frames for the cabinets. <S> At this point, all you should need is a miter saw to break down the wood for the frames, a pocket hole jig for the assembly, and the hardware/hinges/etc. <S> When it comes to the doors, you have a couple of choices. <S> You can follow the same kind of pattern above (purchase dimensional stock, buy an entry level router / rail and stile bit / edging bit <S> , have the lumber yard break down the inner panels for you). <S> Alternatively, you can order unfinished custom cabinet doors online. <S> All you need is the dimensions for the doors, and then you can just choose the style you want. <S> Of course, this will take a significant effort to design the cabinets specifically for your space, and it will take some time for you to assemble them and work out all the issues. <S> It all really depends on your schedule vs. how much you want to spend. <S> Doing it all yourself will save you money, but will take a good bit longer than hiring the job out or grabbing off-the-shelf cabinets. <A> I would take the dimensions of the space to Lowes or Home Depot and ask the kitchen / cabinet designer what can be done. <S> Cabinets are usually available in three inch width increments and 6 inch hieght increments. <S> To fill the extra space, you can get filler boards that are finished to match and attach those to the sides of the cabinets. <S> For the back side, you can get a piece of 1/4 inch panelling to match. <S> As for the top, it will have to be framed in and covered with a piece of plywood or maybe you could leave it open and put some lights up there. <S> You could trim out the top of the cabinets with some crown molding. <S> For the most finished look, the top should probably be filled in with drywall and painted to match the walls. <A> This isn't exactly what you're asking for, but it would solve your problem I think. <S> I've bought a number of cabinet/furniture kits from IKEA . <S> They have a large enough variety of styles and sizes, and almost everything is modular so it can be "customized" to fit into almost any space. <A> I've installed pre-built kitchen cabinets in a bathroom and my basement in this same kind of scenario. <S> When I laid out my cabinets, I figured out what sizes of cabinets were available, and then designed the framing around the cabinets. <S> If you understand the basics of drywall and trim, it's not too hard to box in the pre-built cabinets. <S> If you have specific questions about how to do this, I'd be happy to help. <S> The advantage of this approach is that you'll end up with something that really matches the decor of the room, and feels more like a part of the walls in the room. <S> The other systems might end up feeling like you've just got furniture filling up your hallway. <A> If you go with an IKEA-type piece, and can't find a unit that is near perfect width, you can get something wider that can be cut down to fit. <S> How about leaving it open above?
|
I'm guessing it wouldn't be too hard for you to find pre-built kitchen cabinets at Menard's or Lowe's that would be of better quality than you'd find in "modular" closet systems or cabinet kits like Shane mentions at IKEA.
|
Does it make sense for a freezer to work , but the refrigerator to not work? We have a relatively new fridge (~2 years). Its got the double door over/under freezer, but the door has a weird way that it closes in that it can get stuck open very easily. The fridge was left open most of the day by out of town house guests. Its been closed most of the evening, but it still doesn't seem to be cooling off. Going to give it overnight and see how it goes. The freezer is still cold, though. So my question is, at least as an initial troubleshooting step, does it make sense for the fridge portion to not be cooling, but the freezer still freeze? <Q> An alternative is that the freezer ran for so long that the air vent from the freezer to the fridge has frozen over with ice, so no cold air can get from the freezer to the fridge. <S> Ironically, you need to warm up the freezer for the ice to melt. <A> Yes. <S> If the device has separate compressors for the fridge and freezer then it's perfectly possible for one to fail and the other keep working. <S> Generally the cheaper the fridge/freezer <S> the more likely it is to only have a single compressor. <A> For anyone else who may have a similar problem and stumble upon this discussion. <S> The problem that happened here also happened to me. <S> The door on the refrigerator cabinet worked itself out of alignment over the years to the point that it had a tendency to open slightly over time. <S> Pretty soon, the refrigerator compartment wasn't cooling off sufficiently even though the freezer compartment was plenty cold. <S> After wrestling with the refrigerator compartment door to finally get it into proper alignment, the refrigerator compartment still wasn't getting cold. <S> Turns out that the problem with the door not staying shut properly allowed a lot of condensation to build up in the refrigerator. <S> The condensate (water) eventually froze up in the return air duct between the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment. <S> The amount of ice built up in the duct <S> stopped all air movement between the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment. <S> With the exception of built-in refrigerator-freezers (e.g. Subzero), almost all refrigerator-freezer units use one compressor. <S> The cooling of air in these units is performed in the freezer compartment, and refrigerated air is allowed into the refrigerator compartment in order to cool, but not freeze, the products in the refrigerator compartment. <S> In order to allow refrigerated air from the freezer compartment into the refrigerator compartment, there must be a supply air duct and a return air duct. <S> The temperature of the refrigerator compartment is controlled by a damper on the supply air duct from the freezer compartment to the refrigerator compartment. <S> In my case, the damper for the supply air duct would open, but no airflow could flow between the compartments because the return air duct was blocked. <S> After turning off the unit and allowing everything to thaw for 8 hours, the return air duct opened and drained, and the unit returned to normal operation. <A> I had the freezer cold but the fridge not cold with a brand new fridge and it turns out it was the fan that's in the freezer part that was out. <S> I guess there is only one condenser and a fan <S> blows the cold air over to the fridge area. <A> It's normal use is that most of the mass in it is already cooled and some more stuff is put into it, or that the door is opened and the air just needs to be brought back down to temp... <S> I know that if we put a few dozen cans of soda in the fridge, they are still not that cool compared to the ones that are in it after an hour. <S> So I'm thinking that Tim may just have been a bit too quick to call it broken. <S> But, the answer about there being one failed compressor was accepted, so I guess that must have been it. <S> ;-/ <A> My fridge, an Amana, has a freezer on the bottom and the fridge on the top. <S> The defroster coil failed in the freezer a few years ago and despite the freezer being cold and filled with ice the fridge was warm. <S> The unit is designed to cool the freezer and a channel on the back of the fridge moves cold air up into the fridge section. <S> I wonder if your fridge is perhaps designed the same way?
|
I wonder if it's just a thermal mass issue; the fridge isn't really optimized for cooling a whole load of items at once (a high thermal mass to cool).
|
Sources for small metal tubing? This is more a DIY question than a home improvement one but I can't seem to find a beter place to ask: I'm looking for small diameter metal tubing , specifically 0.159 ID, ~3/16 OD (the inside diameter is the critical dimension) in stainless steel or steel (or if anyone make it, any grade of Titanium). Anyone know a a source? Just to clarify, I'm not looking for a walk up retail source (I'd be slightly surprised if one could be found). Rather I'm looking for a supplier I can place an order with that will ship stuff to me. Also, the question is emphatically not "Where can I get the best price?" My quantities are so small that if price is an issue, the project gets canned. A little background: A while back, I found that the ink tube out of a cheap Bic pen fits nicely in 0.159" ID tubing and that with a little cutting and capping, I could make a pen that fits nicely in a business card holder to make a great little note set. The problem is that thin walled aluminum tube isn't stiff enough to not bend when sat on so I'm looking for something stronger. Heres the final product: <Q> Try www.smallparts.com . <S> I once got a quote from them for some .111 diameter aluminum balls. <S> I see 0.15 and 0.16 stainless tubing. <S> Ask if you don't see exactly what you need. <A> A quick search through the online catalog for McMaster-Carr finds both stainless and titanium tubing in various dimensions and wall thicknesses. <A> If you can use chrome-moly tubing, (4130) <S> any aircraft supply firm will have it. <S> Stainless and titanium are a bi**h to work with, and the Cr-Mo can be be joined with nickel braze (or even silver solder) to make all manner of useful things. <S> The stuff is rigid, some quite thin walled and a real problem solver in the shop. <S> MAPP gas will work, but slow. <S> Price is reasonable and lengths adequate. <S> This is the stuff the boy racers make their roll cages out of, but sizes down to 1/8" are available last time I looked. <S> You could use this as an excuse to get that Harbor Freight oxy-acetylene outfit you really need. <S> Or a nice Miller MIG welder. <S> Once your buddies see what you can do, you're going to be one real popular dude in the weekend fixit parade. <S> JB <A>
|
drawn brass tubing from K&S engineering - Chicago
|
How do I weatherize an MDF shed? I had some spare MDF lying around, and didn't have much to do with it. We needed somewhere to shove our grill and gardening tools, so a couple of screws later I now have a reasonably unattractive MDF shed, built as a 3:4 triangle to fit under the stairs of the apartment above us. I just realized that this thing may not hold up the best in weather. What's the proper sealing method -- polyurethane, epoxy, ... -- to keep MDF well-formed in the elements? This thing shouldn't be getting all that wet (since it's going to be under the neighbors' stairs, which have open backs) but it will be dripped on regularly. Also, I live in LA, so humidity isn't really a concern either. <Q> Use an oil based paint, not latex. <S> You have to coat the entire thing, including the bottom. <S> This will help repel water. <A> Honestly, your best bet may be to re-build the structure using an exterior grade plywood. <S> Whatever solution you come up with to "weatherize" the MDF will only be temporary. <S> Soon enough, there will be some damage done to the protective coating that you apply, and then when the next storm comes by you will have a soggy pile of sawdust instead of a shed. <S> Do yourself a favor and go get some exterior grade plywood, and just use the MDF pieces as templates to mark the cuts on the new sheets. <S> Should not take you very long, and will certainly pay off in the long run. <A> Exterior primer, followed by exterior latex (water based) <S> paint would be way better than leaving it alone, it might even improve its appearances. <A> Clad the sides in treated Feather-edge boards and cover the top in roofing felt. <S> Raise it off the ground to prevent it from standing in water and soaking it up from underneath. <S> I suggest getting a few concrete slabs and putting it on top of them, making sure that the edge of the shed (cladding) sticks out over the edge of slabs a little to prevent rain from getting on top of the slabs. <S> You could also make a frame of treated timber to stand it on. <S> I agree that plywood would have been better, but I would have clad that in the same way too. <A> If it just has water running off it, it might last a couple years with paint, but if any part of it is in contact with the ground where it could sit in a puddle, it will start to soften up and fall apart in short order.
|
You could try painting it, probably with a latex paint, but in my experience there's nothing you can do to get MDF to hold up to moisture.
|
Is there a "safe" sub-floor leveling compound? I have some gashes in my sub-floor that I'd like to fill/level before placing laminate flooring down. Upon checking at my local home depot, I found some floor leveling compound but quite frankly, I'm scared to use it. There are very large warnings on it confirming that the contents of it are a known carcinogen and shouldn't be inhaled, touched, etc. Now obviously I'm going to be wearing all required safety equipment but I'd much rather use something a little less toxic. Is there anything else I can use to level-out small imperfections in my sub-floor? -M <Q> wood subfloor? <S> can you cut out the bad sections and replace it with new plywood? <S> if you do this, i would recommend installing some 2x4's underneath the section you cut out, perpendicular to the stringers. <S> install them <S> so they cover the joint between the old and new subfloor. <S> depending on the size of the patch, you might also want to support it somewhere in the middle. <S> and then also install 2x4's along the edges of the patch parallel to the stringers. <S> below is a drawing that show's what i'm talking about. <S> it's a bottom-up view of the subfloor. <S> the part you're cutting out is in red, and the 2x4's you're installing are in green. <S> i did not draw in the parallel 2x4's i recommended above. <A> If the gashes you describe are not large, say more than 1/4 inch deep or more than say <S> 6inX6 <S> in in size, don't worry about them. <S> go right over them. <S> If you really feel that they need to be filled, use the floor leveler. <S> it does contains silicates which is only harmful in a dry dust state, and then only if you live in the stuff for a long long time. <S> Once it is wetted/mixed and on the floor , there is no danger if you don't go crazy sanding it. <S> You can also use regular drywall compound or quick set if you have the patience to wait for it to dry before starting your floor. <A> Is it safe to assume that the subfloor is concrete? <S> Depending on the size of the gashes, you'd have a couple of options. <S> First option would be to simply ignore them. <S> There are different types of material you can place under laminate flooring, and you might be able to get away with just putting down a heavy duty foam underlayment. <S> Finally, you could consider putting in some self-leveling concrete if it's really, really bad - but that would probably be the most expensive, and the most work. <S> Update: <S> Given that the subfloor is wood, probably the best bet is to put down plywood over the existing floor. <S> You can glue it to the existing subfloor, plus screw it into the joists, which will give you a nice flat surface for the new flooring, plus it should eliminate squeaking. <S> If height is an issue (i.e. you're trying to match up the new floor level with an existing floor, you can try using 1/4" plywood.
|
The next option would be to put down something like this - again, you're not going to have to worry about any gashes in the subfloor.
|
How do I frame a 2" (1.5") thick wall? How would you put up/frame a wall where the 2x4 studs are turned flat to make the wall 2" thick? One especially tricky thing is that (it seems that) all nails must be toenailed since a 3.5" long 16d nail isn't long enough to attach the 3.5" tall plates to the studs. Are there any suggestions on how to avoid toenailing or how to toenail effectively with a nail gun so that they go in at the right angle to grip well, not split the 1.5" thick wood and not stick out the other side? <Q> An easy way to complete a wall like you describe is to build it flat on the floor. <S> That way you can screw or nail the studs to the plates through the plates. <S> Floor usually works best. <S> Then simply measure the shortest dimension from the floor plate <S> you just installed to the joists and build your wall to that measurement less 1/4 inch. <S> Now you can stand it up usually without the angle getting hung up on existing ceiling and walk it into place. <S> If you don't use the extra separate plate, it is almost impossible to stand it up into place. <S> Attach it to which ever plate (top or bottom) <S> you installed first, then shim it to keep it stable and plumb it as you nail it to the bottom plate or the joists. <S> When you build the wall on the ground, lay out your 16 inch centers etc. <S> Flush up the second plate to the one you just marked and transfer the marks to other plate with a square. <S> Now you know where to place the studs between the plates. <S> This method is the most common practice for building non-load bearing walls in an existing structure and works with any size lumber you want to use. <A> I've done this before and typically I'll frame the whole thing with 2x2's (top & bottom plates + 2x2 "studs"). <S> It can be tricky finding <S> straight 2x2's though, so often I'll just buy 2x4s and rip them in half on a table saw. <A> If you're willing to put a little extra work into it, using screws instead of nails can really help make this kind of "light" framing much more durable. <S> It's a little/lot more time consuming, depending on how much you love your power drill, but well worth the extra time, in my opinion. <S> Are the top and bottom plates already installed? <S> Could you use a 2x2s for the top and bottom plates? <S> Then you could nail (or screw) through from the outside of the plate into the stud. <A> I would consider using tie plates with 8d nails. <S> Perhaps T-shaped or triangular plates. <S> Be sure to check your local building code. <A> Use 2x2 top and bottom plates and 2x4 studs. <S> Who care if the 2x2s are a lil warped... <S> they're gonna be. <S> Done. <S> No ripping anything.
|
Just straighten the wall as you nail it down or tapcon it or whatever then staighten the top to your line and nail to the joists or blocking. I recommend installing a separate plate on the floor or across the upper joists first.
|
What is this knob on our fireplace? Dumb question, probably, but you guys have come through for us in the past... Our house has a fireplace installed by the previous owner with two sliding knobs. Our question is, what are these? http://oi52.tinypic.com/dzj7ec.jpg The top slider is probably the flue. If so, is convention that the in position is opening or closing the air to the chimney? The center knob is obviously for opening the door. Finally, what do you think the bottom right slide does? If you had to guess, what is the difference between the "in" position" and the "out" position? We've played with it when the fire is working but we don't notice a difference. There is some kind of electrical blower on the bottom which, when you plug it in, forces air out the vents on the bottom. However, it doesn't seem like this slider on the lower right controls the air coming out of those vents, at least not obviously. Any ideas from the world of Stack Exchange? <Q> You really don't want to close off the flue with a roaring fire going. <S> The exhaust gasses need to go somewhere. <S> If not up the flue, then... <S> The lower knob is logically air intake. <S> It might be from inside the house, or if the insert is externally vented (best) then the air for the fire comes from outside. <S> In either case, shutting that down will dampen the fire, but it will do so gradually as the oxygen in the cavity is depleted. <S> And I don't know if it is designed to completely shut down the incoming air at all. <S> Personally, if I were the previous owner who installed it, I would have kept the instructions for the insert around. <S> And then when I sold the house, I would have passed on (to the new owner) a whole pile of instruction manuals for every item in the home. <S> Read the manual. <A> Manufactured fireplaces generally have air intakes in the lower front corners of the firebox. <S> These are air intakes that you can open or close to adjust the fire and sometimes deal with a finicky fire that lets smoke into the house. <S> When a fire is completely out, you can close these intakes just as you would your damper. <S> If you go up into your attic, you can usually see these running up the chase and out of the house. <S> They may vent through the roof, the eves/soffit, or the wall. <S> Failure to close these vents can admit wasps and bees into the home in the summer. <S> I recommend placing wire mesh at these openings unless you want to chase wasps for five years like I did before I figured it out. <A> Is that a wood burning fireplace by any chance? <S> (These days you can't tell from a picture!) <S> I've seen a lot of fireplaces that have a trap door in the bottom for cleaning out the ashes. <S> You open the trap door and sweep down the ashes. <S> The ashes pile up in a designated bin in the basement, forever, until you sell your house. <S> My crazy, outlandish theory is that you use the lower knob to open a trap door on the bottom, then turn on the fan to blow the ashes down into the basement. <S> Hey, it's just a theory :) <A> When you switch the lever to the left,it diverts some of the blower air back to the vent right under fire to keep it well oxygenated
|
The upper knob is logically the flue control.
|
How can I run an additional electrical circuit to a wall mounted TV? I am in the in the planning phase of mounting my 50" plasma in my living room. The wall the TV is going on is an exterior wall (it should have insulation) and the interior side is already finished so I don't have full access for running new electrical. I am thinking of running the wires behind the wall from the tv down to the bottom of the wall and having them come out at the bottom and running them outside the wall along the baseboard to the reciever/cable box/etc. This way I don't need to punch holes in the drywall and run the wires through the studs. For running the low voltage wires I will get two face plates that allow me to run the HDMI cables through the wall. But running the electrical to behind the TV is trickier. I found a kit ( Recessed Pro Power Kit w/Straight Blade Inlet White ) that seems to be designed for this situation. Is there a way to get this myself without buying the whole kit? I don't need the low voltage lines to run next to the electrical, and I would like to actually have a normal outlet behind the TV (so I can plug 2 devices into it) instead of just one like in the kit. For the outlet behind the TV I can just use a normal outlet but I don't know how or what to use for the other "outlet" the gets the power initially. I don't want to buy the $50 kit above just for that piece. EDIT: While there are other eletrical outlets on this wall, none are below were I want to mount the TV so I can't reach them without going through studs. However this is an exterior wall on the first floor, I can get to the bottom of the wall from my unfinished basement. Initially I liked the product I linked from Monoprice because it would still allow me to run my TV through me APC surge protector. However I have found some in wall surge protectors ( like this ) so if I run power from the basement I could install one of those. <Q> See my previous answer to a similar question. <S> (It's kind of funny. <S> I even mention that that same kit you found seems a bit pricey.) <S> I used a single, recessed, dual-voltage wall plate <S> that lets you do your media and power cables all in one plate. <S> You just buy an "old work" electrical box, wire it up, and attach it to this plate instead of to the drywall. <S> I used 6-port keystone plates for the media ports, so I could put just the ports that I wanted back there, and even customize it easily later, if needed. <A> If you're just using a regular outlet as you suggest behind the TV, then my suggestion would be to supply it like a regular outlet. <S> If there is unfinished space below, you can get a wire down there (use a long "installer's drill bit") <S> and then it should be relatively easy to find a circuit to attach it to (or just run it back to the panel). <S> You absolutely need to have a male end in the wall, as a male-to-male extension cable is dangerous to have. <S> The best thing I can think up totally as a DIY without requiring real hard-wiring would be to get a blank faceplate, and put a square hole in it, and then mount an IEC 320-C14 connector in it (eg. <S> from digikey ). <S> Then you can just use a standard C13 cord (like the kind used to connect most computers, TVs, etc) and plug it into a surge protector or UPS or whatever. <A> At the home stores in the electrical aisles you can get some surface mount cable hiding channels of various sizes. <S> It looks kind of like molding, but opens to mount cables in it. <S> While it's not as nice as running things in the wall, my wife was happy with the lack of cable visual clutter <S> and I was very happy with how easy it was to run and make changes for new wiring. <S> I have one running up to drive a projector, and another running down from a wall-mounted flat-panel to the baseboard, over to the UPS. <S> It's cheap, easy to install, and easy to change out cables for things like when you replace the TV with one that needs Ethernet, you decide to run more HDMI cables directly to the TV instead of through a receiver, or we switch from HDMI to Display Port or whatever the next thing is (or from HDMI 1.3 to 1.4 or beyond).
|
If there is another outlet nearby (directly below would be ideal), fish a wire to it, and attach it to that circuit. I'd be nervous about any contraptions that attempt to get power to this circuit otherwise.
|
How can I make a nail-strewn lawn safe for bare feet? Our landlord replaced the roof (cedar shingle) and now there are old nails hidden in the grass all around. My children loved to run around barefoot, but now I'm worried about them getting a nail through the foot. The landlord used a magnetic floor sweeper and that helped a lot, but we still find nails from time to time. Is there a way to make it safe it for us to run around barefoot? <Q> Well, the sweeper is a good start. <S> To be even more confidant, a metal detector would find any missed nails. <S> I do think the nails somehow breed when you are not watching, like coat hangars. <A> <A> Beg, borrow or steal the largest speaker magnet you can find and then drag your yard with it. <S> We used the magnet from a 15" speaker like this after rebuilding our foundation and burning most of the old rotten nail-filled wood. <S> Worked like a charm, though we did need to repeat the exercise a few times (usually in spring as I recall). <S> Visit your local pro-audio shop, or any outfit that provides sound reinforcement for live music, conferences, etc. <S> and see if they have any dead speakers in storage or the trash bin. <S> I'd offer ours, except the shipping fees would be deadly, probably weighs >20 lbs. :)
|
A more lo-tech approach would be to use a moss rake, but the prongs might be too widely spaced to guarantee finding all the nails.
|
How do I keep drawer knobs from loosening over time? I see knobs like this on cabinets, dressers, and closet doors. They are held in place with a single wood screw. Very often they are loose. I guess when we grab them we often impart a slight twist. Also, temperature and humidity changes cause the wood to swell and shrink. The system is biased towards unscrewing, so over time they loosen up. My DIY instinct says that this is bad. That the screw will strip out the knob, or it will ream out the hole in the door. Well, it seems sloppy. When I notice one, I give it a twist to tighten. Sometimes I put my finger over the screw head to hold it still. When it's really stiff, I might get out the multitool. Sometimes, in my enthusiasm, I strip out the knob. Doh! What's the best way to deal with these things? For example: Use handles that take two screws. Put a washer under the head to distribute the load, then make them really tight. Keep them all tight according to a schedule. Only use knobs made of strong wood, and keep them tight. Use knobs that take a machine screw instead of a wood screw. Put wood glue in the screw hole. Use door designs that don't need a handle. <Q> They're going to cost more, but they won't get damaged from everyday use, and you don't have to worry about them stripping out. <S> Most of the knobs in my house are metal and take machine screws. <S> I do have to periodically re-tighten them though. <S> Some Blue Loctite might take care of it, but I've never taken the time to address the issue. <A> I've used teflon tape , normally used by plumbers; on knobs when the threads are stripped. <S> It can work pretty well. <S> Just don't expect to remove the knob without a pair of strong wrenches. <A> I have knobs with machine screws (notably on bi-fold doors), and still have the same problem. <S> Personally I would recommend putting a dab of epoxy on the screw threads and screwing it into the knob. <S> Of course that will make it pretty difficult to remove them later though if you ever want to replace the hardware. <A> Or use a Locknut and a regular washer. <A> Ben Welborn's lock washers are nice. <S> When things get problematic, I move on to Loctite Blue 242 Threadlocker . <S> It's easier to deal with than dried on nail polish or epoxy.
|
I'd recommend going with a metal knob that's held in place by a machine screw. Put a lockwasher between the nut and a regular washer (inside the door).
|
How can I get rid of a mouse in my house? There is a mouse in my house. What's the most effective way to get rid of the mouse (and any "friends" it might have) and ensure that it doesn't come back. <Q> Get a kitty : <S> (Thanks to Wikipedia for the image) <A> Use a mouse- or rat-trap: <S> (Thanks to Wikipedia for the image.) <A> There's always the live trap option as well. <S> Advantages include: <S> No mess <S> No poisons to worry about Disadvantages: <S> The mouse can always find its way back if you don't take it far enough away. <S> I haven't used these myself, so I'm not sure how well they work. <A> Shoot it with a BB gun. <S> No kidding, I killed one in my old apartment this way. <S> And if you're a good shot, it's one of the most humane ways to kill them. <S> Just have some Resolve, or other carpet cleaner on hand. <S> They bleed way more than you'd think possible. <S> Or if you spot a mouse outside, I'd opt for a .177 caliber pellet rifle. <S> We've been having a mouse problem in our attic the last few months, and when I saw a field mouse scurrying about our backyard this weekend, I wasn't giving him the chance to get inside. <S> A pellet rifle has a much farther range than a BB gun, and it is more likely to kill with the first shot (more humane). <A> I'm a big fan of covered mouse traps. <S> They work like the traditional mouse traps, but they keep the wrong critters (your pets, that is) from setting off the trap. <S> They also have a nice cocking mechanism. <A> Whether you are using any of the varieties of traps or poisons, you also want to remove all possible food sources for the mouse so that the only thing for them to eat is the poisons or the baits on the traps. <S> Sweep the floors. <S> Clean under and behind the stove and fridge. <S> Empty the shelves of your pantry completely and look for droppings and chewed packaging to see where the rodent has been active. <S> They can chew through paper, cardboard and thin plastic wrapping, so you'll need to put things like cereal boxes into locking plastic tubs. <S> PS: if you keep all your food in airtight locking plastic tubs, then you are also reducing your exposure to other kitchen pests: pantry moths, cockroaches, etc. <A> Glue traps. <S> Probably one of the most inhumane ways to catch a mouse <S> but they do work. <A> For live traps, I have had good luck with the Ketch all . <S> It will trap multiple mice in one shot, it is reliable, and the mice seem to enter the trap even without baiting. <A> For kill traps, the best one I have found is the Victor electronic mousetrap . <S> I had several types of kill traps laid out in my house, and these seemed to be the busiest of the bunch. <A> There're poisonous compounds for that - they come as poisoned seed or poisoned wax, so it's unlikely that a human or home mammal eats them. <S> They are quite effective - you leave them on a disposable plate somewhere in a corner near a place you saw a mouse and soon some of the sompound is gone and the mouse is dead. <S> Some of such compounds prevent mouse degradation - they conserve its body so that the mouse dries up and turns into a mummy which is much better than degrading and smelling somewhere where you can't reach it. <S> Three major drawbacks: <S> Some other animal could eat them and get poisoned. <S> You never know when and where you find the dead mouse. <S> Once the mouse gets half-poisoned it becomes sick and can move carelessly around the house. <S> If there's a cat nearby it can easily catch and eat the poisoned mouse and get poisoned as well. <A> Is this a good choice? <S> Hardly, but you did ask! <S> It is how the coyote would do it of course, if he tired of his roadrunner "diet". <A> Tomcat Spin Traps (or similar make/model) <S> Pros: <S> No poisons. <S> Instant kill (supposidly) Indicator to tell if mouse is inside. <S> No exposure to dead rodent <S> No graphic visual of death <S> Cons: <S> Disposable ... <S> once a mouse is caught the entire trap is thrown away. <S> Arguably inhumane as you're still killing the mouse. <A> I saw this on that castle prepper show. <S> Take a 5-gallon bucket, place an aluminum can on a wire and secure the wire to each side of the handle when it meets the bucket. <S> The aluminum can will now span the bucket and spin on the wire. <S> Then add peanut butter to the can. <S> The mouse will crawl out to get the treat, and spin over and fall into the bucket. <S> The sad part of this show was they put bleach in the bucket to kill the mouse, not sure if that was actually necessary <S> but I guess the mouse could jump out if still alive. <S> Find the video here, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSk79YcuIRQ <A> I've taken care of a lot of mice in suburban homes, a farm, and houses in the country. <S> I've tried all sorts of traps and poisons. <S> It's a rocker style of trap, and <S> while there now other brands using this same idea, this one still outperforms the others.
|
What I've found works the best, by far, is The Better Mouse Trap
|
Why is one bedroom always colder than the rest of the house? We have a two story home with 3 bedrooms upstairs. Home is 7 years old. One of the bedrooms is always around 5-6 degrees Fahrenheit colder than the rest of the house (when compared to the thermostat temp). Currently it is the baby's room and we placed a heater in there to bring up the temp to a comfortable level. I would really like to find a better solution as when the baby is not in the crib anymore we would not want the heater in the room. There is one vent in the room (which is also true for the other kid bedroom that does not have this problem). The difference between the two vents is that the cold room went is running inside the drywall of the exterior wall and the other room vent is in the floor (but still against the exterior wall, just not in the drywall). The temperature coming out of the went in the cold room feels warm so I know the heat is getting there. My first thought was to adjust the air flow in the vents going upstairs by closing some of the other vents thorough the house. But I have read that doing this will make your furnace work harder and less efficient since you are altering the origional design/installation. We are the second owners of the house and I am not sure if the room was originally not insulated properly, but I would prefer not to have to open up the walls if it is possible. <Q> For a quick and dirty fix, I have had some success with a Register Booster Fan . <S> This has alleviated most of the problem in my house. <S> I still plan to install more insulation (and upgrade to a multi-zone system), but this is a lot less work up front. <A> I would suggest getting a thermal inspection done of your house. <S> They can determine where the heat loss is occurring, and you can determine if the room was not insulated properly without ripping open the drwyall. <S> Or you may find out that it is a gap around the window and it is letting in a cold breeze. <A> The new ones are simple to use. <S> It's just like pointing a small video camera at the walls and looking at the screen to see if there is a temperature difference indicated by a change in colors. <S> I suspect the space between the studs with the vent was not properly insulated. <S> If you have access to the space above the room, you might want to check for air gaps in the space between the wall and rafters letting in cold air. <S> Those would be pretty easy to close with an expandable foam. <A> Your symptoms -- a room far from the heating/cooling source is difficult to temperature-control -- are consistent with duct leakage. <S> The first thing you should do is try to rule out a major leak by, as best you can, tracing the ducting running from your furnace (or air conditioner) to the uncomfortable room; look for a disconnected joint or a large hole that may have been created during construction which was never plugged or the repair has deteriorated. <S> If you find no major leaks, the cause could be (and often is) <S> the compounded effect of many small leaks – seams and junctions inherent in most duct work, an inadvertent drill hole during construction, and/or the small holes into which a damper is mounted. <S> Believe it or not, all these small leaks typically add up to 20 to 40% of the conditioned air leaking out and not reaching its intended destination. <S> The rooms farthest from the conditioning source – your furnace or air conditioner – suffer the most, simply a matter of more opportunities for leakage to occur as the length of the path and the number of turns/elbows increase. <S> Aeroseal is an innovative sealing process that seals the ducts from the inside and, thus, overcomes the inherent difficulty for existing homes -- access.
|
Electrical outlets on exterior walls are also sources for cold air infiltration because builders don't always do a good job of sealing the outside of the box holding the electrical wires. You can use it as a stop gap until you figure out what permanent fixes you need to make. Your better equipped hardware stores or contractor suppliers should have a thermal scanner for rent.
|
How much of a window should be replaced? My kids threw something in the house and broke a window. Only the inner pane of the double-pane window is broken. My questions are: What needs to be replaced? Can I replace just the glass that's broken? Should I replace both sides of the double-panned glass? Or do I have to replace the entire window. It's double-hung window. <Q> I think you would be best off calling the window manufacturer's service department. <S> Double paned windows are usually made as a unit: two pieces of glass with a spacer between to separate them and seal the opening. <S> The space is often a vacuum, or filled with an inert gas like Argon. <A> You have to replace both. <S> Contact a local glass company and buy just the glass if you think you can take apart the frame and put it in yourself. <A> If you mean it's a double glazed sealed unit <S> then you'll have to replace the whole thing. <S> You should just be able to replace the glazing unit. <S> The unit is sealed to keep a partial vacuum between the panes which helps with both sound and heat insulation. <A> Many times window manufacturers (especially in the last few years) include a lifetime no-break warranty on the glass, meaning that if for any reason the glass breaks, they'll come replace the entire window at no cost to you. <S> Something possibly worth checking in to.
|
I'd also suggest contacting your window manufacturer. The two panes come glued together as a unit. It might be possible to replace the broken pane, but you would be losing all the other benefits of a double-paned window: insulation, soundproofing and blocking heat and UV from sunlight. Even if the windows were installed before you bought the house, those warranties are typically transferred to the new owner.
|
What's the least intrusive way to find out what's in a wall? I'm getting ready to mount a flatscreen TV on our living room wall and would like to route various cables through it (e.g. surround sound speakers, HDMI, etc). I appreciate the AWESOME tips here , but I think I'm missing something important: How can I find out what's in the wall without causing damage or creating too much of a mess? My concern is that there may be electrical wiring, plumbing, insulation, or dead rodents (kidding) in there. Our house is about 50 years old and the wall is shared with the kitchen on the other side but there's no sink attached to that wall. Wall material is drywall. <Q> Might be an excuse to buy one. <S> You would have to make one or more small holes to insert the camera. <A> A stud finder is completely non-intrusive and will give you a good idea of how the wall is built. <S> Run it horizontally back and forth at several different heights to map where the studs are, then run it vertically within your newly-found stud cavities to see if there's any lumber going between the studs. <S> You can guess at where the wiring might be by looking at electrical fixtures on either side of the wall. <S> If the builder installed protective plates where the wires feed through the studs, a magnet will let you know. <S> Some stud finders also include a detector for AC that will help you trace any electric wiring in the wall, or you can get a standalone detector. <S> In my experience, plumbing is usually run directly to where it's needed, so if there are no pipes in the basement/crawlspace, or vents going up to the attic and out your roof, there are probably no pipes in the wall either. <S> Once you've found a safe spot to open the wall, a boroscope or inspection mirror will let you look inside the cavity. <S> A boroscope will be less intrusive, but an inspection mirror is a lot cheaper. <A> My approach has been: Drop baseboards. <S> Knock out a small hole behind the baseboard. <S> Stick my iPhone in. <S> Snap a bunch of photos with the flash on. <S> This has been tremendously useful in working out where cables are and where they've been stapled to the studs. <S> An iPhone-sized hole could also be knocked out higher on the wall. <S> Mid-wall gives you good visibility to the rest of the stud cavity. <S> And patching is just throw a piece of tape over the small hole and mud away. <A> If you have an attic or a basement get over/under the wall and look. <S> The sill plate and the cap may hide some things, but there will inevitably be something poking through nearby. <S> You've already thought of plumbing, are there any outlets or vents on that wall? <S> What about cold air return grates? <A> A simple home made metal <S> detector.all you need- 5 minutes free,some tape,a calculator and an AM Radio <S> http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Homemade-Metal-Detector <S> OR http://www.instructables.com/id/HomeMade-Metal-Detector/ <A> When I've done such cable running jobs my usual approach was to use a stud detector, or even a neodymium magnet, to find the studs in the wall which will therefore give me an idea of position of the vertical, and horizontal, wooden supports. <S> The next step I took was to head to the floor above to access the gap between the cavity wall from above and do some rough measurements and an inspection of where I'm going to run the cable down. <S> Armed with this info I slot a sturdy length of plastic down the cavity wall at the position I want to run the cables, an old curtain runner is ideal since it is strong and flexible enough to go round small corners. <S> Back downstairs <S> if you've measured up the position of your hole correctly you should be able to spot your length of plastic, if you can pull it through the hole then you're nearly there if not you're going to have reverse the operation and retrieve the plastic from the floor above and shove it through your hole and up through the cavity wall. <S> Then you can attach your wiring to the length of plastic using some strong tape and pull it through from above, this method also works a treat for running cables under floorboards. <A> Try a borescope Borescope recommendations (features)
|
If you can, look at the base of the wall from your basement or crawlspace, and at the top from the attic, which might give you some more information. There are some electronic inspection cameras on the market. If everything looks clear enough to run a cable that's all you need to do. If the photos aren't working well enough/providing enough coverage, I'll record a video with the flash on.
|
Why does my ice maker make a knocking sound and not produce ice? My ice maker is making knocking noises every few hours and rarely produces ice. Every now and then (once a month or so) it actually starts making ice and the noises stop for a day. It's a GE french door with bottom freezer. Any ideas on why it knocks and how to permanently fix this? Edit: I checked the water intake. It's getting water and the pump sounds fine. Sounds like the knocking noise is coming from inside where the ice is made. Gonna try the defrost scenario Mike Powell suggests. <Q> Our ice maker recently had its water inlet freeze up, preventing water from filling the trays. <S> The mechanism kept dutifully trying to push nonexistent ice cubes into a bin that never filled up, which might account for the knocking noise in your case. <S> To defrost it we just unplugged the unit, took all the food out of the freezer section, and left the door open for a couple of hours. <S> It wasn't long enough for any of the frozen food to defrost, and since we were careful to minimize opening the refrigerator section's door, the food in that part stayed cold enough to be safe as well. <A> Can you check if the ice maker is full of water? <S> It could be just running fine but not getting any/enough water. <S> When ours stopped working this was the case, and the pump motor at the bottom of the fridge where the water line plugs in had to be replaced. <A> What kind of connection are you using to your water line? <S> Is it a copper one or one of the less expensive plastic "tap" connections? <S> When we first bought our house, I used one of the cheap connectors and the ice maker never really worked right. <S> It wasn't until a plumber installed the better copper connection (and line) that it worked the way it was supposed to. <A> I didn't defrost my freezer when it happened to me <S> but what I did , on a hunch, was pour water over the ice maker and turned off the ice maker as it was full anyway. <S> It stopped the knocking for days until we got low on ice <S> and my wife turned it back on.
|
The tap connection can get clogged and not let any water into the ice maker, which would cause a lack of ice production.
|
How do you break in a new air compressor? Just got a new craftsman air compressor (33 gal). I have read that it is important to "break in" the unit by running it with the pressurized chamber open (so that there is no load on the motor). How long do I do leave it running in this state? Is there anything else you would recommend I do? <Q> Answering a little late, but the instructions that came with my 20 gal. <S> oil-free Husky say to run the compressor for 10 minutes with outlet and drain open. <S> Times may vary depending on compressor size, lubrication style, etc., so check your owners manual. <A> Also if you do go ahead and break in the unit, some compressors have a duty cycle that is less than 100% (running 100% of the time). <A> A new compressor should be broken in before being used for work. <S> The compressor should be run for 30 minutes with the unloader valve locked open to seat the rings. <S> The unloader valve can then be reset for normal compressor operation. <S> The oil should be changed after the first few hours of operation. <S> Check to see if there is any specific requirements; if there are no special requirements, use a quality synthetic oil. <A> I know from experience that break-in is required and a good idea for oilless compressors. <S> I was unaware of that instruction once with a new one and sure enough it failed to reach its rated maximum psi after a single first success. <S> From then on, it consistently came 10 pounds short. <S> The instructions said run for a number of minutes without allowing pressure to build aka, drain valve open (I forget how many minutes...). <S> I simply failed to read the manual! <S> It did make a difference.
|
Not so sure about needing to break in the unit, but if it is an oiled compressor then make sure you change the oil after the first 10 hours (or about that). The compressor I have ( Sears Craftsman 3 gal., 1 hp, Horizontal Tank ) has a 50% duty cycle so it should not run more than 30 minutes in any one hour.
|
Should I release the pressure out of an air compressor when it is not in use? Just got a new compressor and I wondering if I should be releasing all of the pressure out of the unit when it is not in use? Or is it better to leave the pressure in so that the unit does not have to work as hard to build up the pressure next time? I am not planning on using the unit daily. Mostly for weekend projects and regular maintenance (airing up car tires... etc). <Q> The instruction manual for my Sears Craftsman 3 gal., 1 hp, Horizontal Tank states to drain the tank after each use or daily and also for storage. <S> The water that may be in the tank could corrode and damage the tank. <A> Yes, definitely drain it after each use. <S> Need to avoid letting water pool in the tank, possibly corroding and weakening it. <A> If you open drain valves too quickly moisture that settles to the bottom of the tank gets dispersed. <S> Crack valves SLOWLY till water starts to drip to allow water accumulated at the bottom of the tank to drip out. <S> That is all you need to do on a daily basis. <S> If it makes you feel better you can drain tanks completely every couple of weeks. <S> The only reason I can see to relieve all pressure is to relieve high pressure from the regulator in order to protect seals. <S> I make a habit of draining pressure down to 50 lbs daily for this purpose. <A> I always drain my compressor when finished, mainly to blow out any moisture that could have built up inside. <S> You should vent the air through the valve on the tank itself (facing towards the ground) for at least the last 40-60 lbs of air to help blast out and remaining moisture. <S> I also always leave the tank valve open and facing down to help keep it dry inside. <A> Release the pressure. <S> If you are carrying a pressurized canister and you, say, drop it on a concrete floor, it could fracture, sending shrapnel everywhere. <S> In other words, a pressurized canister is a bit like a small bomb.
|
Release the air and open the drain valve for a while to let out any condensation.
|
How do I put on siding above a slanted roof? We're replacing siding on our two-story house currently. We can do most of it okay, but our two-car garage has a slanted roof, which mean you can't just put a ladder up there. We're thinking about just hiring it done, but it'd be a lot nicer it we could do it ourselves somehow. How could you do this? Could you maybe make some kind of scaffolding? How would you do that? Would buying some step ladder with different length legs work? Here's a pic: <Q> Werner makes ladder leg levelers (say that 5 times fast) that fit their ladders. <S> I'm not sure if it's the safest solution for a pitched roof though. <S> If you did decide to do this, I'd really consider having a temporary stop beneath the bottom foot of the ladder and possibly on the wall you're leaning it against as well. <S> Another solution would be an articulating ladder that you can set up as a step ladder with two different length sides. <S> I have the Werner 17 ft aluminum ladder, and it's awesome. <S> It does weigh 40 lbs though, so my wife doesn't like to use it very much. <A> They would probably use some kind of scaffolding. <S> For example, they make arms that attach to an extension ladder for holding scaffolding. <S> You could put the ladder against the side of the house to support one end of the scaffolding, and have the other end sit on the roof. <A> If the roof material is strong enough (like roofing slate) and the framework beneath it is strong enough to support extra load <S> you can just put a ladder onto the roof (ladder parallel to the roof surface) - it will distribute load and safely transfer it to the roof framework. <S> The ladder has to be rigid and extra care needs to be taken to avoid stepping or putting concentrated load directly onto the roof. <S> The ladder will need wide hooks to hook it up to the top of the roof. <A> use a ladder with a ladder jack on the one side and on the other place a plank scaffold or walkboard 24 footer or so...to span the distance between the ladder jack and the peak or the roof on the other and bungie the plank to the ladder and ya can go up higher to reach the peek if needed..but mostly keep it level.. <S> this way you can safely do it.. <A> Build a temporary scaffold using <S> well braced 2X4s and thick cross beams spanning the garage roof. <S> You may need a support somewhere in the middle, on the garage roof. <S> Or you may rent scaffolding. <A> I'm sure you have found a solution by now but for anyone else searching for the answer to this problem, I have much simpler and safer idea. <S> You should be able to rent what you don't have locally for a small amount. <S> To set up, once you have put the siding on as far as you can reach from the roof, put the extension ladder with the ladder jack on the ground and run the walk board from the roof peak to the ladder jack making it level. <S> Once you run that as far as you can reach, raise your extension ladder (you will probably need to move it over) and straddle the ridge with the step ladder and run the walk board between the two.
|
First you need a step ladder, extension ladder, a walk board, and a ladder jack.
|
How do I secure my house against intruders? What are some suggestions for securing your house from an intruder? Right now we have a GE Simon XT alarm system, but it doesn't cover breaking a window. We put some PVC pipes in the tracks of the lower floor windows as well. What other suggestions do you have? EDIT: I also would like to know what structural changes I should be looking at. A simple one is to ensure that the deadbolt goes into a stud (they don't always!). Any other suggestions like this would be great. <Q> Some tips I remember from an interview with a burglar a few years ago (can't find a link now): <S> Make it difficult for someone to conceal themselves while breaking in. <S> If a burglar has to be in full view of the neighbors while he breaks in, it increases the risk of him getting caught. <S> Avoid privacy fences. <S> Having good exterior lighting on a timer helps, but the best thing is a motion sensor floodlight. <S> When a motion light kicks on, it says "hey, something's going on over here", which will draw attention to your house. <S> Those little solar walkway lamps aren't bright enough to matter. <S> Avoid having stuff in plain sight that says "we have lots of $$$". <S> If you have an expensive car, keep it in a garage. <S> If you have nice stuff in your house, keep your blinds closed. <S> Burglars case a neighborhood before they rob it. <S> They know when you leave for work. <S> They know when your neighbors leave for work. <S> If you have a security system, don't put one of those "Protected by ADT" stickers on your door. <S> Knowing which brand of security system can provide enough info on how to disable it. <S> Get a generic sticker. <S> Get a dog. <S> The bark is more important than the bite. <S> A little yappy dog can be more of a deterrent than a German Shepard. <S> Remember, the goal isn't to make your house completely break-in proof. <S> It is simply to make your house a less attractive target than the other houses in your neighborhood. <S> Look at the surrounding houses and adjust accordingly. <S> You don't want to be the lowest-hanging fruit! <A> Don't have anything valuable. <S> Or at least, don't appear to. <S> Look like you care about upkeep and security. <S> You don't have to outrun the bear, etc. <S> Secure your air conditioners if they're in-window. <S> That's so easy to do. <S> Avoid doors which have glass near the doorknob. <S> I watched This Old House putting in a beautiful glass door in a crappy part of Boston and all I could think was smash and twist. <S> Watch out for other means of entry — popping out screens and windows <S> can be avoided if you keep the area around the window clear (no garbage cans to stand on, no shrubs to climb), or if you're really worried, bars on the windows(!). <S> A large dog door can be a way in; secure it. <S> But mostly, don't look like a target. <A> Buy a crappy, broken laptop from a flea market for $5. <S> Leave it in the entrance hall. <S> Leave the front door unlocked. <S> The faster you can give them something that they think is (a) portable and (b) valuable, the faster they will leave. <A> You could add some inexpensive window break alarms to supplement your current alarm system. <A> If your concern is while you are away at night, you can also set up lights to go on/off using a Lamp/Appliance timer outlet : <S> It has a security feature that turns the lights/TV/radio on/off randomly ("a random setting option, which can turn lights on at unpredictable times to make your home appear occupied when it isn't"). <A> Have a deadbolt (single or double cylinder) to help protect against forced entry. <S> A locking door knob does nothing to protect against a kick in. <A> Why not have some fun with it and throw some lasers into the mix? <S> Check out this instructable: <S> http://www.instructables.com/id/Protect-Your-Home-with-Laserbeams/ <S> You could even have it stream the intruder from a webcam! <S> http://www.instructables.com/id/Twittering-Laser-Tripwire-with-Webcam-Capture/ <S> You could easily set up lasers to cover your windows, so if someone does break in, they get set off immediately. <S> You could even throw an Arduino into the mix, so you could get a text or email if they ever go off! <A> I recently went through the process of securing my home with an alarm system. <S> Being new to the neighborhood we were worried when there were break-ins down the street. <S> We did some research and got a few quotes from best security systems and also used the site as a helpful resource when figuring out what our house actually needed. <A> Don't have "bumpable" locks. <S> Check YouTube for how easy it is to get into a Kwikset lock, for example, including their anti-bump models. <A> The first think someone looks for when they break in, is a quick way to escape if needed. <S> No easy escape way and an alarm sounding will get most people to leave very quickly. <S> Then lock down all your laptops, so they don’t get grabbed while the person is leaving. <S> I don’t see a need to cover everything with an alarm, as someone is likely to look round the house first to find what to take, provided there are enough movement sensors and <S> it is not a pre-planned job with inside information, they will set of one. <A> Me personally ,what I did after a trip to Europe and saw them there is come back and looked up residential security shutters on Google and found Alutechsecurity.com. <S> These are great , I feel like I'm in fort Knox when they are down, also I tied them into my zwave smart home system to secure them down from anywheres. <S> I would we check them out to start.
|
If you have neighbors that are home during the day, it will make your house a riskier break-in. It may sound odd, but make it very hard for anyone to get out of your doors without the key and don’t leave the key buy the doors – e.g stop the doors from being easy to open from the inside when they are locked. In addition to everything else listed here, I am a fan of anti-kickin devices like the Door Devil . Avoid tall/thick shrubs around your windows and doors. Most intruders just want to grab something valuable and get the heck out.
|
What material should I use to insulate floor over a bumpout? My dining room has part of it bumped out about 2 feet overhanging from the foundation. The floor over this overhanging part gets cold in winter and I'm thinking about insulating below it. I've done a lot of work installing kraft-faced batts in the attic inside, but would the same material be practical in an area exposed to the elements? What are my other options? <Q> I had this exact problem. <S> It also got much worse when we refinished our basement. <S> Not sure if you have a basement, and if it is refinished. <S> Here is the summary of my issue. <S> The floor joists from the basement extend out to support the bump out. <S> So standing in the basement, you can reach out below the bump out. <S> The space was insulated, with the insulation sitting on the "floor" of the bumpout, meaning it was resting on MDF that was attached to the bottom of the overhanging floor joists. <S> The siding was then attached to the bottom of the mdf. <S> We do not have the insulated siding that Mike Powell mentioned, but that would be a good idea. <S> So above the insulation, it was open to the basement. <S> Air could flow into that space freely from the basement, which was not heated (the vents were closed), but stayed pretty warm in the winter, probably the 60's. <S> The floor upstairs was cool, but not cold. <S> We then refinished our basement, put in a dropped ceiling, and insulated all the floor joists in the house for noise. <S> This insulation prevented any air circulation from getting into the old space between the bumpout insulation and the floor. <S> And the drop ceiling kept most of the heat out of the basement ceiling. <S> So all this, you would think it would help, but it made it much worse and unbearable. <S> We had a guy look at it, and because the space in the bumpout is not getting warm air circulation anymore, that is why it is cooler than before. <S> To fix it, we need to actually remove some if the insulation, to allow as much warm air circulation to enter this space. <S> Still keep the insulation at the end cap of the bumpout, and on the floor, but keep it open between that insulation and the floor upstairs. <S> I put together a quick pic to illustrate. <S> This is across section on the bumpout: <A> You can use fiberglass batts, but don't leave them exposed to the elements (or the wildlife, for whom it makes perfect nesting material). <S> One option I've seen used for covering up this sort of thing is vinyl soffit. <S> If there's room you can install nailing cleats inside the bumpout's rim joist so the soffit material is held up inside the rim and is not visible from the side. <A> I would recommend spray in High density foam. <S> You didn't mention how many square feet of exposure you need to insulate, but I assume the two feet by 10 to 20 feet. <S> it is also pretty vermin, moisture and mold resistant. <S> The disadvantage is the cost being higher than fiberglass bats and availability of rental sprayer and material. <S> It may be worth the cost long term to call a local insulation contractor and check out just having them spray it in and trim it for you. <S> A job that size would only take an hour or two.
|
The real advantage to foam is the great total seal and air infiltration blocking.
|
How can I insulate my garage door? Over the past year I've been converting our integrated garage so that it's a usage space. I've painted the walls, got lighting, power and water connected (To allow for a washing machine to be installed) plus floor is now carpeted using tiles. Also I've installed lots of shelving and storage. It's become a really useful space in the house now, that we use for projects, storage and lots of other tasks. However being early December the weather is quite cold, which means the garage gets pretty chilling. The garage door at one end of the garage takes up the entire end and is a large metal door. So basically one end of the garage is a giant heatsink! In order to prevent so much heat loss I'm thinking of doing the following: Attaching loft insulation to the inside of the door Installing draft excluders at the bottom (and possibly) sides of the door Thoughts, suggestions, feedback? <Q> I just finished our garage this past summer and here are a few things I did. <S> You can glue them on and then seal the edges with expanding foam or caulk. <S> On the side of garage door I installed weather strips and also on the top/bottom of the door so that it is sealed when the door closes. <S> If you have any windows I would make sure to seal them (I boxed mine in with wood and then caulked). <S> Also depending how you finished the bottom of the garage walls, I would seal the bottom (my drywall buts up right to the cement floor, so I sealed the space with expanding foam and cut the excess away). <A> You may consider just replacing your garage door with an insulated one. <S> It's definitely more expensive than insulating it yourself, but it will do a better job insulating, and especially if your door is older it will update the look of your house. <A> They make garage door insulation kits. <S> I have never tried one, but I have seen them in the stores. <S> Owens Corning Insulation Kit : <A> If you are no longer using the space as a garage, maybe you don't need a garage door. <S> If a standard 36 inch exterior door would serve your purposes, consider removing the old door and frame in a 2X6 wall and insulate it properly and maybe add an electrical receptacle or two. <S> Most older garage doors were never designed to be air tight, especially around the top and sides. <S> Sealing these areas can be tricky and impede the smooth opening and closing of the door, especially if it is a multi panel hinged overhead door. <A> Air sealing is more important than insulating. <S> Stop the drafts first. <S> Actually in this case I might build a modestly insulated wall just inside of the existing door, after disabling the opener mechanism. <S> Then you can really seal it, yet still give future owners the opportunity to reverse your decision and park cars.
|
I insulated the garage door by cutting pieces of rigid insulation foam to fit into each piece of the garage door.
|
How do I determine the "hand" of the door? I apologize in advance if this post is confusing. Let me know if additional clarification is needed. =) I'm planning to install a new front door and am confused on what the appropriate "hand" orientation of the door would be. The schlage handleset I'm planning to get comes in right-handed and left-handed lever models. Here's a picture of the old/original door: On the Amazon page, there's also a helpful diagram: Based on this, I would conclude that I have a left-handed door. But here's what confuses me: on the same amazon page, there's another diagram: This doesn't make sense to me. The second diagram makes it appear that the "left handed" lever will stick out to the left. If that's the case, I would think that I would want to purchase the "right-handed" door lever. Any thoughts? <Q> The handle pictures in the second diagram is very misleading. <S> Since the outside handle is obvious, the second pic should be the inside picture, but thet are labeled wrong for this handle it appears. <S> My guess is that the second pic is meant for any interior door, and for exterior doors with special exterior handles, it is wrong. <S> You are right, your door is left handed. <S> If you are still nervous, I would take a trip to home depot or lowes to look at similar handles and confirm that LH is the way to go. <S> Here is the link to the actual product on the Schlage website. <S> Unfortunately, I dont see much to help even in the documentation. <S> I do see that you can flip the handle if desired, but then the curvature would be up and not down on the handle. <S> Also FYI, most interior door handes are reversible. <S> But in your case, since it is an exterior handle, it does matter. <A> Simple time tested method. <S> Stand on the hinge side of the door with your back to the door. <S> If the hinges are on the left, it is a left hand out swing, on the right, right hand out swing. <S> Works every time. <S> lol <A> Stand so the door opens towards you (i.e. on the hinge side) <S> Grab the knob/handle. <S> Which hand did you use? <S> That's the hand of the door. <S> Quick and dirty MS Paint --
|
I think you would be safe ordering the LH handles.
|
Is it safe to put a clothes washer outdoors? I will be short on usable indoor space for a while, but want to be able to wash clothes on site. Are there any issues with putting a washer (and perhaps, a dryer) outdoors? Perhaps it needs to be protected from the rain. Would an EZ-UP style canopy be sufficient? <Q> I have a friend who has a washer and dryer on his screened-in porch. <S> He's mentioned that he's had his clothes frozen solid in the washer before, and the pipes have frozen on him as well. <S> If you live in a cold climate, that could be a major factor. <A> Where do you plan to drain the soapy water? <S> It's a lot of water and would make a huge mess if it isn't attached to a proper drain. <A> If you don't protect these appliances and the power feeds from rain don't expect them to work for long. <S> If excessive moisture gets into the control panel, especially on newer electronic controlled units, they will fail. <S> Would you leave your computer outdoors? <S> Also remember the dryer is a 240VAC, 30amp unit and can light up your world if the the frame becomes hot, since I'm sure you don't plan on having GFIC protection on these units. <S> If you really have to use these outside, keep them covered well and unplugged when not in use, and keep the source power cords safe too. <A> Be sure to check the warranty details too. <S> Some manufacturers have strict requirements on the operating conditions of their equipment. <A> I also keep my washer and dryer out doors under a canapy! <S> So I buy them used not repaired on the discount floor at any Lows ‘s etc at half the cost . <S> Most of them are returns because they been scratched ! <S> Who cares when their out side . <S> I live in southern countrie near the beach. <S> The weather is awesome for out door Laundry. <A> I have a digital washer and dryer outside under a overhang for 12 years now and it has yet to give me any problems, when u are not using it just throw a sheet and canvas over over it and that will take care of any kind of moisture coming from the air, you just cant keep it exposed to the elements when not in use but really not that big of a deal if u just throw a sheet and canvas over it
|
As long as you protect it and all the electrical cords from the elements, I don't see problem with a washer being outdoors.
|
How do I take a live wire off of a two way switch? if I know how to take the live wire off then my job is easier. <Q> Never, ever, work on live electrical wires. <S> Turn the power off at the breaker/fuse. <S> You should have a voltage detector to verify the power really is off, like one of these: <A> First of all, if you don't know exactly what you are doing , working on live wires is extremely dangerous. <S> On a three way switch circuit, (light or devise controlled by two switches) the hot wires change depending on the position of the switches. <S> Only one switch has the hot feed on the off colored screw, the load hot on the other switch off colored screw, but this hot feed is always present on one of the idler conductors, and changes with each change of state of a switch. <S> Do your self a favor and turn off the breaker and confirm power is off. <A> Unless you know exactly how the circuit is wired, you should assume that both wires to the switch are live. <A> As others have pointed out, you're obviously much safer if you ensure there's no power to the wires you're working with. <S> Use a tester to confirm that there is power in the circuit, that your testing tool works, and that you know how to use it correctly. <S> Tell people in the area what you're doing <S> , so they don't flip the breaker back on. <S> Flip the breaker off. <S> Tag the breaker, so no one else turns it one while you're working. <S> Close the breaker panel. <S> Use the tester to confirm the power to the circuit really is off. <S> Risk goes up if you're working with a 240V circuit (anything in the UK; clothes dryers, ranges, heaters in the US) or if you're <S> well grounded (standing in a puddle on a concrete floor; holding a cold water pipe). <S> That said, many electricians work with live wires , especially when it's only 120V. <S> I've done it by accident, when one of my kids decided to "be like daddy" and turned on the circuit I was working on. <S> It didn't really hurt, it was just annoying. <S> As a shortcut to turning off the breaker, some will short across the lines with pliers or a screwdriver, which flips the breaker. <S> I'm not advising either practice, just as I don't advise driving without a seatbelt or using a chainsaw naked. <S> If you want to cut a live wire, try you can use a pair of insulated pliers . <S> Every electrician (amateur or pro) should have a good pair of lineman's pliers . <S> They can be used to strip wires and to tighten wire nuts, too.
|
The only safe way to work on anything electrical is to turn the circuit off at the service panel, and then check that there really is no power at the fixture before starting work.
|
Why do my kitchen cabinets' magnetic door catches keep breaking? As per the title, my kitchen cabinets use those little magnetic door catch devices. Where there is a small plate on the door, and a housed magnet mounted to the frame of the cabinet to hold the door closed - instead of spring loaded hinges. My high-use doors keep breaking their magnets every year or so - generally the central pin holding the magnet captive gives way and the thing falls apart. Not expensive to replace, but annoying... Am I likely mounting them wrong to cause such an issue. If they are too far back , then they do not engage at all and do not work. If they are too far forward, the door looks ajar. <Q> Magnet latches are cheap and rarely work well. <S> Consider replacing the hinges with capture, European style closing hinges that hold doors closed and don't require any mechanical holding devise on the open side of the door. <S> They are inexpensive and work well and are fairly easy to install. <A> I am not sure why the think is falling apart, is it setup to close and the impact of the cabinet damages it over time? <S> My pantry closet uses the same mechanism and while it never broke, I always had the issue where the magnets would not engage the door. <S> I did not use anything to attach them other than the force of the magnet, but ever since then the door has been consistently engaging. <A> It sounds like the magnet mounts aren't high-enough duty. <S> Are they designed for high-usage kitchen cupboard doors? <S> I'd also check that you aren't deforming the mounts when you mount them. <S> That would hasten failure. <S> You might be able to upgrade the magnet's mount, but since the pin is already metal, that would mean upgrading the rest of the mount. <A> You could get those rare-earth (neodymium) magnets ... they sell them in multi-packs with convenient screw holes ... <S> (think I bought mine for even less on eBay). <S> They're powerful as heck and made of stronger material than those crumbly black ones. <S> For people who like magnets: For a good time, don't throw away your old hard drive – instead, take it apart and take out its ridiculously strong magnets. <S> You might need a security Torx bit (eBay!) <S> to get it open.
|
I found a really easy fix by just attaching a small (but powerful) magnet to the plate on the door.
|
Should I put weather stripping on my unsealed windows and doors? I currently live in a rented apartment and the windows in my shower are not sealed, so it gets pretty cold there. The front door of the house also has a sealing problem. The thing is, I'm not going to stay in this apartment more than a couple of months. So, what are some good, cheap, fast solutions to seal my windows and front door as much as possible? <Q> This rolled product can be easily installed at the bottom of a window or around the outside edge of the door frame. <S> Select the smallest size that will help seal the gaps, then just peel and stick. <S> Too large and you may have difficulty closing the door etc. <S> Another good window treatment is the clear plastic window film like the 3M Indoor Window Insulator that mounts to the frame of the window. <S> Use a hair dryer to "stretch" the film, thus sealing any air leaking in around the sides or through poorly glazed panes. <S> All these products are cheap and available at any hardware store or box store like Lowe's or Home Depot. <S> Stay warm! <A> Get a window insulator kit . <S> It is made of a clear, plastic material that goes over the window, with double-sided tape around the edges to seal it. <S> It's easy to set up and helps a lot with drafty windows. <A> There is a removable clear caulk you can buy from most home improvement stores that you can use to seal that window and peel the stuff off. <S> I bought some from Menards at $2.50 each on sale. <S> Caulking guns can be bought for a couple of bucks. <A> If you can actually see the gaps in the windows, a can of " Great Stuff " would probably do the trick. <S> It's an expanding foam that you spray into gaps. <S> Or you could use a squeeze tube of " DAP Silicon II " and run a bead of it around the window. <S> I'm going to assume that if you're in an apartment for the short term you either don't have a caulking gun or don't want to buy one <S> (don't need yet ANOTHER thing to move when you do move), so the link goes to a "squeeze it yourself" tube of Silicon II. <S> As for the door, if it's just a short term thing you may want to just wad up a bath towel and put it along the bottom of the door as a draft blocker for the short term.
|
If your leaking problem is from loose fitting window sashes or a poor fitting door, the simplest and cheapest method would be to purchase some self-adhesive foam weather stripping.
|
Can a locksmith open a deadbolt lock? I wonder how secure my deadbolt lock is. How difficult is it for a professional to open such a lock? <Q> Any lock can be opened. <S> The questions are: How long will it take? <S> How much skill is required? <S> What tools are needed? <S> Depending on the particular deadbolt, it will be somewhere between trivial and moderately difficult. <S> At some point, anyone who wants to get in will just move to the windows or other weak points. <A> In general, a professional is going to be able to open anything you have, because that's what they do all day. <S> The reality though is that with the exception of high security locks like Medeco, it doesn't even take a professional to open them. <S> But you ask about a deadlock, so <S> let me provide some background... <S> A deadbolt is more about resisting kicking open or using a credit card to slide in and raise the bolt. <S> It's not so much about being harder to pick, as the lock mechanism in it is going to be extremely similar to a normal door handle lock. <S> The things that really matter in a normal (not a high-security lock) are how tight the tolerances are, and how many pins. <S> For example, the 6 pin Kwikset Titans (aka UltraMax) are quite a bit harder to pick than the 5 pin regular Kwiksets, and a Schlage 5 pin is harder than a Kiwkset 5 pin. <S> But they both are dramatically easier to pick than a Medeco which has additional features to make it much harder to pick. <S> However, bump keys can make most traditional locks quite easy to open. <S> And anyone who has time and space to drill can get in to pretty much anything. <S> And don't forget: <S> putting a strong lock next to a window may just mean the window gets broken. <S> One thing you may want to consider is putting a high security lock on your house may advertise to thieves that you have something you particularly want to protect. <A> Absolutely. <S> Anyone with a bump key or lockpick can open a deadbolt. <A> Bottom line is that if someone wants to get into your house .... <S> they can. <S> I've never seen a fool proof system. <S> It's a matter of time and noise. <S> A locksmith can make as much noise as they need to because they've been hired to get through a deadbolt, whereas a criminal wants to draw as little attention to themselves as possible. <S> Deadbolts are harder to open and they're rather noisy compared to a normal lock so a criminal would have to take alot more time attempting to get it open. <S> For myself, I feel very secure with my deadbolt system and don't worry about anyone picking the lock to get in. <A> A couple of tips for making it harder to pick a lock: Keep the lock well lubricated. <S> This prevents some of the pins from becoming stuck at the shear line (meaning that they are effectively already picked). <S> Install the lock upside down, so the jaggy side of the key goes in facing down instead of up. <S> A locksmith friend of mine said he found they are harder to pick upside down, and my experience is the same. <S> Beyond getting a better lock (higher quality, more pins, higher security design), these may be alternatives for slowing someone down. <A> Given that any lock just slows someone down, why not have a lobby with both the inside and the outside door locked. <S> Put an alarm sensor in the lobber, but the control panel inside the 2nd door, this <S> it is likely that the alarm will go off before the 2nd lock is picked. <S> (It is even more likely you will drop your keys on night and have the alarm go off before you can unlock the 2nd door!) <A> Funny Enough!... <S> In most situations it would be much faster to break the lock (or at least force the gate open), rather than actually spending time picking the lock. <S> This changes the times to seconds not minutes!.. <S> I have made a very ugly example to illustrate. <S> In many cases the frame of the gate is has enough torsion/flexibility, that applying a wedge between the outer frame and inner frame (ie the gap where the lock pin goes into the door frame) and opening the gap will simply "Jimmy" the lock open. <S> The Right hand picture shows a typical prevention of this where lateral support is added in to improve the lateral strength of the gate frame (provided the end opposite to the lock is butted against the other end of the frame. <A> It is all depending on the deadbolt that you have. <S> But if it a security lock then the only way that they are able to open it is to drill the lock. <S> Most of them will try everything before drilling because once they drill your lock, you would need to replace it.
|
If it is a standard lock they can usually just pick it or bump key it.
|
What is the right way to strip power wires? I've been working with electrical circuits as a DIYer for years, including electronics and powerline work. But one thing I always feel like I do a terrible job at is stripping wires: both the outside jacket and the insulators from the conductors... Perhaps I'm being over paranoid, but if I nick the insulators when I'm cutting the jacket, or if I nick or scrape the insulator I will cut back past this injury and start over. I want something that an inspector would give the thumbs up, because I might as well do it right while I'm doing it. But, this always tends to take a while to cut just through the insulator and not any further. I've tried tools from knives to sharp wire cutters to duller wire cutters to specific wire strippers. My current mechanism is to just use a knife and be extremely careful while cutting the insulation or jacket, but it is fairly time-consuming and error-prone. Some jackets I get lucky on and there is a ground or nylon string in it that I can pull on to tear the jacket up to where I need it, then just clip it off. But some appliance cords that I work on have quite beefy 20A cables and those can be a bear. Any hints or words of wisdom on what an inspector would red-flag me on? <Q> This is the stripper I use: <S> It's got cutouts for 14-2 and 12-2 NM cable sheathing and inner conductors, and a decent set of sharp bypass cutters near the hinge for cutting wire. <S> It works better than anything else I've used for 14-2 and 12-2 Romex -- just squeeze, give it a little wiggle for good measure, and the sheathing pulls right off. <S> It's almost impossible to nick the conductor insulation inside. <S> For 3-way wire it's not so foolproof -- I use the cutter blades close to the hinge to score around the sheathing and then pull it apart. <S> Probably as good as any other method and is still faster than doing it manually with a knife. <S> They also make a 12/10 gauge version and possibly others. <S> I got mine at Lowe's. <A> This is one of those things that I think just takes practice, the more you do it the better you'll get at it. <S> I've seen lots of different techniques, but even after being shown these tricks you would still have to practice them a bit before you got the hang of it. <S> Find a technique you like and practice it. <S> Get some scrap wire and start stripping it, before long you'll have it down. <S> Simply slip it over the cable, squeeze, and pull. <S> Another good technique for stripping NM cable sheathing, is to run a razor lightly down the center of the cable. <S> You don't want to <S> cut the sheathing, simply score it. <S> When you get near the end of the cable (about the length you'll strip the internal wires at), cut deeper through the sheath. <S> Now that you have a long scored line; and a small tear in the end of the sheathing, you'll be able to peel the sheathing like a banana. <S> Once you have the sheathing peeled, you can strip the individual wires with wire strippers like these. <S> Wire strippers like this can also be used for bending hooks into the wire, so they can be attached to terminal screws. <S> EDIT: <S> I recently picked up the Lil' Ripper Stripper™ from Ideal . <S> It touts being able to Rip Romex <S> ® wire outer jacket cleanly and quickly. <S> Clip outer sheathing to remove excess Romex® wire jacket. <S> Strip inner conduit wires. <S> Looping holes loop wire for screw-on connections. <S> Twist-Assist™ tightens most popular sizes of winged twist-on wire connectors. <S> I have to say, it did most of what it says very well. <S> The only problem I had, was removing the sheathing after ripping it (though, even the guy in the demo video had difficulty, so I don't feel too bad). <S> This is a solid multi-tool for any DIYer, and makes stripping cables (even those already in a box) easy. <S> You can read a full review of the Lil' Ripper Stripper™ on the DIY.StackExchange Blog <A> First up, the only "right" way is to do so with the cable disconnected from the power and to do so without nicking the conductors. <S> Beyond that there are a multitude of ways, with some being better than others on certain kinds of cable. <S> As an apprentice I was taught to use either pliers or a knife, depending on the cable, and have continued to do it that way ever since (about 42 years). <S> Sure I've had to redo a cable from time to time because I nicked the conductor <S> but I reckon that once I had the technique mastered that would be no more than one or two in a thousand cables. <S> Over time I've tried just about every kind of gadget and in general am less than impressed with most. <S> Even those which worked well at first seem to deteriorate and become useless as either their cutters get blunt or they develop too mush slop in the moving parts. <S> Despite the forgoing, I suggest a person with an occasional need to strip cables use a commercial stripper. <S> However, a person with a more regular need just needs to learn a couple of tricks (needs to be shown, not described in words) and practice. <S> Just one thing to remember, pliers with sharp cutters work better than those with blunt cutters, and are also less forgiving of mistakes. <S> Side cutters for some reason never work as well. <A> For plain old romex 12-2 or 14-2, I have tried various strippers and cutters, but always have the best luck just running a utility knife down the center, pulling it back and then cutting it off. <S> Since the bare ground is in the middle, it rarely damages the other wires. <A> I use a self-adjusting wire stripper Dead simple to use, and way faster than a manual stripper in my experience. <A> For stripping the sheathing, follow mohlsen's advice. <S> That's the only way I know of stripping the sheathing, and it's the way just about every pro electrician does it, at least from what I've seen. <S> For stripping the individual wires, use the tool that James Van Huis recommends -- it's an awesome tool. <S> With that tool, you'll consistent strip lengths and no knicks in the wires.
|
I've always had good results with a Wire Ripper like this, for removing the sheathing.
|
Is there a way to prevent sliding window from freezing? I have a window that slides to the side, and each time temperature outside drops below 0*C it freezes and there is no way to open it (not that there is ice all over it, just moisture from the room freezes somewhere inside I guess). Are there any (easy) solutions to prevent freezing or making it open when needed? <Q> My suggestion would be to pull out the window and clean everything really well to make sure nothing is gumming things up. <S> A little goes a long way with silicone lubricant, you don't need to saturate things with a direct blast. <S> I would avoid wd-40, or other cheap oil sprays, it could make things worse. <A> As a QA Engineer for a local window and door company, researching some topics I stumbled across this post. <S> Please check the humidity levels in the home (hopefully not too high). <S> And most of all, check the perimeter of the slider sash (operating/sliding portion) for a tight enough seal. <S> This may include checking weatherstripping and critical measurements of the frame channel/pocket to slider/sash profile thickness. <S> Regards,Sunny H <A> One workaround is to install a heating cable along the perimeter. <S> When you need to open the window you heat it up so it unfreezes.
|
Then I would use a clean rag and wipe all the areas where the window contacts the frame with a good quality silicone lubricant. Make sure there is adequate air flow (open vents & curtains) in the room.
|
How do I troubleshoot a water-heater? Lately our hot water has been running out very quickly, a lot quicker than it used to. I have an Whirlpool electric water heater with 2 elements with the top element has a reset switch. I followed this guide to troubleshoot. I checked the resistance of each element by removing a wire from each and measuring across the connectors for the element and I got 13 ohms on each one. I restored power to the unit and tested the voltage across the top element by turning the bottom thermostat to the lowest temp and the top one to the highest temp and got no voltage across the top element. I reversed the thermostats and tested the bottom element and got ~240 Volts on the bottom element so I figured the top controls were bad as the article indicated. I replaced the top thermostat, making sure to label all the wires and reconnect them in the right place, but I'm still getting the same behavior, no voltage across the top element. Is it possible that the top element is bad? I'm not sure what else to do at this point other than call a plumber. UPDATE:Apparently it is still not working. I did drain the tank, but the water looked pretty clear and it didn't seem to help any. Here is the extra info on the water heater: The year is 2002.The hot water runs out about 20-30 minutes. It used to last probably an hour at least.It's a 40-gallon tank. <Q> You may have already done this but not sure from your question. <S> When testing the thermostats be aware that you must test the input and output sides. <S> A thermostat is really just a switch. <S> First be sure you have 240VAC on the input sides across the hot leads and 120VAC from each leg to ground. <S> Now connect to the load or element side across the element and look for 240VAC as you turn on and off the thermostat. <S> If you have an AMPROBE, confirm current flow when the thermostat is turned to the highest temp position, indicating current flow through the element, and conversely no current when the temp is satisfied. <S> If the voltages are good on both sides of the thermostat, but no current, it is safe to assume the element is bad. <S> If you do not get the changes in voltage at the load side when operating the thermostat min to max etc. <S> the thermostat is bad. <S> Have you drained the heater? <S> Large amounts of sediment can indicate fouled elements or a partially plugged dip/transfer tube. <S> Be sure to turn off power before draining and refill the tank before turning electricity back on. <S> You can also find a toll free number for tech assistance online for all Whirlpool products and should be able to reach a real person in tech assistance that will help walk you through it. <S> not sure if they will do that for the user, but they do that for us contractors all the time. <S> Good luck. <A> Welcome to diy.stackexchange.com <S> =) <S> Having some additional details might help: <S> What model/year water heater do you have? <S> Can you be more specific on how quickly the water runs out? <S> A few seconds? <S> A couple minutes? <S> Does it gradually get colder or suddenly change? <S> Is the water heater making any strange noises? <S> Where is the water heater installed? <S> Inside? <S> Outside? <S> What's the temperature of the environment around it? <S> It's a little difficult to say <S> but there's some good info here . <S> I've included an excerpt below... <S> Possible Causes <S> Unit is undersized for water heating demands <S> Broken or damaged dip tube allowing cold and hot water to mix in tank <S> Faulty plumbing installation has crossed cold and hot water connections <S> Faulty electric lower or upper heating element or high or low heating element thermostat. <S> A constant supply of lukewarm water during a shower is indicative of a defective upper heating element. <S> Short duration hot water supply during a shower is indicative of a defective lower heating element. <S> Possible Repairs <S> Make sure water heater is not being overtaxed by hot water supply demands. <S> The water heater should have 75% of its capacity as hot water (e.g., a 40 gallon <S> WH should be used for a demand of 30 gallons). <S> To determine required capacity see Calculating Fixture Flow Rates. <S> Undo cold water inlet and pipe nipple and remove dip tube. <S> Check condition and replace if required. <S> Open hot water tap at a faucet. <S> If there is water flow, then the a cross connection exists somewhere. <S> Check for a hot water line connected to a cold water connection on the water heater or appliances such as washer, dishwasher, faucet or shower valves. <S> Check for proper flame from burner. <S> A natural gas flame should be a bright blue with the tip of the flame having just a tinge of yellow. <S> A propane flame should have a bluish green flame with a tinge of yellow at the tip. <S> Check for power and electrical continuity at the lower and upper heating elements. <S> Replace water heating element if necessary. <S> Clear tank of any sediment first. <S> If elements test OK, check for power at upper electrical upper thermostat. <S> If OK check lower thermostat. <S> Replace if necessary. <A> I just replaced both elements and controls in my unit for $32 from Home Depot. <S> I wish I'd priced that out before bothering with the multimeter. <S> I don't know your budget, but it seems like the parts are cheap enough that it might be worth the time saved to just replace it all.
|
Check for crossed connection by turning off water supply to water heater.
|
How do I cover large gaps in drywall? We've just completed our first drywall project and the outcome wasn't so great in places. There are a couple spots in particular that have 1/2-1/4" gaps. I was wondering, is there a nifty way to close these gaps or do we have to pull the panel down and try again if it is too bad? I don't think they just slathering mud in it will work? <Q> Setting-type compound (the bagged kind you mix vs. the drying-type you buy premixed in a bucket) will easily fill a 1/2" gap without cracking. <S> Make sure you load up the gap well before applying your tape, then finish it as you would any other joint. <S> Sadly I have a lot of experience filling this type of gap from my own basement project a few years ago... <A> I would probably take the panel down and try again. <S> Even if you used fiberglass mesh tape when you tape the joints, it'll be hard to finish the surface, and you're probably going to experience premature cracking, etc. <S> foam backing rod (usually used for caulking large gaps) expanding foam insulation thin cut wood/plywood <S> But I'm not sure how the mud would dry over material like that. <S> I'd imagine that it'll still be more prone to cracks than a tight gap. <S> If you are going to try to fill the gap, a harder material would probably work better than a softer material like foam, simply because it would provide more support against bumps and scrapes. <A> I'd probably cut a small sliver of drywall and put it in the crack. <S> Have to cut because it would be hard to snap a piece that small. <A> I've used Great-Stuff gap filler on dryway in a garage. <S> These were 1/2" to 1 1/4" gaps, irregular in spacing and 2' to 5' long. <S> Let it dry <S> and you can cut down the excess. <S> Expensive but quick and easy to use. <A> I had a gap at the top of the drywall of about 1 inch on one end tapering to 1/2 inch at the other end of a length of 36 inches. <S> I then snapped the 1 inch ends and peeled off the drywall from the front paper. <S> This left me with a 2.5 inch wide 36 inch length of front drywall paper with a 1/5 inch piece of drywall running down the center. <S> I then used this like drywall patch paper and joint compound to close the gap. <S> It wasn't perfect but it worked. <A> I've filled large gaps in new installation drywall as my house is old, not square, and has some very unusual shapes. <S> They've stood up 20 years without issue. <S> If there is backing behind the drywall, such as a stud, just start filling it in. <S> Let it dry between coats. <S> If you have a situation where there is no backing such as between wall studs, start by tucking so that the compound forms a hook over the back of the drywall. <S> It is the same premise that was used to attach plaster to lath. <S> I push in some fiberglass mesh on a second or third filling, but before flushing out the seam and applying the finish tape. <S> It will work fine. <S> Don't worry about it. <A> You should use a mud with a hardener and fiberglass tape. <S> Bucket mud doesn't adhere with fiberglass very well and will crack eventually. <S> Fill the gap with mixed mud, fiberglass tape. <S> After its dry finish with bucket mud. <A> Synko Concrete Fill Wall and Ceiling Compound, 15 kg <S> Bag <S> Lath and plaster houses are effectively what you are describing. <S> Two pieces of lath (wood) that span across the studs or joists with a 1" gap between them. <S> These gaps were plastered overtop. <S> The plaster would form a key structure behind the lath which gives it strength to hold onto the ceiling lath or the wall. <S> Sometimes horse hair would be mixed into the plaster to give it extra strength. <S> You can use concrete fill in much the same way. <S> Concrete fill chemically dries, has low shrink, includes fiberglass fibers to give it extra strength.
|
If you want a perfectly flat seam, you under fill and finish off in a traditional drywall sense with tape and taping compound feathered out to the edges. You could try filling in the gap with one of several materials: I took a 2.5 inch wide piece of drywall doubled scored in the middle of the backing for 1/2 inch for the whole 36 inch length.
|
Is there a safe way to de-ice an unsealed driveway? My girlfriend had a new driveway put in this fall, but the weather turned bad before she could get it sealed. I guess now it's too late... The driveway is incredibly slippery and has lots of ice at this point, but she's worried that using rock salt on the driveway would ruin it. She also has a dog and is worried about what is dog safe... So is there anything we can get that won't damage the pavement and is dog-friendly? <Q> Personally, I like to use sand. <S> I keep a large barrel of it inside the garage door. <S> Yes, it can be dragged inside the house on shoes, but then so can salt or anything else. <S> When I come inside, I take off my shoes, so no problem there. <S> I've used it under the tires of those people who occasionally get stuck on our road when it is icy. <S> Sand absolutely does not hurt plants, or the paws of your four legged friends, and it cleans up in the spring with a broom or a hose. <S> (Make sure you don't use sand with rock salt mixed in already.) <S> You can also buy what they call tube sand - coarse sand in a burlap bag. <S> Its used around here typically as weight in the back of cars and pickups. <S> When the bag gets old and starts to leak, I'll use that sand to spread on our driveway. <A> I don't believe rock salt is actually harmful to unsealed asphalt (assuming that's what the driveway is made of). <S> I used it for several years on the unsealed asphalt driveway at my old house and never had problems. <S> It doesn't look pretty, and while it's in use the driveway will of course have white splotches all over it, but <S> those will wash off in the spring and be covered then if she does get it sealed. <S> Asphalt sealing is mainly to keep water from getting into cracks or voids in the driveway where it can freeze and worsen the cracks or cause new ones. <A> Sand is great to use but only for traction, it doesn't melt ice. <S> My concrete walkways have to be repaired every year, worse when using rock salt. <S> A lot less damage when using just sand alone. <S> My black top driveway, besides age(20yrs), no effect, when using rock salt, at least unnoticeable.
|
Sand is cheap too, especially if your town maintenance department lets you use their supply.
|
Can I connect an outdoor wood stove to my current HVAC system? How do I install a wood stove as an auxiliary heat source? I've read this question, it doesn't really answer what I need to know. What I would like to do is install a wood stove (the old pot belly iron kind that you can get used for $300-$500) outside. I currently have a heat pump as my main HVAC system, with a LP fireplace that heats one room upstairs. I am working on finishing my basement and would like to know if it is feasible to have the wood stove outdoors and connect it to ductwork for the current HVAC system. Would this work? Would it be better to make a place for it in the basement? I've seen outdoor wood furnaces by Central Boiler , but they are more than I'd like to pay, and a bit overkill for what I'm planning to use it for. <Q> As one comment mentions, the type of old stove you're describing heats by radiating, and it will be difficult to move that heat into the house somehow. <S> Another issue to be concerned with is whether or not the stove is certified - if it's not, chances are you won't be able to get insurance, or insurance may be invalidated if it's the cause of a fire. <S> Check your policy. <S> There are some good solutions for an outdoor wood furnace, but they're not going to be cheap. <S> It's far easier and cheaper to install a good quality <S> , modern wood stove in the basement, and it's (IMHO) <S> the nicest quality heat you'll get. <S> When we moved out of a house that had a wood furnace (which heated via forced air, and also had a boiler to heat water for the baseboard radiators) into a house with electric baseboard, the first thing we did was install a wood stove. <A> It just doesn't seem efficient for the stove to be outside and then find a way to bring the heat inside, when you can just put the stove inside and exhaust the CO out a vent or chimney. <S> I have a co-worker who uses a wood stove to heat his whole house <S> and he loves it. <A> You mention you've got an LP fireplace upstairs so you have an LP source -- any interest in installing an LP wall heater like this one in the basement? <S> From here . <A> We built a small metal building next to our house and put a wood furnace into it. <S> We are blowing warm air into the basement. <S> We have a duct running from the plenum through the basement window and to our existing duct in the house. <S> There is heat loss even with insulation <S> but we have no smoke, ashes or wood mess in the house. <S> Still playing with the optimum spot for cold air return.
|
If you have the space, I think it's a better plan to put the stove in the basement.
|
What is the best way to secure a set of folding attic stairs? My company is opening a new office in an existing office building. While inspecting the office prior to move-in, I noticed that the attics between all suites in the building are open to each other. Someone from another suite could easily gain access to ours by just pushing open the folding attic stairs. What is the best way to secure the folding attic stairs? I considered using a padlock, but the ceiling is too high to open a padlock using a ladder. Do they make a lock attached to the pull cord? <Q> If you are not opposed to replacing the ladder, they do make attic ladders with integrated locks (i.e. Fakro Insulated Wood Attic Stair Ladder . <S> It looks like you need a special "handle" <S> mounted on a 3 foot pole to lock and unlock the latch. <S> I'm not sure if these locks can be accessed from the top, but it is at least worth looking at. <S> If you prefer to leave the door in place, you could attempt to retrofit a remote control deadbolt to the door. <S> Depending on the style of door and the way it is installed, this may or may not be possible. <A> You could fit a slide bolt on the frame of the door, and then attach a secondary pull string (or keep a separate pole and hook) to operate the bolt. <A> I would wonder if there are any fire code issues with locking it, beyond the issues of locking and releasing it from some distance away. <S> Though if there isn't an "Exit" sign on it, I don't imagine it's required by fire code. <S> Do you have or intend to install an alarm? <S> It would be a simple matter to make the alarm include a sensor for the ladder being opened. <S> Sure, someone could still get in, with the siren blaring and hopefully the police on the way. <S> It'd have to be someone with access to one of the other offices, so hopefully it wouldn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure it out... :-) <A> I doubt there's actually a manufacturer of such a mechanism. <S> A device designed to intentionally lock someone in an attic doesn't have much of a market. <S> However, you can probably build something that will work fairly cheaply. <S> First off, you shouldn't need a lock. <S> (Although, an automatic locking mechanism that snapped into place when the attic door closed would be a recipe for shenannigans in my office. <S> Lots of people might 'accidentally' get locked in the attic.) <S> Something attached to the pull cord that pivots out of the way when pulled would work best. <S> Possibly a spring loaded double strap hinge that overhangs the door with a bracket to hold it in place? <S> This setup might work if you can get the geometry and spring tension right <S> (I call patent rights if it actually works!) <S> :) <S> ( <S> No making fun of my MS Paint skills) <A> I'm not sure how well they'd take to being mounted in that orientation, but there's various latches as used for kitchen cabinets that might fit the bill. <S> Look for either 'Hoosier cabinet latch' or 'icebox latch', either might suit your need with minor modifications (a spring added or a hole drilled), but they're more a deterant -- someone who wants to put enough weight onto the attic stairs could likely open it, but it'd be pretty obvious how they managed to enter your office. <S> update : <S> the specific style I was thinking of is in the McMaster-Carr catalog as a ' Door Face-Mount Latch ', and then you could drill the handle to provide a rope pull. (assuming that the weight of the handle itself isn't enough to open the latch when mounted overhead)
|
If your goal is to stop someone from entering your office through the attic, you just need a mechanism that is only accessible from below.
|
How do I remove moss from an outdoor brick walkway? I've got a brick walkway that has parts that are in shade most of the day. Our winters are wet and cloudy and during these times it's not uncommon for the shady parts of the walkway to grow a fair amount of moss on the bricks and grout (see the photos below). Come summertime, the moss dries out and dies and can be hosed off quite easily. However, I have family coming in for the Holidays and would like to remove the moss pre-emptively, as it's both unsightly and slippery. Any advice/suggestions on how best to remove the moss? My first thought was to just get down on my knees and scrub it off, but my concern was that it would grow back in short order. Would using bleach or a bleach-like product have a more lasting effect, or would using such a harsh product outside where there is grass and plants nearby be an unwise move? Finally, is there any preventative steps I can take to reduce the quantity of moss that grows during our wet season? <Q> My immediate vote is for a pressure washer. <S> They are relatively cheap these days. <S> Lacking that, a simple high pressure hose nozzle and a good stiff brush will do well too. <S> Various oxidizing bleaches will also work, all of which will last for only a limited time. <S> To stop it from returning is difficult, since any moist, shady spot under a tree or bush is likely to grow moss and algae of this sort. <S> One idea is to remove the overhanging growth from the planters. <S> Trim them back. <S> This will help the brick pavers to dry out, and will reduce the tendency for unwanted growth. <S> Another idea is to get creative, and buy some zinc strips. <S> The elemental zinc leaches out (very slowly) <S> when it rains, which in turn inhibits growth of the algae where it leaches out. <S> So you could afix these strips to the bottom edges of your planter. <S> Make it decorative and it should help, although I cannot assure it will work perfectly. <S> At least this will inhibit the moss. <S> Another idea is to buy/make a few copper pots or planters. <S> Place them decoratively right on top of the problem spots. <S> As the copper leaches out from weathering over the years, it too will inhibit growth on the walkway, you not be a problem for larger plants in the area. <S> If you cannot find a pot you like, you can make a planter from wood, but then wrap copper flashing around it, nailing it in place. <S> Be creative if you wish to inhibit the growth. <A> Powerwashing will certainly get rid of it, but that will not be a preventative measure. <A> I would try oxygen bleach, like Stainsolver.com . <S> It is not harsh for grass and plants. <A> After you power wash, use some water and dish detergent, don't rinse it off. <S> We have mold problems here in BC and it is a deterrent that works. <S> It doesn't get rid of it forever and will need to be repeated but it will slow down the development. <A> I have a very large patio with bricks. <S> An unsightly mess in the damp winter. <S> We end up with greenish blackish slime. <S> You just have to take your time and stick to one brick at a time. <S> Very tiring. <S> When the sun comes out in the summer our bricks are easy to clean and stay bright Tuscan red. <S> Nonetheless, I am contemplating covering half of the area with a raised pea gravel (beige or rust color) to reduce maintenance. <S> I am fed up. <S> Bricks are only beautiful when they are spotless, and when I am not power washing I am sweeping to get the dirt off! <S> Takes the pleasure away fast. <S> Of course we are in a damp area so my problem is surely worse than yours. <S> No need for chemicals. <S> I am sure there are products that you can apply to keep the moss from building up and soaking in however, as soon as you pull out the power washer that protective coating will be soon washed away. <S> In fact, my power washer if I go to town with it, will eat right into the bricks and sand blast my windows. <S> Pain in the butt!!!!!
|
Copper flashing might work too, but they sell zinc strips specifically for roofing applications, where moss and algae tends to grow on roofs. A power washer (powerful one) just water, gets them clean like brand new bricks.
|
What kind of drill bit can I use for a small hole on Silestone countertop? I need to drill 2 small holes on the underside of my Silestone countertop to secure a new dishwasher. What kind of drill bit can I use? AFAIK Silestone is some kind of artificial quartz, but I wonder if it's too hard for normal masonry bit. <Q> Silestone is natural quartz aggregate, held together by a polymer binder. <S> I believe it's something like 85% quartz. <S> It's a bit tricky to start, you need to hold the drill at a slight angle so that only one side of the circumference is grinding, and then as you start to develop a crescent-shaped groove you gradually move your drill perpendicular and continue with the rest of the hole. <S> If you don't do this the thing will walk all over the place since it has no positive center like a regular hole saw. <S> For drilling upside down you'll want a spray bottle with water to keep the surface as wet as possible. <S> That Hitachi bit I linked to has a spiral groove going in the opposite direction of a normal drill bit, which serves to draw water into the hole, which will help you when drilling upside down. <S> Obviously you want to be careful not to drill too far and pop out of the top of your nice counters. <S> For fastening the dishwasher you'll need a plastic anchor into which to run your screws, and I've found this type works great. <S> In a solid material the plastic will extrude around the screw threads and hold really tightly. <S> They do sell them at my Lowe's <S> but I can't find them on their website. <S> The 3/16" size is probably what you need for your dishwasher, and the diamond bit I linked to above is also 3/16". <S> Good luck! <A> I had a similar situation and solved it by gluing a strip of wood with the same finish as the cabinets underneath the counter top and securing the dishwasher to it instead. <S> If you have the room underneath your counters for it, this might be something to consider. <S> IIRC <S> , the piece I used was 3/8" high by 1" deep and ran the width of the opening. <S> If you don't have the room, or just want to screw the dishwasher directly to the counter top, this article on <S> How to Drill Holes in Silestone <S> suggests using a diamond-tipped drill bit and a pool of water for lubrication and cooling. <S> Since you'll be drilling on the underside, the lubrication method they describe won't work; I'd suggest drilling in very short bursts, allowing the area to cool between bursts. <A> With my granite counter top there are steel plates which have been epoxied to the underside of the granite counter. <S> The dishwasher clips then are bolted into these. <S> When my granite counter top was installed the installers left the plates and the epoxy (since the dishwasher was not there yet) <S> but I am sure you can find the same thing at a hardware store. <S> The other thing to look into is side mounting the dishwasher (I actually have one of the top bolts in use and the other side of my dishwasher is side mounted. <S> This worked the best when I was putting in the dishwasher and allowed me to get it secured with very little movement when it is opened and closed). <S> Also, just noticed these " Granite Grabbers " on Amazon. <S> I have not used them <S> but they might be worth a try. <A> If you have trouble getting hold of a diamond tip drill, or simply find that far too expensive, you should be able to use a regular glass drill bit for the job. <S> Two precautions are required: <S> Don't drill at too high a speed <S> Keep the it cool <S> The simplest way to achieve cooling for the bit is to create a circle of putty around he spot to be drilled and fill it with turpentine. <A> I used a bit from Menards store like a Home Depot or Lowes. <S> I cut a 1 3/8 hole in Cambria quartz for a faucet. <S> The Brand was Montana MB-65208 diamond tipped bit. <S> I cut at an angle to start then cut straight through by using the pumping motion, Applying water every few seconds. <S> I did a practice and a real cut no problems. <S> Good Luck all. <A> Is your dishwasher configured so that you can attach it to the sides of the cabinets instead? <S> This method would only require a normal wood drill bit for a pilot hole. <S> You may want to put some tape or a depth stop collar around the bit so that you don't drill all the way through the cabinet walls though. <S> An employee at a local kitchen store told me that I should consider using the same clips to side mount the dishwasher to the cabinet using the above method instead of the underside of the counter top. <S> I then looked in the installation manual for my model of dishwasher and sure enough, it's shown right there in black and white.
|
You'll need a diamond coated bit like this one ; it's a tiny hole saw where the rim is covered in diamonds:
|
How do I remove (food) oil stain from a wood table? Spilled some oily salad dressing on a wood table that was not varnished or sealed in any way. Not sure the type of wood - it almost looks like teak, but I don't believe it is. We used water on the spill right away, but some of the oil seeped into the wood and has now stained it. This table is already stained with other food spills, but this salad dressing spill is the largest. What would be the best way to get this stain out, aside from refinishing the table. I did read somewhere about using an iron with a tea towel, but I believe that's only for water damage. <Q> I think there's something in between getting the stain out and "refinishing" the table, and that's applying a food-safe oil finish to the entire table. <S> You could wipe on (and back off) some linseed oil, tung oil, or even more salad dressing for that matter. <S> This would be a lot less effort than any kind of refinishing and should do a lot to make the stains look less obvious. <S> Note that I'm assuming that, since the wood table has no current finish it's not a museum piece or anything and is meant to look a little rustic. <A> You do have to let it soak in and use something like a paper towel, kitty litter, or stay dry to soak up the oil as it comes out of the wood. <S> Just be careful and not make it worse by spreading the stain. <A> I actually found light sanding worked to get out most of the stains. <S> Used 150 grit sandpaper. <S> You could see the area that had been sanded, but we ended up giving the whole top a light sanding and will likely oil it to balance out the finish.
|
I have used Mineral Spirits before to remove oil stains.
|
Do I need to do anything to protect my pool during a rare freeze? I have an small inground pool in the backyard. I live in central Florida, so it doesn't get too cold around here very often. However, tonight there is supposed to be a hard freeze (24°F for 4-7 hours) and I'm a little worried about the pool. If I do nothing in particular, might that be bad for the pool? If so, what can I do to protect it? Edit: The pool still has all its water in it and isn't covered. We don't tend to empty pools around here, and I don't own a cover. <Q> I honestly doubt that it will freeze over in that time, as the water will take some time to get anywhere near freezing temps. <S> If you are worried anyway, a good idea is to leave the filter pump running. <S> Water that is still will more easily freeze over. <S> Of course, if you were truly worried, you could make it into a salt water pool, dropping the freezing temperature by a few degrees more. <A> At +24 deg F, just run the pumps, and you'll be fine. <S> The temperature of the pool is often significantly above the temperature of a winter night's air. <S> It takes a long time (or a massive amount of energy) to change the temperature of a pool significantly, and even if it gets cold during the night, the pool will also heat up a little during the day. <S> On top of the fact that the pool's water is above-freezing, running the pump moves the water, and moving water is much, much harder to freeze than stagnant water. <A> We don't empty pools in a Florida. <S> They are used almost year round, especially if you have solar heat. <S> But, you should definitely run the pump overnight to prevent the water in the pipes from freezing and causing damage. <A> Don't EVER empty your pool in FL. <S> You could float it. <S> Meaning, the water level in the ground is very high. <S> Without the water in the pool holding it down, emptying it can literally pop the whole thing out of the ground. <S> This usually happens during hurricanes/tropical storms. <S> People do crazy things to prep, and empty their pool. <S> As ground becomes increasingly saturated with storm rain-out pops the pool. <A> We live in Washington state and our temps fall below freezing quite a bit. <S> We put a log in the swimming pool. <S> That prevents the ice from expanding and affecting the pool walls. <A> NEVER EVER EMPTY ANY POOL OF IT'S WATER!!!! <S> If it's an inground fiberglass pool, it will definitely "float" or pop out of the ground. <S> If it's a vinyl liner inground pool or above ground pool, it will ruin your liner.... <S> Your liner will shrink and then you will be replacing the liner once the weather gets back up to warmer temps. <S> Ideal installation temperatures range between 50° and 80° F. <S> During the times, when the weather is below freezing, you need to do 1 of 2 things: either winterize your pool completely or keep the pump running 24/7.
|
As long as you keep that above-freezing water going through the pump, it will be fine.
|
Do I need to do anything for my external spigots during a short hard freeze? Like the questioner in Do I need to do anything to protect my pool during a rare freeze? I live in central florida and its going to be a hard freeze tonight. Do I need to let the spigots drip or cover them for a short period of time? It is much less water volume than a pool, but there is also much less exposure since it goes right into a cinder block wall. <Q> A short freeze should not be a big deal for your area. <S> I just bought some of the spigot <S> covers for mine. <S> I live in Virginia and have a bit colder temps than you do. <S> Normally we have no problems with our area either. <S> I just covered them to make sure. <A> In colder climates at least, the norm is to have either shutoffs, or frost-proof sillcocks. <S> A shutoff is simply a valve on the inside of the house. <S> You close it off, then open the outside tap, and the water drains out of the pipe in the wall. <S> A frost-proof sillcock (pictured below) is a tap with a very long stem, so the shutoff is actually at the base inside the house. <S> The part that is exposed outside and in the wall is empty when the vale is shut. <S> If you have one of these, you are fine. <S> If you have shut-offs inside, I would close them and open the outside taps. <A> This will keep fresh warmer water coming in, and reduce the chance of freezing. <S> If your house has a crawlspace with the plumbing, those pipes are potentially susceptible to freezing, too. <S> This trick helps there, as well. <S> Obviously, this is a waste of water if you have to do it more often.
|
For rare freezes, you can turn on the faucet slightly, to drip a little.
|
Why does my dishwasher back up into the sink, but running the disposal allows it to drain? When my dishwasher runs the kitchen sink backs up. I have a two tub sink and only the side nearest the dishwasher with the garbage disposer backs up. Running the disposal for a few seconds causes the sink to drain. I'm not sure what to look at to address this problem. It doesn't strike me as a clog because if it was the sink would drain poorly. <Q> There is a very simple answer to your question. <S> Your dishwasher is draining into the side drain adapter on your garbage disposer. <S> this was a common practice for many years. <S> All the water draining from your dishwasher is being pumped into the upper basin side of the disposer. <S> Solids from the dishwasher are blocking the drain in the disposer, so when you turn on the disposer, it grinds the waste and drains the water. <S> This is actually the way it is suppose to work. <S> Current codes require a separate trap for the dishwasher and not plumbed into the disposer. <S> If you look at the side of your disposer, you will see the hose from the washer attached there. <S> Only fix is to install a new separate trap and drain for the washer. <S> Good luck. <A> This might be of interest. <S> Air gap <S> Many local building codesrequire a dishwasher to connect to anair gap before the connection to agarbage disposer. <S> This keepswastewater from backing up into theappliance. <S> You must purchase the airgap separately. <S> Mount in on top ornext to the sink. <S> Connect one flexiblehose to the drain of the dishwasher,and connect the other flexible hose tothe trap of the sink or to thedisposer’s dishwasher inlet. <S> If yourlocal codes do not require an air gap,you can shape the drain hose of thedishwasher into a high arc instead. <A> As others have pointed out, the diswasher drain line probably connects to the top of the disposal. <S> The diswasher drain line will dump dirty water and food particles into the top of your disposal. <S> Do you run the disposal prior to starting the dishwasher? <S> If you have crap built up in your disposal, that can be contributing to a backup. <S> The manual for my dishwasher says to make sure you run the disposal at the start of a cycle. <S> It is possible that your disposal is clogged slightly (constricted, but not completely plugged). <S> You wouldn't notice when you run the sink, because your are putting clean water down the drain. <S> The dishwasher waste water includes lots of solid particles, which would aggravate the clog. <S> Running the disposal grinds the particles and pumps the water. <S> There are some foaming garbage disposal cleaners, I would try one of them. <S> Look for an actual cleaner, not just a deodorizer. <S> (NOTE: <S> Use something specific for disposals, not general-purpose Draino.) <S> Another thing to look at: <S> Dishwashers have a built-in mechanism to deal with food particles before draining. <S> Otherwise the hunks of food from your dishes would clog the plumbing. <S> Most dishwashers in the US have little garbage disposal type blades that grind anything in the waste water. <S> Some dishwashers (notably Bosch) have a little strainer basket to catch the particles. <S> The strainer basket needs periodic cleaning. <S> If your dishwasher has a built-in disposal, it may not be running properly, allowing large particles to slip by. <S> If your dishwasher has a strainer basket, make sure the basket isn't missing and doesn't have holes in it, which would allow particles to enter the drain line. <A> Your disposal is clogged. <S> When you turn on the disposal, the water slowly drains because the motor slowly sucks the water out but otherwise is not operating properly. <S> That is the drain line for the dishwasher. <S> You can either use the hex key provided with your disposal to manually turn the disposal to see if you can clear the clog and also hit the reset button. <S> If that does not work, then you will have to replace your disposal - it is likely shot.
|
There should be a clear hose that goes from the dishwasher to your disposal.
|
Can I keep unused paint in the roller tray? I've partway through a multi-weekend project involving turning two free-standing metal shelving units into a fully enclosed workshop-cupboard. The enclosing material is MDF and since this will be on my balcony, the MDF needs some weather-protection. So I'm painting it. Naturally, I don't have space to use a while 2L tin of paint in one session. After a second extended washing of the roller tray, I was wondering whether putting cling-wrap over it for a week would be a good idea, not only saving sending the surplus paint down the drain, but also saving me 20 minutes of washing the thing. And is a week too long to expect the paint to still be usable? <Q> As long as you can get it airtight, it will work just fine. <S> I use the disposable tray liners and try to get as much of the paint off the liner as possible, pouring the remaining paint back into the can. <S> I leave the liner on the roller tray, cover it with plastic wrap and then put the whole thing in a tie-off garbage bag, trying to get as much of the air out as possible. <S> Keeping it in a cool place helps to cut down evaporation too. <S> Another tip: 1 gallon Ziploc freezer bags are the perfect size to hold a 9" roller cover between uses: <S> I squeeze the roller cover out with a painter's multi-tool, drop it in the bag, and seal it up. <S> It won't keep forever, but it will certainly last a week. <A> I appreciate your effort to save some work with the left over paint in your trays. <S> I always use the disposable tray liners. <S> Pour as much as you can back into the can and <S> use your edging brush to direct the paint out of the tray liner into the can, then throw the liner away. <S> If you leave paint in the tray( with or without a liner) <S> I guarantee the thin edges on the sides and spreader area on the tray will get gummy no matter how you try to seal it up, then let flakes loose next time you use it, get stuck on your roller and ruin the rest of the paint in the tray, your roller cover and the job you are working on. <S> My advice is to spend 50 cents on disposal tray liners and save yourself a lot of hassle. <S> Squeeze out ALL the air and wrap them tight, completely air tight and they will be fine for a few days, even a week. <S> That can save a lot of clean-up. <S> I rarely clean rollers <S> , I seal them, and when they get even a little sticky, throw them away, even Purdys!!! <S> Cost of doing business. <S> Brushes however, I use a wire comb and clean them after every hour of use, and after the day is done. <S> A good quality brush can last a year if well cared for. <A> I find is much easier (during painting, cleanup, and short term storage like you want), to use a 5 gallon bucket and a vertical screen for rolling. <S> Pans are very cumbersome, prone to spillage, and over-saturation of paint on your rollers. <S> When rolling, most professionals use these over pans. <S> In your case, you could just leave the roller and screen in the bucket, put the lid on, and come back next weekend ready to roll. <S> The screens are like $5 and you may already have a 5 gallon bucket at home, or but a new one for like $2 at the closest mega hardware store. <S> If you put a roller extension stick on your roller, you can even apply paint without having to bend over. <S> Here is a how to from <S> This Old House <S> on how to roll like a pro. <S> When you really want to put paint on a wall quickly, nothing beats a roller. <S> To improve on that efficiency even further, lose the tray and get a 5-gallon bucket equipped with a roller screen. <S> The bucket holds plenty of paint, you won't step in it by accident, and the handle makes it easier to carry than a tray <S> so you can keep it close by. <S> A bucket also lets you "box" your paint—pour like-colored cans into a single container to even out any minor inconsistencies in color. <S> Here is another good artice talking about rolling from a can. <A> I have in the past put the roller and tray in a bag and found it kept OK overnight <S> so allowing me to do the 2nd coat with only one set of cleaning up. <S> There is no need to get rid of all the air, after all paint tin has some air at the top of it. <S> (I have never tried more then "overnight") <S> The other related “trick” I have found, is to: <S> Do all the prep first, <S> Then “edge” all the walls with a paint brash <S> Then often I can do all the rolling in one short day, as the rolling is the quick bit.
|
You can however seal your roller covers in a plastic bag. Tray liners are so cheap, use them.
|
How do I work around a tree in my fence line? I have a fence that was built about 4 years ago. There was a large oak tree that I wish to keep on the fence line. The fence was built around the tree; it not only removed the tree from my yard, but I didn't like the look of it: (not to scale, obviously) fence--> -------[]-----------[]---[] 00 | 0000 <--Tree | 0000 | 00 []-------------------[]--------[] | | | | So I had someone come out and redo it to be like so: fence--> -------[]-----------[]----- 00 ---[]-----------[]-----[] 0000 <--Tree | 0000 | 00 | Notice the chunk of fence that is connected to the posts [] and just floating next to the tree. Those are starting to come apart... I'm looking for a good solution to maintain this design better. The floating pieces are actually connected with a crazy contraption of 2x4's behind the tree where you can't see it, but it's not very solid. I'm hoping to find a solution that will last more than a year or two. <Q> Build a wrought iron ring either around the back or depending on how big the tree is or around the whole thing. <S> Make a half circle with two horizontal 1" strips and 1/2" iron posts. <S> 1 post every 8 - 12" would be enough. <S> The two outside posts can be longer and set in concrete. <S> You can easily make the diameter of the ring big enough to leave 6-8" of space for future growth. <S> If you want to still block it off more you can string it with vinyl straps used on balconies or something that fits your style. <S> Tabs welded to the outside posts would allow you to connect the boards coming from the wood posts to support them. <S> It would be a fairly simple build for someone with a welder. <A> I had a similar problem. <S> Works for me both functionally and cosmetically. <S> Good luck. <A> Ok, you didn't describe what kind of fence you had installed. <S> regardless, the posts should have been secured in concrete below ground level. <S> If you are in a region that has frozen ground issues, then the base needs to be 3 to 4 feet deep in holes at least 8 to 10 inches in diameter, in southern climates at least 2 feet for ballast. <S> If you properly secure the posts in a firm foundation in the ground, then a normal span of no more than 8 feet should stand secure. <S> Can you elaborate a bit more on what you have done and type of fencing? <S> My other concern is terminating a fence so close to a growing tree. <S> The roots and trunk are going to expand. <S> If the fence is too close, it will be displaced as the tree grows.
|
I had a wood privacy fence up to within three feet either side of the tree and closed the gap with the tree with chain link and planted flowering vine on the chain link portion.
|
Will wrapping the stove pipes with copper pipes increase wood stove efficiency? I've heard that wrapping my wood stove's chimney - the parts inside the house that go from the stove the the actual chimney - with copper pipes will increase the amount of heat generated. Has anyone ever tried this? What diameter copper would work best for a typical 7" stove pipe? And how long should the copper be, given a 3' length of stove pipe? <Q> In a woodstove, where the fire doesn't get very hot, you get a lot of unburnt gases . <S> These are compounds that could burn but only at a higher temperature. <S> Instead, they evaporate. <S> As they travel up the chimney, the cool and condense. <S> Over time it builds up. <S> If you then burn a really hot fire, they can finally ignite, and your chimney burns . <S> This can happen when you use a lot of pitchy softwood for a long time (Douglas Fir, for example) and then burn some really dry hardwood (e.g., maple). <S> If you do something clever to extract more heat from the chimney, you will get more condensed goop in your chimney, so be sure to clean it regularly. <S> Another way to deal with this problem is to always make a really hot fire. <S> Then almost everything will burn, leaving very little goop in the chimney, and very little ash. <S> That's going to be too much heat for your house, so you have to surround your fire with an enormous thermal mass. <S> That will moderate the temperature. <S> This is the principle behind a "Russian stove", among other names. <A> Not much. <S> Copper is a good conductor of heat, but it wouldn't help much unless you made the actual stove pipe out of copper. <S> Increasing the surface area of the stove pipe would, though, so if you want to solder copper fins onto it, that would help, and there's no need to worry about galvanic corrosion since the stove pipe is stainless steel. <S> That might end up being sorta ugly. <S> If you really want to get a lot of heat out of this thing, look into getting (or making) <S> a heat exchanger. <A> The gas leaving the stovepipe needs to have a certain temperature to be able to heat the chimney to actually create proper airflow by thermal venting. <S> The pipes you are linking to are actually meant to insulate the pipe, making it cooler on the outside, the gasses hotter, allowing the chimney to get hotter and generate more updraft, pulling more air into the stove, burning more wood, making more warmth. <S> Of course you can overdo this and have too much heat escaping as hot air. <S> This is why the kind of stove, length of stovepipe and kind of chimney have an influence on the efficiency of the whole system. <S> If you have good draft, you might be able to extract some additional heat from the gas. <S> If not, you may be able to profit from insulating the pipe to increase draft. <S> All this of course means you have to let air into the house from outside. <S> If your house is new and well-built, it may be too tight to heat with wood. <S> Try if your oven works better if you open a window slightly. <S> Also, dont mess with your stove without knowing what you do, or asking a professional. <S> After all, you are dealing with a column of flame passing through your house. <A> Air is very bad at transferring heat. <S> This is why all modern insulation is based on air bubbles. <S> You can only use the heat that is created by the fire, no more -no less. <S> As mentioned elsewhere you need a hot chimney to help the hot exhaust gasses escape.
|
You cannot use copper or anything else to manufacture more heat than that provided by the fire.
|
How do I install a pre-hung door in a rough opening that's too wide? I'm replacing an interior door -- including the original jamb -- in my house with a new 30" pre-hung door. With the jambs, the new door is 31 3/8" wide. However, the original rough opening is between 32 1/2" and 32 3/4" wide, leaving me a big gap between the old frame and new jambs. The hinge-side stud is straight and plumb, so I'll probably not have to shim that side by much (if at all), which will leave the bulk of the gap on the latch side. Can I fill a gap that big with shims, or should I think about nailing a 1x4 to the latch-side stud first? If I use shims, I think I would need several to make up the right thickness: is there a trick to holding them in place while I secure the door jamb to them? <Q> From you description, it sounds like you have a hair over 1 1/2 inches of extra space to make up. <S> If this is correct consider this method. <S> Place a full 1x4 (or whatever the depth of the wall may be) on both sides, as long as the new door frame will still fit comfortably in the new opening. <S> When ever possible, I like to mount the hinge side to a solid petition without excessive shims. <S> This makes it more solid without having to bridge a large gap with your finish nails, and makes it a lot easier to perfectly plumb the hinge jam. <S> I often replace the center hinge screw on the jam side with a longer matching screw that will attach to the jam. <S> This does a few things for you. <S> One, you don't need as many nails, gives a much more solid feeling and sounding door, and gives you a tool to fine adjust the plumb if necessary.(especially on heavier solid wood doors. <S> Just like with security screws on an entry door. <S> After you are sure you are happy with the plumb on the hinge side, simply use visual to get an even gap on the top and latch side, in that order. <S> You can then use shims on the latch side and shoot your finish nail just below your shims. <S> this keeps the shims from dropping as you work down the jam. <S> i don't usually shoot through the shims because they often split and I may want to slightly adjust them before the trim casings are installed. <A> Before you fix the door to one side, leaving a bigger gap on the other side, make sure your casing trim will completely cover the larger gap. <S> If either side of the door opening is on a narrow wall (e.g. the end of a hallway), you'll also want to make sure your door is centered on that wall just for aesthetics. <S> Also, there's no need to use an entire 1x4 and definitely no need to plane it down <S> -- that's what shims are for. <S> Just use blocking that's 1/4 to 1/2" thinner than whatever gap you end up with and shim it out until it's snug. <S> Make sure your blocking is behind the hinges (if you are using blocking at all on the hinge side), and behind the latch, in addition to wherever else you're nailing in the jambs. <A> Fixing the new jamb directly to one side is definitely the right approach. <S> Take the frame out and then fix the filler piece to the wall. <S> Then fix the new frame to into the opening using shims to get it 100% (or as near as you can <S> ) vertical, directly to the frame on the hinge side and the filler piece on the latch side.
|
I'd put the new frame in without fixing it and then shave the wood to fit the gap on the other side.
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.