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Should I use 12/2 or 12/3 to wire a 220V electric baseboard heater and thermostat? When I bought my baseboard heaters, thermostats and 220V breakers I was advised to get 12/3 wire. When I attempted to install the heaters I found that the thermostats, heaters, and even breakers have connections for only 2 wires. I have since read that 12/3 is only necessary for wiring something like a dryer that uses both 220V and 110V over the same wire. My question now is, should I get 12/2 instead of 12/3 to wire these heaters? <Q> I'd use 12/3 -- that way, the neutral is there if you need it (for built-in outlets for instance), and you can use standard color codes. <S> (Just about <S> ALL /2 <S> NM is black/white/bare.) <A> You should use 12/2 if the 240v appliance requires two hot plus ground. <S> If you can't find 12/2 wire that has black/red/ground... <S> you can use the more common wire that has black/white/ground where both black and white are hot. <S> If doing this you MUST identify the white wire as hot at the appliance (or outlet if used) and at the panel. <S> I always use colored heat shrink tubing because electrical tape almost always falls off after many years and is not reliable. <S> Also make sure that you're using a proper 2-pole breaker at your electrical panel and if using an outlet, use the correct type to match the circuit's amp rating. <S> http://cdn.instructables.com/FJX/ZDUA/HAQ3A4EL/FJXZDUAHAQ3A4EL.LARGE.gif <A> I had a similar situation when I wanted to add 240V baseboard heaters to my attic renovation. <S> I was initially told I needed to run 10/3 for a 240V line (I forget who, maybe my father-in-law or the guy at Home Depot), so I ran 10/3 from the basement through two stories and up into the attic. <S> Later I found out all I needed <S> was 2 conductors for the heaters <S> so I ran the 10/3 into a junction box in an attic closet and then had 10/2 go from there to the heaters and thermostat. <S> I put a wire nut on the unused conductor in the junction box as well as at the other end inside the electrical panel. <S> I wish I had known that I only needed 2 conductor when I was fishing it from the basement as it would have been easier to deal with and cheaper. <S> Where are you located? <S> My experience is in the USA <S> and I am NOT an electrician (though it did pass inspection from the city). <A> Refer to the total amps for the heater. <S> Base <S> the wire selection on this number. <S> The wire size should be xx/2 WITH GROUND. <S> If the wires are black and white the white wire MUST be pemantly marked red or black. <S> Black and white conductors <S> ar ok for 120 volt. <A> I wire both of my 240 heaters on the same circuit with 12/2 wire identifying the white with black electrical tape. <S> A 240 circuit is alot cheaper than a 120 volt. <A> But, my inspector said it is not allowed to mark white to red for small wires. <S> I don't recall the cut-off AWG.
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I like the idea of using 12-2 with ground, and marking the white wire red. Try to get wire with black and red conductors for 220 volts.
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Installing bathroom exhaust fan: what to do with vapour barrier and insulation? I'm adding a bathroom exhaust fan, which is being mounted in the ceiling of the bathroom (in the attic) and venting out through a vent in the wall. right now, there is a vapour barrier (paper) between the insulation in the attic and the drywall. I will have to break this of course to mount the fan housing, but my question is, what do I do after? Should I put a vapour barrier around the exhaust fan and seal it to the paper? I was also going to put insulation back over top of the exhaust fan - is that correct to do, or anything to watch out for? The vent pipe I have is a 4" insulated duct that will go to an outside vent (which I just installed this weekend). <Q> Check the directions/specifications of your exhaust fan, it should say if it is rated to have insulation next to or on top of it. <S> It would probably be a good idea to seal the vapour <S> barrier back around the fan. <A> The important part of the vapor barrier is to keep outside moisture from reaching the cooler drywall, condensing, and creating mold on the drywall. <S> Anywhere I've ever put a hole in the drywall, e.g. for electrical boxes, we just cut the paper around the protrusion. <S> Any excess was either cutoff or folded back. <S> For whatever reason, building inspectors don't seem to worry about condensation on the back of an electrical outlet, go figure. <S> If you're especially paranoid, you can install some fire blocking between the joists on either side of the fan housing, screw a piece of drywall on top (with the vent protruding) and install some insulation on top of that. <S> This would minimize fire and moisture risks, though I've never personally seen anyone take it this far. <A> Install a vapour barrier boot where your fan will go. <S> Seal boot to existing vapour barrier. <S> Mount fan inside boot. <S> Cut hole like an X where elec and vent pass through. <S> Seal holes around elec and vent with tuc tape and with accoustic sealant.
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Make sure vent pipe is insul wrapped
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Replacing pavers with grass, what do I do with the sand? My backyard was pretty much entirely paver stones and I'm pulling them out to put in grass. I've pulled up many of the stones and underneath them is sand (fortunately they did that right). My question is, do I need to get rid of the sand before planting grass (presumably) or can I just till the sand into the dirt underneath it? <Q> I would check the base under the sand. <S> Did they put in crushed stone for drainage? <S> If it is just a few inches of sand over existing soil, then I would add compost, and then till it all together. <S> The organic matter in the compost will greatly improve the soil. <S> If there is a stone base under the sand, then you may need to take it out. <A> Unless your soil is very nutrient poor, thin sandy soil already <A> It depends on the depth of the sand and the type of grass you intend to plant. <S> There are many grass varieties that do very well in sandy soil, so you should have no problems leaving it in place and either mixing it with the topsoil that is presumably still beneath the sand, or getting a small amount of soil in to mix with it.
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Depends on your ground/soil type but lawns generally like well drained soil so having sand mixed into it would be good.
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PEX for hot water tank I was just replacing an electrical hot water tank. Had to call a plumber because I didn't fancy my soldering skills on something that could flood the house. The plumber simply cut off the old copper lines (after the shutoff valve) and used pex to connect the tank and as a vent pipe. Apart from if I'd known you could do that I would have done it myself - is this OK? Seems to have been tightened with proper synch connectors and it certainly works. <Q> PEX is usually rated at 180° F (82° C) -- it should say on the side of the pipe what the actual rating is. <S> As long as your water heater temperature is below that, you're fine. <S> From wikipedia : There are two seemingly conflicting safety issues around water heater temperature—the risk of scalding from excessively hot water greater than 55 °C (131 °F), and the risk of incubating bacteria colonies, particularly Legionella, in water that is not hot enough to kill them. <S> Both risks are potentially life threatening and are balanced by setting the water heater's thermostat to <S> at least 54.4 °C (130 °F). <S> The European Guidelines for Control and Prevention of Travel Associated Legionnaires’ Disease recommend that hot water should be stored at 60 °C (140 °F) and distributed such that a temperature of at least 50 °C and preferably 55 °C is achieved within one minute at outlets. <S> As @Michael points out, a T&P safety valve is rated to go off at 210 <S> °F (100°C), so if something does go wrong and your water heater overheats, there is a possibility the PEX will fail. <S> If the PEX does fail, it almost certainly will happen right above the tank (which will be the hottest place, obviously). <S> It will also serve somewhat the same job as the T&P valve, except that a T&P valve will close once the temperature/pressure has lowered, while a burst pipe will just keep gushing water until someone shuts off the supply. <S> The chances of water heater overheating like this are quite low: electrical heaters have thermal fuses in them that serve as an electronic safety (very hard to find the temperature rating of these: seems like it's anywhere from 167 to 210°F). <S> In addition, the electronics are pretty reliable, and just very unlikely to fail "on", and without drawing too much current that would cause the breaker to trip. <A> Instead, you can use a flex line like this: <S> Also, domestic hot water should not be 100-120F, but rather around 130F. <S> First off, the average person showers in roughly 105 deg water, and you're probably going to get a 3-5 degree drop from the water heater to the shower, so anything under 110 would be rather out of the ordinary. <S> Second, 100-120 is the typical and preferred growth range for legionnaire's disease . <S> Unless you want to die on account of your water heater's temperature, you should turn it to at least 125F... <S> or, if you don't want to do that, you should at least blast it to 140F once a month. <A> The Pex piping is rated by code, to withstand the 210 °F temperatures for up to 48 hours. <S> However, national code does not allow for PEX to be used within 18 inches of the water heater. <S> If the plumber ran the pipe all the way to the water heater, then it is not up to code, and he needs to come back out and fix it (at no cost). <S> If he will not, then contact the board from which he would have gotten his license in your area/state (usually as a last resort) they can act as an intermediary to make sure he gets the job done correctly. <S> Here is a very useful link for PEX piping http://www.huduser.org/portal/publications/pex_design_guide.pdf <A> PEX is suitable for all domestic freshwater, but it's not perfect. <S> It may leach, as it's a plastic. <S> However, every freshwater plumbing material seems to leach something - copper, ABS, whatever. <S> It's sensitive to UV light. <S> As long as it's in a lightless area, it'll be OK. <S> However, long runs of PEX can usually be done as one piece, while copper needs a fitting at each bend. <S> It's also way cheaper than copper, which is attractive.
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There's no need to use Pex on your water heater, and you probably shouldn't, seeing as how your T&P valve won't go off until after you've already exceeded Pex's maximum operating temperature. PEX fittings can be expensive. Because PEX is flexible, it's less likely to fail due to freezing or earthquake, compared to rigid pipes.
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Are hydraulics stronger against compression or tension? I would like to use a pair of hydraulic pistons to raise and lower a surface that will hold about 150 lbs, and be capable of remaining in either fully extended or fully contracted modes for long periods of time. Should I mount them so that A : expansion pushes the surface upwards, causing gravity to act as a compressing force, or B : contraction pulls the surface upwards, causing gravity to act as a tensional force? Why? Or am I worrying about nothing with such a small load? <Q> They are still working in compression - the only difference is the extra weight of the base, which hopefully is negligible compared to the load you are lifting. <S> Edit: <S> Assuming you have a dual acting system - where hydraulic fluid pushes against either side of the piston (rather than just an air jack where atmospheric pressure pushes it back) <S> then there is no difference - other than the weight of the outer cylinder. <A> If you are dealing with hydraulics there is always a chance of leakage with time or catastrophic failure. <S> For this reason I would suggest the following: <S> You should have a back up for holdingthe load in place if the hydraulicsfail. <S> This is quite often a simplepin that locks the piston in place inspecialised systems but provided itis done adequately simple timbercribbing or similar may besufficient. <S> In terms of how to set up the system I would set it up in such away that if there is creep in thesystem with time and the load locksonto the secondary supporting system, you can still re-set thehydraulic system so that you can liftthe load back of the secondary andsafely lower it back into it'soriginal position. <S> You may find thathow you mount it could mean that ifyou have a problem the system islocked in place and you will needanother form of lifting system tounlock the hydraulics. <S> One of the problem with going for a tension systemn is that should it fail elements loaded in tension are more prone to fly long distances and cause more damage than those loaded in compression. <A> From a usable space perspective A: is the better choice. <S> You have all of the surface available for the load. <S> From an installation perspective it depends. <S> If the surface is nearer the floor <S> then A: <S> would again be the better option, <S> if it's nearer the ceiling <S> then B: looks better (from the information available). <S> I'd repeat what Ian Turner says too - make sure that you have a means of locking the pistons in what ever position you choose (which may limit the flexibility of the system) so that if a piston fails the shelf doesn't move.
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One of the problems with a compression system is that the system could buckle if they are not positioned and supported correctly so I would worry less about the hydraulics and more about the lifting system as a whole.
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Two dryers connected to the same exhaust via a "Y". Backdraft problems? I have two dryers (one gas, one electric) and their exhaust pipes are merged with a "Y" to a common exterior exhaust. I'd like to keep it that way to minimize cuts through the wall (and eventually I may get rid of the old electric dryer). The new gas dryer is 15 feet away from the wall, the old one is close to it (and to the "Y"). Question: there's a bit of back draft when the gas dryer is working. I can smell it when I'm around that old electric dryer. Can I install some sort of backdraft preventer? Is there such a thing? <Q> @Peter: <S> I think you answered your own question in your comment to ChrisF . <S> What you want is an "inline draft blocker." <S> And you'll want two, one for each dryer. <S> Here are a few on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lambro-Industries-Blocker-1775L-Accessories/dp/B000H5PTJA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1304804320&sr=1-1 http://www.amazon.com/DEFLECTO-BD04-Draft-Blocker/dp/B00009W3HB/ref=pd_cp_hi_2 http://www.amazon.com/Dundas-Jafine-DB4ZW-Dryer-Blocker/dp/B000DZDPPE/ref=sr_1_34?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1304804226&sr=1-34 <A> You can find the fittings in the HVAC area of stores. <S> Air likes to take the easiest path and going with the flow of a Y fitting <S> makes it where the air doesn't want to go through the Y then back towards the other dryer. <S> The Y fitting needs to be as close to the exit as possible. <S> In a commercial laundromat where multiple gas dryers exhaust into one much larger duct there are "check-vales" in the form of metal dampers on each machine that prevent above-described backflow. <S> They don't always work well. <S> Of course residential style machines don't have one. <S> As a reminder, clothes dryers should NEVER be exhausted into the ductwork of any other type of appliance. <S> Stove/cooker exhaust hood: <S> GREASE and LINT combined is a big fire and safety hazard. <S> Hot water heater/furnace boiler. <S> JUST DON'T. The dryer will force poisonous gasses back into the living space by way of these appliances which add their own poisonous byproduct gasses. <S> Bathroom exhaust fans <S> : Can't run both a the same time due to excessive volume of air. <S> In my opinion just install another separate vent. <S> Relatively easiest and safest thing to do. <A> These have a series of flaps that can swing one way only - outwards - so when the hot air is blowing out they flip up, but they get forced closed when blown from the outside. <S> If you could fit something like that between each dryer and the "Y" then this would solve your problem. <S> This is a picture of what I mean: <S> Obviously this won't work as the grille wont fit in line, but it shows the flaps.
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Don't put anything in the path of the outlet of a dryer, the reason is lint will catch on it and build up which can lead to a fire. What you want to do is join the two lines so that the airflow is like a Y so that air from each dryer will flow outward to a single pipe. I don't know whether you can get them to fit inside an exhaust pipe, but you can get one-way grilles/vents for the outlet.
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What precautions should I take before moving my family into a pre-1978 (lead-paint-era) house? I am about to sign a lease and move with my family, including a 3 mo old and 2 yr old, into a home that was built in 1944. The house is in good condition and has been repainted at least once in the last decade. The lessors are required to inform me about the dangers of lead paint, but the house has never been tested for lead. How much should I worry about the dangers of lead and what precautions should I take to reduce the risks? Should I have the house tested? <Q> You have to actually eat, inhale, or otherwise take in lead paint for it to cause lead poisoning: it can't be absorbed through touch. <S> Then clean the area thoroughly, especially if flecks fell on anything they are likely to stick in their mouths. <S> Be wary of lead paint on surfaces that may become scraped/worn easily, as that could lead to lead paint fleck/powder flying around. <S> Also, be aware that US public schools are required by law to offer free lead testing in kindergarten and first grade. <S> Thanks to Robert for suggesting this link from the EPA on lead hazards. <A> You can get home test kits at most hardware stores ... <S> you scratch up the paint a little bit, and put some chemical on the little indicator strip, and it'll change color of lead is present. <S> The best remediation would be to change out the windows entirely, which would then give you better insulation, too. <S> Your next most likely place to find it is doors and door frame, and on the trim; it's not as common on walls, although it's still possible to be on walls. <S> Again, the easiest remediation is wholesale replacement; <S> You should not sand the areas for fear of it getting airborne, then being trapped in the carpet, etc. <S> And like Karl said -- most home inspectors will recommend what needs to be done (although, they might not tell you who to use, so they don't seem biased), but when I bought my home in Maryland, lead paint was not one of the inspections that was performed; it might've been part of a different inspection package. <A> Move to the UK, as Lead paint does not give many real problems in the UK unless you are removing it with a sander or hot air stripper. <S> Or it may just be that in the USA a lot of people make lots of money by offering testing services etc. <A> I used to think it was being overprotective to worry about kids eating paint, but I've caught mine doing it more than once, and not in areas that were already peeling or flaking. <S> Anyplace they can get their teeth on, like corners, window sills, or molding, I would seriously consider completely stripping down and/or replacing, especially in areas where they are often unsupervised, like bedrooms or play areas. <S> As for how to do it safely, I have no idea, but really that part's off topic for this site. <S> Personally, I make a practice of hiring a qualified home inspector before moving in somewhere, so I would ask him. <A> If you have the money for it, this might be the best time to get rid of the lead paint once and for all. <S> Hire a professional. <S> It's much easier to do before you move in, obviously. <S> Some states (e.g. MA) give you a tax credit toward the costs of abatement, so you should look into that too.
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One of the big things I'd look at is if or when the windows were replaced; as the original wooden windows will be grinding the paint, even if there's a layer of paint over it, you'll get dust there, which can become airbrone. If you still feel concerned, you can have the house tested. So, if you find paint flaking anywhere, you should keep your children out of the room, scrape the flaking area (while wearing a mask), and repaint.
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Why does my latch not retract when I push or swing the door shut, but will retract when the knob/lever is used? This just started today. I have to turn the knob in order for the latch to retract. Before, I could just push to door shut and the latch would retract when it hit the plate on the door frame. But now it just hits hard against it. Other than that, the door knob works perfect. <Q> When this plunger is retracted (which happens when the door is closed), the spring loaded mechanism on the latch is disabled. <S> This prevents someone from using the credit card trick to open the door from the outside, so the only way to open the door is by unlocking it and turning the knob. <S> In other words, it's for security. <S> Sample image from doorware.com, no affiliation <S> My guess, assuming this is an external locking door, is that this plunger is either jammed or some of the internal mechanisms that it activates have jammed. <S> You can unscrew the door knob and remove both sides, then unscrew the latch and pull it out of the door. <S> From there, try some lubricant ( <S> silicone spray and graphite powder are my preferred lubricants for locks, WD-40 will quickly dry and attract dirt). <S> And if it still doesn't work, it's probably time to go to the store to pickup a new doorknob. <A> The exact same thing happened to us last week. <S> We called Schlage, the manufacturer, and they said that part of the internal mechanism was broken. <S> Because they warranty the mechanism for life, they sent us a new mechanism with instructions on how to install it. <S> It arrived just a few days later, and installing it was a simple task. <S> Now we can just push the door shut again without having to turn the knob. <A> The answer provided by @BMitch is good, but here's another suggestion: Check to see that the plate on the door frame is actually making contact with the angled part of the latch. <S> It's possible that due to thermal expansion or contraction of the door or frame, the plate is now striking the latch on the non-angled part causing it not to retract. <A> The latch bold was sticking on my front door. <S> It's a schlage dead latch. <S> I called the company after fiddling with it. <S> Something had clearly gone wrong with the latch itself. <S> After a little time on hold I got through to customer service. <S> She was able to determine what model I had because there is no model number anywhere on the thing. <S> Long story short my product and possibly yours has a life time warranty on parts. <S> She put the order in and true to their word 5 business days later the latch showed up <S> and I just finished installing it. <S> No problems, it's not hard to do. <S> FYI Customer service number is 1-888-805-9837. <S> and there was no charge. <A> The tongue of the door latch leading from my garage to the kitchen began malfunctioning just as described above. <S> It would retract when either knob was turned, but not when attempting to close the door without turning a knob. <S> After reading everything written above, I concluded that I was looking at replacing some or all of the internal mechanism. <S> With that realization in mind, I decided to just hit the thing a few times with a hammer. <S> Unbelieveably, that seems to have worked, and now the tongue isn't sticking any more. <A> The part you are refering to is a hardened pin designed to prevent someone from cutting the latch with a hacksaw to gain entry. <S> It is a part of the backset mechanisim. <S> The backset will need to be replaced. <S> Most are lifetime guaranteed for mechanical defect, and commonly replaced by the manufacturer, or purchased at most building supply stores. <S> I work in such a place on Vancouver Island in Canada. <S> This is a very common problem, with a very easy remedy.
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You may have a deadlocking latch bolt, which in addition to a normal door latch has a plunger.
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What is the best way to remove dried egg from a house? Some troglodytes egg my house anywhere from every 1-6 months, and have been doing so for the last four years. They just did it again tonight, so I have a fresh supply of drying egg to now remove. My question is: What is the best way to remove dried egg from a house? My house is a bungalow with vinyl siding and a lot of glass windows (now all covered in layers of egg in varying states of dryness from previous attacks -- it's so frequent I can't keep up with cleaning it...). EDIT: While I'm grateful for all the advice, I think this question would ultimately be more useful to everyone if future answers could deal with specific ways to remove egg -- not whether I should clean up the egg or not, or how to catch the miscreants, etc. <Q> Step 1: <S> A pressure washer, done as quickly as possible. <S> They are not expensive, going for about $100 for a basic one that will probably be adequate. <S> Step 2: <S> A camera system, motion activated, to catch the miscreants when they return. <S> Take them to court. <S> Step 3 <S> : Relax. <A> The nice thing about renting a place is that you don't own it. <S> Problems with the house are really the owner's problem, not yours. <S> If it were me, especially in the situation you've described, I'd call the landlord and say, 'Hey - come clean this crap up'. <S> I certainly wouldn't invest in supplies or materials to do it. <S> Take a look at your lease/rental agreement first; but especially if this was happening before you moved in <S> , I wouldn't do much of anything to resolve it. <A> Try something inexpensive and simple first, like dish soap or carwash soap and a brush-on-a-stick. <A> I use Coke in a spray bottle. <S> It works surprisingly well. <S> Just make sure you soak the hell out of it. <A> Dish soap and a j-cloth worked well to remove egg that was 2 days old from vinyl siding.
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Both dish soap and carwash soap are designed to remove sticky biological goo from relatively hard non-porous surfaces like vynil.
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What type of ethernet cable do I need for outdoor use? I want to run about 100 meters of Ethernet cable out my attic and down a drainpipe. The cable will be exposed to the elements, and attached to a gigabit switch (indoors) at both ends. What kind of cable do I need? Can I get a basic Cat5E bulk cable, or does the length and exposure mean I should opt for Cat6? Or is there some other outdoor-rated specification of wiring that I should be using? <Q> You normally want to use outdoor flooded cable (also called gel-filled) as it is designed to weather the elements. <S> I have a few clients who have gone with outdoor flooded & shielded cable as they were worried about interference on the outdoor runs. <S> Also look for UV-resistant cable if it's not going to be buried or otherwise enclosed. <S> As for Cat 5e versus Cat 6, for home use it probably won't matter as you most likely running 100/1000B-T Ethernet and it will run fine on both Cat 5e or Cat 6. <S> If you want to try to future-proof <S> your cable--or the price difference is negligible--you can go for Cat 6. <A> 100 meters is quite a long way for copper Ethernet ( Google search ) <S> and if I remember correctly, there might be some problems with potential difference (not to mention lightning). <S> Did you consider fiber optics? <S> I think the equipment is priced quite reasonably and you would get rid of all speed & potential problems at once. <A> That length would worry me, but when I was doing infrastructure work we were required to use fiber for runs of the length you indicated for reliability and crosstalk issues. <S> If your switches support add-on cards for a fiber module, that would be your best (albeit probably most expensive as well) solution. <S> Another option would be to go wireless. <S> A wireless bridge with directional high gain antennas <S> (a nice Yagi antenna won't set you back much) on both sides of the "run". <S> This is a great solution for getting networking in a detached garage or workspace. <S> But line of sight could be an issues if you have large dense objects (especially anything metal of course) in your intended path. <A>
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I'd recommend cabling with an outer coating of PE rather than PVC, hence impermeable to water. You can get proper outdoor network cable in varying lengths.
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How do I meet the 7 feet high ceiling requirement after finishing the basement? My basement ceiling joists are exactly 7 feet above the concrete slab. The requirement for finished living space is 7 ft from the finished floor to the finished ceiling. Since I'll loose a couple of inches with the flooring (I'll have Delta-FL drainboard + laminate) and the ceiling (drywall), essentially I won't have enough height to meet the requirement. I'm quoting from what I think is my local code (pdf) : R305.1 (Amended). Habitable space, hallways, corridors, bathrooms, toilet rooms, laundry rooms and portions of basements containing these spaces shall have a ceiling height of not less than 7 feet. The required height shall be measured from the finished floor to the lowest projection of the ceiling. Not more than 50% of the floor area of a room or space is permitted to have a sloped ceiling less than 7 feet in height. Question: what can I do about this? One idea I had was to put the drywall between the joists rather than below them perhaps just a few inches above the lower end to compensate for this. Would this fly? Has anyone done anything like that? I realize that this is going to be a lot more work but I may be willing to do it. Any other ideas? <Q> You could consider a super-thin flooring (stain the concrete? <S> Linoleum?) <S> and then, as you suggest, put the sheetrock between the joists (though that sounds like a finishing nightmare). <S> Alternatively, raise the foundation (likely cost prohibitive). <S> All that said, <S> I echo B Mitch... <S> what is the concern of not meeting the code? <S> The main drawback would be that you couldn't advertise it as finished square footage when you sell. <S> The first thing I'd do, though, is have an inspector come out and ask what the odds would be in getting a 1" variance or so. <S> They may count it as 'close enough' and let you get by. <A> Just paint the ceiling and add pot lights. <S> I have finished a few basements like this and it looks great. <S> Actually the only negative is the sound barrier a ceiling would give you and this can still be done with rigid foam sheets. <A> Not more than 50% "CAN" be less than 7' ... <S> this give the opportunity to put finished ceiling in half of the area you would like to finish. <S> The other 50% is up to you to figure out! <S> I am dealing with figuring out 2 egress windows while trying to plan 2 BR's for my finished basement. <S> The rules seem rigid, yet #1, I can meet all the rules with a built in step to attain the 44" sill, but then not the 7' ceiling, and yet #2, why the basement has rules for egress, while my 2nd floor BR's require me to jump 20' down in a freefall to escape? <S> My inspector is a friendly guy, but sticks to the rules 100%. <S> I am not trying to cheat the system, but a little common sense should be allowed. <A> You didn't mention the type of home you have, but assuming it's a colonial style home, it wouldn't matter if your "basement" had 10' or 6" ceilings, as it would never be considered living space. <S> It would simply be viewed, and calculated as "finished" space, but never included as part of your "living space" calculation.
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Per the wording of that code, you can't be adding anything to the floor or the ceiling as you'll be under the 7' minimum.
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What is the safe/correct way to work on gutters? From a ladder or from the roof? I am very comfortable working on the gutters (usually just cleaning them) from one story up by just sitting on the roof. I do this on my own home over the garage and at my parents one-story home. I noticed some debris in the gutters on my 'big roof' on the two story part of my home. From past experience I have not been comfortable working on gutters from the roof on two story houses. I am generally comfortable with heights and safety harnesses. I get to go climbing and rappelling a few times a year. I would prefer that if I fall to my doom, it happens doing something cool on a mountain. Not cleaning my gutters and falling on my shrubberies. What is the correct (safe) way to address gutter problems? From a ladder? From the roof? If either is acceptable what precautions need to be taken? <Q> Given the choice, I'd put the ladder 2-3' to the side of the downspout. <S> That should allow you to safely reach the downspout and a majority of the problem area without getting off the ladder. <S> Using a stabilizer bar so that you aren't resting on the gutter <S> helps: <S> This also minimizes wear and tear on the shingles. <S> If you're going to be on the roof a lot, you may want to invest in a harness. <A> From an industrial safety point of view, none of the above. <S> A work platform (staging, or a manlift) is the proper thing to work from. <S> Ladders should only be used to get to one, (and for certain designs two ladders can serve as a support for one) not as a work platform. <S> Admittedly few homeowners go this way, but if you want to know what's "right" from a safety point of view, that's it. <A> When I work on the porch roof gutters from the roof, I'm leaning forward on a slanted roof. <S> While the pitch is low, it feels as though it would be easy to misjudge where my center of gravity is and roll right over the edge. <S> On a 1 story roof, this may not cause much injury, but I wouldn't feel safe on a second story roof. <S> Ladder it is for me
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If you do need to walk on the roof, stay low with your feet always lower than your body, wear shoes/boots with a good grip, and if possible, have a rope attached to something fixed.
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What wireless temperature monitoring systems should I look into? I'd like to monitor and log temperature on few locations in my home. Wireless monitoring with normal consumer batteries etc would be preferable for the sensors. I have an Mac OSX server running at my home where I could log the temperatures and browse the data. I live in Finland, so something that's too specific for the US will not work. Do you have any good suggestions or experiences on what wireless temperature sensors and system to use? I'd prefer something cheap but not too DIY as this thing is just a novelty for me. <Q> One option is using Arduino based microcontroller. <S> I recommend JeeNode for integrated wireless. <S> For basic one "server" plus one remote sensor you need two JeeNodes, USB adapter, temperature sensor and battery, all for around 55 €. <S> You need to know how to solder electronic components and program in C. <S> Each additional sensor would cost about 20 €. <S> Here is example project for temperature sensor using Arduino <S> (will work on JeeNode as well). <S> You have to add wireless code as well, starting with this skeleton . <S> So, not so cheap and certainly pretty advanced <S> DIY. <S> ;-) <A> The documentation for the logging software thermd contains extensive notes about the supported devices, as well as a comparison in terms of cost and functionality. <A> This is a solution I found after I asked the question myself. <S> I have not yet tested it, but it looks promising. <S> I will not accept this as an answer unless I actually find this one to work. <S> I just wanted to add it here for it might give ideas for someone else wondering the same question. <S> Basicly the plan goes like this: <S> something like this: http://www.clasohlson.com/fi/Lis%C3%A4anturi/Pr361797000 (check from the telldus forums that it works) <S> If anyone else has experience with this approach, I'd love to hear about it. <A> I found a product called ElertUs for about $200, which uses a WiFi sensor + a smartphone app or website. <S> It is available for purchase on either the manufacturer's website or on Amazon ( note seller feedback ). <S> ElertUs allows you to monitor temperature, humidity plus a bunch of other conditions. <S> From the manufacturer: <S> A simple to use monitoring solution that gives people the capability to know what's happening to their important things at anytime and from anywhere! <A> I was considering doing just this with some XRF modules and something like a Raspberry Pi Ciseco sell modules for this (inclding USB XRF receivers that I expect would be usable in a Mac). <S> There are probably many many other vendors. <S> Alternatively I imagine Oregon Scientific or similar makers have wireless weather-stations with multiple remote wireless temperature sensors.
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Get an radio tranceiver (transmitter and receiver) from: http://www.telldus.com/products/tellstick_duo Get a wireless temperature sensor (or maybe even multiple) The Elertus Sensor monitors and receive changes in: Door opens and closesMovementTemperature LevelsHumidity LevelsLight Levels
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When should I not use WD-40? Looks like WD-40 can be used for lubricating just about any metal parts. Are there non-obvious cases where using WD-40 will be harmful to the stuff lubricated? <Q> Firearms - you should never use WD-40 to clean or maintain firearms. <S> Gears of any type - WD-40 doesn't have enough lubrication effect to be useful on any type of gearing. <S> Only specified gear lubricants should be used. <S> Locks - Use powdered graphite or silicon spray instead. <A> WD-40 does a lot of things, unfortunately this means that it does not do any one thing well. <S> As a lubricant WD-40 is very thin and runny. <S> WD-40 will lubricate for a short time, but will quickly run off. <S> This is a side effect from it being a penetrant. <S> If it was thicker for better lubrication it would not penetrate well. <S> WD-40 is a GREAT quick-fix and one <S> -can option. <S> I use it in that role, it gets things going long enough to let me finish the current task and get back to the shop. <S> Once there I can get to my real penetrants (Kroil, PB Blaster) and my real lubricants (oil, white lithium) and repair the problem. <S> Bonus tip: <S> wrap your WD-40 can with several turns of duct-tape. <S> You now have two of the best quick-fix wonders in one package. <A> Never use WD 40 on door hinges or anything you want to keep clean. <S> It attracts dirt and dust. <S> It will turn your hinge pins black. <A> It doesn't move and it should = <S> WD40 <S> If it does move and it shouldn't = <S> duct tape <S> WD40 is only used as an immediate lubricant, eg. <S> for a stuck bolt, or a s water dispersant. <S> Don't use it where you need longer term lubrication, like a bike chain. <A> Rubik's cubes. <S> Serious cubers will lube their cubes with Jigaloo, CRC silicone, or even vaseline. <S> But, will point and laugh at noobs who use WD-40, as it melts the cube, likely seizing it. <S> Yet people keep doing it. <A> Bicycle chains! <S> WD40 will ruin a bike chain and the gears wear out quicker. <S> It washes the dirt in, the dirt acts as an abrasive and not a lubricant. <A> Musical Instruments. <S> My sister works at a music store, and a father ruined an $800 clarinet by using WD-40 on "the squeaky part". <A> Lock cylinders. <S> Never in lock cylinders. <S> Doorknobs, padlocks, etc. - <S> the residue left will just attract dirt & grit, and prematurely wear down the works. <S> This was given me by a college friend whose dad worked on the maintenance staff - so they did a lot of locks!! <S> It probably took years to see the pattern, but any lock they had shot with WD-40 eventually failed before un-WD'ed locks. <A> Personal experience: An electrician told me never to squirt WD40 into an electric motor (bathroom exhaust fan) as it can be ignited. <A> <A> I read an article once by a clock repairman who described how bad WD-40 is for precision clockworks. <S> The main reason has been given already: it attracts dirt, which acts as an abrasive and eventually gums up the action. <A> For something where you need longer lasting lubrication, consider Silicone-based spray. <S> Comes in a can just like WD-40, but it "sticks" better. <A> It attacks polycarbonate windows such as Tufak or Lexan too. <S> Shooting through a bullet proof window after applying is NOT recommended. <A> For the same reason you wouldn't use it on door hinges, it should never be used for chair and sofa mechanisms. <S> Because WD-40 attracts dust and turns things black, over time that dirt accumulation within the moving parts will build up and eventually start to fall off onto carpeting creating a terrible black mess that is nearly impossible to remove. <A> Don't ever use WD-40 on something that has already been lubricated (like with white lithium grease, etc). <S> The WD-40 will break down the grease and make a real mess. <A> WD-40 is for displacing water, hence the initials. <S> It's not made for anything else. <S> The rest is marketing spit and sparkle. <S> Seriously if that same marketing team had worked for Jiffy peanut butter, there'd be a can of that on your toolbox instead of WD-40. <S> In every category in which people use WD-40, there are better products. <S> Think of it as the "Harbor Freight universal thing that comes in spray cans" and set your expectations accordingly. <S> It is also notorious for wrecking plastic or rubber. <S> I used to spray it on printer ribbons to extend their life, what I got out of the deal was a delaminated printhead, a $150 part. <S> If you think I'm being cynical, my local gas station has WD-40 for $6.50 a can, and Liquid Wrench for $4.50 a can. <S> There's no reason for that but brand power. <S> Edit: I wasn't quite right. <S> Actually WD-40 was designed for polishing your missile . <S> Seriously. <S> It was made to rub/spray on the aluminum skin of the SM-65 Atlas missile to prevent corrosion. <S> There actually were 40 attempts at the right formula for that purpose. <S> None of which gave the slightest consideration for use as a penetrating oil. <A> Any electric motor, even if the rotor is stuck from filthy dried-up lubricant! <S> Think squeaky furnace blower motors, fans that won't start up, lawn mower engines, etc. <S> The solvent not only removes any remaining lube, but it can melt coil wires (the lightly-coated copper wires twisted up in electric motors) and cause an electrical short. <S> New fan motor! <S> $200! <S> I did use it to help start a snowblower, which worked well for 1 use, then never ran again (likely due to WD-40's hygroscopic nature). <S> There ARE, apparently, OTHER WD-#'s
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Drive chains of any type - because WD-40 isn't a lubricant it really will not work well on Drive chains of any type. It never should be used on AirSoft or PaintBall weapons as it melts the seals.
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Is there a recommended vent for new roof? I am redoing my roof. I already decided to add sofit ventilation which I currently do not have.I have gable vents, and already decided to go with normal eyebrow vents Vs ridge ventilation. Question is: which type?I hear from the roofers themselves that sometimes they leak! (I would think we should have the technology to solve this problem by now...). Anyone knows what type I should use? here are a few main "types" I see: http://www.ohaginvent.com/products_comp.asp# 1 2 3 <Q> Have you considered changing to a ridge vent? <S> The larger area of venting would give you more efficiency, it can be shingled over to hide it, the filtered ones a piece of material to prevent insects and dirt from getting in, and this one appears to not leak even under high winds: http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100027903/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053 <S> Since the ridge vent is installed at the top of the roof, you don't have the problem of water running down from above and going around a break in the shingles. <A> That's all I see on new construction around here. <S> (It's also what my house has.) <S> I recently had some roof work done, and the roofer reccomended and installed a singled-over ridge vent to replace the aluminum ridge vents I had in place. <S> The new vent was a plastic roll-out type. <S> The singled over ridge vent was somewhat wider than the old one, so it helped to cover up some narrow bits of plywood at the roof ridge that were coming lose. <S> The new vents also have some coarse filtration built into it which blocks stuff (leaves, bugs, etc) from getting into the attic. <S> My roofer also told me that the thermal expansion/contraction of the aluminum ridge vents can work loose the nails, so he only uses plastic ones anymore. <A> Last summer I build a shed and installed plenty of ventilation including two roof vents. <S> If I had to do it over again I would chose either a plastic one like option #2 or a ridge vent. <S> I went with metal and regret it. <S> One nice hail storm <S> and it now looks like this: <S> Note that some of the bending of the metal may have been my fault (read: I dropped it!) <A> Ridge vent is the way to go IMHO. <S> I think installation may be as easy as a straight edge and a circular saw.
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In general, it seems ridge and sofit venting is the way to go.
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How do I get rid of birds living in an air vent? On the outside of my house I have at least one bird living in an air vent. I would rather that they lived somewhere else. I was thinking I could put some sort of netting over the vent when the bird does not seem to be around. My wife is concerned that there could be a bird's nest with eggs in there and does not want to leave the eggs to die. What is the best way to safely remove these birds without hurting them? <Q> Then when you return the shopvac, they will safely place the birds outside of the business for no additional charge (as long as you don't tell them about it.) <S> Just kidding, if they have eggs right now then you will just have to wait. <S> If they don't then there is a plethora of things you can do. <S> The netting is fine, or remove the nest while it is away. <A> Many people have been taught that leaving a human scent on nests and eggs will lead to abandonment. <S> The problem is that physically disturbing the nest can lead to abandonment. <S> Some say this varies with species and how far along in development the young are. <S> It might be possible to move it slightly, but is best to avoid it if possible. <S> I'm with Tatton and just waiting it out. <S> It adds some extra character to the house for a season, and the old nest makes for a cool souvenir. <A> hang up an artificial owl out there <S> and no birds will come around. <A> If the vent is high, take a ladder, unscrew the screws and take the nest out gently. <S> If you think it's too dangerous, call an exterminator and ask him to do the job. <S> Or if you have someone in your family that could do it, ask them. <A> Here is a video that shows and explains how to not only remove the birds but also how to prevent them from renesting in the future. <S> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v1wvYWTKog
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Moving the nest to a completely new location might be too risky. Go rent a shopvac, and gently suck them up. But, as noted by Doresoom, the issue of leaving a scent on eggs is not a problem.
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How to repel pigeons so that they don't loiter behind my windows? I live in a apartment in a multistory building. Pigeons often sit onto edges of window openings behind my windows and leave excrements which is rather annoying. Is there some simple, preferably without violence, way to repel pigeons off my windows? <Q> Many buildings in my area have the same problem. <S> I have seen many clever items, but the one that seems to work well is a strip of plastic with stainless nails extending up from under the plastic sill covers. <S> These are constructed with strips of acrylic plexeglass cut to fit over the exterior window sill, then drilled every few inches all over with Stainless 3 inch nails protruding up from under the strips. <S> The birds will not land on the sharp points. <A> Get a cat as a pet.. <S> They will avoid your house for sure..and you will get a good companion too... <S> what say <A> Spary bottle filled with fairly diluted ammonia. <S> Open the window and spray them whenever they show up. <S> They don't stay away permanently, but they really don't like it. <S> It's not as effective as a permanent hardware solution like the spike strips, but you don't need to work on the exterior of your place either. <A> I say go the urban food route. <S> SQUAB FOR DINNER!
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Get some super itty bitty bear traps and bait them with birdseed.
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Automatic garage door opener opens when it hits the floor I have a garage door opener that has been working fine until the past month or so. Now, during a close cycle, once it hits the floor (where normally it would stop) it will switch back into an open cycle. It's created several 'Ack I left my garage door open' incidents until I figured it out! Any idea what would cause this? It's about 5 years old, installed it myself. <Q> This is most likely due to the auto reversing function. <S> This is where the door will reverse open if it hits an obstacle when closing. <S> Look for any irregularities on the floor and on the bottom of the garage door. <S> You might find something stuck to the bottom garage door seal. <S> Another possible cause is that the door got out of adjustment. <S> Most door I have seen have four adjustments; 1) Open force; 2) <S> close force; 3) open travel distance; and 4) close travel distance. <S> I would look at making adjustments to the close travel distance. <A> Some, especially Craftsman have limit switches mounted on the chain rail. <S> These have a bad habit of creeping, and would cause this problem. <S> Otherwise, the problem is probably with the sensitivity adjustments as mentioned in last post. <A> If you have sensors on either side of the garage door, clean them and make sure nothing is obstructing the two from communicating with each other. <S> Perhaps look for something under the garage door (rubber insulation) that may be hanging and obstructing the sensors before the garage hit the floor.
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One possible cause is that there is an obstruction on the floor where the door meets the floor.
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How to make a 6 inch hole through a brick wall for venting I'd like to vent my range hood out through an exterior brick wall. How would I go about making a 6 inch hole for the vent? I'd guess I'd use a masonry chisel to chip out the mortar and then pull out a couple bricks on the interior and exterior layers of the wall. Is this the best tool/approach to use? Do I need to be concerned about the load of the bricks above the hole? How would I make the hole round rather than square? Any other considerations? <Q> It is entirely possible to construct a 6 inch hole in brickwork. <S> The problem with a round hole rather than a square hole is where the hole cuts across joints in the masonry leaving small triangular pieces of masonry over the hole. <S> These tend to be fairly week so are best avoided. <S> You would therefore have to position the circular hole carefully so that is best placed not to leave small or week sections of masonry. <S> As mentioned in other answers to get a good hole, a diamond or similar circular hole saw is the best way <S> but at this diameter you made need a large pillar drill rig to use the hole saw and this may need to be bolted to the wall prior to making the cut. <S> If you can fill it a square hole then may be better. <S> Given the diameter of the hole you are suggesting you shouldn't have any structural problems as long as you aren't right next to openings or corners in the wall. <S> The neatest way of doing this is to cut out the edges of your hole with something like a disk cutter and then use an impact hammer to chisel out the brickwork in the centre. <S> This should leave a very neat cut. <A> If you only have to cut through one course of brick, the easiest way would be to go to your local rental center, rent a powerful/professional rotary/impact drill. <S> Some may come with hole saws, but you can buy one at a HI store for around $30. <S> This will make a clean hole for your vent. <A> I think 6" masonry hole saw bit and a strong drill would be the ticket--but those bits are expensive. <A> A standard SDS drill would not be strong enough. <S> This is -at minimum- <S> a job for an SDS-max or spline drill. <S> Those bits are several hundreds of dollars; <S> this is an inexpensive one <S> I have also seen hole saws designs for a 7.5" or 9" grinder... <A> I just made exactly this type of hole: <S> 6⅜" through 13" of solid brick wall. <S> I used a Milwaukee M18 fuel drill and a Milwaukee recessed light hole saw with the grit vs. teeth. <S> It took about 2 hours. <S> You can get concrete boring bits for about $90 in 6" size but if your brick is soft enough the ceiling can saw will work fine.
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The key is to make sure that the hole doesn't leave a whole brick unsupported from below when you make the hole and with a 6" diameter this shouldn't be a problem unless your bricks are very small. I used a 12V Milwaukee palm nailer with a ⅜ inch drill bit as a mini jack hammer for busting out the brick pieces and a simple chisel and hammer. I seriously doubt there is any such thing as a 6" SDS bit.
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Looking for alternatives to AutoCad to make floorplans and interior elevations for my kitchen I am looking to remodel my kitchen. I want to start with floorplans and inside elevations of the 4 walls, cabinets, and major appliances. I've been using LibreCAD because it supports Autocad 2000 format (dxf) and is free and open source. I've been struggling with LibreCAD, so I want to know what is the best Open source or web based app out there for a non-architect to make 2D floorplans and elevations, and save them in dfx format. <Q> It may not have the depth of features you're looking for <S> but if you're going for open source freeware that's pretty usable out of the gate <S> you can't go wrong. <S> As a side note, I have seen some people use Blender to do modeling, though more for in-home manufacturing. <A> SketchUp Pro allows direct export to DXF. <S> See, e.g.: http://www.cadforum.cz/cadforum_en/qaID.asp?tip=6416 <A> I have tried CatStd http://www.cadstd.com/ some. <S> It works OK, but I'm not well versed in it. <S> It does save in dxf format. <S> When I did my basement, I used an older version of 3D Home Architect. <S> It was extremely easy to use, but I don't remember if it saved in dxf format. <A> I would like to second recommendations for Google Sketchup, with this additional note for those who point out that some features are limited to the paid "pro" version. <S> If you are a student or faculty, you can obtain the pro version for free until the following July. <S> They seem to be quite liberal in their interpretation of "student or faculty;" it apparently doesn't have to be an accredited university. <S> Our small farm cooperative teaches two-week intensive Permaculture Design Certificate courses, and submitting the syllabus was enough for them to grant us an educational license. <S> But you have to renew the ed license every July. <S> In addition to the lack of .DXF support, the other "biggie" is that you cannot create dynamic components. <S> That should not be a big issue for most people, but it is fun to make doors that open when you click on them, <S> etc. <S> which you can only do in the pro version. <S> But literally 95% of the functionality of Pro is in the free version, including the ability to use dynamic components created in the Pro version.
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I personally use Google SketchUp to model both the interior and exterior of our house. Sketchup (free) allows you to export DAE, which can be converted via FBX to DXF.
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Stink in Washroom - Possibilities? I had a previous question about my toilet leaking in my washroom. For some strange reason, the washroom has a strong, persistent stink despite everything we do to remove it. What are the possibilities to investigate? Could it be mold? We've tried: Turning off the toilet water supply, flushing it to empty Emptying the garbage Cleaning the toilet bowl with strong, apple-scented cleaner Spraying those washroom scents until the smell is gone Despite all this, the stick returns, persistently. I don't think it's getting worse every day, but it's bad enough to keep us away from using that washroom. (We haven't used it in weeks, and since spraying and cleaning it; the smell returned in a day or two.) I really hope it isn't mold; but what should I look for in terms of possibilities? <Q> Our second shower sits unused for weeks and sometimes months at a time (daughter moved out.) <S> About a year ago, a horrible smell started emanating from that bathroom - after many unsuccessful attempts to kill the smell, I finally realized that the P-trap under the shower floor must have dried out, allowing sewer gas to rise up through the drain. <S> I ran a couple of gallons of water, and the smell went away. <S> I run that shower for 30 seconds <S> or so once a month, and the smell has never come back. <S> So: any unused plumbing fixtures in that washroom? <A> The fact that the stink returns persistently means that you have (or recently had) a leak. <S> You should check: Toilet drain - do you have access underneath? <S> If not, do you notice any staining or peeling paint? <S> This is unfortunately the most likely problem given your previous issues. <S> sink drain - same question <S> Shower/tub <S> : check the drain, overflow, valves, and shower head <S> Exhaust fan/duct - does it work well? <S> Could moisture have collected inside it? <S> Supply lines - probably not as likely as a drain problem, but a leak in a wall or floor could make good conditions for mold/rot Drain vent - an obstruction here could potentially lead to bad smells entering your bathroom instead of being properly exhausted outside Leaks around tub/shower - if the water sealing around your tub or shower has failed, water could be soaking into the walls/floor. <S> Check for loose tiles, missing caulk, or water exiting the shower area ( <S> e.g. due to a badly positioned curtain). <S> In particular, look for any areas where water might pool. <S> Unfortunately, unless a leak is obvious or you have easy access to the plumbing lines, investigating this may be pretty destructive. <S> Prepare to open up walls and ceilings. <S> Despite that, it's important to look into it soon -- this is the sort of problem that only gets bigger with time. <A> I'll second MT_Head's thoughts that you're smelling sewer gas, but give you a second location that it could be coming from. <S> To fix this, you'd have to: <S> Shutoff the water Drain the toilet and tank Unscrew and remove the tank Unscrew and lift the base <S> Remove the old wax seal and clean as best as possible. <S> You should also clear away any old caulk at this point. <S> If this takes a while, it doesn't hurt to shove a plastic bag or something into the drain to avoid sewer gases, just don't leave it in there at step 7. <S> Place a new wax seal on the bottom of the toilet with enough pressure to make it stick, make sure that the gasket/flange/whatever the right name is, that this points away from the toilet (into the drain) <S> Carefully place the toilet back over the drain hole, doing your best to line up the two bolts on either side before the wax seal makes contact Double check that the toilet is lined up with the wall Press down on the toilet base as evenly as possible until it makes contact with the floor. <S> You don't want to lift up in any way at this point. <S> If there is any separation between the toilet and wax seal, you can get gases escaping. <S> Avoid too much rocking back and forth. <S> Replace and hand tighten the bolts on base of the toilet. <S> Over tightening can crack the porcelain. <S> Use the socket without the wrench for a better grip. <S> And then give it maybe a quarter turn with the wrench, but be very gentle. <S> Replace the tank, same rules apply when tightening the bolts. <S> Reattach the supply line. <S> It doesn't hurt to double check the washer at this point. <S> If it's a large plastic nut with wings, hand tighten it. <S> Otherwise, be gentle with the wrench. <S> Cross your fingers and turn the water back on.
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The wax seal under your toilet could have failed.
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Why do my bulbs glow brighter when the microwave is running? When I run the microwave oven in my rented apartment, the incandescent lights nearby glow much brighter. What sort of mis-wiring could cause this? EDIT: Suspecting a bad neutral connection, I measured the voltage between hot and neutral at a nearby electrical outlet. The voltage was 113 VAC. When running the microwave, that same voltage goes up to 129 VAC. The voltage at that outlet measured between hot and ground is the same as between hot and neutral (i.e. it also increases when the microwave is running). On the same circuit as the microwave, the voltage is 126 VAC without the microwave and 108 with it running. I assume this means that the neutral and/or ground connections to the house may be faulty ? <Q> The problem was a bad neutral connection from the transformer on a pole. <S> I called the power company--they had trucks out to replace the power line within 30 minutes. <S> Now the power variation is very small. <S> Without the microwave running, I measure 117.5 volts on the lamp circuit and 118.2 volts on the microwave circuit. <S> With the microwave running, the voltages go to 118.2 and 114.0 VAC. <A> Have you confirmed that the lights and microwave are wired correctly? <S> live-live, neutral-neutral, ground-ground? <S> You could test the receptacle with one of these: http://www.amazon.com/50957-Tester-Installation-Operation-110-125V/dp/B002LZTKIU/ <A> First, some background: <S> Inside of a breaker panel for your home are three connections, two for each phase of the power coming in, and one for a neutral/ground. <S> Each phase is ~120v, which when added together (they are opposite phases) add together to ~240v. <S> For the ~120v breakers, you connect one phase and the neutral which shouldn't have much current. <S> Note, this is all approximate, 110-120v is pretty standard. <S> So based on your measurements, here's my theory: while the neutral should be close to 0v, when you turn on a high wattage device (the microwave is in that list) <S> you're pushing a lot in and out of that ground, and out of phase with devices that are on half of the circuits in the home. <S> I'm guessing that rather than going to ground, it's easier for that extra power to go to those other circuits where you see a net power gain, and for the same reason you see a small loss on the same circuit. <S> Edit <S> : Thinking about this a bit more and I can come up with one problem, a broken ground on the neutral bar. <S> Then do the same with the neutral plug (check for voltage from neutral to the ground in the outlet first in case you are testing the hot by accident). <S> If you see a solid connection with the ground/neutral, no voltage is passing through them, and the outlet tester didn't indicate any issues, I personally wouldn't worry. <A> More headaches are caused by floating/open, high resistance/loose, corroded,bad connections anywhere along the neutral in any 120VAC phase to neutral system!Neutals are current carrying conductors in single phase 120VAC systems which need to be properly grounded and have a clean low impedance connection all the way back to their source of power;.. the utility Transformer!The Utility Transformer neutral connection as well needs to be properly grounded! <S> The same headaches are encountered in a 12VDC automotive electrical system when the common negative is impaired in any way all the way back to the Vehicle Battery Negative terminal!
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You can check the ohms between the ground in an outlet and something else that should be grounded (metal stake hammered into the earth, or try a plumbing fixture like your sink).
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What can soak up moisture from a closed space I have a really weird problem. I have a bedroom wall where the paint kept bubbling and peeling off. I have re-textured and painted it several times. I finally ripped all the drywall off and discovered that there is a large space behind the wall that has all the plumbing for two adjacent showers. The problem is that those pipes changing temperatures are causing enough moisture to build up in the space that the adjacent drywall gets wet and will not hold texture and paint. I checked for any leaks because it seemed weird to have that much moisture from the existence of pipes. The question is: Is there anything that I can put in there when I close it back up to reduce the moisture? Would a vent work? A piano dehumidifier? A combination of the two? I would rather not have a random thing plugged into the wall. EDIT: There are some really good answers so far, but I think I need to better explain. Here is the set up: I tried spraying down the roof and looking for leaks. I tried turning all showers and flushing all toilets. There is no water coming from anywhere. The vents go straight to the roof. There is some insulation in there so I hate to just put an HVAC return register on it, but that and insulating the pipes looks like the only option. <Q> I'd be surprised that you'd have this much moisture from condensation, especially since condensation doesn't change the net moisture level, it's actually removing moisture from the air. <S> Double check for leaks, signs of corrosion on pipes, particularly at the joints, for caulk that is cracking in the showers, and the drain pipes. <S> It should be outside, but a lazy installer may have them venting into this space. <S> That said, without knowing more about the floor plan and what's above and below this space, it's hard to give a good suggestion, so I'll give several: <S> This can just be a few pieces of trim that are attached over the joint between the wall and cutout drywall. <S> If you want a vent in the wall, you can put in a simple hvac return grill. <S> That could also double as an access panel. <S> Insulate the pipes to prevent the air from interacting with the cold pipe and to reduce loss from the hot pipe. <S> If there's an exterior wall involved, check the insulation and make sure the vapor barrier (paper on fiberglass) is intact. <S> If you redo the entire wall, use moisture resistant wall board (green board may be more than enough, but they make stuff that's even more resistant). <S> You can also install an extra vapor barrier behind this. <A> You could try lagging the pipes - both hot and cold. <S> This should keep the temperature in the space more constant and therefore reduce the build up of condensation. <S> Another thing to try is to put a second wall between your bedroom wall and the shower pipes. <S> Again the goal here is to keep the temperature behind your bedroom wall more constant and less humid. <S> This would mean that your access to the pipes would be more difficult. <A> I'd do the following, which is similar to BMitch's generally excellent answer: <S> Make an airtight access panel for future access while you are there. <S> Make sure it is airtight unless you know that no air from anywhere can get into that stud bay. <S> Foam or tape off the entry points of the pipes into this stud bay. <S> You might be getting unconditioned air in via these holes. <S> Seal any other holes while you are at it such as around the edge of the vent pipe or drain pipe. <S> Get the good R-6 thick rubbery (not foamy) <S> pipe insulation of the right diameter and seal it on the pipes in an airtight fashion on the cold pipes. <S> You can seal the hot pipes too for energy efficiency <S> but I don't think it will help with the condensation problem. <S> Don't forget to look for roof leaks while you are in there. <S> Check the back of the shower valves and shower gooseneck. <S> Look for a vapor barrier behind the shower wall (drywall isn't a vapor barrier without a polyethylene layer). <S> Instead look for a high gloss paint. <S> Latex paint, especially high gloss, acts as a vapor retarder and will limit how much shower humidity gets into the walls. <S> Test the output of your bathroom fan. <S> It's not unusual for older ones to run but produce no flow outward. <S> I'd go outside to your vent and make sure it is pushing exhaust out. <S> 7. <S> Good luck.
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Because of the high bathroom humidity, you probably want a vapor barrier. While you've got the opening in the wall, consider turning it into an access panel to more easily get to the plumbing in the future. Edit : One more thought, check where the bathroom vents are blowing. If you don't have one, don't rip out your drywall. It's also easier to clean than matte finish paint. Sometimes they are wired backwards too and do some old stuff like push instead of pull.
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Re-oiling a wooden worktop I've sanded down a wooden worktop and I'm attempting to re-coat it. I've done 5 thin coats of oil so far, a day between each, but it's still quite dull compared to previously. How many coats should I need to get a good finish? I've heard it needs a lot, but how many is a lot? Also, what kind of oil is best to use? I've been using special Worktop Oil . It's quite expensive but is it just a gimmick? Am I just as well off using a generic teak, linseed or danish oil? <Q> Well, old timers would saturate the surface with 3 parts boiled linseed oil and one part mineral spirits, let it soak in overnight, then buff it dry. <S> If one coat didn't give the desired results, give it two! <S> Smells, but would give a nice shiny finish. <A> If you're doing kitchen counters you want to use something that's rated for food contact. <S> Maybe butcher block oil or walnut oil. <A> When oiling timber, you generally continue to oil it until no more seeps into the wood. <S> Don't be afraid to "flood" the first few coats. <S> Basic oil coating goes like this: <S> Apply the oil (flood and wipe it in) <S> Wait until it soaks in Wipe off the excess Wait a day before the next coat Light sand with the grain Repeat <S> What grit did you sand back the timber to begin with? <S> If you went to 320, then a 400 grit would be fine in-between coats. <S> Don't use an electric sander for this. <S> Just work with the grain with a soft sponge backed sanding block. <S> When sanding, you will end up with dust residue so just wipe it down with a clean cloth and a touch of water/meth-spirits if need <S> be. <S> Oil seeps into the wood <S> so you won't get a high lustre/shine from it. <S> Some of the mixtures on the market however have some polyurethane in it. <S> Poly sits above the wood <S> so will cause some reflection with the light making the piece shine some more. <S> Get some good solid basic oil+poly mix. <S> Also, update with some photos <S> and I'd be happy to provide more insight and tips. <A> I use straight mineral oil for my wooden work surfaces. <S> Lightly sand with the grain, pour it on and spread it out and let it soak in for about a half hour, then wipe off the excess. <S> Mineral oil is food safe too so you can use it on butcher blocks or wooden cutting boards too.
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Something like Danish Oil or Scandinavian Wood Oil would work nicely.
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Can a stove be beneath a window I'm upgrading my kitchen and after endless deliberating, feel that the kitchen is best laid out having the stove directly beneath a window (the window is about 8" above the stove). I was wondering whether there are any huge reasons why i should avoid doing this. <Q> A few concerns: <S> The range hood will need to be placed above the window, possibly blocking some of your view, unless you install a downdraft vent frequently seen in cooking islands. <S> If you have a messy cook in the house, cleaning the grease off of the window panes and crevices will be all the more difficult on a window. <S> And curtains or blinds are even worse. <S> In the winter, boiling water close to the window will result in a lot of condensation. <S> If that runs down the window and freezes, you could be looking at some damage. <S> None of this says you can't do it. <S> I doubt that the thermal changes will break the glass, but I couldn't say for sure. <S> But all other things being equal (which you say they aren't) I would choose somewhere other than the window myself. <A> I would love to look out over my stove into the yard, but I highly recommend you don't configure your kitchen this way. <S> The thermal gradient may weaken the seal on double pane glass. <S> The bottom will be hot and the top will be ambient. <S> Intense heat may prematurely age the window sealing material. <S> You can never put curtains or plastic blinds / curtains above it. <S> Cooking always splatters, even the best cooks have bits of starch shoot out of the boiling water or oil shoot up when sauteing something. <S> You'll be constantly cleaning the windows event if you are an immaculate cook. <S> Debris (pollen / water) coming into the window adds a risk to food prep and sanitation. <S> :) <S> It's a lovely idea, but I would put the sink there instead. <S> Hope this helps! <S> Sam <A> if you don't have open fire stove and curtains on the window above it, there probabaly isn't any reason for concern. <A> A draft could blow out the flame or interfere with the cooking; and Direct sunlight will make the flame very difficult to see.
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There is a risk that you would reach over the stove to manipulate the window while the stove is on, such as when it rains and you don't want water going into your frying fish. If it is a gas stove it should not be placed close to a window or exterior door:
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Is it safe to charge a DeWALT 18v battery if the charger emits a whining noise I have 1 DeWALT 18 volt NiCd batteries. One charges without incident. If I attempt to charge the other, a whining noise is emitted from the battery or charger. Is it safe to attempt to charge this battery? <Q> It's possible that the battery's days are numbered, but I doubt that the whine you're hearing comes from the battery itself. <S> That noise is called "coil whine" and comes from the windings of the transformer(s) inside the charger. <S> If that's the case, it could mean that the battery is on its way out, but in any case I wouldn't worry that it's going to blow up. <A> i wouldn't. <S> the only thing i can imagine the whine being about is battery chemicals overheating. <A> charging one now that whines intermittently on a battery that is trying to go bad. <S> my dewalt charger has "automatic tune up" which is supposed to pulse your battery to help keep it working longer. <S> maybe that is the whine i hear.... <S> so i'm charging this for an hour see if it holds a charge or not. <S> if not i'll probably look up how to replace the batteries inside it.right now it's blinking at the correct rate showing it is charging.
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An electrical engineer (which I am NOT) could probably explain why you get the noise with one battery and not the other; I can only speculate that the charger is having to crank up the voltage a bit to force a charge into that one.
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Replacing pool pump/plumbing etc. that is below the level of the pool We need to rework some plumbing on a pool, and the level of the pool is 3-4' above the plumbing. Obviously we need to drain the pool, but the problem with that is that the valves aren't working, and we can't shut off the skimmers, which are sucking in air. So far, attempts to blocks the skimmers have been unsuccessful. Seeing as how we don't have an extra pump to bring in in order to drain the pool, the best plan that we've had so far is to just simply cut the plumbing (which we will have to attempt to stop from leaking) and put temporary pipes in that will connect the pump to the bottom of the pool. I just figured I'd come here to see if anyone had any better ideas. <Q> Use gravity, all you need is a garden hose! <S> If the pool is raised up on a deck or above surrounding areas, then you can siphon it out. <S> This is exactly the same way fish tank owners get water out of their tanks. <S> First get a garden hose that is long enough to end up in an area lower than the desired depth. <S> Put the hose completely in the pool <S> so it fills with water. <S> Then seal both ends with either a clamp or a thumb, but make sure it is SEALED. <S> Then take one end to the lower area and unclamp. <S> Then wait for the water level to be lower than the plumbing. <S> (source: richmondaquarium.com ) <A> If it's connected with flexible hose, the cheapest/easiest way is just to cut/disconnect the hose, and then get it up above the water level ASAP. <S> Be prepared to get slightly wet. <S> If you don't have flexible hose (eg, it's done with PVC or something), then that does make things more difficult. <S> The best way to plug a skimmer is to get a big rubber stopper, and stick it in the intake at the bottom of the skimmer (you have to remove the basket). <S> You can get these at many places, including beer/wine brewing supply stores. <S> Your pool cleaner may have an attachment that will work as well, just leave the hose attached sticking out of the pool. <S> The jet/output is much harder, unless there's some obvious way to plug it from inside the pool. <S> If not, the best thing I can think of is to get some flexible pipe that has an inside diameter just big enough to fit over the outside of the pipe, and a couple gear clamps. <S> Keep one end of the pipe up above water level, and then cut the pipe and then quickly place the flex pipe over top and tighten the gear clamp down on it. <S> You will definitely get wet doing this. <S> Since you definitely won't be able to glue any PVC parts while there is water in the pipe, you can use the flex pipe to drain the pool down to just below where water stops coming out. <S> You should then be able to do any work needed on the pipes. <A> Most skimmers I have seen support a threaded plug that can be installed to block the water flow. <S> Pull out the skimmer basket. <S> There should be threads in the pipe underneath. <S> (You can buy these plugs at any local pool store.) <S> You also may need to plug the return lines. <S> I have found the simplest thing to do is put a rubber stopper on the front of it. <S> Oh, and I highly reccomend you repair/replace the failing valves <S> so you don't have to deal with this again next year. <A> Main Drain _get a trash bag and place over main drain with a few things to weigh it down. <S> Water pressure will naturally seal the water in the pool. <S> Skimmer -block <S> the skimmer by placing a simple tennis ball (ball filled with water). <S> Return Lines - remove the inlets, cover each intake with plastic wrapping film and replace the eyelet, for a few turns on the threads of the fixture. <S> Now you can make any repair you want without draining and wasting all that water!! <S> Problem solved!
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If you have a hose for a pool cleaner or vacuum attachment, simply place that in the skimmer intake and lift the other end above the water level and out of the pool.
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How to power 12V LEDs from a 12V AC power supply I have a 12V power supply that I am using to power some lights in my garden. I want to also power (in parallel) a set of 12V LED lights which (of course) require a 12V DC supply. Is there a simple method of AC->DC conversion that I can use? I am pretty handy at electonics so I could make a simple converter given the correct guidance. <Q> Besides converting to 12vdc, you need to fill the 60 hz reverse polarity portion of the AC wave. <S> This requires a voltage divider, then reassemble the two rectified polarity sections into one same, continuous polarity voltage source. <S> Keep in mind, if the AC source is sine wave AC, not switched AC, the DC result will only be apx 70% of the AC peak to peak voltage, or 17 vdc. <S> Think the geeks at electronics exchange may have a simple circuit they could share with you. <A> Simple rectifier is 4 diodes one from each AC line to the positive input of the LED and two from the negative output of the LED to each of the AC lines. <S> (4) 1N4007 <S> diodes will do just fine for this. <S> Just wire two up together on one end and the other two the opposite way like and in and out Y and attach to each end of the diode(s) <S> the other ends mate up from each Y to the AC lines. <S> if it doesn't work reverse the diode connection cause you probably hooked up positive to negative and vice-versa. <S> google "rectifier circuit" for a diagram <A> I built a lofted bed for my son and put on some deck lights that shine just enough light down at night to illuminate the area. <S> I just bought an adjustable DC power supply at Walmart... <S> one of those replacement sets you can buy to replace some AC-DC transformer that got lost or burned out... <S> it comes with multiple female ends, and can switch both the voltages and polarity. <S> I just bought one of those and converted 120VAC down to 6VDC (I think 12V was too bright). <S> It works great... <S> is simple, and cheap. <A> Diode in reverse parallel with Led (or Led with limiting resistor). <S> Should give you a halfwave rectified 60hz sine & the Led will still light up, but some people might notice said flicker. <S> You might compensate the flicker by evening out sinewave with simple RC. <S> Might be all simpler than a bridge rectifier circuit.
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Not to get all techy on you, but to do what you want to do with a 12 vac power supply, you will need a bridge rectifier. Realistically, since the Led lights probably have such a small amp draw, you probably could pick up a 24VDC power supply for cheap money online or maybe even your local Radio Shack, and save your self a lot of hassle.
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Latex paint dried and thickened, can I still use it for a touch up? I was just about to do some touchup work in a room when I discovered upon opening the can that the remaining paint had thickened into a much thicker consistency. I think the lid may not have been on correctly. Can I use it as is for touch ups? Or would it be best to apply some kind of thinner? Do I have to go out and buy paint thinner, or is there something else I could use that would spare me the trip to the store? Its latex paint, about a year old. From Benjamin Moore. <Q> Latex paint can generally be thinned with plain water... <S> but I'd test with a very small quantity and a piece of scrap wood first. <S> If you can't get a good consistency, there are thinners made specifically for latex - SCL-Sterling <S> makes one called Thin-X Latex that I used a while back, with good results. <A> You can use up to 1/4 of the volume of the paint to bring it back to a good spreadable consistency. <A> I had about 1-1/2" of silly putty in the bottom of a 5 yr old gallon of latex paint. <S> I put about 1/2" of paint thinner in a 16 oz cottage cheese tub, then filled the tub about 3/4 full with hot water, then dumped the water/thinner mixture into the gallon <S> can and stirred for a while. <S> Got something resembling paint, easily good enough for touch up, but will need to strain it for my little project. <A> I too had a similar problem with dried paint. <S> Took a few paint "chunks" out of the dried gallon and let sit in plastic cup with a bit of hot water. <S> After some stirring and the "chunks" had softened, while wearing rubber gloves, carefully spread one of the bigger softened chunks along the touch up area (dent from a chair) then smoothed out with the brush. <S> it worked like a charm! <A> I put very hot water into a small plastic container which contained the Latex Paint "Putty" that I took from the bottom of the paint can. <S> I stirred it with the thin end of an artist's brush, and I was able to paint with it and use the paint for touch up!
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You can thin the paint with FLOETROL.
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How can I fix a garbage disposal with crushed glass in it? I have a garbage disposal that had a shot glass fall in. It got ground up. The disposal got jammed; I unjammed it and now it makes a glass grinding noise because of the shards inside. How do I clear the glass? What do I need to do to fix this? <Q> The easy way: remove the large shards with tongs. <S> If you're having a hard time, cut up an old kitchen sponge, make sure it's soft (moist) and put it in the tongs as a bait for all the glass shards. <S> They'll stick in the sponge just like they would your hand. <S> Then, just hope that the small pieces will go down the drain with time. <S> The hard way: unhook the disposal (turn off the power first), take it outside, turn it upside down, and really work on it with a garden hose. <S> Wear gloves and verify by operating it via the screw on the base to make sure you got everything before you take it back in. <S> Don't do this anywhere <S> someone would go barefoot. <A> I've used a warmed, peeled potato with good effect to pick up glass. <S> Also if you can get a wet/dry shop vac in there you can attempt to use that to bring the pieces out. <A> The tong approach is good, and it is safe. <S> Don't try with your hands. <S> Ball up some duct tape with sticky side out and dob it around the bottom of the disposer. <S> The smaller pieces will work themselves out with time. <S> Putting some bread or other porous sticky organic material in there and running it will help gather the shards and pass them. <S> Go easy on the water, so the bread will catch the glass before it dissolves too much. <A> I agree to use tongs (or large needle-nose pliers) to get the big glass shards. <S> Then I would use a Shop Vac for the smaller bits. <S> Next, I would put a wooden broom handle down the disposal and work the blades back and forth a few times to shake loose any bits of glass that might be wedged. <S> Shop Vac again. <S> Anything that is left by that point would be like grains of sand, and would probably wash through the disposal. <S> Fill a pot or pitcher with water and dump it directly into the disposal. <S> Repeat a few times. <S> (Don't turn on the disposal during this. <S> The idea is to get the glass out of there so the mechanism doesn't dull excessively while eating glass.) <S> Finally, run the disposal for a minute or two with a steady stream of water. <S> Any tiny/stubborn bits that you missed should be ground to dust. <A> I'm sure all of these may offer some relief but in my experience the best way to fix the issue it to locate the hex key at the bottom of the disposal. <S> Stick an Allen wrench in it and turn it till the glass clears. <S> The Allen wrench may only turn one way, it depends on where the teeth are but just work it back ad forth to grind the glass. <S> I've tried this'd this and my disposal works better than ever. <S> Best part is it only took a few minutes to clear up the issue. <S> Hope this helps! <A> I used tongs but they only got me so far so I then used a spoon and butterknife to bring the smaller pieces to the center and used a dry swiffer sheet to grab the pile and repeated this until all was collected. <S> Got it done in about 20 minutes and everything is working now. <A> Get an old rag, a rubber band and a knife. <S> Put the rag over the knife and secure it with the rubber band. <S> Next stick it down your sink and really move around whatever is in there. <S> Afterwards I just used the hose on my vacuum to suck out the glass shards. <S> Then my garbage disposal worked again. <A> Many garburator a do NOT have the screw underneath. <S> I fixed mine that way <S> but my neighbour had a Waste King (you have to free blades from top with wooden spoon or <S> broom handle).I used a ball of silly putty to get the small pieces and freed the blades then pushed reset <A> The vacuum thing works plus a little muscle. <S> Easy fix and sure beats calling a plumber. <A> I have found that grinding up glass in a garbage disposal is actually good for the disposal. <S> If I ever break a regular class I take the broken pieces and put in my disposal. <S> It seems to sharpen the blades <S> and I don't have any problems After.
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First, vacuumed out the glass from above, inserted the Allen wrench below and ground up the shards in the disposal until the disposal moved freely.
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Will colouring mortar weaken it? My neighbour has recently had some work done to her roof. The old mortar was red and the new mortar is grey (uncoloured). So it looks a little silly with both colours present. She's not very happy about this and when she complained they told her that colouring the mortar would make it weaker and more likely to crumble. Whilst that sounds feasible it also sounds like an excuse. Surely the strength of the mortar is down to the ratio & quality of the mix, isn't it? (The mortar at the front of the house is red, the replaced mortar at the side is not) <Q> What is mortar doing on the roof???? <S> you mean brick siding up to the roof or on the chimney? <S> I would bet a paycheck that the contractor forgot to add it and is covering his butt. <S> A good contractor would have discussed any concerns with the customer before doing the work. <S> To use a different colored mortar on a repair where visible, sounds pretty incompetent to me. <A> I agree with shirlock homes. <S> It will not weaken it if used properly. <S> As for what to do now. <S> You can dye it . <S> There are acid stains and water-based dyes. <S> It seems like acid stain would work better, but it is much harder to make it go where you want it. <S> It is so thin that it just spreads everywhere. <S> Painters tape just soaks it up. <S> The water based stain is thicker so you can put it where you need it. <A> Coloring mortar and concrete is a widespread practice. <S> Maybe it causes slight weakening, but not something to make a big deal of. <S> For example, I often see colored paving tile (made of concrete) in my region <S> and I can't say it's worn out more than uncolored one. <S> Also paving tile is an example of material which is exposed to extreme wear and so its manufacturers wouldn't go for it if it had negative consequeneces. <S> Of course, you need to use special pigment and do it right.
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Regardless, adding mortar dye will not weaken the mortar if used properly.
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Should I use nails or screws for hanging drywall on the ceiling? I'm replacing water-damaged drywall on my ceiling and was considering using screws. Other than cost, is there any other reason I should use nails instead? Or am I too paranoid that nails won't have enough holding power? I'd prefer the cheapest option that's still going to be effective. <Q> There is absolutely no reason to use nails in this day and age. <S> I urge you to use 1 5/8" drywall screws. <S> There are several reasons. <S> Screws have much better holding power, they are actually faster to install, and they can be slightly counter sunk during installation to make mudding a lot easier ( especially with a drywall screw gun or a decent drywall bit that can be used in any drill). <S> Nails can loosen with age and "pop" out through the mud coat, cracking your paint. <S> The difference in price is negligible, but the difference in performance is massive. <S> Drywall finish is the end result of a room project, the surface you will see for a very long time, don't cheat yourself. <S> Do it well, use screws and a good gun or bit. <S> Good Luck. <A> Home Depot has them, as I'm sure does Lowe's, a Phillips head bit with a collar around it that'll stop the driving of the screw once you reach the surface of the drywall; they're used to counter sink the screw without breaking the paper (important). <S> We used them in the kitchen <S> and I'll be using them this week on the bedrooms; I wanna say a pack of 5 is less then $10? <S> Last time I bought them, they were DeWalt brand <S> I think. <S> Great "tool" for making the job a little easier. <S> and we did it 2 years ago; <S> but I'd think you'd have far less than if you used nails. <A> There are a few places where nails are backing out of the drywall in my house, particularly on the bathroom ceilings. <S> I don't know the cause (movement? <S> house is about 40 years old), or if "doing it correctly" would have mitigated against this in the first place. <S> But it looks terrible; and I'm using screws as I repair areas to prevent this from occurring again. <A> Ring nails <S> a.k.a. drywall nails should be used on the perimeter of the sheets and screws in the "field" of the sheet. <S> The most important factor in fastening drywall is not tearing the paper which greatly reduces the holding power of the fastener and leads to sagging or cracking. <S> Use ring nails on the perimeter and space them about every 8" on ceilings and every 10" on walls. <S> When nailing or screwing drywall, ALWAYS make sure that the fastener goes in at a right angle and not crooked: the head of a crooked fastener will tear the paper every time. <A> I MIGHT PREFER RINGED DRYWALL NAILS FOR CEILINGS. <S> (if you use non-ringed drywall nails in a ceiling: yes they will have popping issues, but no one ever said non-ringed were ok for ceilings!! <S> popping nails are a rumor - <S> no one ever used non-ringed i hope.) <S> For my joists (late 1970's good wood), I just pulled down drywall for sagging (NOT for popping, due to installation issues). <S> The ringed nails are DIFFICULT to move or get out with hammer OR <S> nail puller ... <S> all of them: but easier than pliers with screws obviously. <S> Why is because I'm going into JOISTS. <S> If the ceiling ever needs replacement can you imagine the mess of removing asia made screws that are mudded and painted? <S> Get your pliers and all day cussing, it's a little spoken "issue" with asian drywall screws. <S> You only find a little chat on a forum of some poor soul asking others how to do it. <S> Some say you can just "hammer off drywall screws" (smack on the side, they break, due to being brittle). <S> If that's your plan: better try it to make sure it works: there is no such thing as "justice" when it comes to standaards. <S> You have no idea if the screw maker did or didn't mix the metal just right for this "contractor tip" to work. <S> Ringed Drywall Nails are cheaper, HOLD GREAT, and do not require purchase of a good quality $350 Dewalt ratcheting screw gun. <S> They are definitely an option for (DiY) projects.
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The perimeter of the sheets have to be fastened so close to the edge that screws often tear the paper or completely cause the edge of the drywall to blow out. I agree with the posts above; screws have a better grip and the fastener is the first stage of the finished product; no one wants to see nail pops or the like - not saying you won't have screw pops over the first year; we have 1 or 2 in the kitchen
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Is it a good idea to paint during Winter? I heard that interior painting is not a very good idea during winter. How accurate is this statement and why? <Q> Absolutely not accurate!!!!!! <S> There is no reason not to paint inside as long as temps are above 60F. Today's latex acrylic paints dry fast, adhere well, and apply well in moderate temps. <S> ( we always use some flowtrol to make it work longer and spread smoother) <S> Longer dry times lets more dust adhere. <S> Go for it during the winter, then you will have more time to enjoy the out of doors come summer time!!!! <A> The main reason I don't paint in the winter is ventilation. <S> If you're indoors, temperature shouldn't be an issue. <S> However, I like to leave the windows open while painting to get some fresh air, and that's a huge waste in the middle of winter or summer. <A> Temperature and humidity can affect how well the paint adheres to the surface being painted. <S> I imagine that using a low-quality paint in a humid environment could create a problem, especially if trying to apply multiple coats. <S> Quality paints (and paint is, in my experience, something to spend the money on) have pretty wide tolerances though; I wouldn't hesitate to paint in the winter. <A> All paints have a range of temperatures and humidities at which they work best and you <S> may experience problems with it taking longer for the paint to dry etc. <S> if you work outside these ranges. <S> This applies to high temperature as well as low temperature, though it's usually high humidity <S> that's more of a problem (as shirlock mentions). <S> So check the data on the side of the can to see what the manufacturer recommends. <S> If you're concerned that the temperature might be outside the range try a small area (or paint a spare board) and see how well the paint goes on and how long it takes to dry before tackling the whole room. <S> If the paint you have does cause you problems and <S> you really have to paint in "extreme" conditions <S> go back to the store and see if there's a different kind of paint that meets your requirements. <S> The main problem I find with painting during winter is the shortness of the daylight hours. <S> I find it difficult to get even and complete coverage of wall and ceilings in artificial light <S> so I much prefer painting in the spring and summer.
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Actually, in winter the relative humidity is usually lower, so paint dries faster than in the heat and humidity of summer.
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When should I replace a circular saw blade? Is there a rule of thumb for how often a circular saw blade should be replaced? Is visually inspecting the blade condition enough? <Q> You should replace your blade when its dull. <S> Ways to tell its dull: <S> it starts binding <S> it tears <S> /chips the substance more than usual <S> it burns the wood just a pain to use = a sharp blade <S> should let you push the saw forward with minimum effort. <S> If you find yourself forcing the saw forward (not ideal from a safety perspective), change the blade. <A> Looks for worn or chipped carbide teeth. <S> If the teeth are merely coated in pitch, you can remove it with oven cleaner (or in a pinch windex), and old tooth brush, and some elbow grease. <S> Cleaning saw blades <A> Sometimes you're using a sharp blade and it still cuts poorly. <S> You might be ripping with a crosscutting blade or crosscutting with a ripping blade. <S> Just like you do with your fish hooks, run the back of a finger nail over the saw teeth: if it scrapes, the teeth are sharp; if it slips over your nail without scraping, it's not sharp. <A> There is a fantastic way to clean pitch off of saw blades. <S> It is something that everyone has at home. <S> Laundry detergent. <S> Yeah, that's right simple laundry detergent! <S> I put a heavily burnt/pitch covered blade in a 12"x12"x5" plastic tub with a gallon of hot water and quarter cup laundry detergent. <S> Let it soak for three hours. <S> Use a nylon brush/toothbrush, and be amazed. <S> The pitch comes off like soot. <S> Rinse off. <S> Dry the blade thoroughly (I used a heat gun). <S> Apply thin Coat of oil, or blade oil on carbide tips.
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Blades should be replaced when they get dull or after you hit a screw or a hard knot.
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Can a plumbing vent go up and then back down to the connection with the vent stack? I am changing the location of all the fixtures in my bathroom. This move will put the toilet and sink on the opposite wall from the stack. I was originally planning on running a vent up the wall with the sink and across the ceiling to connect back into the stack, but this was assuming I would be replacing the 85 year old cast iron pipe with PVC so I could easily add a new connection up at the ceiling height. Now I am considering leaving the existing cast iron stack and trying to just reuse the existing connections. There is already a vent connection on the stack that is above the height of the sink, so if I could get the pipe over to this connection I could reuse it. However, to do so I would have to come up the wall, across the ceiling, and then back down the wall with the stack (so I use the old vent connection that is about 4 feet from the floor). I can't just route the vent horizontally around the edge of the room as there is a window on one wall and a door on the other. Would this configuration meet code? It seems to me it would work fine since it will always stay above the "overflow height of the tallest fixture". I am in Ohio, the Ohio Plumbing Code is based on the IPC. ║stack> ║ ║ ║ ╔══════════════╗ ║ ║ ║ <vent ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ╠══╝ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║drain> ╠═════════════════╝ ║ ║ ║ EDIT - The drain is 3" and will have a toilet sort of in the middle and a sink at the end (near the vent). The 3" drain may also tie into the tub drain or I could connect the tub to the stack separately (the tub is right next to the stack so I have more options). <Q> 905.2 Grade . <S> All vent and branch vent pipes shallbe so graded and connected as to drainback to the drainage pipe by gravity. <S> ( 2006 International Plumbing Code ). <S> This might prevent you from doing what you want, since your lower horizontal connection would have to slope toward the stack. <A> A vent must not allow accumulation of trapped air/gasses. <S> Bending downwards would probably not be acceptable. <A> I'm guessing it would be against code, but I've never looked this up, so maybe some others will chime in. <S> For all practical purposes, you don't want a space where anything (moisture) can collect and cutoff the airflow, grow mold, etc. <S> But I'd also look into a one way cheater vent that could be installed behind the sink and be done to code. <A> In the UK, in some cases, you can use an “ air admittance valves ” for a toilet, rather than a vent pipe provided you have a stack between it and the public system. <S> The ideal is that when you flush, a “surge” of water goes down the pipe. <S> The air in front of the “surge” needs to be able to escape out of the way by going up the stack, and air must be able to get in behind the “surge”. <S> Check if your local codes allows such a setup.
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If in the connection to the vent stack there is no area for water to get trapped, then you might still consider it. Not sure if this is allowed or not, but it might be something to look into.
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How to tidily integrate power into an island I'm currently running the ducts for wiring into my gutted kitchen and was wondering how best to integrate power into my island. I've seen pop-up products like this and this that fit nicely into the island, but am not sure of whether they're actually practical. Also, I'm unsure of how to wire the island. Do I wire a plug directly into the cabinet? <Q> I looked at the link you posted, personally, I think it looks a bit gimmicky and perhaps impracticable if you use it regularly. <S> I think you would be well served with permanently built in GFCI receptacles. <S> I would suggest that they be built into the sides of the island. <S> (never the top) <S> You can use old work plastic boxes with retainer tabs. <S> Using the box as a template, trace the shape on your cabinet panel, cut it out with a jig saw, install the box, bring your wires up from below, wire the GFCI, done. <S> Now you will have electrical power available from either side,and not have to worry about dirt or liquids getting into them. <S> Good Luck <A> Our island has 130mm overhangs on each end (plus 300mm overhand on the front for stools). <S> We simply had a power point installed under the overhang on the far side of the island where it is not visible. <S> Note the crappy location (we wanted it on the flat part of the panel), this was caused by clashing with the drawer runners in the island. <S> If I had know this upfront, I may have chosen a different power point. <S> I looked at the pop-up power points, but I think our solution was simpler, cheaper and better looking. <A> Depending on how tidy you want it, you can also wire a box up inside one of the cabinets, it just means that you'll have to open the cabinet door to actually make use of the outlet. <S> I've seen people do it under sinks for plugging in garbage disposals (which I don't think it allowed by code in all areas), or inside cabinets that have an appliance lift <S> so you can just leave the mixer plugged in. <S> (although, you have to turn the mixer sideways ... <S> it won't go into the cabinet the way they show it in the picture)
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Assuming the island is fixed in position, simply run wires up from under the floor, install device boxes in the left and right side panels of your island.
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What is the cheapest way to add texture to a wall The previous home owners used a perforating tool to remove wallpaper, and just painted over all the holes and lines. I am in desperate need of some texture with no budget. I need to put a new baby in the room. I don't want to buy a hopper, and the cans of texture are way too expensive. I don't think I have a steady enough hand to do skip trowel. Is there another inexpensive way to texture my walls? <Q> Alternatively, if you already have some paint, mix your own using a texture additive : <A> Here is a good article that sounds easy and fairly cheap (you can get a 5 gal bucket of compound for about $15). <S> Method One: <S> The Roller Sheetrock Texturing Method <S> This is the easiest of the two wall and ceiling texturing methods outlined in this tutorial. <S> You’ll need: Paint roller handle with cover and extension pole <S> Paint roller pan Electric drill <S> (drywall compound)or powder <S> Begin by thinning out the mud with water. <S> Transfer half the mud to a sturdy plastic bucket. <S> Add a cup of water to the remaining mud and mix it in well using the ribbon mixer with your electric drill. <S> You might have to add some more water or mud. <S> Ideally, it should have a consistency of a milk shake. <S> Apply the Texture First <S> , spread out the drop cloths in the work zone. <S> Pour some thinned mud in the roller pan. <S> There are two factors that determine how pronounced the finished texture will be — the nap of the roller used and the speed with which you roll the wall. <S> Play around with this with the first area before it dries until you get it <S> where you like it. <S> As you roll the nap will lift the mud off the wall in peaks. <S> The slower you go, the higher the peaks will be. <S> Start rolling up and down in one corner and work your way around the room. <S> For a more erratic pattern, roll back over it at random angles. <S> Set your internal artist free! <S> Read more: <A> Mix a cup of sand in a gallon bucket of thin mix joint compound... <S> about the consistency of thick pancake batter... trowel on with a large blade and "sand mix" will "skip" occasionally at sticking to wall... <S> do entire wall and when 90% dry <S> take a moist... <S> not wet <S> ... sponge and rub wall to soften peaks and smooth wall to uniform thickness... wait 24 hrs and paint as usual <A> I had the exact same problem, and went with a couple cans of spray knockdown texture and a foam knockdown knife. <S> Pretty good results, and the stuff is water-soluble and doesn't adhere strongly, so if you get it where you don't want it <S> , just let it dry as-is and give it a light touch with a scraping knife or a pink Scotch-Brite sponge. <A> Thin taping mud "thrown" at the wall with a stiff bristled brush . <S> After that you can paint over. <S> The thinner the mud, the softer the texture. <S> Full disclosure <S> : I've never done this myself, but have seen my dad (a drywall finisher by trade) do this. <S> It's similar to the way that some stucco work is done. <A> A masonry brush 10" wide joint knife and water thinned joint compound. <S> You can do leaf patterns, spatter, your artistic capability is the limit as to what you get. <S> Use the brush to apply the compound, let it set and knock it down with the joint knife. <S> It's also not as messy as the shootz gun which can be nasty for overspray. <S> It's come to be my preferred method as you are in direct control on how light or heavy the texture is. <A> Mix paint primer with ready made drywall mud. <S> Spread on wall randomly with fingers. <S> Knockdown with trowel and dry. <S> Paint. <S> Easy, Easy, Easy. <S> On my crappy pressboard painted walls for 2 years now and holding <A> The easiest quickest way is to use tissue paper . <S> I did this in a plywood walled bathroom in my old home. <S> You can look it up on-line. <S> First paint a layer of paint about the size of the tissue paper, then ball up a thin sheet of tissue paper, straighten it out and flatten it onto the wall. <S> Then paint another coat of paint over it. <S> This leaves a decent texture and covers up uneven walls very quickly and easily.
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Since you should paint over any texture you apply, combine the two into one step and use a texture paint such as popcorn or sand , both available from Home Depot (similar products are available at other stores). Ribbon mixer (found in drywall taping tool area of the home improvement store) Drop cloths 5 gallon bucket(s) of sheetrock mud
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What is the easiest way to remove a large root in a post hole I'm digging? I'm digging a 36" deep post hole for a fence I'm putting up, and about 15" down I ran into a very large root. Since the root seems to be running almost directly in line with the fence, and there isn't a tree attached to said root, I'd like to get rid of the root. I've been using a reciprocating saw to cut out hunks of it, but this has been very tedious and not as effective as I would like. Is there a better way to get rid of the root? It appears to be around 9" in diameter <Q> A reciprocating saw works nicely, with the proper blade. <S> You can buy a tree cutting blade for work like this, 10-12 inches long, with long sharp raking teeth. <S> We had an ice storm, and the clean up of hundreds of large branches and trunks was done entirely by reciprocating saw, wearing out only three of those blades in my Porter Cable. <S> Some trunks were over a foot in diameter. <S> (My chain saw chose that time to be singularly uncooperative.) <A> A chisel-point digging bar might help. <S> Depending on what type you get, you may even be able to sharpen it with an angle grinder for an axe-like end. <S> Just be prepared for a workout! <A> You may find it easier to use a drill with an extension or extra long bit attached so you can do most of the hard work without too much leaning over. <S> Punch a bunch of holes in each side, and then attack the little bit <S> left with a saw. <A> I have learned the hard way that it is not a good idea to use a PTO post hole digger with your tractor near trees. <S> To avoid getting the auger stuck in tree roots, first dig with a shovel. <S> If you find roots larger than 4 cm diameter, use a spade to clear the dirt from around the root as much as possible and then use a small chain saw to cut the roots on both sides of the hole. <S> You'll probably have to resharpen the chain afterwards, but this is the still the fastest way. <S> If the roots are less than 4cm in diameter, cut them with loppers. <A> I had a similar issue a few weeks ago and ended up having to relocate the post hole a foot or two down and just making a longer section of fence. <S> Though I do know this is not always an option. <S> It just happened to work perfect for me. <S> Another idea might be to burn it out. <S> Or perhaps use the same stuff they use on stumps to get rid of them. <A> When I had a similar problem I just sharppened a Hoe and went all in. <S> For the really tricky parts I hit it with a Pickaxe . <S> This will wear you out fast <S> so try to plan it over a couple of days or get an extra pair of hands so you can take breaks. <A> You can use a mattock........................................ or a double bevel mattock. <S> The difference is with large roots(forarm thickness and above), you won't be able to smash through is with a digging bar. <S> Think of a root as a large branch, you can't use brute force to break through it, so you need to simulate the action of an axe. <S> The mattock was made for just this. <S> Use the flat sharpened end to slice layers off, then rotate around to the other side to fully remove the slices. <S> Its like using an axe or hatchet. <A> If the root is running all the way right up to the length where you wanna put your fence along the same line, you may well want to make use of the root as well for building up the fence. <S> That would look pretty odd as well as fancy too .What <S> really you can do <S> is get a good fence build up on the root itself with all the major polls for the fence attached stiff to the root and joining each of them with a fancy strings or Steel rods each of which covered by Money plant. <S> I guess that would cover less destruction and will also give a retro Vintage look to your Fence. <A> The best way is to get a "Stubbebryter"(norwegian name for it) <S> In english this is translated with google translate to: "stump break" You can see it here: <S> This is how to build one <A> Warning <S> : Don't use this tip if the ground has a lot of rocks in it. <S> Also, if you want to avoid excessive cleaning of your chainsaw, dig a good berth around the root first. <A> You can probably rent a concrete core drill with a 8 or 10 inch cutter head and bore right on through it. <S> The old root will then help to anchor the new post when you back fill or cement it back in place. <S> It's always something. <A> I just got my hole punched through a stubborn root system using a half inch drill motor with a 2 inch hole saw. <S> I was able to reach down far enough to do several starts and finally got it sawed away. <S> Slow going and not the most practical idea <S> but it potentially works using tools you might already have in your garage. <A> I just ran into the exact situation yesterday afternoon. <S> My fix... multiple drill holes. <S> No blisters. <S> No multiple hours. <S> No making the hole bigger. <S> No excessive force with saws. <S> No running to the store for that special tool. <S> 1/2 hour extra time. <S> The worse part was running the extension cord. <S> Actually the worse part was reading all the suggestions and the time wasted on all the posts. <S> Just get it done. <A> Drilled a few holes all the way through a 12 inch thick root with a paddle drill bit. <S> Then widened the holes with wider bits until they almost joined. <S> Then levered the root with a spade and snap! <S> Dead simple, took 10 minutes in total! <S> I had wasted hours researching numerous websites, looking at all the suggestions and researching specialist tools that were being recommended when all that was needed was a little common sense.
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I've dug my share of trenches and post holes and found that a chainsaw does the trick quite nicely.
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Why is my tall fescue wilting? I currently live in North Carolina and this past fall I had tall fescue sod and an irrigation system put in my backyard. This spring I used Scotts fertilizer (in March). Since then I have been watering my lawn twice a week for 25 minutes each session (unless it was already raining). I was cutting my lawn once every couple of weeks for the past couple of months. In the last two weeks I have started doing it once a week (I learned that you do not want to cut more than 1/3 of the blade with each mow). I use a bagged lawn mower and take the grass clippings away from my yard. A couple of weeks back I noticed that my fescue was starting to wilt (see attached pictures). I have tried doing some research online but the only information I can find points to Brown Spot disease. Looking at my grass it does not appear to match the description of brown spot disease though. Why is my fescue wilting and what can I do to make it green again (and stay green)? I am considering consulting with TruGreen but figured I would seek advice online first. <Q> Have you had the soil tested? <S> I think you can find places on the web that you can send samples to. <A> I had this problem, not terrible grass, but not perfectly green either. <S> I finally got fed up and had new dirt brought in. <S> So I think this a problem with a chemical imbalance in the soil, not all fertilizers have everything your grass needs. <S> I can look into his further, but I would start by asking the local home depot grass guru, they know the specifics on breeds of grass and the local weather. <A> You can test this by pushing a medium sized screwdriver into the ground; you should be able to push it in three inches at least with a medium amount of effort. <S> If it takes a lot of effort to push it in that far...or you're not able to push it in that far at all, you probably need your soil aerated and you should add some organic material like humus and manure into your soil.
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Your soil may be compacted which prevents water and nutrients from getting to the roots as effectively.
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Why is it bad to flush baby wipes? I've always heard that you shouldn't flush baby wipes because They don't dissolve in your septic system They can clog old pipes. I currently live in a modern, multi-story apartment building. There is no septic system and only a few inches of pipe between the toilet bowl and the main sewage line. In what ways can wipes possibly damage this system? <Q> The problems don't stop at your system/pipes. <S> Just as they don't dissolve in your septic system (should you have one), they don't dissolve in the water company's septic system and can clog the equipment in the local sewage works that isn't designed to handle such "solid" waste. <S> While one or two wipes from one person probably won't do too much damage, if everyone did it it <S> would cause major problems. <S> As for problems to your system there's a good chance that the baby wipes will get caught up in any bends - specifically the U-bend in the toilet itself. <A> I just got to open up my septic tank a few weeks ago for this very reason (not a fun thing to do with a shovel), and even though you live in an apartment with sewer I wouldn't flush anything other than toilet paper. <S> If there are any places that one wipe can get caught in your drain pipes, then a lot of them will get caught in your drain pipes and they don't come out easy with a snake. <A> I have done a ton of reading on the issue of the so-called "flushable" wipes. <S> They are not flushable and I have stopped using them in my home. <S> The word "flushable" is not controlled in the industry at all; it is only used by the manufacturers. <S> My neighbor had a sewage flood of a foot in his finished basement. <S> The plumber found the cause to be these wipes caught up in the line in his yard leading the city line. <S> A root caused them to pile up. <S> They do not break down like the manufacturers say the will: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/video-hub/home--garden/bed--bath/flushable-wipes/16935265001/22783507001/ <S> I am considering buying this product for my family as an alternative (wipeaide). <S> I simply too scared to keep using in my home. <S> One county is fighting them: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/01/28/2639855/raleigh-says-paper-towels-and.html In one plumbing forum <S> I frequent, several guys are saying the flushable wipes are the best thing to happen to their businesses in years. <S> Guaranteed work year round. <A> Low flow water toilets are more problematic with wipes than the old models that consumed a lot of water.
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Consider using flushable wipes as they are smaller in nature and less likely to clog If you use wipes, you have to use it with toilets that use more water.
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Septic Replacement: Can I Do it Myself? I am looking at a property with a serious fixer-upper on it. I want to place a mobile home on the property while gutting out existing building to see if it can be renovated. My question is about the septic. I has a well and eptic, but has been abandoned for a few years now. I believe the septic will need to be updated, parts of it replaced. Is this something I can do myself, with the help of my brothers and dad? If so, what kinds of costs am I looking at? <Q> A job like this requires special licenses, permits, equipment, and knowledge. <S> It may seem like your just digging a hole and dropping a tank in it, but there is a lot more planning and hassle involved. <S> It's worth paying to have this done, rather than doing it yourself and then finding out it's not right and has to be ripped out and redone. <A> Tester is right on this one. <S> Most towns require several items before issuing a permit. <S> A septic plan designed for the proposed structure, (# of bedrooms/bathrooms ), a soils study done by a soils engineer, Perk tests in some areas. <S> and a site inspection pre-excavate and again before system is covered up. <S> Before you consider the expense of building a new system, it would be wise to have the existing system inspected and tested. <S> The inspector/engineer should be able to tell you it's size, capability, leach field condition and draw out the system in a form that will be acceptable to the town as a septic plan for future use. <S> Although I have seen some hearty souls attack doing a septic system themselves, this is typically a job better left to an experienced contractor with the right heavy equipment and know how. <A> Also, depending on your location, you may need to be a licensed septic installer in order to have the design approved, obtain the necessary permits, etc.. <S> (in the county I live in, this is the case). <S> I'd definitely call the pros in on this one. <A> As you can see, the answer is clearly, "no." <S> Let me offer another option: composting toilets and a graywater system! <S> You probably can install a composting toilet system or separate individual units, as well as graywater plumbing for everything other than the toilets. <S> Then you can abandon the septic tank and all future septic-related expenses too <S> (pumping can be north of $300 every couple of years). <S> And you get free compost and irrigation water out of the bargain.
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Replacing a septic system is a really crappy job, you'll want to let the pros handle this one.
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Do I need a wood hardener for worn door hinge screw holes? My house had a door removed by previous owners. The recesses in the jambs for hinges and catch were filled in with pieces of board (I don't know exactly what, but not solid timber), and painted over. I've hung a door there, removing the filled parts and placing hinges in the original locations. After a few months the door has sagged, and I cannot tighten the screws in the top hinge - they just turn in place. I was advised at my local home/hardware store that to fix this, I should spray some wood hardener into the screw holes, then when that has dried, fill with builder's bog and re-drill. There's a similar problem described on this site, where the answer suggested gluing toothpicks into the hole, using longer screws, or drilling larger holes, gluing dowel in and re-drilling. These options sound easier. So (finally) my question: Do I only need to go down the wood hardener path if the frame is rotten? And if so, how can I tell if the frame is rotten? It doesn't seem to be rotten from looking at the visible surface - can it still be rotten inside? It's an internal door, and I have no other reason to suspect rotten wood. <Q> You want to fill the hole in with solid wood. <S> Wood fillers won't have enough grip to hold a door... <S> There are several easy ways to do this. <S> If you have some scrap wood around, you can cut a chunk out that is a bit bigger than the screw hole, cover it in wood glue and hammer it into the hole. <S> Or you can buy a piece of dowel from the hardware store. <S> Just be sure it's a big bigger than the hole, and use glue. <S> Don't worry if the plugs sticks up a bit at first. <S> When the glue is dry, trim the plug with a chisel. <S> If you don't have a chisel, you can use a utility knife to trim the plug down to the surface. <A> Rot needs moisture to get started, so it's unlikely that an interior door frame would be rotten without you seeing other signs of water damage on the walls, floors, ceiling etc. <S> nearby. <S> A quick test for rot in wood is to try to push the point of a pick or the blade of a small flat-head screwdriver or into the wood: if it resists, the wood is sound and if it pushes in easily, it's rotten. <S> If you're really concerned that the frame is rotten, you should think about replacing it: it would be very hard to be sure that you've covered the entire rotten piece with hardener just by going through the screw holes. <S> Otherwise, I'd just go with my advice from the question you linked to. <A> An alternative to repairing the hole is to use longer screws. <S> I have fixed similar situations by using 3" deck screws that anchored back in the stud behind the jamb. <S> Not an option if there is masonry behind the jamb, but in most wood frame construction there is a stud. <A> I'd try the toothpick idea first. <S> One or two in a stripped out screw hole usually works for me. <A> The wood probably isn't rotten, it's just worn out. <S> If it was rotten - damage caused by water and bacteria - you'd eventually need to replace the frame. <S> Unless you've had water damage or high humidity, this probably isn't the case. <S> That said, I'd try the longer screw idea first, especially if the current screws are 1.5" or less.
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Wood hardener will harden the wood, but still not provide anything for the screw to bite into.
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How can I keep my doors from expanding in the heat? During the summer months, some of the doors in my house become difficult to open and close. I can get them to shut by either slamming the door or by pulling upwards on the doorknob before opening or closing the door. My assumption is that this happens because the heat causes the wood to expand. But since it only happens to some doors, is there anything I can do to prevent it? <Q> Like user2492 says, it's almost certainly moisture. <S> Unless it's raising the bottom of the door for different flooring, or removing a lot of layers of paint, I leave shaving the door down as a last resort. <S> Prefab doors are all designed with specific clearances and any mistakes are almost always from the installation. <S> To fix the hinges, you have two options, push things out or pull things in. <S> Since you have to lift the door, you can push it out from the bottom and pull it in at the top. <S> The most frequent issue I see is the door trim pulling away from the building frame at the top from the weight of the door. <S> And the easiest way to pull that in is to remove the highest screw that is also closest to the hinge pin, and replace it with a 3" deck screw (assuming you have wood framing). <S> The deck screw doesn't have threads in the last inch, so it will pull the hinge and door trim towards the framing when you get it all the way in. <S> The reason for replacing the screw closest to the hinge pin is to also get the hinge to twist a bit and close tighter (compare the closed top and bottom hinge when the door is closed to see how the bottom hinge fits tight). <S> Just be careful that you don't over tighten the deck screw and cause cracking or a lot of paint damage on the door <S> trim. <S> Should you not be able to use a deck screw (e.g. non-wood framing), or for anyone that needs to push the hinge out, you can use a washer behind the hinge and return the screw through that washer. <S> If you put the washer closer to the hinge pin, it will cause the hinge to stay open further when closed. <S> And if you put the washer away from the hinge pin, it will cause the hinge to close tighter. <A> It's probably moisture, not the heat causing your doors to stick. <S> Edit - If you have to lift the door to open it, you probably need to adjust the hinges. <A> If you have to lift the doorknob to get the latch to engage or disengage the strike plate, try tightening down the screws on the hinges. <S> That might be enough to align the door correctly. <S> If not, you can try the answer from BMitch and make more drastic adjustments to the hinges.
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Wood will warp and change shape as moisture levels change, and depending on the grain, each door may warp differently. If the doors are hung properly (use a level to check the jamb) and you just want a simple solution, you might be able to get away with shaving a little off the side of the door that sticks.
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How can I tell if a circuit breaker is worn out? I was installing a light and tripped the breaker (in retrospect, should have turned the breaker off before starting). When I finished installing it I reset the breaker and tried the light switch. The light still had a short, however, instead of the same breaker tripping it ended up tripping the main breaker. I disconnected the light, turned off all breakers, reset the main breaker, and turned the local breakers back on. Everything is now humming along perfectly. My current belief is that the local breaker must have been busted by the first short and failed to catch the second short. Questions: Does this diagnosis seem correct (broken local breaker)? Does this mean I should have the main breaker replaced, could it be worn out now? Is there any way to test breakers other than making a short? Is it a good idea to replace breakers when buying a house (not a new one of course)? <Q> Breakers are supposed to be good for a fairly large number of triggers, and they are supposed to fail open when they fail. <S> Is there a chance that you were running at a heavier overall load when the second incident occurred? <S> I'm thinking that if you were say within 10 amps of max on the main breaker just due to normal load (air conditioners, perhaps?), and caused a short on the secondary (a 15 amp circuit, perhaps), you might have triggered the main to trip first by simply overloading it, before the secondary could draw enough to trip. <S> If you really think the secondary might be bad, then by all means replace it, but no, you don't have to replace the main just because it tripped. <S> As long as it feels normal when you move it back into position (flip some other breakers to see how they feel - there shouldn't be any slop in the movement), you'll be fine. <S> The last several times I've seen breakers fail they've all failed open. <A> 1.Not necessarily. <S> 2.No <S> 3.Breakers have two different trip modes. <S> One is the "thermal trip" where it accumulates heat due to being in an overload state (somewhat higher than the rating) and will eventually trip. <S> The time depends on the load. <S> A 30 amp load on a 15 amp breaker should be within a minute. <S> A 20 amp load might give you 10 minutes. <S> A 16 amp load may well be within the range of not ever tripping. <S> The other mode is "magnetic trip". <S> This is designed to be an instant trip if the current exceeds some high amount. <S> This should be high enough that a motor start should not trip it and that can be 6 times the current or more. <S> I'd expect a 15 amp breaker to have a 90 to 150 amp magnetic trip point. <S> An intentional overload would only trip the thermal half. <S> A short trips the magnetic half. <S> You should not intentionally do the latter due to the arc hazard. <S> 4.That would be dictated by the age of the breakers. <S> You should hire an electrician to inspect the breaker panel. <S> The breakers can be removed and their attachment contacts inspected to look for arc trails and heat damage due to bad contacts. <S> Also: The springs for breakers should be checked. <S> I recommend all breakers, including the main breaker, be manually switched off and back on every 2 to 3 years. <S> Do this often enough and you could likely tell if a breaker feels wrong. <S> I do this myself about once a year, usually when the power goes out <S> so I'm not powering off stuff more often than needed. <A> That's 4 questions. <S> You should split it up. <S> 1,2) <S> Michael Kohne has answered these. <S> 3) You could plug in a kettle and hairdryer into the same circuit, but it seems dangerous -- particularly if the breaker is iffy. <S> 4) <S> It's not a bad idea, but it's not necessary. <S> A breaker costs about 7-8 bucks, so if you're doubtful, go ahead, it won't hurt. <S> You can do it yourself, just turn off the main breaker first. <S> It is however, an excellent idea to have your electrical system inspected by a qualified, licensed, and insured electrician when buying a house. <S> It won't cost that much. <S> A good electrician will also tell you what you can do yourself (receptacles etc.) <S> and what you should have done professionally. <A> Don't even guess if it's worn out. <S> Just replace it. <S> They are so cheap. <S> Don't take a chance with your safety. <S> Have the circuit tested by a professional. <A> For the main breaker to trip under the above situation an instantaneous event occurred. <S> One logical conclusion is the branch circuit breaker controlling the lighting circuit that faulted to ground failed. <S> When you reset the initial tripped breaker the trip mechanism was no longer operable. <S> The second ground fault elevated the fault current due to cycle time and tripped the main. <S> Now, reviewing the problem description the branch breaker was not replaced which leads us to a timing issue. <S> The branch circuit breaker will trip in 3~4 cycles under an instantaneous condition. <S> The main will require a higher fault current to trip. <S> The fact the branch breaker did provide localization (did not trip) is reason to replace the branch circuit. <S> Also verify the ground connections are in good condition.
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An experienced electrician can tell if the springs are weak when she switches them on as they won't feel as stiff as they should.
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What kind of lubrication should I use for a lock? I recently made the Yale lock on my front door much easier to open by spraying some WD-40 in there. However, I just saw this question on WD-40 not being a “true” lubricant, and wondered whether it was appropriate to use on Yale locks? <Q> OLD ANSWER (Improved below) <S> Graphite powder is the preferred lubricant for locks. <S> You should be able to get it at any hardware store in a squeeze bottle that is half air, allowing you to blow it right into the keyway. <S> You are going to <S> have to wait a while before putting it on, as the residual WD-40 <S> will gum it up. <S> EDIT: <S> As per MrSquonk's comment below -- Try coating the key and work it in slowly. <S> It's less messy. <S> LATE EDIT: <S> Comment below edited into the answer. <S> Please read full comment thread. <S> Yale USA says: Yale <S> Cylinders should be lubricated periodically depending upon environmental conditions and usage. <S> LAB Lube is the approved lubricant. <S> Caution: <S> It is not recommended to lubricate cylinders with oil or to mix lubricants. " <S> LAB Lube Micronized polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) <S> Powder <S> A dry white powder lubricant that will not "cake-up" as graphite does. <S> A superior friction-fighting agent <A> Do not use any kind of silicone lube, that's FAR worse than WD-40 <S> (I had a guy come in with a couple locks he'd done that to, it ended up costing him a good bit of labor for me to undo that mess)! <A> This page on YaleDoor.co.uk <S> http://www.yaledoor.co.uk/blog/post/2012/05/01/Home-Door-Lock-Maintenance-Tips.aspx <S> Says the opposite ... <S> "Any, “all purpose” oil or lubrication will do the job, but be sure never to lubricate your door locks with powder graphite, as it will do more harm than good. <S> Simply insert the straw (which is normally supplied with lubricants such as WD40) into the lock cylinder and spray away! " <S> Now I'm confused <A> If you use WD-40 to lubricate anything, it will probably stick/squeak again in the near future. <S> Myself I use a silicone spray in lock cylinders. <S> Graphite or PTFE might be better or worse, I don't know. <A> I just spoke to someone at Yaledoor in their technical department and they advised, 3-in-1 or another 'light engineering oil'.
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® KeyMark® cylinders are lubricated from the factory with a Teflon® lubrication. For locks that are in such bad shape that one is unable to get graphite powder in it, you can first use a little bit of LPS 1 (Greaseless lubricant). Think of WD-40 as a very good cleaning agent, not a lubricant.
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What's the best way to protect myself from a rental house? I am in the market to rent a home, and am looking to compile a list of things to check both before and after taking possession. Before to make sure the house is in a condition I am aware of, like checking all the toilets flush and the lights work, no visible mold, and things I should be aware of to get in writing. After to make sure I keep myself from getting in trouble, like changing the locks and...well that's all I can think of for after. I've found a couple pages online that mention things to do with leases but not so much with inspecting houses, and there are obviously different things to pay attention to with rentals than with buying a house. <Q> You can find home inspection checklists online (e.g. http://www.clta.titlewizard.com/learning_center/documents/HomeInspectionCklist.pdf ), but these are written for home buyers. <S> As a renter, I wouldn't accept a lease that holds you responsible for damage that you didn't create, and I also wouldn't accept a lease that doesn't exclude normal wear and tear. <S> In this market, there's no reason to deal with anyone that expects you to deal with these things. <S> If a toilet isn't working or the wiring is bad <S> , it's the landlord's responsibility to fix. <S> The things I would lookout for are the obvious: are there spots in the carpeting or damage to the walls from the last tenant that haven't been repaired. <S> Know your responsibilities with the landscaping in advance. <S> In my neighborhood, the rentals are typically the ones with small jungles growing in the backyard. <S> If you're paying for the utilities, look for energy saving devices, including an electronic thermostat that can adjust on a schedule when you're at work. <S> For water, low flow toilets and shower heads will save you money. <S> Make sure there are smoke detectors in the bedrooms and GFCI outlets near any source of water. <A> Document, document, document. <A> Renter's Insurance. <S> Just about every major company provides it (including State Farm, All State, Progressive, GEICO, etc). <S> It's worth it.
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Take photos and make a list of anything wrong with the apartment when you move in so you can't be blamed for it when you move out. It is a good idea to make sure the appliances and utilities are all in good running condition, but more because that indicates how well the landlord maintains the property and gives you some idea of how much they will take care of things once you are renting. For safety, look for deadbolts on the doors and locks on the windows (and check the crime stats for the neighborhood).
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Door jamb on a 2.5" thick wall What approach can be used to fabricate and install a door jamb on a 2.5" thick wall? The wall is composed of 2x4 on side (1.5") and two sheets of 1/2" drywall. Edit:I have an old 5 panel door that fits the rough opening and old casing that I'd like to use if I can. <Q> You can pull the door apart (they come in two pieces for the installation) and cut about 3/4" off of the inset part of the door. <S> Since this side goes into the channel on the other half of the door, you'll never see it if the cut isn't pretty. <S> I believe there's at least 1/4" of play in that channel, but measure first. <S> Second option is to get some strips of 1/2" wood to install behind the trim around the door. <S> Hang the door as you normally would, but leave it 1/2" out from the walls. <S> Then, before nailing the trim into the wall, place the 1/2" strips of wood behind the trim around the doorway. <S> The first option is a bit tricky since the door is very weak when disassembled and the trim makes the corners difficult to cut around. <S> The second option comes in handy when you realize the problem after you've already installed the door <S> (we all forget to measure first sometimes), but I don't think it looks as good to have trim sticking out like that. <A> I saw this posting today and thought of this question. <S> What about just finishing the opening and using a sliding door? <S> http://freshome.com/2011/06/03/ingenious-door-sliding-system-for-saving-valuable-space-in-your-home <A> I decided to try building my own jamb since I had some boards, some casing, and a door already. <S> Not sure if I did it in the best way <S> but it looks and works ok so far. <S> I ended up using some lengths of 3/4" poplar and ripping them down to 2.5". <S> I cut the side jambs to be an inch shorter than the rough opening and the top jamb (lintel?) <S> to be 1/2" narrower than the rough. <S> This leaves ~1/4" around the jamb for squaring and plumbing. <S> I then measured for the hinges, allowing for 1/8" on the top and sides of the door for expansion. <S> Translating this measurement to one of the side jambs, I made three mortises for the hinges. <S> Then I butted the side jambs into the top jamb and screwed them together. <S> I then put the assembled jamb into the rough opening and leveled the top, shimming where necessary. <S> Then I plumbed one jamb with shims and measured the distance between jambs to get the second plumb, top to bottom, again using shims. <S> Once everything was square I put screws into the jambs, through shims, into the wall studs. <S> Finally I installed the hinges on the jamb and then had help holding the door and installing the hinges to the door. <S> Altogether it turned out pretty well. <S> The door gap is not perfectly even on the top jamb. <S> I think that's because the boards I used for the jamb were not perfectly flat.
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I can think of two options using the prehung doors available in HI stores:
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What's the best way to hang an unframed poster on a sloping wall without using something that will damage the poster? What's the best way to hang unframed posters on a sloping wall without using tape or velcro or glue that would damage the poster? Thumb-tacks don't work too well because the poster ends up sagging between the tacks. I'd love to find a way of attaching the posters to the wall so that they lie as flat and as close as possible to the wall without resorting to adhesives that could damage the posters or the wall. <Q> Poster putty is an adhesive, but supposed to not damage posters or walls. <S> Similar products are sold under names like Sticky Tack, Mounting Putty, and Blu-Tack. <A> Get a piece of glass (or plexi) cut to the exact size of the poster. <S> Buy some nice hanging nails and use them to rest the glass on - one at each corner. <S> The nails pictured below have a really nice edge, hold the glass well, and leave very little damage to the wall. <S> You can pick these up at a hardware store or a framing store. <S> I've hung <S> entire shows this method <S> and it's very nice. <S> I also used to work at a gallery and this method was the preferred method for hanging flat artwork. <S> No framing of any kind was needed. <A> The only way I can think of is to use a frame ;) <S> You don't need to frame each poster, but create something like the advertising hoardings you see on bus stops (in the UK at least) where the frame can open and a new poster inserted. <S> So what you'll need to do is get a piece of glass or Perspex slightly larger than the poster you want to hang. <S> Then create a frame with a cross section something like this: | space for poster ||------------------| <- frame+- <S> ^ <S> -+ <S> | glass/Perspex <S> If you have this on three sides the poster can slot in at the top. <S> It will rest against the glass/Perspex and hence be flat. <S> One step further would be to add a hinge on one side and a catch on the other so it can be totally enclosed to keep dust etc out and make changing posters a bit easier. <S> You can get the moulding to make the trim quite easily. <S> There are various shapes "Hockey Stick" being one. <S> Cut to length and mitre the corners. <S> Stick to the wall and then slide the Perspex in. <S> If you use Perspex it will be lighter than glass so you might get away with glueing the frame to the wall rather than screwing. <A> You can buy wood strips with a slit that (gently) grab the edge of the poster, distributing the weight across the width. <S> There is a string that goes from end to end of the wood so you can hang it. <S> These work great; my friend used to use them for his treasured anime posters. <A> Magnets! <S> Press the poster against the wall where you would like it to be and make a mark underneath each corner of the poster. <S> Put the poster aside. <S> Hammer a nail onto each mark. <S> Then put the poster on top of the nails. <S> Then place a small magnet on each corner. <S> Done. <S> Although I would always suggest framing if your poster is worth a lot of money. <S> hanging with magnets does not damage the art, but also does not protect it from somebody bumping into it, touching it, etc. <A> 3M makes Command adhesive strips for posters. <S> They supposedly come off clean when you pull the tab. <S> From my experience, this type of adhesive works really well. <S> I used them a for a towel hook in college since we weren't allowed to have even thumbtacks in the wall. <S> At the end of the semester, you couldn't tell anything had been there at all. <S> No sticky residue left over, and no scraping with a razor blade required. <S> If you go for the poster putty in @Vebjorn's answer, make sure to find a white version, or whatever color most closely matches your wall color. <S> I've seen that type of adhesive stain before - both the wall and the back of the poster. <S> Disclaimer: <S> I've used other Command products, but not the poster strips in particular. <A> I think in my case I'm not too worried about the wall but the actual poster as some are worth and can be worth a lot of money, e.g.; Vampirella Posters from the 70's fetch hundreds $$ nowadays providing they're mint. <S> My suggestion if yours are in the same category, you know when you go to a poster shop and they display them in those see thru folders, that is what I would use, then you can swap and change as you like and no damage whatsoever too the poster. <S> The only problem is obtaining these poster holders. <S> Good luck.
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I hang my posters gallery-style.
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hammer drill not making any progress Aiming to put some bike hooks into a plaster on brick wall - We've acquired a hammer drill and have been practicing on a spare brick and a backyard cement wall but the drill is just barely / not really progressing. Not at all working as quickly as it shows in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjE6nsfdjpo Some details: It's a corded drill We are using masonry bits - they've got the little hammer heads on the edge We've tried a larger and a smaller size bit The drill is in fact set in the forward position :) Are we missing something? <Q> Assuming the drill you have is working properly, you may have dull or worn bits. <S> A masonry bit does not last long, especially in concrete or brick. <S> Cheap bits are no bargain. <S> Start with a new bit, when the speed of boring slows to about half or less, time for a new bit. <A> For both masonry and cement you need to make sure hammer action is selected on the drill. <A> I recently did my first project involving a hammer drill - installation of a rubber roof on my poured concrete garage. <S> I used a Black & Decker 3/8" hammer drill. <S> My checklist was: drill is turning clockwise hammer mode selected 2nd (faster) gear selected masonry bit is in good shape <S> I installed about 150 fasteners during the project and went through, I think, 4 masonry bits. <S> If I had bought a couple more I would probably have switched more often. <S> Also, if you happen to be installing a lot of concrete fasteners, the Tapcon Condrive system will save you a lot of time. <S> Finally, there were some spots in the concrete where I just couldn't drill through. <S> Probably I was hitting some rebar or a particularly strong stone, but sometimes persistence just wasn't good enough. <S> At those points I'd either switch to a shorter fastener or find a different location to drill. <A> The brick in the video must be pretty soft. <S> Last time I had to use one of these, it was into a cement foundation, going about 15-20" down with a large bit (maybe 3/4"). <S> It's been years ago, but <S> I'm pretty sure it took about 30 minutes per hole. <S> For our depth, pulling the bit out frequently is very important, both for clearing out the hole, and for straightening up any rough sides (maybe once for every inch drilled). <S> Don't ignore the suggestion for the earplugs and other protective gear, unless you want to ask everyone to repeat themselves for the next few days.
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You should find the drill vibrates a lot when hammer action is selected and the drill will need some pressure applied in the direction of drilling for hammer action to work.
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There's a difference between hot/neutral AC lines in a plug, but does it matter? Saw the good answer to this question: Is there a difference between the two conductors in 120VAC wiring? But I'm wondering as a followup, since the two primary prongs in an AC mains plug are different, why (in many plug configurations) are you allowed to insert the plug in either direction? Is there ever a case where the appliance cares which line is "hot" and which is "neutral"? Is there ever a case where it's important enough not to screw up? <Q> In switched appliances, the appliance's on/off switch needs to be wired to the hot side of the connection. <S> Otherwise, you'd have current running through the device when it's powered off, just looking for an opportunity to cause a short. <S> For non-switched devices, I don't believe it makes a difference. <A> It's a quirk in the history of consumer electrical devices. <S> The earliest consumer electrical devices were, in fact, lightbulbs. <S> And they don't care which contact is active, although you probably do if you use an Edison Screw socket. <S> When sockets started to appear, using two identical parallel prongs was simple and obvious, which was probably why it was chosen. <S> A similar thought and markeing process would have led to the two round pins of the European socket. <S> It was only after consumer electricity became ubiquitous that safety started being considered. <S> That led to ground pins, and then polarised plugs and then switches, all applied to the entrenched standards retroactively. <S> It is illuminating to look at later common electrical plugs, such as the Australian one. <S> It was designed from the beginning to include an earth, be polarised and have switches. <A> One Example are the monstrous plugs in the UK. <S> BS 1363 <S> The system I like best is the one they have in Switzerland. <S> Stecker-Typ J <S> It is designed in such a way, that unpolarized plugs (e.g. "europlugs") can be inserted either way, but polarized plugs, that also carry the third prong for protection, can only be inserted the right way. <S> An at the same time, these plugs need significantly less space compared to the bigger round plugs used in most of europe.
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In some countries, at least in Europe, the outlets are polarized, so that appliances can 'know' which one is the hot wire.
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When wiring two circuits through the same conduit, what wire coloring is required? Problem I am wiring a septic control/alarm box to a subpanel. They are on the same post, so the wire run is through a short stretch of 3/4" flex conduit. There are two circuits required: a 240V for the pump and 120V for the control/alarm system. I'm using 12 AWG wire, as follows: hot to alarm neutral to alarm hot 1 to pump hot 2 to pump ground What does code say about coloring and grouping of these wires? What about best practices, beyond code? My Current approach I'm currently using: a 12/2 G cable. Black is alarm hot; white is alarm neutral. Bare is ground (duh). a black wire is pump hot 1 a white wire with red tape at both ends is hot 2 That seems confusing, and I'm not sure if it's quite to code. How can I improve it? Since it's a short run, I really don't mind buying new colored wire by the foot and redoing all of this. An alternative I have a bit of 12/3 G cable that I considered using like this: 12/3 G cable black is pump hot 1 red is pump hot 2 bare is ground (duh) white is neutral to alarm (remember, pump has no neutral) single black conductor to alarm I rejected this because I didn't like the idea of the control box's neutral being in the cable with the pump's conductors - more confusion. My neighbor's control/alarm box For comparison, here's my neighbor's control alarm/box, although it uses a 120V pump, so the white wire really is a neutral. (Click for full-sized image). <Q> Personally, I think mixing cable with individual wires is sloppy. <S> I'm going to assume that 12 AWG is the correct size for the pump, but you should check before actually putting in 12 AWG. <S> I would do one of two things: Run using NM cable: <S> A 12/2 wire for the 240V pump circuit: either black/red, or black/white tagged as hot <S> A 14/2 wire for the 120V alarm circuit <S> Ground in both cables is connected Or run individual wires <S> 1 12AWG or 10AWG ground (bare, or green) <S> 1 14AWG white neutral (alarm circuit) 1 14AWG other color (blue is often the 4th color used) hot for the alarm circuit <S> NM wire is usually easier to find, and you may even have some already (if not, having spare 14/2 available is never bad). <S> In either scenario, labelling everything at both ends is important. <A> Jay, either of your approaches would be fine. <S> To avoid any future confusion, you could also tag the conductors with labels or post a diagram of what you did inside the control box. <A> The obvious one is to use red for the second hot. <S> However what do you di with your "third" hot? <S> (I think this is usually for another phase). <S> In your case you would just be taping the wires to these colors. <S> I am not an electriction nor can I cite a section of the NEC that would apply to this. <A> From your description, I'd suggest the following: x/3 G from the main to the subpanel, where x is the appropriate size for your distance. <S> x/3 G from a 240v breaker to the pump. <S> Cap <S> the neutral if the pump doesn't have a place for it, but still run the wire to avoid future confusion. <S> Since it's a short run, the reduced confusion will more than offset any costs. <S> x/2 G from a 120v breaker to the control panel.
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For individual wires you often have to buy a spool of each color which makes going that way for one project more expensive, though you may be able to buy by-the-foot. : 2 12AWG's (black/red) for the pump circuit As far as code goes, I think you're okay with your approaches since you've tagged hots appropriately. I think you could go with blue or orange Putting red tape or "painting" a white conductor red is perfectly acceptable.
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How can I remove a stump? I need to level a patch of ground in order to put in a shed, but there's a large stump right in the middle of where the shed will go. Since I'm in a suburban setting, dynamite is out, fires are illegal, and I can't get a truck anywhere near the location. Is there any way to easily remove the stump? I've looked at renting something like a bobcat, but with delivery & pickup I'm looking at $500+. <Q> Go to your local rental store and ask for a walk-behind stump grinder. <S> They are easy to use, cheap ($40-50 a day). <S> Get some instruction from the rental store. <S> This machine is self propelled and can get into small areas. <S> Grind out the stump to a few inches below ground grade, then build your shed right over it!!!! <S> Good Luck <A> A stump grinder is a good choice, but if that won't work for you, here are some other options: Hire a stump-grinding service. <S> Not exactly in line with this site's DIY ethic, I admit. <S> This will be hard work, varying with the size of the stump and the type of soil. <S> Use an excavator to dig it out. <S> The smallest excavators will fit through a doorway, so you can probably get it in there. <S> The bigger the excavator, the quicker it will go. <S> It will probably take a while, though. <S> Use a chainsaw to cut it as low as possible. <S> Dirt will dull your chain quickly, so have a couple extras on hand. <S> Raise your shed up enough to get it over the stump. <S> You can store stuff underneath. <S> Use the stump to hold up the shed. <S> It's strong and will last a long time. <S> Rot <S> the stump out. <S> There are techniques to speed this up, including peeing on it! <S> but it will still take a long time. <A> If the tree was cut down a while ago then there is a good chance it is not as solid in the ground as when it was growing. <S> I have done what @Jay Bazuzi mentions in one of his suggestions and dug it out <S> and it is not too hard ( <S> and it is very satisfying when you get it out). <S> Of course this was with a stump that was about 8-10 inches in diameter <S> so depending on what size stump you have this may not be reasonable. <S> But if you have the time (and feel like a good challenge), just keep digging around the stump and then use an axe to cut away the roots as you get to them. <S> Then use a digging bar (with a piece of a 2x4 or other block to give you leverage) to pry it out of the ground (be careful when pushing down on the digging bar that it does not suddenly pop free and you have a 40 lb javelin flying through the air). <S> You will probably find there is only a couple of large roots that actually need to be cut in order to free it up. <S> Also if you come across a particularly large root just move out from the stump a little to cut it. <S> The diameter of the root will be much smaller, making it much easier to cut. <A> The most impressive method would be with a draft horse :) <A> People who cut down trees, etc. are really busy after major storms. <S> If the tree is already cut down and taken care of, and all that remains is the stump and roots, avoiding hiring them during one of these "after-storm busy" times. <S> Wait until their business is slow, and they'll cut you an amazing deal -- $100 or so. <S> I've seen some people attempt to burn them -- cut holes in them, start a fire <S> , do it the next day, over and over again, until it's gone. <S> In my experience, it doesn't work very well. <S> Unless you like working hard even though it's not going to save you any money, just hire someone.
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Get a mattock, a digging bar, and a shovel, and dig it out. I've taken care of tree stumps with a 3/4" drill bit and a recip saw, but honestly, it isn't worth the trouble.
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What is up with this wall, and what is the right way to hang something on it? I just moved in to a new apartment, in a very old house. The landlord mentioned that it is over 100 years old. The walls are plaster, which means (to the best of my knowledge) that there is lath beneath the plaster. On most of the walls, I've been able to hang things without much trouble. My stud finder has a little trouble on lath, but I've been able to get by, mostly because I'm not hanging lots of heavy stuff. However, I've run into a problem on one wall. It is an exterior wall. My stud finder fails completely here. The picture I'm hanging is heavy, but not terribly heavy, so in the absence of a stud location, I figured I would be fine if I could get a relatively deep nail in or some sort of anchor and screw. However, when I drove a nail in, it hits something very hard, and the nail will not go any deeper. It gets less than an inch into the wall, probably closer to 0.5". The plaster is very crumbly, and I don't trust the plaster to hold the picture I want to hang with such shallow penetration. What can I do? What am I hitting behind this wall, and what is the right way to hang something here? <Q> Given that it's an exterior wall you've probably hit brick. <S> This would explain both why you've not found a stud - there aren't any, and why the nail only goes in 1/2" - 1 <S> " - you've hit the bricks. <S> Given that the plaster is crumbling, the simplest solution would be to drill a hole with a masonry drill and use a screw (or screw hook). <S> If you want to hang a lot of things on this wall then it might be a better idea to install some sort of rail - either a traditional picture rail or a more modern alternative and hang the pictures etc. <S> off that. <A> If you're on a stud, you're likely hitting one of two things: another nail or a safety plate. <S> If it's a nail, you can move an inch away and have no issues. <S> If it's a safety plate, I'd go at least 3" away, if not more, since behind the plate is an electrical wire or pipe (gas or plumbing). <S> Note that higher end stud finders include AC and metal detection to avoid this hazard. <S> Edit: In the case that you don't have studs, then you probably have a cement, cinder block, or brick wall behind the plaster. <S> To get a nail in there, you'll need to install a masonry anchor, just like you need in your other question . <A> We have some of the hooks in our house, and the adhesive is powerful enough to hold up full Christmas stockings on the fireplace mantel without having to drill or nail any holes. <S> We also have some hooks to hold bathrobes on the inside of our closet door. <S> Recently, I pulled a robe off with enough force to break the rather sturdy hook, and the adhesive part didn't budge. <S> On the other hand, if you actually want the adhesive to come off, it's extremely easy to do so. <S> The stuff is like magic, and it's actually an improvement over nailed or screwed picture hangers no matter what your wall is made of. <S> Here's a link: http://www.command.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/NACommand/Command/Products/Catalog/?N=5584766+5924736+3294857497&rt=r3
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I suggest you try the Command (tm) picture hangers or hooks from 3M.
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Does the code inspector look at preexisting work, or only at recent work? I would like to have my service panel upgraded from 50 to 200 amps by licensed electrician, but am worried about preexisting code violations. If I had it upgraded and a building code inspector came out to inspect it, would he/she just inspect the new panel work or do they check the whole house for all building code violations? <Q> Under the NEC, electricians are held to a very high standard when upgrading systems in existing homes. <S> In many areas, the last electrician to have worked on a system can be held responsible for the whole system. <S> For this reason, most electricians will be very careful to check for any visible or obvious problems and insist they be corrected before new work is done. <S> As for building inspectors, they come in all degrees of harshness. <S> Older style electrical work that does not meet current codes, but was and still is safely operational is most always grandfathered and the code enforcement inspector cannot force you to upgrade them unless it effects the new work or presents an imminent hazard. <S> However, if you have substandard or unsafe conditions, any good electrician or inspector are going to point it out and insist on repairing it properly. <S> This is to fulfill their obligation to assure your safety. <A> In most jurisdictions, a renovation to an existing building that requires a permit will require that the existing building's subsystems be brought up to current minimum code, to the extent that the renovation relies on that subsystem. <S> For electrical, that means that any wires that are ties into by the electrician must be up to code along the entire circuit all the way back to the panel. <S> Plumbing is a little less strict, but many plumbers who find old pipe or code violations will take out as much as is feasible, so they have no worries about what they're tying into. <S> Gas guys, same thing. <S> Let's say your house is really old, and has some knob & tube wiring. <S> Perfectly safe behind sealed interior walls UNTIL you try to load that circuit beyond 10 amps; then the knobs (which insulate joins and corners of wire runs) heat up, arc, and start fires. <S> Now, the standard is insulated multi-conductor cable, with all wire joins located in fire-rated, accessible junction boxes. <S> It is illegal, ANYWHERE, to simply wire-nut some modern 3-conductor insulated wire to the end of a knob & tube conduit and start using that; the entire run, all the way back to the panel, must be ripped out and replaced with modern 2- or 3-conductor wire in the proper gauge for the required load. <S> Usually, when an electrician catches any hint of knob & tube in a house, he will insist that the entire house's wiring be brought up to code even if he isn't touching any knob & tube himself, because if he knows about it, doesn't do anything about it, and the house burns down, he can be held liable, lose his license and even go to jail even if it wasn't his work that failed. <A> If they are blatant violations or you are hiding something, then yes, he probably will look closely at your existing work.
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If the panel itself doesn't meet code, that must be replaced as well, and in some cases even the wiring out to the pole is the responsibility of the homeowner and thus the electrician doing the work.
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How do I prop-up or fix a wall that is slowly moving? In the image, the single stack of breeze blocks on the right hand side has been slowly moving away from the wall over the last 4 years. The gate latch (also on the right hand side) is now rubbing against the breeze blocks and it's almost impossible to close the gate. What are my options for fixing this problem? One thing that I had thought of is getting one of those pull-up bars that you put between doorways for pull-ups (exercise) and expanding it between the two walls and pushing the walls apart again and leave it like that for a few months in the hope that they will re-settle as they were. One of my friends suggested filing down the part of the latch that is rubbing but I don't want to do that because it's just delaying the problem as the blocks will probably continue to move. <Q> More than likely, the column of blocks has settled slightly causing your problem. <S> I can't see from your picture, but has the gap between the top blocks and wall also opened slightly? <S> If it has, then your blocks have shifted. <S> Usually the weight of a large gate, such as you have, causes this problem on a fairly new install, especially since you only have a one block column. <S> My suggestion would be to add some "L" bracket supports or other mounting directly to the wall and column. <S> Use your imagination <S> and I'm sure you can find or make something that would look nice with the finish of the wall and blocks. <S> Whatever you use, be sure to mount it to the block first, flush to the finished edge. <S> Then screw or lag it into a good solid point of the wall (stud or plate) in order to use the mechanical advantage to pull the column, close the gap and restore the column to the original plumb-line, or at least stop any additional settling and tilting. <S> Mounting the brackets to the same block the gate hinges are mounted to would help support the weight of the gate and not stress the mortar joints of the rest of the column. <S> Be sure to consider sealing any devices you may have to install in the wall to prevent any water from entering. <S> Lots of decorating alternatives. <S> The bottom line is to devise a way to attach the sides or top of the column firmly to the building and stop the settling from getting worse and making your nice gate inoperative. <A> Are the blocks moving, or is the house wall moving and thus pushing them? <S> Where do you live? <S> Is this a freeze-thaw issue? <S> So, for example, does water get between the blocks and the house, freeze and thus expand? <S> This will slowly move those blocks away from the wall over the course of a few years. <S> If so, then they need to be pushed back. <S> Of course, junk may be settling in the crack between the blocks and the wall, so that may need to be cleaned out to move the blocks. <S> If the wall is itself moving, then you need to know that. <S> Homes settle, foundations do move, especially if they were not done adequately in the first place. <S> Again, it is often freeze-thaw cycles that push this to happen, but it can surely happen for other reasons too. <S> Be very careful with trying to push the house walls apart. <S> If they have moved, it is likely because the foundation under them has moved. <S> Pushing hard at a single point between the walls is likely only to punch a hole in the house wall, leaving you with a far worse problem to fix, at least damaging the stucco on the wall. <A> The column of blocks has most likely cracked away from the concrete footing. <S> The solution is to knock the top cap off of the column and fill the column with concrete. <S> Brace the column square and vertically. <S> Then mix concrete to a pourable mix (but not too watery or it will not set right) then fill. <S> Allow the column to fully set before removing the braces and... the column will remain solid! <S> It's just that simple! <S> Oh!... put the column cap back on with a little bit of morter and adjust the gate. <A> You could try removing the cap and bolt the column of blocks to the house, at an angle obviously with an adequately long lag screw. <S> Also, run adhesive along and into the separation on both sides. <S> I'm having the opposite problem myself. <S> On the hinge side, the entire column has separated from the row of blocks.
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If you end up needing to use some ugly but strong utility type brackets, you could build a nice looking small valance box covering and stucco it to match.
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How do I install an electrical outlet on a live circuit? In my dorm room closet, there is a junction box with a blank plate (no outlet). Inside there are three wirenuts (hot, neutral, ground). I know it is generally unsafe to do any work on a live circuit, so I will see if I can set the circuit breaker. If I cannot, is there a safe(ish) way to perform this operation? <Q> Under no circumstances should you attempt to wire an outlet to these wires hot. <S> It is never a good idea, even if you knew what you were doing. <S> SO DON'T!!!! <A> Theoretically you could wire an outlet with live power by not grounding yourself, keeping the wires separate, using gloves, etc. <S> But the chances are so great that you could either electrocute yourself or start a fire that it's inappropriate for anyone here to suggest it, and foolhardy for anyone to attempt it. <S> Always turn the power off first, test your wiring to ensure it is powered off, and even then treat it as if it could be live. <S> And finally, take Shirlock's advice, don't wire an outlet in a closet. <A> In a closet, that is an enroute junction box, which is there for accessibility (perhaps because the building is wired in conduit <S> and they don't want too many bends between accessible points). <S> Because it's enroute, you have a special problem: you will be breaking splices that have current flowing through them . <S> For instance when you break open the neutral wire-nut to add your neutral wire, the current flowing through them will arc impressively, and when you get them apart, now the supply neutral will be near ground, but the load neutral will be pulled up to hot potential by the current trying to return. <S> All downstream neutrals on that circuit will also be at hot potential, if anyone is bootlegging ground, you just killed them. <S> It's really hard to wire-nut wires that are actively arcing. <S> It's not intended to have a receptacle there, because receptacles in closets are a bad idea, as the cords plugged into them will get covered in clothing and potentially overheat. <S> If you really, really want to do this, talk to building management with the following proposal: <S> run surface conduit (wiremold) from the junction, to a correct switch location for a closet light, then up to the ceiling for the closet light. <S> Say you want to use a plug-in light you already own and ask them to provison a switched receptacle up there. <S> Why? <S> Because the ceiling is the only safe place for a receptacle in a closet, and putting a receptacle on a ceiling only makes sense if it's for a plug-in lamp. <S> You will probably have to spend a bit of money on this, it might help if with permission and inspection <S> you did the fitting of the surface conduit yourself, properly . <S> Though union rules may disallow that.
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They do not normally put outlets in a closet, as cords plugged into them tend to get buried in junk if close to the floor or a shelf, creating a potential overheating and fire hazard. There is a reason they put a blank over that box.
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Is it possible to a drill hole in the bottom of a terracotta gardening pot? I would like to make some drainage holes in the bottom of some terracotta pots I have. I am tempted to use a drill but am not sure whether this will work and how should go about it. Has anyone ever done this? <Q> In addition to using a tile bit, I would recommend using a hand drill instead of a power one. <S> I use mine for drilling thin panels or other delicate material. <A> Place your pots on a piece of large enough wood that you wont mind having a few holes in a flat and stable surface. <S> If you use an electric drill mostly you can set the speed. <S> Or a battery operated one is good. <S> Put it on 25-40% roughly. <S> MAKE SURE THE HAMMER EFFECT IS OFF. <S> Use a new sharp mortar drill ( cheaper than tile drill) and put water in the base- <S> Not flooded just enough to keep the drill cool because you going to need to drill for a constant time <S> (2-6 minutes depeing on thickness) applying slight pressure and slight tilting the drill form side to side every few moments. <S> If these are thick pots you will be OK. <S> But if they are the small windows pots you have to be more gentle.. even using tile drills i have broken tiles in half.. <S> :) <A> Tile hole saw As this works for tile, it should work for terracotta too. <A> I do it with a simple electric drill machine using 2mm bit. <S> I make multiple holes in a circular form and then cut through these holes to make one hold of desired size.
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And i have had good success using mortar drills on tiles... Just be gentle and make sure to keep the drill bit cool other wise it will go blunt and you will be drilling your whole life.
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What's the correct way to pass wire to exterior electrical box? I'm doing some remodeling in our basement, and came across the following (see pictures). It looks like the contractor simply wrapped tape around the conduit to secure the box to the wall. How are exterior boxes usually secured to an exterior wall? What is the "correct" way to prevent weather and/or critters from accessing the hole in the siding? I saw a similar post that mentioned caulking the box to the exterior wall, but is that how it's usually done? Are there any IBC codes that apply in this situation? <Q> The IRC or the NEC doesn't apply here, common sense does. <S> What you need to do is apply a paintable silicone acrylic or silicone caulk to the back of the box and around the entry hole before you screw the box to the wall. <S> There should be holes inside the box or external ears for mounting. <S> The idea is to stop water from going behind the box and around the conduit into the wall. <S> Don't be afraid to use it, you can wipe off the excess with a damp cloth. <S> Good luck. <A> You can go the caulking route, but I personally like a putty like material called duct seal for sealing many of my protrusions (click the picture for the product link): <S> When you work it in, leave a lot of it around the conduit outside of the wall so that when you reattach the box to the house, it squeezes the material to create a weather tight seal. <S> Should you decide to caulk around the perimeter of the box, I would leave an opening at the bottom of the box to allow moisture to escape. <S> Because more importantly than keeping the spiders out, you want to avoid trapping moisture and causing wood rot. <A> The best way is to clean the area behind the box on the outside wall.. <S> some sand paper make it kinda' rough. <S> Use water resistant silicone and apply around the pipe area and on the edges of the square. <S> Use screws and faster the box to the (looks like wood so use some longer wood screws about 6) and fasten it tightly to the wall. <S> Apply water repellent silicone to the outside permiter of the box after you fastened, use your finger to create a curved area- <S> don't be shy , all around the box one with no breaks. <S> On the inside you can just put more silicone in the pipe where the wire is running.. will stop any spiders and possibly some minor amount of dampness. <S> This answer is based on experience. <S> Home regulations only mention that exterior boxes need to be well insulated from water and in some countries grounded to a earth leakage breaker is applicable.. especially if you get freezing winters. <A> It looks like they used short rigid nipple as protection around the cable. <S> Nothing wrong with that, as long as you do it right. <S> The nipple doesn't extend too close to the inside finish wall, which is good. <S> You'd need a proper bushing where the cable exits to protect the cable from abrasion. <S> A threaded plastic bushing that threads onto the end of the nipple, rather than a lump of tape, would be suitable. <S> Although it's done as shown all the time, technically the NM-B indoor cable is not rated for the outdoor location in the box. <S> It should be a UF cable. <S> If you want to be super picky, I bet that nipple is a plumbing pipe nipple rather than an electrical conduit nipple. <S> A more common way to do this would be to use a cable connector fitting on the back of the box, instead of the nipple: Again you'd need to seal between the connector and the hole in the wall with silicone or duct seal to ensure that water doesn't seep in, and fasten the box securely to the outside wall.
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If the box was securely mounted to the wall from the outside, and the space between the nipple and the hole filled with silicone sealant or duct seal, then it would be OK. Otherwise this box will stay fastened to your wall forever and ever. There are lots of ways to run cable through the sheathing as seen in the picture, but there are some issues with what's shown.
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Is styrofoam good for attic insulation? A neighbour is trying to sell me some of his leftover styrofoam insulation. I need to insulate my attic. Is styrofoam a good insulator, or should I use another type of insulation? <Q> That styrofoam insulation will work, but it is not cheap per R-value <S> (however it gives you a great R-value per inch). <S> Insulating an attic usually means you have a lot of room for insulation <S> and you will need high R-value <S> so that is why the cheaper options are more popular (blown cellulose or blown fiberglass). <S> Said another way, <S> if you have a couple of feet of space in your attic, you can just fill that all up with loose insulation and get R-45 (or whatever you need). <S> But if you have a smaller space, say it is a finished room and <S> the only space for insulation is between the 2x6 or 2x8s ceiling joists you may want to pay extra to get a higher R-value in that limited space. <A> There are two types of polystyrene (Styrofoam) insulation: expanded and extruded. <S> The extruded type prevents the movement of moisture while the expanded type lets water through. <S> The extruded type has better insulating properties (R-5/inch) versus expanded (R-4/inch). <S> Both of these are going to give you more insulating ability per inch than a batt or loose-fill. <S> However, they are likely more expensive per "R" than loose-fill insulation, and will be more difficult to install (since you'll need to seal their edges to either your rafters/studs or to each other. <S> You need to be very careful about how you engineer a vapor barrier into your walls/attic. <S> You should only have one vapor barrier in your wall so that water cannot be trapped, causing mold to grow. <S> There are two different ways to insulate attics: vented and unvented. <S> For vented, you ensure that air can move between your eves and the ridge or gables of your roof. <S> You then put insulation at the floor of the attic. <S> For most of the United States, <S> you'll optionaly want to first put down a vapor barrier (such as plastic, kraft paper, or extruded polystyrene) between the ceiling joists, and then put a lot of vapor permeable insulation on top. <S> For an unvented roof, it's much more complicated. <S> You first install a very large amount of non-permeable foam insulation it the rafters (above your head, in region 5, R-20 of insulation in order to prevent condensation), seal it with spray foam, and then attach an ignition barrier such as rock wool or drywall beneath the foam. <S> And then, add enough vapor-permeable insulation to up the total R value to the required amount. <S> This way, you don't need to provide any ventilation for that attic, and its temperature will be around the same temperature of your living space. <S> In summary, any foam board has a "good" R value per inch, but a "bad" R value per dollar, and with foam insulation it is tricky to install it in such a way that will not cause either moisture problems or cause your shingles to heat up and fail. <S> This corning page containing a table of recommended insulation values . <A> I'd opt for a different type of insulation. <S> The styrofoam insulation that Home Depot carries is only rated for R-5 per inch. <S> That means even a 2" thick piece will only give you R-10 for $0.96 <S> /sq. <S> ft. <S> I just insulated my attic this weekend with blown-in cellulose insulation , and achieved between R-30 to R-45 for about $0.42/sq. <S> ft. <S> (Note: I used 20 bags, which is the minimum purchase for a free 24 hour blower rental at both HD and Lowes.) <S> Be warned though, it is the messiest thing I've ever done. <S> Be sure to wear a respirator with the appropriate filters. <S> Don't skimp and use a cheap disposable dust mask. <S> At one point it was so dusty in the attic that I couldn't see more than 10 ft. <S> in front of me. <S> Or, as @B Mitch points out, you could go with R-30 fiberglass batts for $0.83 <S> /sq. <S> ft.
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You could also go with the blown-in fiberglass insulation option, which is less dusty, but more expensive.
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Is it ok to use pneumatic tools underwater I have a concrete that is stuck underwater. The concrete piece is too heavy. I think that I could break it into small pieces with my pneumatic impact drill. <Q> I do light underwater work as a part of my job. <S> One thing I do is drill in rock underwater with a CP9 rock drill. <S> This is a pneumatic tool but is designed to work both above and under water. <S> It works great as long as it is properly lubed before and disassembled and lubed as soon as possible after the job is done. <S> I have no first hand experience of other tools, but according to a colleague it is perfectly fine to use more or less any pneumatic tools underwater, he often uses cheap ones and says that they do get the job done. <S> Edit: I have since I posted this answer used multiple cheap pneumatic tools underwater. <S> I can report that I have had no problems at all in doing so, as long as the tool is disassembled within a day (preferrably ASAP) after being used and lubricated throughout. <A> As a salvage diver, I know that a pneumatic tool will work in the water. <S> The only difference between a $2,000 impact driver used at Haliburton and a $20 Harbor Freight 'wonder tool' is all that high precision stainless steel internal components (brass, bronze, stainless, etc.). <S> With your $20 HF wonder tool, just make sure to soak it in MINERAL OIL after use <S> (tap the air SLIGHTLY to fully lubricate everything)...and drain it well, with another 'tap' to clear it before re-entering the water... <S> oh, <S> and SALT WATER is HELL on pneumatics not specifically made for them. <S> ALL THAT SAID...be aware, HIGH AIR RATE pneumatics produce <S> COPIOUS AMOUNTS of air bubbles!!! <S> In doing so, you MIGHT not be able to see, during your process... <S> this of course, is MOST PREVALENT on the most-dangerous tools, like die grinders, p-grinders, etc...and lowest on things like impact drills, wrenches or 'jaw cutters'. <A> Simple answer: <S> NO! <S> Any stoppage of outgoing air will suck water into the exhaust , cause hydolock, probably seize up and ruin your tool. <S> Can you get bit extensions so the tool body is not underwater? <S> That would work. <A> Lots of bubbles though. <S> Be sure to use WD and dry it out after use.
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Yes, I have used harbor freight standard air drill underwater (fresh) and it worked fine.
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Dowel joints in plywood I plan on replacing my kitchen cabinets later this summer. The old ones were home made by the previous owner and are oddly sized so I need to make my own out of plywood. Is it possible to put dowel joints in the edge of a piece of plywood, or will a hole that large force the layers apart? <Q> I would use a pocket screw joint . <S> It is generally considered to be a stronger joint, and you can remove the clamps immediately after driving the screws (as opposed to waiting until the glue sets). <S> Along with the strength and speed, it also makes the construction process easier. <S> You don't have to drill 2 separate holes, and then attempt to get the alignment just right. <S> You drill the pocket hole in one piece, align the joint, and then drive the screws. <S> Makes for a more accurate assembly. <A> I think this is one of those cases where you are going to have to do an experiment. <S> Get a scrap piece of plywood and try to drill some dowel holes in the edge and see if the ply splits. <S> Another thing you could do is clamp strips of wood to either side of the ply while you are drilling and inserting the dowels to support the sides and (hopefully) reduce the risk of splitting. <A> Dowels work but biscuits are so much easier. <S> They're a weaker joint, but are much faster to construct. <S> A Rockler Blog post on the subject states: <S> What we hear most – and agree with - is that biscuits joints serve best as a quick and easy way to keep glue-up parts in alignment, and that they add appreciable pull-apart to strength joints that would be otherwise too weak to stand on their own – like butt joints and miter joints. <S> Doweled joints, on the other hand, are stronger – especially when it comes to shear strength – but usually take longer to make. <S> This popular conclusion also echoes the findings of the “Wood Joint Torture Test”, published in the November, 2006 issue of Wood magazine, where dowels and biscuits were actually tested against one another under stress in a variety of joints.
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I'd try different dowel sizes to strike the balance between small enough so it doesn't split the ply, but large enough to hold the piece together.
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Using fire rated drywall/sheetrock in a partially finished basement Background: We have a full basement and I have recently completed about half of it as a hang out spot for my teenage boys and their friends. The other side I use as a workshop and a place to store "stuff". The ceilings are about 9 feet high in the unfinished side and 8 feet high on the finished side. The unfinished side only has exposed floor joists, wiring, etc. The finished side has a suspended ceiling. The wall between us is finished on their side with 1/2" drywall. My side is bare studs. Also, the basement stairs are between us - finished on their side, unfinished on mine. My Question: I want to finish my side of the wall and would prefer to use wood rather than sheetrock. But since my side has the furnace, do I have to install fire-rated drywall between us? I won't be able to completely close off one side from the other because the wall is perpendicular to the joists above, so even if I run drywall to the top of my wall, there's still about 10" of clearance between the joists. It seems that fire-rated drywall would not be necessary since any fire would just burn above the wall and into the other room. <Q> Do the walls with whatever you want, you have no problems with that. <A> All the fire rated work that I've done has been between units (both to other units and common areas) and any load bearing structures of a multi-unit dwelling. <S> When we do that, fire blocking is installed in the ceiling space as well to prevent a fire from traveling through the ceiling to another unit. <S> For everything else within a single unit, and in a single family home, we don't use any fire rated drywall. <S> Edit: <S> A few reasons I'd disagree with Eric on this one. <S> First, I'm presuming you already have a certificate of occupancy (or someone did) to move in with an unfinished utility room. <S> That required an inspection that presumably allowed the space as is. <S> Next, most codes for combustion devices (furnace, gas hot water) require that you have ventilation. <S> Installing a vented door is perfectly acceptable and won't provide any fire stopping. <S> And, finally, most HVAC's (if the furnace is forced air) will be connected to vents that run to every room in the house. <S> From the little I saw, the furnaces and utility rooms in searches likely referred to multi-unit dwellings, and that does need to be fire stopped. <S> You also have to use fire caulk around every hole. <S> Our multi-unit buildings also have sprinklers throughout and spring loaded vents that snap closed in event of a fire. <S> That all being said, there's absolutely nothing bad about installing fire rated material around the furnace, other than the extra cost and that it's a bit more difficult to cut. <S> Edit 2: One last note, realize that fire rated drywall increases the resistance from 30 minutes that you'd typically see with 1/2" drywall to 1 hour. <S> Fire rated doesn't mean fire proof. <A> This is going to depend on your local codes. <S> I know around here <S> (Grand Rapids, MI) fire rated drywall and fire blocking is required for a utility room containing a furnace. <S> I'm <S> surprised others are saying that it isn't required in their area. <S> A google search finds me several sites that mention using fire rated drywall in utility rooms, which leads me to believe that is a relatively common code requirement.
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There is absolutely no codes, IRC or otherwise that require fire rated materials between a standard domestic furnace space and other living spaces as you describe. If you want to do it, then by all means, do so. This will likely be a location specific issue, so it doesn't hurt to check your local codes.
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How do I soundproof my vaulted townhouse wall? I want to soundproof my wall. In fact, it's this wall: I know, right? It would probably be an enormous task, but I really want to get it soundproofed because I have a neighbor on the other side and my entertainment center is right up against the wall. I have no speakers mounted on the wall, so that helps, but I am afraid that the bass from my subwoofer is just tearing through that wall. If you must know, it's a 5.1 system with the two front speakers mounted on stands and placed next to the TV. The center speaker is the one I am mainly concerned about. If it's too much of a job to insulate such a huge wall, then perhaps there's something i can put between the wall and the entertainment center. I have heard of foam insulation and mass-loaded vinyl (which I really like the idea of), but just want to hear some tips from the stack folks. Edit: Is the home improvement forum on StackExchange brand new or something? The word insulate isn't a tag? Neither are condo or townhouse. Could someone with some rep add these? <Q> Check out Holmes on Homes , Mike Holmes did an episode in season 5 called Wall of Sound , which tackled this issue. <S> Comment converted to answer. <A> Beyond that, you're looking at installing resilient channels between the drywall and studs and that's a major project. <A> For starters, find out if it's really a problem. <S> If it's a properly built party wall, maybe it's sufficiently soundproofed as-is. <S> If it's not, then you pretty much need to either gut it down to studs, or build a second wall on your side that is acoustically isolated from the shared wall. <S> A typical option in a new-build is to alternate studs on each side so that there is no solid structural member that actually connects the two spaces (which you could accommodate by building your own floating wall). <S> Doing that takes care of any sound being transferred physically through the building materials. <S> that involves insulation, sealing all outlets, lightswitches, etc. <S> But that's a big project given the size of that wall. <S> I'd suggest a <S> ) Move the entire entertainment system to an outside wall or b) invest in some nice wireless headphones.
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Both for your own enjoyment and to help your neighbor sleep, the easiest solution would be to install some acoustical panels on the wall. The next step is to ensure there's a full air seal so that no sound is being transmitted through the air..
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How strong are bolts compared to welding and what qualities to look for in foundations? I'm planning on building a home climbing wall, made from a mild steel subframe. It will probably be around 10 feet tall approx. I was thinking along the lines of using mild steel angle, cutting to size, drilling bolt holes then joining the peices together. Like this: Does anyone have any idea as to the strength of such joints compared to welding? Also, the wall will be freestanding, not attached to an existing wall so I'll need to lay some foundations, for this I was hoping to get away with a concrete base with bolt holes alligned to accept the sub frame being bolted straight to it. This would allow me to remove the wall and not leave a big RSJ poking out of my garden or some other such thing. So my other question is, would such a foundation be acceptable? Is their other longer fixings availiable that could take the place of using bolts? <Q> Unless your holes match the bolt size very precisely (like, you have to hammer the bolts home), you will get racking, which will weaken the joint over time. <S> Likewise, the bolts will loosen up (use lock washers and check it frequently). <S> It's something you'll have to watch for; as the holes get stretched, you'll need to figure out what to do. <S> Think about how thin the piece of metal between the holes and the edge of the piece is; that's the weak point, strain-wise. <S> Also, a freestanding wall is going to be a tremendous strain on the footings, especially with someone (or a pack of neighborhood kids) scrabbling around at the top of it. <S> A person can throw their weight around to the tune of 5x actual weight. <S> At a distance of 10'-15' that is tens of thousands of ft-lbs on the bolts, and any weakening in the joint will make things worse and worse. <S> If you can arrange it, build it as an A-frame (climb the sides of the 'A') with at least four footings to reduce the mechanical advantage the climber has over the footings; think of a playground swing. <S> Otherwise, it doesn't matter how strong the wall is, the whole thing may tip over or may be yanked down or ripped off its moorings. <S> Given that people's safety is at risk, you probably should consider consulting with a professional structural engineer. <S> The strain strength of steel under sudden load is much smaller than you'd expect. <A> A welded connection can always be made the same strength as the original steel by using a full penetration but weld but this all depends on the quality of the materials used for the welding and the quality of the welding itself. <S> Therei s a very good reason why there is a lot of non destructive testing used when welded joints are being used for structural reasons. <S> Other types of welds such as fillet welds will be weaker than the origianl material with the strength depending on the quality and the design. <S> For a bolted connection, the connection will not normally be as strong as the original material without some form of strengthening because of issues like the reduction in area caused by drilling the holes and the small lever arms caused by overlapping plates. <S> In this instance, if you are not intending to get the design professionally done, I would suggest a bolted connection would be more suitable unless you have absolute confidence on the quality of the welding and the design of the joints. <A> From having drilled many holes in metal, its no picnic. <S> If the metal does not already have holes in, you'll need a pillar drill - a pistol drill is a nightmare in comparison. <S> Metal is heavy and awkward to work with, I'd recommend wood for this purpose, especially if its temporary. <S> If your heart is set on metal, I recommend large diameter rolled hollow section. <S> You'll get a lot more sturdyness than using angle strips! <S> Drill one, two holes per joint at most to keep it simple. <S> Four holes to hold two pieces of metal together? <S> Avoid! <S> Too much work <S> ; two holes is sufficient to stop it twisting and doesn't weaken the metal as much (not that that matters so much with RHS, as there are four faces rather than two). <S> Most importantly make sure your frame is braced. <S> Better that each connection has one bolt and your frame is braced than unbraced with four bolts at each connection. <S> Here is some bracing I used for a punch bag <S> stand, at the base those angled braces meant it was strong enough for me to swing on. <S> The RHS was 30mm diameter; you might consider 40mm for a climbing wall just to be safe. <S> The easiest way to build it strong is to cross brace - again, for less money you could use copious amounts of wood to achieve the same support. <S> If you can secure the climbing wall at the top too, that'd be great - it wouldn't need to be as sturdy <A> I'd suggest that this is maybe over-engineered. <S> What about 3 10' wooden posts arranged in a triangle and then 1" ply bolted between them to anchor the holds? <S> Anchor the entire thing into the ground with swing-set stakes/screws.
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A simple bolted connection should give you more confidence about the strength than a welded joint even though the capacity of the connection may be lower.
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Heating/cooling system recommendations for this small house? I will soon build my first house and I need to choose what type of heating/cooling system I'll have installed. I know very little about this and I'm seeking recommendations, ideas, suggestions, etc. The details: The house will be in the city limits of Asheville, NC. It will be a three story house with a basement foundation (I'm counting the basement as the bottom floor). The footprint of the house is approximately 24'x24' (I'm still working on the design/plans), and the top two floors will be approximately 1000sf. The main/first floor will be open, essentially one big room with kitchen/dining/living room/half bath, and the top floor will be two bedrooms and a full bath. The walkout basement will be finished as a den with storage area and full bath and sauna. The home site is very shady, under huge oak trees, so using passive solar is not really an option. In terms of my priorities the order is 1) simple/low maintenance, 2) efficient/low operation cost, 3) up front cost, and 4) "green". I'm interested in heating using a wood stove because it's such a simple system (i.e. very few moving parts to break), it seems like a low maintenance way to go, and the wood stoves available now are very efficient. However I feel like I should have a wood stove as my back up heating system, even if I do use it most of the time, for resale value purposes (many folks don't want to bother with chopping wood, loading/cleaning the stove, etc.). Another aspect of a wood stove that's attractive to me is that I can still heat my home during a power outage. Around here wood is plentiful. A geothermal heat pump is also interesting because of its high efficiency and because it also doubles as an AC system. It's also likely to be very attractive to buyers if I ever sell the house. However I'm concerned that a geothermal heat pump system is pretty complex (it's not likely that I could fix any part of it myself) and may require considerable maintenance, and it won't blow very warm air (I've slept under a heat pump vent/register in the winter and it felt like I was under an AC unit -- not pleasant). Can you comment as to which HVAC options are appropriate for someone in my situation? I know there are numerous other alternative heating/cooling systems available that I've not yet considered, and the two mentioned above are probably on opposite ends of the spectrum. <Q> For central A/C, you'll need ducts and vents. <S> Once you have the ducting in place anyway, you might as well use it for both your heating and cooling. <S> For a three floor house, you definitely want some kind of zoned system, with a thermostat on each floor. <S> (I wish my 2-floor house was zoned.) <S> You may want multiple cooling systems, or maybe one system with motorized dampers to control airflow to the various floors. <S> Your HVAC contractor should be able to make a reccomendation of what will work best. <S> Whatever you do, do not skimp on the ductwork. <S> Your HVAC contractor should run calculations on how big the ducts need to be. <S> For many home builders, HVAC is a minor concern in the bulding plan. <S> Make sure everything is sized correctly. <S> Changing ductwork after the fact is very difficult. <S> And if you don't have proper ducting, it won't matter how good your central heating using is. <S> For new construction, Geothermal is usually a good candidate. <S> It can provide heating, cooling, and hot water with crazy efficiency. <S> The installation cost is MUCH higher though. <S> (There are tax credits that will offset some of the cost.) <S> If you aren't up for geothermal, I would go for a traditional air-sourced heat pump for your heating and cooling needs. <S> They are pretty efficient (at least in moderate climates). <S> However, I would not have the heat pump (air-sourced or geothermal) as your only heating system. <S> Heated floors, gas fireplace, etc. <S> Air-sourced heat pumps lose their efficiency in very cold weather. <S> And it can also be nice to have gentle air convection, vs a duct that is blowing in your face. <S> You also have a backup system in case your central heat fails. <S> That said, ducted air is nice, because some regular circulation of air in all the rooms of the house avoids that "stagnant air" smell, as well as cutting down on dust, dander, etc. <S> Also, central air systems give you options for humidification and de-humification of the whole house. <S> Look into that. <S> It is usually a minor cost increase in the system, but can make a major difference in comfort. <A> The most comfortable heat is hydronic (baseboard water or steam registers or in-floor). <S> The ideal cooling is forced air. <S> Budgets aside, I'd go with in-floor heat from a geothermal install, using the wood as you see fit for peak cold/ambiance. <S> I'd then install proper duct work and use central air for cooling. <S> Of course, in-floor on a 3 story house probably won't work, so floorboard might make more sense. <S> If it's a really small house, you could perhaps forgo central air and look into one of the mini-split systems. <A> You can get wood furnaces with boilers as well as forced air, so it's possible to design a system that allows you to switch from wood to another source to heat water for a radiator-based system. <S> There are also wood furnaces that you can place outside the house, so there's no need to bring wood into the house. <A> Goal #1 is insulation. <S> Can't say enough about good insulation and windows. <S> Get that right during construction and everything else is easier. <S> Also, insulation. <S> Cooling sounds like it'll be a bigger cost than heating, based on your location, so I would concentrate on that. <S> Look into passive methods for cooling your house--screening with trees (sounds like you have this option available), having windows that only 'see' the winter sun via long sloping roofs, and a central "cooling stack" (probably up a set of stairs) where hot air can run to a skylight or other exhaust system. <S> I was really impressed with the green efforts in the Zion Canyon Visitor Center ; even when it was 95 degrees outside, it was 75 inside, with zero energy expended. <S> Then focus your cooling efforts on the hottest days and the hottest parts of your house. <S> Zoned AC -- more zones costs more up front, but it's a lot less money to run those lines during construction. <S> Or even through-wall AC's, though insulation around them gets dodgy. <S> For heating, many small heat sources provide more even heat than one big one, but they generate heat less efficiently unless they're electric. <S> Our house has multiple small gas stoves, one in each of the outer-most rooms, and they work great and don't use very much gas at all. <S> Small electric free-standing radiators can also warm an area right up, and with the good insulation you've put in, you won't need to keep them on much; even though electric is generally much more expensive, you're only heating the part of the house you're in. <S> They are also really cheap (e.g., this one is $50 and heats my entire basement) and portable.
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You are pretty much in the perfect lattitude for a heat pump. If you're not opposed to heating with wood, consider a wood furnace rather than a simple wood stove. Some kind of alternate (non-ducted) heat source would be a good idea.
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Why is my new water heater making a clicking noise? I have a relatively new water heater (installed by previous owner). I've only been in the house a few months and did not notice this noise until after being there a few weeks. What happens is after any amount of hot water has been run, a loud snapping/clicking noise can be heard from the water heater. Could something be wrong with it?` Being that it is an electric water heater, I am wondering if it's the heating element turning on. However, like I said, I didn't hear it the first few weeks we were there <Q> Pockets of water get trapped in the sediment/scale at the bottom of the hot water heater, turn to steam when it heats up, then "explode" causing the noises you are hearing. <S> You could try draining the water heater to get some of the sediment out, but honestly it's probably too late for that - might want to have a pro come out and take a look at it. <S> It's not likely a critical issue, but it would be best to get that scale cleaned off to prolong the life of the unit. <A> As Eric has said, this is almost certainly being caused by sediment build-up. <S> The sediment is wet, and when the element turns on, it turns the nearby water trapped by the sediment into steam, and it pops. <S> It's not very much different than popcorn popping. <S> I've copied the appropriate steps from another answer of mine <S> (didn't want to link it since you only need to do about half of what the other guy needed to do.) <S> Flushing your water heater: <S> Unplug your water heater. <S> Attach a garden hose to the drain at the bottom of the water heater. <S> Run the other end of the garden hose outside. <S> Open the drain. <S> This will forcefully drain the water heater, and hopefully the city's water pressure will be able to get a decent amount of the sediment out of the bottom. <S> Depending on how fast the water is flowing, let this continue for 1-5 minutes. <S> Sometimes the drain can be pretty clogged up or the bottom quite full, and the water won't come out very fast, especially when you disconnect the city's water pressure. <S> If this does not solve your problem, you'll need to be ready to replace the water heater (the bottom element will fail if buried under sediment, and no bottom element means basically no hot water)... or you can do a more thorough cleaning by taking the bottom element out (see other answer for instructions) and wetvac'ing the sediment out, like so: <S> www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt1M7qO6Lh8 <A> It is probably a bimetal (disc) thermostat. <S> A bimetal disc thermostat functions via the thermal expansion and contraction of a bimetal disc that “snaps” from a convex to a concave shape at a set temperature. <S> When the disc “snaps”, it either completes or interrupts a circuit. <S> For further details see for example <S> FULLY Understanding <S> How Electric Water Heater Thermostats Work <S> How a water boiler with bimetallic thermostat work!
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You probably have sediment buildup in the bottom of the hot water heater.
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How do I remove a 4x4 fence post that is snapped off at ground level? I'm trying to come up with a cheap and easy way to remove a broken-off fence post. It's a 4x4 lumber post that's snapped off flush to the ground, without any concrete around it. * I'd like to pull it straight out and sink another post in the same hole without digging too much. *EDIT 2: I tried digging down a few inches last night to attach the 1x2, and discovered it was set in concrete about 6" below ground level. Looks like I'll be digging this one out. The current plan that I have in my head is to dig down a few inches and nail a 1x2 strip to the side of the post. Then take a few boards, stack them up as a fulcrum, and wedge another board or a pipe under the 1x2. Then stomp on the other end of the lever to pull up the post. Will this work, or should I just dig it out? I suppose soaking the area with a hose would help, but I'd rather not soften the ground since I want to reset another post immediately. Note: I'd like to avoid spending anything extra if at all possible. It's my neighbor's fence, and he's told me that he's in no hurry to repair it. Since I want it back up, I'm taking the initiative and fixing it for him. Edit: Here's some pictures of the fence line: And here's where the fence post is snapped: That big spot without any grass is where my neighbor's shed used to be before the tornado carried it off. <Q> Depends on how intact it is. <S> If it's all punky, drill some holes down the middle and split it, and remove the pieces. <A> I would use something like a MetPost repair spur . <S> You drive it into the bottom of the old post and then fix the new post to it. <A> Since you just want to get the fence back up: screw a long board horizontally across the pieces of fence, bridging the broken post. <S> A couple of long 2x4's should do the trick. <S> Skip fixing the post altogether. <A> Automobile floor jack and a jackstand. <S> Place on both sides of broken pole. <S> Straddle from jackstand to jack with two 2' <S> x 6's screwed together. <S> Raise jackstand to keep level with jack. <S> lift with jack, stop and raise jackstand to equal height. <S> 2-3 rounds of jacking, raising stand, and post will be out without any damage to hole. <S> If ground is soft, place jack and stand on small piece of plywood. <S> My yard looked like yours--only all my poles were snapped off after small TX tornado. <A> If you have a vehicle winch/come along/high lift jack you can use it to pull the post out. <S> Beats wiggling the post back and forth all day. <S> I dug some post holes in very hard soil with a steel bar and a shop vac. <S> I chipped away at the soil and vacumed out the loose dirt. <S> I went down 4 feet in a very short time. <S> Maybe you can do something similar around the post. <S> When the post is out, put in the new post and fill around it with crushed stone instead of dirt. <A> It really depends on how deep it is. <S> I'd start with Alex's suggestion of a lagbolt with an eye on the end, then some chains and your lever idea. <S> I wouldn't wet the ground... <S> that'll just create a suction that will make it that much harder to pull out. <S> That said, will the new post be in plain dirt like this one? <S> You probably don't want that...and want to use crushed gravel or concrete around the post <S> so you could just start digging out round it. <S> That's make it a lot easier to pull out. <A> Another option: Get two steel angles, pound them in at opposite corners beside the stub, and lash the upper part to them with wire. <S> They shouldn't be that hard to scavenge. <A> I had a similar problem. <S> This is what I did : Removed a paving slab, this gained me 2 inches. <S> Used a chisel to break up what remained. <S> Used the water jet to clear out debris. <A> You could try just standing it back up as is, since it's not your fence and it might be good enough.
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If it is good solid wood, screw a long eye-bolt into it and yank it out / work it out that way Wrap chain around 2x6 and using a cordless drill, screw lag bolts through chain into broke off fence post. Used a hose pipe, with the nozzle set to jet, to erode the soil that had got in, then wiggled what I could, and some came out.
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Running electric cables in basement shop I am setting up a workshop in the unfinished area of my basement. I need to run a couple of electrical outlets and would like to run them along the block walls through grey PVC. Will this be a problem or should I use metal conduit instead? There's one circuit already installed by a previous owner, but I'll be removing it. He has 12/2 romex draped from the bottom of the joists running into metal conduit (one per outlet) which ends about 18" below the joists. Not only does it look bad, the romex drapes from counduit to conduit, entering each conduit with no protection from the sharp edge of the pipe. The electric panel is in the same area as the workshop. <Q> You should have no problem using Schedule 80 PVC conduit. <S> It's easy to work with, and <S> you can get pre-formed <S> 90's for any corners (so you won't need a pipe bender). <S> Just make sure you do a better job than the previous "electrician", and use proper PVC conduit straps to attach the conduit to the wall / ceiling. <S> KeithS brings up a fair point. <S> Make sure the first receptacle on the line is a GFCI receptacle, then feed the rest of the receptacles from the load side of the GFCI. <A> Fix the trunking first then run the cables through it <S> - you don't want to nick the cable. <A> Check your local building codes. <S> If code requires metal conduit, then you need to use metal conduit. <S> If code allows plastic conduit, then you can use plastic conduit. <S> On metal vs plastic: What happens if you drop a hammer on it while you are working? <S> I would err on the side of better crush resistance.
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PVC trunking should be OK as long as you earth the cabling at each socket. You might be able to get away with Schedule 40, but since it will be exposed (and in a work area where it could get smashed with a wayward piece of lumber) I would go with Schedule 80.
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Framing a cement room Under our garage is a cement room (23' x 20', 8' high). We added it to the construction plans as a storage room, with the option of using part of it as living space. Everyone seems to think it would make an amazing home theater room... ^_^ Well, before we can even use it effectively for storage, I need to get more lights installed. Framing the room seems a good way to make the space more usable, and get a roof I can attach lights to. But this raises some unusual (for me) questions. How do I frame the ceiling? Do I just follow the basic plan for framing corners so I can attach sheetrock, or are there other concerns? We plan on putting a wall through the middle and dividing the room. So the final spaces will be approximately 19.5' x 11', with ceiling members across the 11' dimension. What dimension lumber do I need, for the ceiling? 2x4? 2x6? There is a connection for the central air system in one wall: a "source" against the ceiling, and a "return" against the floor. I believe I can simply put a grate over the return once we finish the wall, but do I need a minimum depth to the ceiling to support running ducts across the room? These are the only major concerns I have planning this, but if anyone sees anything likely to come up, feel free to warn me. ^_^ <Q> I did a lot of research before finishing our basement. <S> Traditional thought is: vapor barrier wood framing fiberglass batts sheetrock <S> Building Sciences Corporation has some good research on this: http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=building+sciences+insulating+basement Based on that, here's what I did, and what I recommend for all basement remodels: <S> eps or xps sheet insultation, glued and taped to wall metal studs. <S> baseplate should be separated from concrete via thin insulation. <S> paperless sheetrock (use the fiberglass faced stuff...itchy, but won't attract mold) <S> Note the lack of a vapor barrier. <S> The idea is that this leaves the system slightly breathable. <S> XPS and EPS are vapor permeable so moisture can eventually dry to the inside. <S> The added bonus is that metal studs are <S> SO much easier to work with than wood. <S> They're light, straight, can cut with a tin-snip and you don't even need to use screws <S> (you can crimp them all together). <S> Plus, they won't let mold grow. <A> I'd use 2X6 min in order to have space for your HVAC duct work if you do not want it exposed. <S> My greatest concern for a concrete under grade room is going to be moisture or excess humidity. <S> Unless you are in the Arizona desert, I would consider a water proof coating on the walls before framing. <S> Something like UGL hydroloc at 3 psi would be good. <S> I would also have a 4mil vapor barrier installed on the back of the wall frame between the wall and any insulation. <S> My last concern, and maybe the most important is ventilation and fire ratings. <S> Because this space is below an area used for vehicles, fire ratings, fumes and fuel spills are a concern. <S> Check with your building contractor and building inspector to see if there are any special regulations that would effect the use of this unique space, or even any special requirements for the garage space above, especially the floor. <A> If the ceiling is not structural and is only there to hold up the drywall, you can get away with using 2x4s. <S> 2x4s at 16" on center should easily span 11', while supporting only drywall. <S> Basically your going to support the ceiling rafters with the walls, so you end up with a structure like this crude MS Paint image. <S> The basic idea is to build a room inside your room. <S> If you are planning on using recessed lighting or HVAC ducting in the space, you may want to go with 2x6s for the joists (to allow enough room to install everything). <S> If the ceiling joists are going to be load bearing (especially if they are supporting the parking surface of your garage), you'll want to consult a structural engineer (and you'll likely end up using I-beams tied into the concrete walls as joists).
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Tester gave you an excellent basic framed wall design which should work well for running wiring and hanging drywall. I would also use a moisture resistant, or paperless, mold proof sheetrock instead of standard sheetrock. And every basement I've been in using that method has smelled really musty.
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Should I Get My Bathtub Refinished? The bathtub at my new place isn't in horrible condition, but it does have a few patches on the bottom that look a bit grayer than the rest of the tub, and are rougher. In general the bottom is not as smooth as the sides. We think it is a cast iron bathtub (at least the bottom is all black when we look through an access panel), but we're not sure. There's no rust showing through. Would it be a good idea to get it refinished now to protect the tub from further damage? Or is a new coat of glazing not significantly protective, in which case maybe we should just wait until we really don't like how it looks before spending the money (especially since the refinished surface won't last that many years either)? <Q> I give mixed reviews to tub refinishing. <S> Even though a good refinishing job is not cheap, usually around $300-$400, it certainly is less expensive than the labor involved in removing, framing and installing a new tub and surround. <S> I have found a good sub-contractor for these jobs and the difference between a good long lasting job and a so-so job is in the prep. <S> One sub I used years back <S> did not take the time to really clean, sand and prep the surfaces before spraying the epoxy finish, had some problems and call backs within 2 years. <S> I have a few jobs out there over 5 years old now, with no problems or complaints that my current sub has done, and done well. <S> So I guess the moral of the story is, a refinish job can be a good long lasting solution if done properly with good materials. <S> Side note: <S> Don't wait until the original finish is worn to the cast iron. <S> When rust is present, it makes refinishing more difficult and expensive. <A> We had two of our tubs refinished <S> and they look great. <S> It has not been long since they were done <S> so I don't know how well the refinish will hold up. <S> Do it now before the tub gets worse. <S> In our case we were thinking about replacing the tubs. <S> Not anymore. <A> Refinishing your bathtub will save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars over bathtub replacement. <S> Have a look at this site <S> they have briefly explained about refinishing. <S> Most refinishing companies offer industry-standard warranties which are pro-rated, meaning that the warranty's coverage decreases incrementally over time. <S> Your bathtub will not look like it was painted, since the material use is more like a coating than a paint.
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I have had many tubs and surrounds refinished as opposed to replacing the units.
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What happens if I use vegetable oil instead of machine oil or grease? It's kind of tempting to use vegetable oil for lubricating door hinges and other similar basic mechanisms around the house - vegetable oil is readily available in almost any household. However I always hear it's a bad idea, but could never find any details of why exactly it is a bad idea. What exactly happens if I use vegetable oil for basic mechanisms lubrication? <Q> Oil of any kind is the wrong lube to use on hinges. <S> Oil, WD40, or any petro based product wets the hinge surfaces and will collect dust and dirt. <S> I always recommend dry silicone spray. <S> Silicone works great, won't harm surrounding finishes etc. <S> Some folks like graphite, but I find it a bit messy to use. <A> Vegetable oil will gum up, attract dirt and dust, and eventually end up a huge mess. <S> DO NOT use it. <S> Mineral oil is a food-safe oil not normally used as a cooking lubricant, but it is the go-to for replenishing woods and lubricating mechanical parts of cooking utensils. <S> It won't gum up, and is OK to use in a pinch. <S> Most machine oils are a bit thin; they'll get into crevices like in door hinges, but they're lighter-weight and more volatile, and will eventually evaporate or work their way back out. <S> Silicone sprays are great for metal-on-metal, but they are incompatible with some plastics, so read the label carefully. <S> If you can take the mechanism apart without destroying it, I would recommend a silicone grease out of a tube, such as Dow-33 (available under many different brand names; you'll most likely find it as a pneumatic tool lube because it doesn't hurt o-rings). <S> It is nonreactive with virtually all construction plastics and with metals, and is a thick-ish grease which stays where it's put. <S> A little dab'll do ya. <S> Only trouble is you have to be able to apply it directly to the surface to be lubricated; it doesn't wick into crevices like an oil or spray lube. <A> Vegetable oil should NEVER be used to lubricate mechanical parts. <S> It always leaves a solid deposit which later will be stuck to the parts you wanted to lubricate. <A> What about chapstick. <S> I've recently used it on a lock and it seems to be working well. <A> Jojoba oil is a waxy oil that can be used as a lubricant. <S> It is the only vegetable oil that never gums up and never goes rancid. <A> Canola oil is sold as a cooking oil today but in the days before petroleum it was considered an industrial oil rather than a food oil. <S> It's a decent lubricant and has no major issues that would prevent it from being effective to lubricate hinges and other light duty lubrication. <S> Linseed oil was used to good effect as an industrial oil as well. <S> In some applications it outperforms petroleum based lubricants. <S> Linseed oil is the same thing as flax seed oil, which is now sold as a nutritional supplement. <S> Recently soy based lubricants have become available, I have used one <S> that's non toxic and food safe. <S> It works fine as a light duty / general purpose lubricant. <S> I haven't tried it for anything really demanding. <S> Animal based oils have also been used as lubricants or industrial oils or. <S> Animal fat (tallow) is generally saturated - it's a solid at room temperature. <S> Tallow and lanolin (oil rendered from wool) was once used as a preservative the way cosmoline is today. <S> Lanolin is still available and still a very effective, persistent lubricant / preservative. <S> One commonly available product that is lanolin based is Fluid Film. <A> It should be noted, different oils have different rates they break down, viscosity, weight, etc... different kinds of oil's exist for different needs. <S> I've never heard of using silicone on a hinge; wd40 has always been my go to. will look into that. <S> In cooking, different oils have different flash points (the point where it catches on fire), smoke points. <S> you wouldn't use cooking oil in a gasoline engine for this reason. <S> Its flash point is to low. <A> Most of the lubricant they sell for paper shredders is vegetable oil. <S> It does gum up, but if you are constantly adding it, that's not a deal breaker. <S> I wouldn't use it on something that can actually be disabled by gummed up lubricant, like a beard trimmer, but I'd give it a try on hinges if I wanted them to operate quietly and smoothly, but not frictionlessly; the viscosity can be useful on doors that are just a little off or subject to wind currents so that they'll drift away from the position in which they were last placed. <S> I use PAM on the driver's door of my car, since it had a tendency to fall closed when it was "perfectly" lubricated from the factory. <S> I've also used cooking spray on brakes (pads and rotors) to keep them from grinding, shuffling or hissing; it doesn't seem to reduce their effectiveness, but I do only one wheel at a time just to be on the safe side.
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Vegetable oil would probably decay over time and begin to smell; stain the trim surround. There is nothing inherently wrong with food oils as lubricants or industrial oils, in fact there are some in common use and are very effective.
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How do I properly paint a wood floor made of plywood? I have built a yurt platform, which is basically a deck with 1 1/8" tongue-and-groove plywood as the decking. Usually that stuff is used as a subfloor, but in this case it's the floor itself. Call it rustic. I bought this deck (and yurt!) standing at another location, disassembled, moved it to my location, and rebuilt it. The previous owners had painted the floor after assembling the yurt, so the paint doesn't go all the way to the edges. There are some rough spots from damage over the years. And some of the panels suffered in the weather while they were in storage. (I'm a slow builder!) (click through for a full-sized image) I would like to repaint it before I erect the yurt. I was thinking of renting a floor sander (the spinning kind) and taking a pass over the floor, and then putting on a few fresh coats of paint. Most of the online information about painting floors is either for fancy indoor floors, or for outdoor floors exposed to weather. This will be protected from the weather once the yurt goes up, and our expectations are simple. How should I attack this problem? (Speed is an issue, we want this done fast!) <Q> if you use one of those powerful floor sanders, be sure to use fine grit paper and go easy. <S> Plywood can damage easily and those sanders are aggressive and designed for hardwood. <S> A good 6 or 7 inch DA sander would be a good bet, especially around the edges. <S> Be careful, don't tear up the plywood with a monster sander!!! <S> lol. <S> As far as paint, select a good grade floor enamel. <S> Roll it on with a short nap roller. <S> A moehair or 1/4" nap is perfect for leaving a good smooth finish without a lot of orange peel effect. <A> I'd still go for an outdoor paint in this case. <S> While the floor is inside the yurt it will get more wear and tear than an indoor floor as you're more likely to be wearing boots etc. <S> than indoors. <S> There's also the danger of the weather getting in! <A> Most yurts I have visited (yes, multiple; I am a SCAdian, after all) have rugs and furs covering the floor, so it doesn't matter too much what it feels like to feet or what it looks like too much. <S> What you want is durability and protection to the elements. <S> A good deck stain will really help do both. <S> And enjoy the yurt... <S> it's a very efficient design.
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I would finish this floor the way you would finish a deck.
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Carpet company wants to charge me for the waste they will have left over. Is this normal? My floor measures out at 296 sq ft, but the carpet company wants to charge me for 330 sq ft. Their reasoning is that they are not charging me for the actual square feet of total area, but for the carpet they are bringing with them to do the job which includes the remnants that will be left over. Is this typical or are there shady happenings? <Q> It's totally normal. <S> Carpet comes on rolls in widths from 11'6" to 13'. <S> They need to cut off a chunk of that roll to fit the room. <S> It's the reason why if you're carpeting a 10x10' room, you can't buy 100sqft of carpet: they'll charge you for more like 120sqft (12' roll, 10' long). <S> It also depends on the layout of the room, and where they put seams (if necessary). <S> Eg: an L-shaped room has a couple different ways to lay out the carpet, and depending the layout and where the seams are, you'll use a different amount. <S> A good installer will also consider traffic: if there are seams, you don't want them right in front of a door way, or preferably not running down the middle of a high traffic pathway. <S> All of these things may end up using more carpet than a layout optimized just to minimize scrap, but will result in a much better looking and longer lasting install. <S> The other factor is in patterned carpets, they will use a bit more since the patterns need to line up. <S> The bigger the pattern, the more is scrap needed to keep it in line. <S> The important bit is to keep the scrap carpet, unless you really don't need it, since you paid for it. <S> Often there is a good size chunk, which can be used for many things: <S> Large door mat <S> In front of fire places Padding for moving/storage <S> Google has many more <A> They're billing you for their actual materials cost this way. <S> It's not a made-up number. <S> In the end, though, the final price is what matters, not how they come up with it. <S> Get more than one estimate. <A> It's not *ab*normal. <S> Make sure you get the scrap though. <A> Consider it like cloth; if you need a square yard of cloth from a bolt at a craft store, you usually have to buy a yard of the full bolt width, which can be up to 3 times the area you actually need for certain types of cloth. <S> This is because the craft store cannot re-sell your waste to anyone else, so they either eat it or charge you for it. <S> Guess which one is more likely? <S> Your better carpet guys will minimize the slack at the edges after stretching, but you can still expect to pay them for about a 6" strip along at least two walls of the room. <S> They'll also need enough slack to lay down and seam through doorways, which will be wasted along the rest of that wall, Your better carpet guys will also be able to make the best use of the carpet you're paying for; if you're carpeting a 10x10 room and they have a 16' roll, they'll cut the carpet for the 10' width, then use the remaining 5-6' cutoff for the hallway outside if you're carpeting that as well, or for an 18-20' room. <S> If there are any sizeable remnants they're charging you for, make sure they leave them behind; as other answers have stated, they can be put to use as doormats, in closets, and even to patch holes if you know how to seam carpet. <A> Charging for actual materials used is totally normal - suppose they would only do the installation and you would buy the carpet yourself - you'd have to buy a bit extra to compensate for seams, rooms being non-rectangular, etc. <S> Another example is a countertop - they are usually rectangular, but you have to cut huge windows to install the sink and the cooker - parts you cut out seem to not be participating in the final installation <S> but you have to pay for the entire countertop. <S> Parts cut out can be used elsewhere - same comes for the carpet leftover which can be used for patching worn out parts. <A> Purchasing flooring with a waste factor is normal however paying for installing the waste is not. <S> Installers are typically paid by the square foot or square yard. <S> If the customer buys 100 square feet/yards and only 89 are installed the installer is paid for 89 not 100.
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They're charging you for the carpet which they will actually dispense and consume to do the job, which, as others have stated, will usually be more than the measured size of the room. I think they also avoid putting seams within a foot or so of walls (so there isn't a narrow strip of carpet running along the wall). Prices of work on your house vary widely, as does quality of work, and the two are not always linked.
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How to loosen a nut when bolt and nut move together? I have a sofabed whose back is fixed to the bed by bolt and nut. When I try to loosen the nut by wrench, the bolt and nut move together. There are no rust. How shall I loosen the nut? Update: the head of bolt has a shallow hex hole. I have got help from another who used hex wrench to stick into the hole of the bolt head and fix/rotate the bolt, together with a regular wrench to rotate the nut. <Q> Second best way: put a wrench on the nut, and a pair of locking pliers on the shank of the bolt. <S> You WILL damage the threads of the bolt; just try not to cause so much damage <S> the nut won't come off. <S> This is the only way besides cutting to remove a carriage bolt, which has a flat or a smooth dome head that can't be "locked on" with a socket or driver, or to otherwise remove a nut from a bolt when you can't get to the head. <A> Penetrating oil . <S> Seriously though, you'll have to find the head of the bolt and hold that while you turn the nut (if you're not already doing that, which it sounds like you're not). <S> If you hold the bolt but are still unable to turn the nut, you may indeed need a little penetrating oil. <S> Spray a liberal amount of the oil on the nut and bolt <S> , wait 5-10 minutes (longer if the bolt is really rusty, which it doesn't sound like it is in your case) then try to loosen the nut again. <S> You'll want to put a towel or rag under the bolt to catch any excess oil that may drip off. <A> You need to to get someone on the head of the bolt to stop it from spinning. <S> The tool depends on what the bolt head looks like and how much space you have to work with. <A> Assuming it is a carriage bolt with a smooth dome shaped head and without a square shank on the underside. <S> Method 1: <S> Squeeze some superglue around the head of the bolt. <S> Wait a while, then try unscrewing the nut again. <S> Method 2: <S> Drill a small hole, say 1/8 inch diameter at the edge of the dome head, at an angle, say 45 deg.to <S> the bolt shank, about 1/4 inch deep, insert the drill into the hole to lock the head from rotating when the nut is being unscrewed. <A> Low tech solution with just some spanners, wrenches <S> My use case was removing seats from a bus. <S> These were bolted in through the floor into nuts below; whole nut-bolt assembly rotated together. <S> Nuts and thread below naturally quite rusted. <S> My bolt heads were hex, that were NOT flush into the cabin floor. <S> This meant I could lay a spanner flat on the floor, holding the bolt head. <S> Now, if you have a spanner or adjustable wrench or locking pliers <S> long enough that its handle can strike some immovable fixture above when turned clockwise in the cabin i.e. at the bolt head, then turning the nut counter-clockwise below will turn the spanner clockwise above , so that it strikes and pushes against that surface, which could be e.g. <S> a wall or wheelbay <S> edge a pillar of the seat assembly itself or anything else solid enough to prevent the spanner turning further clockwise <S> I'd lay my spanner flat on the floor with ring end over the bolt head, and placing its handle just left of (counter-clockwise of) a surface that would stop its rotating clockwise, then drop any heavy object e.g. a sandbag on top to keep it from popping off the top of the hex-head. <S> Then I could unscrew the nut counter-clockwise, below the vehicle. <A> The hack saw thing didn’t work. <S> Locking pliers did. <S> This was the slot I cut, but I just couldn’t find a screw driver that would hold it firmly enough. <S> I also tried drilling - no luck. <S> And regular pliers. <S> That’s what probably really damaged the end of the bolt as the bolt would just spin in them.
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Best way: put a wrench on the nut and the proper driver or socket into or over the head of the bolt, and turn one while keeping the other stationary.
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Bathroom vent terminates to attic not outside. Bathroom vents terminates to attic. The Inspector recommended that it terminates to the outside. What is the best way to do this. Should I just place the bathroom vent next to the roof vent opening. <Q> You could vent out the wall with one of these guys ( Louvered Exhaust Vent ) <S> Or out the roof with one of these ( Roof vent cap ) <S> Either way, your inspector is correct. <S> Blowing warm moist air into the attic is probably not the best idea. <A> Oops, didn't see the pic when I first answered. <S> That's not a plumbing stack vent, that's a fan vent. <S> The most code-compliant way to do it would be to give this exhaust its own path to the outside, by cutting a hole in the roof, fitting a vent cap, and running the vent to the cap, attaching and sealing it. <S> You may or may not need a squirrelcage cap (which helps draw air out of the vent), but it will need to be capped to shelter the vent flue from rain. <S> You MAY be able to get away with simply feeding it to the nearest roof vent, depending on the size and design of these, but it won't meet minimum code in most jurisdictions. <S> Here's why: a vent fan evacuates warm and usually very humid air from your bathroom or kitchen <S> (you're most often venting steam from a shower or from boiling pots/pans). <S> Your attic is an enclosed "cold zone"; it has the same temperature as the outside, which in winter across the northern US will be below freezing. <S> If you exhaust this warm air into the attic, the water will condense onto your rafters and freeze, then thaw, wetting the wood and causing weathering damage, mold and rot over time. <S> Even if it comes out right next to a roof vent, if the air can mingle with attic air, condensation onto wood can still occur. <A> When I replaced a closed box recirculating bath fan with a large exhaust fan, I let the local hardware store owner convince me <S> it was adequate to vent the bath fan into the attic because (he said) “the ridge vent would adequately exhaust all the bathroom air.” <S> BIGGEST MISTAKE <S> WE EVER MADE. <S> By the dry winter season our ceilings all separated from the tops of the walls. <S> Subsequent professional inspectors diagnosed this as “truss uplift syndrome”, a serious structural problem where all of our long established (dry) attic scissor trusses absorbed the humidity being vented into the attic and expanded. <S> This was the start of an irreparable seasonal expansion and contraction of all the attic trusses, depending on the difference between their state and the outdoor humidity level. <S> We converted the bath vent to vent outside the roof and added a whole bunch of additional new attic insulation (per the truss uplift specialists’ instructions), but the damage was done. <S> Years later we’re still dealing with the problem of truss uplift syndrome triggered by venting a bathroom into an established attic that hadn’t had bathroom ventilation previously. <S> NEVER pump humid air into your attic - vent it out of the house.
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It's also not a good idea to vent out the wall too close to the soffit vents, as the exhaust will just be sucked back into the attic through the soffit.
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Need an apparently-discontinued moulding profile; where to look? My wife and I recently bought a house, and one of her highest-priority projects was to strip some rather kitschy wallpaper and repaint the walls in our kitchen. This is nearing completion; however, the wallpapered wall had a paper border strip while all other walls have a crown moulding, so now I need a 16' length of the same stuff to paint and nail in place. The moulding is not actually crown moulding, technically; it lays flat to the wall, and is used in the same room as both chair rail and baseboard. It would probably also do a fine job as window/door casing, which is, I think, its intended purpose. It's 3.5" tall and 5/8" thick, and has a rather generic profile with a top ridge, a swoop to a belly, then a crease that bows back out to a flat bottom border. I've been to HD and to Lowe's (the two big-box chains in the area) and neither of them have the profile; there is one that's close, but IMO not close enough. I've looked at several suppliers online, and it seems that the pattern has simply fallen out of style in favor of slightly updated looks that are close, but no cigar. At this point my father-in-law is saying to either check out a recycling outlet that deals in used/recycled building materials (I don't know of one in the DFW area), or look around for someone who can do custom millwork. Both sound expensive (the recycling outlets deal heavily in vintage stuff like hardwood floors; all I need is paint-quality moulding, to match what was installed less than 30 years ago). EDIT: The profile I am looking for is on the left. The closest match I can find is on the right. If anyone can find a pattern number or any specific identifying info, I'd much appreciate it. <Q> take a look at this suggestion from ask this old house : <S> When none of the offerings at the home center or the lumberyards measure up, <S> then it's time to go the custom route. <S> The problem is, you have to pay setup fees, which increase the linear-foot price significantly and may not be cost-effective for a small order like yours. <S> The way to avoid those charges is to make your own profiles using a table saw, band saw, and router. <S> On the next page, you can see all the steps I follow in order to copy a short piece of baseboard cap. <S> The process isn't difficult, as long as you're familiar with and respectful of these powerful tools. <A> Check your local cabinet supply wholesaler. <S> They probably won't have that exact profile in stock, but they can probably lead to a place that would have it, or help you find a shop that can make it. <S> It doesn't look like an especially difficult profile to mill, just have to use a combination of bits and a little finesse to make such a small batch. <S> Expect to pay a premium, and order more than you think you'll need. <A> You don't mention how much you're looking for, but I'll assume that it's not enough to make it worthwhile to have custom knives made up. <S> So, take a look around for smaller specialty shops - some of these guys never throw out anything, and may have some laying around. <S> Also, check the architectural salvage/recycling places - they may have what you need for a price that'll be less than having it custom made. <S> In this case, being "rare" may make it less valuable, not more. <A> There are a couple of Habitat for Humanity Re-Stores near you: <S> http://www.Re-Store.com/locator/index.php <S> They are not expensive, but there's no guarantee they'd have anything close. <A> Depending on how much moulding you are talking about, you could rip out all of the old stuff and replace it with currently available stuff. <A> Just about any molding profile can be made up using a series of hollow and round planes. <S> I heard about this technique from this book: http://lostartpress.com/products/mouldings-in-practice . <S> This technique might be too involved for some, but someone with the right tools could make up a small quantity pretty quick. <S> I imagine you could do something similar using router jiggery if inclined, or glue together strips of the individual components of the shape, if it was to be painted.
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A millwork shop can make special "knives" and turn out an exact duplicate of your existing moldings.
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Self Priming Aura paint vs Priming Then Painting We've just finished an addition and had it skim-coated. Does anyone have an opinion on whether or not we should prime and then paint or use a so-called "self priming" paint, i.e., Benjamin Moore Aura self priming. <Q> We were in the same situation as you last year. <S> It worked out really nicely for our walls. <S> As an aside, primer is a fraction of the cost of Aura paint. <S> So if you have to do do 1 coat primer + 2 coats Aura versus 3 coats of Aura, the primer + Aura will be cheaper. <A> tegbains is right on. <S> I would recommend a PVA drywall primer before painting. <S> The reason is that a drywall primer like PVA dries fast and will not soak into new drywall or joint compound making it soft. <S> It then seals the surface when dry, so slower drying water based paints will not effect the paper or joint compound. <S> You do not need an expensive primer, PVA is about the cheapest and actually works best. <S> More expensive primers are designed to cover and block colors from bleeding through, this is not your goal with new drywall. <A> The "2 in 1" products that claim to contain paint and primer are largely intended for DIYers who are changing the color of the room. <S> The main purpose of priming in this case is to mask over the prior color (which can "bleed through" the next layer and change its tint) and provide a matte, unpolished surface for the finish coat to "key" to. <S> However, for new paint on a bare slab of drywall, priming has an additional purpose; to seal the paper, plaster and gypsum, which absorb water and therefore will affect the coverage and finish of most latex topcoats. <S> So, for most "new work" applications, it is a good idea to put on a separate coat of drywall primer, which will seal the surface so it doesn't absorb more paint. <A> I painted my kitchen with Aura paint -- a warm gray color which completely covered the "pottery red" color that had been there for years. <S> So <S> --no primer and only one coat. <S> It couldn't have been easier. <S> The one thing to be careful of is that occasionally there is a danger of a "piece" of the paint wanting to slide off the wall -- sort of like a drip but several inches. <S> It didn't happen more than once or twice in my whole kitchen (ceiling and four walls, but it's worth watching for since if you catch it, you can just roll the spot and all will be okay. <S> Great Benjamin Moore Aura paint!! <S> I'll never paint with anything else again.
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Benjamin Moore recommended that we use a sealing latex primer first on the new drywall and then use the Aura pain.
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Using a window as a dry-erase surface I'd like to put some kind of easily removed clear (or semi-translucent) material on my large windows so I can use them as a dry-erase surface without blocking out the light. Any suggestions on what to look for? Cheaper is better : ) <Q> You can write on glass with a dry-erase marker and it will come off with a paper towel. <S> (Try it yourself if you don't believe me!) <S> I've never left it on glass long enough for it to need any sort of solvent to remove, but I'd think that normal ammonia-based window cleaner would work OK; if not, you could always use dry-erase cleaner as a last resort. <S> The reason this works is that dry-erase boards (the rigid kind at least) have a thin ceramic coating to prevent the ink from penetrating pores in the white plastic substrate, and glass is a ceramic. <S> If there are any stubborn dry erase marker smudges left over, a sharp #9 razor blade will easily remove them. <A> Don't know about windows, but the shower backer board you can get in 4' x 8' sheets <S> a most home improvement stores will work well too. <S> Pretty much the same material and really cheap. <S> We used these at a company I worked for previously and then cut and attached molding around them as a frame to dress them up. <S> HTH. <A> Window glass is an ideal surface on which to use dry erase markers. <S> It is very non-porous <S> and you don't want anything with pores that the ink can sink into. <S> A great way to get a whiteboard cheaply is to visit your local recycling plant and get yourself a glass door or window. <S> If you want it to be white, paste paper behind it. <S> I use the Pomodoro system of time management, and for that I have a table which I fill in each day. <S> I made the table on white paper, and covered it with clear Contact (the self adhesive stuff you get to cover school books). <S> Then I painted it with car polish to fill all the pores. <S> I use Wrightmarkers markers for that. <S> Writing on windows needs particularly intense colors, and these meet the bill. <S> If you have any difficulty at all cleaning them off, they are washable in plain water, so you can give your surface a quick wipe-down with a damp cloth. <S> I also rinse my eraser every few weeks when the dust builds up in it. <S> Windows are not the only glass surface either. <S> You can write names on wine-glasses before a party, or use blank CDs as place-mats with names written on them. <A> Glass is great for writing on with markers. <S> Erasing was as simple as wiping it with acetone, alcohol, or MEK, which, fortunately, were in plentiful supply in that lab, but can also be found at the hardware store. <S> Actually, fingernail polish remover works great as well. <A> I've actually found that the BiC brand magic marker "window marker" which is used a lot on car windows at dealerships to mark the sale prices etc, work fantastic compared to regular dry erase markers. <S> They are much brighter and thicker than the regular dry erase, so it's much easier to see; and they clean up very easily··· just a little water on a paper towel and it comes right off. <S> I used them to write all over my car (the body and Windows) for my nieces graduation, and on my drive home (5 hours of driving in it) <S> it rained super hard and the marker hardly even smudged; but when I wiped it down with a paper towel all of it came off with no problems at all. <A> Magic Whiteboard and Wizard Wall sell clear dry-wipe sheets that stick on to windows and walls by static <S> , so you don't need to clean the window afterwards. <S> They are also available in white: <S> Magic Clearboard and Wizard Wall . <S> Unfortunately they seem to be expensive in the US (but are more reasonably priced in the UK).
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Dry erase markers work great on Windows and mirrors. When I worked in a lab, we used to write on the fume hood sashes and glassware all thetime, with permanent markers, that way they wouldn't smudge. Both types of markers are labeled "conforms to ASTM D 4236", so they're the exact same; the magic marker one is just thicker like I said. If you search for wrightmarkers markers you'll find details. You could even use the CDs for recording after you've erased the names, or re-use them for your next party.
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How to prevent odor in clay pots, resulting due to drinking water storage? We use clay pots to store drinking water in summers. Clay pots keep the water cool. The water lasts for 2 days and then I wash the pot with soap and fill the water again. There is no tight lid for the pot, just a normal steel plate is used to cover its mouth. Lately I have felt some kind of odor in the water there. Any hints? <Q> This happens with steel / aluminum water containers as well, in my experience, so never fear! <S> According to the official Clorox blog : It is good your daycare is using bleach for disinfecting, and now you can pass along some information to help them use it correctly! <S> The ¼ cup per gallon dilution they use is more standard as a bleach pre-soak for bleachable fabrics that are heavily soiled or for fabrics that need to be disinfected. <S> It is actually not strong enough to disinfect hard surfaces. <S> Instead, to disinfect furniture and hard, non-porous toys, the correct dilution is ¾ Clorox® Regular-Bleach per gallon of water. <S> You are also correct to note that they should be measuring a full gallon of water that the ¾ cup is then added to, a 1:21 dilution. <S> Items need to have contact with this disinfecting solution for 5 minutes, and then should be rinsed thoroughly and allowed to air dry. <S> However, the blog also indicates that porous surfaces (I assume your clay is porous) are NOT safe for bleach! <S> For mopping floors (ceramic tile, vinyl, linoleum—not marble or other porous surfaces that aren’t safe for bleach), mix up a solution of ¾ cup bleach added to 1 gallon of water. <S> For disinfecting, wipe or wash the floor, then apply the bleach solution and let stand for 5 minutes. <S> Rinse well and air dry. <S> Also, be sure the area is well ventilated while you are working. <S> Instead, I would use hydrogen peroxide. <S> It's inexpensive, readily available at drugstores, and it's a weak acid. <S> The pharmacist should be able to help you dilute it properly, if necessary, though it likely won't be; drugstore hydrogen peroxide is a 3% dilution, and it breaks down in sunlight anyway. <S> In addition, it is much stronger when mixed with vinegar, which most folks have in their homes anyway. <S> Remember: ACID TO WATER! <A> Clay pot in the beginning it gives out mud smell <S> that's Wat u experienced . <S> To remove the odour u have to clean the pot with rice washed water atleast 15 days . <S> The water which rice was washed should be collected and poured into the pot and keep it for long time as much possible . <S> Doing this continuously the odour goes off . <A> For cleaning mud vessels don't use any soap, bleach or any chemical. <S> Clay pot absorbs them. <S> Use wood-ash, charcol or sea salt.
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Your best bet is to use a solution to kill the bacteria that might be living in the pot.
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Identify a washing machine part - the exit port I'm trying to identify (= find the name for) a washing machine component.Unfortunately, I don't have this part - I gave it to my landlord who is looking for a replacement. It's basically the exit port for the washing machine water that connects to the drain hose. It has two little hoses going into it, both connected to two electrical components that seem to be little motors, and a rudimentary filter. I'm guessing this either redirects the water back into the machine or out to the drain depending on the cycle stage. Does anyone know what this is called so I can try and locate it online? Would this have a different name based on the brand of the washing machine? I'm pretty sure this is the pump , but apparently on other machines the pump is near the fluff filter. In my case, it's at the back of the machine, connected to the exit hose. The machine is an AEG Lavamat 40870 <Q> Appliance parts like are generally specific to the manufacturer and possibly model. <S> Do a parts search there, based on the model # and part description. <S> Ideally, check the existing part for a label. <S> Often these include part IDs expressly for the purpose of ordering replacements. <S> Based on the part number identified in step 2 or 3, search on google and ebay for the part. <S> Usually you can find it from a third-party retailer for significantly less than ordering direct from the manufacturer. <S> You might also try a local appliance repair parts store -- they may be able to guide you to find the right part if they are familiar with your brand of appliance. <A> If you have the make and model number of the washing machine, Repair Clinic can identify the part for you. <A> It's the pump. <S> Here's a random google image of a pump: <S> i've had to replace mine; i bought a new one and a spare.
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If that doesn't work, look for a parts diagram of your model. My usual approach, which has served me well, is: Find the manufacturer's service website.
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Water coming in through the walls of an old concrete garage I recent bought a house with a detached garage, made of old concrete (high aggregate content) reinforced with steel rods and set into a hill. Built in 1938 or so; no waterproofing. Now that Boston has turned into a rain-forest, water is seeping / leeching through the walls of the garage, making the whole thing very damp and smelly. There are no obvious drips, but the bottom 3-4 feet of concrete is discolored and damp, and there are patches of dampness on the (newer) floor. The concrete is degrading, and I was thinking of parging over it with new concrete to smooth the walls, but I want to address the leaking first. Or would a parge coat help? What else can I do to seal up the concrete, short of digging up the foundation (15' of dirt with a garden on top!) and painting the outside surface? <Q> It sounds like your garage is the low spot in the landscape and making a drain system difficult or impossible. <S> If you are sure that drains aren't possible, the only other possible solution may be treating the interior wall surfaces with an epoxy wall treatment like "Dry Loc". <S> Dry Loc will withstand hydrolic pressure of about 3psi, which is usually enough for walls and floors effected only during times of heavy rain etc. <S> The trick of making this stuff work well is to be sure the concrete is dry and any loose, flaking or effluence is removed. <S> Obvious cracks and foundation form pins must be "keyed" and filled with hydrolic cement such as "rocktite" before painting the Dry Loc on. <S> The Oil based Dry loc is much easier to use than the latex based version, but lots of ventilation is needed, which should not be a problem with a garage. <S> you will probably need two coats and be sure to work it into all the tiny holes etc, 100% coverage is important. <S> Good Luck. <A> I'd suggest a french drain around the sides of the garage. <S> This requires that you have somewhere to output the drain, and it also involves a lot of digging. <S> But it will work much better than waterproof paint. <A> You can try an interior weeping tile system, similar to a house basement. <S> First, you jackhammer out about two feet around the edges of the garage, down to earth. <S> Then, you put in your weeping tile, which nowadays isn't clay tile but a perforated plastic pipe with a mesh sock over it (to keep out dirt). <S> That weeping tile will collect water that leeches into the house, and run it into a drain line (which must obviously run downhill from the garage floor to a storm sewer or cistern). <S> That goes all the way down to the dirt next to the weeping tile, and you will back-fill over it before cementing. <S> I would recommend a center drain, with the garage floor sloped slightly (1-1.5 degrees) towards the drain; worst case scenario, you can sweep or squeegee standing puddles into the drain. <S> Patch the concrete you jackhammered out, possibly with a parge coat to set the grade over the whole floor, and your garage should be much drier. <S> If this sounds expensive, it is, if you have a contractor do it for you. <S> But, it's not an impossible DIY project if you have access to the jackhammer and concrete mixing/pouring tools. <A> We had this same problem in a part of our garage, and it was water from the hill coming into the garage, as well, as the rain that fell on the house/garage roof. <S> Once we added gutters to the roof, and ran a long gutter away from the house and the garage, the water situation improved. <S> It can be really easy to add gutters, and really hard to add drain tile. <S> We ended up doing both, and the drain tile or weep holes is in the inside of the foundation line. <S> It is attached to a sump basket and a pump. <S> Water problems are gone! <S> we hired this out, and did it all for around $2000. <S> No more water problems for us, as long as the gutters and pump keep up with the water.
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Then, you need a waterproof wall liner; it doesn't stop water leaching through the walls, but it catches that water behind the liner and directs it down to earth, where it will seep into the weeping tile, while keeping the liner's interior surface dry. Short of that, check the grading of the land around the garage and make sure everything slopes away.
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Replacement key for an old sewing machine? I'm having an old sewing machine with a simple lock, for which I can't find the key. What's the best way to: Find a good replacement key for it If it's not possible, pick the lock so that it'll be always open, with no damage to the actual lock. break the lock open, with minimal damage to the wooden case of the sewing maching. The key looked like one of these, unfortunately I don't remember like which. <Q> To pick a lock like this, you may be able to simply push a paperclip into the keyhole. <S> If you normally put the key in pointed down, try to find a lever to press up or to the side within the top or side part of the lock. <S> You may also be able to drill a hole from beneath the machine to access the lock or strike plate where it won't be visible. <S> Once you have it open, either remove the lock, remove the strike plate, or fix the strike plate so that the lock is not able to catch. <A> these types of locks usually have a screw-on face plate that is not part of the lock. <S> if so, i would remove that face plate and destructively remove the lock. <S> then put the face plate back on. <S> also, removing the face plate may give you enough visibility in to the lock that you could easily pick it. <A> Many antique sewing machine cabinet drawers had locking mechanisms. <S> The keys tend to be rather small; less than 2 inches long. <S> Depending on the make of the sewing machine, the end of the key that fits into the mechanism could be FLAT (which can often be opened using a very small screw driver), SQUARE (such as for the Wheeler & Wilson #9 Treadle sewing machine), TRIANGULAR or 3-sided, or may have a tooth like you see on <S> a skeleton door key (though much smaller) or a jewelry box key. <S> Shine a light into the key hole to see what shape key is needed. <S> In many cases you can open the drawer with a very small screwdriver. <S> Be sure to do so gently. <S> If it's a square receptacle insert the flat head screw driver so it fits crosswise, (top right corner to bottom left corner). <S> I have seen antique sewing machine keys available on ebay, Etsy, and also on various Face Book groups which feature vintage sewing machine subjects.
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If you're not able to pick it, then it depends on the design of lock as to whether you'll be able to slide something into a crack to push a spring loaded latch to the side.
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How to sharpen a lawn mower blade? Is it possible for a DIYer to sharpen the blade on their lawn mower? If so, how would I sharpen the blade on my lawn mower? It is a reasonably basic push mower but it does have a 'mulching' blade. <Q> Remove the blade by removing the nut that attaches it to the mower. <S> If there is any rust on the blade, remove it with steel wool or a steel brush. <S> Clamp the blade in a vice, or to the edge of a solid work surface. <S> Run a file down the cutting edge, following the same angle already on the blade. <S> If the blade is badly damaged, you will have to use a bench grinder or have it professionally sharpened. <S> Run the blade perpendicular to the grinding wheel to remove any nicks or gouges <S> (this will give you a straight blunt edge). <S> Hold the blade at the proper angle (the angle already on the blade) and grind the length of the blade until it is sharp. <S> Balance <S> the blade (from the center point) on a nail or on a Blade Balancer <S> (~$5) to check that the blade is balanced. <S> If the blade is not balanced, you will have to remove a bit of the material from the heavier side <S> (Do not remove this material from the cutting edge). <S> Now that your blade is sharpened and balanced, reattach it to the mower. <S> Sharpening the blade more frequently will make the task quicker and easier, since you won't have to grind as much to get a good edge. <S> If you do sharpen the blade using a power grinder heat from the process can weaken the blade, so you'll want to quench the blade to prevent overheating. <S> dip the blade in water frequently during the sharpening process to cool it, and wipe it dry before you continue grinding. <A> If you have a workbench with a vice it is pretty easy. <S> The other answers have already covered the basic techniques. <S> I don't own a bench grinder, but I have used a metal file, and a cordless drill with a grinder tip. <S> Both methods worked pretty well for me. <S> Rarely takes me more than 15-20 min (not counting removing and re-attaching the blade). <S> Just a few comments that weren't covered in the other answers: <S> The blade should be "butter knife" sharp, not "razor blade" sharp. <S> If you make the edge too sharp, it will curl up as it gets dinged by tiny pebbles. <S> (A brand new blade from the factory is usually only butter knife sharp.) <S> Don't change the overall angle of the blade edge while sharpening it. <S> The mfr knew what they were doing when they designed the blade. <S> Make sure your blade is balanced when you are done. <S> If it is off balance, it will hurt the mower. <S> All you need is a drill and a vice. <S> Some curved mulching blades are difficult to sharpen properly. <S> It may be easier to just replace it. <S> For a small mower, an OEM replacement blade can be found for $10-$20. <S> So, if you are struggling to sharpen your current blade, don't be afraid to buy a new one. <S> If nothing else, having a spare blade or two around can make life easier. <A> but it is not designed to take off this much material quickly. <S> You usually want about a 40-degree angle on your average knife blade; A mower blade gets a lot more abuse though, so you should probably go up to 45* <S> or even 50 <S> *. <S> The important thing is that there is a sharp, even edge along the base of the blade. <S> If it's rounded, it's dull, and avoid taking too much material off the bottom of a mower blade as that will lessen the "vacuum" effect of the blade passing over the grass, making for a more uneven cut. <S> What's almost as important as a sharp blade is a balanced blade. <S> Nail a box spike into a stud in your garage wall, and whenever you sharpen the blade, when you think you're done, balance the blade on the spike through its center mounting hole. <S> It should be within a couple degrees of level; if not, the mower will vibrate severely at high throttle. <S> In the extreme, you can wear out the drive axle bearings of the motor prematurely, or even bend the drive axle (at which point the lawn mower is garbage). <A> I have even used a course grit sandpaper to give it a quick sharpening. <S> This doesn't work for big nicks and dings, but does ok just to clean up the edge. <A> A file is quick and effective. <S> Push the file (or pull from the non-handle end) towards the edge of the beveled side of the LM blade. <S> Do this until it is bright and shiny. <S> This will have created a burr on the flat side of the blade. <S> So remove the burr by pushing the file on the flat side of LM blade towards the blade. <S> Keep the file as flat as possible. <S> If you do this every few times that you cut your lawn, you can keep the blade sharp, and it only takes 5 minutes. <S> Been doing this for 25 years. <S> Trust me, it's the best way with the least effort. <A> There is certainly an optimal angle, but close is good enough. <S> Just use a dremel or a file. <S> If you keep an edge on the blade, the mower runs so much smoother and it is better for your lawn. <A> You can touch up most wear with this: http://www.amazon.com/Dremel-675-Garden-Sharpener-Attachment/dp/B00008Z9ZR <S> It will go through the grinding stones fairly quickly, so buy a couple of spares. <S> Also note that if it's been a while since the last sharpening, this tool won't do large gouges - for that, you'll need a bench grinder. <S> And as @KeithS says, making sure the blade stays balanced is important.
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The big home improvement stores sell a little "kit" for sharpening and balancing your blade that is pretty cheap . A bench grinder, or failing that an angle grinder and a bench clamp, are the tools for this job. A dremel will do in a pinch
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Small Concrete Paver patio under BBQ I have a BBQ that's currently sitting on a not so level grassy area. I'd like to create a very small base for the grill with two 2ft by 2ft concrete pavers so I have a level base, but I don't know how to prep the area for the pavers. Do I need to dig down, how far, and what do I put under the pavers? I live in the Northern US, if that's important. <Q> Dig down at least 6". <S> Lay landscape fabric (this will block weeds and what-not) <S> , the fabric should run up the sides of the hole. <S> Fill the hole with a base material (usually crushed limestone), fill the hole about 2" at a time tamping it down thoroughly between layers. <S> Add a 1" layer of sand (leveled). <S> Set the pavers. <S> Brush sand into the joints, using a stiff bristled broom. <S> Tamp the whole thing (this will wiggle the sand between the pavers locking them in place). <S> You'll want 5-6" of the base material, plus 1" of sand, plus the paver thickness (keep in mind the 1" of sand may compact a bit when you set the pavers, and after the final tamp). <S> To make the job easier, you might want to rent a Plate Compactor <S> this will make tamping the base material easier and help lock in the pavers after you sweep the sand in the joints. <S> Typically when you build this type of "patio" you'll have to worry about drainage, so you'll want to slope the whole thing enough to allow the water to run to a safe location. <S> In this case you probably won't have to worry so much, unless the patio is right up against the house. <A> If it's just a base for a reasonably small barbecue then all you really need to do is get the pavers level. <S> Rather than build up you want to dig out the turf in a 4ft x 2ft rectangle to create a level base. <S> Then add a layer of builders sand, level that off and simply rest the pavers on top of that. <S> You could add a layer of gravel/small stones before you add the sand, but that will depend on the soil. <S> Having the gravel will aid drainage. <S> As there's not going to be any real weight on the pavers <S> and you've got a hole for them to sit in <S> , I don't think it would be strictly necessary to cement them down. <A> Depends on how long you want it to last. <S> If you dig down about a foot, then backfill it with 3/4" crushed gravel, it'll be pretty solid. <S> If you don't mind it shifting a little, pavers can go down right on top of earth, but they'll sink in and drift more. <A> I did the something similar with my grill about 4 years ago. <S> I laid down 6 18" concrete pavers. <S> There are 3 pavers across and 2 deep. <S> I would recommend that you dig down about 8". <S> Then put down 4" of paver base gravel and tamp it down. <S> Then apply an additional 3" of paver sand and level it out. <S> Then you can install your pavers. <S> The stone and sand will prevent the pavers from shifting, and will also help prevent weeds from growing in the joints. <S> You can also install landscape fabric underneath the sand, and use polymeric sand to seal the joints. <S> However, those last 2 steps really aren't necessary. <S> 24" pavers are pretty tough to install because of their size. <S> It will probably be easier to use more smaller sized pavers instead. <S> Other tools I would recommend using would be a level, and a rubber mallet to seat the pavers into the base.
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You may have to dig deeper depending on where you want the pavers to sit (at ground level, slightly above ground level), and how thick the pavers are.
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How do I fix a chlorine feeder that's nearly impossible to open? I've got an off-line Hayward chlorine tablet feeder on my pool (it has a 1/4" hose that taps off some water from the pressure side of the pump before the filter, and it outputs via 1/4" line to the return lines after the filter). This thing has a screw-top to seal the chamber where the chlorine tablets go, and it has a latch mechanism - if you screw it on far enough, it latches to prevent the top vibrating off. This thing is only 3 or 4 years old. At this point I can't close it completely (it's simply too tight to screw on any further). When last I did have it completely closed, it took me over an hour to get it apart. It doesn't leak, and various tests (unscrewing various fittings) shows that it is working. Anyone know what's gone wrong here? It's almost like the plastic has changed shape in some way. Any idea how to fix it? It's not an expensive part ($60 or so), but it's only a few years old, and it seems to me it shouldn't need replacing already. <Q> The O-ring for the cap on my Rainbow chlorinator didn't last more than a couple of years. <S> Perhaps you need a new one. <S> My O-ring actually swelled and got bigger. <S> I keep mine lubricated with silicone grease. <A> I have the same problem with a brand new Hayward feeder. <S> I use a rubber strap wrench to get it off, but even then it's killer. <S> Since the top has the indents, I'm thinking there must be a wrench that is made for it. <S> If I can't find one, I think I'll be making one (likely out of plywood). <A> Just like any other threaded thing, try the following: <S> clean the threads use appropriate lubricants or sealers replace any seals <S> (sounds like you already did O-rings) <S> check the threads for damage unless the manual specifies that you have to use some force to tighten the device <S> , you shouldn't force it <A> If it is filled with water, you are not only fighting against the original friction and any other junk that might've made the seal stronger over time, but you're attempting to unscrew something, which makes it withdraw, forming a vacuum. <S> Then whack it with some moderate force with a screwdriver. <S> Also, if it has a handle on top, you could use a long bar/screwdriver/whatever to create more leverage. <S> If you manage to get it off, lube it up with regular ol' pool lube or T Plus 2 pipe dope (liquid teflon). <S> Also, tablets pretty much suck. <S> They mess up your chemistry pretty bad, putting too much cyanuric acid into the pool, which NEVER goes away (unless you drain the pool) and forces you to put more and more chlorine tablets into the pool. <S> Unless you drain your pool yearly, your pool's chemistry is in a slow but irreversible death spiral. <S> If your pool is compatible with salt, salt water chlorine generators are far superior and are highly recommended.
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Try to get some air into it by opening up the air pressure relief valve atop your filter, or by draining your filter.
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Sealant used to prevent water getting between bath and wall? What's the name of the 'rubbery' sealant they use between the bath and the wall, and why don't they use it in between the wall tiles? They use a hard grouting between wall tiles, but if the weight of the bath water makes the bath slightly drag the tiles down when it is filled which may crack the grouting (presumably why they use the rubbery sealant between bath and wall), isn't it more sensible to use that rubbery sealant for all the grouting? <Q> The rubbery sealant is bathroom (or general-purpose) silicone caulk. <S> As to why they don't use it between every tile, the answer is that it shouldn't be necessary; except for the one row of tile overhanging the "backsplash" of a "built-in" tub (helps keep minor splashes and overflow from seeping into the wall behind the tub), all tiles should be fixed to the wall, and unless the bathtub is not properly supported from underneath the weight of water should have only a minimal effect on stretching and shrinkage of that wall. <S> If the wall IS stretching and shrinking enough to crack and flake the grout, it will probably also be affecting the tiles' adhesion to the wall, and you will, sooner than you should have to, be paying someone else to repair or replace the tile. <S> It's also a cost-benefits thing. <S> Grout is very easy to apply; after applying the tiles to the backing, simply load a trowel with the grout mix, and scrape it over tile and gap alike, pressing the grout into the gaps. <S> Then, with a damp rag, wipe off the tile, leaving grout in the gaps. <S> Contrast that with going over every gap between tiles with a caulk gun, carefully applying just the right amount of caulk; caulking is precision work if you want it to look good. <S> You can grout a full shower in less than an hour; you'd be there all day with a caulk gun. <A> The bath, being made of metal, will expand and contract with temperature changes much more than the tile. <S> So something as rigid as grout will eventually fail. <S> Use masking tape on either side of the joint during application to get a professional looking finish. <A> I really wouldn't use grouting between the wall and bath. <S> Are you thinking of silicone sealant? <S> Also when applying use a rubber glove with a bit of washing up liquid on to make it as smooth as possible. <S> Also clean and dry the areas VERY well before applying. <A> There're two options - silicone sealant and acrylic sealant, I only tried the first one. <S> silicone sealant is very durable and completely waterproof, has perfect adhesion to most surfaces encountered at bath-to-wall joints. <S> Beware that you have to check the fine print about whether it has adhesion to the specific materials you have at your bathroom. <S> Those sealants are flexible - if the bath bends slightly the sealant will stretch or compress and the seam remains intact. <S> Still it's nearly impossible to have the bending bath drag the tiles unless tiles are attached to the wall very poorly. <S> At worst the sealant detaches from either the wall or the bath and you have a leakage. <S> It's the mortar-like compound between the tile and the wall that holds the tile in place, not the whatever is between the adjacent tiles.
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Silicone sealant, or some other flexible bathroom caulk is what is required.
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What's the best way to remove a wall plug? I use wall plugs a lot for putting screws into brick walls. It's easy to get the screw out when you want to remove them and usually you can loosen the screw a bit and pull and then both the wall plug and screw slide out. Sometimes, however, the screw slides out but not the wall plug. What's the best way to get it out? <Q> I usually just poke them into the wall (unless they are the screw in kind obviously, or the kind with a large collar). <S> Put a screw driver on them and give it a sharp whack, then patch the hole. <S> I find it's easier and faster to patch the slightly larger hole, than it is to try and dig them out and then patch the hole anyway. <S> For the larger collar ones, try to bend/mutilate the collar enough then poke them through the wall. <S> Be careful when you do this, you don't want to put the screw driver and/or your hand through the wall as well. <S> In a brick wall you could drill them out. <S> Find a bit that is about the same size as the hole in the anchor, then carefully drill it out. <A> I will just take a pair of needle nose pliers, jam it into the wall <S> so one needle goes directly into the drywall and the other goes into the hole of the wall plug. <S> Clamp hard and yank it out. <S> Clean up the hole and patch it. <A> If it is the expanding type, I had good results from inserting the screw back and using a crowbar as a lever against the screw head to pull it out. <S> But be careful it <S> the plug is very tight against the wall that you don't delaminate the wallboard. <A> If this does not work, cut the plug into quarters with a Stanley knife, cut the plug out using the knife then patch the wall. <A> I just tryed putting the screw back in and pulling it <S> and out it poped the. <S> All I had to do was fill in the holes
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You can use a small metal rod the same size as the plug, using a hammer to knock the plug in, then patch the hole.
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How to clean the LCD screen of the television? Due to my carelessness the LCD screen of the television has developed a sticky layer on some areas. Can I clean it with a cloth and water? Or Any other (less expensive) solution for cleaning it? I don't know much about the chemicals available in the market, and thus cannot trust them much. <Q> A slightly damp cloth is good. <S> You don't want any water to drip into the screen <S> , so "slightly damp" is important. <S> Many chemicals will damage coatings on the screen, so don't use anything that isn't explicitly designed for electronics. <A> A good sized bottle of commercial cleaner with a microfibre cloth retails for about $20, wholesales for about $2, but it's also available in moist towelette form that are very inexpensive ($5 per box). <S> If you don't want to buy screen cleaner and you're considering cleaning with straight water, consider that tap water will usually leave white spots from the dissolved minerals. <S> If you have bottled water, that'd be better. <S> You may want to consider using a mix of 50% water/50% isopropyl alcohol (white vinegar will do in a pinch). <S> You can also use most cleaners designed for plastic glasses lenses. <S> A soft cotton cloth will suffice if you don't have a microfibre cloth or eyeglass cleaning cloth. <S> Avoid anything with ethyl alcohol, ammonia or anything acetate as they can easily damage the thin plastic covering leading to fogging. <S> You should always spray your mixture onto your cloth rather than onto the screen. <S> I also suggest testing any method or mixture on a small spot in the corner, letting it dry and observing the results before doing the whole screen. <S> Also, you are better to wipe an area multiple times to remove a stubborn mark, than to press hard which may damage the panel. <S> Hope this helps <A> Most things you can use (paper towels, cloth) will leave lint behind. <S> What you want is microfibre cloth. <S> The best one is the cloth intended for eyeglasses, but they are small, so it takes time cleaning with them. <S> It is somewhat expensive (Eur 2.5) and you can't reuse it for windows because you don't want it contaminated with window cleaner. <S> But it works much quicker. <S> As for cleaning liquid, I don't trust anything but water. <S> Screens have anti-glare coating, and you never know how even the mildest detergent will affect it. <S> I haven't had a visible residue even when using very hard water, but of course, distilled water or filtered water is a good precaution if you have it. <S> For the cleaning itself, you have to dry the screen, or you'll get smear marks. <S> So a single damp cloth doesn't work well. <S> You have two choices - either use two cloths, or a cloth and a spraying bottle. <S> With two cloths, clean with the wet (not dripping wet) cloth, and immediately dry with the other one, before the water has evaporated. <S> With the spray bottle (use a clean one intended for flowers, not an empty window-cleaner one because of residues), you can sparingly spray the screen, then dry it with the cloth. <S> By sparingly, I mean that there shouldn't be a part of the screen which is misted more than once. <S> Too much water, and you will not only have a too wet cloth, but you also risk it dripping into the frame and damaging the electronics inside. <A> You can get good lens cleaner for pretty cheap online. <S> http://www.sciplus.com/singleItem.cfm/terms/12086 <S> Like other posters said, you'll want a microfiber cloths because anything else will leave lint, scratch the screen, or both.
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You can buy a microfibre cloth intended for cleaning windows.
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Is it feasible to make a sealable hole in the freezer door seal? I want to operate a small mixer in the freezer, for churning ice cream. I can close the door over the power cord, but the door seal isn't flexible enough to enclose the power cord, so it creates a crack. My idea is to make a small hole in the seal, for the power cord. If it is a tight fit, the cold loss during mixer operation will be minimal. But I don't plan to keep the mixer there permanently, so I'll have to seal the hole somehow. I think that an earplug will be the best seal. It is easily removed, and once inserted, it will expand to fit the hole perfectly. The foam should be a fairly good isolator. While it looks to me that this will work, it sounds slightly lunatic from some angles. Not being an experienced DIYer, and afraid to end up with a freezer which is constantly heated through a badly sealed hole, I want to ask you: Do you think this will work? Are there drawbacks I am missing? (Beside the freezer spending extra energy to cool a working motor, I think I can live with that). And are there better ways to do this? update in response to ppumpkin This is a standalone freezer, not a compartment in a fridge. It has no lightbulb or thermostat on the inside. The mixer will only be put in the freezer for ice cream making, so it won't be there most of the time. I have already thought of putting a socket in the freezer, caulking the hole for the power cord coming from outside. But while I can get wet-room rated extensions, the cords of premade extensions are too thick to lead through the seal. So I'll have to make the extension myself, which is much less secure than connecting the mixer to a socket outside. The other idea was to build my own "mixer" from a 6 V DC motor and operate it from a li-ion battery. But not only is it lots of work, li-ion batteries at -18°C aren't a good idea. So I still think that connecting the mixer outside is better. <Q> The cold air is heavier than the air around it. <S> Other than the stirring of air causing the mingling of warm and cold air, a freezer doesn't need a top at all. <S> Ever wondered how the open-top freezers at the grocery store stay frozen? <S> They're a big bucket, and the cold air is trapped by gravity. <S> So take advantage of that: <S> Put your cord inlet at the top of your freezer, and don't worry about sealing it. <S> The mixture/transfer of air at the cord inlet point will be negligible. <A> I don't know about Germany, but in the US extension cords are available that have the conductors side-by-side, having an overall flat profile rather than round. <S> Follow Bob's advice to put the cord in at the top, and seal any remaining gap with painter's tape. <S> You should be able to pull it off and reapply it one or two times if you need to open the freezer to check on progress, and a roll will tape the entire door several times over. <A> It really depends on what scale you are going to. <S> If most of the time you are NOT going to use the mixer in the fridge- <S> then no- breaking the seal is not a good idea. <S> I assume you are putting 220/110 volt in the fridge.. <S> not a great idea-- but thats DIY :) <S> Look how the wires of the liight bulb go and see if you could feed 3(earthed) <S> 2(non erathed) <S> wires throught the same channel. <S> Then you could also put some kind of damp proof plug in the fridge. <S> .. <S> -EDIT <S> I think your initial solution is pretty good- <S> but can you look at how the seal is fastened- <S> maybe there is a chance that you can slice out 1-2cm piece straight as possible - and remove it when you need to use the extension and replace the seal when you don't need it any more? <S> Other wise the only option is going to be to drill through the fridge wall and mount a plug inside like you said- or make a bigger hole to get the plug outside.. <S> but then you have a much bigger hole to seal..
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So your freezer full of cold air is like a bucket of water: the cold air is trying to flow out only where gravity will let it. Put the cord/hole in the top of the door, and it really won't matter: It is difficult to understand and see how to run this wire. This will be more work but is the cleanest solution.
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troubleshooting a hot tub/spa that won't heat up We have a Hotsprings/Watkins brand hottub/spa that came with the house we bought last September. At the time that we bought it, the hot tub appeared to work and heat up properly. However, now that we've unwinterized it and tried to use it, it no longer heats up and the water temperature stays at 70 F. The power to the hottub works ok and the jets, light and control panel all seem to work ok. At first we found that the circulation pump wasn't working and we though that this is why the water wasn't heating up. We bought a new pump and now the bubbles come out of the bottom circulation vent at the bottom of the tub, but the water still doesn't heat up. Does this sound like a problem with the heating element? We're not really familiar with hot tubs and aren't sure how to troubleshoot this other than look at the obvious. People online talk about breakers in the inside control panel, but I couldn't find any and the only fuse in there is in tact. The only breaker I know of is the external breaker in a breaker box outside the hot tub. Any ideas are appreciated. <Q> Deltaray, I have a Hotsprings Grandee 220V. I've experienced a few power related issues. <S> Here are my thoughts: <S> Makse sure the thermostat is set higher than 70 degrees. <S> Should be a no brainer <S> but you never know. <S> Mine has 2 breakers in the sub panel, one for the heater and one for the pumps and electronics. <S> Try resetting everything. <S> Turn off the breakers, let it site for a minute, turn the breakers back on. <S> On mine the cover for the control box is easy to open with a screwdriver. <S> Turn off the breakers and open the control box. <S> Examine the wires that go to the heater. <S> Make sure they are attached. <S> Mine also has a fuse or two on in the control box. <S> Look to see if they are blown. <S> The heaters do not last forever. <S> They are pretty simple to replace, especially if you already have experience replacing the circulation pump. <S> If you are comfortable with electricity it is easy to see if the heater is getting power at the control box. <S> Use a volt meter to check for voltage. <S> If the circulation pump was not working, the heater could have overheated. <S> Look for a reset button, or if you know the heater is getting power, replace the heater. <S> When the heater is working you should feel hot water coming out of the drain vent. <S> Your electric meter should also be spinning pretty fast. <S> My Grandee takes a few hours to heat up, but you should feel the hot water almost immediately. <S> What year/model do you have? <S> 110V or 220V? <A> Just throwing it out there, but many spa heaters, including mine, have an "overheat breaker" for the heater coil, which trips if the heater element gets too hot. <S> For instance, if the pump wasn't well-primed before you turned the heater on, you can have air in the heater manifold which very quickly overheats the coil. <S> Turning the element to its max setting can also cause this breaker to trip every so often. <S> The breaker should have a pretty simple reset; on mine it's just a small red button. <A> Just one more idea: my hot tub heater automatically resets to "warm" vs. "hot" if the filter needs to be changed. <S> I have a different make/model, but check your filters. <S> Also, they can take hella long time to heat in cool weather.
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Make sure the breaker for the heater is on.
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Does this 2x4 support my gable ridge? I'm installing a floor in my attic. To open up the space and simplify the flooring I'm removing temporary construction bracing. Most of the bracing is easy to identify, since it clearly does not support anything: It doesn't touch the ridge or rafter, has no real structure on the lower end, and is some cases is actually being held up by the roof. One 2x4 post gives me pause, though. Rather than just being toe-nailed into the ridge it is supported (poorly) by a sistered 2x4. It is sitting on the top plate of a wall with some continuity down through the house. It's actually twisted as if it might be buckling from load. And the gable ridge does not run into a header. The valley rafters are massive, though, so perhaps it is supposed to be cantilevered. Questions: Can I remove it? If not, should I replace it? With something heavier? Does this application have a particular name? (I thought perhaps "king post" but this doesn't have struts) Front view: Reverse view including the opposing valley jack: Artsy shot showing the twist in the board: <Q> You can sister another 2x4 that's turned 90 degrees on <S> it's side to help with the twist (basically make an L with the two boards). <S> To get them to pull together, first clamp them together and then use some deck screws to attach the two. <S> It's hard to tell if the twist is from buckling under load or if it's just warped from a moisture change. <S> And from looking at this on a web site, I think it will be difficult for many of us to say if it's necessary. <S> (Though even if I were to see it in person, I may be clueless since we outsource all of our roof work to someone with a crane and even they use pre-manufactured roof trusses where every board is load bearing.) <S> However, it is safe to say that nothing bad will happen if you reinforce it, while it could be disastrous for you to remove it. <A> Without seeing some more detailed photos (not being able to see it in person), below is my initial answer: Q. <S> Can I remove it? <S> A. No. <S> At least not "no" without replacing it with something more adequate. <S> Q. <S> If not, should I replace it? <S> With something heavier? <S> A. <S> I would most definitely replace it with something more beefy. <S> At least a 4"x4" post, probably a 6"x4" would be better. <S> Ensure you make very! <S> good connections top (at hip or valley timber <S> , sorry can't tell from the photos) & bottom (wall plate). <S> Additional after thought: Attach a couple of 4"x2" or 4"x3" 45 <S> ° struts (braces) onto the new support timber you put in. <S> One end fixed to the new support timber (approx ⅓ of the way up the height of the new support timber), other end fixed to existing wall place. <S> Place one strut (brace) either side of new support timber, this will help with any twisting that is occurring. <S> Q. <S> Does this application have a particular name? <S> (I thought perhaps "king post" but this doesn't have struts) <S> A. <S> In the UK we call such a supporting timber, either a "King Stud" or "King Post". <A> Once the rafters are up the brace should be able to come out. <S> I think the buckling is due to some settling and age. <S> The framers should have taken it out. <S> They should take out all of this kind of bracing so that no one is confused later. <S> There is no way that a 2X4 is supposed to hold up a 2X12 and the whole roof that sits on it.
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It looks to me like that is the board used to hold the ridge up until the rafters are nailed to it.
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How can I attach normal framed walls in between concrete columns? I'd like to add partitions to this grid of columns. I want to make "normal" walls, framed with 2x4 and faced with plywood or drywall. My concern is how to attach the walls to the columns. Naively, I would build the wall frames, put them in place between two columns, then put concrete anchors through the sides of the frame into the column. That strikes me as possibly not the best solution. <Q> Your solution is fine. <S> I have seen that done a lot. <S> Although, steel studs are used more often in this type of setting. <S> I think I would use a Hilti gun instead of concrete anchors, this will save time, money and be more secure just because you can have more nails than you could ever put anchors. <A> I'd be overly paranoid about penetrating the columns with anything as they are load bearing. <A> Personally I think your solution sounds fine. <S> Additionally I would also anchor the sole (bottom) plate into the existing (concrete slab?) floor. <S> What is worrying you about your solution, giving you reason for concern? <A> There is a special type of fastening tool specifically for use in fastening framing to concrete. <S> A brand name example is Hilti. <S> They are powder actuated, and use nails with steel plates to anchor the wood/steel to the concrete in question. <S> You may be able to rent a Hilti, but most places require safety training with them (and rightly so). <S> http://www.us.hilti.com/holus/page/module/product/prca_catnavigation.jsf?lang=en&nodeId=-61411
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What I'd probably do is get Simpson L-ties (or just angle iron) and fasten them to the edge of wood framing the width of the columns.
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How to remove old vinyl tiles? I have a layer of old, crumbly and very sticky vinyl tiles that I need to remove to bring the old tile back (see picture). What is the best way of removing these? Bonus question: How do I get the adhesive off the floor underneath? <Q> Use an iron! <S> It is cheaper and less damaging to your lungs. <S> Let the iron sit on the tile for about 30 seconds and it will pop right off, then move on to the next one. <S> I renovate homes and have done it numerous times. <S> I have well over 14000 sqft under my belt. <A> You should be able to buy floor adhesive remover to get the stuff off of the bottom tiles you want to keep. <S> I found some that was a sort of gel that you spread around on the floor and let it sit for 15 - 30 minutes. <S> Then, scrape it up and it would pull some of the adhesive up too. <S> It was not perfect for me (vinyl tiles glued to hardwood) <S> but it worked OK. <S> The stuff I used is made by Klean Strip and was available at the local Lowes, http://www.wmbarr.com/product.aspx?catid=72&prodid=115 <A> They are easier to remove if you heat them with a good hair dryer or a heat gun. <S> Unfortunately, I don't know how to remove the remaining glue. <A> I've been there, and it's really tough. <S> I had a stiff paint scraper which I heated up with a soldering torch, and it helped a little, but not much. <S> That stuff is nasty to get off. <A> If old vinyl tiles are 9" x 9", do NOT attempt to remove! <S> It is highly likely that these contain asbestos. <S> Consult a professional haz mat service. <A> The Laundry pre-spotter "Shout" is a good adhesive remover, also "Pure Citrus" an air freshener found in the automotive section of most retail stores. <S> Use a dry rag to wipe the adhesive off. <A> Try WD-40. <S> It becomes quite gooey when it comes off the tiles. <S> Just work it with a rag and clean off. <S> I found this advice on a forum and it works for me. <A> I would use a "Wonder Bar" to remove the tiles and be careful not to scratch them too much or scratch them at all. <S> A Wonder Bar is a short pry bar, made by Stanley. <S> I have used that to do many tasks and consider it one of the most versatile tools in my tool box. <S> Unless you are only removing a small floor space like 3' by 3' feet the amount of effort put into your project will outweigh the results. <S> You perhaps will not even get the original tile to be completely free of the glue/adhesive. <S> You may want to consider removing all tiles and starting from scratch, as outlandish as that recommendation sounds. <S> You can try some heat to remove the vinyl <S> but I think the Wonder Bar will rock the heat on its ass. <S> Hopefully you are not renovating one of the White House bathrooms because your project will probably not come out with the highest quality results but if the floor can be pretty good <S> then you have a shot. <S> Good luck with it! <A> I am also doing the same. <S> I tried the iron first and it is time consuming. <S> Then I had this idea of hot water. <S> I just poured some boiling water and hurray the tiles came out so easily.... <S> And for the glue I used a paint scraper .
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Use a heat gun to heat up the tiles and soften the adhesive underneath and pry it up with something (putty knife/scraper/pry bar). Realistically, use a sledgehammer and lay a new subfloor.
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Resource for ballparking current home construction costs? We're about to move several states away and have begun the house hunting process. We're moving to a region that, like most in the US, has seen housing costs tank, though it is a small enclave of relatively higher costs homes due to location (compared to even 40 miles away). However, it appears that construction costs are also tanking and that it might make sense for us to consider building a house as well. Is there a resource out there that helps plot ballpark prices in a region for new construction? Something like Zillow but instead of recently sold costs, recently built? Being able to see some recent build costs would be a good way to peg it against home costs to see if its something we should pursue further (which I know involves tons of other variables...land, foundation, sewage, electrical, gas, permits, architect, etc, etc...) <Q> As a former construction estimator, I would suggest that you get in touch with the contractor sales department at a building supplies store in the area in which you're considering building. <S> Quite often the estimators there will have a ballpark "per-square-foot" price for materials, and may have an idea of a ballpark price for labour, too. <S> They can probably refer you to reputable builders as well. <S> That said, there are really far too many variables for a ballpark estimate like that to be at all useful. <S> You can get a house to lock-up fairly cheaply, but it's the finishing work that's really going to determine the end cost. <S> The cost of a beautiful metal tile roof is going to be a lot more than 20-year asphalt shingles, and the cost of vinyl siding is going to be a lot less than stone, as examples. <S> To get any kind of accuracy in an estimate, you're going to need to have a set of plans and you'll need to decide what exactly you want in terms of finishing, land, appliances, etc. <S> Anything shy of that is really just going to be pulling numbers out of thin air. <A> Here's a Wall Street Journal article (published in 2007, granted it maybe a little dated, but should still be current enough to help you get a workable ballpark figure) <S> that contains some useful links that should prove helpful in the process of calculating the cost of building your own home: Calculating the Cost Of Building a New Home <S> Here's another link that contains some helpful information: Build Your Own House - Cost Estimating <A> (On Amazon it is all too easy to buy an old version of the book, as Amazon does not remove out of date copies from its website, so be careful.) <S> Also read the author's (Mark Brinkley) blog .
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If you are in the UK, get yourself a copy of “ The Housebuilder’s bible ”, it contains a lot of very useful costing tables.
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What is the safest way to cut up an old kerosene storage tank? Folks, I need to remove an old kerosene storage tank (for central heating) from my in-laws back garden. The tank is moulded plastic, and has a 1,000 litre capacity. The access point it was originally brought through is gone. The tank has been empty for 10 years or so, the easiest way to remove it is to cut it up, and the easiest way to cut it up would be with an Angle Grinder. There is a small amount of liquid in the tank, which is (mostly) water, I'm assured the tank was emptied by professionals . Obviously I'm worried that there may be residual fuel/fumes that the Angle Grinder could ignite. Is there any way to quantify the ignition risk, or some anti- philostogen agent (i.e. fire retardant) I can add to the tank that will completely negate the ignition risk? <Q> Kerosene is not terribly flammable, so it probably is not a problem anyway. <S> I'd pick a windy day, or even simpler, maybe have a fan blowing across where you are working, to keep any fumes away from the motor. <S> I'd also use a reciprocating saw, not an angle grinder, at least if I had the choice. <S> Even if you have a carbide blade for the grinder, a reciprocating saw may still cut as fast or faster than a grinder, and it will generate less heat when cutting a plastic tank body. <S> If you are still worried, I'll bet that a good sharp (hand powered) <S> pruning saw, the type that cuts on the pull stroke, will cut up a plastic tank at least as easily as would an angle grinder. <A> You shouldn't ever use angle grinders on plastic - when cut at such high speeds plastic will melt and evaporate and could start a fire even without kerosene. <S> Your best bet is a plain old hand saw - it will cut plastic rather fast. <A> If you don't already own one, you should consider it, or find a friend, or rent one. <A> It's probably not a problem, but to be safer you can dump in a bunch of dry ice and let the CO2 displace the air. <S> This will work best if the only opening to the tank is at the very top, since the CO2 is heavier than air. <S> See here for a website promoting this idea. <A> I would take a drill and put a few holes in the tank, first on the top to let fumes escape and then the bottom to allow any liquid to drain out. <S> A would expect for a drill to have a lower spark risk. <S> Wait a bit after making the holes and then come back and cut it up however you want. <A> Just to let you all know .I <S> am a Oftec registered Technician and kerosene <S> is the safest form of fuel to work with and is very unlikely to cause a fire <S> .However <S> precautions must be made to prevent the likely hood of a fire in close proximity by adhering to the regulations set out by Oftec. <S> Kerosene will only ignite if it is atomised or vaporised. <S> .Best <S> way is to cut top of first and then ten in sections <A>
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If you cut a plastic tank with a angle grinder this is not going to cause any problems because no sparks are produced even if there were a few it wouldn't ignite what little fuel was in bottom of tank A reciprocating saw, aka sawzall, will do well with plastic. If you have access to a welding supply - use C02 or Nitrogen gas and just keep a constant flow of gas into the tank as you work
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How to remove a stuck key? A hypothetical question - if I get a key in the door lock from one side of the door, could I somehow use another key to open the door from the other side? And what if you could "engineer" the stuck key - is it possible to allow the other key to open the door? <Q> Before the key gets stuck, use graphite to lubricate the lock. <S> When the key gets stuck, there's nothing preventing you from using the other side of a lock (it's not the same keyhole). <S> They aren't too expensive, and installing them where the same size lock already exists is a simple matter of unscrewing the old and screwing in the new. <A> This might not be the answer you are looking for but try to remove the lock from the door and take it to a locksmith. <S> They can easily get the broken key out, with no damage to the lock. <S> The price should not be very expensive, a lot cheaper than replacing with a good lock and if you need some keys remade, well you went to the right place. <A> If the key is all the way in the keyhole so that the pins are lined up, you can just use a screwdriver to turn the bolt. <S> You'd need a key extraction tool to remove it. <A> Assuming that I understand your question -- which as others have said is not well phrased -- <S> Assuming this is a modern lockset rather than bit keys, a stuck key <S> only blocks the cylinder it is stuck in. <S> If there is a cylinder or thumbturn on the other side of the door, it would continue to operate the lock normally. <S> If that doesn't answer your question, please clarify. <S> (If by "engineer" you're trying to ask whether there's a way to make a key get stuck: Yes. <S> This is sometimes done deliberately as a short-term solution to disable a lock until it can be rekeyed; there's also a version of this used to temporarily convert a keyed cylinder into a thumbturn. <S> Details withheld; if you really want to know you can do the work to research or reinvent.7
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If you can't gently unstick the key (forcefully removing a key may bend the pins in the lock, rendering it useless), then it's probably easiest to replace the entire lock.
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How to make lights turn on one at a time? So we've all seen this scene dozens of times in movies: a character flips a switch and lights turn on, one at time, down a long tunnel, or throughout a giant garage, or something like that. I'd like to mimic the effect in my garage and patio, so that all the lights don't come on at once and blind you. But how would I make this effect? From my (limited)research, I can't really find a legitimate electrical or mechanical reason for lights to turn on this way. <Q> The easiest thing for you (still requires DIY though) is to buy these - or something similar. <S> They are time delay relays - now you get several versions/modes. <S> Something like this <S> (PDF) <S> On/Off Cycle - is what you are looking for i guess. <S> You also get, Interval,Delay-On-Make, Re-Triggerable Single-Shot, <S> etc <S> Then say you got 5 lights you set and mark each relay from 1-5 setting the delay1sec,2sec,3sec,4sec,5sec. <S> Then you attach each of the relays in the order you want the lights to be on (you will know the order because you marked the relay with a number, yea ;) ) <S> Otherwise you will be left to build your own relays, circuits and logics... <S> to much work. <S> Which of course you can find all the info (here) <S> C1 <S> 1 <S> See Notes (at link) <S> R1 1 <S> See Notes (at link) <S> D1 <S> 1 1N914 <S> Diode U1 <S> 1 4011 <S> CMOS <S> NAND Gate IC K1 <S> 1 6V Relay S1 <S> 1 <S> Normally Open Push Button Switch <S> MISC 1 Board, Wire, Socket For U1 <S> -EDIT <S> AFTER ACCEPT <S> I found this on EBAY- a guy in Poland, near my home town actaully.. <S> wierd.. <S> buildts theses babies! <S> Solid State Relays controlled via USB - <S> if you meassage him i am sure he will tweak and build you something to your needs :) <S> http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/USB-16-RELAY-CARD-OPTOISOLATION-SOFTWARE-/260752751134?_trksid=p4340.m8&_trkparms=algo%3DMW%26its%3DC%26itu%3DUCC%26otn%3D6%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D1356110490087333626#ht_3077wt_1140 <S> AND another here.. <A> You could do it by making use of Time Delay Relays, but with the cost of parts and effort involved, maybe try just closing your eyes when you flip the switch and open them real slow? <S> Relays are used for controlling supply of power to an item from a remote switch without having to run the main power through the switch itself. <S> A common place they are used are in cars, for example on your headlights. <S> Instead of having power go from the battery to the headlight switch then back out to the headlights which would then require the headlight switch be capable of transferring the full amperage required for your headlights (which would make for a more expensive switch and might get pretty warm over time too) <S> a low amp signal goes through the switch and tells the relay when to provide power to the headlights. <S> A time delay relay works in the same way, but creates a delay between the input signal arriving at the relay and the power being sent down the line. <A> Depending on how many lights you want to control, it could get expensive, but Insteon devices from smarthome.com, and an Isy99 from universal-devices.com could be used to make this happen. <S> It's fairly straightforward to write scripts that include loops and delays on the Isy99 <S> and you can individually address the plugin modules. <A> The reason large arrays of lights are not switched on all at once lies in basic physics: <S> If too many bulbs are switched on simultaneously on a single cicuirt, the fuse of this circuit will blow because of the massive spike. <S> If time delay relays are used for groups of lamps, there will be several smaller spikes instead, which the fuse can resist better. <S> And for a Movie, this looks more dramatic <S> as well ;) Man-made sources of spikes are usually caused by electromagnetic induction <S> when switching on or off inductive loads (such as electric motors or electromagnets), or by switching heavy resistive AC loads <S> when zero-crossing circuitry is not used - anywhere a large change of current takes place. <S> source <S> So, timed relays are the way to go for this effect. <A> You could do this with Home Automation equipment such as X10. <S> You'd replace your current switch and bulb sockets with ones that can communicate with your home automation controller. <S> Then on the controller configure the lights to act as you want them to. <S> I don't know a specific model to achieve what you want <S> but I have seen people do similar with home automation. <S> One example being someone that used motion detectors and light sockets to have the lights come on in a room before you entered it (the motion detectors were in the adjoining rooms).
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When switching on an inductove load like a light bulb or fluorescent tube, a shortly-timed voltage spike (and current spike) surges through the system. I have a reverse version of what you are looking for set up as a "good night" button in our bedroom -- it turns off the lights one-by-one, leaving the last one to slowly dim to off over several minutes.
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How to stop a door from banging while closing Besides closing it very slowly, any good tricks / gadgets that will slow down the door so it doesn't close with a thud? <Q> There are a few things you can do: <S> Check the hinges and use a level to see that the door is square. <S> A heavy door hung incorrectly can slam heavily. <S> Check this guide at national contractors for how to level a door. <S> Install a closer arm (can be expensive) <S> If the door isn't closing too hard, but makes a fair amount of noise, try putting some small felt pads on the inside of the jamb to soften the closure. <A> You could also install from 2-> several dampers like these ones depending how heavy the door is or how well you want to dampen it - for example you have a heavy draft that SLAMS the door shut several will be recomeneded to adsorb the doors speed. <S> These work well if installed fairly well. <S> Either into the frame somehow- slighlty countersinking it <S> so it hides nicely, or not- <S> its up to you and your skills. <S> Or just using a provided housing the will mount flush onto the frame of your door in any position that is best for you. <A> An other couple of possible hardware solutions to look into (exact size & weight of the door will determine if they are appropriate or not)... <S> Cheaper end of the market, Chain Spring Door <S> Closer: <S> High end of the market, Concealed <S> (Automatic) Door Closer:
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Some tips from it: check that the hinges are tight, not too heavily greased, and the same distance from the frame.
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How do you know when and where it is safe to drill into a wall? Lots of home projects involve cutting or drilling through walls (everything from nails, screws, or hooks to mount things to cutting through drywall and drilling through studs to run wire). In general, how do you know what's safe to break through and what isn't? In other words, when can you just start drilling through a wall and when do you need to be worried about hitting electrical lines, plumbing, etc. <Q> Aim for a stud or well away from the stud. <S> Lines that go up and down the wall will frequently be attached to the stud with staples (any electrical line running vertically will be attached) <S> so you want to avoid just missing the stud to one side or the other. <S> To help, get a stud finder that also includes detection for metal wiring and pipes. <S> They aren't fool proof, but when they do find something, they can be a life saver. <A> Electrical wires typically run either vertically, up and down the side of a stud (with staples), in order to reach receptacles, ceiling lights/fans, etc., and horizontally in order to get across the room(s). <S> The vertical wires are typically pretty easy to avoid: avoid drilling/nailing above a receptacle or light switch, or, if you have to, avoid missing on the side that the receptacle is nailed to. <S> The horizontal runs should have enough play in them to avoid most damage, unless you drill/nail into the hole in the stud (called a nipple) that they pass through. <S> I don't think that it's required that you put any metal plate on the stud in order to protect the Romex/cable/conduit, but rather that it is only required if you drill the nipple too close to one side of the stud, at which point a metal brace is needed in order to ensure structural strength. <S> Outside of drilling/nailing into an unprotected nipple, or very near it, there is little to worry about when it comes to the electrical. <S> When it comes to pipe, you should be able to tell if you hit copper pipe. <S> Even though it might be one of the softer metals, it's still going to offer a substantial amount of resistance, and unless you hit it where it passes through a stud, your nail/drillbit will probably deflect off of the curved surface of the copper pipe. <S> With PVC or ABS, however, yeah, you're most likely going to have a leak <S> if you hit it squarely with a drillbit, maybe even a nail. <S> When it comes to cutting large holes in drywall, cut horizontally first -- if there's a stud or vertical pipe, it's better for you to find it immediately, at which point you might decide it's better to make a new hole on the other side of the stud, rather than later, after you've already made a long vertical cut in the drywall. <A> Old question, but just my 2 cents for the record. <S> Here in Ontario, Canada, metal plates to protect wires are required if the wire is witnin 1 1/4" of the outside of the stud. <S> In other words, if you drill a hole for wire through the middle of a 3 1/2" stud, you should try and stay in the middle 1" area. <S> If you go closer to the edges, you need to protect the area with a metal plate. <S> Following that rule, you could easily require a plate on one side and not the other, depending on the size and position of the hole (or holes.) <S> That rule tells me that, with 1/2" drywall and 3 1/2" stud walls, I should be OK if I don't drill more than 1 3/4" into the wall. <S> Unfortunately, I've seen many cases where metal plates should have been used but weren't <S> but at list limit your drilling to 1 3/4" ( <S> or 1 1/2 for a little more safety.) <S> Oh - and, of course, if you hit something hard, don't just keep pushing and eventually drill through it or you may get a nasty shock. <A> Plumbing is the greatest concern. <S> You can probe with a punch or a tool like an ice-pick. <S> Generally check both sides of the wall for clues. <S> Plumbing generally is up/down or straight <S> right/left. <S> Copper tubing is something to be wary of. <S> In walls they lie directly above where the stubout or angle valve is (supply). <S> Remember if you have to drill you really don't need to go deep usually. <S> I never really need to drill. <S> The punch is usually my drill. <S> Wires will move out of the way and short the circuit if compromised so don't sweat it. <S> Plumbing can be troublesome.
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If a line goes through a stud, there should be a metal safety plate on the stud that will keep you from going any further. If you don't need the support of a stud, then just poking a hole in the drywall should be well short of any line that is running between studs, however, it doesn't hurt to exercise a bit of extra caution if your near the height of nearby outlets. Code varies but some things are pretty consistent.
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How to stop fridge water line without stopping everything else? So. My old fridge finally went and I will be getting a new one delivered. The company that I am buying the new fridge from is going to haul away my old one. I noticed that I don't have any type of "shut off" behind my fridge for the water line. When I checked my basement, I noticed that there is a single shutoff for my entire bathroom + fridge water line. My problem is, in order to haul away my old fridge, it has to be disconnected, thus disconnecting it from the water line and, in turn, putting my bathroom out of commission. Is there an easy way to remedy this (I googled around and saw mention of a non-piercing saddle value that can be used?) or should I just deal with having all the water off during disconnect, haul away and re-installation? Below is a picture of my current situation. I went to the hardware store and they gave me this. They said it was a bit overkill but it would work. Do you guys agree? <Q> When you're done, you'll have a separate shutoff for the fridge and your bathroom available again. <S> To make it look nice, I'd go for a valve box that you mount in the wall: <A> Saddle shut-offs are very common, but often fail/leak. <S> You can however install a simple no solder compression fitted shut off valve in the copper 1/4 inch line anywhere in the length. <S> These shut-off valves are only 5 to 10 bucks, easy to install with a tubing cutter, pliers and an adjustable wrench. <S> You will only have to have the water supply to the fridge line turned off for a few minutes to install. <S> Good Luck. <A> I don't like the hardware store's answer. <S> While they're on the right track--a shutoff valve--I would use a ball type valve instead. <S> Over the years valves like you picture tend to give trouble. <S> In our house (only 16)
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If you're up for it, I would install a valve in the wall while you have the water shut off. I assume all the builder-installed shutoffs to be broken (to date, every one >5 years old has failed when I tried to actually use it) and if I need to use them I consider the first part of the project to be to remove them and replace them with ball valves.
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