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How can I raise my bed frame cheaply? If the bed were a few inches higher, I would be able to store my suitcase beneath it. Is there anyway to raise it and still be able to support a person lying down? I may be looking for something like this though $20 seems a bit much for something that gives a few more inches and I'm in Canada. I've heard of using milk crates but wouldn't they break? If not, where would I get them from? The bed has wheels and is for a single person. <Q> Go get yourself an 8' untreated 4x4 (~$10.00). <S> Determine how much higher you'd like the bed to be, then cut the 4x4 in appropriate lengths adding an inch to each length. <S> For example: If you want the bed to be 4" higher, cut the 4x4 in 5" lengths. <S> using a spade or Forstner bit of appropriate size (just slightly larger than the bed frames feet, so the feet will fit into the hole), bore a hole to the depth of one inch. <S> place the frame on the 4x4 pieces, such that the feet of the frame sit in the holes you bored. <S> NOTES: <S> Make sure you use untreated wood. <S> Pressure treated wood may damage, and/or stain your bed frame and flooring. <S> I'm assuming you have a drill press and the appropriate bits, so the cost of the project only includes the lumber. <A> Go to your local hardware store and buy 4 of these. <S> Maybe $1.50 each? <S> Bring them home, and lay them on their side. <S> $6 <S> and you have a very sturdy 8" lift. <S> If you need higher, buy 4 more. <S> If it is too heavy for you, pay a youngster $10 to haul them up the stairs. <S> Still under $20. <A> The best way to raise your bed is too use a product designed for the task. <S> These bed risers from The Sleep Shop will do the trick. <S> They're going to raise your bed about three inches but keep the sturdiness <S> so there's no rocking! <S> They aren't the prettiest things <S> but, they'll work! <A> We use a set of those lifters you linked for our king-size bed. <S> They work great. <S> I would NOT use milk crates, as their open frame isn't designed for point-weight support like a bed frame foot. <S> If you're looking for a low-cost lift of a couple inches, a small piece of lumber (4" length of 2x4, for example) would work fine. <S> Be aware, most basic bed frames have wheels, and can roll off blocks of wood. <S> This can be a bit shocking, as it's likely to happen when you're moving on/off the bed. <S> One advantage of the $20 lifters is they have a lip which traps the wheel. <S> They also interlock, so if you need to lift the bed a bit higher (2 lifters worth) <S> it's still shear safe. <S> Whatever you place under the feet of the bed, make sure you raise ALL of the bed feet the same distance. <S> Other than that, anything which will support the weight without collapsing will work. <S> (postnote)The above applies to basic angle-brace steel frames. <S> More sophisticated/expensive frames which incorporated head or foot boards or other features may not be liftable this way. <S> Well... <S> the basic idea of "lift ALL the feet equally" should still apply, but you may have to do something to also lift the header/footer. <S> These concerns will be much more frame specific, and we'd need more information (pictures?) to properly answer. <A> First you need a base. <S> You need something that is the same size of your bed but rigid - actually have them cut it about 2 inches short lengthwise and widthwise so that the board is hidden on each side. <S> You have to look for stuff in your area and use your imagination a little. <S> You might need a circular saw (or beg the person throwing out the wood to cut whatever for you). <S> This could be free or $12 for the plywood at big box. <S> How many you need depends on how stable you want your bed to be and how big your bed is. <S> A basic twin with a board under it can definitely be held by just 4. <S> You could add a couple in the middle and go 3 on each side if you want extra reinforcement. <S> Myself I had a rig like this in college but used textbooks instead of milk crates.
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Larger beds (kings, some queens) have supports in the middle of the bed as well as corner supports; they must all be lifted equally. Making the leg extensions too high could cause the bed to be unstable, leading to property damage, injury, and or death. I suggest you go to the local hardware store and get the thickest piece of plywood. Then I would use milk crates. Bonus - look on craigslist for old bed frames being throw out, wood, old tables or whatever. You can get these for free at some recycling centers or supermarkets.
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How do you drain a garbage disposal? I have a garage disposal installed in my kitchen double sink. The pipe that comes out of the garbage disposal is horizontal to the main vertical pipe before it goes to the p trap. The t joint is baffled, and I am not a fan of this arrangement since it clogs quite often. (once in 6 months) This causes a big problem for me since the dish waster is connected to the garbage disposal. How could I reconfigure this plumbing without the baffled t? <Q> When I am doing a disposal install (non professional but at least 10 for friends and family) <S> I do a double 90 right away and slope drain down a bit from there. <S> After doing the double 90s you don't need that much slope but given you will potentially have food items I would maybe go 1/2" down overall on your straight into the T. <S> Also BMitch is right. <S> The AAV <S> I think by code is supposed to be on the surface <S> but that is another question. <A> I would replace that hare-brained baffle T fitting with a 90° sweep tee fitting like this: I could not find the right flavor online, but I have also seen 1.5 inch white plastic with hand tightening connectors. <S> Even a 45° wye would be better: <A> Here's my solution to the ridiculous baffle-T that provides only a 3/4 inch or less route to drain a 1.5 inch pipe full of waste. <S> The PVC parts cost about $20 at the local hardware store and provides a fill 1.5 inch route for the chopped foodstuffs to exit. <S> Why can't some plastic plumbing manufacturer figure this out and manufacture a simple 1 piece fitting like this? <A> <A> By far the most common configuration is the baffle tee (possibly code required). <S> I wonder if perhaps the disposal is not doing its job well enough? <S> I do like the suggestion of a wye combo or adding the immediate elbow so that more water pressure goes toward the baffle (and run it with water when you use the disposal). <S> Some other suggestions I ran into were to have the disposal elbow feed the "top" of the baffle tee (opposite to how its typically setup). <S> Wonder <S> if you could combine it "in the middle" with a double wye somehow. <S> This page <S> http://nettally.com/palmk/GDplumbing.html suggests basically "use two separate p traps" <S> however some codes might disallow this: <S> http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2508839 <S> The other common thought seems to be " <S> well at least the drainage problem is located near the top so you can fix is easily" (instead of getting pushed down the line and stuck there) though that doesn't seem ideal still...guess this is an unsolved problem. <S> The other idea thrown around is to remove the disposal altogether (not greatly practical), then you can use a r egular sanitary tee instead of a baffled. <S> I have 4 units with disposals and never had anything caught at that particular location, FWIW... <S> plunging might help/work as well. <S> Or maybe breaking that baffle piece in half? :)
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I know this is an old post but as a master plumber I would add a separate Santee for the disposal and arm over with its own trap.
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What's the best way to recreate exterior wood trim? I have some decorative wood pieces on the front of my house that are old and falling apart. I took them down to recreate them anew. Someone suggested I could trace them and cut out new ones in the same style. This seemed like a straightforward suggestion until I started trying to trace them and realized their edges are ragged from age and peeling paint and so forth. How should I go about recreating them? I bought wood already and am ready to go once I determine a good method. Should I trace onto paper and clean up before transferring to the new wood? Should I use a French curve to make sure the arcs are steady? Etc. Any experience you can offer will be helpful. Thanks! ETA picture of house. Here I've overexposed it so you can see the wood trim I have been talking about. Does anybody know what the architectural term for this trim is? <Q> Tracing is the first thing I would try. <S> If the trim detail is not super fine, sand lightly to remove burrs and bumps, and then tape (painter's tape probably, or whatever you have on hand that is close) along the the path the pencil will take to bridge valleys and pits. <A> Your trim doesn't have to be the same. <S> It just has to look good and fit and match with each other. <S> If your trim is that far gone I would look into buying boards with premade patterns and installing them where old trim was. <S> Here is a link to exterior molding . <S> It looks like they have several things that could work for you. <S> Unless you have the right tools, a ton of time, and really good carpentry skills it will be very very hard to do this yourself and get quality results. <S> This is on the front of your house and very noticeable. <A>
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Unless the trim is rotten you can try stripping the paint to expose the original profile
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Can I pour concrete if it's raining out? I have 6 bags of concrete that I need to mix and pour for 2 deck piers.It's raining lightly outside. Should I reschedule or just do it and cover with plastic when we're done? <Q> If you're manually mixing under cover (garage, gazebo, kitchen fly) and only dumping when ready, then no problem. <S> Definitely cover in case of heavier rain. <S> Its never a bad idea to slow cure concrete, anyway. <S> Plastic can make flat work look bad (plastic wrinkles), but for deck piers, no problem. <S> Now get to work and quit stalling by playing on the computer ;-) <A> Extra water just raises the cure time. <S> I would try to wipe off any standing water after you are done. <A> Light rain: <S> Cover the work area if possible. <S> If it is a foundation or other project with a form: No problem. <S> In general: allow lots of cure time, and wait until the concrete is cold to the touch (it is usually very slightly warm while it is curing)
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If it is lightly raining you have nothing to worry about especially for piers. Heavy rain: Not advisable, but has been done (you end up working the finished side up more, as the rain and runoff can ding the finish.
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What is a humane, safe and clean way to dispose of a live mouse caught in a glue trap? A glue trap in my garage caught a mouse. I consider it inhumane to let the mouse die in the glue trap. I am looking for a method to euthanize the mouse that meets the following requirements: Humane - Must be quick and effective. Safe - I got bit when I tried to remove the mouse from the board. Clean - Ideally just kill and throw into trash bin. I am currently considering spending $20-$50 on a stun gun, but I'm not sure if a stun gun can kill a mouse in a few seconds. Related questions: How do I find where mice are entering my house? How can I get rid of a mouse in my house? How can I remove mice from my house? How can I prevent mice from entering my house? What to block a hole with to stop mice getting in? <Q> Flip a Ziplock or similar plastic bag inside out and cover your glove with it. <S> Lay it on the floor, preferably a driveway or garage. <S> Whack the poor thing with a heavy magazine or a shoe; make sure you hit its head for near-instantaneous death. <S> It has already suffered enough; this will help it pass on quicker. <S> After you do this, please make sure you remove all the glue <S> traps your pest control folks installed. <A> CO2 in a sealed jar.. <S> small piece of dry ice.. <S> should be very painless, mouse would go unconscious before dying. <S> The NIH abstract listed here agrees CO2 is an effective and pain free method: Helium would also work, bit harder to dispense from balloon to kill jar. <A> Quick, humane, and approved by the United States Marine Corps. <S> Ooh-rah! <S> 'Course when you're done you have to clean out the waffle with a stick, but what the hell, you can't have everything, right? <A> According to Cait McKeown (a National Mice Club (UK) member and judge), the most humane method of mouse euthanasia is chloroform. <S> Unfortunately, the chemical is hazardous (even deadly in high dosage) to humans as well as mice, so it's difficult to obtain. <S> With these methods, the mouse becomes unconscious without pain before death. <S> Other methods, such as breaking the neck (cervical dislocation), decapitation, drowning, and freezing are painful for the mouse. <S> This may or may not be an issue for you since these are not pet mice, but most people will have a difficult time in execution. <S> The "quick" methods might not be so quick if you make a mistake. <S> Perhaps the best method is a CO 2 chamber such as used by herpetologists before freezing rodents for food. <S> The cheapest source of concentrated carbon dioxide is dry ice, but the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends compressed CO 2 gas in cylinders [ PDF ] in order to control the inflow of gas. <S> Their instructions are: Without pre-charging the chamber, place the animal(s) in the chamber and introduce 100% carbon dioxide. <S> A fill rate of about 10% to 30% of the chamber volume per minute with carbon dioxide, added to the existing air in the chamber should be appropriate to achieve a balanced gas mixture to fulfill the objective of rapid unconsciousness with minimal distress to the animals. <S> (Example for a 10-liter volume chamber, use a flow rate of 1 to 3 liter(s) per minute.) <S> Sudden exposure of conscious animals to carbon dioxide concentrations of 70% or greater has been shown to be distressful. <S> If you regularly use sticky traps to control mice, you might consider building CO 2 chamber (there are plenty of designs out there ). <A> If two out of three is good enough, you can take the trap away from your house and pour a little vegetable oil on the mouse. <S> The glue will dissolve and the mouse can scurry off. <A> I have done this many times. <S> Here is how: Bucket of water. <S> You can hold the glue trap away from you. <S> It is quick, simple, quiet, and I believe humane. <A> You are correct that the glue board traps are not a humane way to address vermin. <S> First, find a better trap. <S> Snap trap or something like: Easy to clean, reusable, and fast kill. <S> If you still have glue boards with mice in them struggling, I would suggest putting into a paper sandwich bag, get a hammer, find the mark, and put it out of it's misery with two or three fast strokes. <S> Use thick gloves when handling a loaded board. <A> You can use nitrogen. <S> It is a fast, safe and hygienic method. <A> Bag it, stick it in the freezer, wait less than an hour. <S> I must admit though not all members of my household like this method. <S> Then find the hole the mouse entered through. <A> Put the mouse with the trap in a plastic grocery sack, put the sack in front of your vehicle's tire, run over the sack with the vehicle, and throw the whole thing in the trash. <S> I may or may not have used this method before. :) <A> Smack it with a rolled up newspaper. <S> No blood, no guts, and doesn't take a very hard whack. <S> Take a magazine and slide it under, and dump in trash bag. <A> My method is to dig a small hole in the yard. <S> Shovel up mouse/trap assembly and drop into hole. <S> Stab/smash mouse quickly with shovel. <S> Cover over with dirt. <S> Stab shovel into nearby area of the lawn several times to clean any residue off. <S> Doesn't get a whole lot quicker, and there's no mess. <S> Plus, the mouse gets to become fertilizer for the lawn... <A> Add baking soda to a jar. <S> Poke a hole in the top. <S> Add the mouse. <S> Add vinegar and quickly close the top. <S> The CO2 is heavier than air and will mostly stay in the bottle. <A> Nuke it! <S> Season to taste. <S> Cook to desired doneness. <S> Do not overcook as dryness will result. <S> Allow to cool after cooking. <S> (Warning, contents may be hot.) <A> I find the best way to do it is shoot it in the head with a BB gun. <S> Quick with no mess. <S> I couldn't imaging just stomping on it .
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The best the mouse can hope for is to have it's nose stuck in the glue and die. Just shower the mouse with nitrogen and throw it away. Firmly grab the mouse (and its associated trap) with your gloved, "plasticked" hand and with your free hand, roll the Ziplock back out so you can seal it completely, with the mouse trapped inside. But I personally prefer using snap traps which provide a much quicker death and are easy to dispose of. Wear a thick glove, the gardening kind is preferred. Also impractical for most people, veterinarians sometimes use halothane or another anesthetic gas. If not, they tend to keep pulling and tearing until there is blood and it is a mess to look at. That's kind of cruel.
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Why did my circuit blow after replacing a switch? I replaced an older switch yesterday on an existing line of recessed lights. There are five lights on the one switch. On the same breaker; but different switch, there are 7 more recessed lights (all in a basement, in the process of being renovated, and easily accessible; also both lines are missing one bulb, so they are not pulling a full load). On the same breaker there is also an outlet that runs a dehumidifier. This has been the setup for over a year when the project started. If it is an overload on the breaker it has never been an issue before. Yesterday I switched out an older switch that was very noisy when flipped, for a newer, quieter switch (not new, but pulled from another spot in the house). The major difference is that the newer switch had a ground and and the older switch did not. When I came home tonight and flipped the switch I heard a noise and the breaker tripped (not the noise of the breaker tripping, an additional electrical noise, like a surge). The dehumidifier was also on when I turned the switch on. I reset the breaker and did it again, tripped again. I had this on for hours yesterday (though I think the dehumidifier went on after the lights were on). When I turn on the line with the 7 lights nothing trips. It only happens on the new switch. Can the ground be messing it up (or rather be pointing to a problem that I didn't know was there)? <Q> There are only a few possible causes: <S> The newish switch was not wired correctly. <S> I think this is the most probable cause: anything recently changed and not working should be reviewed. <S> Maybe there is a stray strand of wire between the switched terminal and ground, or some wiring fault in the lights. <S> If any of these are the problem, turning on the switch will trip the breaker even if the dehumidifier and other devices are off. <S> That is, turning on only this switch is enough to blow the breaker. <S> The breaker has derated itself—that is, it is marginally defective. <S> Breakers get hot, or if they are tripped many times they can experience something similar to heat fatigue. <S> Many electrical systems do not provide steady voltage. <S> If it has increased recently, from say 114 to 122 volts, that might be just enough to increase the power to where the breaker should trip. <S> If it were me, I would Shut off the circuit <S> Pull the "new" switch and examine it for physical problems. <S> Disconnect <S> the white wires (should be a wire nut in the switchbox) and check for continuity between white going to the lights and ground: <S> should be none. <S> The ohms between the white wire going to the breaker panel and ground should be close to 0.0. <S> Check the resistance of the light circuit with the DMM between black and white. <S> For 120 watts incandescent @ 120V, should be 8–10 ohms (cold tungsten has its resistance of about one fifteenth its hot temperature). <S> If the problem had not been found after that, I would reconnect the white wires (undo step 4), turn on the breaker, and put a clamp-on A.C. ammeter (actually an analog meter would be better for this test) to measure the current on a black wire, and turn the switch on. <S> It can either spike strongly or not at all. <S> Strongly is bad and means there is a fault in the wiring or fixtures. <S> Not at all means more tracing of wire, perhaps from the circuit breaker panel is needed. <A> You could ohm out the wires to see if they are shorted. <S> Disconnect the wires leading to the lights from the switch. <S> Using a voltmeter set to read resistance (ohms), or set to the diode setting (beeps when continuity is found), place one lead of the voltmeter on the wires ground and test each of the other two. <S> If the first light shows no problem, disconect the remianing lights and see if the first light works. <S> Repeat this until you find the problem. <S> You can also test the switch using this same method. <S> Pull out the switch a place one end of the voltmeter on the ground lug and test all other connectors. <S> Then flip the switch and repeat. <S> The ground should never contact any of the other connectors. <S> This doesn't mean for sure the switch is good, but it's a start. <A> The one above answer is the one I agree with most. <S> Your 5 and 7 string lights were working as was the humidifier. <S> Not likely to have altered by adding a new switch and at the same time. <S> Check there is no black wire or outgoing wire shorting to the metal box or ground wire. <S> Take it out the box with the power off and look at it to try find a whisker or something. <S> Then try working the switch out of its box but with any grounding wire removed. <S> If there is a live part on the metal of the switch it will cause a trip when you reconnect the ground wire to the metal part of the switch. <S> That is the green connector. <S> If there is no ground wire on the switch it may be on the box the switch goes into. <S> Try with the switch in the box next. <S> Its 99% sure something you did when changing that switch.
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If the voltmeter reads low resistance or the meter beeps, disconnect the wire from the first recessed light and try again. There is something amiss with your new switch. The load has increased: more bulbs or more wattage, or the humidifier is using more power. This happens sometimes, especially with heavily loaded circuits. Use a DMM to check for continuity between the black wire and ground: there should be none—that is, the ohms should be infinite. It should not cause a trip.
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What windows should be used to soundproof from traffic noise? I am having a house built by a builder. On my contract, it is specified that 'Sound Attenuating' windows would be installed. This is important as the house backs up to a busy road which provides a lot of noise. The seller agent sold it to me as sound proof windows, but the contract only states 'Sound Attenuating'. It is now time to order the windows, and they are being ordered as double pane, one pane standard 1/8" thick, the other 3/16" thick. From what I have read this barely provides an STC of 31 Source - Vinyl 1/8+3/16 Dual According to Wikipedia, for STC, 30 is described as Loud speech can be understood fairly well, normal speech heard but not understood I feel like they are filling the contract technically, but not fulfilling the spirit of what the contract was intended to do which is to protect from the road noise. What windows or soundproofing method should be used at a MINIMUM to not hear, say, 90% of road noise? <Q> The series 7000 windows from http://www.silent-guard.com appear to have STC of 40 and above. <S> There are many other manufacturers that sell sound attenuating windows. <S> I believe you are correct that to get what you want you'll have to specify specific windows. <S> The way you describe the contract doesn't appear to be objective and measurable, and you really don't want to have to pay twice for windows. <S> You could also renegotiate the contract to specify STC rated windows of 40 or higher, however you might not get what you need then depending on how a given manufacturer rates their window. <S> Also, keep in mind that at higher STC levels the noise conduction through walls starts to become larger than the windows. <A> Any window would be "sound attenuating" because it decreases the sound level a tiny bit. <S> This is typical of non-technical sales personnel confusing a property with a quantity. <S> You want it quiet <S> and they heard that "sound attenuating" makes things quieter. <S> However, STC 31 as rated by that manufacturer is a very conservative rating. <S> Look at the corresponding chart: <S> most of the audio spectrum is diminished by 40 dB or more. <S> That is equivalent to reducing 10,000 watts of sound to 1 watt. <S> The "result range" (whatever that means) is 47 to 57 STC which they are labeling as "31". <S> I suspect the latter range better represents what you'll experience. <A> Some negotiation is in order with your builder. <S> If the adjacent road is as noisy as you imply non-opening triple glazed units would offer better attenuation while providing light. <S> These are expensive and some come partially evacuated or dry gas filled further improving their performance.
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There are a number of companies that provide windows with high STC ratings. The obvious solution would to have specified in the contract the particular make and model of windows. You may want to evaluate the siding/sheathing/insulation/wallboard plan to make sure that you don't put great windows in but still get significant low frequency road noise through the walls.
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How can I transmogrify a fixed monitor post in to a variable height monitor post? Background I am looking to increase the versatility of a desk by allowing the monitor to raise and lower, using a manual mechanical solution (i.e., no electric motors). I am trying to make adjusting the monitor height be as quick and effortless as possible, while eliminating the risk of "dropping" the monitor. The situation is depicted here: The items involved in this problem include: a monitor of ~12kg, with dimensions of 449.6mm x 690.2mm x 83mm; a single post of 10cm in diameter, made from 5mm thick steel; and an arm of ~3.1kg, with a maximum extent of 37cm. The extensible arm provides a great deal of motion. The post is notched at the bottom, resting on a type of halved joint , and secured at the back of the desk by thick wood slats. The monitor needs to have about two feet of motion so that I can stand while working. (Lifting the entire desk would be much [$10k] too costly!) Problem As described in this physics answer , the compressive force and the moment conveyed to the post are fairly significant. I'm looking for a solution that would allow the monitor to raise and lower and lock, even if it meant having to retract the monitor close to the post while adjusting the height. To raise the monitor with the current situation requires unscrewing the post, hoisting it, and reattaching the screws. This is both dangerous (for the monitor) and time-consuming. Post and Track The faceplate welded to the post has 10 threaded holes drilled into it (barely visible in the above photograph). I think I need a two-piece sliding track mechanism. One piece attaches to the post and the other attaches to the extensible arm. The logistics resemble: Question What type of sliding track mechanism would allow the monitor to raise and lower without much effort, time, or potential for accidentally dropping the monitor onto the desk? <Q> This is a bit out there and seemingly off track, but please bear with me. <S> We have a premium shower system which includes a shower head holder on a vertical bar: <S> Except our showerhead is much more substantial than in this photo and exerts fair bit of torque on the slider assembly. <S> So much so that we barely have to tighten the slider. <S> It then slides easily up and down. <S> Perhaps that adding a single ring to glide closely around your post could use the same principle. <S> It would be about 10.2 cm interior diameter, probably 5 mm thickness, and about 2 cm high. <S> Weld to one side of the ring a vertical bracket to attach bolts to fasten the monitor arm. <S> I don't expect any artistry awards, but maybe this is clearer? <A> Start by attaching two rack gears to the post. <S> Next fabricate a halved trolley. <S> Rear Trolley <S> Front Trolley <S> You'll need a couple pinion gears that can mesh with the rack gears. <S> And a couple pins to allow the gears to spin. <S> Next assemble the trolley. <S> You'll probably want to use 4 cotter pins for each gear pin. <S> One on the front of the front plate, one on the back of the front plate, one on the front of the rear plate, and one on the back of the rear plate. <S> Cotter pins not pictured Finally, install a spring loaded release pin (held in place using a C-clip ), that will lock the trolley in place. <S> Spring not pictured When you want to raise/ <S> lower the monitor, pull out the release pin, move the monitor, then <S> let the release pin spring back locking the monitor in place. <S> For a simpler design. <S> Go take a walk through your local hardware store, and pay close attention to the mechanisms used to raise and lower the table on drill presses. <A> The solution I finally went with was a combination of DIY and off-the-shelf: <S> The arm came from SpaceCo .
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You can use cotter pins through the gear pins to hold everything together As a result, we tend to leave it fairly loose so we can adjust it with one hand and only a little force by providing relief of the showerhead torque. The bottom bracket shown in the picture at the bottom of the post leads to another extensible arm affixed with a 24" keyboard platform , also by SpaceCo.
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What is the easiest way to tear out a bathroom subfloor? We recently did some remodeling, and in the process, managed to hook up the toilet in the bathroom to the hot-water line. The trouble is, we discovered this fact after we had already put down the plywood, cement board, and then floor-leveling compound (The floor is very sturdy, let me tell you!) What's the easiest way to tear down back to the studs? The initial floor removal was messy and lots of saw-zalling, but since we were going to replace it anyway it wasn't a big deal. UPDATE WITH BETTER SCHEMATICY PHRASING AND A MAP. It's a second floor bathroom. All the water lines run through the floor of the room. They actually run in a U, from the corner where the lines come up next to the main drain, along the outer wall, then to the sink where they T-off. From there, it goes to the end of tub/shower wall, where they then go up into the wall where the tub faucet/valve is. Then from there, up into the wall to the showerhead. The ceiling on the floor below is the ancient lathe/plaster (Although it might just be lathe) with a covering of tin tiles/sheets/sheets that look like tiles. SECOND UPDATE WITH SOLUTION After some convincing, we've opened up the toilet-side of the shower wall (It's one whole piece), and put a T-fitting into the shower's cold line. The new line pokes out the side and into the toilet as opposed to from the floor, but at last it's cold water, haha. Thanks for all the help guys and gals and those of an unspecified gender! <Q> As HerrBag suggested, it's much easier to go through the ceiling below than to open up the floor. <S> Cut open the ceiling back to a joist on each side, do your plumbing repairs there, and install some replacement drywall. <S> You'll have to mud the joints, which is a bit of an art to make them disappear. <S> And then prime/paint your patch. <A> I assume that the hot water and cold water run up to the bathroom through the wall on the first floor? <S> If so, cut a hole in that wall and cut your water pipes. <S> Then connect them back together but swap the hot and cold. <S> Swapping under the sink should be a piece of cake; worst case scenario you need longer flexible lines. <S> For the shower, open the wall behind the shower control and cut and swap those lines, too. <A> Open shower wall. <S> Cut cold line in wall. <S> Put a T on cold line. <S> Connect cold line to shower. <S> Connect cold line to toilet. <S> Repair wall. <S> Sit on toilet and notice the bad repair job you did on wall. <A> Install an icemaker on the wall above the tank. <S> Run the hot water line in a coil through the ice.
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Depending on your home construction, it might even be possible/easier to do this from the basement or crawlspace. Cut hot line in wall and cap it. Trying to tear out the floor from above would require removing everything that's on the floor, it's much more costly to replace the flooring, and structurally you don't want a lot of joints in your subfloor.
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What is causing the vibrations through my water pipes after flushing the toilet? I am getting vibration through my pipes after flushing, it is also very slow & I am finding cement pellets at the bottom of the pan <Q> Could be that the float/valve is causing this. <S> If you flush the toilet and hold down the float, then let go when the tank is full <S> (you might have to pull up on the float to close the valve quickly), do the pipes vibrate? <S> If not, replace the valve assembly. <S> If there is still vibration <S> I'm not sure what else could cause this (except if the tank value didn't close all the way) <S> because there's no other active valve in the system at that time. <S> For just $5, replace the valve assembly. <A> Sometimes when the shut-off valve (the shut-off valve is Not part of the toilet) is partially closed, the vibration will take place too. <S> The cement pellets may actually be calcium/ mineral stones that form inside pipes over time and when they are large enough, the water flow pushes them out, into your toilet tank in this case. <S> In other cases, this little stones clog your shower heads and collect in the mesh filters that most faucets have, causing a reduced water flow. <A> I've had this problem before and it was caused by one of the diaphragms in the flushing cistern. <S> A plumber replaced them and the noise after flushing never returned.
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When the water flows thru the pipes, the pressure and turbulence can force the pipes to vibrate, specially if those pipes are not properly secured to the studs.
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Is ivy bad for your walls? We have a front wall covered by ivy. We do like it very much, but keep getting remarks that ivy eventually destroys your wall. My usual response is that you often see ivy on century-old buildings and those seem to have survived all right. So my question is if there really is potential danger in ivy growing on your (brick) walls and should I remove them, or is it just an urban legend and should we enjoy the beauty of it? (source: By Ikar.us (Karlsruhe:Alter Friedhof) [CC-BY-2.0-de ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/de/deed.en)] , via Wikimedia Commons) <Q> Unless my house was all brick and done <S> well I would not let ivy grow on it. <S> Ivy spreads out and finds its way in any crack. <S> As the ivy matures it grows thicker to keep spreading. <S> As it grows thicker it will push out on things once it is in the crack. <S> I have ivy on a chain link fence in back yard and fence is ruined. <S> Think about the ivy getting in between the gutters and house. <S> It just grows so quick during some parts of the year that you might have to potentially check every couple days. <S> Nonstructural Note: <S> The bad ivy (poison) can grow with the good. <S> Taking down the ivy on my back fence resulted in 2 bouts of poison ivy for me. <S> Obvious Note: <S> Ivy holds water. <S> So anything that can decay, rot, warp, or whatever due to water will not last as long. <S> Also Fiasco Labs has a great point with their "suckers" that they use to attach. <S> Within a year of freshly painted house you could need a new paint job because of them. <A> There is some debate on the damage it can cause. <S> Some types of ivy are self-clinging, and likely would have no structural affect on anything. <S> Some types of ivy will try to root into cracks and crevices, though, so if there is poor brickwork to start with, that could exasperate things. <S> But there's some arguments FOR it, as well. <S> Here's an article from The Daily Mail that talks about the thermal benefits based on an Oxford University study. <S> Conclusion: <A> I spend time regularly volunteering to remove ivy, holly, blackberries, and other invasive species from Portland's Forest Park : <S> (Note there is no ivy visible here!) <S> English ivy is—by far—our worst problem. <S> Armenian blackberries (formerly known as Himalayan blackberries ) are another severe pest, but those proliferate only in sunny areas. <S> Even if ivy was okay on a house, that !&$@ <S> #* stuff creeps across the yard into wild areas, strangles and eventually topples trees, competes and interferes with native vegetation and disrupts habitat. <S> Ivy might be okay in an arid climate where it can be controlled, but in a rainy zone, it is dreadful. <S> My prejudice against the stuff continues even at home. <S> I rip out the roots every time I find any evidence of it. <S> Where I find it sticking to cedar siding, it has made an expensive mess. <S> On bricks, it is hard to separate cleanly and where it has been for a few years, it looks like it makes micro-fractures in, or otherwise sucked the life out of, the mortar. <S> So, even if I liked the idea of ivy on a building, I would not do it out of concern for damaging the ecosystem. <A> I would recommend getting rid of the ivy, or at least being very aggressive about cutting it back often. <S> I had quite a bit of ivy growing up the side of a 1920s stone-and-mortar garage, and along its rubber roof. <S> It had not been trimmed back in several years. <S> Pulling off the ivy was a lot of work and took out chunks of mortar and some of the stone facade. <S> This wasn't structural damage, but still required some maintenance later. <S> The roof was quite a bit more serious. <S> The rubber roof was pretty old, but as we pulled up the ivy large parts of the roof came up with it. <S> Once the ivy was gone and a new roof put down all issues we had with dampness and mold inside the garage were gone. <A> This shows that ivy can actually be of benefit and also protect a building whilst also keeping heat in in winter and keeping it cooler in summer etc... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1278430/Why-ivy-creeping-walls-home-actually-protect-building-thanks-thermal-shield.html <A> You can basically assume that anything alive that's attached to a structure is an equivalent weight of water, and that it will swell and shrink with temperature accordingly. <S> On a long enough timeline, it will compromise the mortar, even if the bricks are fine. <S> In an area with a lot of freeze-thaw cycles, that timeline gets much shorter.
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Pristine walls likely benefit from the ivy but slightly damaged walls are made worse with the ivy.
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How to prepare & paint a porch that has existing lead paint? I'd like to repaint my 100-year-old wooden front porch. It almost certainly had lead paint at some point. I would very much like to avoid stripping it, or any other procedure that might mobilize the lead paint, as I have young kids (and, if any dust were created, it would be very hard to keep it out of the front yard). However, the porch also has lots of dirt ground in to it, and in some places the paint is totally worn away. Is there a way to properly clean the wood without mobilizing the lead paint? <Q> You need to remove flaking and loose paint or else it will eventually chip off and be a hazard in itself. <S> One approach is to avoid sanding and do a moderate scraping with a carbide paint scraper. <S> This will generate some flakes which can be much more easily contained than dust from sanding. <S> Vacuum with a shop vac and wear a mask. <S> Then prime and paint with a good outdoor deck paint. <S> The surface will not be perfect , but is should be good enough and the risk of freed lead paint is minimized. <S> Besides, 100 year old houses should not have glass smooth wood surfaces! <S> (my 144 year old one doesn't). <A> Whatever generates the least dust. <S> Hand wash (least dust) <S> Hand scraping Hand sanding (wet if possible) Power sanding (most dust) <S> (should be connected to HEPA vac <S> Murphy oil soap (trademark for soap recommended for wood) on the dirty sections. <S> Prime with the best, most tenacious primer. <S> Pros must follow the EPAs RRP rules: mask off work areas, put down plastic outside in a 10ft perimeter outside, wear protective gear, If using vac, must be HEPA certified, wet cleanup, seal all debris and protective plastic in plastic bags <A> Last I checked, professional remodelers must abide by EPA guidelines. <S> Unless there is a local ordinance, as a homeowner you're able to do your own lead paint removal. <S> Stick with a no sanding approach <S> - you don't want to aerosolize the lead. <S> The chemical stripper will help keep any lead from becoming airborne. <S> Send the family away anyway like @monsky said, wear a gloves and a respirator (maybe $25 at a big box store) not a simple mask, and when you're done wrap up the plastic and drive it all to your local hazardous waste facility. <S> Or dismantle it and start from scratch :) <A> You better know what youre state laws are. <S> The fines will be huge if you dont follow epa rules. <S> In pa: the side you work on the windows inside must have plastic over them to prevent lead dust out. <S> Plastic must be laid 12 foot out on the ground. <S> Plastic must be put in trash bags and goose necked then taped. <S> Employees have to wear paper suits and use dust masks.
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I suggest you line the underside of the porch with 6 mil plastic, use a chemical stripper to loosen the paint, and scrape it all off.
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How do I fix a twisted shower head? I have one of those shower heads that has a twisty bendy cord that allows you to wash specific areas my easily. Also makes washing pets easier in the tub as well. The last week or so the shower head has been wanting to twist itself to the far stage right. Towards the bathroom/shower curtain! It also will not stay "up" all the way. Being a tall man this renders it unusable and I've no idea how to fix it. I've tried twisting it the opposite direction as many times and it'll twist (about 2 and a half) and it twists "back" into the normal position. But as soon as I run water through it, it goes back to it far right twisted position and points further down. Is it worn out or is there something I can do to fix it? :) <Q> This might help "unwind" the plastic. <S> You could even run hot water through it once in a while, while it's hanging, to help the re-straightening process. <S> Next trick would be to remove it and place it in hot water then let it cool while hanging. <A> If you've had the shower head for any longer than a year or two, it may make sense to just replace it. <S> Between all the inevitable mineral deposits inside its piping that can never be truly cleaned out, and all the hot water, effort and time you'll spend trying to straighten it out, <S> might as well get a new one that works the way it's been designed to. <A> I have been bothered by twisted shower heads my whole life, and only recently I realized there is often a very easy solution for the problem. <S> Just let the shower head do a full turn in the direction that it wants to twist and put it back on the holder. <S> It should be fine now. <S> If it still twists in the same direction as before, you can do another full turn.
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Try letting the shower head hang for a few days while it's not in use.
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Properly venting a gas water heater Ahh, the joys of an old house. The former owners of my house did some funky stuff with venting the water heater. Let me explain: the water heater is in the basement there is a 3 in singlewalled vent pipe that goes up towards the first floor at about 45degrees next there is a joint that points up into the first floor a short single walled 3 inch vent goes up into the floor nowin the first floor in a closet there is another joint that connectshorizontally into a vertical 12 inch(?) mega pipe. this "standpipe" appears to have been used as a exhaust vent for an oven in thekitchen, but is no longer used for that. at the top of the pipeyou can see that this big pipe is double walled and has a 10 inch (?) clay pipegoing through the attic and out into a roof vent. the roof ventis new, it is a standard vent with the cap on it. So, my question is: can I just connect a double walled vent pipe from the basement joint (#3) up through the attic (#8) (after removing all the funkiness (#4-7) Here are a few issues: ideally this double walled vent pipe would be in the wall and not in the middle of the closet as it is now. I believe that is safe, and it can touch drywall/studs as long as it is double walled. Edit : No it is not safe. d-wall must be 1 inch from combustibles I'd like to plug the hole in the attic. I think I can safely just cut a piece of drywall to fit around the smaller double walled pipe. Edit : No it is not safe. d-wall must be 1 inch from combustibles so you can't let sheetrock touch the pipe. You must use a "firestop" flashing we have a whole house fan. This means the attic gets pressurized. Is there any issue with vent pipe being so loose in the old riser on the roof? Ie can the pressure go up the riser and then down the vent and backdraft? I suspect this is not an issue. I could also seal the riser from inside the attic to prevent issues. Edit : I should use a firestop again directly under the roof plywood so the pressurized attic air can't escape up the old vent riser. Comments? <Q> I did a lot more research <S> and I have concluded that what I proposed is mostly safe. <S> There are a few important points Single wall vent pipes must be 6 inches or more from combustibles (this includes sheetrock!). <S> That means you basically can't use it in walls or near joists/rafters. <S> Double <S> wall vent pipes must be 1 inch or more from combustibles. <S> You can't put it against sheetrock or studs, etc. <S> That means for a 3 inch pipe (4-5 inches double walled) <S> you need a 6-7 inch wall. <S> to prevent backdrafting from a Whole House Fan <S> another fire stop should be installed directly below the roof plywood to limit the airflow from the attic to the top of the vent pipe. <A> Backdrafting is a serious life and death issue. <S> Do not connect two applicance exhaust pipes to the same stack. <S> The pressure from one fan can overcome the other and one or the other will backdraft. <S> Carbon Monoxide if the GWH looses. <A> I'm guessing that your water heater has a draft hood, and is not sealed combustion. <S> When your whole-house fan is operating, it drops the pressure in the house, and probably in the basement also. <S> If so, it can easily reverse the draft on your water heater even with a perfect venting system. <S> This is not an immediate problem if the combustion is clean, which it normally is. <S> But if it's a newer water heater, it is flammable vapor ignition resistant, which usually means the combustion air passes through a flame arrestor which can get clogged. <S> When this happens, the flue gas gets very high in carbon monoxide and when that happens you really don't want a reversed draft. <S> In a modern house, it's best not to have appliances with draft hoods indoors.
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You should use a firestop (a sheet of flashing with a pipe sized hole) at walls and floors/ceilings to keep the pipe a safe distance from studs/sheetrock.
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How do I make my house allergy proof? Two members of our household are prone for allergies. For quite some time we are trying to make the house as allergy proof as possibile. Our cat found a new house with good friends. All carpentry was removed, and so are our mattresses which are replaced by allergy-proof ones. All these efforts had an effect, but we think that there are still allergens floating around. Is there a protocol to work through to identify most, if not all, potential allergens spots in your house? <Q> You are going to have to wet clean. <S> You can steam walls, hire professional carpet cleaning ( <S> the ones you rent don't get that hot), spray down hardwood floors with some green cleaner, same for the bathrooms. <S> Clean fans super good. <S> Replace air filters. <S> Have your ducts cleaned. <S> Use a company that hooks up a negative air machine - not one that "washes" your ducts. <S> You probably have a ton of cat hair in there. <S> Do your returns too. <S> Wash everything that you can. <S> Blankets, rugs, bedding... anything that can go in a washer. <A> I know this thread is old, but it case someone comes across it. <S> i would wash your pillows regularly and get mattress and pillow bags(not sure what they are really called <S> but they enclose the items) and then put your sheets and pillow case on top <S> ..air purifier may help.. <S> do cats have bedding??(i <S> only have dogs and they have lots of washable toys <S> /bedding that I wash)...get hard wood flooring if helpful.... <S> i wouldnt even spend the money on allergy shots... <S> I spent $2k on shots for Fido and it said allergic to everything. <S> but i realized if I cleaned his ears out everyday <S> then he is fine... <A> You have already eliminated major sources, air filtration is the next step. <S> Whole house filtration or room air purifiers that use hepa filers will clean the air you breath by filtering out very small particles in the air.
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Steam clean - or better yet see if your carpet cleaners can clean all couches, chairs, upholstery...
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How can I tell where the other end of the conduit is? We have a house with a lot of 2-prong outlets I'd like to replace. They're all fed by conduits. Multiple people (in real life and online) have told me that replacing them is easy: "Just fish the new cable through the conduit," or, "tie the old cable to the new cable and pull it out." However, I can't do either of these things if I don't know which conduit-openings belong to the same length of conduit. The conduit out of all of the electrical boxes simply go up or down, and I don't see any of it in the basement or attic (except out of the panel) . To make matters worse, almost all of the outlets in the house are on a single circuit, so they could be tied together in almost any way. So, how can I tell where the ends of the conduit are so I can rewire my house? <Q> Since you're talking about an electrical circuit with a line/load connection in each outlet, you can start disconnecting one side of the connection and then noting all the receptacles and fixtures that lose power, which will be on the load side of where you disconnected. <S> You can go through a process of elimination. <S> Of course only work on the wiring with the circuit powered off, use non-contact testers, and other appropriate safety procedures. <S> Another method you can try is sound. <S> When trying to label cat5 that had been run around my home, I've shorted two wires together at each location, with a different colored pair at each place. <S> Then from the other end I just checked for continuity between different pairs. <A> My dad worked in a telephone equipment switching office and a few times enlisted my aid in tracing a pair of wires. <S> The technique is simple: person B goes to where the probable other end of the wires and feels them while person A alternately gently tugs and relaxes on the wire pair under scrutiny. <S> At first, person B will feel indistinct vague movement—at least in a telephone office situation where there are thousands of wire pairs side-by-side. <S> After some quick elimination, a few dozen will be the focus. <S> Then, by holding them firmly and providing "pull" on them, one can quickly determine which one is the right pair. <S> Confirmation must be made by tugging back in case the wire pairs are closely wrapped. <S> For a pair of 12 gauge wire in a conduit the possibilities can probably be counted on one hand. <S> Have a "tugger" rattling the wires while the follower take a good guess based on which direction the conduit goes and listen. <S> Once a probably outlet or j-box is determined, open it up and tug on the wires to affirm. <A> Use smoke to trace the other end of the conduit.
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Typically, circuits are wired the shortest distance between outlets, so you can make some intelligent guesses at which junction to try disconnecting next. Pipe a small speaker into one end of the conduit, and then put a hose from your ear to the other end to see where the sound is loudest.
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Dishwasher across from the sink? Way to make the pump stronger? Long story short, I renovated my kitchen and have two counters.I have a counter where the oven and kitchen sink reside. Across from the counter (about 5 ft), I have a dishwasher across. I have a drainage tube (rubber hose) that runs from the dishwasher to the sink (about ~8-9ft long). Whenever I try to drain, the water just stays there and does not drain. I took out the drainage hose and was able to drain the water in the dish washer in a bucket (through the dishwasher's drain cycle).When I bought the dishwasher, I was assured that the pump was strong enough to pump the water and the drainage pump will continue to pump as long as there is water in the dishwasher.I think the dishwasher is not draining due to the distance that the water has to travel to drain (I checked for clogs, there are none).I am guessing I messed up big time and may need to custom fit my dishwasher with a much stronger pump? I'd greatly appreciate any advice or words of wisdom. <Q> I can only think of three options here... <S> Water flows downhill <S> The first (less optimal) option, is to raise the discharge up and allow it to flow down to the drain connection. <S> From there it should flow downhill (1/4" per foot), until it reaches the garburator connection. <S> Use a separate drain <S> The other option, is to discharge the dishwasher to its own drain. <S> Install a properly vented standpipe near the dishwasher, and connect the discharge tubing to that <S> (follow local plumbing codes). <S> Go under the floor <S> The last option is to run a drain line under the floor, and attach to the sink drain below the floor. <A> With a long discharge run, the height is important. <S> As the water is discharged uphill (which it is), there is water in the line. <S> When the dishwasher stops the discharge cycle the water in the pipe drains back into the dishwasher. <S> The size of the pool of water depends on the length of the discharge pipe and "the diameter of that pipe". <S> There is not much you can do about this since the outlet of the dishwasher and inlet of the trap you tie into are at some height <S> and you can't change that. <S> You can only minimize the pipe length. <A> Its not canon that the dishwasher drains to a garbage disposer, its just usually more convienient. <S> As Pigrew notes, some method of back filling the hose with air as it drains, (break the suction and keeps the traps from being siphoned) either a hose loop to the top of the cabinet space or an air admittance valve <A> On top of the other solutions, there is a way to to use a booster pump with a flow switch. <S> This would allow you to rum the piping any way necessary, and not have to worry about slope of any kind. <S> Found this as an example. <S> Flow Switch . <S> Then all you would need is any 120V pump. <S> The downside to this, besides the added cost, is that power must now be run and the pump will take up cabinet space.
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Install a trap near the dishwasher, and run a proper drain that tees into the sink drain (follow local plumbing codes). In this scenario, you'll want to have the discharge tube go up to an air admittance device (AAV) or air gap. I would try to go down, through a vertical p-trap, to a connection below. There are also certain pumps available on the market that have flow switches build into them.
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Why does my front loading clothes washer stink? I have a front loading washing machine which smells really bad. I have also had the brown sludge problem which I've managed to clear with hot cleaning etc. I've noticed I have to empty the filter of smelly water every time I use the washer. Also, this coincides with having a new kitchen and dishwasher installed. Is this dodgy plumbing or does the machine need repairing? Any ideas? <Q> As one of the comments already mentioned, a common problem with front loaders is mold in the gaskets. <S> The easiest way to avoid this is to leave the washing machine open after you're done using it. <S> There are special cleaning detergents you can use to help get rid of the smell and mold (they are basically bleach in puck form). <S> One product I have used with good results is Affresh <S> (I have no affiliation with this product or company). <S> Some front loaders have a special cycle to run with these. <S> Check your owners manual for any specific cleaning instructions or cleaning product recommendations. <A> I recently had the same problem turn up as a secondary issue to our front-load washer not draining water effectively. <S> In the recent few weeks, whenever we would run the washing machine there would be a very foul odor with it. <S> This smell seemed to come from the drain line and not from the drum. <S> Parts Diagram <S> We ordered a new drain pump (#35 in the diagram) and during the installation I checked the drain line (#55 in the diagram) and drain pump trap (#40 in the diagram) and cleaned it out. <S> It was full of foul smelling hair, money, and assorted broken jewelry. <S> I was certain I'd found the source of the bad smell. <S> After getting everything back together and running the machine through a few cycles, we know longer have any bad smells from the machine. <S> If debris builds up in these places, it creates a breeding ground for mildew and nasty smells. <S> You should be able to find a similar design schematic for your model #; like the one linked above. <S> Good Luck. <A> When plumbing several machines to one outlet you need to have 'non return' valves installed, otherwise dirty water is entering the machine from the dishwasher and festering.
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If the smell seems to be coming from the back of the machine near the drain hose, I would encourage you to look into the drain line and pump drain trap.
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Why does only the hot water have low Water Pressure from my 2 handle kitchen faucet? My kitchen faucet is a two handle style with a single delivery spout. The water pressure for the cold water and for ALL the other water sources in the home work fine. The water pressure for the hot water in the kitchen has steadily been getting slower and slower. Today it is a VERY small stream. <Q> Your kitchen hot water faucet probably requires replacement (or possibly repair). <S> Most likely cause is heavy calcium deposit inside the faucet and/or the hot water piping leading to the kitchen sink. <A> In the order of things I would check: Faucet hose. <S> Some have filter rings that can get clogged. <S> Shut-off valve if you have one. <S> Maybe it is turned. <S> Sometimes there is build-up in these too. <S> Put a bucket under it and turn it on. <S> If it comes on full steam then you have a problem up stream. <S> If it trickles out then you have an issue with shut-off or in your pipes for this branch. <S> Replace faucet. <S> This is not usually what it is... <S> Try cleaning faucet with vinegar before doing this. <A> I once had a shower which had terrible hot water pressure (must have been for decades), and when I finally got ticked off enough to rip things apart (not decades), I eventually worked my way back to a sweated copper 90 degree <S> elbow 3 feet below the tub which was almost completely blocked by excess (absurdly excess) solder. <S> Process somewhat straightforward, if tedious and messy - take things off and see if the water pressure is still terrible, if so, work back further. <S> So, step one for you is whether there is decent hot pressure at the connection below the sink to the faucet or not. <S> If so, look up to the faucet - if not, look back toward the hot water heater, and keep going until the pressure improves. <A> I had the same problem with all the faucets in the house. <S> After cut out the hot water pipe in pieces to check for inside blockage, they were looking very clean from inside. <S> Looked inside the heat trap nipple on the hot water outlet, I found the ball was stuck and created a blockage. <S> The hot water pressure went back normal after replacing the heat trap nipple.
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From your description it sounds like the hot water side has clogged up to the point that it is restricting the water flow.
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Why will 26 1.2W 220V LED lights not work with an 800W inverter? We live off the grid and have just installed 26 220V 1.2W LED lights. We are using 220V as the batteries are some way from the house and and thick copper wire is expensive. Everything works on the inverter except the LED lights. We can only use 6 and then the inverter trips out. With everything turned off, adding 1 bulb at at a time and measuring the current, everything is fine until we add the 6th LED light and the current reading starts going crazy, up and down very rapidly until the inverter trips. What is happening here? <Q> This is almost certainly from using a "modified square wave" - MSW - inverter rather than a "true sine wave inverter" - the power conversion circuits in AC LED fixtures expect a sine wave input, and the way they behave when fed MSW input is upsetting your inverter. <S> The inverter power would feed into one side, and you'd feed the lights a much better approximation of a "true sine wave" from the other side. <S> It should be a bit oversized for the load, since the MSW input will cause some heating of the transformer that a normal sine wave would not. <S> However, the load is so small that almost any isolation transformer will be a bit oversized for it. <S> Find the minimum size by looking at the VA (not W - power factor matters, a lot, here) rating of your lamps, and then run a fudge factor for MSW input of about twice that rating. <S> Unless the VA is absurdly bad for a 1.2W device, something like <S> this for roughly $50 ($40.76 plus shipping) will probably work. <S> You'd also need to mount it in a safe enclosure, provide circuit breakers or fuses, etc... <A> It is most likely related to the inverter that you are using. <S> Some inverters are sensitive to the kind of load that you put on them, and LED bulbs could easily present that kind of load. <S> The inverter might be better behaved if you give it a better load - like a nice <S> 50 watt incandescent light - along with the LEDs, though that obviously runs your batteries down much more quickly. <S> A UPS would work if it were always on, but there aren't that many that work like that, and they tend to be expensive. <S> Another approach is to take the 220VAC and use it to charge a 12V battery in the house, and use that to run 12V lighting. <S> Obviously more of a hassle because you'd need separate lighting circuits, and you'd need to find a 12V battery charger that your inverter would be happy with. <A> As a temporary fix, I would use an appropriately rated UPS (sized for future computer needs, not just for this LED situation (which is nominally only 31.2 W)) <S> The UPS will cleanup any transients, and depending on "mains failure time", can supply backup power to facilitate an orderly shutdown or bridge switch-overs between mains and batteries One company that has European UPS products is Tripp <A> How many actual LEDs are hooked in series inside each light, what's the drop of each, and what other weird circuitry is hidden within the base? <S> Ignoring those questions, the fix for voltage drop problems is to wire sets of the lights in parallel. <S> Try two lines of 5, and see if that works. <A> You are using only one cycle (led lamps uses only one direct current (one way conduction) and that's what activates overload protection) <S> you are using a signal integer and your integer thinks that you will consume around the same amount of current on positive and negative cycle, but you admit the power he sent to feed (lets say) <S> the positive cycle and reject the power produced for the negative cycle, so he doesn't understand what do you want, try to state which polarization they use connecting a diode in series, then connect one half of lamps in +- direction and the other half -+ direction <S> You could also connect a rectifier bridge on the overall led´s line <A> I had the same problem of blinking LED lights on a Modified Sine Wave (MSW) inverter. <S> I changed my LEDs to the dimmable type and they seem to handle the harmonics in a better way. <S> The blinking has stopped. <A> Led lamps don't use squrewave power source which your inverter gives you. <S> Change you bulbs to cfl or get a pure sine wave inverter.
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One possible solution, short of "buy a new inverter" (a rather expensive proposition, especially for true sine) would be to feed the light circuits (only) though a small isolation transformer. Sounds like you're running into trouble with the light's forward voltage drop At 220v and 26 lights, you've got 8.5 volts per light.
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How should I connect to a short ground wire in a metal box? I live in a 50's era house that has breakers and a ground wire in every metal box of the house. The problem is they only used 2 prong outlets. They cut the ground wire short and wrapped it around the wire clamp screw inside the box to ground it. It's too short to connect directly to the outlet, or even get a wire nut on. I was told it would be ok to attach a separate piece of ground wire to the box, on the same or another wire clamp screw, and attach that to the ground on the outlet. Is this effective, safe, desirable, etc.? <Q> The simple answer is get "self grounding" duplex outlets. <S> The typical design has a little spring plate meant to connect your grounded metal box to the outlet yoke, and thus to the third prong. <S> Just install, test the ground with an inexpensive outlet tester, and feel lucky that the builder left you in such good shape: <S> If you are in the United States: surprisingly these are legal even in new construction. <S> Beyond that, they're perfect for your retrofit. <S> See the National Electric Code (NEC) section 250.146(b). <S> Note that your ground wires may 16 guage rather than 14 or 12. <S> That was OK at the time, and you're not required to change it now. <A> Another option that I have found that makes things easier when you have a short wire is to use a Wago compact splicing connector . <S> The quick release tabs make it really easy to slide it on and then flip the tab down to lock it in place without having to twist (wire nut) or push (push on connector). <S> I would avoid putting two grounds under one screw, I am not an expert <S> but I have read things various places that say not to put two conductors on a terminal meant for one and most terminals seem meant for one conductor. <A> Professionals would have the equipment to test the outlet's ground connection properly. <S> This depends on location. <S> In the US you may be able to connect the existing wire to two new short lengths using a wire-nut and then secure the new wires to box and outlet respectively. <S> See also <S> Can I extend an electrical ground wire with a copper wire crimp? <A> Be careful with adding your own rod. <S> I had that done at a building I rented, and from all I remember, it's still required to be tied back to the panel/main ground at some point. <S> Not sure what the exact rules are though. <S> Take Care
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Connecting a second ground wire from the clamp screw to the outlet should be safe as long as it is done right. You'd need to check local code/law to see if it is permissible.
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What is the most suitable material to use for baseboards in bathroom I used particle board baseboards in our bathroom a few years ago, but found, even after prepping/painting them, they have swelled up with the moisture in the bathroom (more around the bath area). I was in the store this weekend and see they make a "plastic" baseboard, but see some challenges with cutting around round corners and painting (adhesion).Is there a right material to use for bathrooms? <Q> Real wood. <S> Poplar trim is what I use for bathrooms or basements. <S> It is hard and holds up to moisture well. <S> If you get the plastic stuff it will look like... plastic. <S> It would have to really be in modern room or business setting to look right. <S> Give it a first coat with drylok. <S> Follow up with whatever you want. <S> I would suggest an oil based paint for bathroom trim though - <S> it is tougher and cleans up better. <A> For tiled bathroom floors I feel that nothing is better than tile for the floorboards. <S> And if you are using tile on your floor than you can use tile on the base of the walls too. <S> It can be done with the same type as the floor or something different like the glass tiles used as kitchen backsplash. <S> Prep the sheet rock surface properly, seal if needed so moisture from grout doesn't damage the wall. <S> Approximately 2 inches high maximum <S> or you will get too far up away from the wood of the wall's framework <S> and that's when sheet rock will bend when bumped, and grout does not bend without cracking. <S> By the time you seal the grout too, you have finished a big project. <S> Wood might be easier. <A> Lowes/Homedepot carry a line of trim made of Polystyrene. <S> It's cheap, easy to work with, and holds up to moisture extremely well. <S> It comes in all sorts of styles like wood <S> does <S> and you cut it with your miter saw the same way. <S> It can be nailed with your air nailer or glued in place. <S> It typically comes prefinished white, no painting or staining required. <S> Depending on what you're looking for, it can be a quick easy way to make your bathroom nice. <S> Obviously real wood has <S> it's place too, it depends on what you are looking for. <S> Check them out in person. <A> People told me I was crazy to ask for it, but I am really pleased with cove molded linoleum, which comes up the wall instead of baseboard. <S> The curve makes cleaning very easy and contains spills very well. <S> There's just one thin caulk line at each corner. <S> Like all caulk lines it collects debris: <S> The true linoleum is 100% natural, refinishable and warm to the feet (though you should consider if underfloor heating is right for your situation). <S> Epoxy flooring also has huge advantages, with no seams whatsoever, as the epoxy will curve up from the floor to form the baseboard. <S> There's a reason both are commonly used in commercial bathrooms. <S> Why they are rare in residential <S> I can't fully explain. <A> Plus it's water proof and easier to clean. <S> You probably shouldn't use MDF anyway since it can swell with water. <S> A few other places recommend 4" high or even 6" (whatever looks good to you, or whatever matches any other "step ups" in your bathroom). <S> Some also recommend not grouting the joint between wall and floor (just caulk there) and also recommend the "grout lines" line up with the floor grout lines, if the floor tiles aren't angled. <S> It also seems to be up in the air as to whether you want to use bull nose or some finish on the tile used as baseboard. <S> Some recommend using a "profile" to finish the edge, or chrome capping or sloped grout over the cut edge. <S> Basically your options are to either grout "up" at a 45 degree angle, or you could use a cove or bull nose tile, or possibly add a metal edge trim (ex: Schluter) above it, though that may not work out perfectly since the edge trim sticks out a tiny bit, and isn't made exactly for that (having to be cleaned, etc.) <S> I've also heard of using marble but don't know much about it. <A> I would suggest wood baseboards for the bathroom. <S> First, I would paint both sides of the baseboard. <S> When I paint I use a primer; I make the primer the same color as the finish, that way it goes on with one coat instead of painting twice or three times. <S> Second, after your baseboard is in, put caulk on the top of your baseboard and run it all around. <S> If you would like you could do the same with the floor, that way if you have a water spill it does not get behind the walls. <S> You've caught the corners, you've caught the floor, your cocktail per half that's how I would do it. <A> Aluminium or Steel work, if it fits the aesthetics of your bathroom. <S> Our bathroom has tiles matching the floor on the walls, but the vanity cupboard, which is particle board, has a thin brushed aluminium outer layer on to keep it dry from the floor to the bottom of the cabinet doors. <S> You can get metal baseboards in a variety of styles, but in my case it’s just plain sheet metal with a brushed texture. <S> Cheap, practical and elegant.
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I would suggest getting poplar (pine is cheap and has moisture bulging issues) or some other hard wood. I second the recommendation to use "matching tile" (from the floor) as the baseboard.
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What is the best flooring for my basement? I live in Michigan, where humidity is fairly high. I have a 70 pint dehumidifier that works great. I also have a sump pump and water powered backup sump pump. I am looking to floor my basement because I am planning on using it has a home theater. I have done a lot of googling on this topic and have found a lot of varying opinions. I don't want to add a subfloor because I don't have much headspace to play with. Currently it has a drop ceiling and I am 6'4". I am only a couple inches from the ceiling standing on the unfinished floor. I have been looking at different carpeting and vinyl options.I am trying to finish around 600 sq ft so price is a concern here. I would like to stay under $1000 and can do installation myself if needed. I am concerned about moisture not being able to dissipate into the air and instead getting trapped under whatever flooring I put down. Is it okay to use a padding with carpet? Do they make special padding that allows for air to transfer through it? Is vinyl going to trap moisture underneath and cause mold? I don't really like the look of painted/stained concrete so I want to avoid that option. <Q> When I lived in MN I had the same issue. <S> I opted to stain the concrete floor. <S> I liked the looked, it was affordable, and as long as I ran a dehumidifier (a requirement in most any mid-western basement anyways) there was no water worries at all. <S> I'd never put carpet in a basement. <S> Been in too many carpeted basements with a definite mildew <S> smell to scare me away from it. <A> I lived in a house that had standing water once or twice a year. <S> It had a pad with berber <S> (?) <S> carpet on top. <S> It dried easy with a space heater and fan within a day of these wet periods. <S> Usually a 5x10 foot area got wet. <S> When I went to pull up the carpet <S> both the carpet and pad were in perfect condition. <S> I asked a friend who had done installations for years <S> and he said that I had an open-celled padding with no moisture barrier and if they are dried out thoroughly within a reasonable time he has never seen mold. <S> So new house <S> I am in <S> is basically about the same as yours. <S> Almost all pads are open-celled and you would have to ask for one with a moisture barrier - <S> so if you go to a carpet store and pick out their normal padding that is the right thing. <S> Also I am using Trafficmaster Allure Ultra on part of the basement which I have used on jobs. <S> I am not a HD homer - but I have used this stuff <S> and it is awesome. <S> It is pure rubber and even if you got mold (you shouldn't) it would just clean right off. <S> As for your $1000 budget. <S> You are going to have to get some very low grade carpet to meet that. <S> Do not get non-floating vinyl. <S> If you have to install the vinyl to the floor and you do have moisture problems you are in for a big mess. <S> The recommendation I have above is $1800. <S> Also a great website for flooring builddirect.com has other all rubber options but they may make you have a minimum order. <A> You can simply lay carpet right on the concrete without a pad. <S> It obviously won't be as soft as it would with padding, but it's easy, cheap, and <S> air should flow through it better. <S> Don't need to glue it down, it will stay put on the concrete once you have some things on it. <A> I would rather use Moduleo but it won't be budget friendly. <S> If you are running the dehumidifier that will take care of any moisture issues. <S> Carpet is certainly the warmest and most economical. <S> If you don't install the carpet over pad or glue it down it will always buckle. <S> I would recommend getting it installed.
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I am putting down carpet in part of the basement with pad. Personally I would do the vinyl plank but not the allure. I would definitely use a pad (chip foam is best below grade).
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How do I install a junction box with NM-clamps? I bought a junction box in order to splice three Romex together along the 2x4's in the ceiling of my (unfinished) basement. The box looks like this: When I bought it, I assumed that I could just screw/nail it to the side of the joist using those holes in the back. However, I can't do that because the screws for the cable clamp stick out the back by about 3/4"! So, what is the correct way to mount this box to a 2x4? Or did I just buy the wrong thing? <Q> Method 1 Place the box where you want it and screw it lightly to the stud. <S> Run the clamp screws in until they bite into the wood. <S> Remove the box. <S> At the marks left by the clamp screws, drill 1/4 inch relief holes about 1 inch into the stud to make room for the ends of the screws Reinstall the box. <S> Method 2 Remove the existing clamps Knock out the inner discs on the sides (not the ones near the original clamps) by pushing one side with screw driver, then wiggling back and forth until it breaks off Install bolt on cable clamps like these (screw section goes on the outside) <A> Bottom of the Joist <S> You could attach the box to the bottom of the joist, but you'd have to rotate it in such a way that the joist was perpendicular to clamps. <S> The problem with this is that if you finish the ceiling with drywall, the box will stick out quite a bit (~2"). <S> Between the Joists <S> The standard approach, is to attach the box to a 2x4 that is installed between the joists. <S> The box will be attached to the 2x4, the same way as if you attached it to the bottom of the joist. <S> You'll set the 2x4 back from the joist edge about 1" (assuming 1 1/2" deep box). <S> Then if you install 1/2" drywall, the box will basically be flush with the drywall face. <S> A Different Box <S> They tend to be fairly cheap, so purchasing a box with an external mounting bracket may be an option. <A> Then, you could mount the box to the side of the joist if you like. <S> You could also use a wide riser if you are worried about stability and drill the holes for the NM clamp screws into it. <S> I propose these slightly different options to avoid putting extra non-functional holes in the joists of your home. <S> If I had to use this box and did not want to mount it on the end of the joist, one of these methods would be my personal choice. <S> That said, I would probably opt for another box and add NM clamps as already suggested in another answer. <A> Use the smaller holes in the "bottom" to screw it to board.
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Since no one else has mentioned it as an option yet, rather than drilling two additional holes in your joist, you could also add cut a small piece of wood that is narrow enough to sit between the two NM clamp screws to serve as a 3/4" (or more) riser and use two longer screws to secure the junction box (going through the junction box holes, through the riser, and into the joist). Alternatively, you could simply purchase a different box.
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Can I use a cord and plug to power a wall sconce? I have a wall sconce that my wife really likes and wants installed on an interior brick wall. The sconce she purchased is designed to sit on top of a wall box that has been prewired. I don't want to install this in the brick, so my idea is to hook up the wires to a standard ac plug and wire, then run it under a cable cover. The light has one black, one white and one ground cord. When I cut off the end of an old AC wall cord, will I find the same connections? If not, how do I connect the cord safely? Is this a terrible idea in general? <Q> Portable lamps (at least in the US) are generally designed without a ground wire. <S> The bodies of the lamps, even if metal, are designed not to be likely to be prone to a short to the hot lead. <S> The standard lamp cord is therefore two wire (hot and neutral). <S> Most modern lamps are polarized, meaning the cord/plug is designed to ensure that the hot lead is attached to the hot side of the outlet. <S> Sconces and other lamps that are intended for fixed mountings on electrical boxes have a hot lead, a neutral and a ground. <S> The ground is the safety measure in case of a short. <S> When you convert a fixture intended for use with a ground wire to a plug-in setup, you need a grounded cord to preserve the safety factor. <S> The simplest way may be to buy a grounded extension cord, cut off the socket end and splice the cord with the plug (male) end into your fixture. <S> Attach the hot lead to the black wire of the fixture, the neutral to the white (the neutral wire is attached to the larger blade of the plug and the casing is sometimes ridged), and the ground to the green (or bare). <S> P.S. Be sure to use a bushing or something similar to prevent any cord/cable from being pulled through and cut or frayed by metal edges at the point where it exits the fixture or metal cable cover. <S> CAUTION <S> This whole discussion assumes that you are installing this permanently (a wall fixture is not well protected at the back from damage or short) and on an interior wall. <S> Exterior fixtures are specifically designed to attach in an exact way to exterior boxes to ensure that they are water resistant. <S> Any compromise of that attachment mechanism may lead to leakage, shorts and danger of electrocution or fire. <A> When fixtures are designed to attach to an electrical box, they typically require that box as part of their weatherproofing, or to contain connections/hide exposed parts. <S> Without the box the fixture is likely not weatherproof, and connections and/or electrified parts may be exposed. <S> Installing any electrical fixture in a way it is not designed for, could lead to trouble. <S> Not properly containing splices and/or junctions is bad practice, and may be against local codes. <S> While attaching a modified extension cord to the fixture, will surely provide power to the fixture. <S> It's probably not the safest, or best approach. <A> No, you should not use a lamp cord to power a sconce. <S> It is unsafe, unprofessional-looking, and against code. <S> What you're looking for is a surface-mounted electrical box . <S> You screw it into the brick, and run conduit (also screwed to the brick) from the nearest electrical connection to it. <S> You run the electrical wires through conduit to the surface-mounted box, then mount the sconce to the box. <S> (image taken from above link) Bring the sconce and ask the people at Home Depot (or your country's equivalent store) , and they'll be more than happy to show you what you need to buy. <S> Also: <S> you mentioned splicing electrical wires using electrical tape in the comments. <S> This is not allowed. <S> All the splicing will be done inside the box, where it is easily accessible but out of sight.
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You can then run the cord under a cord cover to a conventional grounded outlet. Installing a non-weatherproof fixture in a wet, or damp location is not a good idea (and is likely against local codes). You should be using electrical wire nuts if you are in the US. The answer is likely, NO .
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What size extension cord should I use for multiple computers? We're hosting a LAN party (several computers, 50+) and I had some questions about power draw; I hope this is the right place to ask. Currently, we're assuming each PC will draw an average of 3.5 amps. We have several 20amp circuits, so we're putting 5 PCs on each 20amp circuit. How concerned should we be with extension cord quality? Our plan is to run two 16/3 cables from each circuit, and run about 3 PCs per cord. Should there be any issues with this? Would going with 14/3 cables really be any better? We considered going with single 12/3 cables and running all 5/6 PCs from that single cord... but given that the max listed amperage on these is 15A, that doesn't give us the amount of power consumption we're going to require. <Q> Extension cords need to be chosen according to the length and load. <S> The following chart will guide you to the correct gauge to choose for any one extension cord. <S> You might choose several different gauges in order to save money, properly configured you won't need to put 12awg wire everywhere: To carry 20 amps any distance, you'll need 12awg cable. <S> You could use one 50 foot 12awg cable to carry the current to a table, then three 16awg cables to carry the current to one or two computers each. <S> You might find it cheaper, however, to run two 14awg wires in parallel from one outlet than to run one 12awg wire. <S> Keep in mind that while some cable calculators and tables will indicate that 16awg can handle 20A, the cable will heat up, and if you've properly secured it to the floor using tape or channels with other cables running parallel, the heat buildup can be significant and dangerous. <S> Particularly with long runs. <S> If you pay attention to the chart you'll note that each cable size and load include a voltage drop. <S> You'll also realize that due to the wiring at the venue you'll see a voltage drop at the outlet as well. <S> This will result in a lower voltage at each computer than 120V. <S> However, as long as you keep your voltage drop below 10%, and the venue is wired correctly producing a less than 10% drop to the outlet under load, then it is unlikely that your computers will experience any problems. <S> Most computing equipment that uses AC power has a universal power supply that accepts a wide range of voltage, often down to 90VAC. <S> It will be a rare computer or peripheral that will have problems with the voltage drop presented by a suitably rated cable. <A> I seriously advise against attempting this in what, is assumed to be, a domestic residence on single phase power. <S> Very few dwellings have an incoming capacity over 100A. <S> I agree with the post re current draw per computer, it seems a very low estimate. <S> Do consult your local utility provider. <S> The issue of extension leads is secondary to the current demands on the in house installation. <A> You could try first to load up the sockets/receptacles you intend to use with appliances that overall will demand the same power all your computers will need. <S> Make them as equal as possible. <S> See if breakers trip. <S> As someone else has said it may be that all or a number of your 20 amp sockets are using the same breaker. <S> In which case it won't work. <S> If you have 50 computers drawing 3.5 amps each that is 50 x 3.5 amps = 175 amps. <S> 175 Amps @120 volts is 21 KWatts. <S> Quite a lot of power. <S> So plug appliances into the sockets you have available equally. <S> If you have 10 sockets try to load them up with 2.1 KWatt loads. <S> This is equivalent to 2100W/120V = 17.5 amps load each. <S> I really expect you will get trouble- <S> they will most likely cause tripping because some sockets will be using the same breaker. <S> At least you'll know. <S> If all should be well use the excellent chart given elsewhere on current carrying capacity and voltage drop.
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You should also consult with the hotel - many of them have requirements for extension cord use in conference areas, and in some cases you will be required to use their cables and installers in order to meet their safety and load planning requirements.
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How can I rewire my bathroom fan, light, and receptacle? My bathroom has one switch that powers the fan and light. In that electrical box, there is also a hard wired electrical outlet that sits in the bathroom. Since I don't have room for a 2 gang box in my location, I would like to install a double rocker in that one gang box. Can I get a diagram showing what that wiring would look like? Top switch: Light on Bottom switch: Fan on Always on: electrical outlet This is the switch: EDIT: So I took a look at my current plug and this is what I've discovered. The switch has no ground, only a white wire that leaves it from the bottom and is HOT (I checked with a Klein). The upper black wire powers the fan and light when in the up position. I can see that lower white wire that's connected to the switch, comes back as black and is one of those 3 hot ones i've labeled. <Q> If you accidentally broke the tab between the black (common) screws on the swtich, simply use two short pigtails off the supply line like this... <S> And again if you've clipped the tab between the terminals, it will look like this... <S> Here is what the original circuit would have looked like with 3 wire cable... <S> And here is what the original circuit would have looked like with two separate cables... <S> Don't forget, since it's a bathroom the receptacle has to be protected by a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). <A> Please excuse my artwork. <S> I need more practice. <S> The yellowish wires are the white neutral wires (I should have made the background gray.) and are all tied together and also connect to the neutral of the outlet. <S> A wire nut capped pigtail is fine for that, though be careful to keep the bare wire away from the neutral and hot terminals. <S> As requested, this is how it likely looks with a simple switch controlling both light and fan: <A> Top Left - black wire going to that light. <S> Bottom right - power in - black Tie your neutrals together in one cap. <S> Tie your grounds together in another cap. <S> - given plastic box <S> I have to say I just installed a fancier version of the same thing in 3 bathrooms in my house and the Lutron Light Dimmer and Fan Timer are awesome. <S> so you don't have to do much late at night.
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The bare copper grounds are all tied together and connected to the ground screw of both items. If you have two separate cables (one to the fan, and one to the light), then you'd wire it up like this... I actually put a nightlight (in my bathroom fans) on the fan timer Bottom Left - black wire going to that light.
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What can I do about pocket doors that are blocked by floor tiles? I have double pocket doors in my den that I never close. I was going to clean them today, and when I tried to close them they would not close because of the tile being to high. I had the tile put in about 3 yrs ago, and never even noticed that the tile is to high. I thought it was because of the grout keeping them from closing, but it's the tile. I was able to get one of them to come out a little, but the other will not budge. Do you have a solution for this without having to take the tile out. Click for full size image <Q> That looks tight. <S> From the looks of things, that isn't going to be enough. <S> You could futz around and replace the roller mechanism with a more compact one to gain a little height, but I have found it difficult to obtain compatible parts and very difficult to find anyone who would know where to obtain them. <S> The surefire solution is to open the walls, take out the doors, cut them to be shorter, reinstall, and then restore the walls. <S> Easily said, but potentially a lot of work. <S> However, it is probably easier to get the walls to be restored and looking good than whatever you might do to the flooring. <A> Most pocket doors have adjustable height settings at the top. <S> You need to push up on the door while pulling it out - this will get you up to 1/2 inch. <S> Once it is out you can reach the adjustment nuts at the top of the door. <A> Remove the door from the rail (tilt up and out), and pull it out, then trim it. <S> A right angle grinding wheel comes to mind. <S> A sawzaw wouldn't have an angle parallel with the floor. <S> My first thought is to cut out the bottom, pull out and cut more, so you can pull this door out and replace it. <S> If you can pull the door out far enough to remove the leading roller, take that first roller off and work from there. <A> The only solution that would be feasible to me is using a "Fein Tool", which is a high-speed vibrating saw tool. <S> You can put in a flush-cut saw blade, lay a piece of 1/2" or so plywood on the floor (to protect the floor AND give a nice cut to the door bottom) then lay the tool flush down and cut off the bottom of the door. <S> My tool originally cost me $300.00, but Harbor Freight has a knock-off for $40.00. <S> And these have gotten some good reviews... <S> Looks like they give you enough blades to do this task in the new package. <S> http://www.harborfreight.com/variable-speed-multifunction-power-tool-67537.html <S> Even if it is used only for this job, it will save you a whole lot of money and time vs. tearing the wall out, as was suggested. <S> The "difficult part" of this job seems to be that these saw blades are very slender, and so you might have to make slices several times in order to get enough clearance to pull the waste out from the bottom of the door.... <S> So you make a cut(s), then tear out a few inches of the waste, then slide the door closed as far as you can, and cut some more. <S> One more thing is the blades DO NOT like cutting anything other than wood, so no hardware or nails or stone or tile. <S> If you treat the blade nicely it will last a long time. <S> You should be able to do this thing in less than an hour. <S> Or so. <S> Good Luck. <A> To allow the door to shut. <S> When the doors fully open, screw down some wood that is just over the width of the door to the floor across the opening. <S> Use an angle grinder to cut the tiles along both edges of your wooden guild. <S> Remove the wood guild, and break out the tile between the lines you just cut. <S> The door should now have space to shut . <S> With the door shut you may be able to remove it so you can cut it down. <S> If so you can then fill in where you removed the tile with a) <S> Mortar to much the other tile joinsb) <S> A hard wood strip If you can’t remove the door, you need to fill in to a level just below the tiles so the door can still close, or use a door saw to cut off the bottom of the door (these can be hired in the UK, I don’t know about the US.
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If you really can't get the door out of the frame then you need something to trim the bottom as you open it. A vibrating blade may work for this. First effort would be to get the adjusters into reach and see if the door can be raised sufficiently.
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What would cause an AFCI breaker to trip under no load? I have an AFCI breaker that trips with 0 load - nothing plugged in, no lights on. To test that power is getting to the room, I turn on the overhead CFL lights (very light load) and flip the breaker. The lights do turn on, then the breaker trips and power is shut off. When I replace the AFCI breaker (15A) with a standard breaker (15A, I have both in my panel), the standard breaker does NOT trip. However, no power flows to the room either - no lights, and no outlet power. What could be causing this discrepancy? I have confirmed that the AFCI breaker and the standard breaker work on other circuits; they are not faulty. <Q> Given that you state that "no power flows to the room" when you use a normal breaker, the most likely explanation is either that there is a short/arc somewhere, or the wiring is incorrect. <S> Shorts/arcs are not something to be messing around with. <S> I would call in a professional. <A> The AFCI is designed to detect two types of fault. <S> Series fault and Parallel fault. <S> Series fault can be caused by a loose screw or back stab on a device or a bad wire nut. <S> These are bad but they are mostly contained in j-boxes. <S> a parallel fault is caused by directly shorting the hot and neutral (or ground) from pulling wires against staples, boxes, pounding nails in wrong places, etc.. <S> these are worse because they are not usually found in the confines of a j-box. <S> An AFCI is not supposed to trip with the absence of a load. <S> Possibility: If the (properly functioning) AFCI is tripping with no load, you have a parallel fault. <S> the electrical potential skips across the fault to complete the circuit. <S> if it is a high resistance fault and you give it a light load, the load may have a lower resistance than the fault so the circuit works properly until there is a fluctuation in the voltage- <S> then the power flows across the fault again. <S> Remedy: Check each box for missing tape or wire nuts. <S> examine the boxes for electrical arcing if they are metal boxes. <S> Tighten the side screws on each device and wrap the device with two layers of electrical tape. <S> This can stop arcing between the hot of one outlet and the neutral of another in quad outlets, and the hot to the box in metal boxes. <S> Also, check the insulation for nicks and missing sections. <S> If you find any, wrap in at least two layers of electrical tape or replace wit pigtail or cut short if the wire is long enough. <S> If possible inspect the run in an attic or basement/crawl space. <S> Also check again to make sure that there is truly no load on the line. <S> there may be an outlet that you forgot that something is plugged in , or door bell transformer or humidifier, etc.. <S> Disconnect from panel completely and ohms it at the source. <S> When you tried the standard breaker, did you remember to put the neutral back in the bar? <S> This could account for the circuit not working at all... <A> See <S> this answer for more details on <S> what causes a breaker to trip . <A> There are 60 new homes next to my house using AFCI breakers. <S> Low power radio signals trip these breakers as some AFCI designs use a radio receiver to detect the presence of RF in the HF spectrum. <S> For these breakers, even a kids CB walki-talkie (not FRS) can trip every breaker in the house. <S> Load or no-load, it does not matter. <S> The branch circuit wiring is a very efficient antenna at HF frequencies. <S> A CB or Ham operator can take out a housing development. <S> This is no fun for the homeowners, but it is NOT the fault of the transmitter, but rather, the design of the AFCI. <S> Here is a link to the full story: http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-helps-manufacturer-to-resolve-arc-fault-circuit-interrupter-rfi-problems <A> Wild speculation follows: <S> the CFL lights in conjunction with the wiring and the AFCI, are causing a false positive trigger to the AFCI. <S> Try without lights, using only outlet power. <S> Try only one CFL lamp. <S> Try different CFL lamps. <S> Try LED lamps. <S> the breaker sockets in the panel have a means to detect the AFCI, and won't work with an ordinary breaker. <A> Neutral wire and ground wire are touching somewhere down the load sometimes at receptacle install they come in contact <S> A standard breaker will still work in this situation
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If your combination arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) breaker is tripping with no load, it means you have an arcing fault in the wiring, you've installed the breaker incorrectly, or the breaker is faulty.
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How can I tell the handedness of a bolt? I have a craftsman lawnmower (with a Honda engine) and I'm trying to remove the lawnmower blade to sharpen it. It seems really tight. I'm wondering if I'm turning the bolt the wrong direction. Does anyone have a trick to determine if it's a 'normal' bolt or a reverse threaded bolt? <Q> The torque on the bolt is highest when the blade is engaged. <S> Be careful when thinking of this since as the blade is engaged and accelerates, the blade itself—due to the acceleration (or resistance of that acceleration by the blade itself)—wants to "slip" in the opposite direction. <S> This "slip direction" should be the direction that tightens the bolt. <S> So then loosen the bolt in the same direction as the blade rotates. <A> To use webcam photo art, looking at the bolt from the side with a nut below: ... you would turn that nut to the right to unscrew it. <S> For something like a lawnmower where you're exposed to lots of dirt and moisture, I'd hit the threads with some WD-40 to break down any rust. <S> Let it soak in for a while. <S> And for many devices where there's a fast spinning blade, it's not uncommon to have the threads reversed so that the motion of the blade tightens the nut instead of slowly working it loose. <S> This isn't to say that yours is reversed, just that it's possible and wouldn't be unusual. <A> Standard approach is to try the standard direction (counter clockwise) to loosen. <S> If that doesn't work and there is reason to think it could be reverse threaded, try the other direction. <S> I would liberally spray the threads and let soak with WD-40 before doing much more. <S> If there is still doubt because it is stubbornly stuck: Usually a lawnmower blade nut is open. <S> If the stud bolt sticks through the nut, or there are exposed threads on the nut, look carefully to determine the actual loosening direction. <S> For example, this is conventional CCW loosening (see how the threads at back left are higher than back right?) <S> : <S> If the bolt stud and the nut align so that there are no exposed threads, the simplest technique is simply to be more aggressive in stages. <S> Increase the trial force by like 33% first in one direction and then in the other. <S> That should be a pretty rugged system able to take some abuse. <S> If, somehow, it still has not yielded, I would Google the mower make and model for a parts list and see if the nut description indicates whether it is standard thread or reverse thread. <S> (more) <S> A guy down the street has several lawnmowers. <S> It seems most of them use a bolt threaded into the end of the tapped driveshaft. <S> In that case, looking is not going to identify the direction of the thread, so skip the first bullet point.
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If you can see the threads on the bolt, then look for them to rise away from the nut in the direction of loosening the bolt.
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Any ideas for cutting door bottoms on pocket doors? What can I do about pocket doors that are blocked by floor tiles? Could you cut out the bottom (1/4-1/2 inch) on a pocket door while it is still in the frame ? What tools would you use? How would you make sure cut is straight? <Q> In the UK HSS stocks them. <A> Shave the bottom of the pocket door so it clears the tile. <S> You have about an inch and a half of plug inside the hollow core door to trim. <S> Don't shave more than 3/4" off the bottom. <S> If you can, trim equal amounts off the top and bottom. <A> The face of hollow core doors can be easily cut with a couple passes of a utility knife. <S> Do that first on both sides <S> Then use a recip saw like a sawzall to cut the whitewood. <S> Leave a 1/16 inch margin. <S> Use blocking on the floor for a level cut. <A> I'm years late to the party; I just came across this question. <S> I'd use an undercut saw (a/k/a a jamb saw). <S> An online search will show you images, and you'll see exactly how they work. <S> They're made specifically for cutting a narrow slice off the underside of baseboards or door jambs, plinth blocks, &c. so that a (higher) floor can run under them. <S> They're <S> a specialty tool <S> so I don't know about renting. <S> A good flooring installer will likely have one.
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Hire a Door Trimming Saw.
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How do I mount this box without drilling or damaging the shelf? I bought a network switch that I'd like to hang on the underside of a shelf immediately above my desk. The designers of the switch provides two screw holes on the underside of the box to mount it. Like this; I don't know what this is officially called: I'd like to avoid having to permanently mar my shelves in the event I want to reorganize. This leaves mounting tape as an option, but between the weight of the box and the cables pulling down, I'm concerned that the strength of tape/adhesive that I'd need would destroy the finish of the (particleboard) shelf if I have to remove it. Are there any adhesives or ways to mount this box (perhaps a plastic piece that has a screwhead shape that sits flush on the shelf?) that come to mind? I want to avoid finding out the hard way. Thanks in advance. edit: Here's pictures of the switch and shelf: I'd like to mount it upside down between the two posts. <Q> They're rated for up to 1 lb. <S> According to the specs , your switch weighs 0.6 lbs. <S> It will fall every time someone trips over a cord, but that is preferable to the whole shelf coming down like with a screw or zip-tie. <A> you can hang a small board between (and hanging of) <S> the posts of the shelf and hang the switch on that you only need 2 hooks which go in the slots of the posts <A> It's a Netgear 5-port switch. <S> There's one on my desk exactly like the one you show that I could probably stick to the chewing gun underneath my desk and expect it to stay there indefintely. <S> Weight is not a problem. <S> Even if it did fall, these things are pretty durable. <S> Try these Command interlocking strips . <S> I've hung a full-length mirror from a door with three of them, and the mirror weighs a lot more than that hub. <S> Because they're more or less Velcro, you can remove the hub from the shelf to tinker with it and then stick it back up without needing new strips. <S> They also allow you to place the release tabs completely underneath the hub for a clean look, because you can remove the hub from the shelf to get to the release tabs. <S> And of course, they're Command strips; they're designed to be non-damaging to wall (and shelf) surfaces. <S> Use two just to be sure and don't ever worry about it again.
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You could try these heavy-duty mounting squares
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Why does my Central A/C Keeps Blowing its Fuse? For years, my A/C condensing unit has blown a fuse once, maybe twice a year. It's 27 years old now and blew a few fuses last spring. Now it blows a fuse every few days. So, I replaced a bad running capacitor on the compressor and replaced a leaking capacitor on the condenser fan motor, still blows fuses every few days. Dangdest thing is that it has a very respectable amperage reading - 20 amps on each leg (it's 220v) even when it's very hot (105 degrees outside) and the fuse only blows in the evening when the temperature has gone down for the day! I thought that maybe it blew a fuse when cycling off and on, so, I tried just operating the A/C manually (turning it off when the inside temp was comfortable and on when I wanted some cooling) - still blows a fuse. I now wonder if the problem is with the fuse box or power supply. It is typical that after a day or two of replacing a fuse, the new fuse darkens - it still works, but can get quite dark. A blown fuse will be really dark and the nice clean copper is pretty scorched. I cleaned off the contacting surfaces of the fusebox and tightened the wires down. I'm now suspicious of a possible occasional voltage drop in our power supply. Wouldn't that spike the amps to my A/C unit and burn a fuse? A few weeks ago the power company installed a box to monitor power quality right outside my house. When I asked them what they were doing they informed me about monitoring the power and then asked me if I noticed lights flickering and so on. I thought I might monitor voltage last night to see if I might catch a drop (wishful thinking I guess). But anyway, just using a 120v receptacle, the volts were 120.0 volts to begin with, 118.8 volts when the A/C came on, went down to 117.4 volts, then ranged between those last two numbers 'till I turned the A/C off an hour later. Then the reading was 120.9. First thing in the morning, the voltage was 123.0 volts So, there's quite a swing in voltage - I imagine that's normal, but I don't know. I'm up a hill, at the end of the power line in a city area. Here's the particulars of my A/C condenser - it's a 1985 Sears 3.5 ton (NCABA42AB01) - full load on condenser= 21.5 amps time delay fuse called for is 30 amps and that's the fuse I keep replacing. Anybody have any ideas - poltergeist, maybe? Update: It just blew a fuse again - mid day this time. I noticed that the fuse box was really hot - I measured it with an infrared thermometer - 220 degrees F! The condenser unit was buzzing, only one fuse blew - the other looks fine. I'm thinking I need to replace the fused disconnect. <Q> However, darkening as quickly as you have described means the fuse is operating right at its limit for too long. <S> At least that way you don't have to touch a hot fuse to replace it. <S> They may also find a problem with the wiring (corrosion or a break) that could explain your problem. <S> Next is I would buy/ <S> borrow a multimeter that has an amp clamp on it. <S> Measure the current used by various parts of your system (blower motor, compressor, condenser fan) as well as the main power feed to find out how much current you are pulling. <S> This may help you identify which component is causing the problem. <A> I would say look for a loose wire or a wire that is partially bare that is touching metal.check your ground wire and make sure that you have a good connection. <A> Well I have a similar problem but with a brand new installation. <S> Worked fine for 6 months then breaker tripped. <S> Reset then 30 amp fuses blew. <S> Replaced capacitor, still blew the fuses. <S> Any ideas? <S> Derrick <A> It could be the relay that switches from start leg on the cap to the run leg on the cap, if the relay contacts are badly burnt it stays on the start leg, 5 volt drop is nothing I have worked in many areas that there is only 112V/ 224V with the motor starting and not having the phase corrction it cant make speed draws a little more power and also usually dosent cool as well (other than a loose wire connection or the fuse holders are loose that will also cause additional heat)just <S> my .02 worth , Ed B- licensed General Journeyman electrician & universal EPA 608 & 609 CFC licenses, but I am still learning after 30 years would be nice to hear what your resolution is
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Long-term darkening of a fuse on a high-draw circuit like an AC is not unusual. The first thing I would do is call an electrician and have the fuse replaced with a breaker.
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Can I clean a second story dryer vent that goes out the roof from the inside? My dryer vent goes from the second story to the roof. The problem is that I can't reach the roof. I bought one of those dryer vent cleaners that you can put on your drill and spin it up the vent. Currently it goes 8 feet. Could I buy another one and go up 16 feet and just push or pull the excess lint all the way from the roof top or is it better to have someone do it from the roof. Also, are there other things a professional will do besides use a long brush? <Q> My experience using those brushes is that it's difficult to tell if you're pushing on a lint blockage, a turn in the pipe, or your knocking the cap off the end of the pipe. <S> So if at all possible, you should have the end open and/or connected to a vacuum. <S> You don't want this tool ramming into the motor in your dryer, nor do you want it knocking the damper off the outside of your house. <S> You can get close, keeping track of how many segments of the cleaning tool you used to get to the roof in a previous cleaning, and then stop a few feet early. <S> But as Michael says, the cap itself should be cleaned since lots of lint will build up there. <A> You can use the brush up the vent from the inside and this will clean a part of the pipe that the brush can access. <S> The problem that you may still have is that the vent pipe normally has a weather and critter shroud over the top of it at the roof. <S> Dryer lint can build up at this point and clog the very top of the pipe. <A> In my experience, I tool bought one a DIY 8 foot cleaner that is actually fiberglass and comes with 4 two foot sections that attached to a 4 inch brush. <S> If you drive the entire length, you are only packing all the lint to a point that may be open or screen creating a larger issue and potentially larger bill if you need hire a person to locate the exit vent. <S> These condos/townhome structures are a P.I.T.A. <S> and once the duct work is clean, I would advocate cleaning with your home snake/tool periodically to decrease blockage at the exit point. <S> God forbid the home builders place the exit point 8 feet off the ground versus the ceiling.
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Your brush is unlikely to be able to clean this part of the vent and thus access via the roof will be needed to inspect the vent and clean it if necessary. The problem here is you MUST only go a few inches at a time an pull back to the point of exiting. In your case, that's going to require someone on the roof.
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Do I need to sand my entire deck before staining? I recently cleaned my deck using Behr deck cleaner and want to re-stain it before the winter. Do you recommend sanding the entire deck, or just the affected areas where the stain has come off? I was thinking of renting a belt sander for the day just to get the rough spots and re-stain with the same stain. There's a tub of it left over from the previous owner. <Q> I wouldn't belt sand any outdoor deck, especially with a commercial belt sander that your talking about. <S> More damage will ensue. <S> Take the $60.00 you'll spend on the rental and buy a Makita Palm Sander. <S> It takes a 1/4 sheet of sandpaper to load onto the pad to sand. <S> Buy some 80 grit sheets and some 120 grit sheets. <S> Grab a beer and get down on your knees and feel for rough spots, sand lightly with the 80 grit on all the rough spots on the deck. <S> The electric sander will make light work of sanding the deck without going to far. <S> Then swap out for the 120 grit and hit all the spots again and your ready to stain/seal once you do your clean-up <S> .. that size deck may take you 2 -3 hours total, good luck. <A> Already stained deck For a deck that has already been stained it would be better to use chemicals and a pressure washer than sanding. <S> New, unstained deck <S> Honestly, I have tried large floor sanders and they don't do a good job. <S> Deck boards often are cupped and warped, if even slightly and you won't be able to sand the whole thing easily. <S> I also would not bother with a belt sander. <S> For new unstained deck boards, I use a Random Orbital Sander. <S> It would be easier (and better) to do before you install the boards. <S> Otherwise, I'd get on my hands and knees. <S> One board at a time. <S> With a good sander and paper this goes pretty quick. <S> I use 60-80 grit sandpaper. <A> A little late but at least others will find this. <S> Firstly I must add that I restore decks for a living where the outdoor elements are notorious for harsh UV rays and wide variations in moisture exposure. <S> The deck above from the original poster has a failed acrylic based oil - sanding will give you that results as strippers will cost a small fortune and still leave some coating behind so sand away. <S> I recommend starting with a drum sander and start with a 40 grit which will rip it all up with its first attempt - <S> 1 belt should last around 30 sqm. <S> Once you have given the deck a once over with the 40 hit the deck again with a 80 grit - 1 belt per 30 Sqm will be fine. <S> Lastly get me decking cleaner which is really just oxalic acid / wet down your deck that spread the acid and let it sit for 20 mins before hosing off or with the help of a high pressure cleaner no stronger than 1000 psi. <S> Let rest for 24 hours and then seal with your offered protective coating. <S> Don't be scared of the belt sanders start with a 80 to have practice for 10 mins then back to business <S> If you can only find a hand held orbital sander buy yourself me knee pads and get your abrasives from floor sanding supplier and buy discs made from zirconia they are blue in colour and last for ages... <S> Another tip get a wire brush and clean your pads as you go as this all save you lots of money..... <S> same principles apply startth you rough 40 grit and finish with 80..... <S> trust me go the walk behind belt or drum sander and just do edges with your hand <S> held orbital. <A> At a minimum, all the horizontal surfaces should be prepared. <S> My method of choice has always been to use a pressure washer and wood cleaner. <S> If it is particularly bad you can take a firm nylon bristled broom/scrubber and help work it in. <S> Once the cleaner has been on for a few minutes (check the label) <S> pressure wash the deck clean, it is the easiest and frankly most effective way to get rid of the old stuff and ensure a well prepared surface for the new coating. <S> Only use a pressure washer on a low setting with a wide fan. <S> If used incorrectly or with too much pressure you can tear up the wood effectively ruining the boards requiring they be replaced. <S> You need to let it dry completely before applying new stain. <S> For reference as others have mentioned...don't sand a deck. <A> Sometimes if you're staining the same color you can avoid sanding the whole thing. <S> If you're staining though you want to be aware that some stains get darker with layers. <S> So if you have a spot with no stain it will look different than the spot next to it. <S> You can lighten this by "pre-staining" or sanding everything as close to bare wood as possible. <S> Sometimes you can power wash or scrape the wood to the point where you can stain. <S> The recommendations for semi-solid stains are excellent. <S> When I've used these products they go on well and last some time. <S> To prevent this in the future keep up with the stain of the deck and reapply before it gets too bad <S> and you have to scrape and sand a lot.
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For a new deck, you can use a pressure washer or you can sand it.
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How can I stop water from coming in through a crack near the top of my bulkhead wall? I have a bulkhead entrance to my basement. The bulkhead walls are mostly fine, with the exception being near the top. The top 6 or 8 inches or so of the walls are constructed of what appear to be cement bricks (or something similar). The metal doors are attached to these bricks, and the bricks are somehow adhered to the walls below. The bricks are covered in some sort of mortar or cement, and I wouldn't even have realized they were distinct from the poured wall if some of the mortar/cement fill hadn't started to chip away. What has resulted is a situation where, if you look at the bulkhead walls from the inside, you can see a horizontal crack ~6-8" below the top of the wall. When it rains, some water seeps through this crack and accumulates in the bulkhead. (ground level is approx 2 inches below the very top of what you see) Here's a close-up of the top left corner. Finally, a shot of the "bricks" on the right side of the stairs in a place where it's not leaking, just to show how they are attached to wall. I am going to try putting some hydraulic cement along the crack on the inside. However, I am wondering what else you might suggest? I was thinking of digging up a foot or so of the soil around the perimeter of the wall, and replacing it with gravel to help water quickly flow below the level of the crack. Would that help? <Q> Best bet here (given that it's shallow) would be [in the spring/summer] to dig up around the outside, and waterproof it from there. <S> Waterproofing the inside only is doomed to fail, as the water will still be in the wall, and in this arrangement it will freeze and move, breaking any inside-only treatment. <S> Dig down a foot or so, clean the wall well, patch any holes or cracks, and then coat the whole thing with waterproofing. <S> Your stairs are almost an exact match for the circa 1964 house <S> I worked on for a while ;-) <S> A center runner was evidently not popular then. <A> If water is entering your basement from that close to the top, then improving the grade will be the most economical and direct way of solving the problem. <S> Water does not come through crack like that without building up on the outside, so it's probably safe to say you grade is rather flat or sloping towards the bulkhead. <S> Does it roll AWAY from the house for approximately 5 feet? <S> If you keep this 5 foot area sloped away from the foundation, you will have ruled out any surface water creating your problem. <A> Depending on where you live, that crack may be above the frost line. <S> Water seeps in between the discontinuous bricks, freezes, opens the crack more, and eventually cracks the whole way through. <S> Since bulkheads are usually extended away from the house, they are colder than the rest of your basement and may freeze in cold climates. <S> So assuming you live somewhere cold... <S> I would consider improving drainage around the top of the bulkhead. <S> If the drainage problem isn't too bad, then you could try burying gravel so that the bottom of the gravel is below the frost line. <S> If you are particularly enterprising, you could go so far as implementing a french drain (perforated PVC pipe + fine filter + gravel), so long as you have a place to let the french drain drain to. <S> French drains are a really big-hammer approach though and would probable be overkill for something this small. <S> After dealing with any drainage issue, I would make sure that the exterior face of the concrete is continuous, especially across that line - <S> After that, I would waterproof the exterior of the wall, well above and below that crack, possibly below the frost line to prevent new damage further down. <S> This could be achieved with a waterproof membrane like blueskin or bitumen paper, or something like waterproof paint. <S> Disclaimer: I am not a contractor, I am a house-handy software engineer. <A> If this is an ongoing issue the best choice it use an epoxy injection solution used to repair concrete walls. <S> Hydraulic cement is a stop gap that might not even work short-term if you are getting that much water. <S> If you use an epoxy correctly it will be much stronger than any of the concrete around it and that crack is done. <S> I have used epoxy kits on a few basements with 100% good results. <S> Note that the link is an example not one that I have used. <S> I did get something similar - but it was about half the price. <A> When ever you are mixing concrete try your possible best to add 1 bag of waterproof cement to a bag of normal cement. <S> that will help prevent water entering through the concrete, second one is spread plastic rubber before pouring the concrete and the last thing is you spread plastic rubber after the concrete is poured to prevent the water from going out by the heat of sun. <S> finally, after the dry of the concrete and scree ding is done, you spread rubber plastic for some weeks and you are done with the cracks also prevented water from going through the concrete.
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a single continuous layer of concrete over the face of the outside may help to prevent water intrusion through that partition in the structure of the wall. My rule of thumb, that I've used for decades now, is to imagine (or really use one) a soccer ball up against the exterior of bulkhead entrance(or foundation, house) and let it go. Slope the soil away from the house so that surface water drains away from the house before seeping into the soil, keeping the soil near the house drier.
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Can I create a water proof barrier to keep my garage & home from flooding? Every couple of years, the area where I live gets a huge storm. The result being that the flood of water that collects in the streets overpowers my driveway and runs down to my garage. I put in a large drain a few years back (6 inches) which for a moderate rainfall works fine. There are still those storms where the water is coming too fast and the drain cannot handle it and the water backs up against my closed garage door. This door is not a good barrier though as the water runs under the door and fills up my garage. Once the water gets to be about two inches deep in the garage, it starts to seep into our finished basement. In the 11 years we've been in this house, it has happened about 6 times. I would like to find a better way to block the water from getting into my garage, and ultimately my home. Any ideas would be welcomed. I am looking into a new garage door, but I'm not sure any garage door will totally block the water and keep it out of the garage. <Q> In addition to the other ideas suggested you may want to investigate installing a driveway drain that is a trough cut across the driveway and covered over with a grate. <S> This way any water that comes to near the garage enters the trough and gets shunted to the side of the driveway. <S> The shunted water can then pour into a large french drain or could be diverted to a downslope area. <S> Here is a picture of what that would look like. <A> Sorry, but essentially no garage door will be watertight. <S> You need to divert the water before it ever gets there. <S> So... A bigger drain is a start. <S> Regrade the land, to make the water NOT drain down your driveway. <S> Install a sump pump in the garage, to catch any water that does get in, before it heads for the basement. <A> The other option (although quite rough in the example), is a cement hump that will divert the water away from the garage. <S> Although, in my opinion, I would rather place the hump outside the garage (to divert water), and then make sure that the area directly inside the garage slopes downward to ensure that any water near the garage entrance is sloping away. <S> (ie, the slope where the garage door contacts the floor) <A> If you have a culvert rather than sewers, see if you can install a larger culvert pipe. <S> I am going through the same thing. <S> My city will install the pipe and trench the culvert. <S> I am responsible for buying the pipe and finishing my driveway after installation. <S> The pipe is 15" diameter and 20' long. <S> It cost me $260.
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Another thing to try, as mentioned earlier is to divert the water, Option 1: - install a better rubber seal to prevent water from entering the garage Garage Door Hump - Rubber
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Can I provide a secondary power source for my thermostat? The thermostat at my home is set up with only the 24 power and return through the relay. I would like to add a 'smart' thermostat, however the line is fairly well buried in the wall/basement ceiling and will not be fun to rewire to add the 'c' return path. However, I have fairly easy access to all walls via the main ceiling. If I were to add another 24v transformer, could I run an independent line to power the thermostat? My concern is that the input power for the thermostat and the relay will be common, this thwarting my plan. Would the inputs be jumped that I can remove, or is my screwball idea hopeless? <Q> If there's an easy way to get from the basement to the main ceiling, then you could just run an entirely new cable for your thermostat. <S> There's nothing that says you have to follow the existing path. <S> You could even take advantage of this to move the thermostat to a better location, if you were so inclined. <A> I think that in most cases you would run into the problem you described where you can't really provide "separate" power to the thermostat. <S> This would obviously depend on the particular thermostat, however. <S> One smart thermostat manufacturer provides a 2-wire accessory kit. <S> Looks like it completely replaces the 24VAC supply in the furnace. <S> http://www.smarthome.com/30418/Venstar-ACC0436-Thermostat-Two-Wire-Heat-Only-Kit/p.aspx <S> Also, definitely check out this Q&A on thermostat wiring. <A> Yes, definitely can be done. <S> My boiler kept rebooting my Ecobee3 (not sure if it was a power spike or drop, concerning either way), so I built an isolation module for it. <S> It isolates both the power and W signal. <S> Works perfectly now, but I might test all the on-boiler 24V~ components if I have time, just in case the restarting was a symptom of another problem. <S> The following schematic is basically longneck's instructions with RMan's edit: <A> Can You? <S> Probably. <S> Should You? <S> Maybe. <S> How Might <S> You? <S> A simplified version of a thermostat schematic, might look something like this... <S> To power the thermostat from an alternate power source, you'd have to modify the circuitry so that the additional features were isolated from the control portion of the thermostat. <A> If you absolutely have to run a separate power source, all you need is another relay, like this one: http://www.jameco.com/1/1/46908-t92p7d22-24-24v-general-purpose-industrial-power-relay.html <S> Connect the power source to the thermostat R and C wires. <S> Connect W on the thermostat to the other coil terminal. <S> Connect the original R wire to the common terminal on the relay. <S> Connect the original W wire to the NO terminal on the relay.
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Connect R on the thermostat to one of the coil terminals on the relay. Just abandon the old cable.
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Is it possible to find 4" x 8" lumber? I'm putting in an end-grain floor in my house. The idea is that you cut normal dimensional lumber into 3/4' "bricks", then lay them like tile. What I'd like to find, however, is 4"x8" or even 4"x6", so the bricks are larger. I have not been able to find these at normal hardware stores (like Home Depot or Lowe's). Is this a specialty cut of some sort that I will need to special order? <Q> This is not lumber, but framing timber as used in post and beam construction or for center joist support. <S> You're looking for support beams. <A> I have had good luck finding 4x8 (which is actually 3.5x8) at lumber recycling operations. <S> And it is impressively inexpensive at such places. <S> For example, if you are near Portland, Oregon, The Rebuilding Center . <S> The disadvantage is that they don't regularly have anything, let alone everything. <S> Inventory is subject to what has been brought in recently. <A> The MacLachlan Woodworking Museum in Kingston Ontario laid this amazing floor in 2009 (or prior): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MR181yRJPs <S> and here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oExzIWWDvaU and here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0maJWFjoGbM
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Our local lumber yard carries this stock, not likely to find it at the big boxes as they're more oriented towards stick framing for housing not utility and agricultural construction.
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Can I temporarily connect a dishwasher with hoses running along the floor? I currently live in an in-laws suite with my wife in the in-laws house. We love it and have plenty of room. Look at the attached picture for what we have for a space. My question is if I wanted to add a dishwasher. I'm looking at getting a cheap scratch and dent Bosch at a store foreclosure this weekend. Can it be set up about 6 feet from the sink and the water lines be ran along the floor possibly as this will not be a permanent setup and can not be too destructive as there is no plumbing where I have space for the dishwasher. In the picture I want to put the washer next to the fridge in the corner. <Q> There are a number of issues with the plan. <S> Wire covers are intended to cover wire, not hollow tubing. <S> More importantly, the channels in them are usually not more than 3/4 high (most smaller) and will not fit a drain line. <S> If you could find one large enough, it would pose a trip hazard at the doorway. <S> The next issue is the risk of damage to the tubing under the wire cover. <S> You would need to ensure that the cover was rigid enough and stable enough to avoid both compression of the lines and tugging on the fittings (although you could put full or partial loops in the lines to avoid strain). <S> Dishwasher drain lines are usually fairly short, and the run you propose may be more than the dishwasher pump can handle. <S> The hot water line is under pressure, so that would not be a problem, but I would consider using PEX to avoid crimping issues. <S> If you do this, you will still need to put in a branch on the drain and a branch with a shutoff valve on the water supply. <S> You may want to consider a portable dishwasher such as this type <S> Smaller ones are also available in countertop versions. <S> They are wheeled to the sink for use, and attach to the faucet and drain over the lip of the sink. <S> They can easily be taken with you and most can be converted to a built in when you are ready. <A> Just put dishwasher next to sink and move a cabinet over next to fridge. <S> You will have put a counter on the dishwasher anyway. <S> It is a lot easier to cut out cabinet and hook up dishwasher next to sink and then take said cabinet or another cabinet and put in next to fridge and slap count on top of it. <S> If your dishwasher is all by itself next to the fridge you will have to buy a dishwasher cabinet (expensive for <S> really no reason other than they know the people that need them are stuck). <S> You are asking a question that is very hard to answer because you haven't considered an easier solution (even if it doesn't seem easy to you at first). <S> Also if you read the dishwasher manual you can probably use the same power for your garbage disposal and still be code. <S> I just had this exact situation in my house 3 years ago. <A> You do not want to run that much drainage line as the dishwasher will always have water in the pump and possibly the bottom of the basin. <S> Pulling out the nearest cabinet to the sink would be best as previously stated. <S> Otherwise I'd invest in some dishwashing gloves. <S> Don. <A> After all, you won't use sinks that much once you get a dishwasher. <S> Running the water and drain pipes through the doorway is the critical point. <S> I wouldn't dare myself having them on the ground. <S> For water, this is solvable in your proposed position, water is usually well pressurized to make it into tall buildings, so it should make it above the door frame. <S> But the drain pipe cannot be placed above the door since it's hardly complaint with the dishwasher's specifications, and very likely it wouldn't work. <S> However, there is the shower and the closet nearby, so depending on how much "damage" you can do in the place, you could seek for ways how to connect the drain pipe there.
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The biggest problem may be the routing of the water supply and drain across the door threshold. I would consider placing your dishwasher just next to the sink, even for the price of blocking the left sink.
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How can I safely work around power lines? I have to do some painting and repair work on the outside of the house near the incoming power line. The repair is pulling off molding and replacing it as well as painting the surrounding area. I am going to get a fiberglass ladder to work around the area but is that enough? I will be so close that I am bound to touch it and it scares the crap out of me. What else should I do to get this work done and still be alive to enjoy it after? <Q> <A> I've worked around power lines for years as well as other people in this thread. <S> I always plan my work around the power company disconnecting. <S> They are mostly accommodating with scheduling and I have never been charged. <S> If they did charge, I would completely be ok with it. <S> Better safe than sorry. <S> I'm not in a hurry when I'm trying to do a job safe and right the first time. <S> Also, Someone mentioned that planning to fall off a ladder was not DIY advice. <S> I beg to differ. <S> If you don't plan on the what if's, you'll not know what to do if you do by chance fall. <S> If I ever plan on doing serious work on a ladder, I usually open windows close to the work area, and if their aren't any windows, I have D rings and a harness. <S> caulk the holes after your done. <A> FWIW, I just talked to someone in the Austin, Texas Electric Distribution Department (Austin Utilities) and asked him about this. <S> I am about to paint my house <S> and I wanted to know if the utility company would turn off the power at the pole and what it would cost. <S> He was a bit surprised at the question and said that people usually just paint around the weatherhead taking care, of course. <S> He said that his workers just throw a rubber mat over the connections just to make sure. <S> He suggested that I inspect the insulation first and if it's cracked, to call back and they will address that. <A> In my area hydro (aka the electric utility) will come out for free and a rubber "boot/sock" around the stack to the house; this is extra insulation around the wires, making it safe to work around. <S> So, the electricity is able to stay on while work is being done! <S> They sometimes take 2-3 days to come out, so plan ahead. <A> It's simple. <S> Don't let anything touch those power lines. <S> Life is too full of risks as it is...
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Call your utility company and have the power shut off at the pole for the duration of your work in that area. If you're not completely comfortable being on a ladder or just don't feel this is your forte, then call someone who is.
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How do I choose paint for exterior steel on carport? Planning on painting the steel purlins of a carport, that is peeling. I assume the primer and old paint are "oil based" alkyd. I think we will have it sandblasted. What primer should I use on the bare parts. Can I use an acrylic finish coat, if the paint that is left was oil? <Q> I would buy an auto-body primer and then use auto-body paint. <S> You can get a really good look doing this especially if you spray. <A> It is fairly unusual for bare steel (with paint) to peel, it rather will develop rust spots and blister off. <S> The typical scenario is that your posts are galvanized and the galvanizing on the post is "rusting" which means its forming a zinc oxide layer (which is powdery) and pushing the paint off. <S> The fact that you have not mentioned rust will also confirm that the purlins are galvanized. <S> If you are going to sand blast, you will probably remove some of the galvanising coat, so watch out there. <S> Does the purlins have lots of contours? <S> If you are dealing with raw metal then I would scrape off the old coat with a scraper (or sandblast) then inspect for rust, if you have rust then you will need to give a light sanding followed by a rust inhibiting red oxide primer or any other Quality water or acrylic based primer. <S> The thing with choosing a top-coat paint is largely a factor of how you want the finish to look. <S> Typically the oil based enamels are quite glossy and oily, if you are looking for a nice sheen, then go for water or acrylic based. <S> I find that Acrylic paint is great to paint with, but you must give two coats of primer first since the paint is not good at creating a preventative sealing barrier (it seems more porous) <S> If you are dealing with galvanizing, the issue is a lot more complicated, you will essentially need to get the old paint off (just so you don't see the uneven paint surface) <S> If you sand blast, then you will have "fresh" galvanizing which means that it should actually "rust" before you paint (i.e. leave it for a month) <S> then Paint with a good quality etch primer followed by a compatible top-coat, (etch primers are the nasty guys that actually burn into the metal to create a nice grip) <S> you will need to pair this paint when you buy it since different paints and manufacturers are more or less suited. <A> Once blasted. <S> A single coat of red or grey oxide will make a good primer, they are not water proof though, so one or two coats of a good make gloss will seal it, spray to get a smother finish, if not blasting scrap what paint you can, wire brush the rust, and degrease. <S> Then use hammerite, many customer I deal with ask us to use hammerite, but with clean steel, or shot blasted steel basic primers and gloss are easily as good, and a lot cheaper. <A> Scrape it, wash it, fully prime it (any quality primer, but metal primer is best there), then paint two coats of a quality water-based paint. <S> You'll be pleased with the result. <A> You can apply a water-based finish over old alkyd paint as long as it is thoroughly de-glossed and clean. <S> If it is steel, top quality grey or red-oxide metal primer (as Ben suggests) followed by top shelf exterior gloss paint. <S> Contrary to what I often see/hear, using top quality paint and top quality applicators (brushes and rollers) makes a huge difference in the outcome. <A> If you shoot the whole thing with primer, then there's little concern about acrylic-over-oil versus oil-over-acrylic. <S> The primer does need to be chemically compatible with the new paint, of course, unless you shoot a layer of shellac before painting (shellac is compatible with nearly everything in the world). <S> Acrylic as a topcoat may last about as long as acrylic does on your house, but MAY not last that long if your local annual temperature swings are pretty extreme. <S> Alkyd is very well-suited to steel, provided the surface is well primed; that's what park benches are shot with, and it's what I use for my Jeep restorations. <A> You can use any type of exterior paint you want, so long as it's not galvanized steel which cannot be coated with oil-based paint . <S> Personally unfamiliar with acrylics, I had to defer to Engrav's Decorating's response to Acrylic paint over oil-based primer? <S> from houzz.com : <S> We are a Benjamin Moore dealer. <S> The rule of paint is this: You cannot put acrylic paint over oil paint , but you can put acrylic paint over oil primer .
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Yes you can paint acrylic on oil, It should not be a problem, the only risk is when there are contrasting chemicals and they react, so its always prudent to paint a small sample before-hand to be sure.
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How safe is having my boiler in my daughter's bedroom? I just moved into a new house where the 10 year old boiler is located in the bedroom where my 3 year old daughter sleeps. I'd like to get an idea of how safe/dangerous this situation is. Could the boiler explode? Could it create a fire in the house? What about a gas leak? <Q> Gas leak A gas leak could be deadly not only due to inhalation, but also as an explosion hazard. <S> Carbon Monoxide Carbon monoxide is an silent killer. <S> It's colorless, odorless, tasteless, and can kill you <S> before you know you're dead. <S> Combustion Air <S> If the home is sealed tightly, and a source of makeup air is not present (for example if the source is supposed to be the open door, but the door is closed) there could be a suffocation hazard. <S> As the boiler burns fuel, it also uses up air (oxygen). <S> If a sufficient source of new air is not available, the life supporting oxygen in the room could be used up. <S> Fire <S> A fire starting so close to a sleeping child (or anybody for that matter), could likely be fatal. <S> Utility appliances belong in a utility room, not a bedroom. <S> NOTE: <S> I wouldn't put my son in the room either, if I had one. <S> I may put an in-law, or a house guest that's been around too long in there though. <A> If you're in the UK, "boiler" usually implies what would be called "furnace" in the US, and tends to imply a gas appliance bristling with safety cutoffs. <S> Assuming so... <S> Have it serviced by a competent tradesman (CORGI registered) and don't worry about fire or explosion <S> - it is a water heater not a "boiler" in the high pressure steam sense. <S> HOWEVER make sure the tradesman pays attention to the flue arrangement : if that is incorrect, faulty, or improperly maintained there is a danger of carbon monoxide poisoning overnight. <S> (It has no smell <S> so there is no warning) <S> Installing a carbon monoxide monitor is probably a good idea too. <A> For rented or owned accomodation the HSE guidance is reasonably clear Since 31 October 1998, any room converted to use as sleeping accommodation should not contain the following types of gas appliances: A gas fire, gas space heater or a gas water heater (including a gas boiler) <S> over 14 kilowatts gross input unless it is room sealed. <S> A gas fire, gas space heater, or a gas water heater (including a gas boiler) of 14 kilowatts gross input or less or any instantaneous water heater unless it is room sealed or has an atmosphere-sensing device. <S> If a room contains one or more of the above appliances and was used as a bedroom prior to 1998 then you will need to do a risk assessment to determine if it can still be used as a bedroom. <S> If you are unsure of the safety of any gas appliance you should get a Gas Safe registered engineer to check it for you. <S> http://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/faqlandlord.htm <S> http://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/faqownerocc.htm <S> A "room sealed" boiler draws air in from the outside air through a balanced flue. <S> Each year there arearound 50 deaths from accidental CO poisoning in England and Wales (ONS Statistics) and inexcess of 200 non-fatal cases that require hospitalisation. <S> http://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/cross-government-group-1011.pdf <S> http://www.co-gassafety.co.uk/deaths.html <S> I'd consider swapping the usage of the bedroom and whatever room you use for working at home. <S> At a minimum <S> I'd 1. <S> enclose the boiler in a way that meets regulations and which also prevents a child gaining access to the boiler. <S> 2. <S> fit at least one CO detector and check it weekly. <A> There are direct-vent boilers designed for installation in habitable space -- the one I've got is in the basement, but was designed so it could be installed in a closet as an auxilliary, and is certified for direct contact with combustibles like wood and paper. <S> On the other hand, the one I've got is emphatically not childproof. <S> Any kid who can operate a lever-latch could expose house-current connections, metal hot enough to burn skin, and so on. <S> So if I had non-trustworthy youngsters in the house <S> I'd suggest either modifying it with locking latches, or putting it behind a locking door <S> so curious fingers are kept away from it. <S> I've no idea where the querant's unit falls on either of those axes; this is just one datapoint showing that even a remarkably safe unit may not be safe around kids. <S> And even with CO alarms, there's something to be said for not having combustion occur in a sleeping room. <S> Give it some room to dilute itself before reaching people. <S> Especially in a well-sealed modern house.
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Theoretically it's safe from the carbon monoxide or heat points of view, as long as it's properly maintained. Any time there is fire (or any heat source) in a home, there is always the potential for an uncontrolled fire. I'd also get a quote for moving the boiler to a more conventional location. I would not put my daughter in a room with a fuel burning appliance, or any appliance for that matter.
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Gable and Roof Vents Together? I need to add some additional exhaust venting to my attics, along with some along the soffit as well. I need some knowledge on a few things as I can't seem to find answers for them on the interwebs: Can continuous soffit vents be retrofitted without pulling off the fascia? The roof will need to be replaced in the next 10 years so I do not want to install a ridge vent. If I add roof vents right below the peaks, do I need to seal off the gable vents? Would installing a ridge vent now be just as easy as installing a few box vents? If so, what is the cost difference? If I install a ridge vent, will it be reused or destroyed when a new roof gets installed? <Q> For example, an Aluminum Fin type would need a 6" soffit or eave & would require a 2" slot to be cut-out, because the fin section is recessed & must sit into the slot. <S> Vinyl Holes type would need 11" to 12" to look professional <S> but you can cut out or drill whatever openings you want as it just sits flat. <S> Gable vents are regularly enlarged & re-shaped to meet the desired ventilation. <S> I've seen the entire gable turned into a vent. <S> I think enlargement is your 2nd best now answer. <S> 3 - I'm sorry <S> I don't know the cost difference, your local roofers will vary & there's more labor in Boxes <S> so they may be equal out if Ridge Materials are more expensive. <S> But, Ridge Vents would be best for an old roof due to brittleness of the field shingles. <S> Plus, Box Vents are quite small & due to their very small amount of penetrations they don't work well to start with. <S> 4 - Ridge Vent re-use is a little tricky. <S> The issues are nail removal & then re-nailing. <S> You don't want to pay your roofer to waste time ripping out nails at 4x's the price of new ridge vent (dramatization) nor do you want him nailing in old holes where a tight attachment may not be achieved. <S> 5 - Keep the existing Gable & Soffit vents as they are & install a Thermostatic or Switched or Timed fan in one of the Gable Vents to beat all of the above. <S> This way you can cool when all of the above may not work to your liking without the direct solar gain (rainy, overcast, nighttime, snow covered). <S> I think this is your overall best option with #2 being the closest behind. <A> 1: Yes - soffit vents can be retrofitted without pulling off the fascia. <S> 2: <S> Yes - Gables short circuit the airflow from gable to nearest Ridge vents. <S> Always block off gables when ridge vent/soffit system is installed. <S> 3: <S> No - lots of work here - cutting the entire roof ridge. <S> 4: Probably destroyed - however the cutting will already have been done. <A> What do you mean by retrofitted? <S> Do you have continuous vent or do you want to add them? <S> why would you add new vents if the gable end vents are in place and working? <S> Is there obstructed air flow? <S> Are there rafter vents in place near the soffit edge? <S> Is there an adequate insulation bed? <S> Is there too much near soffit/rafter line? <S> My opinion Ridge vent is easier, cordless saw depth set to decking. <S> 20-35 mins to cut and remove material necessary (normal size roof). <S> Installation Roll out vent and Cap shingle . <S> Depending on your skill set much easier than putting in 4 vents and reshingling and boring 4 new holes. <S> Ridge vent is so cheap that there is no need to reuse and it would have been weathered for that length of time, so don't reuse.
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2 - Gable Vents work regardless of anything else or nothing else, but I would ditch any older in-the-field roof work vents as the roofing my not be pliable & break off in pieces. 1 - Yes, it can be retrofitted depending on the style you choose & if that style fit your soffits.
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How do I use hidden deck fasteners without compromising the integrity of the flashing? I am using hidden deck fasteners which screw in to the joist and then hold the board via a notch in the side of the board, pretty standard I think. This fastener will sit on the ledger to hold the first board (closest to the house), but to do this it will need to screw through the flashing which sits on top of the ledger. Can I just put some silicon caulk over and around the screw to prevent water from getting in there, or am I doing something completely wrong? <Q> Aluminum flashing can not be in contact with pressure treated wood(it will eat away over time) <S> I use ice and water shield or a window wrap in between flashing and PT ledger board <S> this will seal around screw and not leak. <S> To be honest though the amount of water that will make its way under the clip and through the hole and back towards the house is soo little,if any, it will not do any damage. <A> I ended up not putting any screws through the flashing. <S> I used the hidden fasteners on one side of the board and nothing else for that first board. <S> No screws, or hidden fasteners that went through the flashing that hung over the ledger. <S> It has been a year <S> and I have had no problems with that board. <S> I could most likely pull up that board if I tried (but it might actually be hard), but it hasn't moved on <S> it's own. <S> The other end is pushed as much against the house as possible so that helps. <S> I like this method because if I do have issues I can easily do more, including what was mentioned in other posts, but I haven;t ruined the integrity of the flashing by trying it out. <A> Silicone caulk is about guaranteed to leak in this type of application. <S> It hardens more or less fully, then temperature changes come along, and it loosens and leaks. <S> Butyl rubber is more suitable, as it never fully hardens, so it moves with temperature changes and is less prone to peeling off and leaking. <S> Another option would be to use some sort of EDPM rubber washer that was thick enough to span from the fastener head to the flashing, but that's presumably "about half a deck board" so quite thick. <S> A third option would be to screw the single side of the single board next to the house wall through the board into the framing, beyond the flashing on the ledger, and save the "hidden fasteners" for the remainder of the deck. <S> Counterbore and use wooden (or whatever your deck is) plugs if you really don't want to be able to see any fasteners. <A> The end closest the structure, like the terminal side, likely has a special fastener that can be attached only to the joist.
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It may depend on the specific fastener you're using but you shouldn't use the fastener type that would penetrate the flashing at the ledgerboard.
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Water from bathroom faucet smells like rotten eggs The sink is in the powder room on the main floor of our house. When I turn the water on it is fine for a few seconds then it smells horribly for about 3-4 more seconds then it is back to normal. It is the only water in the house that smells, so it's not the water coming into the house. I checked the drain and trap and they are clean and have no odor. I poured water from my kitchen sink down the drain of the powder room and didn't get the odor. So I know the odor isn't coming from the drain or overflow. I plugged the drain and ran the water for about ten seconds and once again got the smelly water. The water in the basin did continue to smell, so I know it is the water coming out of the faucet that smells bad, and not the drain. It doesn't seem to matter if I use hot or cold water. The sink is the closest one to the water heater, if that could make a difference. I'm just not sure where to go from here. <Q> A rotten egg smell in water is usually from high sulfer content in the water. <S> Not unheard of in very hard water. <S> Where it could possibly be coming from in the pipe <S> perplexes me though. <S> The fact that it only comes out one faucet is odd. <S> If both the hot and cold smell bad at only that faucet and no other than the problem must be in the faucet itself, <S> since if it was in the water heater all the hot water in the house would smell and the hot and cold pipes are 2 different pipes until they get passed the supply lines below the sink. <S> If there is a screen at the mouth of the faucet remove it and see if there is debris inside. <S> This is hardly an answer <S> but I'd target the faucet or something trapped inside it as the problem. <S> Love to hear what the problem ends up being. <A> I have a similar issue, and a guy at Lowes told me that a possible reason for the issue only occurring at the one faucet could be corroded pipes. <S> My water is absolutely terrible (as you can read over here) <S> but with a massive amount of filtering it comes out fine, except the one faucet. <S> He said that once the bacteria gets past my filters, it takes up a home in the corroded section of pipe. <S> He recommended finding and removing the corroded section since even if I could get it clean, as soon as any more bacteria got through it would cause the same issue. <A> The supply lines, rubber hoses to faucets are bad. <A> Agree with above. <S> Our water smelled awful like this as well. <S> We had to get a whole house filter system to make it better. <S> We are on well water. <S> It's amazing how bad sulfur can make things. <S> I thought I was going to puke when I brushed my teeth. <A> This is a common problem in some areas with high sulfur well water. <S> The issue is that iron fixing bacteria takes up residence in the well, slowly corroding steel parts and generating hydrogen sulfide, which smells like rotten eggs. <S> Often the issue is only severe on the hot water side of a system because the bacteria loves 125F-140F warm water in the hot water heater, thriving there and making a very odoriferous problem. <S> Chlorinating the system is recommended as a fix by many plumbers. <S> Unfortunately, this is usually a very temporary solution. <S> The bacteria which causes the odor is endemic in the well and after the system is chemically sanitized then the bacteria simply re-established itself where it was, being re-introduced by the well water. <S> Fortunately this particular bacteria is not toxic. <S> If the problem is really noticeable only on the hot water side (also extending into the cold water line near the water heater), then a good permanent fix is to increase the hot water heater temperature to about 160F, which will kill all the bacteria on an ongoing basis. <S> This is a scalding hot temperature, so a mixing/tempering valve must also be installed, bringing the water back below scalding temperatures as the water is dispensed. <S> This arrangement is also sometimes known as a "hot water extender" because it increases the hot water capacity on standby. <S> Unfortunately, some hot water heaters cannot be set this hot. <S> Others require a "performance kit" or other accessory. <S> The only other permanent fix I know of is to install a chlorinating system or something similar which continuously injects chemical sanitizer into the water as it is pumped out of the ground.
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I would shut off the water below the sink, open the valves to drain out any water that might be sitting in the pipe and then see if the faucet outlet itself smells odd.
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What do I need to replace after water damage during construction of a new home? While setting our new T style modular ranch style home we had a large amount of rain come before they had the sections set and now have water laying in some sections of drywall in almost every room. I think the builder is going to dry as much as possible but I'm concerned about future problems with the drywall. I guess my question is how much water on drywall is acceptable before needing replaced. Most of the wet areas are the internal walls on every room ceiling corners. I can press my fingernail in the wet spots and it is pretty mushy. A few of the light switch boxes are wet underneath too from water following the wires. Some areas I know has insulation that is definitely getting replaced but the visible slightly wet areas I'm not sure what I should try to make them do. The builder says they want us 100% satisfied so trying to decide whether to have them replace all drywall that is wet before we go any further. <Q> For 100% sure get anything that felt "mushy" replaced. <S> Any wet insulation needs to be replaced too. <S> Any wood that is wet should be allowed to dry up before covering it back over. <A> I just lived and worked through "sandy" here on the east coast of NJ. <S> The sheet rock was not something we "dried out. <S> " We cut it out a few inches above the parts exposed to water all the way around. <S> Depending on the water level we replaced 1', 2', or 4' of sheet rock. <S> In some places floor to ceiling had to be replaced. <S> Either you or the builder should be insured for something like this, in fact, shouldn't they be taking measures to prevent this from happening? <S> This isn't something I would tolerate in a home I planned on moving into or owning. <S> Don't "allow" anything to dry out if you had standing water. <S> It should be opened up by removing the sheetrock and then a professional remediation company should come in with heaters, air movers, and dehumidifiers and get the wood to the proper humidity or you risk mold growth. <S> Good luck, <A> I would want all the drywall in the exterior wall removed and all the ceilings replaced. <S> The insulation will stay wet for weeks in the wall and cause mold. <S> If they wont agree to that make holes high and low in the exterior walls about 3 inches so <S> you can stick your hand and in and feel insulation for moisture. <S> A hole can be easily patched.
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Depending on how wet it got and what type of insulation you have it may not need to be replaced. I'd drive to get anything that was wet replaced.
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Why does my receptacle tester say open ground on my new outlet? I replaced an outlet and the tester says open ground. I checked all the wires and they are secure including the ground wire. What could be wrong? <Q> Assuming you didn't reverse the hot/neutral, which should be detected on a standard receptacle tester, it's either a bad receptacle, bad wiring, bad connection between the wiring and the outlet, or a bad tester. <S> If it's a new receptacle, odds are low that it's bad. <S> Test for continuity from the ground screw to the ground pin inside the receptacle (with the power turned off). <S> If it's a bad connection, you can do the same test as above, but from the ground wire instead of the receptacle ground screw. <S> If it's bad wiring, then with the breaker turned on, and with extreme care not to electrocute yourself, a contact tester will not show current between the hot and ground wires. <A> Testing the ground here would be a good way to rule it out. <S> Put one end of a voltage tester to the hot (black), and the other one to the ground, the same pigtail that connects to the ground on the receptacle. <S> You should read the voltage of the hot (between 110 and 120 volts depending on your area). <S> Alternately, a continuity tester between ground and neutral in residential settings can tell you if the ground is actually connected to anything, but it's best to test under the small load that the tester creates as sometimes loose connections only show under load. <S> That's why I like the solenoid type voltage testers - in addition to the great tactile feedback, they also create enough of a load to cause many problems to show. <S> As BMitch said, you probably just got hold of a bad receptacle. <A> If the outlet is being powered from another outlet you should check the ground at that outlet. <S> I just had the same problem and the ground wire at the previous outlet had come disconnected somehow. <A> Just because the wire is secure on the outlet doesn't mean its not open. <S> Check continuity between this outlet's ground, and another ground reference. <S> And suspect that the ground might not be connected somewhere else. <S> Check the main breaker panel, and any junction boxes between it and your outlet. <A> If you have voltage on your neutral and the panel and circuits appear normal. <S> Chances are your XO is not pegged. <S> We dont need to make things more difficult than need to be by using big words and fancy definitions
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Could be that your transformer is not tapped to ground at the XO. If none of these tests show a problem, it could be a bad tester, and may be worth checking it in other receptacles or getting a replacement. When a test says your ground is open, there's a good chance it is.
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Does my new soil pipe need additional venting? I'm moving my bathroom to the adjacent corner in my house, and would like to know if I need to vent my soil pipe with my planed system before it reaches the existing external soil stack. Going directly through the floor is not possible as drilling holes through the joist will weaken them. Also, I can not exit out the rear of the property. So my plan was to allow my toilet to connect directly down into a manifold so sink and shower can connect too. From there the pipe will travel vertically for approx 2.4 meters, then to a couple of 45 elbows to bring the pipe work to horizontal and to offset no more than 200mm, then it would run for approximately 4.5 meter before connecting into the external stack. Does this branch require venting from the bathroom end? If so can it be done internally with some kind clever vent? Cheers <Q> The plumbing code and good common sense requires that you vent every fixture somehow. <S> I am not a plumber but in my reading of their code this branch would require a minimum of a 2" vent for the bathroom group run up to the attic and through the roof or terminate in an air admittance valve a minimum of 6" above the flood rim of the highest fixture (sink). <S> (Some people hate AAVs, some say they are fine.) <S> The waste line would have to be a minimum of 3" to the toilet and the shower and sink should have their own vents joining the main vent. <S> These need to go vertical until they are at least 6" above the flood rim of the sink. <S> will you be sorry then. <S> A little plastic pipe now will save you from being very unpopular later. <S> Good luck! <A> I dont know how different codes are were you live but in the United States you would need a vent. <S> Maybe you can reuse your old vent. <S> I know you said its on the opposite corner <S> but if your running the pipes in the basement/crawlspace it wont be that bad. <S> You may be able to vent out of side of house too. <S> We have special automatic vents but it is only for sinks. <A> It CAN be done internally. <S> Genova makes a very clever little diaphragm vent that glues right into PVC drain/soil pipe. <S> It should not be installed in an inaccessible location, since it may possibly need periodic maintenance and if it fails, you wouldn't want a methane buildup inside your walls or anywhere else in the house... <S> so it must be exposed.
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I am sure there are some finer points a real plumber could show you but the gist of it is: every fixture needs to be vented or you will siphon the trap and have sewer gas backing up into the house and boy
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Should I replace old blow in attic insulation with new roll out insulation? I have attic filled with old grey blow in insulation. I estimate it to be 20-30 years old. I suspect that it causes a lot of dust in a house. Plus any work in attic would stir it and some will end up in rooms.So should I just remove it and replace with new insulation that comes in rolls? I think it would insulate better, too. Pros and cons? <Q> Replacing doesn't make fiscal sense. <S> Nothing wrong with the old insulation unless it's been disturbed and compressed. <S> Just add NON-faced batt insulation on top of the existing. <S> Or you could blow in more insulation - <S> but then you'll find out what dust is really like. <A> This is especially a problem with 2x4 trusses. <S> With todays codes calling for 15 <S> + inches of insulation it will be higher than any ceiling joist. <S> take that time saved to seal the attic from living space. <S> Recessed lights are often the culprit. <A> I agree with removing the old instead of piling on top of it with new. <S> You want the least compressed stuff closest to your ceiling. <S> The opposite would be true if you were to simply through the new stuff on top of the old. <S> Also, by simply piling on top of the old you are probably furthering a mould problem too that you wouldn't even notice.
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That is a waste of money. I dont like batt insulation in attics because you are left with the space above the ceiling joists that is not insulated. I agree it doesnt make sense to remove old stuff
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Why is it good practice to remove sheathing from NM wire when going through conduit? I've been discussing specifics of an electrical job with a licensed electrician and he mentioned that in my area, it's acceptable/recommended to feed 12 gauge NM wire through an outdoor conduit but that the PVC sheathing SHOULD be removed if the wiring is going to travel through more than 6 feet of conduit. This doesn't make sense to me. How/why would that be better than keeping sheathing on through the conduit run? Condensation? <Q> There is a widespread belief that the NEC does not allow NM-cable in conduit, but does allow THHN (the individual wires). <S> This belief is incorrect . <S> However, it is for some reason lesser-known that NM-cable cannot be used in outdoor conduit at all , stripped or otherwise. <S> So, the answer to your question is: stripping is a common but misguided (unnecessary) practice when using NM-cable in indoor-conduit. <S> And it is not allowed at all when going through outdoor conduit, like in your case. <A> You can run type NM cable in conduit, as long as the conduit is sized appropriately, and is not in a wet or damp location. <S> If you remove the sheath from the conductors inside NM cable, you cannot use the conductors for anything (anything electrical anyway). <S> Type NM cable is rated, listed, and labeled as a cable assembly. <S> The conductors inside are not listed or labeled, so cannot be used on their own. <S> Next time you have a bit of scrap NM cable, strip the sheath off and take a like at the wire inside. <S> You'll notice there's no printing on the insulation. <A> You can fit more conductors (More circuits) inside a conduit using THHN then you can with NM Cable. <S> A NM Cable is typically 1/2" wide and carries three conductors, but NM cable is noticeably larger then three THHN wires. <S> You can fit more circuits inside of conduit using THHN <S> then you can with NM Cable, particularly when there are twists & turns or 90-degree bends in your conduit. <S> Imagine if you were an electrician who was hired to run an additional circuit through preexisting conduit. <S> Normally, one can fit 3 circuits inside of this conduit. <S> You open the box and discover 2 NM cables shoved down the conduit with no room to run THHN wire. <S> Now you can't proceed without running a second conduit. <S> Many electricians wouldn't like this as it means more work. <A> It's a heat buildup issue. <S> Conduit's purpose is to protect the conductors from damage. <S> Having both is redundant. <S> A conductor's current rating is based on its ability to shed sufficient heat to prevent damage to its insulation at that current rating. <S> When you have NM in conduit you complicate the current rating calculation. <S> It's like wrapping someone in more and more blankets. <S> It may protect them from bumps and bruises, but eventually they die from heat stroke. <S> Consider a piece of 12ga wire. <S> It's rated for 20amps. <S> The resistance of 12ga wire is 1.588 milliohms per foot. <S> At 20amps, a 12ga piece of wire needs to shed .635 watts per foot. <S> That heat has to be radiated away. <S> If it's allowed to build up, the conductor's insulation could be damaged. <S> Best practice is never to run NM inside conduit. <S> Even if you work out the current load de-rating and verify that it's safe, you don't know what the next guy may shove into that conduit. <S> Plus, on anything less than short runs, it's next to impossible to pull solid conductor NM through conduit, when you could pull individual conductors of stranded THHN/THWN with far less effort. <A> Its a heat build-up issue: wire in conduit must be allowed either radiate (without sheath) or the current carrying capacity must be derated. <S> This is true also in bundles of sheathed wire running in parallel.
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The outer jacket of NM cable is there to protect the internal conductors from damage.
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How do I fix a door that's sticking closed? I have a few doors in my house that tend to stick when you try to open them. A few of these I was able to fix by tightening loose screws or repairing stripped screw-holes, which got the hinge plates to sit flush against the frame. However, there are still a few doors that stick. I've noticed all of them have a larger gap on the hinge side than the latch side, as seen in the photo below: (Click for larger image) In all cases, I have confirmed that the hinge plates are flush and properly secured to the frame and the door. I have also noticed there is space between the hinge plates. How do I go about fixing this? <Q> Short of reframing the door, I'd suggest taking a belt sander to the side of the door that sticks. <A> Close the door but don't force it. <S> mark where it contacts the jamb. <S> Use the electric planer or sander to take it down to where you think it will close nicely. <S> Repeat until you have it closing nicely with an even reveal all the way around. <S> Then paint the door. <S> Good as new. <S> sanding block or hand planer will work but will be much more labor intensive. <S> I imagine you might be able to find a video on youtube on this. <A> The construction screw will be long enough to grab the 2x4 behind the frame of the door and will close the gap. <S> Just be slow to tighten it just enough to fix the door and not pull the door frame apart. <S> I recommend trying before using a planer. <S> The door fit at one time, so it should not need to be made smaller.
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If there is a gap on the hinge side and tightening the hinge screws does not close the gap, then swap one of the hinge screws for a longer construction screw.
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How do I avoid squeaking with a hardwood floor? We had Brazilian Koa hardwood installed on our 3/4 inch plywood subfloor that was level and solid. The installer used Bellwood's best underlayment and 16gauge nails. Everywhere you step the floor squeaks, every step, almost every board. We're having the installation redone. What shall I be looking for to avoid this problem reoccurring? Should the floor be glued and nailed to avoid the squeaking? <Q> The underlayment being nailed down was the first mistake. <S> Nails pull, wood slides against the metal, and it squeaks. <S> The bounce is probably a problem with the span of your floor compared to the thickness of your joists. <S> Was the floor bouncy before the hardwood install? <A> If it bounces or sqeaks the underflooring needs to come up. <S> Repeat the walk about. <S> Still squeaking? <S> The floorboards need to come up and the joists checked with possible cross braces nailed in place and the ends firmly fixed...not a quick job. <S> If the former, then the post above is fine, screw the plywood firmly on no less than 12" centres across the level floor. <S> Assuming your hardwood floor is T&G: The solution is to lay it so that it floats on the sub-floor, there are many makes of proprietary 'batts' these look like compressed soft board. <S> Remove all the skirting boards. <S> Lay the batts as a well fitted mosaic loose! <S> They are soft so any movement will be taken up within the material. <S> Lay the hardwood floor on top blind nailing through the tongues into adjacent boards NOT into the sub floor leaving appx 1/4"... <S> 6mm gap between the edges and ends by each wall. <S> Replace the skirting boards leaving a tiny gap between the bottom and new floor. <S> The new floor will 'float' on the surface and move as one. <S> No squeaks! <A> Well your 3/4 inch plywood needs to be screwed in to the joists and it also needs to be glued down. <S> Probably nothing to do with your nails or underlayment.
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Subflooring (all of it) should be screwed down (and glued, preferably). With the hardwood floor up just walk over the underflooring.
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I'm looking for a drywall finish that will hold a magnet I want to modify a wall so that small magnets will stick, and even hold a small dead weight. I would prefer that the magnetic area not look all that different from the rest of the wall, I don't want to just hang a sheet of steel. I am imagining that 1/4" mesh hardware cloth could be attached to the face of the drywall, and skimmed over with joint compound. We will be skim-coating the walls in any case to get a specific plaster texture. The hardware cloth I've looked at has 1/4" openings, and is woven from 23 gauge steel and zinc galvanized. Magnets stick nicely to the bare cloth. My concern is that the joint compound will react badly with the galvanization causing the wall surface to check or fail in time. The wall in question is in a full bath, and so humidity is likely to be higher than in the house in general. One of the proposed locations is directly behind the sink, the other is open wall. We are still discussing the right spot. Is this a viable approach? If not, what else should I consider? Update: My intent is to use rare-earth magnets to hold up a glass mirror behind a bathroom sink. The mirror is a 20 inch square cut into seven pieces forming a puzzle . Using magnets to mount the mirror will allow guests to play with the shape of the overall mirror on the wall. My plan is to epoxy three NdFeB magnets to the back of each puzzle piece, or possibly just one on the smallest pieces. The back of an envelope says that 400 square inches of 0.25 inch glass should weigh a couple of pounds, but I probably should go weigh the actual pieces since Amazon thinks the shipping weight is 4.6 pounds and there can't be all that much cardboard in the box. Assuming the 4.6 pound figure is correct and that the box accounts for about .6 pound, the smallest pieces would 1/16 the total weight, or about 4 ounces, and the largest pieces would be 1/4 the weight or about a pound. So the bottom line is that I do need a surface that will allow magnets to hold up about a pound. Final Update: As all things in a home remodel are in continuous flux, this plan has fallen by the wayside. The answers and discussion have been helpful. I believe the mirror will find a home on a steel-backed whiteboard in the home office, and something more conventional will end up on the walls next to the sink. I still plan to play with the magnetic primer paint, but from all I've read I'm not expecting it to work out to hold up anything more than a few sheets of paper. With that in mind, the answer pointing to the useful permanent magnet calculator gets the coveted green checkmark mostly because it has been the most useful in guiding us towards a location and use for the mirror. <Q> If you really want to securely hold objects that heavy to the wall using magnets, I think you need to be working with sheet metal on top of the drywall (or in place of the drywall). <S> The magnetic force will fall off very quickly with distance away from the plate, so even skim-coating with plaster will dramatically reduce the holding power of the magnet. <S> If you want the surface to blend in with the surrounding walls (you didn't actually state the finish on the walls, but I'm assuming it's painted sheetrock or plaster), try simply painting the steel sheet to match. <S> The texture of the finish might be slightly different, but I'd imagine it wouldn't take away from the feeling that it "blends in" with the surrounding walls. <S> As others have stated, I'd also consider a polycarbonate mirror rather than glass. <A> I have not personally used it but in theory its by far the easiest option. <A> I've done my research on a similar project. <S> In my case, I was wanting to make a wall that looked like a wall, but would accommodate my hobby of collecting "Magnetic Poetry" and refrigerator magnets. <S> My solution was not cheap, but exactly what I was looking for. <S> If you decide to revisit this at some point, try doing a search for "vinyl coated steel" sheets in suitable size. <S> I had to settle for a 4 foot wide run around the top of the room, with conventional painted drywall around the base and decorative molding strip between the two.
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They make a magnetic primer that just paints on the wall under your paint.
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How do I clean dripped paint from a wood floor? I've painted the skirting boards in this room and the paint has dripped on to a pretty fresh stained and varnished floor. How can I get these paint marks off the floor without damaging the new stain or varnish? <Q> Use a 5-in-1 painter's tool (e.g. Richard brand) to scrape them off. <S> These tools have an edge that is slightly curved and rounded so that you can scrape without gouging a surface. <S> I've used this for removing burnt-on gunk from a frying pan, without damaging the pan. <S> You may find that the paint does not actually adhere to the varnish very well and the droplets just pop off, which is the ideal situation. <S> If they adhere stubbornly, you may nevertheless be able to use the tool to plane them flat, reducing these droplets of dry paint into essentially thin white stains. <S> The remainder of the work can be done by a some light sanding with fine paper that won't cut through the varnish. <S> Or, some solvent may be able to help with this last step. <S> Acetone is almost certainly too strong for the varnish, but try isopropyl alcohol is a possibility. <A> I would hit it it with a scouring sponge, soap, and water before you touch it with a scraper. <S> If its latex paint it is not stuck for at least a few days. <S> If it is oil based then it is a little harder but still might come off with being wet for a little bit. <A>
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I used the chux wall sponges an soapy warm water an it came straight off with not much effort
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What are your recommendations for bedroom recessed lights in a step ceiling? While remodeling our bedroom we are considering recessed lighting. The bedroom has a seating area also - the bed area is 14' x 15' and the seating area is 10' x 9' (overall length is 24 ') and the ceiling is a step ceiling (30" from wall and 8" high). Each area has a light switch which controls overhead lighting. Would the recessed lights (assuming 4" lights) spaced every 4 ft and 15" from the wall (1/2 the distance of the step ceiling) be adequate (assuming a 40-50 w bulb?). We also have 3-4 lamps in the room also. <Q> In general I think you are better off having too much light versus too little. <S> If you plan using 50w bulbs, and it turns out to be too much, you can always use lower wattage bulbs or a dimmer. <S> Be sure to take into account the reflector type of the bulb as this will dictate how much the light spreads. <S> I disagree with Justin K <S> because if you have too few lights, you start to get shadows and dark spots and assuming you're already at the max wattage, there is nothing you can do to improve the situation other than install more cans. <A> I would go to more like 6' spacing. <S> One in the corners and one in the middle. <S> I think a lot of people are overdoing it with recessed lights. <S> How much light do you need in a bedroom? <S> I installed a dimmer to cut it back. <S> The higher the ceiling the more the light spreads out so the less you will need. <A> i find in general that you need a minimum of 100 watts (apparent lighting watts, not power consumption) of light for every 100 sq ft, with the ideal being about 100 watts for every 50 sq ft however, it depends a lot on the bulb itself. <S> falloff factor, angle of intensity, height of ceiling, etc all directly affect the overall appearance of the rooms lighting and appeal. <S> you also need more light in a kitchen, less in a bedroom. <S> its entirely subjective. <S> however, speaking from many exit interviews with clients, most people always find they didn't put enough lighting in. <S> so - i would go 36"-48" between cans (no more). <S> put in extra switches so lamps, pots, areas, etc are all controlled from the switches. <S> that way you can turn on and regulate whatever area strikes your need or fancy by using dimmers.
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The ceiling starts to look busy and the more lights the more electricity you will use/waste. In my 14'x14' bedroom I have one 6" in each corner and its more than enough.
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Can I use Murphy's oil soap to remove pine sap from composite decking? Does anyone know of anyway to remove pine sap from composite decking? I saw some posts that recommended using Murphy's Oil Soap for removing it from wood decks. How to Remove Tree Sap from a Wood Deck How to Remove Pine Tree Sap From a Wooden Deck Homemade Deck Cleaner However, none of them discuss how to remove it from composite decking. Is it safe to use an oil soap on composite decking? Would this also work for removing it off of bluestone patio pavers? <Q> Then I wet a paper towel in turpentine and wipe off the remainder. <S> Sometimes it is necessary to saturate the area to soften the sap so it can be removed by further scraping and wiping with the turpentine. <S> The deck chairs I cleaned this way had plastic fabric seat material and were not noticeably affected by the turpentine. <S> Of course after using the turpentine I followed up with a wash using warm soapy water to remove any of the chemical residue. <S> I have every reason to believe that this cleaning technique would with the composite type deck materials. <S> Since there are variations in material compositions it would be wise to check in a small inconspicuous area before committing the whole cleaning procedure. <A> I've had good luck getting pine sap off of skin with TechNu (sold to remove poison ivy oil from skin). <S> It smells a lot like GoJo and similar hand cleaners; one of them may work on your pine sap. <S> I'd test it first on a hidden area first to be sure it doesn't leave a stain of its own on your deck. <A> Citra-Solve! <S> Use full strength, but again test first. <S> I use it on everything including clothing to wipe off pine sap. <S> I live under a canopy of white pines that never stop spewing sap. <S> My deck is a mess with old white sap marks. <S> I have not tried it on the really old marks, but it works perfectly on new and almost set sap
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I have cleaned pine sap off deck chairs, deck table and cedar decking by first scraping with a plastic scraper.
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How do I prevent condensation on my balcony windows? On the street, temperatures at night are about -5 °С and about 8 °C during the day. In the apartment it is about 25 °C. So, there is condensation on the windows and I don't want to wipe the windows every time. How do I prevent condensation on the balcony windows? <Q> You're dealing with a basic fact of nature, water condenses on cold objects, so you need to either remove the water or the cold objects. <S> The windows will typically be the coldest objects in your home since they have such a low R value. <S> Start by reducing the humidity in your home, run exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom for longer when cooking and showering to remove the moist air. <S> The second step is to make the windows warmer by upgrading them to double paned insulated windows. <S> If your windows are old, this can also save you money with lower heating and cooling bills. <A> Unfortunately, dehumidifying the interior air won't be enough during cold nights. <S> A -5 to +25 ° <S> C <S> (23°-77° <S> F) gradient means that to prevent condensation, the interior relative humidity will have to be below 10%—which is unhealthily dry. <S> From +8 to 25 <S> °C (46°-77°F) is much better: Condensation will occur only at R.H. above 32%—dry, but somewhat comfortable. <S> Reducing the interior temperature to 20 <S> °C (68°F) is recommended for energy conservation purposes, but this step alone also will significantly reduce the condensation. <S> Must you have it so warm indoors? <S> At 20°C, the R.H. thresholds are at 20% (cold night) and 45% (day). <S> They come in various clarity steps. <S> The more diffusive might be an advantage if you like light but not eyes peering in. <S> They are easy to install today and remove in the spring. <A> We put one of <S> these in our home and <S> no longer having pools of water all over the window sills. <S> On extremely cold days there can be a little condensation, but it's significantly less <S> It's not a true heat recovery ventilator , but it does recover heat from the ceiling space.
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There are winterizing kits consisting of clear plastic sheeting which can be attached to the window surround (either inside or outside) to form an air barrier between the plastic and the glass. You can also install a dehumidifier to dry out the air.
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Why does a GFCI trip when anything is plugged into the other outlets? There is one outlet with the GFCI and several other outlets without. The GFCI outlet works fine, while anything plugged into the other outlets causes the GFCI to trip. How should I detect and fix the problem? <Q> A GFCI trips when the current coming in through the hot and out the neutral are not equal. <S> This is the way I would diagnose your problem: <S> Hit the "Reset" button on the GFCI so the LINE and LOAD are disconnected. <S> Turn off the electricity to that circuit. <S> Remove the outlet approximately halfway down the chain on the LOAD side. <S> Test for continuity <S> (eg. <S> using the OHM setting on a multimeter) between the ground and the neutral screws. <S> Under normal circumstances, ground and neutral are connected at the main panel, but since the GFCI (hopefully) disconnected the neutral, a correctly-wired circuit should find no continuity. <S> If my guess is correct, you will find continuity, confirming there is a neutral-to-ground fault. <S> Look for any loose wires in the box. <S> If you find any, re-splice the connections. <S> Unsplice the neutral and ground wires in the box. <S> Check for continuity between the neutral and ground screws again. <S> If there is continuity, the outlet is defective. <S> Check for continuity between the incoming neutral/ground wires. <S> Repeat for the outgoing neutral/ground wires, if any. <S> If there is continuity, that tells you which half of the circuit the problem is on, so you can repeat this process from step 3 to narrow down the location of the fault. <S> If the issue turns out to be in the wall between two outlets, I would just run a new wire between those outlets. <S> The above is not a one-hour job; it will probably take you the better part of a day. <S> It will take longer if you don't already know how the connections between the outlets are laid out. <S> If you're not comfortable with any of this, hire a licensed electrician. <A> It sounds like the outlets are daisy chained to the GFCI. <S> The fact that the GFCI is tripping is a good thing, because you most likely have a wiring problem downstream from the GFCI. <S> Electricity is the one thing I am wary of doing myself unless I am 100% confident in the task; so my best answer to "howto diagnose" is to call a reputable electrician. <A> See if the outlets that trip the GFCI are on a separate circuit breaker.
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The fact that your GFCI trips whenever something is plugged into a LOAD-side outlet, but not when plugged into the GFCI itself, suggests to me that there's a neutral-to-ground-fault (neutral wire touching ground) somewhere on the LOAD side. You may have 2 or more hot circuits with a shared 1 neutral (white) wire.
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Is there an easy way to replicate this ceiling texture? I have the swirly-tiny(stress the tiny)-bump texture on my ceiling on the first floor. I will be doing some major drywall repairs on the ceiling and would like tips on how to replicate the pattern. Doesn't have to be exact but would like it to be pretty consistent. It is not a popcorn ceiling at all. It feels like sand was mixed with paint and it has a random swirl with the pattern where you end up seeing "rainbows" of about 6 inches. The swirl pattern whatever... I will just do what I can with that. However how do I get the sandy pattern so even? Also mudding between new drywall and texture. Should I scrape the existing drywall down a bit before mudding? <Q> That is in fact a "sand finish", your intuition was right. <S> Now depending on the age of the house it could be sand added to the plaster, added to the mud, or a "sand finish" paint. <S> The last is your best hope of matching, as you would drywall it all smooth then simply use brushstrokes to recreate the pattern. <S> There are premixed sand paints amazingly enough. <S> When I've seen this done with wallboard mud, they have a mixer on site to stir every so often (the sand settles slower than blueberries). <S> A quick google search reveals a number of pros complaining about how hard sand finishes are to match. <S> Practice practice practice, on some scrap drywall. <S> Using a piece you cut off the ceiling for repair, try to figure out what layer the sand was added at (plaster, top coating on drywall, paint). <A> It sounds like you have a mud swirl pattern on your ceiling. <S> These can be difficult to match an existing pattern to a repair. <S> Practice will enable a good match when it comes time to do the real thing. <S> You might need a stiff brush on a swivel to replicate the pattern as well. <S> If you are making repairs and don't like the pattern, just skim coat the entire ceiling and make it smooth, or apply a new pattern over the entire ceiling to make it uniform and consistent. <A> This is simple. <S> It's a swirl finish using a rolled on taping compound and then swirled with a brush. <S> After, it was painted with a sand paint finish. <S> Its tricky to patch <S> but if you try to match up with some of the swirl patterns. <S> To even them after the compound is dry take a wet sponge and work the edge where it meets the old. <S> Done this before with good results. <A> I bought the "sand" mix-in from Home Depot. <S> I added to plaster spackling compound. <S> It wasn't quite gritty enough, so I grabbed some sandy-type soil and sifted it in my kitchen... <S> Then added to my compound. <S> I used a straight edged razor and a hand-held planer to remove the terrible previous repairs. <S> IMPORTANT: <S> THE SCRAPING OFF SHOULD MAINTAIN THE DIRECTION OF THE TEXTURE <S> AS <S> IT HELPS TO GUIDE REPAIR. <S> I used a small hand-held plaster trowel to apply the compound in areas where it needed extra fill. <S> To get the texture right, I then used an old 2 1/2" paint brush that was stiff from not being cleaned correctly. <S> I also had a similar small artistic brush in case <S> I had to maintain the pattern near the moulding, corners of wall or floor. <S> I also had a cup of warm water that I used to apply to the wall before I scraped it and then again when I repaired it. <S> It helps! <S> I had also purchased the spray on texture that comes in several forms... <S> Except the sandy plaster type. <S> After I applied my compound, I sprayed some of this on the area and then used my brush. <S> It really helped to avoid clumps, make the compound stick where it didn't want to... <S> So I'm going back over previous repairs using more of this! <S> Good luck... <S> Not a lot of people talk about this. <S> By the way, I used a paint mixer in my drill to stir it up. <S> Don't worry about too much water, you can easily pour it off or it dries pretty quickly, but not to the point where you cannot use it! <S> I also made 2 separate batches for the same wall... <S> SUCCESSFULLY! <S> Trust your eyes!
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Practice matching the pattern on scrap pieces of drywall by changing the consistency of the mix (thicker or looser) as well as how the mix applied until the pattern is replicated.
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How can I remove the screw from a double demountable hinge? I am replacing the double demountable hinges on my cabinets. Most of them are a breeze, but two of the narrow cabinets don't have the cutouts; instead, they just removed the plate and screw from the hinge, kind of making it single-demountable. They then just used a wood screw to attach the hinge directly into the cabinet. However, I can't figure out how to actually get the screw out of the cabinet-side plate of the hinge. Here's a new hinge looks like just sitting on the counter (even though it kind of looks like it's attached to it): It looks to me like there's some kind of nut/lockring on it, but when I try pliers and a screwdriver to loosen it, it just strips the metal of the nut/lockring away. The lockring turns along with the screw, no matter how hard I grip the lockring. Does anyone have an idea how to get this screw out? Also, in case it helps, the hinge is Amerock BP8700-G10 <Q> It looks like a lockring is used to hold the screw in place. <S> You'll have to hold the screw still and rotate the lockring, or vise versa. <S> Using a flat-head screw driver and mallet, is a common way to rotate lockrings. <S> Though, you'll have to find a way to hold the screw steady, while you bang the lockring free. <S> Place a flat-head screw driver blade against one of the sprockets of the lockring. <S> Sharply rap the handle of the screwdriver with a mallet. <S> It's possible that the lockring is made of some type of softer metal, so grabbing it with pliers could easily damage it. <S> Using a screwdriver and mallet applies force only in a useful direction, whereas pliers apply non-useful forces required for gripping. <S> These non-useful forces may damage the lockring. <A> knock it out with a hammer. <S> Drill a hole bigger than the head of the screw in a piece of wood to use as your 'hammering on surface'. <S> It worked on mine and I didn't have to get too rough. <S> Now finding a replacement fastener will be the trick. <S> B <A> The hinges appear to be Amerock 8701 double demountable offset hinges. <S> The literature suggests that they fit into predrilled slots in the cabinet, but installation instructions (and de-installation instructions) seem hard to find. <S> You may want to contact Amerock directly to ask. <S> If you decide to proceed to remove the bolt, and if that bolt is holding it in and unscrews from the side shown (and those are BIG IFs), you may be able to remove it this way: screw two nuts over the bolt halfway down using two open end or adjustable wrenches, tighten the nuts against each other then using one of the wrenches, turn the lower nut in a counterclockwise direction. <S> If it is bolted through the countertop, you probably have to remove it from the other side. <A> I ended up using a dremel to cut off the lockring. <S> None of the other suggestions for removing the lockring worked; I suspect that they used some sort of adhesive to keep the lockring stuck to the bolt.
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Lay the hinge flat on the wood surface-screw head side down on the wood, hit the threaded end with a hammer and it will drop out the other side in the hole you drilled out.
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Should I encapsulate my crawl space? Our home was built with a dirt crawl space that is about 2' from ground to bottom of floor joist. The floors are insulated with fiberglass held up (where it hasn't fallen down) with wire rods. The AC/heating duct runs through the crawl space and has insulation that looks worn out. There are vents all around the perimeter thru the concrete blocks. Have had trouble for years with dampness in the crawl space. A few months ago after it had rained for about a week I was under the house and it was so damp it was dripping from some of the floor fiberglass. Also, the AC ducts always drip in the summer. Currently I have a fan running all summer long to help keep it dry down there. I'm considering encapsulating the crawl space thinking this should solve the moisture problem. From what I've read it should also eliminate the need to rehang all the fiberglass that keeps falling down, as well as eliminate the need to redo the duct insulation. Would like to hear from someone who has done this before as to how it turned out. Update, 10/3/13: Just want to thank littleturtle not only for your comprehensive info on this but your cited source. I read through it last night and am still trying to digest it. But one thing I picked up on was that you don't have to vent the crawl space to the inside of the house to exchange air. That's what seems best for me because I'm thinking that during the winter I'd have to pay to heat the crawlspace, and heating KWHs are expensive. Incidentally, I'm near Charleston, S.C. (Zone 3) where the cooling cost exceeds the heating cost and the humidity is typically high. Anyway, I'm going to keep plugging along on this topic until I get a good feeling about doing it, or not. I'm retired and have time to think this through carefully. Update, 11/14/13: Have decided not to encapsulate for now. Why? Doesn't make sense to spend thousands of dollars when the little box fan seems to work okay. In other words, running a box fan in the crawl space all summer does an adequate job of removing the condensation, at a low cost. Keep in mind that there has never been a problem with the dampness actually rotting any of the floor joists, or sill plate. Since the condensation is the only problem, other than that the insulation keeps falling down (another story), it just doesn't seem necessary or smart to spend that kind of money. If, on the other hand, there was ample evidence that there was a payback from the reduction in the KWH used for heating and cooling, then I would do it. Update, 4/17/14: After further research I became convinced that I should seal the vents in the crawlspace. So, that's what I did. Now I'm monitoring both the temperature and humidity down there with a handy-dandy display in my den. Something I'm also thinking about is using the cooler air down there to cool the house. It stays in the 60's (since February) down there. Depending on the temperature this summer, I may devise a method to exchange air to cool the first floor next year. <Q> This means: sealing vents to the exterior sealing the dirt floor with polyethylene sheeting (at least 6 mil), or concrete creating vents between the living space and the crawlspace (ideally supply air to/from the space with HVAC ductwork), and insulating the interior side of the crawlspace walls on (not necessary in climate zone 1 or 2 ; and preferably with board foam or spray foam because fiberglass doesn't do well with moisture). <S> probably a good idea to remove existing floor insulation <S> This will prevent humid outside air from coming into the crawlspace and condensing on cold surfaces, and prevent/reduce moisture from coming up through the dirt floor or walls. <S> Your AC will also deliver cold air more effectively. <S> Good site drainage is also key. <A> If you live in a humid region, mechanical venting between the crawlspace and outside won't necessarily improve things, as you'll just be bringing in moist air to then condense in the cool crawlspace. <S> In this situation, the moisture problem is in the air. <S> If the issue is moisture in the ground, then what you want do do is seal the dirt...typically with sealed plastic. <S> so you likely do not want to mechanically vent the crawlspace to the outside. <S> What you do want to do is replace and improve all the insulation under there...especially around your duct work. <A> I install these systems in homes all over East Tennessee. <S> I am not a franchise <S> so I don't sell a one size fits all solution for crawlspaces, each is different. <S> The idea of exchanging air from the crawlspace and the house to me has never been one I am crazy about because I have spent so much time in crawlspaces and know what is down there. <S> Intermingling crawlspace air with the air I am breathing in my home just sounds plain awful. <S> If your crawlspace has fiberglass insulation in it, you can expect to be breathing the fibers. <S> If your vapor barrier is not well sealed all the way around and at every joint, you can expect an earthy smell from the ground. <S> You can also expect that if you haven't had an HVAC professional who really understands how to do this properly that you may have sizing issues, HVAC systems are designed for the size of the home, if you add space, it may not be able to handle the additional work. <S> Also, if it is zoned and not running off an humidistat then how does it know when to run and when it doesn't. <S> I am a big fan of crawlspace dehumidifiers to solve the problem. <S> Seal the walls and vents, put down a good vapor barrier and install a dehumidifier. <S> This is the best solution out there. <S> If you want the sealed vapor barrier, you can do that too, it's a lot more money, but if you invest the extra the amount you spend running the dehumidifier will go down because it is not going to have to work as hard if the ground moisture is sealed off. <S> However, if you have any water intrusion problems, do not install that type vapor barrier until they have been addressed. <S> A sealed vapor barrier is not a solution or substitution for a waterproofing system. <A> I am in coastal North Carolina. <S> I encapsulated my crawl space since the neighbors on either side of me had incurred thousand of dollars in repair of the floor joists in their homes older than mine, which was about twenty years old at the time of encapsulation. <S> I have a basically flat lot <S> but the water does not necessarily drain away from the house. <S> I also installed underground drains that the gutters drain into, diverting water to a ditch. <S> The house has one section that is on a slab (and it is not encapsulated, of course), but most of the house is about three feet above the ground with some additional space on a second floor. <S> The main floor is very cold when temperatures get in the thirties or below. <S> This was not a problem before encapsulation . <S> I use heat pumps with supplemental heat from a small portable electric heater in the master bathroom and a portable oil filled heater in the slab area. <S> Encapsulation did not lower my electric bill. <S> I think the underground drainage helps with moisture too but can definitely be a mosquito breeding area. <A> See http://www.advancedenergy.org/portal/crawl_spaces/pdfs/Moisture%20Solution%20Becomes%20Efficiency%20Bonanza.pdf Using the matched pairs approach, the houses are divided into three study groups of four houses each. <S> The findings indicate a 15% or greater average savings in heating and cooling energy use in the houses with properly closed crawl spaces compared to the houses with traditional vented crawl spaces. <A> To some extent the issue of having to form a connection between the crawl space and the conditioned living area for purposes of controlling crawl space humidity can be addressed by a dehumidifier placed strategically in the crawl space. <S> This way you would not need any communication between crawl and living.
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Yes, bringing the crawl space into the conditioned space is generally recommended as a way to prevent crawlspace moisture problems (I assume this is what you mean by encapsulate). That said, you mentioned dripping AC duct work, which makes me believe you live in a humid region... There are many good references on how to do this properly: http://www.housingzone.com/crawlspaces-vent-or-not-vent https://buildingscience.com/documents/bareports/ba-0401-conditioned-crawlspace-construction-performance-and-codes Energy use for each of the houses is being recorded from sub-meters attached to each heat pump.
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Question about my sewer stack situation I just purchased my first home with limited knowledge on many things. At one point my house was outside city limits (using a well and septic) and has since been annexed into the city and brought onto public utilities. My main sewer stack is odd for me. As everything upstairs is ran into it but instead of the bottom of the stack running all the way through the basement floor, it stops about half way down the wall and exits through the exterior basement wall. The basement looks to be some sort of hack. First off there is a kitchen and bathroom down there. Both rooms are build on a platform in the basement to raise the room and (my guess) is to run the plumbing under the floor instead of going through the basement floor. It all goes to a one point the exits on the opposite side of the sewer stack exit. The back side of the house has a dirt road and i doubt there's any sewer there that it is tapping into. The old septic (I believe) has been collapse and it was located where the sewer exit is. There is a square hole cut out in the back of my garage which has slightly been cemented over. Afraid to open this up and find more disasters but looks to be housing something for the basement sewer system. I don't want to open Pandora's box. Now for the reason I am explaining this... Next spring, I will be ripping out the entire basement and starting from scratch. Why would there be 2 sewer lines and are the both ok to use (the back one for the basement and the front for the upper level). Why doesn't the main sewer stack not run through the basement floor? And is it possible that I don't have any drain lines under the basement floor to tap into? I want to add a bathroom down there in the future but could see this being a problem. Also additional details I forgot to add... House is a 1 story brick ranch build in 1970. The basement in the front, where the sewer taps into the house, is underground. The back of the basement, where the sewer from the basement taps in, is above ground. I'm clueless and just needed some insight before I got involved with something way over my head and my budget. <Q> Here's my speculation, based on your description and my experience. <S> It is just a theory. <S> Do not commit any resources based on this without collecting corroborating physical evidence supporting it. <S> A direction to investigate at least. <S> The main floor plumbing goes out to a septic tank. <S> The pipes were not placed lower because there was no need, it just meant digging deeper outside. <S> No one wants to do that without good reason. <S> When the city sewer was installed, the basement construction tied into it, but the old plumbing was never redirected, it remained on the septic tank. <S> Not the best scheme and possibly illegal, but I'm not surprised someone did this. <S> It is highly probable there is nothing below to the basement to tie into. <S> Anything placed lower than this will likely need to drain into an ejector pumping chamber. <A> I am doing some guessing but it sounds like you bought what was once multi-family dwelling. <S> Code in many places requires separate sewer drains. <S> What you are finding isn't pretty but it was code for what the house was used for. <S> They will tell you what you currently have and where their demarcation is. <S> You will probably have to to dig up a part of your basement to get the new line out to the yard. <S> You can tie this into the stack that is upstairs and leave some openings for basement plumbing while doing this. <S> This is a relatively cheap thing to do yourself. <S> You really just need a shovel, jackhammer, cement, and pvc - maybe a few other things <S> but if you own a shovel and jackhammer you might get it done for less than $300. <S> Now if you hire a plumber to do this maybe $3000 if you are lucky. <A> It's nearly impossible to accurately answer this question without actually being on site. <S> Your best bet would be to contact the water and sewer utility, and see if they have any additional information. <S> A trip to you local town/city/county clerk's office might also be useful, as any permitted work should be on file there. <S> Any other answers here, are going to be speculation, or an all out guess.
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Before you do anything the city/sewer company needs to come out and tell you what is going on. The sewer may not be much lower than the basement drainage exit.
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Dealing with nicotine stains in a Victorian property I am just in the process of buying an old property, previously lived in by heavy smokers. What is the best way to clean and prime walls to prevent nicotine stain recurrence in a solid brick Victorian property? I am concerned that the normally recommended primers might impair the ability of the walls to 'breathe' and cause problems with damp. <Q> Ummm. <S> Primer might be the least of your concerns. <S> I have flipped a few houses in my life and many have had heavy smokers and/or animals. <S> If you remove all soft surfaces - carpet, curtains, anything that can retain the smoke smell - then you can try to prime it if the odor isn't insane. <S> So after everything is out let it air out a day or two or longer. <S> I have had to redrywall the living room areas of more than a few homes. <S> There is a good chance the insulation is soaked with the smoke smell too so that may need to be replaced - and another reason why painting hardly ever helps the extreme cases. <A> Wash and rinse walls, ceilings. <S> Pigmented shellac. <S> Alcohol based. <S> You will need organic respirators if you spray it ( and turning off pilot lights during spray). <S> Its what fire cleanup pros use. <A> I personally feel that a quality primer and two coasts of paint can seal in the smoke smell. <S> It may still be an issue on the vast amount of flooring, however, even if you replace the carpet and padding. <S> Tearing up the carpet and padding and painting the subfloor is an extreme option, but may be necessary before re-carpeting. <S> Also, don't underestimate the power of moving air. <S> If you hang the smelliest of fabric out in the wind, Mother Nature has a magnificent cleaning power. <S> The same holds for your home. <S> Tear out the carpet, open up everything and fire up those fans before you do anything.
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If the smell is coming from the walls then you can try to prime and paint but it might be a total waste of time and money.
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How do I install a dimmer switch? A friend was trying to help me install new dimmer switches and instead of disconnecting one wire and putting it on the new switch, he just cut the wires and couldn't figure out how to put them back. I used my multimeter to find which wire was which and got the three way switch to work, however next to my three way switch I also have a single pole switch for the lights above my sink. Now, that switch alternates with the three way switch. One set of lights goes on, and the other goes off. If the switch by the garage is off the lights above the sink won't work. I think I have the traveler wires reverse?? <Q> Here is a wiring diagram from the installation instructions of a random dimmer. <S> It can also be installed as the second switch in the circuit. <S> As you can see, in this example the common wire is black, while the travelers are red. <S> Without further detail about your current wiring, it's impossible to provide more assistance. <A> In the UK, typical wiring would be as follows <A> Sounds like the 1 pole switch is getting its power from the travelers and not the common. <S> One wire should have power no matter which position the other switch is on. <S> This is the wire you also want going to your 1 pole switch.
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Typically A dimmer that can be used in a three way circuit will have a common (black) wire, and two (non-black, non-white, non-green) travelers.
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Ceilling light wont switch off after a new installation I have bought a new ceiling light to replace an old-fashioned one. I have 3 grey cables hanging from the ceiling: 3 red wires connected together and 3 green wires connected together and 3 black but only 2 are joined together the single black not marked with any insulation. What I did at first is joined all the black together and connected them to the neutral of the ceiling light and the red to the live and the green to the earth but that caused the breaker to break. I then rewired it without the single black wire and the light came on but it won't turn off by the light switch. The only way to turn it off is by the main breaker. I have replaced the light switch thinking it might have been faulty but that didn't solve the problem. How should the light fixture be wired? The single black wire should be connected with the L on the light fixture, and the 2 black are the neutral. What about the 3 red wires, where should they be connecting? <Q> Old UK wiring Old UK wiring was as shown below <S> A comes from the fuse-box/consumer-unit (possibly via other junction-boxes/roses for other ceiling lights). <S> B goes to the next ceiling light. <S> C goes to the light switch for this lamp. <S> However most electricians will not have cable type C with two red wires and will have used regular cable with a black and a red wire and will put red tape around the end of the black wire to indicate it is "switched live" and not neutral (as it's <S> black colour would suggest). <S> From what I've read, sometimes they would connect C's black wire to position 3 (the other red live wires) and then C's red wire would be the switched-live return from the switch. <S> it's end. <S> Checking If someone has removed the red tape, you can: <S> turn off the lighting circuit at the fuse-box/consumer-unit, <S> check <S> there's no voltage present with a voltage tester (preferable non-contact type) and separate all the wires, use a continuity tester to see which red & black pair are connected/disconnected by the switch <S> A typical Non-Contact Voltage detector (NCV) and a typical mains tester Finding <S> which wires go to a switch using a multimeter (at least CatII 600V rated) on an isolated circuit (off at fusebox and tested for no 240V AC). <S> Your wiring (Guesswork) <S> Looking at your photo, I think the top of the screw-block connections from left to right are probably: Live (3,4,5 in the diagram in this answer) Earth <S> (9) Neutral (6,7) Switched Live (2) <S> In which case your lamp should be connected at the bottom of the two right-most positions. <A> This sounds like older UK wiring (or former colony) where red is typically hot and black is neutral. <S> The sole black wire is probably a return switch leg, it should have been taped red, but this is often overlooked. <S> This is why connecting all the black tripped the breaker. <S> And connecting red and the black pair makes for an unswitched installation. <S> The single black wire should be connected to the power side of the fixture and the two other blacks on the neutral side. <S> Mark the single black with tape so as not to confuse anyone in the future. <A> Your brown wire from the light (live) needs to be connected with the single black wire (switch live) that should solve it turning on and off
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Connecting the black to the reds would make it obvious to an electrician and that might be why no wire had red-tape on
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Why is my two month old dishwasher exuding a terrible smell? In July I purchased a new Whirlpool Gold Series dishwasher model WDF750SAYW1 . The machine has done a great job cleaning dishes, but it recently has begun to emit a terrible smell. The odor is not that of plates waiting to be washed. The smell is more akin to that of rotting garbage. I have cleaned out the upper and lower filter assembly though neither had any trapped food. As expected there was a small amount of standing water underneath the filters. After running the dishwasher the smell is gone. We run the dishwasher a minimum of four times a week. For seven years we never had a problem with the previous dishwasher (its control panel died necessitating the need for the replacement). Here are some pictures of the hookup: What should I be doing to fix this terrible odor? Is this a plumbing issue or something wrong with the machine? <Q> Modern water saving appliances seem to be prone to this. <S> Usually using proper detergent keeps this in check. <S> Since the smell goes away after a wash, it sounds like you are doing this. <S> You might try a different detergent anyway. <S> It may also be a plumbing issue if standing water is consistently left at the end of the cycle. <S> Unless you're on a septic tank, start a empty wash cycle and let it fill with water. <S> As soon as the water starts circulating, add 1 cup of household liquid bleach. <S> Use 1 pint white vinegar if on a septic tank. <S> Close the door and let the water circulate for 10 seconds, then stop the cycle and let it sit for 1 hour. <S> Restart and finish the cycle. <S> Clean the filter and screen with hot soapy water. <S> This should get rid of the smell, but it will eventually return. <S> Clean the filter and screen on a regular basis, perhaps weekly. <S> When the smell returns, redo the bleach treatment. <A> Maybe there is a dishwasher defect or installation problem which causes some discharge to leak onto the floor or inside the dishwasher: When the accumulated debris is freshly leaked upon, the odor is diluted. <S> But once it dries somewhat it resumes rotting. <S> Look carefully at the drain hose to the garbage disposal, its drain, trap, and associated plumbing. <S> Feel for any moisture under the sink where the water and drain connections are. <S> If installed properly, there should be absolutely no moisture under the sink nor under or near the dishwasher. <S> If you can't find a problem under the sink, turn off the d/w circuit breaker, remove the access panel at the bottom of the dishwasher, shine a bright light under there, and feel around. <S> It should also be perfectly dry. <A> It's a distinct smell from sewage, more like a sour/pungent smell than sewage. <S> If it is a sour/pungent smell, I would check whether the dishwasher drain hose is run properly. <S> It should curve all the way up to the height of the counter (as close to top of sink as possible) before running down to connect to the sink drain. <S> If it does not, you may be back-flowing into the dishwasher or allowing the smell to escape once the water inside the dishwasher evaporates. <S> If it is a sewage (think driving near a sewage plant <S> ) smell, verify that your dishwasher drain hose is connected before the P-trap (as suggested by @Edwin), rather than after, as it again may be allowing the sewer gas to escape once the water has evaporated. <A> I have the same problem with my brand new Whirlpool dishwasher <S> and I think it has to do with the dirty water not draining all the way because when I take that filter out there is water down in there and the filter has that sour/ dirty smell to it. <S> I have just called Whirlpool for a technician to come out since it's still under warranty. <S> Now, I hope they can resolve it. <S> I can't stand bending over the dishwasher and smelling that smell every time I go to load the dishwasher. <S> It takes your breath away.
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Assuming (as with most) the dishwasher is connected to your kitchen sink drain, I suspect that you're smelling what the inside of your kitchen sink pipe smells like, which is a combination of rotting food and soap residues.
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Do I need vents to devices in the primary waste line? Assuming the system below (solid is waste, dotted is vent). Do I need vents for the Sink C, Toilet C and Toilet B? They are connected to the primary waste line which is vented at the end of it. Sink C and Toilet C are in the first floor, all the rest in the second floor. The distance between the toilet C and the junction with the main vertical waste is less than a 1 meter. Here is a top view from the system: <Q> I'm answering my own question since I changed the design based those comments here and on some other research (code and recommendation). <S> Sink C now has it's own pathway to the "junction box". <S> The vent on Sink C joins the main vent stack above all and acts as a wet vent to the junction box too. <S> Toilet B doesn't need a vent due to distance to the main stack. <S> Toilet C is of a little concern because it is "wet vented" by the main stack, but since the piping there is 4 in I <S> doubt that it could create enough back pressure to break the Toilet C trap. <A> Yes you do. <S> Add another dotted line to the first part of your dotted line on you main stack. <S> Also my local inspector would not let me share a drain for shower, sink, and toilet. <A> This is what's called a "wet vent" in the USA at least. <S> But local rules vary even here, and have been changing. <S> "Wet vents are pipes that serve as a vent for one fixture and a drain for another." <S> One of the worries with a wet vent is that a momentary flood of water from an upstream fixture could result in an air pressure imbalance, sucking water or pushing water out of a trap. <S> This is a non-answer: you'll have to look up wet venting rules in your local area.
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The U shaped traps must stay full of water to prevent sewer gases from coming into the home.
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How do I fix a leak at a decommissioned saddle-valve? Water is dripping, about a drop every other second, out of the end of this thing. what is it? why is it dripping? can I fix it myself? <Q> The proper name for it is a self piercing saddle valve. <S> The valves are bad for many reasons, including the fact that they often clog and no longer allow water through the line, and they leak. <S> If you need a valve there to supply something like an ice maker or humidifier, then I'd cut the pipe, add a T, and put a proper quarter turn valve on the line. <S> To remove it, I'd just cut the pipe right on the piercing and install a copper coupling between the two cut pipes. <S> The steps include: shutoff the water, remove the saddle valve (unscrew the two sides), cut the pipe, clean it, apply flux to the pipe and a copper coupling, fit them together, and solder the joint by heating with a blow torch and working solder into the joint from the opposite side. <S> A skilled plumber should have the entire job done in under 30 minutes including setup and cleanup. <S> For the DIY'er, you'll need the following tools and parts: <S> Copper pipe cutter Fitting brush Flux and solder Blow torch Copper coupling <S> Note, no affiliation or specific recommendation with any of the above brands <S> , these are only sample images. <A> It is saddle valve. <S> Generally they're used to supply ice makers. <S> It is dripping because the valve is either not closed completely, or because the valve has developed a leak. <S> Try tightening the valve, but carefully - don't over tighten. <S> If that fails, your next best option is to cap it off. <S> get a 1/4" brass cap from your local hardware/plumbing store: <S> Also get teflon tape: <S> Now, shut off the house water supply. <S> Remove the nut holding the tubing onto the valve. <S> Wrap two wraps of tape around the threads on the valve in the direction of threads. <S> Now screw on the cap and tighten until snug. <S> Turn on house water, and open the saddle valve and check for leaks. <S> Then close the saddle valve again. <A> Saddle valves eventually leak at the rubber-pipe intersection. <S> Doing it this way doesn't require you to completely drain the line -- a skilled plumber can do a copper sweat job in 30 minutes, but you can do this in 5 minutes with a hacksaw, though a tubing cutter is preferred. <S> http://www.sharkbite.com/how-to/sharkbite-slip-coupling-copper-or-cpvc-repair/ <A> That is a tap (called a "saddle valve") for something like an ice maker or humidifier. <S> It works by piercing a small hole in the larger copper pipe. <S> Turning the valve all the way clockwise should close it and stop the drip. <S> Ideally remove the old, no longer used valve and repair the hole. <S> I do not know how to do that properly, so I yield to a plumbing expert. <A> Needle valves will always leak eventually. <S> Easiest repair is to get a shark connector SLIP connector. <S> Turn off water, drain pipe. <S> Cut out section with needle puncture with tube cutter, different valves require different sections to be cut out, marked on the slip valve. <S> Push slip fitting in, up and over one end of newly cut pipe, pull back to meet other end Of newly cut pipe, done. <S> You can do the same with a repair coupling <S> but you’ll have to bend the pipe out of the way to get it in and bend it back and then solder. <S> Not hard, but the “non solder” solution is easier.
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Cut the valve out and get a sharkbite slip-fitting.
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Why can't I measure 240V on this wall heater wiring? I am replacing a 240V wall heater. I get 120V from black to ground but 0V from black to white and 0V from ground to white. Is this correct? The old heater worked but not really well. There was a thermostat in the wall single pole and I get the same readings there. It is hooked to a 40 amp circuit breaker. This was originally installed in the 1970s with aluminum wire. <Q> You say the thermostat is "Single Pole". <S> I take that to mean that there is one wire in and one wire out? <S> Does the wire out happen to be white? <S> If so, the reason you don't have any voltage on the white wire at the heater is because your thermostat is off. <S> Set the thermostat so that it turns on and test again. <S> Alternatively, test from the wire on the in side of the thermostat (which is probably white) to black or ground and you should get 120V. <A> And if they wired it with 3 conductors (black/red/white), then you need to test your second hot, but you most likely have an open neutral. <S> Assuming you have an open hot, there are several possibilities: <S> Disconnected wire when removing the heater so you no longer have voltage going to the wire you're testing. <S> The aluminum wiring has worked loose and you now have a fire risk in your home (aluminum does this, which is why we don't use it anymore). <A> The white wire in the breaker box was the wrong one. <S> Hooked up the correct white wire at the box and now have 240 across the white and black and 120 from white to ground and 120 from black to ground.
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If they wired this device with only two conductors (black/white) for the 240V, then you have an open hot. One of the two poles of the breaker are still tripped when you run your tests.
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What is causing my circuit breaker to trip instantly and trip the next breaker too? Update - Video Added One of my circuit breaker trips instantly. I try to reset it but it trips immediately and trips the breaker under it too. I can reset the break next to it and it is fine until I try to reset the problem breaker again. Could the breaker itself be bad? and if so could I swap it out myself? How would I find which outlets, light, fans are powered by this possibly bad breaker? Update: I added a video showing the exact issue. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOfW-rqeqkM <Q> Somewhere in the circuit there is likely a low resistance connection between the two legs. <S> The most likely culprit would be a split duplex receptacle that was replaced, and the tab between the upper and lower sections were not removed. <S> Another likely cause would be a staple, nail, screw, etc., that penetrates both cables. <S> With both breakers off, check continuity between the ungrounded (hot) conductors of each circuit. <S> Turn off both breakers. <S> Set your multimeter to continuity mode, or the lowest resistance setting. <S> Touch one probe to the lug of one breaker, and the other probe to the lug of the other breaker. <S> With the breakers in the off position, you should read infinity (or open). <S> If you get a reading, it means that these two conductors are connected somewhere. <S> If the reading in not close to 0, there could be a 240 volt load connected between the legs. <S> If the reading is near 0, you have a low resistance short between the legs. <A> You have a back feed from one circuit to the other. <S> It would appear power is leaving from one circuit breaker and somehow finding its way back to the panel on a different circuit. <S> Consider back tracking any areas where electrical work was done. <S> If all wires tied together, that would create a back feed. <S> Again, if any work has been performed recently, I would look there first. <S> Separate the wires and attempt to turn both circuits on. <S> If the circuit stays on, you would more than likely have both hots there and have 240 volts as well. <A> The video shows clearly that B1 and B2 are somehow interconnected. <S> Figuring out how is the trick. <S> Step one is to determine what exactly B1 and B2 control. <S> You could gain some help from a tracer tool such as the Klein ET300, but really a lamp works just as well. <S> Make a list of every outlet and light affected by these breakers, post this data. <S> Unplug everything. <S> Turn off the main, remove the panel cover and post some pictures. <S> Now turn the main on, and B1 off. <S> Measure the voltage on the black terminal? <S> Hot or not? <S> Now turn the main on, and B2 off. <S> Measure the voltage on the black terminal? <S> Hot or not? <S> You can swap the two breakers if you like to eliminate the chance that B2 is defective. <S> An electrician would likely brute force finding the problem. <S> The only other tool I can think of that would help is a line length tester, which can give you a reading in meters for the length of a cable to a resistance point. <S> But the tool is too exotic and might not even work in your case. <A> I'm betting that B1 provides power to the top outlet of a receptacle (probably on your kitchen counter) and B2 provides power to the bottom outlet. <S> At some point that receptacle was changed (maybe you decided to change out the old looking receptacles and replace them with new snappy looking decora outlets?) <S> Whoever changed them out didn't realize it was a split receptacle and didn't clip the bar between the terminals. <S> You can probably have either breaker on at a time <S> but not both.. <S> yes?Happened to me when I moved into my current house <A> I had the exact same problem. <S> Like other posters are saying, the circuits are probably connected (probably intentionally in my case). <S> The electrician who installed a new panel recently should have used double breakers for the circuits but used single breakers instead. <S> I'm going to get this single breakers replaced with double breakers, but in the meantime the easiest fix is to just reset both breakers simultaneously, as if they were double breakers. <S> Works great, no hassle and doesn't cost a thing. <A> Can you pop the cover of the main panel? <S> It is impossible to tell without more info, but what could be happening is someone wired a 240V appliance (requiring a double breaker) to two individual breakers. <S> If there is a problem in one of the circuits, it could be tripping both breakers. <S> Alternatively, as others have mentioned, black wires from both breakers are touching somewhere (either in the panel or somewhere else). <S> In either case, removing the panel cover should give you more info
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Maybe a junction box where both circuits meet for some reason.
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Can I add rolls of unfaced insulation to increase the R value of my attic insulation? I live in a two story home that is approximately 150 years old. The attic floor is constructed with large beams and old wood planks laid across the complete surface area, rendering the attic useful for storage. The space is not that large, maybe 26'x 16.' The previous owner of the home removed the center floor boards and just shoved encapsulated insulation the length of each bay. This came no where near filling up the bays in both width and depth. Obviously the upstairs was noticeably chilly. Last fall I had new siding and new main roof installed on the house. At that time I had a ridge vent installed as well as soffit vents on the front run of the main roof (unable to do them at the rear of the house because the main roof meets a flat roof). Due to the nature of the floor construction in the attic we could not install baffles so we ended up drilling multiple holes in the wood floor in order allow some air circulation. Moving forward, last January I had a company open up the center few planks of the attic floor and remove the old insulation and blow in cellulose. To keep the soffits up front clear, they inserted fiberglass at the end of the bays. Even though the bays are not deep, maybe 6-7 inches, I noticed a drastic improvement in the warmth of the upstairs even though the R-Value of the cellulose is not that high do to the size of the bays. I also noticed my moisture issue in the attic was gone. My question is, to achieve a higher R-Value, (I live in New Jersey) could I lay down unfaced rolls in the attic to get the R-value up to where it needs to be? I do use the attic for storage, not packed full, just two rows of plastic containers. If I stacked the containers to open up more floor space and then laid down R-30 unfaced rolls, would there need to be anything I should consider before doing it? <Q> Yes you can. <S> Every bit helps, though you can eventually reach a point of diminishing returns. <S> You're not there yet :) <S> I would leave the floor boards to avoid compressing the cellulose. <S> I don't need to tell you to maintain a ventilation path from the soffit vents, but it's worth mentioning. <S> I would also consider building a storage platform for both containers and on which to walk (crawl?) <S> so the ceiling can be fully insulated even under the storage area. <A> I would frame up another floor to walk. <S> 2x6 or 2x8 24" on centers with some plywood on top will stop you from walking and storing stuff on the new insulation. <S> A 4' path in the middle would probably be enough. <A> Small pockets of air between the floorboards and your cellulose insulation can trap moisture and cause the wood to rot at an increased rate and can increase the likelihood of mold. <S> Something to keep in mind is that when you add or remove insulation from your attic, you will be changing the thermal characteristics of the attic. <S> Attics can reach extreme temperatures on excess of 120° F in the summer, even when properly ventilated, and this fluctuation can greatly contribute to moisture and mold problems.
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For example, if you increase your attic's insulation, you will therefore lower the attic temperature in the winter, but you will also increase the attic temperature in the summer. I would recommend removing the existing floor boards and frame a new floor on top of the existing joists before adding any more insulation.
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Is sanding hardwood floors really necessary? I bought my house a couple of years ago and I was told that there are beautiful hardwood floors under the carpet. I decided to rip up the carpets and find out (actually my dog decided that for me when she ate some of my carpet for dinner). I see a lot of articles on how to refinish hardwood floors, so I can figure that out myself. My question is if sanding is ALWAYS required when bringing hardwood back to life. The old woman I bought the house from kept the house in pristine condition, and I can't imagine the floors under the carpet are any different. I'm hoping that I can remove the carpet and any adhesive and just apply the stain and protective coating without sanding. Is this a completely unrealistic expectation? Or do people sometimes get lucky and have hardwood under carpet that doesn't need sanded? <Q> Wall to wall carpeting is usually attached to the floor using carpet tack strips around the perimeter like these <S> The raised tack points grip the edges of the carpet. <S> Once you pull up the carpet, there is probably a padding that is just laid on the floor without adhesive. <S> If it is rubber backed, the rubber bottom surface sometimes sticks to the floor underneath. <S> Rubber residue can usually be scraped of with a plastic putty knife without damaging the surface of the wood underneath. <S> The tack strip can be pried up and there will be a few nail holes per strip that can be easily filled. <S> The real issue will be the condition of the finish on the floor once you get to it. <S> If there is glue on the surface, this may be difficult to remove without serious sanding. <S> Often the finish is fine and a cleaning is all that is needed. <S> If the finish is slightly worn or lightly scratched, a light sanding followed by a coat or two of polyurethane should restore it. <S> Professional finishers have a light abrading process using large buffing machines that can do this easily and quickly. <S> However it can be done with an orbital sander and lots of time and elbow grease. <S> Very thorough vacuuming and wiping of all dust is essential for a good finish. <S> Again, it can be done by the DIYer, but this is a big job, sanding with power hand tools is very tedious and the professional sanding machines are difficult to use for the novice. <A> Its rare that hardwood is installed without it being sealed with something. <S> Varnishes being present will prevent you staining without sanding first. <S> If you like the present color, you can topcoat it after a good cleaning and light hand sanding with 220grit sandpaper on a pole sander (if not worn, many times carpet is called in to avoid a refinishing). <A> You only have to sand the floors if the floors need major repair. <S> Often floors under carpet are in good condition because they weren't used. <S> Many times have I bought a house and through down a couple of coats of poly and the floors looked almost new. <S> You really need to sand if the floors are very uneven (heavy wear spots), very used, or if you want to change the look/color. <A> As others have mentioned, you won't know until you rip up the carpet. <S> Of the floors need to be sanded due to holes from tack strips and/or staples. <S> But, sometimes you are lucky and can do a screen and recoat. <S> That's when you buff the floors and just add a coat or two of poly. <S> I would recommend calling a local hardwood place as they can advise you and do this work. <S> Most people who try this themselves mess up the floors and then they need to call the professionals and pay more to do a full sand & refinish. <S> Buffing or screening is not that expensive. <A> Among the other responses given I would add that sometimes wood floors had damage to finishes caused by water. <S> A common issue is planters and pots that were left on the wood floor. <S> Water spills or leaks that were left standing for a long period of time can also damage the floor finish. <S> Damages like this are often the source of the incentive for people to cover the floor with carpet. <S> :-( <S> If you have this type of damage sanding will be almost essential. <S> Some of the DIY big box stores (think orange) rent an easy to use rectangular orbital sander that can take the finish off your floor in no time. <S> These can sand very nearly right up to the walls and into the corners and are far easier to use that some of the other types of sanders such as belt sanders and drum sanders. <S> A dust protection and containment strategy is essential of course.
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If the finish is badly worn or deeply scratched, a serious sanding and refinishing is called for.
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Can too much ridge ventilation be detrimental? At my house in central Texas, where temperatures can persist at 86 - 110 degrees Fahrenheit, one side is always hot, no matter how long the A/C runs. That attic space is considerably hotter than other locations. Attic ventilation includes: twenty-two 16x8 soffit vents two 10' runs of plastic ridge vent three stack vents For better or worse, the ridge vents do not have a filter underneath and are covered with shingles. According to the web, such as this website , 20' is the minimum requirement and the 22 soffit vents balance appropriately. Will it help to install additional ridge and soffit vent? or will that disrupt current circulation? UPDATE: The ridge vents are actually 8 ft. long (not 10') and only 5 ft. of that are actually exposed. 1.5 ft. on either side of the ridge vents are covered over by shingles. <Q> With the solar-powered vent and two static vents being so close together, I wouldn't be surprised if the the solar-powered vent (because it's powered) is pulling most of it's air from the two static vents . <S> You might be able to check this by using toilet tissue, feather, incense smoke or something to determine air-flow direction through the static vents while the solar-powered vent is running. <S> If the net effect is that air is being pulled in , then none of those vents are doing as much as they should to cool the attic. <S> Some of the air through the soffit vents is being exhausted through the solar-power vent, to be sure, but the static vents aren't helping. <S> If I were going to make changes, I would consider the following, in order of preference... <S> Remove and seal up the two static vents. <S> This alone would cause the solar-powered vent intake to come completely from the soffits and thus pull hot air out of the entire attic area underneath. <S> Remove the solar-powered vent and install a ridge vent the entire length of the ridge next to it. <S> As this makes venting totally passive, it might not be enough for your climate. <S> Depending on size and efficiency, the solar-powered vent without the static vents may move more air. <S> If still not enough, I would think more CFMs of air could be vented using a line-powered unit, but haven't researched it. <A> The point of attic ventilation is to keep the air from getting trapped in what's called the "cold zone" (an ironic term when you're in Texas <S> but there you go...). <S> If an attic cannot breathe well, moisture will get trapped, and lead to term structural deterioration. <S> Temperature isn't a concern - <S> the attic isn't an insulated area - so as long as your insulation itself is adequate, it doesn't matter how hot/cold the attic gets. <S> So basically - it's not really possible to over-ventilate your attic. <S> More airflow = better. <S> There's a minimum amount because less than that much ventilation is a bad thing, but there's not a max because more ventilation can't do any harm. <A> You could also have a problem in that the solar powered fan is so powerful that it draws in air from your ridge vents, which like with the static vents during a summer day would be very hot air. <S> You should get up in the attic and see if you can tell how/where airflow is occurring. <S> Here in Texas, as with most places, you want to maximize your ventilation. <S> You could install as much ridge vent as you have space for and adjust the number of soffits to match (and definitely don't consider the entire size of the soffit vents as the clear airspace - account for mesh or openings on the soffit vents). <S> But it would seem from your diagram that your roof is not ideal for passive/convective venting. <S> Assuming your solar fan is powerful enough, it's going to be doing a lot more exhausting, and at a better location in your attic, than the ridge vents. <S> Most likely your biggest issue is not enough soffit venting. <A> Too much ventilation is only when the extra vents introduce the chance for extra moisture. <S> Living in Texas <S> you want your attic to be as close to the outside temperature as you can get. <S> If your attic temp is at 100 F then your temperature variance will be low and may be completely negated with decent insulation. <S> I would take the temperature of my attic during a hot day. <S> I lived in Fort Worth when I was younger and did a lot of roofs while working through college. <S> The attics can get to 130-140 F. <S> In warmer climates we have had a lot of luck with large gable vents. <S> They do a great job letting the warm air escape (not so great at overall circulation unless they have a fan). <S> Also a lot of people complain about a hot attic and their ridge venting is blocked by insulation or the vents <S> are dirty. <S> With blown-in insulation you really need to clean the vents after and then about a year later. <S> I would also look at the color and materials for your roof if your attic is hot. <S> Changing from black shingles to off-white can reduce temperatures by as much as 15-20 degrees in an attic. <S> There are more expensive options that can have a greater impact. <S> As far as ventilation, the only time I have read about over circulating is in colder climates where there are measures to use sunlight to warm the attic during winter months. <S> Your house in Texas would by all means function better (temp-wise) with no roof and 3 feet of insulation if it weren't for rain, wind, animals... <A> Yes, it is possible to install too much ridge vent. <S> Passive attic venting systems are now designed so that they intake air from the soffits and expel air near the ridge. <S> This is normally done without power by using the fact that hot air rises. <S> One aims for equal net free areas at the soffits and the ridge. <S> Your powered fan will be specified with some minimum intake area. <S> As long as things are balance between intake and exhaust, it's a good system. <S> The more ventilation, the better.
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If there is too much venting near the ridge, a lower pressure will develop in the attic, and air can be sucked into the attic from the conditioned living space. If there is a large difference, it's better to have the "extra" area at the soffits. Agree with @DocSalvage and his thinking - you definitely should remove/seal the static vents. Vents are normally rated by the amount of "net free area" they have.
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Are torch-on-roofs the best solution for a low pitched roof? I have a low pitched metal roof and it is leaking. The roofer I spoke with says to stop the leaks they need to tear the metal off, put down plywood, and use a torch-on-roof system of roofing. He said due to the pitch and such this is the only way to effectively stop the leaks. Is a torch-on-roof the best solution to solve a leaking problem for a low-pitched roof? <Q> There are EPDM membranes and PVC roofs. <S> Those materials are available in large continuos pieces so it's often possible to have a roof without any seams. <S> I would consult at least two more roofers and see what they say. <S> Additionally, did the current roofer locate the problem source? <S> Even though it's often really hard lot find leak sources, he should be able to have an idea of the possible problem areas. <S> It could be that the roof is fine and the water is coming from elsewhere. <S> Proper flashing is extremely important. <A> While it could be a good solution, a new deck and torchon covering might not necessarily be the best solution. <S> Without knowing more about the roof, it's hard to say for sure, but metal roofs are certainly capable of suitably covering on a low pitch. <S> As an alternative solutuion, I'd suggest that a single-sheet rubber (EPDM) or glass fibre reinforced plastic roof would be less likely to develop future issues than a torchon felt roof. <S> Unless the existing roof is seriously deteriorated or compromised, there are several options for repairing a roof. <S> It could be that the roofers you have approached so far have more experience with torchon (it's easy) or to re-lay the roof would be more profitable for them than to repair the existing roof. <S> (Cynical, yes, but having experienced some areas of the construction industry, entirely possible.) <S> Is the leak on the edge of the roof or in the centre? <S> An edge leak could indicate a flashing problem rather than a roof problem. <S> Are there any penetrations (pipes, ducts, etc) through the roof near the leak? <S> Also bear in mind that flat / low pitch roofs can show the water on the inside some distance from where the actual leak is. <S> Is there even a leak? <S> Have you ruled out that it's not a condensation issue? <S> If warm, moist air is getting past insulation and hitting cold metal, you will get water dripping, which will appear as a leak. <A> This is a loaded question. <S> some metal roofing systems claim to be capable of shedding water at only 1/2" per foot slope. <S> It is also true that there are some membrane type options (cold process) that will work at very low pitches. <S> Having said that, as a roofer who has installed every single one of these different methods, including hot mop, I would lean toward torch down myself or to a solid piece of soldered metal/copper. <S> It is CERTAINLY not a jump to say that torch down is the best method, in your case. <S> Particularly, when you ALREADY have a metal roof there, and it did NOT work. <S> In a nutshell, I tend to agree with your roofer. <S> DLH SCEPTRE CONSTRUCTION.
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There are many solutions that work well on low slope roofs.
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What tools should I use to remove the tongue and groove from floorboards? I have a big pile of high quality tongue and groove floorboards that I would like to reuse as decking timber for a small-ish deck. The trouble is I don't quite know what the best tools to use would be to cut off the tongue and grooves and get the boards to a standard width. I was thinking that there might be a way of converting a mitre saw to a table saw and do it that way. Is that feasable? Also I will need to round off the edges of the resawn planks. What could I use to do that? I've got a budget of around $600-$700 for new tools (e.g. a reasonable quality mitre saw), but I'm not sure if that would be adequate by itself. I don't mind doing things a little bit inefficiently, but I don't want the project to become a massive time sink either. Any suggestions? <Q> First, a disclaimer: Make sure the wood you are going to use will stand up in the environment you're placing them in. <S> You may be better off using these with the T&G on an indoor project. <S> Weather outside will quickly weather non-pressure treated wood, and decks typically require thicker boards than you'd have inside since they don't have a sub-floor. <S> For long cuts along the length of a board, the best tool is a table saw. <S> And the second best would be a circular saw with a jig. <S> If you don't have plans for more projects like this, or simply need to save space, then the circular saw makes more sense. <S> Setup a jig with a long straight edge that you can run your saw along and clamp it on top of your boards to be cut. <S> You could also use a block plane or sander. <S> I'd be tempted to get a belt sander to make this project go quick and to give me the chance to cleanup the finish on the boards at the same time. <S> This is not a recommendation for a specific vendor, sample images only. <A> Where I live old floor boards are like gold bricks. <S> I had to replace a few boards in a house built in the 1920's and to get boards that matched <S> was like $20 / linear meter. <S> And that was just for ratty old baltic pine, with nail holes and dents and stains. <S> Consider selling the boards and buying new hardwood decking with the proceeds. <A> Since it's 40-year-old hardwood, you need a good blade and a strong motor - that means a table saw in my book. <S> I do not think you will get great results with a circular saw. <S> The best tool for rounding over the edges is a router. <S> It will be hard to get consistent results with a belt sander, and it will be slow work with hardwood.
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To smooth the edges, a router would be best. A small orbital sander would also work and have other uses around the house, but it would take a lot longer and wouldn't be as useful if you want to cleanup the finish on the boards.
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Using Water Supply Pipe to Connect the Earth Wire In the past, it was common to connect the earth wire (green/yellow wire) of an appliance to the water pipe. But now we were told to connect it to the earth pin of the power plug, instead. But, why can't we use the water pipe anymore? Currently, I am installing a new electric heater but have to reuse an old power cord that runs through the wall that has only 2 wires (line and neutral) without the earth wire. So, it is impossible for me to connect the heater's earth wire to the earth pin of the plug. I am thinking of using the old method of using the water pipe to earth my heater. Is it a valid method? Another possibility is to connect my heater's earth to the earth of another appliance nearby. Does it make any difference? We are following the UK electric wiring standards although strict adherence to the standard is not my concern. <Q> Many homes do not have a waterpipe that would provide an adequate ground. <S> The water supply line is now often plastic. <S> Even if you have copper pipes inside your house they may not be grounded if they are attached to a plastic pipe that runs underground. <A> If the heater is double insulated (if it is, it will have the "box in a box" symbol on the electrical label on the applicance), it doesn't need an earth connection (and indeed might not have one itself anyway). <S> If it's not double insulated, I wouldn't take the risk by eathing it through the pipe. <S> Can you guarantee that the pipe has a suitably low resistance to earth? <S> Is it even connected to earth? <S> (As others have said, the water itself will not provide a suitable earth connection, as "pure" water is a poor conductor and sufficient salt content to make it sufficiently conducting might be enough to make it undrinkable). <S> Is that really a risk you are willing to take? <S> The incoming water supply should be bonded to earth to prevent something like that happening, but that does not make the pipework a substitute for a correctly installed earth conductor. <A> The first issue that your water pipe must be connected to the earth. <S> That could very well not be the case anymore in new housing. <S> Obviously, if not connected then it is quite useless to use the pipe for earth-wire <A> If rewiring in the walls is not an option, maybe adding a ground-fault interrupter type outlet is an alternative. <S> In the USA it is, and provides similar safety from electrical shock to people between a damaged device and another path to ground. <S> It just works by sensing an out of balance current flow. <S> With this option, just leave the earth wire unconnected. <S> Connecting it to some path to ground that is not part of the wiring increases shock risks and other electrical issues, including an increased chance of fire.
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If the earth connection is poor, a fault on the appliance could potentially make other parts of the house that are connected to the pipe (eg taps, radiators, etc) into exposed live conductors, possibly exposing someone to the risk of a fatal electric shock.
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Any problem with installing two identical circuit breakers in series? Suppose I want to reduce risk of a circuit breaker malfunctioning and failing to disconnect a shorted circuit. What if I install two identical breakers sequentially (one after another) so that if one of them fails the other one steps in and disconnects the circuit? Is there any problem with such installation? <Q> There is no problem here. <S> In fact, this is often how subpanels are configured; the main panel has a breaker that feeds the subpanel, and the subpanel has individual circuits protected with their own breakers. <S> The subpanel will have an amp rating. <S> The minimum of the subpanel rating and the ampacity rating of the wire feeding the subpanel will dictate the appropriate breaker for the main panel. <S> Appliances that require their own local disconnects (such as air conditioners, water heaters, etc.) <S> frequently use a small enclosure with space for just one circuit breaker. <S> This could be a good option for whatever application you are thinking of. <A> Most generator manual transfer switch-over panels require you to do just this. <S> The wire coming out of the breaker and going to a load (normally) is disconnected and channeled over to a second panel with another breaker and then then the biter-end coming out of the second panel is tied back to the load. <S> In short, two breakers in series. <A> "Suppose I want to reduce risk of a circuit breaker malfunctioning and failing to disconnect a shorted circuit." If you have a good quality panel... Square D, Eaton, Siemens, etc.. you really have no reason to worry about a circuit breaker malfunctioning in such a way that it doesn't trip if your load is greater than its ampacity. <S> I have never seen this happen to any manufacturers circuit breakers not named Zinsco. <S> In short, circuit breakers work and they work <S> well you dont have to be afraid of them failing. <S> If you are really nervous, install a arc fault circuit interrupter breaker in the existing ones place... <S> any arcing <S> and it will trip. <S> Or an arc fault/ GFI combo breaker that will protect you from every angle. <A> Logically, this makes some sense. <S> Practically, there is no breaker panel configured to let you do this. <S> You cannot modify the panel, physically, without invalidating the U/L certification. <S> Actually the system availability goes down for mechanisms in series , because you multiply the individual available availabilities. <A> But modern breakers today have an extreme low risk of this happening. <S> If I were that paranoid, I'd put a breaker and a fuse in series. <S> But I'm not.
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Two breakers in series would reduce the risk of one failing in a way that stays in a closed (conducting) position.
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What can I use for a very small access panel? I have a gas shut-off valve for my oven that needs access in the ceiling of my basement. I currently just have the shut-off itself cut out and it is about 2 inches from the edge of the wall. The pop-in panels I have seen at the big box stores are too big for this application. Any ideas on what I can put over it? The red knob is face down about 1/4 inch above drywall cut-out. I need about 2x3 inches to be able to turn it off and on. <Q> Why not use a simple blank electrical box cover ? <S> They also come in round versions (about 5 inches) to cover electrical ceiling boxes. <A> 2 tricks that I use is ceiling speaker grill or HVAC vent. <S> I agree that blank electrical plate looks.... <S> unprofessional.. tacky.... <A> Why not just nicely cut a 4" by 6" square of sheet rock to serve as a removable recessed panel. <S> Trace the panel onto the ceiling. <S> Saw the ceiling for a nice fit. <S> Coat the raw edges of sheetrock with a fixative to prevent them from shedding dust. <S> (Perhaps reinforce the ceiling opening per bmitch. <S> Around the 4x6 cutout with some 1x2 whitewood or similar glue or screwed to the backside of the ceiling along the 6" edge) <S> glue two 1" by 7" strips of quarter inch plywood (or similar in popsicle sticks) to the back of the patch in the 6" direction. <S> The strips will overhang the panel by 1/2". <S> The panel will insert and hang and be easy to push up and slide off to the side when access to the valve is needed. or used any other material for the panel. <S> 4x8x1/16 inch sheet aluminum bent twice at 90 on each edge to form a lip, or 1/8" plywood.
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You could hold it up using thin bolts through the eyelets with nuts locking on a small offset piece of plastic on each end that could rotate outward above the drywall to hold it in place. Instead of mudding the patch in place, rig it up as a removable panel:
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What can I use to build temporary walls in an unfinished basement? We have an unfinished basement in central Minnesota. The home was built in 2008, and the builder thought it fit to include XPS insulation covering all of the vertical concrete foundation. So far so good, and we're planning on finishing the basement sometime in the near future (a year or two). But in the immediate future, we need to host a birthday party for our 3-year old daughter and her friends, and the basement's vast empty spaces look like a natural fit. Here's the question: What can I use to temporarily cover the mechanicals (furnace, water heater, softener, sump pump, etc.) and have it look like some sort of wall? Doesn't have to be super-good-looking, but should hold up to a kid or two trying to break through. We aren't sure how rowdy her guests will be, and want to make sure nobody gets hurt. We don't have any available materials at the moment, but I'm certainly willing to go buy whatever it takes to get this done. Funds are certainly a constraint, but I don't suppose something like this will cost a whole lot of money. I did consider cloth sheeting, but that's probably only if there's no other option left. <Q> Why not build a drywall curtain. <S> Studs wedged between base plate and joists. <S> If wider than 4 feet, add a vertical stud. <S> Cover in drywall. <S> NOTE <S> THIS IS NOT CODE AND MUST BE TEMPORARY ONLY! <S> If you skip the taping and mudding, these go up in hours, not days, and will work until you are ready for the real finish project. <S> You do need to be sure to leave adequate ventilation around utilities and easy access. <S> A prehung door also can go up pretty fast. <A> The simplest thing is probably excess furniture - dressers, bookshelves etc. <S> They are typically sturdy - you might want to brace the bookshelves - and quick to put in place. <S> As a bonus you can keep stuff on/in them while they're hiding parts of the room or acting as dividers. <S> Just be careful that a child climbing up onto a dresser can't gain more access to mechanicals than they otherwise would. <A> Looks for some clearance curtains. <S> I dont know how much fabric is <S> but you could make homemade curtains with some safety pins fairly quick. <S> Frame out <S> wall 24" <S> oc to hang paneling on. <S> Thin 4x8 sheets start around $10. <S> Its suppose to be installed on drywall because its so thin <S> but it will work as temp wall. <A> Blue Polytarp A stretched taught blue polytarp (or similar), possibly used as a canvas for the kids' creativity with double stick tape and cut outs or some such. <A> DIY Sliding Panel Doors <S> A set sliding panels made out of a material you are likely able to reuse in the future, say 1/4" plywood, or 1/8" paneling, or masonite, or pegboard, or rigid insulation, or acrylic, ... <S> Stiffen the 4x8-ish panels with a 1x2 along each vertical 8' edge, attaching the left edge 1x2 on the back side, and the right edge 1x2 on the front side (or vice-verso) so that the panels can nest together. <S> The 1x2s will serve as handles from either side. <S> Make a ceiling track and a floor track by routing grooves into 2x6s for example, or by building them up from 1x stock for example. <S> Create enough grooves so that each panel rides in its own track and that all panels can be nested to one side of the room. <S> For example floor grooves 1/2" deep and ceiling grooves 1-1/8" <S> or 1-1/4" deep. <S> To keep the panels from being lifted out accidentally, predrill horizontal holes every 24" or so into the top track at a height that will clear the panels, then insert nails or screws, or cut lengths of heavy gauge wire or wire coathangers. <S> Sand the panel edges smooth and round, and use pray silicone to lubricate the bearing surfaces. <A> The first thing that comes to mind is Sun Shade material. <S> This is a mesh that comes in a few nice colors and is available for reasonable prices at Home Depot for example. <S> You can hang it from the ceiling, and stretch it down to 2x4's nailed or Tap-Conned to the floor. <S> If too narrow, you can do a simple whip-stitch with carpet thread - to make it wider.
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Make the grooves in the ceiling track a little more than twice as deep as the in the floor track so that the panels can be lifted in and out of the bottom track. If you plan on using this for more than one or two events, consider building real drywall structures (you know, 16 inch centers, etc.). Base plate pinned to concrete floor with a few Tapcon type screws. Create a two or three sided room (but be sure to leave access, like a hinged plywood panel with a padlock, for emergency access to utilities). A few well placed bookshelves would hide most of the mechanicals.
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Do twin-blade circular saws reduce tearout? Do twin-blade / Twincutter circular saws produce a more accurate cut than regular circular saws? Do they have less kick-back? Do they reduce the tearout / splintering / chipping at the rear of the cut, compared to regular, single-blade circular saws? I'm looking for real-world experience, as I've seen countless sales-pitches on the matter. The Twin-Cutter circular saws have two circular saw-blades spinning in opposite directions. It behaves similar to a regular circular saw, except with a slightly wider kerf (since there are two blades), with aparent benefits. Here is a sales pitch video on YouTube Some additional articles which I find inconclusive: Genius or Junk? The Dual Saw Twin-Blade Circular Saws <Q> Save your cash to buy the best quality saw that will give you the ability to do anything you want. <S> My best investment to date in circular saws was my worm drive. <S> It is heavier than others and needs more room <S> but it doesn't kick back and has the power to cut anything I put in her path. <S> Everyone has to try everything themselves so try to find someone who owns one and will let you try it out, <S> plunge cutting is their major asset but this is no problem with my worm drive <S> either ;) :) <A> I think the real place where this tool is useful compared to a traditional circular saw is for plunge cuts. <S> I can't imagine where this would outperform a regular circular saw for a non-plunge cut unless you had tight access that a smaller twin blade could get into. <A> Regular circular saw works just fine if you know how to use it. <S> There are also smaller 4.5" circular saws that may be better for intricate work like flooring or someone with less strength. <S> The trick is to put the shoe down before you put the blade down so that it doesn't kick. <S> Having a laser guide on the saw can also be helpful. <A> As I see it, most of the benefits they tried to ascribe to this new technology are not unique to it, you can do most of that with a standard circular saw. <S> The only thing I saw different, and it might be nice IF you need to do that a lot, is the plunge cut going backward. <S> You can plunge cut with a standard circular saw, but going backward is a bit tricky, running a risk of the saw jumping out of the kerf. <S> Having to deal with the wax lube stick negates that single benefit as far as I'm concerned.
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I purchased one of these dual blade circular saws and to be honest they are no better than the persons talents using any power tools.
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Window framing on old construction I'm redoing a kitchen but I've hired a contractor to do a portion of the work. One of the jobs he was hired to do was to move and reframe two windows. He finished that job today and I'm really concerned that it wasn't done correctly. I called him on it and his argument was that in old construction with native lumber the headers are so strong that you don't need the typical double header, jack stud, king stud. He basically claims there's no load here. What do you all think? Click for larger view <Q> I don't see plywood sheathing on the exterior walls. <S> All in all I'm guessing that your house was built prior to WWII and is either 'post and beam' or <S> 'balloon frame' construction, both of which are radically different in terms of structure and loads from modern techniques. <S> Here are wikipedia links for those techniques: post and beam construction balloon framing platform framing ("typical" modern wood framing) <S> Can you post some photos that show the original framing for the original windows? <S> I'm guessing the original construction did not include headers above the windows. <S> If your house is post and beam, then I don't think there are any significant structural issues. <S> If your house is balloon framed, this is how I would 'fix' it, with the jacks (red) and cripples (black) going through the floor to bear on what ever the existing old studs bear upon. <S> The header (green) consists of two 2x10s sandwiching two rippings of 1/2" plywood (or whatever). <S> Based on the current state, achieving this is rather quick and simple. <S> It does not require starting from scratch: the window and existing new 2xs <S> do not need to be removed. <A> OK. <S> You were right in all of you assertions. <S> Really basic picture of a properly framed window. <S> The contractor should not step foot in your house again. <S> He is a moron. <S> He can't even make a good excuse. <S> Also and this is worse than the improper framing technique. <S> The current layout is in no way set at right angles. <A> Sad part is that it is so easy to do it correctly when the studs are all open. <S> There really should be doubled headers above and below the window. <S> They should, in both cases, be resting on the top of studs that extend from the ends of the header down to a bearing surface all the way to the base plate. <S> It is not fully clear from your pictures if you have that in all cases. <S> One problem of not having full width of double stud material on each side of the window is that there can end up being no solid wood to nail wide casing into and a place to firmly screw in curtain rod hanger brackets.
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There should also be doubled stud material on both sides of the window. The wall seems to have 'full dimension' studs and the markings of old lath and plaster. From looking at your pictures I can say that it was not done correctly. Also I do not see any indication that jack studs were used in the original construction.
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Problem with GU10 LED bulbs tripping out power I have had some re-plastering and re-decorating work done in my kitchen. I had a new light fixture installed which takes 6 GU10 type bulbs. When the light fixture was first installed I placed 6 LED bulbs into it. The bulbs are Aurora branded and consume 7W of power each. When I switch on the light it trips out the power on the Residual Current Detector (RCD) in my house. We assumed the problem was with the old wiring - perhaps it got damaged when the work was being done. So we ran a new wire to the fixture from a new light switch. The power still tripped out. Next we assumed the light fitting itself was faulty, so we returned it and got another. Still the power trips out. Then I thought it might be the LED bulbs, so I swapped them out for the 6 Halogen bulbs that came for free with the fixture - it works perfectly! So the problem seems to be with the LEDs, but how can LED bulbs cause electrical problems? I paid £10 per bulb so wouldn't expect them to behave this way. <Q> The LEDs do not light up (ie conduct) for a brief time after switch on. <S> During that time there is current in the Live wire but not in the Neutral. <S> The rcd reacts to this imbalance (residual current) by breaking the circuit. <S> Neither the rcd nor the LED lighting system is faulty. <A> Definitely sounds like faulty bulbs. <S> The LEDs ought to consume less power than the halogens they are replacing (which typically consume 20-50W each in GU 10 size), and since you said you can run the fixture with all six halogens installed with no problem, your problem is not simply that six 7W LEDs were too much for your circuit in combination with all the other loads. <S> See if you can isolate the problem to one specific bulb out of the six by only installing one bulb at a time. <A> This problem is probably due to EMI from the LED bulb driver/ballasts tripping the RCD. <S> One suggestion to try would be wiring a lamp debuzzing coil in series with the fixture -- this should provide at least some EMI suppression.
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It could be a short in one of the bulbs due to a manufacturing defect.
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Where does my garage drain go and how can I unclog it? I have a drain in my garage floor. I've never worried about it too much, but with some heavy rains recently I discovered it doesn't work. It appears to be clogged with lots of dirt, pebbles, and leaves. I tried pouring a bunch of water down it to see if I could find the exit, but could not. Would this drain go to the sewer? If not, what can I do to unclog it? How can I figure out where it goes? I've taken a look at this question , but the drain is in the concrete, so digging it up is out of the question. Also, it appears -from jamming flexible tubbing into it- that it gets clogged almost right away, so I don't think snaking it will tell me anything. Any help is appreciated. pic of drain, grate removed: Hemisphere base with the drain going straight out of the side. All that dirt is left over from my attempt to use a plunger on it. <Q> Your garage drain could go anywhere--it could be tied into your septic system or sewer connection, or it could go to a separate exterior drywell or leach field. <S> It could even head into a sump pit to be pumped out by a sump pump. <S> Its impossible to know without a whole lot more information about your specific circumstance. <S> As to how to unclog it, your best bet may be a high-pressure water jet snake. <S> These can be rented from tool rental outfits, or you could call in a professional. <S> They tend to be better at removing sandy-type clogs than conventional drain snakes. <A> This would depend on what type of drain it is, there are long trench drains and circular standard drains... <S> ASsuming it's circular... <S> I had to do this in my bathtub, upstairs in an apartment. <S> I would say it's generally the same concept, as I had no idea <S> what was underneath, so my only approach was from the drain itself. <S> I had to put a rag over the part under the faucet to stop the air from going out there, but <S> aside from that... <S> you're going to be applying enough pressure to push the clog through, follow that with a bucket of water. <S> Might take some trial and error. <S> Might want to pour the water first so that if you do push the clog down you notice by the draining of the water....otherwise might be hard to tell if anything moved. <S> That's the first step. <S> Chances are if you live in a city there is a main sewer line somewhere nearby that your pipe feeds in to.. <S> If not it's possible it just filtrates out into the lot underneath or around you . <S> You mention the clog stops the flow right away which would tell me something is preventing it almost immediately near the surface of the drain. <S> Remove the grate, and plunge that sucker! <S> I would also check and see if from any other point does the clog effect the plumbing of the house, is perhaps your toilet slower to drain or bathtub? <S> this could be the point where the pipes meet up, but they usually feed into larger pipes to prevent the clogging issue. <S> Hope this helps! <A> Be aware, my situation sounds the same, same drain, same back up.same year home. <S> Plummer here with a camera and noticed drain had no access point installed to main drain. <S> just ground like a rain gutter. <S> washer drains in same line so needs to be fixed due to backing up in home every wash. <S> ( just bought home <S> so just noticed ) <S> cost is $3,500 to repair, will dig up curb and street to install an access point. <S> crappy work builders did in the 80's Be Aware
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I would just try simply plunging the drain, assuming the hole is small enough to fit inside a plunger hole...
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Why am I getting strange results when using a power meter to measure CFLs? Over the years we have replaced just about every bulb in the house with a CFL. But here is the problem. Our electric bill is going up and not down. When I moved here 3 years ago we spent about $140-160. As of this summer we topped $210. Electric rates have raised of course but that doesn't explain why our physical electric usage is has gone from 800 to 1100+ kwh I purchased a Reliance Controls THP103 AmWatt Generator Appliance Wattage/Amps Load Tester to see if it was something that was busted like the compressor on the fridge that always makes noise. Sears says no and my meter suggests no. After testing ever in the house I decided to test the CFL's. Different brands, some generic some branded. Meter said that a incandescent bulb of 40w was using 39 and a 60w was using 59. But it also said that an 11w CFL was using 45w and all of the other CFL's had similar readings. Is this normal? <Q> Power Factor <S> The ratio of real power to apparent power. <S> Real power is the work done, apparent power is the product of the current and voltage in the AC circuit. <S> Capacitive and inductive loads cause a phase change between the current and voltage. <S> Inductive loads cause current to lag voltage and capacitive loads cause current to lead voltage. <S> Think of two sine waves, one representing current and the other representing voltage that get offset by up to 90 degrees depending on the type of load. <S> This phase shift messes up the reading of the real power consumed by the circuit. <S> And if the power meter does not measure power factor and correct for it, you basically have a good door stop. <S> If you have a lot of motors in a plant, you often have to add capacitors on the power line coming into the building so you don't mess the power grid up. <S> It is done to reduce the phase difference between current and voltage. <S> So, if you're going to measure AC Power, the device must measure True Power (Watts), Apparent Power (VA), Power Factor (%PF) in addition to Voltage (RMS), Current (Amps) and Frequency (Hz). <S> Once you have the True Power and Time, you can read kWH consumed. <A> Seems the issue is with Reliance testers: ElectricianTalk.com has this to say A while back I [posted] that I had bought a lot of cfl lamps. <S> My electric bill did not seem to change all that much <S> so I decided to test some of them. <S> Here are some of the results. <S> 15 watt cfl <S> P=62watt 15 watt spot P=73 watts <S> 13 watt mini spiral P=51 watts <S> I am using a Reliance Controls load tester. <S> On Amazon there is this review <S> Does NOT work with compact fluorescent lights! <S> , May 28, 2011 <S> This review is from: Reliance Controls THP103 Anything that uses an electronic ballast (light the compact fluorescent lights - CFLs) will not work with this device. <S> That's because the device looks at the peak current to figure out the watts. <S> For example, a CFL that actually uses 13 or 14 watts will erroneously show up as using 65 watts. <S> On HomeDepot.com, another review <S> Highly inaccurate,. <S> When ever I would read CFL bulbs the amp and watt reading was unsually high. <S> I first I thought I had bad CFL's. <S> My incandescent bulbs and a heater all read correctly. <S> I then spoke to Reliance Controls and they confirmed that due to the fact it not a true RMS meter it can not accurately calculate some loads, one being CFL's. <A> Directly from Reliance Controls CFL and LED lighting have irregular current draws and in turn, irregular (non-linear) waveforms. <S> These loads cannot be measured by this device accurately, sorry. <S> Primarily the THP103 is intended for measuring medium-large sized loads to help facilitate load management in a backup generator/transfer switch application, the accuracy range <S> is about 125 watts - 1875 watts (1 amp - 15 amps). <S> Although it can measure loads under 1 amp quite efficiently, accuracy will be lost the smaller the load is and closer to zero. <S> But in this case, only a meter with True RMS capability will be able to accurately read CFL and LED lighting. <S> The applied voltage changes thousands of times per second in an LED or CFL, therefore a meter with a powerful computer processer is required to sample the waveform tens of thousands of times per second to create a sufficient sample. <S> We chose not to create a True RMS meter due to the costs associated with the high speed computer processing, the device would probably cost above 100$ and this price <S> level wasn't in line with the intention of the THP103. <S> Additionally, when this was first designed around 10 years ago the use of CFL and especially LED lighting was extremely minimal. <S> We have performed some testing on CFL's at our high current lab with expensive test equipment, and they test pretty accurately in relation to their advertised ratings, it should be safe to go by the ratings without having to verify that with any current measuring device.
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Why your various meters don't do a good job measuring power being used by various devices is due to an AC Circuit phenomenon known as Power Factor . The THP103 is an RMS meter and as most loads in an average home are resistive with linear waveforms, a meter like this can be used for almost all appliances.
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Concerns about replacing a worn out light switch Our home is about 3 years old. New construction. New parts. The main lights in the kitchen are a 4-way circuit (3 switches, + lights). Since we primarily come into the room from one side, one switch sees most of the use. All in all, it's probably the most popular switch in the house. As a recent development, sometimes flipping that switch doesn't turn on the lights. Yes, the switch flips, properly and completely. If we wiggle it, the lights will come on, and so far stay on. Sometimes there will be brief bits of arcing sound come from inside the switch, either when we flip it, or when we're wiggling it to get the lights to work. So I'm thinking I need to replace the switch. If nothing else, the arcing seems very NOT SAFE. And this is where I run into some concerns... First, I've been around lots of light switches in my life. I've never seen a switch fail. Certainly not in 3 years. So I want to know why this happened, and how to prevent it. Is it a cheap switch (seems unlikely, considering the attitude and work quality of the electricians)? Is it a random fault, and just something I need to shrug off? Is the circuit overloaded slightly (10 bulbs), or is there some other situational thing I should check? Next, is this likely to happen to other switches? This seems more likely if the concept of "cheap switches" is valid somehow, but should I anticipate spending the next 10 years replacing all our switches in the order of frequency of use? And more particularly, should I replace the other switches for this fixture now? Finally, is there something I should be looking for (or avoiding) when shopping for a replacement switch? Honestly, I didn't think "light switch" was something that came in significant quality grades. It feels a bit like asking for models of hammers appropriate for hitting things. But, now I worry. I don't like arcing in my walls, and want my switches to last. So, how do I avoid doing this again in 3 years? <Q> Big box stores definitely carry different grades of light switches ("standard duty", "heavy duty", "commercial grade", "medical grade"...), but I can't attest to their relative endurance. <S> 3 years seems a little quick to me but of course these things are somewhat random and "the plural of 'anecdote' is not 'data'". <S> I would tape the switch off so that nobody uses it until you can replace it. <S> Once you get it out of the box you may be able to see what the problem is... could be faulty wiring / a loose wire nut. <S> If that's the case, you might want to give your electrician a call to scold them. <S> Otherwise I would just write it off as an earlier-than-expected failure. <A> Besides an arcing switch, there are 2 other common 'loose wire' scenarios to consider. <S> Loose wire wrapped around a side screw terminal. <S> Turn off the breaker and tighten the screw. <S> The wire should wrap under the screw head nearly 360 degrees (clock-wise). <S> The insulation should cover the wire to within 1/8 inch or less. <S> 'Back stab' connections are notorious for arcing connections. <S> I cut them off (if there is sufficient spare wire and side wire them. <S> The 2 round holes (in the right device) are the Quickwire connections (to be avoided) <S> Much better are 'screw and clamp' devices that allow 2 secure connections per terminal (left device in photo) <A> Unless somebody specifies otherwise, most new houses are outfitted with "builder grade" switches and outlets. <S> These outlets are very cheap, and it wouldn't be surprising if one of them failed quickly. <A> OEM builder grade anything is not the best. <S> Builder grade is meant to have a lifetime that exceeds the home warranty, but cheap enough so they feel that their profit margin was boosted enough so they con focus on other corners to cut. <S> I know I installed thousands of them as a journeyman in college, only to replace ones after the warranty expired.
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For what it's worth, I've seen several light switches fail, so it's not like this is some freakish event. Replace with a heavy duty switch and use the screws on the side.
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How can I attach plywood window covers without damaging the trim or shingles? I have an oceanfront cottage and have "boarded up" the ocean-facing windows each winter before closing up for the season. In the past I just used wood big enough to totally cover the window and frame, and would just use wood screws to fasten it directly to the cedar shingle siding. This obviously leaves holes from the screws. This summer we just re-did the cedar shakes and window trim, and put new paint on the whole thing. It looks great now. My question is - what is the best way to board up my windows so as to inflict the least damage to the trim/shngles/paint? Open to any suggestions that won't break the bank. <Q> How about permanently mounting lift-off hinges or something similar to the window frames, and using the mating part on the plywood to secure the boards to the windows? <A> Why not use latching hook and eyes <S> The eye can be permanently mounted to the wall or trim and painted to match its surroundings. <S> The hook section can be put on the plywood. <S> SUPPLEMENT <S> If using the hook and eye approach, I would have removed the flimsy looking eyes and substituted beefier ones. <S> An alternate approach would be to drill a hole through the siding or trim and into the framing. <S> Then drive in threaded inserts into the framing. <S> Then drill a hole through the plywood lining up with the insert and fasten with a bolt and washer. <S> (In practice, I would drill all the holes through the plywood and siding at the same time for better alignment, then enlarge the siding hole to accommodate the insert.) <S> When taken down, you could put a small plug (wood or plastic) over the hole in the siding or trim, painted to match. <S> If you were doing this before installing trim, I would have recommended T-nuts inserted from the back of the trim, which has the same effect, but adds a washer-like reinforcement on the back side. <A> I grew up in New England and many of the older homes had removable storm windows. <S> The hardware (the hook) was attached to the house and the (hanger) window and the windows hung by the hooks and latched on the trim and it could be done from the inside which might make the second floor easier. <S> http://www.houseofantiquehardware.com/screen-hangers . <S> I know in the house <S> I grew up in the spacing on the hooks <S> wasn't consistent so each window was marked to a specific window. <S> So keep this in mind if you have different sized windows.
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I would probably add a reinforcing wood strip along the edge of the outer face of the plywood and insert the hook portion into the side of the reinforcement strip.
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Should I build risers and treads out of hard wood floor pieces I've purchased some hard wood flooring to go throughout my entire house. The pieces for the stairs are extremely expensive and are just too much for my budget. It was suggested to me by the sales guy that I could "just build my own out of hardwood floor pieces". He has "nose" pieces (3" wide by 8' long) that I can attach to 2 or 3 pieces of hardwood floor that I can use to just build my own tread, and then build my own risers out of a few pieces as well. This will be significantly cheaper. This is a sales guy though, so, I can throw him further than I can trust him. Will it look good (or even work) for me to do this? Should I just forget the stairs and leave the carpet on them? I spent a bit looking online for tutorials/etc on how to build your own treads and risers and I couldn't find anyone really doing (or recommending) that you do this. <Q> Time = Money. <S> And assembling these in a manner that won't cause you headache later is going to take a lot of time. <S> To make a tread, you'll need to laminate the floorboard together somehow, otherwise they will flex under the weight. <S> Construction adhesive would work, but wood glue might be better. <S> And don't forget to sand or plane off the finish before you glue them together because the glue won't stick as well to the finished face. <S> Multiply all of this by the number of steps you have. <S> You need to carefully select the correct thickness of the tread, taking in to account the thickness of your planks and the nose molding. <S> This is similar to what is described in the article you linked to in your comment. <A> I have done this. <S> To get it to work well, you will need to build a jig so that you can clamp the nosing piece onto the other pieces. <S> It is not particularly hard to do this, but it will take a while; I did one tread a night for a couple of weeks. <S> If the pieces are prefinished, you may have to do some sanding to get surfaces that will glue together well. <S> After that, it's a matter of ripping and cutting them to size (use a stair gauge here for best results). <S> Seven or eight years later, it's held up well. <A> You can get this oak thread cap from home depot for under $25 then stain it to match your hardwood flooring. <A> I just did this in my home. <S> You can buy solid pine or oak stair treads at Lowes. <S> Pine are $10, oak $20 (At least as of Summer 2013 when I purchased mine). <S> Stain to match, then give them a couple good coats of polyurethane. <S> If you have a traditional starcase with the treads sitting on top of stringers, it's fairly straight-forward - knock up existing tread with large hammer, install new tread. <S> If you have a "modern construction" staircase where they've dadoed the side supports and the treads are inserted into them you can cut the existing treads back to where they're flush with the existing risers. <S> Install new tread over top and cut/install new risers to cover the old ones. <S> The one downside is that it's unlikely you'll match the stain perfectly. <S> Ours is close, and we painted the risers the trim color; we were very happy with the results. <A> This is a really old thread, but since it came up, I will describe what I did. <S> My living room is prefinished birch tongue and groove. <S> I decided I wanted to take the carpet off my steps and use birch. <S> My bid was a few thousand. <S> Online birch risers and treads would be around $1200 per step. <S> Found Home Depot has a really amazing deal on prefinished birch T&G for $3/foot. <S> Here is what I did. <S> 1) Routed a bullnose onto 13 40+ inch pieces to use as the bullnose piece. <S> This is not very hard. <S> I had never routed before and after a few tries got in down. <S> Probably easier with a router table, but I did not have one. <S> Bought a plunge router from Harbor Freight with coupon for around $70, router bits from Amazon. <S> Used the 3/8 on both sides to make 3/4 bullnose. <S> 2) Sanded and finished the bullnose using satin finish. <S> 3) Prefitted the hardwood pieces, cut them and installed with liquid nails and some reset screws. <S> Looks amazing. <S> Cost around $24 per stair plus the cost of my new router (always happy when I get a new toy). <S> Also got to use my sander, table saw and chop <S> saw although you could probably do it just with circular saw. <S> Now i am going to install the flooring in my family room before HD runs out. <S> Cheers. <S> Kevin
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Another method with slightly less work is to put down regular stair treads, then put your hardwood planks over the top.
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How can I remove a jammed, broken key from a lock? I have a key to an apartment mailbox that was almost impossible to get the key in and out of to unlock, and in trying, my roommate broke the key off in it. From looking in with a light, it seems that all of the key except the outermost pin is in the lock, but the lock won't turn even when putting the head back in. I've generously lubricated the lock, tried hooking a small scroll saw blade in the teeth, and used a lockpick set with various hooks to try dragging the key out, but it's pretty firmly stuck. So my question is: with this being an entire row of mailboxes and me unable to just remove the lock, how would you recommend either getting the key out, or replacing the lock? <Q> The key sounds like a lost cause. <S> The lock will probably need to be changed. <S> The mail carrier has access to the box, usually through a large panel at the top (above the doors you open). <S> It is likely that access to the lock is possible when that large panel is open. <S> You probably need to coordinate with her or him and the superintendent of your building to remove and replace the lock. <A> Call a locksmith. <S> Cutting a new key will likewise require taking measurements of the pieces and cutting the new key from those. <A> it is really simple to take out the key out of the lock. <S> Once it breaks in the lock. <S> I would first try to put some oil in the locks to have it loosen up. <S> Then I would either take one of the tools provided in the comment before and try pulling it out. <S> If not and if your onn side out of your door you can unscrew the lock off. <S> once that is done you can pull the cylinder from the lock. <S> Once you took it off there is a ring holding the cylinder and the lock together, need to take that off. <S> Once that is off you are able to push the broke park of the key out form the back. <A> I know this is late, but the question still sees activity. <S> If the key were brass and you have a fine tip soldering iron, you could solder more brass to the broken key and pull it out after cooling.
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It's possible to extract the fragment, but may require disassembly and/or lock picking techniques.
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What does wire loops on the wall for? I bought a house recently, and there are wires in the walls under stucco. But in basement these wires are go out as a loops not far from the ceil. What are they for? Are they for lamps? If yes, then what it the right way to hang lapms on these "loops"? <Q> I'm unsure of typical Russian construction techniques but this appears to be standard non-metallic house wiring cable. <S> You need to determine if there is current available continuously or if it is switched somewhere. <S> A non-contact circuit tester would help. <S> You would not hang lights from this. <S> My best guess is you somehow mount the fixture base over the spot and cut into the cable to connect the fixture in parallel. <S> If the cable is unswitched, the fixture needs to have it's own switching provision. <A> My guess is that it's a circuit for lighting, and the reason that it's a loop is the wire comes out from the stucco and then heads back in to go to the next light. <S> It's quicker to do it this way then to cut the wire. <S> If I'm correct, there is a switch somewhere that energizes this circuit. <S> If you can get a non-contact voltage detector, you can use that to verify which switch is hooked up to the circuit. <S> Once you know that, it's simple to turn off that circuit and then put up fixtures. <S> They would mount directly to the stucco. <A> This looks like a place for mounting an outlet - the wire would be cut, stripped and <S> then both ends of the cut loop would be connected to the same outlet terminals so that the wire enters the outlet and then another wire leaves the outlet and goes to the next outlet. <S> This way you don't need a junction box, because the outlet serves as a junction box. <S> Not that it's a very reliable setup, but it's widely used because it allows for neater looking wiring. <S> However the outlet is not there - perhaps the previous owner finally decided it was not needed so the loop was not cut and was kept closed. <A>
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Further description of the so called wire maybe needed but these loops could very well be induction loops primarily used for hard of hearing users normally reserved for commercial environments i have on occasion seen them fitted in homes!
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When painting a house exterior, do you need to scrape and sand the entire house or just the peeling parts? I'm repainting my house and everything I've read on the subject suggests scraping the old paint before applying new, but it isn't clear if you're only supposed to scrape just the peeling parts or the entire house. My wife thinks I'm crazy for planning to scrape and sand the entire house, and after more than 6 hours of work and probably less than 1/3 of the house scraped and sanded, I'm starting to think she might be right. On the one hand, there are some areas where the paint looked more or less okay but it's coming off, but on the other hand, not much paint is coming off in most areas. Do I really need to scrape the entire house, or just the areas which are peeling? <Q> In my experience in painting my own house over 50 years I only sand when necessary, that is when the paint is loose, or, the surface is glossy. <S> I just repainted some trim on my house that has Semi-Gloss paint. <S> And, I sanded it first. <S> I did this to improve the adhesion of the new paint. <S> But, most of my house has flat paint, and I never sand it unless I'm blending an area where I had to remove some loose paint. <S> Update, 11/14/13: <S> I re-read <S> this today, including all the posts. <S> It's interesting to see the different opinions about this subject. <S> No wonder you had a question after searching the net. <S> My take on this is that if you are a perfectionist, you'll decide to remove it all. <S> If you're just painting to resell, you'll scrape the loose off and paint. <S> If you're going to keep it and use common sense, you'll scrape, sand where you need to feather edges for aesthetics, and paint. <S> That's assuming its flat paint. <S> For glossy finishes, you really better sand it to ensure the new paint sticks permanently. <S> Incidentally, I always clean before scraping with Tide and bleach solution and brush hooked to expandable pole, and sometimes with a power washer to quickly knock off loose paint. <S> Also, after sanding, I blow off the sanded surfaces with a blower, or brush it with a big paintbrush, or wipe it with rubbing alcohol or water. <S> Recently I used the tool below to "sand" the loose paint off my deck before repainting and was very impressed with it's efficiency. <S> I like how it gets down into the cracks between the paint and wood and smooths out the ridges, as well as how quickly its use is. <S> You might want to pick one of these up and give it a try. <S> Finally, one last tip. <S> You can always do a test by painting a small area, waiting several days, then trying to scrape it off. <S> That's how I learned how important sanding is for glossy paint. <A> I've never heard of scraping paint that is well adhered. <S> Loose and almost-loose paint ought to be removed one way or another down to a layer that is well adhered, or to the substrate. <S> The cause of peeling paint ought to be determined and remedied before repainting. <S> The remaining good paint ought to be cleaned first, then toothed with either TSP or sand paper or .... <S> Nowadays, if one of the existing layers of paint contains lead, then special health/environmental safety precautions need to be taken per laws/wisdom. <S> http://www2.epa.gov/lead <A> Just repaint it and any parts that are peeling just scrape those. <S> Paint over the rest. <A> It's not practical to remove all the paint. <S> If you see dirt or wipe your hand across the suface and see /feel dirt or powder, you're best served by washing the house. <S> TSP is the best, but can kill some plants. <S> Liquid dish soap works well, too, just make sure to rinse it well. <S> If you have a pressure washer, a careful pressure washing is usually enough, but there is no substitute for a little elbow grease. <S> Prime those bare spots with a good primer and paint away! <S> Use quality paint, not the $19.99 per gallon special. <S> If you know a business owner or contractor, you can often buy your paint through their account, paying for it yourself at the paint store. <S> The discounts can be significant.
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You want to remove any paint that is loose.
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Is it against NEC code to re-use pulled cable? I'm re-wiring parts of my house and have pulled some 12/2 out. Is it against NEC code to re-use that cable? I didn't have to pull that hard to get the cable out and there doesn't appear to be any surface damage or major bends. The cable is twelve years old from the time the house was built. <Q> Don't use a cable that doesn't have a grounding conductor would be the main rule for re-using what you'd find in a residential setting. <S> Re-use becomes more of an issue when you get into classified locations, such as medical facilities and other commercial areas. <S> You wouldn't be able to re-use <S> a bunch of MC (metal clad) cable where HCFC (hospital care facility cable) <S> is now required - but you're not likely to run into those situations in a residential setting. <S> If it's the right type of cable, just test it: <S> Are the conductors stiff and brittle? <S> Is any bonding that used to be in the assembly still there, and in good shape? <S> Is the exterior obviously stressed, or showing signs of damage from smoke or water? <S> ... <S> don't use it :) <S> Otherwise, you should be fine. <S> Still, even if it looks / tests fine - consider replacing it if it's over 15 years old. <S> You need not waste it, Romex has oodles of uses out of the wall (it's great for tying up/down all kinds of stuff, for instance). <A> I went ahead and re-used the cable. <S> There have been no issues so far but I may pull it back out and just go ahead and use new cable. <S> Once I started installing the outlet I noticed that the plastic surrounding the solid wires was drying out and becoming brittle. <S> The coating could easily crack when you bent the wires back into the box. <S> Not sure if this is an issue all cable shows after 10+ years or if this is particularly low quality romex.. <A> Yes, all good answers, but most importantly, why would you want to? <S> Romex is the LEAST expensive electrical installation possible. <S> Your existing Romex has been energized & in use for 12 years. <S> Every time that you turn on a light (power outlet) or use power from a receptacle (power outlet), you are heating up those conductors, so you are planning on re-using cabling which has already LOST 12 years of its useful life not to mention if any of the existing Romex had steel staples installed <S> then you had "pinchpoints" that intensify the heat at each attachment point - the reason our company policy requires only plastic Romex staples <S> - you never want a linear metal source crossing perpendicular to the wire pathway (plastic staples have metal nails that are on either side or parallel to the cable, which is OK). <S> Unfortunately, residential electrical workers are NOT electricians & haven't worked in higher voltages where problems show up quicker. <S> Lower voltage problems are not as apparent since it takes a longer passage of time for the troubles to surface, but the problems are still there. <S> Our company policy doesn't allow us to re-use breakers or wire since we have no way of knowing <S> how heat-stressed the equipment/ item already was. <S> Old Romex is excellent to be used for tying ladder onto racks & for temporary lighting for construction, otherwise it is dumpster fodder. <S> Don't be penny:pound foolish. <A> You can reuse almost any electrical component (NOT stab connectors!). <S> You are required to check for that (110.12). <S> It's lived inside a wall, it should look pretty much new. <S> If it doesn't, shuck it, go get $2-3/lb for the shiny copper at the scrap man, and buy new.
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Also metal staples can damage the old Romex or perhaps it was bent past the minimum radius list per NEC and now you might be bending it against the grain of the previous bend which incurs metal fatigue & wire failure. No, nothing is wrong with re-using cable and cable assemblies that are listed and approved provided that they are in working order and still permissible for new construction in the location that you intend to use them . However, give the stuff a close inspection looking for any flaws or defects, and make sure it performs like new material.
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What are the steps for pouring more cement around metal fence posts that are leaning? When the wooden fence was built, they used metal posts but only filled the 2' hole with one bag of concrete. The posts are leaning at about a 25 degree angle. I want to dig out the hole again, then add another bag of concrete to each post. My question is, will this work? or do I need to drill holes in the existing concrete and put in a few pieces for rebar to "marry" the new concrete to the old? <Q> I live in a "high wind area" and you don't need to go with deeper holes. <S> I think your 30" depth is adequate and the size of the hole is more than adequate for a 6' fence. <S> The problem is that you need to pour a concrete "collar" at the top of the hole. <S> I'd dig out the dirt backfill down to the concrete at the bottom of the hole. <S> (I'm assuming the metal fence post is partially encased in the concrete at the bottom of the post hole.) <S> Then, I'd fill the hole up with crushed rock to the point that about 1 bag of concrete would fill the balance of the hole...creating a collar at the top of the post hole. <A> 25 degrees, that's huge! <S> If you go with the concrete method, no need to drill holes, however ... <S> Quicker and more robust than pouring more cement <S> : dig out the top 12" inches around each post attach a 2' length of ground-contact pressure-treated 2x8 to the post a couple inches below grade, using, for example, 5/16" U-bolts if the post is pipe. <S> The 2x8 needs to be eyeball parallel to the fence. <S> back fill a couple inches at a time, compacting it as you go. <S> Gravel would help, particularly on the lee side relative to prevailing winds or current lean, but is not necessary. <S> Going deeper per @BMitch would help if done right (it'd certainly help on a new install), but again not necessary assuming they are currently deeper than the frostline. <A> if the hole is mostly empty, but there is in fact still hole above the concrete, you could just use fence foam. <S> http://can.sika.com/en/group/News/Sika_Post_Fix.html <S> it works really well and its moron proof
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I guess you could fill the post hole up with concrete, but you have rather large holes and that could be expensive.
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How to add indicator on a light switch to indicate the outdoor 3-way light is on? Have some carriage lights outside my garage that can be turned on from inside the house. It's common that the switch will get flipped and the lights will stay on when they're not wanted. Is there some way I can add an indicator to the light switch so I can know if the light is on? Note: the carriage lights are on a 3 way switch. <Q> You need one or two 3-way switches with pilot lights. <S> These are also called 3-way switches, illuminated ON. <S> Some have an illuminated toggle , some are decorative style and some have a separate light . <S> These are examples (not that none of the ones shown below are actually 3 way switches) <S> These switches generally need a neutral wire at both switches. <S> Conventional unlighted switches do not need a neutral. <S> They also need three wires (other than neutral) running between the switches. <S> If you only want the pilot light in one location, you still need two 3-way switches, but only the lit one needs a neutral. <A> You may need an extra wire between switches <S> Normal three-way switch <S> Three-way switch with pilot light Ignore that the incoming power is from different sides in these diagrams. <A> Based on your situation I would offer a three way dimmer switch . <S> I have these in my basement and they work great <S> and they are relatively cheap. <S> You can see if the light is on from each location. <S> Both locations can control the dimming, although one location is the master and shows the exact dimming amount. <S> So on the slave switch you will just see a green light if it is on or nothing if it is off. <S> For the master you will see which level the dimming is on. <S> If you already have a three way switch configuration you are good to go. <A> What you are looking for is a switch with a pilot light. <S> Not to be confused with a lighted switch ( they typically illuminate when off <S> so you can find it in the dark). <S> They are available at most big box stores or your local hardware store. <S> It mounts in a standard box but the switch moves from side to side versus up and down. <S> Most use a duplex outlet cover plate. <S> The switch is in one of the holes and the indicator light is in the other. <S> I have them installed on my attic and basement switches.
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Another way you could go here if your lights are on at the same time every night is a 3 way timer .
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How do I temporarily remove section of vinyl fence? I am repairing a shed that's next to a vinyl fence. I would like to temporarily remove a section of the vinyl fence, but I can't find a good way to remove it. Here's the picture of the fence, and a picture of inside of the fence post. I notice the plastic is molded so it goes easily into the post but not out of it. Is it simple as squeezing the plastic and pulling out? I face a lot of resistance when I try this, which makes me question if there's a better way or a tool to help. <Q> In the picture of the interior, you can see the locking wedges (lugs) that hold the horizontal beams in the posts. <S> If you just pull out, the raised edge of the lug will prevent it. <S> One approach is to place a putty knife (or some other thin metal blade, not too sharp) inside the post, parallel to the beam, covering the lug and angled into the seam of the post's cutout. <S> If there are two lugs, you need on on each side. <S> The cutout should flex and let the lug pass. <S> You made need to cut down small putty knives to fit inside the post. <S> This assumes you have some starting point to move one of the beams horizontally. <A> Putty knifes work <S> but if you are taking down more than one or two rails use a multitool. <S> The blade will quickly and cleanly cut off the tab that is sticking out. <S> You can then replace the rail and put one white screw at each end to hold the rail in place. <S> I have just removed 45 rails, the first 9 with a putty knife and the rest with the multitool. <S> 1 hour for the first 9, 1.5 hours for the next 36. <A> The are merely cutouts in the material, as opposed to molded to the rail. <S> If you can not access the tabs, as another writer indicated, you can use C-clamps to squeeze the material enough to put the rail out of the post. <S> Realize, if done correctly, each rail should be 16' long, alternating so that they do not break on the same post, so there should be one post in the middle of a rail that you will not have to deal with tabs, until you try to slide the post off. <A> I know this is an older post but wanted to provide and alternative way to push in the tab on a vinyl fence for other looking for alternatives. <S> I had the same problem. <S> I could not get the tabs depressed enough to pull out the fence rail <S> so I made a “U” shaped tool that slides over the rail inside the fence post to push in the tabs. <S> I found it easier and quicker <S> then fishing a metal shim or putty knife. <S> There is a YouTube how to video I made. <S> Search for “Fence rail Tab Fork” it should come up. <S> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h38gzaKz_Vg <A> For others trying to remove a section of vinyl fence, I looked down into a post, and it has a screw driven down into each horizontal beam to keep it from moving out of the slot, instead of a tab, as described above. <S> I didn't see a screw in the bottom beam, so I suspect that they drove it in prior to setting the post in place, so it's not accessible from above, dang it. <S> Now I need to figure out if the posts come out....
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I just dismantled a vinyl fence with horizontal rails (yard fence) and if your fortunate to have the tabs exposed (e.g. pushed through other side of the post) you can use vise grips or channel lock pliers to bend the tabs back in.
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Priming new wall before wallpaper Simple question: Should a new wall be primed before applying wallpaper? Or can I just do it over finished drywall. <Q> Please yes! <S> I am literally 90% done doing a complete remodel of my house. <S> Other than the aluminum wiring that I have replaced the #1 biggest stupid thing I have dealt with is the 20 (no exaggeration) <S> different types of wallpaper put on the house in 1967 during the custom build. <S> Out of the 20 only 3-4 types (2 specific rooms) had primer. <S> Those two rooms took like 20 mins a piece to get the wallpaper down with very little repairing. <S> In the rooms without primer, I often looked back and thought it might have been easier to rip drywall out and start over - it was that bad. <S> So please prime first. <S> If not for you in a few years, for the next home owners. <A> A good wall paper primer for drywall is simply diluted wall paper glue. <S> The package of good wall paper glue should instruct you on how to use it as a primer. <A> I gave an up vote on "Yes, please prime", because I too have spent many hours scraping wallpaper off unprimed drywall. <S> American tastes went though some tough times in the 60's and 70's with wallpaper. <S> (Remember the DIAGONAL PHASE?). <S> If your tastes ever change, it will be much easier to get off. <S> Drywall primer also helps with positioning and keeping the seams glued down instead of curling up.
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Yes, you should use wall paper primer on drywall, because otherwise the drywall will suck up too much of the glue and the wall paper will not stick well, and you will have to use more glue.
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How do I fix my "OLD" glass door knobs? In my 100+ year old house, every interior door is made of solid wood. Their locksets have glass knobs connected by a square threaded rod which actuates the latch. I have found replacement parts at hardware stores, however they have lasted only a couple of months. Is there a way to install a modern knob in one of these doors? <Q> Three options: Buy vintage glass knobs and shafts. <S> These are widely traded on eBay as of this writing at about $40/pair. <S> If it survived 50 years in a different house, chances are it was well made. <S> Buy better quality reproduction glass knobs. <S> The item you pictured is looks like plated brass. <S> Get the solid brass stuff for more money. " <S> The cheap stuff is about $35, the good stuff more like $45 a pair. <S> These won't break, even with a hammer. <S> If you get glass knobs DO NOT OVER-TIGHTEN THE SHAFT. <S> It will contact the back of the glass knob and break it. <S> Mark <S> the depth of the shaft before threading! <S> Tighten your set screws properly. <S> Tighten set screws so they hit the flat, not the angles, of each shaft. <S> If the turning pressure is too high take the lock apart and find the problem (lubrication is optional, but chances are a spring is jammed in the works or something is bent). <S> These locks are simple to take apart. <S> The extra effort to use vintage is worth it: the house likely won't look right with modern knobs. <S> See also Fixing vintage glass doorknobs with loose glass to brass connection <A> You can easily install modern locks into an old door, but that would be an awful thing to do, in my opinion. <S> It would really not look appropriate in an old house. <S> Check eBay, craigslist and local flea markets - you can easily find old mortise lock parts(often in big lots) <S> Sometimes it might even be new old stock. <S> Those parts would be of much higher quality than the crap they sell nowadays. <S> I'm actually in process of doing pretty much the same thing in my old house. <S> At some point one of the previous owners installed hollow core 6 panel doors throughout(not only they don't even deserve to be called doors IMO, but also they absolutely don't match the house style) <S> I sourced some reclaimed solid 1 3/4 doors and have been installing them instead. <S> So far I've had good luck finding appropriate vintage mortise lock sets on eBay. <A> To answer your question, yes you can install modern knobs. <S> DeWalt sells a kit that I have used with great success, and it is really simple (albeit messy). <S> https://www.dewalt.com/products/accessories/hole-saws-and-mandrels/sets/door-lock-installation-kit/d180004 <S> (source: blackanddecker.com )
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House of Antique Hardware" ( http://www.houseofantiquehardware.com/ ) can get you set up just fine. Get reproduction or vintage cast iron or steel knobs.
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Is it OK for OSB3 boards to get wet during construction? In the UK it rains, as you know. a lot. Is it OK for OSB3 boarding to get wet now and then during the construction of a building? or will it be completely destroyed like chip board or MDF (which absorbs liquid, expands then falls apart) <Q> OSB won't be completely destroyed by water, unlike MDF or similar interior laminate materials; however, like any wood product, it will swell and shrink as it absorbs and releases water, so you should typically avoid more than casual contact with water. <S> If you watch homebuilders putting up a typical light-frame construction home, you'll notice that the framing lumber and OSB are typically delivered on pallets wrapped with Tyvek or similar "moisture barrier"; the wood is allowed to "breathe" and so to acclimate to ambient humidity, but the covering is impervious to liquid water like rain. <S> You'll also notice that the roof of the house is sheathed, papered and shingled as soon as the frame is developed enough to support it, and if the crew is caught in a sudden downpour while the roof is going up, they'll drape and tie tarps over any section of the roof that hasn't at least gotten a layer of tar paper. <S> This is all to protect the OSB; the framing lumber, while it doesn't benefit from getting rained on, is much more water-tolerant, as long as the lumber is allowed to dry out completely after a good soaking before it's closed in by walls and vapor barriers. <S> Once the roof is up, the next priority is the outer side walls, again primarily OSB, and which nowadays also get a layer of Tyvek as soon as they're up even if the final exterior siding isn't put in place for days or weeks after. <A> The brochures I've read suggest that OSB3 is designed for humid conditions rather than wet conditions. <S> OSB3 should be covered and fully protected from the elements. <A> This is a liability choice to avoid misunderstandings. <S> We have had OSB 3, also in horizontal orientation, exposed to rain for at least 4 months. <S> Even puddles were forming and deliberately ignored by us. <S> Our 1100 m3 project has survived 3 heavy storms thus far and shows no signs of giving up soon. <S> The reasoning by our structural engineer was as follows: <S> OSB3 retains it's structural properties if it does not let loose layers more than 1 or 2. <S> If deeper strands go loose then it is time to replace because water has found its way in and was not able to breathe out quick enough for what ever reason. <S> Or if the osb 3 panel expands by more than 10 % then caution is needed, 15% expansion and the panel should be deemed to have no more contribution to structural calculations. <S> Always consider the guidelines from the manufacturer to be on the cautious side when looking for warranty enabling advise. <S> However a well seasond structural engineer probably knows how far one can stress wel produced osb3
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OSB 3 is classified as resistant to humid conditions.
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Is it safe to convert a candelabra base in my ceiling fan to a medium base for use with larger CFL's? I have a ceiling fan with 3 candelabra sockets. The lighting from the incandescent bulbs is terrible. I have these 27 watt bulbs that fit a medium socket. I want to use this type of adapter. Given the following images, is it safe to use 3 x 27 watt bulbs with this fixture? (Can I use up to 40w per socket?) I am also OK with removing the glass bowl to make this work, I just want to make sure this is safe! The Caution reads as follows:Caution: To reduce the risk of fire re-lamp 40wx3 TYPE B 10.5 MAX. The individual sockets say MAX 40W on a sticker but the other side of the socket it says 75W 125V (Why the discrepancy?) : <Q> You need to adhere to the most restrictive labeling, the 40wx3. <S> Since you are using 27wx3, you are OK. <S> The 75w limit is for the socket base only. <S> It can handle 75w, but the rest of the fixture cannot. <S> Be aware that 81 watts of fluorescent light is WAY more than the 120 watts of incandescent. <S> If 120 watts was adequate, this could be overkill. <S> There are various CFLs available in a range of light output, so you should be able to find an appropriate output. <S> Another consideration is weight. <S> Some CFLs are rather heavy, and that weight cantilevered out by the adapter <S> adds significant leverage on a socket only intended to support a small candelabra lamp. <S> Multiplied by the fan vibrations, this could be an issue. <S> Carefully evaluate how sturdy the sockets are mounted before proceeding with this change over. <S> And of course there is no way the bowl will fit over this sort of configuration. <S> You will have the joy of everyone being able to see your handiwork :) <A> If it is just the glare or light color of the incandescent bulbs that you do not like, consider 40 watt equivalent candelabra <S> CFLs like these <S> If you need higher wattage, there are 60 watt equivalent versions, but I have not seen them with the bullet shape of most conventional candelabra bulbs. <S> A broader CFL bulb <S> may fit, but you need to check for clearance and the bulb should not be touching any other surface. <S> The wattage in any one fixture should not exceed 40 and 120 overall, but that should not be a problem even with higher wattage CFLS. <A> I agree with the electricity overload answer and wanted to add that CFLs (or LEDs) have a ballast (driver) in them that may not shut off completely unless you have a mechanical switch - like the wall switch or a pull-chain. <S> Not all fan remote cut the power - they just increase resistance enough to make an incandescent or halogen bulb go out - <S> your CFL or LEDs may still glow when off or buzz at any brightness. <S> BTW, there are special switches with electronic noise filtering for CFLs or LEDs. <S> As for your actual Q: just do not exceed the wattage output for your CFL, you will be fine. <S> This translates to heat that can scorch the fan with incandescent or halogen bulbs. <A> If you consider using CFLs make sure you use dimmable ones if the light in the fan is on a dimmer circuit. <S> Note that some CFL bulbs that are listed as dimmable do not work well on some dimmer circuits (flicker). <S> Hit and miss sometimes.
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You will be OK as far as not overloading electrically.
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What curtain pole for a bay window? I have a bay window similar to the 1st photo below. When I moved in this house, there was a curved curtain rail system and 3 separate pieces of curtain for the 3 windows of the bay. As it was very fragile and seemingly broken I removed all of this. Now I would need a solution to replace it, but I'm really not sure where to start. What would be the easiest solution, wood or metal, for such a bay window (the only condition is that the curtain must follow the shape of the window)? <Q> There are standard curtain rods for bay windows such as this one <S> There is also no reason you cannot use three rods, placed close to one another, one for each window. <A> For two curtains not three, I think metal is easier (three curtains tends to block more light in day time, and probably harder to avoid gaps at night). <S> Bay windows vary a bit, and I've seen two systems that seem fairly flexible to different designs and sizes of window: <S> Metal track that you bend over your knee to match the angle on your window (you can find videos on youtube demonstrating this). <S> These are quite rigid, smooth running and fairly quiet. <S> Because the track is easy to bend by design though, they need quite a few supporting brackets, which some people might find ugly (especially the "double" ones designed for two sets of curtains running in parallel). <S> Metal pole and flexible joint systems. <S> Unbranded parts based on 28mm diameter poles are readily available in the UK. <S> For a 3-section bay, you'd get three metal poles, cut them to size with a hacksaw, and join them with the standard flexible joints designed for this purpose. <S> Wherever the C-rings need to run past, use the C-shaped brackets. <S> The C rings are usually metallic in appearance but may be made of plastic to reduce noise. <S> Some notes: <S> Depending on the window structure, you may find you have little room for enough overlap of curtain past the window edge to avoid a small gap at the sides. <S> To get the curtain to stick to the wall to cover the gap, I used a ring magnet attached to the wall with a screw through the hole, one on each side (a Neodymium magnet 10 or 20 mm in diameter and a few mm thick has around the right force for this if the curtains are a mm or so thick). <S> I sewed the steel "keepers" that came with the magnets into the curtains. <S> You may also find you don't have room for 'finials' or certain end bracket designs. <S> Consider curtain length: if longer than window, will it drape oddly if the sill projects further than the pole/rail brackets? <S> This might determine the choice of brackets, though it's probably easier just to pick short curtains that stop just above the sill. <A> While the rigid track systems are probably a better choice, you can also get flexible plastic curtain tracks that you simply bend to the right shape. <S> Once installed, the clips on the wall hold it to the right shape. <S> This is likely to be a lot cheaper and more forgiving than the metal track alternatives (if you don't measure accurately for instance). <S> We've used something similar in the past and it tended to fall off the wall if the gliders got stuck but possibly a better quality one of the same type would have worked better. <S> The one linked above has good reviews despite the low price <S> so maybe we were just unlucky or didn't fit it quite right.
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You can get "C rings" and brackets with C-shaped supports that allow the "rings" to pass over the brackets, so you can still use 2 curtains instead of 3.
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