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bedroom door will not close after hinges werre changed my son kicked his bedroom from the inside and the hinges were bent forward. I changed the hinges and now the door doesn't close there is a 1/4 in between the hinges when you close the door. I just try to do things myself but I wanted to see if anyone has some sugge... | Make certain the hinges are exactly in the door and jamb mortises (recess for the hinge).
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What is the correct way to seal/flash coolant lines through T1-11 siding? Our contractor installed an AC compressor and did a poor job of it. He ran the AC coolant lines through the middle of the wall and then just squirted some expanding foam into the hole, like so: (Click images for larger views.) What is the co... | Use tape to cover areas you do not want caulked, poly caulk is contrary, but it cleans up with paint thinner... The "vent" entrance method would only work on a raised foundation structure, the home in your picture appears to be built on a concrete slab.
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Why is my bathroom fan completely ineffective? I just moved into my first home, and the bathroom fan is 100% ineffective. I can hear the motor run when I turn it on, and I remember going into the attic with the home inspector and tracing a flexible duct from the fan fixture out to a port on the side of the house. The f... | Take the box down, remembering or marking its position on the ceiling, & remove the fan-box from the vent hose or duct to visually inspect for a clog of some sort. I remove the motors from mine every few years and scrape the thick layer of gunk off them, which makes the blades round and not nearly as effective.
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What type of glue can be used to stick aluminium to plastic? I want a glue to stick aluminium to plastic. One of the plastic feet of my Macbook Pro keeps falling off. The body is aluminium and the foot is plastic. I have tried gluing it back on with cyanoacrylate glue (aka superglue) and it falls off a few weeks later.... | If I was using a glue, my general go-to is West System epoxy with collodial silica filler for flexibility.
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how can I convert my AC under kitchen cabinet lights to LED lights? Under my kitchen cabinets I currently have 120 volt AC florescent lighting. I want to replace these lights with brighter LED strip lighting, which typically is run using 24v DC current. The lights currently are turned on using a central single-pole s... | Dimmable line-level LEDs are available.
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How to fill a hole in the living room? There is the circular hole in the floor in my living room near radiator which leads to a relatively big space underground! If I want to judge using my eyes,I think the size is around 50cm/1.5feet depth and 30cm/1 foot width and 30cm/1 foot length. I think a mouse entered my house ... | I'd shove the cavity full of newspaper to support some new concrete in the hole. Use some construction adhesive to hold it in place and it should keep bugs and mice out. If you see some pipe down there but no valve, your probably safe to fill it. Stuff steel wool around the hole and fill it in with spray foam, which wi... |
Better way to fit wires in electrical boxes? So in pretty much every video I watch with installing a ceiling light or fan they just sort of 'stuff' all the wired pigtails up in the box. Is there a better way to do this? maybe it's my distrust of wire caps/connectors? I always feel like that seems sorta hazardous...or ... | If you want to take it a step further, you can ziptie them together once the nut is on and tested, and then use electrical tape after that to seal the bottom of the nut. There are certainly different ways to do this. For junctions in walls or ceiling voids there are similar junction boxes with built-in connectors.
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How do you remove a really stuck shower diverter spout? My bathtub's shower diverter spout leaks when it's in shower mode, so I'd like to replace it. It's the screw-on type. Trouble is, it's stuck tight. I've applied a lot of torque (counter-clockwise) with a pair of channel-locks and it simply won't budge. I'm worried... | A grinder would be a good way to go about it.
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How can I lock a sliding door that doesn't have a door lock? I don't know if this question constitutes a home improvement or life hack but I'll ask here first. We live downstairs for my wife's parents in Japan. My wife's mother occasional invades downstairs. She changes around things- this infuriates my somewhat contro... | They make little clamp on sliding window locks that might work.
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Can I use a non-standard design for a stairwell ceiling cutout in an old house? I am designing the framing for a stairwell in an 1870's cottage, which is presenting a few extra constraints. What seems to be the standard approach throws up a couple of additional issues, and I'm not sure if my solution has any weaknesses... | It's OK to do something unusual that's structurally sound, but that determination needs to be made by a structural engineer or other qualified expert. The "correct" and responsible thing to do, is to seek the advice of a trained professional. Don't worry about saving a pitiful 25mm here & another 25mm there on the ceil... |
Should I use spray foam to insulate a basement? Home in CT cape w/ uninsulated basement. Its a cold, not drafty house, with new Marvin integrity windows. The basement is very cold, and it seems like the cold basement is making the rest of the house difficult to heat( forced air). So I'm considering insulating the basem... | These foam boards are easier to finish too since they're flat and straight, so you can lay drywall right over them, fastened to the block walls underneath with Tapcon screws. If you choose to finish the basement, use the same approach and avoid moisture-sensitive materials in the bottom few feet just in case the baseme... |
Loose wire caused significant blackening in plug. How much do I need to inspect/replace? The cable coming out of my dishwasher ends in an L5 plug of the type that has screw terminals inside for attaching wires. In my continuing quest to inspect all the accessible electrical connections in my new house due to the numb... | The heat was caused by a loose connection that was arcing. Make sure your box has a clamp to secure the wire. But I'd say you should install a GFCI there instead of hard wiring it, and here's why: The dishwasher and disposal both are obviously going to be in contact with a lot of water which (if they break) could leak ... |
Tongue and groove floorboards - which way up? I bought some tongue and groove floorboards. I noticed the tongues and grooves were not centered in the edge but were offset. ┌───────────────────────────────────────────┐ ┌─┘ ┌─┘ └─┐ ... | If nails will be driven through the entire board (not the groove), I'd put the thicker lip up for better durability.
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What type of electrical box do I use for a hard-wired smoke detector? I am considering adding hard-wired smoke detectors to my house. Due to other in-process remodeling projects and the structure of the house, I have access to get behind the drywall at each location that needs a detector so this would be a relatively e... | Just as the other answers have said an "old work" box or "cut-in" box work well for this application as it doesn't require any attachment to a structural member of any kind. As far as smoke detectors are concerned the only factors to take into consideration are access to the box for mounting purposes and wire fill.
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Safe to remove entry stairwall? We have a split entry that is minuscule with stairs heading either up or down and a tiny landing. I would like to remove the wall separating the up from the downstairs (it may be the only wall that the stairs are attached to as one side of the stairway is a brick wall) and make the entry... | While these walls may not have a lot of bearing on the structural integrity of the stairwell they may have bearing on the rooms above and below the stairwell. This is a very difficult question to answer without pictures or plans to look at. My best recommendation would be to have a licensed framing carpenter come in an... |
How safe is it to plug in an extension cord that has a missing ground pin in to a GFCI outlet? I know it will still provide power and such but what are the potential safety hazards? <Q> Actually, it's not that dangerous at all. <S> If you're going to use an ungrounded extension cord (which is not recommended), pluggi... | A GFCI should prevent you from being electrocuted, if you happen to come into contact with an energized portion of the circuit or device. So if you have 3-prong outlets everywhere you plug this in, I'd put a 3-prong plug on the cord.
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Can I take a 220 line and convert it to a regular house outlet what would be the damage? I have a electric 220 dryer hook up in my kitchen now I want to convert it over to use for a higher grade power supply for my microwave blender and toaster without converting Any wires or touching the fuse box, is this possible ? ... | If the box/connection has 4 wires, I'd make the changes in the circuit breaker box necessary to remove the 220v breaker and replace it with two 120v single pole breakers. This becomes unwise if the dryer is a "3-Prong" device (no ground.) A local licensed Electrician should be able to do it for you. The work necessary ... |
Best way to fix an uneven floor We have an uneven floor that when we first moved in tried to repair but were unsuccessful. The root of the problem is a foundation slab which is uneven. We could not even it because there is an unevenness between two walls and did not want to try to mess with slab under the walls. So ... | Then finish off with a cementitious underlayment to get a smooth even top, possibly self leveling although not necessary. If you didn't do the floor then shame-shame-shame on the installers for not fixing this. If you recently bought the home, the seller probably had a legal duty to inform you of this. Make sure to mak... |
Drain hose of washing machine too low? I just bought a front load washing machine and installed it. The plumbers in our bldg. installed the incoming water hose and the drain hose to the wall. Problem is that when the washing machine drains, the water overflows or comes out of the hole where the drain hose is inserted. ... | Start by installing a P-trap into that pipe in the wall.
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Can p-trap be installed inside wall? I have a new vanity I am installing in my guest bathroom. The current drain height is the same height as a storage shelf below my sink and does not allow the vanity to sit flush against the wall. Code says (i think) the weir at the exit of the p-trap must be continually downward s... | I think it's recommend to have an accessible trap, but I don't think it's code required.
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How can I dry out our attic and prevent mold? What is the best way to dry out our attic. While putting away Christmas deco I noticed black mold on the ceiling. We don't have the money to pay a professional to get rid of it. And with the cold weather it isn't drying. We stopped using the bathroom vent which put the mois... | You may have already removed its source of moisture and depending on how much there is it may die off on its own. As ArchonOSX mentioned, you can spray bleach solution on the mold. The better solution to prevent mold growth while saving energy is to use rock wool or other kinds of insulation materials for attic insulat... |
How to remove what I think is a screw head caught in a waste disposal I have a waste disposal, and what looks like a screw head, which is jammed in the waste disposal unit (an Insinkerator 55 if it matters). This means as the machine is turned on, it makes a banging noise as the 'blades' hit it. I'd like to remove t... | I used a flathead to loosen around the screw just prying.
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Is there any way to change this light bulb? (no socket I guess) My ceiling lamp died. Is there any way that I can change this light bulb?The white wires are soldered into the ballast inside the box. The ballast also is wired to pins connect to the bulb. So I guess I have to change the whole thing, both bulb and the bal... | Have a helper hold the bulb as it may become loose. There are pins in the underside that are gripped by a receptacle in the fitting.
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Changing fluorescent tube: how many degrees to turn? I have a broken fluorescent tube (housing is intact, but it flickers instead of lighting up properly) that I have to change (bottommost type in the image). I can turn it about 20 degrees, but it does not come off easily. Is there a rule (of thumb) on how many deg... | Rotate the tube 90 degrees so they align with the slot and pull out.
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Ontario kitchen reno: does a gas range require a 240V 50A receptacle? I've been getting conflicting opinions from electricians on this issue... I'm doing a kitchen reno. I have removed the existing electric wall oven and gas cooktop. A new Gas Range (all gas, not dual-fuel) will be installed near where the old gas ... | A receptacle of CSA Configuration 14-50R, as shown in Diagram 1, shall be installed at a suitable location in every single dwelling and in every dwelling unit of an apartment or similar multi-dwelling building for supplying electric energy to an electric range. section 26 of the OEC requires no 240v outlet where a buil... |
Is marijuana worse for your house than tobacco? I live in Oregon, USA, and the state has recently legalized marijuana. I have a tenant who smokes daily. I've visited a few times and the home always smells of pot. I know how tobacco smoke can permeate a house. To be rid of tobacco smell you must pull out carpets, se... | That being said, many pot smokers mix in some tobacco, in which case, it will smell just as tobacco does. I think some things you need to think about are: that most tobacco smokers try to air out their house.
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Hot water temp in shower/tub fluctuates I live in a condo that has 13 units in two buildings and am the president of the board. A few months ago we had a new water pump installed in our boiler room. Shortly after that all three units in my tier of the building experienced hot water fluctuations in the shower. The water... | Your plumber is right... or his test was successful in identifying the problem. Definitely sounds like cold water crossing over into the hot water loop.
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What exactly is pitch in terms of nuts and bolts? Today I needed a nut and washer to hold my bike tire. I had one nut already which I was able to lock on there with a 15mm socket & ratchet. So I figured this meant that the nut must be a 15mm and a 15mm washer, if that makes sense? I only had one nut and washer so I too... | However nuts and bolts are designated by the diameter of the hole in the nut, not the size across the outside flat faces. The other necessary measure is the pitch which identifies the number of threads per inch.
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Method to catch multiple mice? I have a mouse problem in my house. I have put out mouse traps and they have been mostly successful. Five mice have been caught within a week. My predicament is that there are still mice and I would like a method that I can use to catch multiple mice with the same trap so I don't have to ... | If you want to kill the mice, put some antifreeze (or other poison) in the bucket.
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Basement Bathroom Plumbing - Rough in Backwater Valve I am trying to figure out how in the world to frame this basement bathroom. As you can see from the image, there is a backwater valve that would end up right in the middle of the room. I know that code requires access to this valve and most basement rough ins have... | Generally, you should be able to move your backwater valve as close as you want to the pump, so long as you can access it for cleaning it out.
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Should you chamfer CPVC pipe before gluing? In know that PVC should be chamfered and even lightly sanded before gluing for better insertion on the fitting (and probably some other reason). What about CPVC, a manual told me to just cut, apply glue and insert the pipe into the fitting keeping pressure. No sanding, no ch... | I can't see any advantage to chamfering the ends of PVC pipe, before applying glue and inserting it into the fitting (elbow, tee, coupling, valve, etc.)
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Cleaning large amounts of cat urine from an occupied house? In a fit of altruism, I adopted five stray cats over a period of time. They came with some problems, which I expected, but two in particular have started something new: Urinating everywhere. It's like a contest. Floors, walls, cabinets, furniture, appli... | My suggestion is to get a quality UV light (careful, cheap flashlight units don't work well) and some good enzymatic cleaner and soak all the current stains. There's plenty of advice out there for trying to save your smelly carpet; mine is to toss it.
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How to prevent mold in stored joint compound Joint compound comes in larger containers than I need. I have had this problem for years where storing opened but unused joint compound leads to mold growth, usually starting within a week or two. I'd like this to not happen, or at least extend it to months or years, so I do... | In truth, mold spores are ubiquitous in this world and will grow anywhere under proper conditions, i.e. continually moist conditions. If the lid for the bucket doesn't have a rubber seal place a plastic trash bag on the rim of the bucket and seal tightly with a mallet.
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using two oven in one outlet I have two ovens. One is 20 amp at 240 V and Second is 30 amp at 240V. And I have one 240 V 50 amp outlet hook up to one circuit. Would this be sufficient enough to run two ovens without overheating the wire and overload the circuit breaker? I been told the 1 circuit could handle two ap... | In that case, or if you just want to overdesign it, you could install a 30A breaker and 30A outlet on the existing wire run, and pull a second wire run of 10 gauge, connect that to a 20A outlet and a 20A breaker. Derating is not permitted when one branch circuit supplies two ovens and no cooktop. So you'll have to size... |
What's required to wire a repurposed cooktop in my shed? A friend gave me a stovetop that was separate from the oven which burnt out.The two pieces were inserted into cabinets .I want to hook up the stove top in my shed for cooking. Its the type that has all the knobs built into the top.The problem is that theres only ... | Based on the above information & the distance from your cooktop to your electrical power, you will need to get the proper cabling.
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Caulk or Grout the base of a toilet? I recently re-tiled my bathroom floor and removed the toilet to do so. I noticed that the builders had used grout around the base of the toilet when I was removing it and demoing the tile. Should I use grout or caulk around the base of the toilet? I've read some things that would su... | Code requires toilets to be caulked at the floor, that, IMO is a mistake.
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Is this a drain cover or an electrical outlet cover? Can anyone tell whether this is a drain cover or an electrical outlet cover? Former homeowners converted a garage to a family room ~20 years ago including extensive water drainage reorientation. The room appears to have been carpeted at one time. Photo shows a 5+11... | It's hard to say, but looks like an outlet to me. Most likely the center cap is covering the outlet and the outer screws are there to hold everything on.
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Red wire to green? Old electric wiring circa 1949 to new dimmer I installed a lighting fixture in the hall, running off an older fixture. It worked fine with the existing switches. Then I wanted to replace one of the two old switches (circa 1949) with a dimmer (lamps are dimmable LEDs). When I took out the old switch,... | When you connected the red wire to the green on the new dimmer, the circuit was being shorted to ground when you flipped the other switch and the breaker would trip.
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Ramset nails not flush with basement frame wall I built my first wall in my basement when I started to frame and I bought the Ramset MasterShot 0.22 gun from Home Depot and read up on everything and when I used it to nail my treated 2x4 to the cement the nails don't seem to go down all the way. Here is a picture of h... | If your framing is done right these nails should provide nothing more than bump resistance for the wall.
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How to Lower the Ouptut of Oversized Furnace Questions I would like to lower the output capacity of my furnace if possible. How can I do this? Is it worth doing, or should I just live with it? Is there an easy way? Some ideas: replace burner nozzles with smaller nozzles, replace burner with smaller burner if this exis... | So I would say if you are having high limit issues, have the fan side of the a-coil cleaned and check for a crack in the exchanger by simply removing the high limit switch and inspecting the heat exchanger for cracks, which is pretty common on over-sized furnaces.
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Why would three-way switch travelers both show as hot? We have a three-way switch setup to control our living room light. Our staircase is on the far wall of our living room and one switch is downstairs while the other is at the top of the stairs. The last owner of the home 'completely rewired' the house as it used to ... | Then toggle the (#1) switch and identify another HOT wire at box (#2). If it was wired with knob and tube originally, it's possible that the 3 way switch was old enough to be wired as "Carter 3-way": Image from Popular Mechanics, October, 1971 I've run into this a couple times, although in all the times I've seen it th... |
measuring electricity on a shared circuit I live in a flat above a business and my utilities are all shared with the business. I need to measure my electricity usage so I can reimburse the business. I do not need to measure the gas. Can I plug in or installone meter to measure all my usage? Do I need to put a power use... | If you have a fuseboard for your flat then you just have to monitor the incoming cable. For larger items (shared air conditioning for example) - work out an average use and negotiate for a % of the monthly bill.
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Wall on subfloor is load bearing or not? So I want to remove a wall dividing my kitchen and dining room. It is full height, so it could be load bearing. The floor joists under it run in parallel to the wall, which leads me to think it is not load bearing. The joists above it (i.e. the 2nd floor) run parallel to it a... | Running with the joists though really is the great observation, you'll actually be helping the structure by removing the weight of that wall. A bearing wall would not transfer load through plywood, it would always transfer through structural members. If your description is accurate, it doesn't sound like a load bearing... |
Can I run CAT5 cables parallel to low voltage (9v) power cables? The answers to this question clearly state that low voltage and high voltage cables should be kept separate; does this apply to low voltage (9v) power cables and CAT5? The problem: I would like to extend Wi-Fi coverage in my house by using a range exte... | You just cant really use the twisted pairs inside the cat cable, unless you are using PoE devices, which deal with the interfierence.
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Propane gas fireplace pilot won't light I've asked this question before. Now I've posted some pictures as I can't figure out where I should clean. I don't smell propane. I tired lighting manually with a lighter and nothing. I know to turn the valve on, rotate the wheel to pilot. Push in and try igniter. It worked fine... | It is possible moisture in the line has plugged the small orifice or spiders have built a nest in that area.
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Old vinyl flooring stuck to tile Many years ago, I placed vinyl sheet flooring over the tile floor of our bathroom without using adhesive. I simply caulked all the way around the edge. Over time, water got under it and I noticed mildew in one of the corners that was lifting up. When I attempted to remove the vinyl fl... | Water caused the adhesion, and water may remove it as well. Otherwise, I'd look at something fairly mild like wallpaper paste remover first. The clothing iron needs the surface sprayed with water & use it in steam mode to then just move it around in small circles.
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Basement egress through office I have a question that is similar, but different, than: Can I have an office in my basement without egress? I want to finish off my basement as such: My question is, by putting the red walls up, am I closing off an egress for the rest of the basement? Does it matter since there are n... | Since there are no bedrooms in this basement, a single exit from the basement is allowed. So in short it only counts as an emergency exit if it leads directly outside. However the short answer to any code question is always "whatever your local inspector says", since they are the ones that have the final say or not.
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Is it required for effectiveness to stretch interior window film? Thanks in advance! Please let me know if I should provide more specific information, or if this is covered somewhere else. Short version: I am using a Frost King window insulation kit on a window. Can I skip the hairdryer step and still get a good am... | The plastic film can not only eliminate through drafts, but can be installed to reduce convection transfer by trapping a thin layer of air against the glass.
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Why is Easy Sand not suitable as a skim coat? I have Easy Sand 90 joint compound. Its label says not to use it as skim coat. Why can't I use it? <Q> Setting-type joint compounds set by chemical reaction with water. <S> When a very thin coat is applied to unpainted drywall (such as the thin skim coat applied to new dr... | If you ever sanded this type of compound you'd see why it shouldn't be applied in thin layers.
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A gentler way to chase electrical sockets I'm in the process of first-fixing a British 1930's house, and although the vast majority of the electrical chasing is done I'm still having trouble finding a safe method to cut out the brickwork for flush fit sockets. Chasing out runs for the cables is reasonably okay (Using a... | The problem, as you have discovered is the fragile nature of the mortar brickwork. So, that said, you could consider running conduit to surface mounted boxes. If you're set on doing recessed, then you get to patch the wall when you're done.
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Why is my refrigerator's water dispenser so slow? I purchased a home that was vacant for over a year. I replaced the filter, but the water flow was SOOOO slow. It took about 6 minutes to fill up a liter. Also the ice cubes were hallow and wispy. I checked the water pressure going into the unit and it was excellent. ... | So, I took out the water filter, shined a flash light into where the water filter goes, and found some plastic wrapping (trash)...apparently from the nozzle at the end of the water filter that inadvertently didn't get removed before inserting a filter.
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How to run wire through steel garage floor system We are building a carriage house, with a 4 car garage and a basement underneath. The basement has steel I-beams and the metal b-decking that the garage floor is poured on top of as a ceiling. What is the recommended ways of running the electrical along/through/in this... | The common way of doing this is to use conduit and surface mount all boxes. You may also risk cracking your garage floor if the anchors you use are too large/long. Alternatively, you may also be able to use MC (armored cable) wiring, though with a quick search I can't find a specific NEC reference to this, so probably ... |
How do I remove this type of screw/nail (Cadet Heater FWC wall can) I am a newbie. I want to remove Cadet Heater wall can and patch up the drywall but it appears that the wall can is secured by 4 round flat screws on the side. I tried pliers but it's small and round so there is nothing to grab onto. What tool can I use... | Use a pry bar that has a nail puller slot.
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Wall dimmer switch is warm to the touch after leaving the light on - cause for concern? Our house is about 25 years old, though we have lived here less than 2. Our master bath has a dual light switch, one for the main light bar over the sinks and one for the lights above the shower stall and tub. These are both oversi... | Special high wattage dimmers are available, and they even have integrated heat sinks to help dissipate the heat they generate. I would say no, you should not be concerned about the operating temperature if the switches are only warm.
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Can an electric dryer be vented into a garage? So, I have an unheated garage, but it is insulated. It maintains above freezing due to the contact with the house, but it still gets intolerably cold. I've considered routing my electric dryer out there to help keep it a bit warmer. It's not intentional heating, and would ... | The high humidity might not be a huge issue when it's cold outside, but when it warms up, it could lead to mold or other moisture related issues. Here in Ontario, Canada, blocking any possible flow of carbon monoxide from an attached garage to the house proper is a major concern.
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How can I pour a concrete floor/slab with two levels? I am pouring a slab for a concrete floor for an 1800 sq foot house and would like the bathroom area to be about 3/8" lower than the rest so I can tile it and wind up with the floor and seams that are level throughout once the tile is laid in the depressed area. How... | This screed is used to hollow out the low area so that it's finished depth flush with the bottom of the step form -- so the step-forms end up bracing no concrete on their low side. One end of this screed rides on the top of the high-area forms and the end with the notch rides on the top of the forms that define the ste... |
Why am I not getting power to outside outlet? Not getting power to outside outlet but have one outlet that has power on the outside checked the breaker it has not been tripped don't know what to do. How do I fix it to work again? Maybe one month ago I had power, now only my front of the house works and back outside pl... | I would also shut the power off, unscrew the plate, pull out the outlet, turn the power back on and carefully use a voltmeter to see if the black wire is hot (the other lead of your meter to ground).
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Very old, Coleman, through the wall (double sided) mounted gas heater not working My home was built in 1957, I had a new heat pump system put in (which I now hate) 7 years ago. It works fine in the summer, but in winter it doesn't heat the house very well. At the time, I kept the old Coleman, through the wall natural... | Newer wall heaters have what is called 100% safety meaning if the pilot generator is bad or the pilot is not lit the gas to the pilot will shut off. It is easy if you have an ohm meter, connect one lead to r and the other to W. Move the little metal tab until you get as close to 0 ohms as you can. Older furnaces have w... |
Radio Coming Through Speakers In Home I've lived in a mobile home for a long time that has bad wiring. Even the receptacles are mounted bad and I have to tape plugs to the wall for them to stay in. For years there never was a problem but the last year I have radio stations coming through the speakers I have my compute... | You can put rfi suppression ferrite beads on all input and output leads to the speakers to block the radio signal from travelling down the speaker or power wires, but if the speakers are in plastic boxes that may not help and buying a better model may be more time and cost effective.
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How do I provide heating to a room without existing plumbing? I have a house in the Republic of Ireland which has 2 rooms without heating. One is a Kitchen and the other is planned to be a 'breakfast' room. (all rooms are approx 5m x 3m) As can be (hopefully) deciphered from the sketch, there is a radiator on the o... | That piping would be parallel to the joists & you'd just need a chunk-out at the bearing wall & above the existing rad. And, if the current piping is old then tie in the existing rad to avoid any near-future failures.
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Can I setup insulation without tearing down walls? My situation is this: I moved into a new apartment last year and my office is the only room that isn't insulated, which is annoying. My daughter's room and her playroom are both insulated as expected. My office door has to be closed when I'm not in there. Currently, I... | Please seek a specialists advice on insulating the cavity. They drill 2" holes in the walls & blow in the insulation. If they're decent or Lease Obligated for improvements they'll likely pay for the materials. This is done all the time by insulation contractors.
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GFCI and Refrigerator and Circuit Breaker We have a new home and a new refrigerator. The refrigerator is plugged into a standard outlet and on the same circuit is one GFCI. While using a hand mixer on the GFCI outlet the circuit breaker - not the GFCI - tripped twice and that, of course left us with no power to the r... | Your refrigerator should be on its own circuit. A GFCI trips if current is diverted outside the normal circuit path and the breaker trips if the normal circuit is overloaded.
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How does fresh air get inside a house with central heating other than through cracks of door or window on a cold winter day I'm not sure how fresh air, or oxygen, gets inside my house other than through cracks of window or door on a cold winter day when the central heating system is on. I have a pipe that is coming fr... | Older homes are usually drafty enough to provide adequate combustion air, so dedicated intake are not required. That said, in most houses the air you breathe is only renewed by leakage and opening and closing of doors, so the tighter your house (read: newer your house), the less outside air will get inside.
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Burning smell in my clothes dryer There is a burning smell inside my clothes dryer after it runs. Does anyone know what that could be? There is no smoke (thankfully) but it definitely has a mild to medium smell or something burning. I think its a gas powered dryer (its hard to get to the back too look) but the smell i... | If the seals are worn around the lint trap (as evidenced by the amount collected underneath), the interior of the dryer can accumulate lint really fast. Other manufacturers require taking apart the back to access the lint behind the plate. Open the dryer up (remove the outer casing and look inside).
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Why are lights on 15 amp circuits and receptacles on 20 amp? I'm wondering about the logic behind 15 amp vs 20 amp. Why isn't everything 20 amp if it is considered safe? If a light circuit shorts, what difference does it make it if trips at 15amp vs 20 amp? <Q> Breakers protect wiring and connections. <S> Most lighti... | 20A circuits are typically wired with #12 AWG wire to handle the additional current safely. Lighter wire and other components are less expensive and easier to work with. To prevent overheating (fire risk), 15A breakers are required by code for most circuits using #14 AWG wire.
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Range plug prongs are slightly exposed - Is that dangerous? I just had a new range installed in the kitchen. The cord's prongs do not quite go in all the way. There's not a lot of space, maybe 1/8th to 1/4th inch. Is there any risk to the prongs not going completely into the socket? Thanks. <Q> Theoretically, yes, ... | Probably not enough to do serious damage, but I wouldn't want to try it to find out, and if someone had a weak heart, it could be literally fatal. If you have not done your own electrical work before, a 220 line is not where you want to start. One day you might reach behind the range for some reason and accidentally to... |
Do I need to tape a drywall plug? My understanding is that drywall tape is to provide structure to the mud as the framing members shift . In my case, I've cut about 17 5" holes in my garage drywall ceiling and saved the plugs. I plan to plug the holes as pictured below (side view). There's a gap between the existing... | I think the question you're asking is whether the joint compound will crack around the plugs if you don't tape the joint. I put strips of it over the joints before putting on any mud. On top of that, I would tape anything that has an actual gap or drilled holes. Paper tape is a good old reliable material to use, but I ... |
What to do when snow blocks house door? My house's door open outwards and overnight the snow has accumulated outside (to half the door height) and prevented the door from being opened. What to do in this situation if we want to open the door and go outside? <Q> If all your doors are blocked go out a window and do the ... | Go out a door that's not blocked and walk to the blocked one to clear the snow.
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Eliminating ticking noise of pipe in wall I know that the ABS main stack in my home is not rubbing against the floor or attic plywood openings; it is rubbing against the drywall in a interior wall when the pipe expands with the use of hot water. The pipe is 3.5" in diameter and the wall is studded out with 2x4's, so t... | Attach teflon sheets/strips to the drywall to allow the the pipe to easily slide around without noise. A gap won't wear out over time, but any & all padding, greasing or spraying will. How hot would a 3" abs stack have to get to make sqeaking or ticking sounds in the drywall cavity.
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Mount ceiling fan to joist on sloped ceiling I need to mount a ceiling fan to a ceiling joist in a sloped ceiling. I recently installed an electrical box onto the joist for this. The problem I have now is that the ceiling fan bracket is intended to be bolted left-to-right whereas the mounting holes on my electrical box... | There's nothing wrong with mounting the bracket sideways at all - the issue is that the downrod ball you have isn't adjustable in that dimension.
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Using leveling compound on plywood subfloor (second story) I am doing an installation of 1/2" engineered hardwood on the second story of my home.Checking the plywood subfloor for true and level, I found a pretty big dip (1/2") Is this scenario an appropriate use of self-leveling compound? If so do I need to tape the ... | That looks like an almost non-issue (especially if the flooring will run the same direction as that level, if not you'll need to do something about it). I cut pieces for dips, small, than ever larger, checking each layer or two with my level, and judging that there'd be a leetle compression of the felt so I layered it ... |
2 layers of plastic film window insulation? I am insulating a single-pane window with plastic film ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002GKC2GW?keywords=plastic film insulation&qid=1453679450 ). This window can't be opened, so I will keep the plastic even in summertime. This also implies that there are no drafts thro... | Yes, plastic window film kits are often installed with considerably larger spacing, but they are also commonly installed on less than ideal windows where they stop actual drafts... Each ½" layer of air space you create (with plastic film or glass or plexiglass) adds an additional R=1.0. We did 2 layers with the first l... |
Do drain pipes (house to sewer) freeze? My basement drain is backing up a bit recently. Before I call a plumber, or rent an electric sewer snake from Home Depot, can sewer pipes freeze? It is January after all (and my house is in Canada). <Q> Drain pipes are generally run below the "frost line" for the region, and shou... | I've heard of sewage pipes freezing in the winter and backing up into apartments in NYC, with disastrous consequences, though the more likely culprit is something that was poured down the drain.
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How high to raise water heater above floor? I saw a water heater stand at Home Depot but it's about 15" high. That's a bit too high for my basement. Can I just make one with 2x4 and plywood that's only 4" tall, basically just enough to be able to drain water off the drain tray? Or does the code require it be higher? <Q... | Having the water heater off the floor high enough to comfortably connect a hose to the drain valve is nice. But if you WANT to raise it then you certainly can, though building something is likely overkill. As @Tester101 points out, IRC P2801.6 sets the minimum when you're installing an ignition-type heater in a garage.... |
Blocking the light from a window that spans up to the ceiling I wonder how to block the light from a window that spans up to the ceiling. I want the room to be as dark as possible. Here is the setting: An additional constraint is that I cannot remove the blind that is adjacent to the window. (I can remove the othe... | You can either Velcro square it over the entire opening or keep the window effect & use the blinds to secure it by just sliding it up & behind the blinds. You might need to construct baffles at the top and on the sides as well that the shades rise behind. The other benefit to cardboard is you can make it decorative by ... |
Can I replace 1 volt lights with 2 volt lights? The 1 volt LED lights in my range hood are going out and very dim, almost like a night light. Cheap hood. I cannot find replacement bulbs for these because the bulb cannot be removed. The whole kit would need to be replaced. IKEA has spotlights for under the counter th... | No There may be a way to redesign the circuitry but you are better off, in almost every case, to find replacement lights equivelant to what you are replacing.
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Can I test an unwired light fixture with multimeter? I’m looking at a light fixture on Craigslist, but I’d like to see if it works first. I have a multimeter that I needed for another project. Can I use the multimeter to test the light fixture before buying it? How would I use the multimeter to test the light fixture?... | Multimeter probably isn't going to tell you much For a light fixture that takes incandescent bulbs, about the only thing that you can do is put known-good bulbs in the fixture and measure the resistance between the two wires. Overall testing with a multimeter is better than nothing but not really a substitute for prope... |
Why is my shower head pressure low? I have two bathrooms back to back. one with a tub and shower and the other is a walk in shower. Both have the same shower head. One has super pressure, the other is eh. What do you this causes this? <Q> We had this issue and found it was the gasket inside the one shower head... | If the shower heads were installed by a previous owner, it's possible that one has been modified to put out more water.
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How to Recharge Manlift? I got my hands on an old Top Horse manlift. It looks pretty much just like this one . I tried plugging it in and turning it on and nothing happened. I think the batteries are long dead. My question is: Can I recharge the batteries (it looks like there are 3 of them next to each other) using m... | You can recharge a 12 volt battery in all the conventional ways you'd recharge a car battery.
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Why do I have a vent stack if none of my fixtures are vented? As far as I can tell, none of my plumbing fixtures are vented. I have a double-sink in the kitchen, but no vent pipe. My washroom ( photo here ) similarly has an s-trap. Same thing on my washing machine and drain basin ( photo ). I can see a large black pip... | Plumbing vents provide a path for sewer gases to escape so they don't bubble up through the P traps into your house under pressure (the sewer gases will expand and exert greater than atmospheric pressure), and the vents also keep water pressure from siphoning your traps dry, which would create an easy natural path for ... |
How do I repair a broken polystyrene part? I have a speaker whose mount broke. I previously tried to fix it using a common 2-part "5 minute" epoxy (I believe I did 2 or 3 separate applications, trying to get some thickness on it), but after a few months that repair failed (if I remember correctly, it was being picked u... | Sometimes you can use a soldering iron to weld the parts back together
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Kitchen sink/garbage disposal waste draining into backyard I've recently discovered that my mother in-law has a planter outside her kitchen window which is catching run off from her sink. There is a pool of water and a smell that can now be detected from the other side of the house. Not sure if its seeping into/under t... | If the water isn't being diffused into the planter soil it is because either the ground is so saturated it can't absorb any more liquid or there is a non-permeable layer under the top soul preventing fluid from percolating deeper. Rather than see the grey water as a problem think of it as helping the planet.
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Do I have to connect the grounding electrode at a detached garage to the grounding electrode at the main structure? Article 250.32(A) of the National Electrical Code, tells us that we need a grounding electrode at a detached garage. It also says that it has to be " installed in accordance with Part III of Article 250.... | You only need a grounding electrode at the second building if you have more than one circuit (and in this case a multi-wire branch circuit can be considered one circuit).
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Why do we fit skirting boards to collect dust? In all the UK homes I remember, the skirting boards (baseboards) are designed to collect dust by exposing a horizontal or sloping surface. See a cross-section on the left of this image: Surely we could fit a rectangular profile piece of skirting to the walls before pla... | The purpose of a baseboard is to easily cover the joint so that it does not have to be seen. You could certainly do what you propose, but some of the challenges you will run into would include: Houses are rarely square. But also, you are fixing cosmetic imperfections that will look incredibly jarring to the eye if they... |
Remove cured Danish oil from tiles My worktops are treated with Danish oil, and I appear to have got some on the tiled splashbacks and not noticed until it's cured (it's not very obvious except in daylight, I oiled by artifical light). Is there any way to get it off? I don't want to use a blade until I've got an idea... | I would trying using Mineral Spirits with a scrap piece of cloth or a toothbrush/brush to scrub if need be.
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Wiring for Internet of Things I'm interested in home automation and the Internet of Things and what options presently exist in the relatively cutting-edge field. I would like to know if it is possible to use something like a central home computer (equivalent to ECUs in vehicles) that is connected to the internet and w... | In short...wires are "old school". Right now there are already the Belkin switches that fit in a regular switch box, connect over wifi and with existing electrical wires, and can be controlled through a phone instead of a desktop computer or set interface.
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Wall Outlet with three sets of wires! have another issue with another outlet in this very improperly done house I just bought. During my slow replacing of all the wall outlets, I came across this new one which has me baffled on how to translate this to a standard outlet. Here's what I'm currently looking at and the new... | Third, knowing that the power is off, turn on the switch and check continuity between the black and white wire, at your the problem outlet Box. Twist together 2nd and 3rd green wire together and cap. Of course this is just a wild guess -- but given the context it's possible that the switch on the C branch was changed t... |
What is the best way to cut this PVC line in a hot tub? I am helping a buddy replace a filter housing, on which the lid threads have split off, in a hot tub. All of the piping is PVC. The inlet and outlet have fitting right up to the junction of the filter housing, leaving basically no place to cut the line. Top p... | The more segments you cut the less chance of cracking the fitting when removing the pipe and the easier it is to remove.
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Retiling a tub surround, not sure how to shim it I just ripped out the original tile and backer board on a secondary bathroom in my home and now it's time to put the new stuff up and I'm a bit stumped. The backer board was originally installed on top of the drywall which is causing a spacing problem. My tub is an old c... | Remove the rest of that wall's drywall and shim every stud with 2x4s attached to their sides, letting them project as needed (a six foot level is your friend here).
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Fix a screw into a wall-plug The mirror in the bathroom is held by two hooks, that are screwed into the wall through wall-plugs. One of the hooks has become loose, and can easily turn around, and is thus not holding the mirror anymore. (So the wall-plug is not spinning in the wall, it is the screw itself which does.)... | It sounds like a longer screw of the same diameter would solve your problem. It should look like a thick washer.
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What part is faulty when a pneumatic nail gun does not leak any air, is not jammed, but does not fire? I have a Porter Cable DA250C (15ga angle finishing nailer). Worked fine yesterday until it just stopped. The gun does nothing at all when the trigger is depressed. It is not jammed. The piston is oiled and I can move... | Some Porter Cable guns also have an adjustment knob above the trigger where the safety trip connects that will control how far the tip needs to be depressed in order to activate the trigger.
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How can I drill a 2" deep hole, 1/16" in diameter? Does a 2" (5 cm) cutting depth 1/16" (1.6 mm) drill bit even exist? If not, is there any way for me to make this hole? I'm drilling a fiberglass/foam sandwich if it matters, and I want to make a hundred holes. My cheap standard drill bits cut the fiberglass just fine... | Presuming you can find long enough bits (you can), and presuming you don't want the pointy ends of your drill chuck scraping and boring your fiberglass, you want to use a drill depth stop.
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How much does cement weigh after it has set? I'm looking to make some weight plates for a home gym and so I am planning on using cement to make the plates. But I know that some water will be absorbed and not evaporated when making the cement so it will be hard for me to get the weight that I want. How much heavier is ... | Since concrete is not this strong when it is first poured, a standard was created for when to test concrete. I don't know if there is a way to calculate the final weight, but the easiest thing to do is probably to make it heavier than needed, and sand or chip away at it until it is the exact weight you want. You could ... |
what mil thick plastic to hang for dust management I'm planning a chimney demo and planning to hang plastic from floor to ceiling to section where I'm working from the rest of the house. What millimeter thick plastic would be best? I want something thick enough to work but not so heavy I can't tape it up with 2 inch bl... | The only reason to use thicker plastic as opposed to thinner is that the thicker plastic holds up a little better to punctures and tears (which can then let some dust through).
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Should I use 2 plumbing traps at either end of a drain extension? I have a washing machine that I am moving 2.5m from it's original spot. A standard p-trap is already in the original place before connecting to the drain, i am tapping into this stand pipe for the extension. Should I add another trap to the other end ... | The length of pipe between the two traps will not be open to atmosphere on either side - normally, the vent side is open to atmosphere through the vent, and the fixture side is open to atmosphere through the drain.
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Why does my kitchen faucet's hot water line rattle and lose pressure? When I turn on the kitchen hot water, it heats up, then rattles, and the pressure cuts back by at least 50%. This does not happen with the dishwasher or the cold water. Any suggestions? <Q> If you're only opening it just a bit, then it can be therm... | The faucet needs rebuilding with a re-build kit specifically for the faucet, some faucet's rubber seats collapse as they fail & dramatically reduce flow.
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What is a suitable mold material for a concrete bar top? I would like to make an L-shaped concrete bar top (single piece). However, I want to make the corner have a large curve (12-15" radius?). How can I create a mold to accomplish this? What materials should I be using? Will concrete stick to foam? NOTE: I have wood... | Create a curve template out of plywood, then glue the laminate around the curve.
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How can I attach pony wall to surface of platform and will it be strong enough against lateral forces? I have a loft area to which I want to add a pony wall for safety. My plan is to drywall its inside and outside faces, all the way down across the beam. Can I built it on the surface of the platform safely? I would pre... | Use screws and adhesive to mount the bottom plate to the floor framing
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Identify type of circuit breaker My house came with a main panel that supports this type of circuit breaker. However, I am unable to find that type at the store and the breaker doesn't say what type it is. I thought it might be CH (as it's certainly thinner than BR) but it's not. Here are its comparisons with CH (on... | You have a Square-D Type QO (3/4" wide) breaker there.
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Do I need to replace water damage or just let it dry out? I had a water leak under my kitchen sink. It happened pretty slowly over the course of perhaps 8 weeks. The bottom of the cupboard was saturated and about 6 " up the sides of the same cupboard unit. Also, I have old wood floors and some of the floorboards (maybe... | Also if you have access to a FLIR infrared camera, this can help you detect if there is moisture in the drywall, or wood frame behind the sink.
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