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Does Homeowner's Insurance Typically Cover A Broken Well? My well is horizontally fed through a wall in my foundation. It recently rained a lot and I believe the pipe that feeds my well has been cracked. I had to cut the power to my well pump in order to stop water rushing out of a basement wall. I am estimating thi...	The only person who will know for sure what your home owners policy covers will be your insurance agent.
This fell out of my toilet when I unscrewed the supply line. What is it? I needed to replace my toilet’s tank to toilet gasket, and in the process disconnected the toilet’s supply line. The rubber “screw like” object shown above fell out when I did this. After finishing the gasket replacement, I forgot to put this ba...	The device you've got is rather fancy, being in rubber and metal. It is a flow limiter. Based on experimentation and documentation, I can say the nub does go face up.
grouting or caulking? bottom of tiled wall at tub rim At the tiled wall surrounding the tub, at the bottom of the tiles where the tiles end and intersect the tub rim, should it be grouted ( epoxy grout)? or leave it open and caulk with silicone caulking? Please advise! <Q> Caulking always! <S> Fill the tub 50% with wat...	I always use a color match caulk on any right angle or edge of tile,silicone is not a good idea for too many reasons.
matching max electrical load of count down timer to heated towel bar I am in Seattle and I have a count down timer I want to hook up to my heated towel bar so the towel bar will go off after an hour or so. the timer says max load is 15A/1875W resistive, 8A/1000W Tungsten. The heated towel bar says voltage: 120 VA...	Your towel bar will draw less than 1 Amp and that is much less than the max load of your timer. You'll likely want this on a dedicated circuit, or at least not one shared with any plugs in the bathroom as running a hair dryer (10 to 12A also) at the same time as the towel bar is on would trip the breaker.
Should I bend my roof edge away from the fascia to prevent water wicking? Last year, I had a new fiberglass shingle roof installed by one of the better roofing companies in my area. Overall, I am happy, but I'm not sure that the drip-edge was done correctly. It seems that water will wick up under the edge and potential...	I’d try bending the flashing out where it bends over the roof edge. If a large volume of water is coming over the edge of the roof, gutters and downspouts might be warranted.
Could a steel beam span 24 feet for a pergola? First time post here, thank you for such a great resource! I've done a lot of research but am hoping I can get some help building a pretty large pergola. I'm trying to be my own master contractor and hire subcontractors to build a long freestanding pergola with no post in...	You can either consult a structural engineer or use a framing handbook to determine the sizes of the structural members and footings needed for your project in your location. You can probably meet your goal with a cold formed steel beams (the cheapest kind of steel)
Where to add a c-wire on my Goodman furnace? I'm looking to upgrade my old thermostat and need to run a c-wire. Where would be the best place to tap into? <Q> Where would be the best place to tap into? <S> whatever side of the transformer goes to Rh or Rc on the thermostat, the C (common) is the other side of the t...	You would want to tap into the blue wire coming off the secondary side of the 24v transformer.
What is this cast-iron device on my water supply pipe? This is on the water main for the house, just downstream of the main shutoff valve. Water is going up in the picture, as the arrow shows. Is it a strainer? A check valve? Pressure regulator? It appears to say "Parts No. 135CM2" but I couldn't find anything matching...	It's a pressure regulator.
What causes standard door hinges to close up to a certain amount automatically? Hopefully a relatively easy one to answer. :) My bathroom door has a standard hinge attached, that requires the door to physically be closed - this matches the setup of the other doors in my house. However, when fully opened, my bathroom do...	The right fix is to actually re-hang the door.
How to test hot tub grounding I'd like to test if my hot tub was connected to ground. The hot tub is underground and its electrical panel is not easily accessible. I'm trying to figure things out without access to the hot tub's panel. The hot tub is 240V single-phase (TT earthing system) and is connected to a 10mA GF...	See if you can trace where the wires go from the circuit breaker to the hot tub. You should not see anything if the ground were properly connected.
How do I weigh a kitchen island to determine what size castors to get? I need castors for a kitchen island. I need to know what to get. Do all the castors need to carry full weight or do I divide by 4 to get say 4 50lb to hold a 200lb cabinet for example? <Q> I'd simplify your problem by estimating then doubling that. ...	When buying castors, they're generally marketed as a set that can carry a total load.ie a set of 4 '200 lb' castors are meant for an object that weighs under 200 lbs.
Why did my sink drain blockage clear after several weeks? Recently I installed a new kitchen in a flat in a very old house (1830s) in a neighbourhood known for sagging pipes. The old pipes up to the soil stack were cleaned by a pro, after the kitchen was installed. Naturally the sink got blocked (only draining very s...	You should avoid putting harsh chemicals down old pipes especially if they don't have a good pitch on them.
Fix/Move Ethernet on Side of House The house I recently bought has the networking cables to each room (2-4 each) terminate at a junction box on the outside of the house. To hook up my Internet, the tech hooked up to one of the cables to my living room, where I hooked it into my router. However, that leaves several por...	You could cut an opening in the interior wall, pull all the cables from the junction box into a new box inside, and repair the wall. Rather than worry about finding a router/switch that would survive in the 130F heat of the attic, I put a patch panel in the attic and ran new wires into a nearby closet. Equipment can wo...
Is a stack of steel plate as strong as a single plate of the sum thickness? I'd like to put a 4'x8' steel plate across my driveway gutter, so cars don't bottom out in the dip. I've seen 1/2" plates used for this, but at 650+ lbs. ( https://www.chapelsteel.com/weight-steel-plate.html ), it will be a beast transport. W...	What makes a thick sheet so much stronger is having vertical sides inside the material itself . If they're well seated at both ends you don't absolutely have to bolt them together at all, or just mount the equivalent of a couple bar-clamps on the underside to keep the assembly aligned.
Is it common to see building wire used for a doorbell? I'm trying to install a new video doorbell. Found the transformer in the attic, attached to the attic outlet. There are two 2-wire bell wiring runs from the transformer - one to the chime and the other to the front door. Well, almost. The front door bell is connec...	Just to clarify the string or fishing line is used to pull new wires from the button to the chime. It is not common because of cost Often, there are components that can be removed and you can find the splice (connection) and maybe even the problem. Make sure your volt-meter is set in the AC position.
AC wire hanging out by itself in receptacle, safe? I am replacing my smoke detector with a Nest one (battery powered) and no longer need this AC connection -- is it okay to tuck it into the wall as it is or should there be a cap or something? Not sure how safe or unsafe either route is (and whether a cap exists here to...	You currently have a hardwired smoke detector system that connects to other smoke detectors in the unit, and possibly in the rest of the building, and possibly to alarms. Be careful not to disconnect any of the other wires. The other question that needs to be examined is if Nests can do their "intercommunication-among-...
How can I cut a metal pipe while preserving the wires inside? I need to install a dishwasher with a solid bottom into this space, where this solid pipe (green rectangle above) is in the way. How would I remove the pipe, or at least make it level with the floor, while not damaging the wires inside the pipe? <Q> You have...	Then pull the wires to pull the rope into the conduit. The answer is to reroute that EMT and flexible conduit so it uses a different path. Perhaps this flexible conduit is not allowed to carry ground (EMT is), and that was their fix. The wires can be any color and size you want. My first inclination would be to encoura...
Sewer smell in basement - missing venting or other leak? I recently started detecting a sewer smell coming from the laundry room in my basement. I think I only trigger it (and not every time) when I run my whole-house fan. I've been running this fan (with plenty of windows open) for at least a month without this proble...	If the basement is poorly ventilated and contains organic materials, it could be that you have some rot caused by moisture.
What are we doing wrong? Just trying to hang a picture ☹️ My husband and I have some serious issues with the walls in our house. It was built in 1996; we live in CT. This is the 2nd time we’ve tried to hang something on a wall, and it has turned disastrous. We bought the self drilling drywall anchors recommended to us ...	If you have air behind your existing hole, go back to your favorite big box store and get the "Toggler Snaptoggle".
Help with hot/neutral outlet - false reading? I recently bought an older house and on one of the circuits every outlet (7 outlets spread out over two rooms) gives a "hot/neutral reverse" reading when I use a circuit tester. I looked at each outlet and each one has the correct wiring colors (black to brass, white to sil...	Find the breaker for those outlets and check that the neutral live and ground are correctly connected in the panel.
How can I prevent a shower curtain from drifting into the shower's occupant? The problem to be resolved When taking a shower, the curtain sneaks closer and closer to my body and finally, it bites my butt, which is immensely unpleasant. One person in the household lacks balance due to medical issues and can fall to the...	To prevent the curtain from falling out and leaving you with a wet mess: Horizontally align the brackets roughly with the inner face of the tub Vertically position the brackets so that, with your choice of curtain rings, the bottom edge of the curtain falls just above the tub floor Buy a handful of the steel plates the...
Can you "refresh" half-dried concrete just by mixing in water? I mixed a wheelbarrow load of concrete (sand, cement, water) this morning, but before I could use most of it, I got called away and didn't get back until this evening, like 7-8 hours later. By now the concrete is half set - very stiff and dry and has to be ...	One thing to consider is that concrete doesn't really "dry" like mud.
Should window headers be set against the top plate or at rough opening height? I've been building load bearing walls with the header located at the top of the desired window or door opening, but have had a couple people comment on how I should be putting the header directly below the top plate to save time. I find it a...	Another potential benefit to a higher header is greater ease if you ever need to change the window under it.
Easy way of generating a 50-150W load @12V I need to test a battery for its remaining capacity and to do that, I need to generate a constant load to be able to measure how long it can sustain that load. I tried using a 330W load (290W shoe heater + 85%-ish efficient inverter), but I found out that it couldn't sustain ...	A boost converter that can reach 100 V output from 12 V input will do two things for you: it'll pump 100^2/50=200 watts into the load, and it'll maintain that power as the battery voltage falls. Automotive headlamps are the obvious, easy 12V choice, being typically in the 45-55W range (don't get LED headlamps.)
Why does a single pole tandem breaker allow connecting the switch handles? Specifically I am looking at a QOTO2020: You can see what seem to be holes in the handles for a connection pin. On a single pole breaker I can't think of an application where you would want both independent circuits to switch off in the event...	The purpose of handle ties is common maintenance shutoff, needed for 240V loads (which can have each leg separately fused), MWBCs (so you don't get nailed by the other leg), and 2 circuits on 1 yoke (ditto). When working on the outlet you want to flip the breaker and not be able to have half of the device live. YOU can...
Saw metal conduit even with the floor? I need to remove this metal conduit or at least bring it even with the floor. I don't need to worry about preserving the wires inside the conduit. I only have a little hacksaw, but I'm open to buying other tools if needed. What's the best way to get rid of this conduit so that it'...	A dremel with a metal cutting wheel will work. Remember to remove these orphan wires entirely; all the way back to the previous junction box (or past it, if they go past it). I'm assuming you don't have access to the backside of this conduit.
Can I add handle ties to QO tandem breakers? This is a follow up to Why does a single pole tandem breaker allow connecting the switch handles? which was asking what circumstances handle-tied tandem breakers would ever be useful. (There are some good reasons.) Some answers to that question raised the issue: is it act...	For QO breakers there is a handle tie from the manufacturer
Pros and cons of plastic/gravel shed bases vs concrete base I'm going to have a 10x8ft shed installed in my back garden. I'm wondering if I should pay someone to put in a concrete slab base or use one of those interlocking gravel filled bases you can get. I've searched around the web and can't seem to find much inform...	Gravel bases and gravel filled plastic can be a good alternative, but they have a few downsides. I dislike making permanent things unnecessarily, and the flagstones can easily be taken up and sold or given away when the shed is eventually removed.
How much weight can a 2 by 4 support in this configuration? I'm using dimensional lumber ( whitewood ) from Home Depot. https://www.homedepot.com/b/Lumber-Composites-Dimensional-Lumber/N-5yc1vZc3tc It is just a 4 foot by 8 foot rectangle with a center vertical piece and a center horizontal piece. I am hoping to put ...	I would go for a minimum 1/2" plywood, possibly even 3/4". 8' is a long way for three 2x4s to span without sagging a lot.
Is wiring laying alongside an attic access opening a code violation or safety concern? I have a new house nearing completion in Manning, South Carolina, with all non-metallic jacket wire. However, the scuttle holes for two retractable stairs and attic lift had wires blocking access until I pointed it out, so the elect...	Where subject to physical damage, conductors, raceways, and cables shall be protected.
1AWG with a smaller breaker? I am thinking about having an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) installed.In the interest of future proofing for an electric pickup truck coming on the market about a year from now, i would like to have 1 AWG wire installed for 100 amps @ 240 Volts (residential).But my EVSE today is ...	Sure, you can always upsize the wire. Depending what size wire the terminals on the 40 amp breaker are listed for you might need a pigtail of wire that fits that breaker connected to your 1 AWG, but that's a common problem with a straightforward solution. Generally all terminations sized for #1 wire are aluminum friend...
Disposal container for muriatic acid I need to do work with muriatic acid and was wondering if storing the waste (12 Oz of acid per gallon of water) is okay to do in a regular plastic 5 gal bucket. My concern is whether the acid could melt the plastic then spill out. Should I get a metal bucket just in case? <Q> As it'...	A metal bucket is much MORE prone to be attacked by acids in general than most plastics, especially those commonly used for buckets.
Any Way To Run A New 3" Pipe INSIDE An Existing 6" Pipe & Have The 3" Pipe In A Fixed Position Inside Is there any way to run a brand new 3" water line pipe through the inside of an existing 6" water line pipe. I want to make sure that the 3" pipe is not rattling around inside the 6" pipe. Any way to keep it in a fixed...	If the only reason to do this is to prevent "rattling" of the smaller pipe inside, meaning you are NOT going to use the 6" pipe for anything else, then you can just fill the annular space with expanding foam.
How can I seal 8 inch round holes in my siding? There is a nor'Easter coming today. What's a quick fix? My first home and just closed a few days ago! Help please. The hole is 8 inches in diameter or so. <Q> I would procure a sheet of aluminum or steel (available at home improvement and hardware stores), fold a suitab...	I would use a pice of plastic like from a binder and slip it up under the upper shingle and tape it for a temporary quick fix. Spray foam hole piece of aluminum for outside and a piece of drywall on the inside or repair patch Home Depot sells it all. I would not use a towel as any moisture that gets on the towel will b...
How to cut a perfect shape out of 4cm oak? I need to mount an undermount copper sink to our new kitchen surface. The surface is 4cm oak, which will be varnished with 12 coats of marine lacquer to protect the oak from water. What I want to achieve is to cut out a very precise hole for the sink (I should add the sink i...	To cut a rectangular hole, use a plunge router and a 1/8" bit.
Cutting a 4.5m long 2x6 in half with a circular saw My question is about cutting 2x6 boards in half with a circular saw ("Skil"-saw). Now, I've looked around, and there are many sites describing how to cut off a small piece from a larger piece, the latter you want to keep. Most of them point out that you want to clamp ...	If you must have a straight edge, use a table saw
How can I darken a bedroom yet let air in as much as possible? Of course one could use a vent but this is not feasible for me. Is there a low-tech solution, like some kind of a specific curtain? I could also cover my window with an opaque board, letting some space but this lowers dramatically the quality of the air (ma...	This still allows good airflow, but no direct light at all. Consider a combination of options: Traditionally they are used with sheers on the inner layer to let in light and air, but still give privacy, and a heavier drape used at night in winter and made for reducing drafts. Get the blinds is as dark a colour as you c...
Repair drywall and protect wires on back of electrical panel My electrician had to cut drywall on the back side of a wall that has a new electrical panel mounted. The back side is the kitchen (the panel is facing into the living room). The feeder and a bunch of existing circuits came from above. The electrician wanted ...	Frame it out and build a small bulkhead then add a access door where it would please you. This way even if someone were to screw into the drywall they would be nowhere near the electrical stuff. Where this distance cannot be maintained, the cable or raceway shall be protected from penetration by nails or screws by a st...
How to replace a manual timer by a simple on/off switch on a home appliance Case On a simple 220 V home appliance equipped with a manual timer switch ( a knob that you can turn clockwise up to the desired position -time- and will then automatically turn counterclockwise for the chosen time period ), I would like to ...	You can also just replace the manual timer with a programmable one that will get it's power from the 220v line side
Diagnosing instant circuit breaker tripping, with nothing connected I had a previous question regarding an AC, but now that I have disconnected the AC and the problem remains, I want to diagnose this problem a bit more. First step was seeing if this specific breaker trips by itself. With all other breakers opened o...	You need to measure the resistance of the wiring with the breaker disconnected, not just open.
Mounting Screws in Stucco Does anyone here have experience putting mounting screws into stucco? I want to mount a light plastic box to the exterior of my home to protect a coax junction. My house's exterior is stucco. The box is not heavy but I want it to be secure and not come loose over time. Also, I want to minimi...	When you do find a stud, put on your safety glasses and pre-drill the locations of your screws with a standard bit, use just enough force to gently go through the stucco, it's not as hard as cement and this should be fairly easy with a standard bit. Alternatives: Create some form of protrusions on the box.
Possible electrical wiring paths are blocked everywhere by glulam posts. What to do? The extension to our house is built to earthquake standards, so there are 10x10 posts and beams everywhere. We can't find a path to feed the 12AWG to the subpanel. If we go down, we just run into the same problem on the ground floor....	Put a Crown Molding, Decorative Strip or Cornice around the ceiling and run a cable behind that. Conversely, the baseboard(s) can be removed and any wiring can be run behind that, at the bottom of the wall(s).
Wattage of adapter for LED strip I have LED strip lighting under my cabinets in the kitchen. Recently, they started flickering with noise. Worked fine for a couple of years. I believe it was the adapter that was faulty. Unfortunately, I lost the adapter somewhere so I'm unable to order another without knowing how much ...	3528 LEDs should run at about 20mA each, but remember they are wired in series in groups of 3, so each group of 3 LEDs will use 20mA on your 12V supply. Flickering is caused by the voltage conversion “driver” The driver sets the correct voltage and current level. If you have a 12V DC wall wart lying around somewhere, t...
Can a larger joist be trimmed and have it perform as a smaller joist? I've got a lot of 7x2 joists left over from a previous project. Now I have a new ceiling to put up but they require only 5x2 joists, so I'm thinking of trimming the 7x2 so as not to have them go to waste. Would trimming a 7x2 to a 5x2 (or reducing ...	Yes, lumber cut to a smaller dimension is essentially the same as lumber cut to that size at the mill.
Any tips for using an open hearth fireplace? I will be taking a trip this winter and staying in a rustic basically 1 room log cabin where the main source of heat is a fireplace. Just a stone hearth and chimney. I believe it doesn't even have a damper. My only experience has been with wood stoves. I've seen it said num...	Basically: you want to keep the fire big enough to burn the wood, but not so big that it burns with large flames which will send a huge amount of hot air up the chimney, and draw interior air up with it .
Moisture leaking out of chip in floor tile I dropped something heavy and mildly pointed onto the bathroom floor. The Bathroom is tiled with ~30cm square black "slate like" tiles, but where I dropped this thing, the surface has been badly (2-3 cm radius, ?1-2mm deep?) chipped, and underneath the tile is pale brown. Si...	My kitchen floor had a damaged tile (similar story, something got dropped on it) and water was welling up from under it when it was stepped on. We were lucky to catch it relatively quickly because the tile was damaged.
How do I get rid of water streaks on my bathroom wall? So the walls in my bathroom have streaks all over them. They've been building up over time and is getting worse. The wall over the shower in particular looks pretty bad. Does anyone know how I can get rid of them? I tried spraying Clorox Bleach spray but it doesn't...	What that needs is a good scrubbing with warm soapy water. Use a high quality gloss or semi-gloss paint if you do it.
What is the best process for a first-timer doing a small drywall finishing job? As part of some home renovations I recently hung the equivalent of nine sheets of drywall -- eight on the walls (including a basement staircase) and one on the ceiling. I've done small patch jobs on drywall before and it's something I loath...	The vacuum dust collecting sanding pads do work, but you are talking about significant expense, the vacuum is loud, and they only work with drywall sanding mesh/screens which I do not recommend for anything except the initial mud knock-down.
How smooth is parquetry? Can you feel the texture of the wood in a parquetry floor? I'm writing a novel and describing someone feeling the floor, but don't know if in a parquetry floor you would be able to feel the wood's texture. <Q> Yes, in most cases you can feel the texture of the pattern with feet and fingers. <S...	Depends on the quality of the parquetry, and the quality of the installation.
THHN through EMT - then convert to Romex? I want to wire outlets and light in my unfinished attic. There is a light switch at the bottom of the stairs, cable (I think THHN?) that runs through EMT through the wall and comes out upstairs and then connects to the light. Since the attic will eventually be finished, I don...	The NM needs to go through an appropriate cable clamp and the box needs to be sized according to the number of conductors and other devices (light switch/receptacle) that might also share the box. It is actually rather versatile . If the EMT is surface mounted in the attic then it'll be in the way of any kind of wall f...
Insulating small area in attic-like space I recently moved into (am renting) a new place and have set up a desk in an attic like space. It's overall not an ideal setup but I have limited financial resources. The issue I am facing right now is that, because this is an attic like space, it is getting rather cold in here ...	If you can put some insulation on the plasterboard, that will be even better - but just confining the heat to a small space is the most important thing. If this proves not to be strong enough, you can use some cheap strip furring to add strength. R-10 will certainly not be sufficient if your low outside temps drop and ...
How to weigh down a plastic shower base while recaulking? I'm recaulking a shower which has a plastic base that flexes a bit when stepped on in certain spots. This caused the caulking to pull away the last time I recaulked. If this was a tub, I'd fill it with water to weigh it down while caulking/curing. But it's a sh...	if the empty volume under the shower base isn't too large, you can drill a small hole in the side and inject a can of expanding foam, which will harden and support the shower base from below.
Why would a new switch come with aluminum wires? I just bought a dimmer switch from Lowe's, and it came with aluminum connection wires (I believe). Our house wiring is copper. I understand that connecting aluminum to copper isn't recommended, and requires some special connectors in order to be safe. I also have read ...	You aren't quite right about aluminum.
Why don't my appliances work when my tester shows voltage at the outlets? I have a strange issue with my kitchen electrical. The electric starter on the gas cook-top stopped working. It is plugged into a socket under the cabinet. The toaster will also not turn on. It is plugged into a socket at counter level near th...	If it suddenly lights up hot because the other appliance is on, that confirms broken neutral wire.
How to insulate exterior walls with electrical wiring As part of renovations to our home we chose to replace existing aluminium electrical wiring with Copper wiring. We also wanted to replace the original R7 insulation with something better (R14 or 15) to minimize heat loss. The issue we have now is that with the wall...	It would also be possible to make cuts in the batt so that the batt can expand around the cable, but if you're using faced insulation it's best to avoid cutting the facing. That is why I do EMT conduit. I believe the stapling or lack thereof doesn't meet code.
Sealing metal siding against window j/c channel? We're going to use metal siding on our house. We're using a corrugated profile. Where the siding meets walls/corners/windows, it will run into a strip of C-channel (or J-channel). Visually, that looks great, but doesn't seem to be much of an actual weatherproof seal. I'...	I've never seen any sealing inside the channel. The "J" channel will be installed against he window trim which should be sealed. The siding will expand and contract so any sealing, like caulk for foam tape, wouldn't be effective for long.
Should I paint over this wallpaper? I’m having a bit of a decision making battle with myself. I’m looking to paint my living room and as I was laying tape down on the trim I saw a piece of wallpaper coming up in a very tucked away spot. I figured not much harm done in pulling it off. Underneath is what I’m assuming i...	I would strip the walls as clean as you can. I would buy wallpaper which is matching the texture of the top layer and glue over it from corner to corner of the damaged area to have a nice new surface.
Feasibility (and cost) of swapping wires on circuit breaker panel I'm going to be finishing the basement in my 28 year old house. Currently the entire basement (~1700 sqft) is going through a single 15a breaker, which isn't ideal. There's no room on the existing panel for additional breakers, but for some reason the ...	Further investigation revealed that the 50A breaker labeled as going to the gas range is actually going to the outdoor A/C unit for the (upstairs) bonus room. If the basement is unfinished, this is easy work for an electrician. Note that if the gas range is connected to a plug/receptacle rather than hardwired then you ...
Making of durable plywood frame I am making a custom camera rig for the kite aerial photography and I need a ┏┓-shaped frame like this: (depth × width × height = 40 × 200 × 100 mm, thickness ~5 mm). I cannot use bent aluminum as it is pretty dense (2.7 g/cm³) and I do not have any bending machines. I cannot use 3D-...	If you use sheets of plywood to create the individual inverted-U shapes, you'll gain that much more strength.
Ideas on how to fix a void at the bottom edge of my concrete steps? I was recently pulling weeds and I noticed that there is a hole at the bottom of my concrete stoop. I'm not quite sure on how to address it. I'm pretty handy so I'm sure that this can be tackled without professional help (and prices). Can anyone po...	I would dig it out a bit, cut a piece of plywood to act as a forming piece, stuff in a little gravel and pack in some concrete in two stages, using the plywood as a form and a few bricks to hold it in place.
How to cut round hole in aluminum soffit after installation Related question After having our roof re-configured and larger overhangs added, I noticed that the contractor placed the bathroom exhaust vent that used to go out the side wall just under the eaves just inside the overhang of the roof. I think they meant for...	The use tin snips or a dremel tool.
Can I reuse old electrical wire? I'm adding new lights to my basement ceiling. I pulled out the old messy tangle of wires and ran new romex, but was missing the 4ft needed to reach the last box. I reused the old wire. Will this pass inspection? Both old and new wire is 14/2 copper with ground. New wire has plastic...	If it's been bent around a lot in the course of installation and removal, there is the possibility of hidden cracks forming where you'll never see them. However, you can't splice except at a junction box which must remain directly accessible. From a contractor's point of view it would not be allowed since it would pose...
How to finish concrete ceiling - beam span calculation I have a room below my garage (suspended slab). I want to finish the room/ceiling. The room's dimensions are approximately 24' x 23.5' (this is to the walls, which are already framed/dry-walled). I don't know if I can drill into the concrete ceiling, and would pref...	You'll need a panel lifter to lift the panel into place. Rather than spray-on insulation, I would just glue dry-wall + insulation boards straight on to the concrete.
Why do gas water heater exhausts have an air gap before the chimney? Every conventional (i.e., non-direct-vent) gas water heater I have seen has a roughly 1" vertical gap between its exhaust port and the exhaust vent (or "chimney"). See photo below. What function does that gap serve? How does the gap not pose a danger...	Excessive draft can cause problems, such as too much air being drawn through the heater by a tall chimney, which would lead to dilute combustion causing lower efficiency.
Can you add a separate switch (different light) to a 4 way switch? Can I add a circuit (new Light separate from existing) to a 4-way switch set up? I used what I thought was hot from a switch and the new light only works when certain switches are activated. The 4-way light can be on or off and the new circuit may wor...	If you have the second setup then you can pull power at the light fixture, but that would typically require running a new cable to get to the new switch. The 4-way works along side two 3-way switches. As you can see, you may have always-hot or neutral at a switch location, but you usually don't have both.
Are there clips or "cotter pins" which can't get knocked out by accident? My tractor has several R-clips , like this one: These are used in various places. The problem is that they tend to get knocked off by branches or longer grass / brush and get lost . I've tried orienting them both ways (or multiple ways if th...	Get some Velcro cable ties and attach them to the looped end of the R clip.
How should I conceal gaps between laminate flooring and wall trim? I am looking for the best way to fill some small gaps left between flooring and wall in new house, see image. Guessing the previous owners installed the flooring themselves hence why the finish is not always right against corners and walls. The floor is...	For cases like this, where a quarter round would block the operation of the door, it's typical to undercut the existing molding so the new flooring can be slipped under it. I got some wood putty. Unsanded grout caulking where baseboard is not possible. You can't even tell unless you are right up to it. Caulk won't be e...
Insulation from electric meter to panel is rotting The electric line in from my meter to my panel is rotting, or rather the insulation is. See this picture (below). Is there some product I can purchase to temporarily wrap it until I can get it completely replaced by an actual electrician? I thought I had found a 3M ...	A 3” (or so) pipe (personally I would use a UV resistant pvc or plastic pipe, even painted to match) sliced open lengthwise that would clip over it and give excellent protection...
Installing a sliding patio door...why does the entire frame have to be square, level and plumb? It has been raining cats and dogs for two days (fall wet season). I am looking at my newly installed but but not sealed patio door that is not screwed, not plumb-ed and not leveled and I am trying to understand why you need ...	You also need to ensure the doors don't swing open or shut under their own weight, the bottom of the doors doesn't contact the floor when they are open, the hinges are aligned properly so they operate freely, etc.
Inaccessible outdoor PEX piping lost its insulation - what to do? We have an outdoor counter and sink, and a family of squirrels decided that it was a good place to live. Unfortunately they ripped off a good portion of the PEX piping insulation. (Pretty sure it's PEX...) Now that temperatures are getting colder, I'm ...	Since you say there is access on both ends it seems that the best course of action is to just pull in some new PEX line with insulation sleeve installed.
How can I remove this ceiling light glass? I cannot manage to get this light off. I've tried twisting, pushing, pulling, and a combination of those and nothing has worked. It moves about a centimeter in each direction but won't loosen any further. Any suggestions? <Q> Hey all thanks for the help. <S> Ended up using a ...	Place a mirror against the ceiling so that you can see over the rim of the glass part. This thing must have warped over time as it was just a twist off.
How do I fix this toilet flange? Basically there is a PVC flange that was glued to the inside of the pipe. The problem was that the metal flange that was on the outside was so completely bent that the bolts no longer stayed inside. So I wanted to remove the metal flange and replace it with a new one, but I didn't kno...	Cut some slits into the flange pipe the depth of the pipe and about a half inch apart with a hacksaw blade and try to break out the pieces.
DIY Installation of 220v for spa I'm thinking of installing a spa at my house but the additional wiring for 220v is going to cost around $1k and I was wondering whether it's something I could attempt to do myself? <Q> A 220/240 GFCI supply for a spa is not difficult. <S> There are several ways to accomplish this. <S> T...	One of the more common is to get a "spa panel" that can be located close to the spa and serve as the disconnect and GFCI. Do your homework and ask questions before you get into trouble. Many states allow a homeowner to pull permits and do the work themselves. You would be smart to get some professional help when doing ...
Snapped off screw on sewer vent cover The city recently told me I need a new cover for a sewer vent on the sidewalk. The cover looks like this: https://www.homedepot.com/p/NDS-4-88-in-x-4-88-in-Perforated-Sidewalk-Grate-BSB-CP-RTL/203262583 However I noticed the screw holding the previous cover in place has snapped o...	First, you can try to douse the area liberally with a penetrant to remove any rust and corrosion then grab the screw with a pair of locking pliers and twist it out.
Is it unsafe to remove one stud from a load bearing wall? I need to cut a hole for a recessed medicine cabinet. This wall is at the end of the house. I only need to cut one stud to make a frame for the cabinet. Will this damage the integrity of the bearing wall? <Q> The opening you want to create has to be framed like...	If your building has an external masonry cladding then you will find that that cavity wall ties are nailed or screwed through the external boarding into the vertical studs. With a properly spec'd beam you could remove all of the load bearing studs in your house but that could get expensive. I can't quite tell if you me...
Add outlet to existing outdoor UF cable I'm looking to add an outdoor outlet to the back of my house. There's an existing UF cable line that runs from the exterior basement wall to the exterior first floor wall, entering directly behind a large switch panel that controls the first floor lights. I assume this is an un...	One trick is to use two junction boxes--the first to extend the cable, adding slack, and the second for the outlet. You don't want to run a potentially heavy current between the same-side screws on an outlet if you can help it.
Will there always be studs in the corner of two walls? My stud finder seems to have trouble when I'm in the corner of two sheets of plaster/drywall. Can I just assume there will be studs behind each wall in the corner? And what about where the wall meets the roof, is it safe to assume there will be a top plate behind ...	I wouldn't hang anything heavy that could fall and hurt someone if the assumption were not true (without 1st verifying the assumption). If the corner is on a wall which separates one room from another then that wall could be dead-smack in the middle of an open bay. You can usually assume either half a plate or one and ...
Converting Nema 10-50 receptacle for car charging I might be buying an electric car soon and i was wondering if I could use my current nema 10-50 dryer plug for my 240v evse? The plug is not used since I have a gas dryer. The receptacle was installed by the previous owners, it was run through 1/2 inch emt conduit fro...	Anytime you see a grounded with neutral location with NEMA 10, it was installed NEMA 14 and foolishly rolled back to NEMA 10 socket because an appliance arrived with a NEMA 10 plug. Set your socket and breaker to match. I own a Tesla and was able to find any number of plug-converters compatible with the Tesla cable. Fo...
How can I securely hang a hammock on trailer framing? I want to hang a hammock indoors, but my trailer has dry wall ceilings and walls, you know, thin trailer walls. I am scared that it will not be able to hold my weight in the hammock, since I weigh 148 lbs. Also I believe the wall would be too flimsy to keep the sc...	I am afraid a trailer is not structurally able to support a hammock even for a small person. .
Is a grommet needed for romex into this metal junction box? I bought a 6-pack of these LED downlights. The metal junction box has knockout holes to run my 14-2 (with ground) wire. I was surprised that the J-box didn't come with grommets after knocking out the hole. Are they required in this application and where does o...	You either need a NM clamp or some sort of plastic grommet to secure the wire. If the cable were not clamped while you were then fiddling with the connections inside the box, it might be damaged on the raw edges of the box, or you could inadvertently pull it loose from something beyond the box.
how to vent an electric dryer when outdoors isn't option We have a building on the 3rd floor of a 4 floor building that we are building a loft in, It is in an historic area, we are in the middle of the block downtown. size 21'wide x 180'long, left and right walls are 18" of brick with plaster overlay. venting through...	The proper answer for this, and certainly the one the building was built for, is to use a condensing dryer . With the proper bits and drills, it should be doable for a pro; however, it will NOT be cheap. Check your local listings for a company which cuts/drills concrete.
Insulating an attic ceiling I am planning to insulate my walk-in attic to turn it into a storage room(closet for the wife), but I am having some issue understanding the process. The ceiling of this attic is at 45 degree. It has a 32 inch door to it. The attic above has old insulation, but that's another project. I li...	Similarly, if you block off the air curculation from the attic vents, the result will be a warmer roof. Basically attach thin plywood to the existing rafter / truss members and attach a 2x2 to hold the face of the insulation / drywall at the appropriate spacing below the roof sheathing.
Low Voltage between Neutral and Ground wires in Dishwasher Junction Box My Bosch 800 series Dishwasher will not function. I plan on swapping the control module. In the junction box, at the terminals, I'm reading 120V between Hot and Ground, and between Hot and Neutral. Between Neutral and Ground, I am reading almost ze...	A small voltage neutral to ground is also very common. Voltage drop is proportional to current; that's literally what Ohm's Law is saying. The voltage measurements are normal any reading from ~112 to 125 vac hot to neutral is normal throughout the US.
Fit a door in a tight space I have a garage with an odd size entry (not bay) door. The old door, which recently broke, was only 24" x 70". Time to put in a new door. My intent is to enlarge the opening for a more standard size. I expect this will be cheaper while also improving the structure. In fact, I can see the s...	If Lowes is available, they have a door that cost a little more than the HD door, but the sides are expandable/retractable. Head to the tool section an pick up a nice tape measure.
Removal of light switch. Power only to front light, no power to outlets or anything else We wanted to install a security camera in the front porch and as a component of that we needed constant power to the front door which is currently controlled by a light switch. That light switch was 1 of 3 and was the right most....	Backstabs are almost always wired electrically to that nearest screw.
How can I test the maximum current an outlet will provide? I want to know how much power is still available on a circuit.I went to the electric supply store but they could not locate the device I described...I want to plug a device into an outlet and slowly increase the draw until the breaker pops so I know how many mo...	Use a meter if a device's current consumption is unknown, but be aware it's possible it could consume more at times (for example, have current peaks like a motor has when starting up). Intentionally overloading breakers isn't a good thing to do and I don't know of any device that does that.
Safe, sensible to turn off BRANCH circuit breaker for range, every day when house is empty? After one oven turned itself on middle night, everyone in my family is now scared stiff silly of ranges!!! We always turn off all Branch Circuit Breakers ("BCB") except for fridge, before we leave condo to vacation. We livein T...	The one advantage you have is the oven s not on when you throw the breaker off or on, this helps but constantly flipping the breaker not rated for switch duty damages the hammers and can cause early failure. If you are using the circuit breaker like a switch it should be switch rated “SWD” stamped on the breaker or the...
What is this rubber tubing called? What is this rubber looking elbow here called and where can it be purchased? It's the black part that is fastened to the 3/4" pvc using hose clamps. For some context, this is a condensate drain on an air conditioner. It was very helpful to be able to take it apart while troubleshooti...	Some radiator hoses have a right-angle bend, and smaller diameter heater hose should be flexible enough to bend without kinking.
Cutting stud in load bearing wall to create vent opening for cooktop hood We are installing a wall mounted cooktop hood over a gas cooktop as part of our renos. We have centered the cooktop along the kitchen wall but unfortunately that places the center line right in front of a stud (labeled #2 in the pictures) that ...	The correct way is to frame the opening with a header, jack studs(aka trimmers) and king studs in the same manner that window and door openings are framed. The problem you have, is that two 2x4 turned on side (as you propose) will be exactly 4" thick - which is the thickness of the other 2x4 studs - which means there i...
Frigidaire oven smells smoky and turned itself on to bake. Safe to use cook top? My brother's wife is working in remote Canadian town – just her in condo, no pets. Condo has electric Frigidare Model No. CFES3025LW4 with 4 element induction cook top. I can't find pic on Google Image. This morning 6 AM, she felt th...	As long as the oven is attended while the breaker is on , then you shouldn't have a problem from that . Breakers are definitely safe to use dozens of times.
What are my options for grab bar blocking when pipes are in the way? As part of my master bathroom remodel I'm adding blocking for grab bars. In most areas where I need blocking, I can just use 2-by-something blocking without any problem. There's a corner though where I cannot just do this, due to pipes in the wall. He...	You could get fancy with the steel if you want to: fold legs so it can mount flush to the face of the studs rather than being surface mounted on top of them, make it support the back side of the plywood rather than the front side, etc.
How can I fasten pink polystyrene wall insulation into a structure? I got a big polystyrene board from Home Depot (you know, the kind with Pink Panther on it). I want to glue it together with Liquid Nails to make a house for feral cats in my neighborhood. However, I noticed that it's laminated on both sides. Should...	The construction adhesive you mentioned will eat the foam unless it's the water-based "panel" or "project" variety. Several companies make a foamboard adhesive.
Hanging string lights from stone I have several solid stone pillars (approx 4' high) running along the edge of my patio. I would like to hang string lights along the stones using something like Q-Hanger hooks . But I do not know how to go about securing these hooks into the stone itself. I see online some plastic anch...	Or, what I think I'd do, is to epoxy-glue some small cable tie bases to the stone.
Furnace not turning on, and can anyone identify these sensors? My home has a gas furnace with electronic ignition (intermittent pilot). Sometimes it doesn't want to start up, even with the thermostat turned up, and it indicating heat should be on. The fan-only mode works fine, as does the A/C. Yesterday I shut off p...	The furnace must be closed up to operate so if the unit stops, in the time it takes for you to pull off the cover and take a measurement, the sensor would have cooled off and reset. When several sensors are wired in series, the "normal" behavior will be for voltage to pass through the entire circuit.
Is there a building material that can be cut and glued, can be used outside, and provides good insulation? I'm trying to make a pet house but I'd rather deal with something warmer than wood. Bonus points if it's light and easy to cut. See this question for project details. <Q> They usually have about 6 inches of fo...	I've built some dog houses using SIPs (structural insulated panels).
How to install a timer next to thermostat to control/limit the length of time the thermostat operates? What if you want to put the thermostat pre-set at 74 degrees in a clear wall mount tamper-proof enclosure and install a 6 hour timer next to it so the knuckleheads don’t leave the a/c on when they leave? Should I just...	Using a programmable thermostat would be the best option, but if you really want what you have described (like a hot tub timer at a public pool - turn on any time, always turn off 20 min later), then you can wire the Y and G wires together and pass those through a timer.
My shower grout is cracked. How can I fix it? Noticed this because the piece outside the shower was lifting and there was some water around the edge. Is this as simple as getting a grout saw/knife and scraping out the old and putting in new grout? Do I need to worry about any moisture underneath? Didn't own the home ...	I used caulk to fix issues like this.
Can I use pavers as a cheap solution to stop rain water erosion? After over a decade of rain water running down from the roof, I have a small 'moat' around the house, where the water has eroded away the grass and sand (this is Florida, soil is sandy) - see Picture 1. Also, water gets splattered against the house wall, ...	The pavers will definitely take care of the moat and deflect the rain water.
Is it legal and safe to have an electrical breaker panel installed outside of an external wall of a single family home in Ontario Canada? Searched multiple sites but could not find the answer to the question if it is legal and safe to have an electrical breaker panel installed outside of an external wall of a single fa...	There are perfectly legal outdoor rated breaker panels, if that is your question.
Using a sealant to stop a toilet tank leak The toilet tank is leaking through the bolts, but the bolts are so rusted I can't remove them. I can't afford a plumber right now, but would like to stop using bucket-fulls of water to flush. My husband wants to use a sealant to stop the leaking. Is this feasible? <Q> You can ...	Replacing the bolts may be easier than getting a good leak-free seal with sealant, and it will be about the same cost to buy the bolt kit as it would be to buy a tube of silicone.

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