How should I prepare this compression fit copper tube for use again?

Yes, quite simple.

use a Scotchbrite pad to shine up the copper tube so the ferrule ring has a clean, gouge free seating area
slide the nut on
slide the ferrule ring on
push the copper tube into the fitting till it seats (fittings I've used have an internal stop at about 1/4" from ferrule seating area, double-check that the fitting is designed this way)
push the ferrule ring into place against the fitting
thread the nut on by hand (make sure the tube doesn't back out of the fitting and till nut is hand tight)
tighten the nut just till the fitting is leak-free (about 1/2 turn from hand tight)

No plumber's goop, no teflon tape on assembly, the seal is formed by compressing the ferrule ring.

Where most people go wrong is to over-tighten the nut for the ferrule ring. The ferrule ring is trapped between two conical surfaces (nut and fitting) that force the ring to bite into the soft copper which both seals and forms a mechanical connection to keep the tube from backing out. Over-tightening causes the ring to dent the tubing, causing leaks and the inability to disassemble and reassemble the fitting as all the give is taken out of the ferrule ring and it cannot compress any more to seal effectively on the next reassembly.


Do i need to worry about leveling the floor if there are dips no more then 1/8 "

Ideally, you don’t rely on the thinset mortar to “float” tiles into level. You want to lay thinset down with the correct size notched trowel, and press each tile down firmly until the mortar stops yielding.

Whether or not the 1/8” dips matter depends largely on the size of each tile. If they are 1” x 1” tile, it won’t matter, the tile will easily handle the slight changes in the floor, but if they are 1’ x 1’ they might not.

You can correct the dips with thinset mortar and a good thin steel trowel, or self leveling cement.


Those are called breakaway machine screws or just breakaway screws.

They come in handy when installing cabinet hardware (handles/knobs etc.) in materials that differ in thickness or you don't know the thickness. As you have seen, they are also used in many other applications such as bathroom hardware.

The slits in the thread make it easier to adjust the size of the screw to the application without messing up the threads.

Hold the head of the screw in pliers/vise etc. And use another pair of pliers just past the slit on the threads you don't need... Bend the slit up and down and snap.... The piece you don't need breaks off and the thread is still good on the part you need.

You could also just use lineman pliers to cut the screw at the slit of the length you need.

Do you need them? No, you could just match the length and thread type and get that screw. But if you have to cut non breakaway screws, you can mess the thread up and it wont grab the object you are securing. I would personally get the breakaway screws.


I had a radiator in one of my old houses that didn't heat up.  I thought it was a valve, but it turned out that it just needed bleeding.  There was a lot of air in the radiator, and the water couldn't get into where it needed.  If you haven't already, bleed it.


How can I fix a screen door that sticks?

Have you tried lubricating it? Seems worth a shot for the price before replacing the whole door.


"Breaker Finder" (mentioned above) or "Circuit Breaker Detector" is a must-have tool as well as a label maker IMO. I bought an inexpensive detector from Harbor Freight for under $20 thinking that it was a one-time use. Two houses and countless labels later, it's still there when I need it. Also, you might want to grab a lightbulb socket to outlet adapter for ~$1.00 and use the detector's receiver in that.

Another suggestion is to see if there are multiple wires into the back of a breaker. It's an illegal practice and potential safety hazard (although some people may debate this.) It can screw up readings from breaker detectors as well as leave you confused why other areas of you home might are affected.

Also, panels are not allowed to have completely empty slots (holes.) instead of a metal slot cover, someone might've stuck an unused breaker in there to fill in a void.

Last but not least, someone might've left a breaker in but terminated/capped off the wiring. If so, hopefully it's at least in an accessible junction box.


2 gang smart wall switch installation wiring

Mark the wires

See the brown wires making the bounce from L1 to the other L1 and onward?  Mark all these wires "brown" with brown electrical tape, and note that there are 2 of them (and a jumper, that you won't need).   These will be "L".

See the brown wire going to one of the L2s?  Mark that with gray electrical tape.  That will be future L1.

See the brown wire going to the other L2?  Mark that with red electrical tape.  That will be the future L2.

For N, you need to add an additional wire to the bundle of blue.

For PE, ditto ditto bare/green-yellow.  Oh, wait, there is no PE, WTH??

Make sure this isn't cheap, unsafe, illegal junk

See where it says "CE"?  See where it says "Made in China"?  These things contradict each other.  The tiebreaker is:

If you bought this retail, at a competent shop such as Wickes, inside the EU, then you are in the clear.  Their retail-gear procurement procedure assures that the CE is backed by an actual, bricks-and-mortar manufacturer inside the EU, who has actually done the testing and certification which the CE represents.
If you bought this thing at a dodgy shop, flea market, CraigsList, DealExtreme, Banggood, AliExpress, eBay, Amazon Marketplace or any other sort of mail order place (other than wickes.com obviously), then this thing is dangerous junk. Back it goes! This is due to a loophole for mail-order goods, where items are shipped either direct from China or via a dropshipper like Amazon Fulfillment Centers (where Prime comes from).  In those cases, you are the importer and you are on the hook for CE compliance.

"oooh, I'm so afraid of the CE inspector. Where's this cat gonna come from?" Right on the heels of the fire investigator, and hand in arm with your insurer and mortgage lender.

By the way, you read right. Amazon is pure junk.  The problem is Amazon blends their listings, showing both Amazon's own stuff and all the third party flea-market sellers on the same listings.  It's very difficult to tell the difference.  And the latest trick of these bastards is to charge nearly full retail as if it were a legit product.  Hunt down the device on alibaba.com, that is the wholesale junk shop that is the ultimate source for most of it; how little they pay there will blow your mind.  I found a $55 pop-up receptacle whose Alibaba cost was $6.


What's the name for a bar connecting two parts for reinforcement?

Another term for this sort of feature is gusset.

Often enough, a gusset is a flat plate engaging both parts at one edge, but it appears that when used with "shelf" the brace reference is translated to gusset. Both terms appear to work well.

The image above shows double braces held in place by gussets, although if there were no gussets, the term apparently still applies. Brace is better terminology, though.


What's the difference between these types of air hose material?

I have had several kinds of hoses I like the rubber hoses best I have 1 section that is close to 40 years old it has small cracks in the outer layer and I have replaced the ends many times, I just recently purchased 2 more 50 foot section, the negative with rubber is the weight. PVC hose, this is the lightest and cheapest of the hoses it gets brittle if left in the sun. I had a 100' section of hose running into my house from my garage the hose was about 5 years old and prior to the 6 months providing air for demo and remodel work it was in ok shape, I say ok because a wonder bar was dropped on it from the 2nd floor and the hose split about 3' long ( my air supply to a ballast tank is at 150 psi then I have a regulator on the ballast tank usually set at 90) so I find the pvc won't hold up to impacts and after 6 months it got so brittle I ended up throwing it. Or over 1/2 of it.  I have had a couple of PVC hoses with rubber coating these held up better than the PVC but had failures if driven over with a wheel barrow full of brick and mortar similar to straight PVC but the rubber really made a neat "pop" when it cracked the liner. As far as poly I thought it would better when moving around and non marking. It did better than both PVC and rubber coated PVC but in cold weather it cracked it was really cold in the low teens so I go back to my old stand by of the rubber, it is heavy and cost more but it stands up to harsh environments including oil better. One place I will still use straight PVC is for roofing because it is so light but I don't plan on the hose lasting long , but I don't do many roofing jobs anymore.  Hopefully this helps.


Removing fibreboard plinth from concrete floor

I would use a flush cutting end saw like this one

Ease the wood cutting blade in between the plinth and the concrete.
Break away the pieces as they are separated from floor with chisel or flat pry bar. Maybe you will get lucky and only perimeter is glued or there are just a few beads of adhesive instead of full glue down.


How to know when a fixture needs to be re-caulked?

I'd replace the caulk if it begins to crack or shows signs of mold. Old caulk can be perfectly fine as long as it's not cracking and allowing water to penetrate. If there's a lot of movement in the structure, expect to need to replace the caulk more often.


Outdoor spotlight stuck on without a switch

I believe the key words here are "years ago" and "motion sensor".  Motion sensors don't generally live that long.  It may be time for a new fixture, or if modular, a new motion sensor.


Why would steps on a staircase not span the full width of the staircase?

It is just bad workmanship. The structure under the stairs that support everything is part of the framing package that is inspected by a county official before it is covered by drywall.

I have worked in homes (I am a trim carpenter by choice) after the framing crew which built the stairs in a number of houses that had 1" gaps to the wall. The original intent was to add skirt boards but in the spirit of cheap, the builder decided not to have them installed and left the 1" space for the carpet to cover. It made me cringe at the look of it before carpet, but in the spirit of getting in and out quick, that is what goes on.


I decided to try to install a cross brace inside the cabinet to spread the walls enough so the drawers would fit.

I made a trip to the hardware store and picked up:

A 1x6 pine board
Angle brackets with screws

Then I:

measured the front opening of the cabinet.
cut a piece off the pine board 2mm longer than the cabinet is wide.
used a rubber mallet to tap the board into place as a cross brace just underneath the top drawer.
tested the drawers to make sure they opened and closed with the cross brace in place
permanently attached the cross brace with the angle brackets.

It works perfectly.  I was prepared to add a second cross brace underneath the middle drawer, but all the drawers are working well without it.

Here is a picture of the repair with a red circle around the board that I added.


Is a header needed for this load bearing wall?

You absolutely need a header. From what I see there, doubled 2x10s should do.
The wall was apparently built like that because 12' studs were expensive or unavailable, so they  built a standard-height wall and then extended it. That probably wouldn't fly with modern code due to the effective hinge point in the load transfer path.
None of that changes the fact that you need to support the framing above the opening as normal. In your situation I'd lay the header in above the existing double plates, then fill down below them to your opening height. This approach retains the lateral integrity of the wall as much as possible.
           |  |            |  |             |  |<-- pin studs (existing, shortened)
    _______|__|____________|__|_____________|__|__________
   |                                                      |
   |                header                                |
___|______________________________________________________|__
_____________________________________________________________ <-- double plate
_____________________________________________________________ <-- top plate
    |  |  |________________________________________|  |  |
    |  |  |           ^-- filler block             |  |  |
    |  |  |                                        |  |  | <-- king stud
    |  |  | <-- trimmer studs -------------------> |  |  |

Be sure to temporarily support the framing above. There are a few good posts on that here if you need advice.


Toilet won't fill if water supply is on high

I've had a similar problem and it was due to an "Auto Burst Detecting" supply line.

Something similar to this: http://media.wattswater.com/F-FloodSafe.pdf

The high flow of water is "Detected" by the FloodSafe line.  This causes it to trip and shut off the line as it thinks the high flow of water is caused by a broken line.   My solution was to just leave the valve partially off and live with the long toilet fill times.

Note: Leaving the valve partially off will most likely defeat the purpose of the FloodSafe line (As it cannot have high enough flow to detect a burst line).


Without any specific knowledge of this particular model:

Sounds like the timer may need to be replaced.


Is this product suitable as a solvent cement for abs pipes?

According to the marking on the tube it's rated for both EN14680 (Adhesives for non-pressure thermoplastics piping systems) as well as EN14814 (Adhesives for thermoplastic piping systems for fluids under pressure).
The product datasheet I found says:

  Tangit PVC-U is suitable for producing tensile stress resistant
  connections between pipes (e.g. drinking water and gas pipes) and
  fittings made of PVC-U* in compliance with the recommendations of the
  German Plastic Pipe Association.
  *PVC-U = rigid PVC

But - on page 2 it says:

  The recommended product for pipes made of ABS is Tangit ABS

My best guess is that it'll probably work sorta-kinda-ok-ish, but I wouldn't use your PVC-U on ABS pipes except as a last resort in a non-demanding application.


Bathroom fan fluctuates in power when using countdown timer switch

There are actually two problems, and they are related:
Low Power Fan
First I found a customer review on the Lowes web site that said:

I gave this only three stars as no where on packaging or instructions is there any note indicating this will not work with high efficiency bathroom fans. I spent many hours troubleshooting my Broan XB110L only to find during internet searches that this timer causes erratic fan operation. Actually in my experience this timer results in a fan that never reaches full speed and labors erratically at very low speeds.

which matches your problem pretty closely. And then I found this comment from a Home Depot customer:

Note: This timer requires a load of at least 40 watts to operate properly.
and that matches your problem exactly. Your fan is rated at 30W. Not clear if that is Fan + Light or just Fan. But even if it is just the fan, the LEDs are 13W so that would be a total of 43W - and likely less because the fan motor is probably listed at the high end of its usage (e.g., startup).

which led me to the definitive answer in the installation instructions:
40 Watt Minimum

Do not use where total load current is less than 0.3 A 40 W or greater than 5 A

which confirms the problem.
Not LED Compatible
I was at first a bit surprised at this, as the device seems quite up-to-date and even uses LEDs in its own design. But both Lowes and Home Depot list it as not LED compatible. Since your fan has LED lights, that's a no-go right there.
Why is there a minimum load? There are three ways to power a smart-switch/timer/motion-detector/etc.:

Neutral

Neutral requires a neutral wire. Many older homes don't have neutrals in the switch box, so it is a marketing advantage to have a product that doesn't require neutral - fewer returns due to "can't install it here". This timer does not use neutral.

Ground

Ground is a general "no, you can't do that" but it is allowed when properly designed but has a limited amount of current allowed for the "smarts" of the device. This timer does not use ground.

Leak through switched hot

This is the only option left! Works great with incandescent & halogen but does not work well with LEDs. And I suspect they have some tricks that just don't work well unless there is a large load so that the timer's own usage is "small" relative to the fan/light load.
Bottom line: SEND IT BACK
Recommendations
Look for a timer that says:

LED Compatible - That indicates it doesn't "leak current"
Requires Neutral - That tells you how it gets the necessary current


Mineral spirits won't work. You need something stronger like acetone. If you have ceramic tiles they won't be harmed.


Which to install first...closet doors or carpet?

Sliding doors may have a track at the bottom if they are doors riding in bottom side wheels. In this case definitely install the track first and fit up the doors. Carpet tack strip will be installed on either side of the track. Doors can be removed during carpet installation.

If the sliders are ones with a top hanger track that the doors hang from on rollers then there will be a center guide bracket that keeps the bottom of the doors aligned. With these you generally want to install carpet first as it will be very difficult to access inside the closet to fit the carpet through the opening with two hanging doors in the way. It will also be possible to better gauge the trim length for the doors once the carpet is in place.

There will be a decision point regarding the sliding door center guide on the floor. The best way to deal with that is to install a small square of plywood right where the guide will be located. This should be about the thickness of the padding. The padding would be cut around this block and carpet laid over the top. The guide will be installed with its screws going through the carpet and into the block below. The purpose of the block is so the guide does not compress the carpet all the way to the floor.


How to change an untwistable (by design?) fluorescent tube light bulb in a fitting with no slot?

Disclaimer: while this did work, and the insides look as if they're designed for something like this, I'm not sure if it was the exact correct intended approach. Follow these steps at own risk!

Based on Tester101 and Ed Beal's suggestions I tried pushing the ends. I think it was spring-loaded at both ends - by firmly but gently pushing the holder on one side, and firmly but gently holding and pushing the tube itself close to the opposite end in the other hand, I was able to get it loose.

The gap in the upside-down-U shaped rim was then just the right size to allow the (untwisted) pins to come through, which makes me think this was probably (but not definitely) the intended way. There are also what appear to be grooves for the pins.

Both sides were capable of bending backwards about 3mm-4mm with some force carefully applied (it felt like any more than this either side would crack something). This wasn't enough to free the pins on either side, but when the same force was applied to both sides at once, they could come loose on one side. This would be a much easier job with a second person - you could pull both holders apart while the second person holds and manoeuvres the bulb.

Getting the bulb in was slightly trickier, and with hindsight I'd definitely recommend having a second person help. If you do attempt it on your own, set your stool up next to the side where you're pulling the holder, then extend your arm as far as possible down the tube to push the pins in on the far side first, pushing that far side out out using the tube, so you're up close for the tricky task of getting the second pair of pins in the hole without them getting caught on the casing.

Here's what the inside of the fitting looks like with no bulb. It looks a little like a tragic weeping ghost from a Studio Ghibli film. Sad light fitting is sad:

Update: due to national power shortages I couldn't test the new bulb until much later, when I did, the bulb instantly blew. Bright light at each end, then nothing. Don't yet know the cause of the problem, and it's likely it's the same as what blew the old bulb, but I thought it best to mention just in case it's something I did.


Minimum length for a shed ramp 8" high using 2x12" PT?

5° is standard (ADA) which is 1:12. So at 8" height you would have an 8' ramp. If this is too long to line up the mower, shorten/steepen it as little as is necessary for you to use it. How steep is too steep is impossible to know without understanding all the circumstances.

Find a solid sloped surface somewhere nearby and test drive the mower up and down, to get a feel for how steep is driveable and safe on your mower.


Can a plastic fridge shelf be definitively repaired?

There is no glue job that involves just the edges of the plastic shelf that will hold up to any use. In fact it is rather amazing that you got it to bond with PVC pipe cement. Clearly the solvent in the pipe cement that you used was able to temporarily melt the plastic edges to the point of them bonding back together.

In order to get the fix to stand up to regular usage you are going to have to do some additional work. Find a type of glue that really takes to this type of plastic and use that to bond some metal cross bars to the bottom side of the shelf surface. Something like aluminum bar stock that is 1.5" (~38mm) wide by 0.25" (~6 to 7mm) thick that spans the maximal across the width of the shelf would be workable. I would suggest three such bars.

The ridges on the shelf, which appear to be on the bottom side, will require you to use a bonding agent that can fill in a gap. I would not recommend grinding off those ridges to accommodate the suggested cross bars. I would also not suggest trying to drill holes and using fasteners to secure the bars. This creates localized pressure points in the plastic that could cause it to crack from the drilled holes.

Experiment with silicon sealer type material to see of it bonds to that type of plastic. The plastic has to be clean, dry and oil free. If it does this would work well to bond the support bars to the bottom of the shelf. Silicon sealer material bonds very well to aluminum bar stock. If the silicon sealer is a non-starter with your plastic shelf then you could try one of the construction type adhesives. There are types that have solvents that allow them to bond well to certain types of plastic.


What kinds of flooring resist water damage?

You may want to look into floating tile floors. These are tiles with a rubber or foam backing and snap together like puzzle pieces, instead of being secured to the subfloor with grout. You still need to grout the tiles, but these are made for DIY installation, instead of professional installers. It's more expensive to buy and have other issues, but if you have another crack in the concrete, it won't destroy the tile. Also, if you do find out about a crack you need to fix or have to clean up after a flood, these will be easier to remove and should even be able to be reinstalled.

For more info:
https://www.bobvila.com/articles/floating-tile-floor/


How do I ground a light fixture with two ground wires and only one ground at junction box?

In a single circuit, all ground wires and metal fixture structural parts are connected.

In your case, the green wire is the ground for the lower part of the fixture. The bare wire is the ground for the metal canopy. The green screw is the ground for the fixture bracket. The bare wire buried under the bracket is the ground from the circuit cable.

They all need to be connected.  The easiest way is to attach a short bare (or green) wire to the green screw and then attach the four ground wires together.

I prefer the newer push in connectors for solid wires (they can be used for stranded but are a bit harder to use). Or you can use a wire nut. Just be sure to strip enough bare cable to get a good twist on all four wires before putting on an appropriately sized nut. Most practitioners use a lineman's plier to get a good twist on multiple wires.

Never put more than one wire under a screw or nut.


You do not want to use the lag shields, anchors, in wood studs. Wood can compress and the holding power could/would be reduced after a while. Just drill your 7/32" pilot holes about an inch and a half above or below the existing holes.  Remove the anchors and fill the holes with joint compound if they'll show when you mount the bracket in the new location.


How do I install an air conditioner in a larger window?

You could use exterior grade plywood, but you should still seal it on both sides with paint or clear coating suitible for exterior use.  It still may be somewhat unsightly on the inside.

As an alternative, I have regularly used plexiglas type plastic to fill in the spaces along the sides of air conditioners.  This avoids weatherproofing and appearance issues. It also give you a bit of a view to the side of the air conditioner (this was critical in my New York apartment where the peek-a-boo river view was in the only window that could take the air conditioner).

The easiest way to use this system is to remove the expandable plastic filler frame altogether.  The accordian plastic is prone to leaking air anyway. While the filler sides do not provide much support, they do provide a bit, so it is essential to make sure the air conditioner is well attached behind the upper sash, prefereably with screws, and that the upper sash is blocked from opening with a bracket of some sort.

Cut the plexi to fit. You do need to seal the plexi on all four sides.  One way to to this is to create a molding one side of which will press against the face of the plexi (on the inside surface) and the other side against the side of the window frame, the sill and the upper sash and against the air conditioner itself.  Silicone sealant or similar latex glues can be used to glue the plexi and the molding.  These can generally be removed fairly easily with a razor blade if needed.


Short of replacing it with a sealed, sound-proof door, I suppose you could throw some foam on it e.g. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002F78UI/ref=cm_cd_asin_ and make sure gaps around the door are sealed; there are kits e.g. http://www.acousticalsolutions.com/door-seal-kits or something simpler to install like http://www.audimutesoundproofing.com/door-seal-kit.aspx. If you don't seal the gaps anything you do to the door will have minimal effect.

You may also be able to get some relief by just hanging some thick fabric over the door. Make sure it covers the entire door frame plus some, and all the way down the floor. It could act is a baffle of sorts, although I would not expect too much.

If sound is coming through the walls or vents, don't be surprised if you can still hear most of it.


How can I prevent mold on the wall/particle board behind the kitchen sink?

It's hard to tell from the picture but it looks like it was tile mounted to a wood board.  Wood is one of the worst materials for behind the sink.  If going to replace with tile, use a concrete backer board instead and consider using tile trim caps to cover the top.  Otherwise use a solid stone or stone like material.

And make sure the caulking is in good shape.  Every couple of years it needs to be stripped out and replace.  If it is starting to look old and cracked, it's been there too long.  No mater what the material, water under or behind the splash with always cause problem.s


Is NEC code for non-metallic cable applicable now that I've installed an attic ladder?

I would say no.

The rule is likely for attics that can be readily accessed. For instance, some houses have an access door (think closet door) in the top level of the house that leads into the attic. If someone can just open a door and go in, it's accessible (but it's probably also decked, lest someone open it and fall downstairs).

I bought a brand new house not long ago and there was an attic access panel in the ceiling of the garage (the HVAC unit was up there so it would be silly to have it sealed). None of the wires in the attic were protected because it was still difficult to get up there. Even after adding attic stairs, it wasn't something that you could "just go into". I doubt they could have passed inspections if code had meant "cannot be accessed by anyone", which would probably be a code violation in most areas.


How can I restore my carpet's pile after too much cleaning product was used?

Rent a carpet cleaner and don't put in any detergent. Just use hot water.


Could a power outlet be ruining hair straighteners?

124V is on the high side of "normal" for a U.S. outlet. Most appliances should be able to handle that voltage, but some will not, at least not long-term. It's not so much voltage as amperage; the current flowing through a wire will create heat (the "toaster effect"). However, voltage determines amperage: I=V/R, so as V increases and R (resistance) stays constant through a circuit, I (current) will also increase.

There are voltage regulators you can buy for your entire house's wiring. These regulators are basically a smaller version of the big grey can transformer on the power pole outside (or the big green box down the street or in someone's back yard); they will "step down" the power from the incoming line just that little bit more to put it between 110 and 120V, which is the "butter zone" for U.S. electrical.

When shopping for your next hair-straightener, look for one that is rated for 125V, or at least 120V. Appliances are commonly rated for 110V, which is the low side of U.S service voltage and may not handle a "hotter" electrical region.


The bare grounds are buried in the bottom of the box there

Since these are NM-type cables we're dealing with here, the ground wires in the box will be bare wires, and lo and behold, there's a whole bundle of them improperly spliced together in the bottom of the box.  Take a suitably sized wirenut and nut the green wire on your transformer to that bundle of bare wires (this will also properly splice the bare grounds to each other).

As to the hots and neutrals

The black wires in this box are all hot, and the white wires are all neutral (otherwise, there'd be a white spliced to something that isn't white, that's a clue that shenanigans are afoot).  So, in this case, it's black nutted to black, white nutted with whites (and you may wish to replace the splice of the existing neutrals with a proper one while you're at it), and grounds as above.


Is there risk in getting a larger pressure tank for my well pump?

A larger tank will cause the cycles to be longer (slower), but overall the runtime will be  the same (if you use 500 gallons of water, the pump has to supply 500 gallons of water). For example, if the tank is full and you open a tap, with a 36 gallon tank it may take 60 seconds before the pump starts, and then 30 seconds to run, and repeat. With a 55 gallon, it may take 90 seconds before the pump starts, and then it will run for ~50 seconds. In both cases, this is ~33% duty cycle (if you excuse my rounding errors for simplification), and so if you leave the tap open for 10 minutes you'll get a total of 198 seconds or 3.3 minutes of runtime.

The downsides to a larger tank are simply that it costs more and takes up more space.

The only real problem is if you have too small of a tank you'll cause the pump to cycle too quickly which wears it out faster.


How to repaint a wall with peeling paint

You only need to remove loose or peeling paint - you can paint over paint that is in good condition. Mechanical means (sanding or scraping) are typically sufficient to remove paint that needs to be removed.

In painting a single wall, you will likely have problems matching the color of the other walls. You'll be amazed just how many shades of "white" there are, and how glaring the difference can be. Depending on the use of the area this may not be a concern.

But, if you have water damage, you need to first solve the leak (source of water), and you may need to replace some drywall as well as (before) the painting to fully resolve the damage.


When I set the thermostat to X degrees, is that the temperature at which air is pushed out through the vents?

The Thermostat temperature is of the room, at the thermostat. The thermostat has a differential of about 1 or so degrees. Meaning if it is set for 70 deg, it will kick on @ 69 degs., then off @ 70 deg. The actual temperature of the ducts will be something different.

EDIT:
The question is about AC so it is ductwork. Each register is likely to be at a somewhat different temperature & CFM due to duct length, size, how many turns, etc. This is often measured with an anemometer.


The easiest way to insulate concrete block is to glue foam insulation board directly to the block. These boards come in 4 ft X 8 ft sheets and different R values. The other method is to build a wood or steel stud wall along the block to hold blanket style insulation along with electrical wiring etc. This method is a lot more work, but gives you a base to install sheetrock later on.

Depending on whether or not you want the attic area insulated or not, blanket or blown in insulation can be installed into the ceiling. ( this assumes you have a sheathed ceiling). Otherwise, you can install blanket insulation between the rafters. Depending on budget, sprayed in foam insulation is fantastic.   You may also want to look at some venting to help exhaust hot air during the summer months. I may add a few comments later, but here's a start.


Replacment remote for an older garage door

You can purchase from the big box home improvement stores or online resources a device which connects to the physical button (wired) of your opener. It is a radio receiver matched with the remote(s) included in the purchase. It replaces/augments the existing system, allowing more remotes along with the original for those who have working systems.

More advanced versions will also mate with one's portable communication device with the appropriate application.

Skylink is one such brand, there are others.


Soil under slab (sidewalk) washed away and is now causing cracks down the middle

Any concrete that is wet enough to flow into that space is probably too wet which weakens its strength. "Pouring" concrete is a misnomer. When it is properly mixed it has to be placed or pushed into position.

I don't think you a footing anyway you just need to replace the soil that was washed away. Usually concrete slabs for roadways are supported by packed gravel/sand mix with some clay content called road gravel. This mix is also used for county gravel roads.

"Road gravel" from a local supplier could be packed under the slab with a make-shift ram using a 4x4 post or other such device. You could also rent a jack-hammer with a compactor attachment. It sounds like a lot of hard work but rammed earth walls are an accepted way of building your own house with simple tools and a strong back.

Good luck!


Simple answer,  If your community subscribes to the the national IRC building codes, then the minimum ceiling height is 7 feet for living spaces.  Some towns will allow less in basement rec rooms, but rarely is it more than the 7 foot min.


Why does my kitchen sink not drain properly after I don't use it for a while?

Although it's rare, it could be that the Kitchen Vent pipe is clogged, thus causing slow draingage, or now drainage.  Could be that leaves have collected there, or bugs have built a next.  Google "Kitchen Vent Pipe Clogged" and see if the articles there are helpful.


Raising Level Of Concrete Floor to Equal Existing Tile In The Same Room

You could flood the non-tile area with Self Leveling Compound.  This is often done for glue down hardwood floor installs - not cheap or easy but can be done.
That said I'd sooner just use a rotary hammer with a tile removal blade and pull all the tile than go through the expense and labor of flooding with SLC.


How can I replace the seat on my wall-mounted toilet

You need to identify the toilet.   There is often a brand logo under the toilet seat, between the bolt holes.
That said, it appears to be a Duravit “darling new” wall toilet.  There are two or three models within the range, each gets its own seat/cover.  Measure the length of the top of the bowl from wall to front edge and it will correspond with the spec online at www.duravit.us.   It looks like the elongated version which probably uses toilet seat 0063390000, but you should check.
Good luck!


To remove the faucet (looking at the center photo) there is a brass hex nut (just above the braided plastic hose connector) that is tightened to hold the "C" shaped spacer and the faucet securely to the sink basin. You can use a Basin wrench (it has a swiveling head on a long handle) or an adjustable crescent wrench with a short  handle. Either way loosening the nut will enable the faucet to be removed from the sink. You will also want to shut the water supply off on the hot and cold lines first.


What should I consider when burying cable?

If you want to bury the cable directly in the ground then you need to use direct burial-grade cable and not "standard" cable, otherwise you need to use conduit.

First you need to consider the distance to the poll.  Depending on the distance and use of the cable, you might be able to use RG6, but you also might need to use RG11.

You want to bury it deep enough that you won't cut it with a shovel should you do any yard work.  They are usually a couple feet deep, but it depends on climate and location.

Make sure to call your utility company (usually your gas company) and have them come out and mark all burried cables/gas lines BEFORE you start digging - the last thing you want is to break a gas line or an electrical feed (ZAP!).

Leave yourself plenty of slack (service loops) at both ends of the cable.  Overtime the ends will get cut and replaced over and over, and you need some extra cable allow for this.

You might want to check to see if your cable provider will even allow this, often they handle the last-mile connection to your demark.  Because cable is "shared", a crummy installation on your end can cause issues for other customers.


Is shutting off the water supply line to replace a refrigerator water filter normal?

All you need to do is have a local shut off . My state requires a valve box in the wall access behind the fridge. If you have this on the supply to the fridge it meets the requirements. With this normally ball valve turned 90 degrees and a glass of water tried to fill the pressure will be gone in 1-2 seconds.


shirlock homes is correct.  The facia boards should be underneath the drip edge and it will not be affected.  I would go slow removing the facia boards in case the roofer inadvertently nailed the drip edge to the facia.  The steps are simple:

Remove facia using a cats paw or similar tool and a hammer.
Remove all nails and/or screws that might get in the way of new facia.
Replace any of the facia boards behind it that need replaced making sure to end each board on a rafter or truss.
Cut facia and nail it up with galvanized nails, (usually 2 every 16"-20") pushing up gently on the shingles and drip edge to move them out of the way.  If you have any angled pieces then a speed square is a must.  How to use one would require a whole nother question and answers.
Put a dab of caulk on every nail head and every seam on the facia.
Paint.


How old is your condensing unit?  Your compressor may be getting close to it useful lifespan.  As internal wiring and parts become worn, the compressor will pull more amps over time until something eventually gives.  If it is still cooling and not tripping the breaker you should be ok.  But I would probably set a little cash back for that final day when the compressor fails.  Sometimes it is more feasible to replace the entire condensing unit in lieu of compressor replacement if the unit is an old one.


Capped wires in old switch box--mains power or switch loop?

Short answer, check for continuity between White and Ground.

If you have 120V between White and Black, and White is tied to Ground (check for close to 0 ohms resistance from white to ground), then White is neutral, Black is Hot.

There are some miswired options that may be in play (ie switched neutral), but hopefully this was wired by someone who knows what they are doing.

To answer your other questions:
I believe that measuring hot to neutral on a multimeter should give 120V, correct?
Correct

What would measuring hot to switched hot give?
120V, assuming that there is a functional light bulb or functioning device plugged into the switched socket.  If not, then you would read 0v, or some floating voltage much less than 120V.


Is frost build-up normal at the ingoing/outgoing pipes to the freezer evaporator?

This can indicate a few possibilities:

1: You are low on freon - this means you have a leak.

2: Dirty Coils - bad cooling- causes the pipes to freeze up like in your picture. Check your condenser coils.

3: No Airflow - your fans on the evaporator inside are not working causing this same condition. Also check your fan from Fridge to Freezer ..

Check items 2 and 3 First.

EDIT

As was pointed out - I did not answer the question directly.

The Op Asked  Is this normal?

The direct answer: No this is not normal.


Is it time to replace my 20 year old water heater?

The fact that it is taking 5 minutes to deliver hot water to the shower rarely has anything to do with a tanked water heater and is instead because of the distance between the water heater and the shower.  (Also depends on whether or not those pipes are exposed to the elements, as the hot water will have to first heat the cold pipes before it can deliver hot water to the shower.  Raising the temperature setting would help heat the pipes faster, but that would nonetheless be a problem with the setting, not a problem with the water heater that would warrant replacement if it were the only problem.)  That aside, either the water at the top of the tank is hot or the water heater simply isn't working.  (Hot water, like hot air, rises.  If there's one place that hot water should be at, it's the top of the tank, which is where the hot outlet draws from.)

Water heaters typically go bad for two reasons:

(1) Not changing the anode rod, leading to corrosion that eats through the tank.  If you haven't had your water heater's anode rod replaced (typically about every 10 years), then this thing is a ticking time bomb, and it will fail very soon.

(2) Sediment covering the electric elements / gas burner, at which point performance will be reduced.  This will often cause "popping" noises, as the elements get quite hot and then cause water trapped within the sediment to almost instantaneously boil, causing a tiny explosion as the water turns to vapor.   In electric water heaters, this will pretty much cause the lower element to be completely useless, as it becomes buried under more and more sediment, either becoming thermally insulated from the water that it's supposed to be heating or outright failing due to excessive temperatures.  The common symptom of this in electric water heaters is that the hot water will quickly run out, as only the top element is working, and the hot water stays near the top.  I haven't worked with gas water heaters much, but the logic is pretty similar... sediment and scale is going to cover up the surfaces that are transferring heat from the burner to the water, and you're going to lose a lot of efficiency.  (To make matters worse, your water heater probably only had about a 50% AFUE [annual fuel utilization efficiency] rating when it was new, and if it has any sediment problems, it's probably down to 25%.  By contrast, a new gas water heater will have 75-90% AFUE.  Ergo, I would say it's worth it to change the water heater on account of efficiency alone.)

Note: Some of this depends on location -- the harder the water, the worse these problems will be.

If you don't have a water softener, you should immediately replace the unit.

If you have a water softener, the unit might still have problems, and even if it doesn't, I would replace it on AFUE concerns alone.  If you don't want to replace it, though, you MUST at least have a plumber come install a new anode rod and T&P relief valve if you have not had the water heater serviced recently.  (If your T&P relief valve is scaled over or has otherwise failed, flooding should be the least of your concerns.  A failed T&P valve can lead to a BLEVE [a type of explosion], which would pretty much flatten your entire house and possibly kill everyone in it.  See below.)

PS: What you want to use as a temperature setting is up to you, but you should keep it at at least 120-125F, raising the temperature up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit once a month to ward off Legionnaires' disease, which carries a 30% fatality rate.


Do I have enough amperage in my service?

You're getting very close to the limit. You're up to 170 Amps without the kitchen appliances and recreational devices. The tankless water heater is a large load, takes about 4 times the load of a regular tank heater.


Can I do two 220V receptacles on a single 20A line?

Yes, you can.

  The equipments will be drawing max 3A and 13A. Is it possible to both on a same line?

Yes, even if they are continuous loads 16 amps would be allowed.

  Can I also use 12/2 cable? or should I use 12/3?

12/2 is all you need

  Can these receptacles placed in a double outlet box?

Yes.

You can put as many receptacles as you like on a circuit in residential applications. 240 volt receptacles only require 2 wires and a ground wire. Hence the 12/2 wire is sufficient. Circuits are required to be sized for the load they serve. Continuous loads are required to be sized at 125% of the load served. Devices can be placed in the same box without dividers unless the voltage exceeds 300 volts between devices. Which does not happen in residential applications (here in the US anyway).

Good luck!


Yes, if it's approved for the line voltage and temperature and if connectors (e.g. wire nuts) are sized to fit. A lower gauge number means heavier wire, able to carry more current safely, with lower voltage drop for the same  length, so it should be quite safe if fused correctly for 10-gauge.

The reason heavier wire than necessary is not used is to save on the cost of copper, and to avoid difficulty in routing and bending thick wire.


What could happen if I used 4 cycle fuel in a 2 cycle engine?

There is quite the extreme possibility there has been permanent damage done. 4 cycle engines do not need oil mixed with the gas to provide lubrication, since it has oil in the crankcase.
Two cycle engines have to have oil mixed in the gas to provide the lubrication needed, since there is no oil in the sump. When you used the 4 cycle gas, there was no much needed oil mixed with the gas. There may be a small chance the engine has not seized, it may start again, but the life of the engine has been greatly reduced.


Which way should a door between the garage and basement swing?

Check local codes -- you may not get a choice in the matter.
Check the door to see if the fire rating requires it to be mounted one way or the other.
Otherwise, look at convenience. Will the door open completely with the car in the garage or your workbench in place? From a security standpoint, having it swing into the basement would be more secure as the hinges will be inside.


why does my gas furnace exhaust constantly

There might be an error code on your electronic control board. It's located in the lower half of the furnace. Sometimes there's a little plastic window that you can look through or you might have to take the cover off.

There'll be an LED on the board that will blink in a special sequence and give you a code number. There should be a label inside the cover or inside the wall of the furnace that tells you how to decipher the code.


Shoot photos of the wiring and let us walk you through it.

The usual place people get derailed is in 3-way switches; they count on the screw positions or wire colors meaning anything at all.  The screw positions vary on every switch, and the colors are worse than random in 3-ways. I even recommend you mark the travelers with yellow tape; doing so makes things easy.

Even on a 2-way you sometimes see more than 2 non-ground wires; almost always two always-hot wires  and the installer just used the switch terminals as a lazy way to splice them.  More logical is a pigtail; but a novice switch replacer usually does not have the supply of wire,  wire-nuts and stripper needed to do a pigtail.

But the #1 complication is dumbth; people not being conscious that they have outranged their skills and thinking they can just blunder about and get lucky. It's less of a risk on switches, but on other things, experientation can lead to many combinations that work but kill you later.  Skills are so easy to acquire that I advise to do so.


Why would only part of a foundation be stabilized?

After seeing the 2nd question the home is brick faced. Based on this information I believe they would not want to do any lifting as the brick work would be damaged especially in the sections that have been repointed. The assessment of the current soil conditions must be stable so no work would be needed in that area.


How to fill cracks when building wood furniture?

Good for you for tackling this project.  If you're an amateur and this is your first project, then don't try to be perfect because you will be beating yourself up for no reason.

If you are going to paint the finished project, then the looks don't matter so much.  You can buy wood filler that will fill any gaps and grain.  Force it into any gaps or cracks with a putty knife, and then sand smooth afterwards.   If needed, start with a coarse grain sandpaper (otherwise start with medium) and then progress to fine.   Wood filler can create fine dust, so use a dust mask while sanding.   For panels, I would recommend using MDF as it has a very smooth surface for painting.  Cutting MDF creates a LOT of dust, so always use a mask and remember that it's better to do this outside or with a dust collection system.


Swapping main breaker in a 200A panel with a 100A main breaker

You probably could do a breaker swap, assuming that a 100A breaker in the same case style as the 200A breaker could be found. I can't point to a manufacturer or product family, but I can at least say that Square D has decent drawings and technical specs available on their web site. Several of the drawings do indicate the case style of the main breaker, and some panels must be field-fitted with a main, so many of the drawings do include the information you'd be needing to match.
There are (at least) two other ways you could crack this nut. Supposing that your meter is located elsewhere, ie that you're not looking at meter-main combination type panels:

Install the new 200A panel and a 100A panel also. Set it up so that the 100A is the main panel fed by the existing service and call the 200A panel a subpanel. Later, when you upgrade the underground service, remove the 100A panel and have the upgraded service connect directly to the 200A panel. There's nothing wrong with a subpanel being equipped with a main breaker that's rated higher than some upstream breaker. If you find a 100A panel with output lugs you could wire the subpanel feeder directly from those to the 200A panel; no branch circuit breaker needed.
Install the new 200A panel with a 100A branch breaker rated for backfeed. Connect the service conductors to that branch breaker and mark it as the main breaker. Note: you'll probably be required to get a bolt-down bracket to retain the 100A breaker in the panel.


Wooden deck butting up to retaining wall not square

Use a table, circular, or other saw to rip the deck boards to fit.


Does the Plywood Around the Toilet Flange Need to be Replaced?

If the plywood is solid and not delaminated “can’t poke into the surface” you may be ok.  It would be better to check the underside also.
There is a sealer that even hardens damaged wood so it will pass home inspections and will protect undamaged wood.


What size beam do I need to span 20' on a 25' roof?

What Nate said in his answer is true, but need to go a bit further on this question.  There are several charts available that specify beam sizes based on span, spacing and types of materials used. A beam 20 foot long would be difficult to create with dimensional lumber, but not impossible.  You will be more likely to find that a LAM or steel beam will be required. Since you already have a negative input from the code enforcement folks, you may have to consult a reputable builder or structural engineer for guidance. I would not take any specific advice from a non professional in your case.  Redoing this job will not be cheap, so do it right the second time. If the code officer will not tell you what they want to see, you will most likely be well served to have a spec certified by an engineer before proceeding.


can i use a 15 amp GFCI outlet in a 20 amp circuit?

Yes, you can use 15A sockets on 20A circuits, as long as there are 2 or more sockets on the circuit.  That is due to a Code exception, that is made just for your application.
There are 2 other ways you can do the GFCIs, if you are willing to slow up and do some learning about how downline protection works.   (And if you are not willing to learn that, then it’s real simple: Never use the LOAD terminals, not ever, not for anything. LOAD should only be used for downline protection; and the LINE terminals are able to take 2 wires).

You can use one GFCI outlet and one plain outlet out there, if you wire them properly.

You can keep the GFCI device indoors where it is nice and dry and will last 30 years instead of 5.  Then you can feed the entire run to the gazebo from that GFCI, and simply use plain outlets out there.  This also allows 12” direct burial instead of the 24” you normally must do.


Filling gaps between water pipes and floor/wall - what material to use?

I'd use "minimally expanding foam" rather than concrete or grout.  Be sure to have plenty of ventilation and read the directions carefully... the stuff can make a helluva mess so cover/tarp/mask off anything you don't want to foam to stick to.


Need to branch off a receptacle series, but not at the end of the run. Best practices?

Your Option 1 is 100% acceptable. Several key points to keep in mind:

Make sure you use appropriate gauge wire.

If the existing wire is 12/2, it's likely that you've got a 20amp breaker and your new wiring must be 12/2. It's possible that you've got a 15amp breaker and the wire is over provisioned and that's perfectly acceptable. I'd suggest sticking with 12/2 in case someone (maybe you) ever replaces the breaker with a 20am based on the cable they see in the panel & don't check all the wiring on the circuit.
If your existing wiring is 14/2, you've got a 15amp breaker (or a code violation and potential fire starter), and you can use 14/2 or 12/2 wiring for the new extension.

Is the outlet switched? If so, be careful about how you attach wiring to ensure that your new outlet is switched or is not switched, depending on what you're after.

Based on a comment on the OP about replacing the box with a larger one to ensure there's enough room for wiring:

Removing wiring from an existing box in a wall can be a bit of a... challenge...

If you need to increase the size of the box, you may be better off going with your Option 2

Your Option 2 is also acceptable with caveats:

It's likely that when you cut the supply cable leading to the outlet that you will no longer have enough cable available to make into the box with both cut ends and have enough cable in the box to meet code requirements for all the wiring.

This can be rectified by using 2 junction boxes. Feed the wires into one box and connect them to a short piece of wire that then leads into the second box. In the second box, pig-tail the wires to the existing cable leading to the existing outlet and to the new cable leading to the new outlet.


Will moisture become trapped between a double air barrier in the ceiling beneath the attic?

The best solution for your climate is to have the poly sheet between drywall and joists but since you already have the drywall up what you propose seems like a good option.  For your region the Building Science reports suggest the vapor barrier inside of the insulation.

I have actually seen this done two ways.  Up and over every joists, back flat on drywall and back over next joist and taped everywhere.  And then I have also seen the vapor barrier laid flat on the joists and taped.

There are pros and cons to each method.  First going up and over every joist is a pain to install.  It literally takes forever.  You might spend a whole day doing this right.

By going flat on top of the joists it is easier.  You also benefit from a "neutral zone" that brings basically free r-value.  The flip side is if you do have a leak it will probably find itself into a tape seem (opposed to just sitting on the poly on the drywall).  Also and the reason I don't install like this - makes it very hard to move electrical or run new electrical in the attic (why I also would never spray foam an attic).

So I am on board with your plan but probably minus the sheeting.  If the sheeting is already there then I would attach the poly sheets right on top of the sheeting and make sure it is taped well.  I mean you can put up as many vapor barriers as you want on top of each other.  As long as the top one is installed right all should be fine.


Replacing LED lights with LED lights but 2 out of 5 has issues

My bet is that the middle contact isn't sprung enough to be consistent.

First, turn the breaker off.

Then, gently tug at the central contact in the middle of the light fixture's socket to bend it a tiny bit further forward. Needlenose pliers can work well for this.

Don't bend it too hard; otherwise you'll have a broken light fixture to deal with.


Can I reuse the existing cement backer board when replacing tile in a shower?

Assuming that it hasn't been flexed or otherwise damaged so much that its rigidity is compromised, sure. I also assume that either you have as water barrier behind or are relying on a good tile job for moisture management. The cement board isn't usually a substantial part of the moisture envelope.

I'd use the same thinset mortar you plan on using for your tile to skim the surface. (or, if you're using mastic, get some thinset mortar).


Since it's low amperage, my guess would be that it's feeding a multi-wire branch circuit - two 120V circuits fed off of a three wire two pole breaker. They share a neutral just to save on running more wire, but have to be disconnected together - which is the cause of the two pole breaker.

I'd suggest flipping the breaker and see what it cuts, first guess would be in the kitchen. Since the meter doesn't use much power, as you said, you'd probably be good to share the breaker if it really is only feeding receptacles. I don't know of what the code requirements might be for installing something like this inside of a panel, but it definitely would work this way.

And of course, like the last poster said, breakers don't really cost that much if they need to be moved around a bit.


GFCI keeps tripping from garbage disposal

Assuming that there is no other electric device connected to that GFCI - also not via a downstream/"load" outlet:

There might be a safety issue with that disposal, so taking care of the danger of electricity is mandatory.

Connecting the disposal to another GFCI outlet via an extension cable could disclose whether the disposal or the GFCI is defect.

The disposal or metal sink or other conducting material in connection with the disposal should not be touched, i.e. it should be switched on and the last step should be to plug in the extension cord into another GFCI outlet.
To stop this test, the first step should be to unconnect the plug of the extension cord.

After some years, the electric isolation of the disposal could get worse due to humidity, dust, vibrations, grease/oil, acid etc.

The test button of the GFCI might show no problem, but that button can not test an over-sensitivity.


Throw rugs will work but you'll probably end up wanting to sand and fix it right. If you do wall to wall make sure to use padding.


How much do I need to sand before painting?

If you want to do a good job, I'd sand until you begin to remove some of the stain from the wood (in effect, sanding the wood)

Then I'd prime the wood with Zinnser Bin wood primer than paint over that.

They have a fast drying version of this; I tried it once; don't use it. you need to move very very quickly. Use the normal drying one and it'll give you more time to work with it.

Wood "sweats" and the stain will eventually come through the paint. Removing the varnish and priming it with a wood primer (not a wall primer) will seal the wood and keep the new final paint from flaking / showing stain from the wood.

For some of the few window casing's I kept in this house and haven't removed, it's held up awesomely for 3 years now. I also had to use a heat gun to get 3 layers of paint off, but thats a different issue. I wouldn't use a heat gun if its varnished. Sand it.

I did this same process to any wood doors that weren't painted and all the wood trim we installed after gutting the rooms.


Is there a special tool to remove this shower cartridge cover?

Does not appear to be any "special" tool requirement per these pictures.
Put a strap wrench on the outermost silver bit and unscrew, or (judging the beat-up look it already has) just scar it up some more with slip joint pliers like the last guy did, at a guess. If the central part turns when you do that, put a wrench on the flats to prevent it from turning as you unscrew the silver part. If the silver bits are more conjoined than it appears, you might need to take the screw(s) in the wall out too.


Water in basement from basement door concrete crack

Broken gutter?
By the look of the outside wall, more water is landing there than the trivial amount from rain coming down there.  Go out and look during a heavy rain.  I bet the gutter is overflowing.
The whole bare dirt area along the edge of your house looks too low to me.  And why are there no plants?
@SteveSh advice is good: build it up.  You could build it up with dirt from the immediately adjacent lawn which will lower that area and encourage water to move away from the house.  Cut off the sod with a spade then put it back after you get your dirt.   Or fill that area with concrete and put a little shed on it; between basement access and hose is a good place to keep outside tools.
Once built up you could put pavers or square concrete tile along the edge of your house, sloped slightly to encourage water to run off.  That can be a good look too.


Not really. Historically, registers and radiators have been by windows since in cold climates, they're the biggest sources of heat loss and discomfort. With the advent of Low-E double and triple pane windows, this concern is greatly diminished. That said, unless there's a problem with your ductwork, I don't see any advantage to moving the ducts.


Wiring question for replacing old outlet with Legrand Adorne

What you have there is a split outlet, which each socket controlled separately. By luck, your new outlet does support that.

Sometimes a device has wires that are not strictly necessary for its primary function.  It is being used as a splice for additional wires.

This doesn't need to happen at the device.  It is also common for the two wires to be joined at a wire nut, with a short pigtail wire going to the device.  If you want to convert to that, that is fine.

You have that happening in two places on this device, in two different manners.

First, the two black wires are spliced together.  This is done by placing one of the wires on the backstab connection, and the other wire on the screw.  These are internally connected together within the outlet.

Second, the two white wires are spliced together.  This is done by failing to break off the "tab" separating the two white screws.  (Only one is actually on the screw; the other is on the internally connected backstab).

So  you can go several ways with this.  You can pull both spliced wires off and pigtail them with a short length of wire.

You may also use a feature on this receptacle, called screw-and-clamp.  This allows 2 wires in the back-wire (not back-stab) connections at each screw.

Since this is a split receptacle,  you will need to break off the tab.  Make sure to break the hot tab (side with the shorter slots).  If you break off the neutral tab by mistake, you can recover by using the screw-to-clamp feature to accommodate the two white wires and a short insulated jumper between the screws.


Garbage Disposal Rewiring and Switch to outlet transition

How easy it is depends on how the feed and switch is layout in the switch box.  IF all three wires from the feed, (black/wire/ground) comes into the switch box, this is an easy setup.  In that box, the switch is removed and an outlet is wired in.  The feed is then continue to a new outlet under the sink.  Both outlets are hot, the old switch and the new outlet under the sink.  The air switch is now plug into the under sink outlet, a new hole drilled into the counter top or use existing hole for the air switch.  You would also have to replace the hard wire out of the GB with a power plug.
Under some local code, the GB would have to on a dedicated circuit, so this would be in violation of that code.  In my house before I remodel the kitchen, my GB was on a circuit with other outlets.


How do I move a carpet tack strip about an inch inward (ie, remove about an inch's worth of carpet)?

To get a consistent appearance you should:

Lift the carpet from the edge without baseboard (skirting board for those of us in the UK).
Remove the old tack strip - you will probably break this.
Fit the new baseboard.
Fix the new tack strip adjacent to the baseboard.
Relay the carpet - cutting it to the new length at this point.

As Shirlock points out you may well need the knee kicker to get a good result and having something to tuck the carpet down is essential.


Where to connect c wire at furnace for Honeywell Wi-FI thermostat

First off, the green wire should connect to the G terminal on the thermostat. It's connected to the G terminal in the furnace, and so should also go to the G terminal on the thermostat.

At the thermostat, the extra blue wire should connect to the C terminal.  Depending on the furnace (read the documentation, and analyze the schematic to be sure), you should be able to connect the other end of the blue wire to either of the C terminals in the furnace.


How to fix drywall bowing from exterior, blown in insulation?

Did they blow in dry fiber glass, cellulose, or wet foam. Years ago my brother- in- law got into the foam insulation business and foamed some houses. The wet foam loosened the glue and the drywall bowed. His insurance paid to have the drywall replaced on every wall effected. After that event he would never take another insulation job where that same builder built the house since they used glue and only a few screws to hold the dry wall in place. My guess would be that the insulation contractor is " on the hook" for the bowed walls. I would call him and show him the problem. Let him decide what to do.


It takes very little power to get an LED light to glow. In addition to strange glowing like you have found, this is why some LED lights will glow or flash with certain "smart" switches or timers or other special types of switches even when they are turned off. So I wouldn't worry about the glowing when you touch them.

The real question is why they are not working any more. There could be many reasons, including:

Circuit breaker tripped - that is easy to check and reset.
GFCI/AFCI tripped (which can be on a circuit breaker or elsewhere in the circuit) - that is also easy to check and reset.
Bad connection somewhere in the circuit (breaker, switch, light)
Lights "burned out" - this is actually least likely because it is unlikely that both lights would "burn out" at the same time, though possible with a big surge.

If the lights are removable "bulbs" then it is reasonable to remove the old ones and try replacements - just make sure they are the same size/type/power rating. However, many LED lights are integrated fixtures, so that may not be an option.

So check any circuit breakers and GFCI/AFCI test/reset buttons first. If resetting a breaker or GFCI/AFCI solves the problem and the breaker or GFCI/AFCI doesn't trip again then you are set. However, if you reset a breaker or GFCI/AFCI and it trips again when you turn on the lights (or turn on some other device on the circuit) then you have a serious problem that needs to be investigated.

Actually, while a single GFCI or AFCI trip can be due to lots of "no big deal" reasons, even a single regular breaker trip (i.e., overcurrent) can be a bit of a concern if there is no obvious cause.

In any case, since this is a rental, if a simple reset does not solve the problem then you really need to either have your landlord hire a professional electrician to troubleshoot the problem or hire one yourself. You can't do electrical work in a rental yourself in most locations and for a good reason: If you mess up and you are not a professional electrician then your landlord will claim it is your fault, you will claim it is was faulty wiring in the first place (the landlord's fault) and the insurance company won't pay.


Will styrofoam insulation prevent condensation from dripping from metal roofing?

Condensation is caused by the underside of the roofing getting colder than the dew point. To prevent this, you would need to insulate the underside and achieve a perfect air seal so that no humid air can bypass the insulation and touch the cold roof. Otherwise you'll still get condensation on the underside of the roof, but it will drip onto the insulation, negating its insulating power and maybe rotting the wooden structure (ain't wood great?).

Typically spray foam is used for this, to ensure the necessary perfect air seal. Unfortunately, because your roof has no sheathing, you would need to spray foam right under your exposed roof, meaning the foam would stick to the metal panels and make future maintenance or replacement a nightmare. This will work, it's just that it will create problems for anybody who needs to replace panels in the future.

Here's an alternative if you're willing to remove the metal roof and increase the height of the roofing by a few inches:

Remove the metal roof
Install plywood as roof decking over where the roofing used to be
Install 4-6" of inexpensive foam boards above the plywood, with any foil-faced sides facing up
Install standard roofing underlayment over that
Fasten them down with 2x4 purlins
Re-install the metal roofing over the purlins
Insulate between the rafters on the inside with fiberglass or mineral wool batts


How can I fuse galvanized sheet metal with a circular bottom together so that it is water tight?

Soldering is the usual method, but without metal-forming equipment I'd guess you don't have, that's not going to be a likely (or affordable) road to success for someone with no experience, for any value of large.

Buy a galvanised washtub or trashcan is the direct, simple route to a watertight circular metal "pot" over a wide range of sizes. Move into "stock watering tanks" for a larger size, though most of those are more oval. Without exhaustive shopping around:

17 gallons, $30:

31 gallons, $19, with lid:

This one is 477 gallons, circular, and costs $219.

Now I've gone and started to think that would make a nice country-style hot tub, and the price is so right...


Home cinema: Convert HDMI to HDMI + Audio

HDMI includes audio in it's signal.  Splitting off the audio isn't very hard, but recombining is, so most systems use one of two methods:

Some audio equipment has HDMI inputs and outputs.  These pass through the video to your projector and do the audio themselves.
Many (most?) projectors and TVs that have an HDMI input also have an audio output, either a headphone jack or optical output, that can be hooked up to your sound system.  This will pass the HDMI audio to the speakers.


First, the valve on every one of these I've seen is outside of the firebox. Any pipe beyond the valve is going to be empty of flammable gas in a short time.

The idea behind these devices is that they replace newspaper and kindling (or however you start your wood fire) with a small gas flame. You turn it on until the fire is going  then turn it off.

You don't have to use this, you can start your fires the more traditional way and ignore this device.

If you are going to use the gas starter, you'll need to keep the firebox fairly neat and tidy to avoid burying the starter burner.


Installing Basement Subfloor over 30-year-old Vinyl

Vinyl is a material that takes millennia to degrade. It is waterproof and is resilient enough to .walk on comfortably. It would be wise to leave the vinyl and build directly on top of it. Typically, when installing a floor in a concrete basement a vapor/moisture barrier is installed to keep the materials above it dry.  Can you clarify why the vinyl would add to the slope (of the floor?)? Are you concerned with the floor being raised enough to interfere with the door bottom? If so, it is relatively simple to trim the door bottom.


Yes it’s ugly, I would cut some cedar 5/4 thick the with of that box and make a trim ring. Cedar won’t rot and is easy to work with a few finishing nails to hold the trim in place and it will look much better. Trim ring the size of the fixture not the box.
Actually this meets code if the correct wiring was used. The KO or 4x4 box up under the eve is a “dry” location and other than ugly because no trim was used to hide the box is the least expensive way to add a light.
To put the new light wiring in the walls/attic will normally cost much more.
Is this a gable porch?  any access to the house attic? Running this concealed will cost many times the surface mount and that is with good attic access.
2 story or poor access you can start adding zeros to the original cost for the extreme cases.
So I would recommend a trim piece that you can make for a few bucks possibly from wood scraps around the house, cedar can go un painted and left natural until time to repaint it will turn gray over time. This will be the least costly unless you want the wiring hidden bad enough to pay the premium it will cost to change the wiring from surface mount.


Framing a 10x12 wood floor, using 2x6 PT lumber

Measure the 2 diagonal distances to the corners. If the measurements are not the same, the floor is not square.
Not sure what you are levelling to. A level, framing square, and careful measuring solves most layout problems.
16" spacing is fine as long as your sheathing is rated for 16" spans. Sounds like they are spanning about 6 feet? 16d common nails (3-1/2") are usually used for framing. I'm concerned with spanning 10 feet with 4x4s supporting 3 feet of contributing floor load. Plus wall dead weight and maybe supporting the roof? I'm pretty sure if you checked a load table, this is inadequate.
Hangers are not needed since the joists sit on top of the 4x4s. Tie downs from joist to 4x4 is a really good idea. 32 inch spacing along each 4x4 should do it.
Block between joists at all supports. This is a typical code requirement.


Wiresize required for air conditioner of 1.5 tonne is 2.5 sq mm will work?

2.5mm^2 wire is good for 18A inside a wall, so you are limited by the 15A sockets. A 220V 15A socket can deliver 3.3kW, and even if the voltage drops to 180V it can still do 2.7kW.  Your aircon requires 1.55kW so there is enough power available.

Depending on the type of aircon, it might draw more Volt-Amps than it does Watts. This would happen if it uses a big motor, and has a poor power factor.  Most aircons would be fine, but without looking in the manual for your particular model, it's hard to be sure.

Stabilizers are rarely used in my country, so I can't say much about that part of things, but your 15A sockets cannot supply 4KVA. If the load on the stabiliser stays at 1.5kW, it may be that the stabiliser will always stay below the 2.7kW which is available. If it tries to draw 4KVA from your sockets, there will be problems - either blown fuses, or, if you don't have fuses then a house fire.  Check the manual for the stabiliser to see how it works, and make sure you install 15A fuses somewhere between the wall socket and the stabiliser.

If in doubt, get a qualified electrician in.


That is just the water that's on the other side of the trap that's in place to keep sewer gas from coming up through the drain. Some traps are further away from the drains so you might not notice it but if the trap is located right under the drain, standing water will be there. When the spout is running it will disrupt the water flowing down the drain just because of the forced flow of water, that's normal. It's a great idea to install those hair catchers.


Looks like common 3 1/4" x 14" rectangular tin vent pipe, you should be able to buy it at any good plumbing shop. It sometimes comes with a locking seam along one edge but HVAC professionals often buy non-seamed pieces of various lengths.

You may be able to beat that back into shape and use listed duct tape to patch it up. If not you will need to find the next upstream connection and replace the whole length.


If you've disconnected everything from the circuit there are only two causes I can think of - either the breaker is bad, or there is a legitimate arc occurring and the breaker is doing its job and possibly preventing a fire.

If you are comfortable opening your breaker panel, you could try replacing the breaker with a new breaker.  If it still trips, I think that's a pretty definitive sign that there is an arc occurring. At this point, you probably want to call a licensed electrician to come diagnose and solve the issue.  It could be a bad connection or a damaged wire.


How can I isolate grounded (neutral) conductors in a panel?

Yes, the neutral bar should be isolated from the case and all neutrals should be connected to an isolated bar.

You can purchase another bar with isolation mounts and connect it (with a heavy-gauge [4Ga is  typical] white wire) to the first neutral bar if needed to provide adequate neutral bar space. Likewise for a non-isolated ground bar, if needed. NOT having to do this sort of foolishness is one reason for leaving adequate wire in the first place, but presumably whoever wired this wrong was also of the "I want it neat and tidy and no excess wire" mindset.

This question and answer might provide some insight and pictures to look at:
Can I extend the ground/bus bar in a main service to accomodate subpanel equipment ground?


If it's a half bath (no shower/bathtub), sure, that'd be fine. It's done all the time.

If there's moisture present, you may have to find another way. Recent code (recent in my time frame), technically speaking, forbids it. If you ceiling space is not a wide-open attic, you could make a mold trap by introducing moisture to a dark unvented environment.


Should you coat exposed roofing nails with neoprene washers

The point of the neoprene is to make the seal. No additional sealant is typically required.
See also: Millions of ribbed steel roofing screws with rubber washers under their heads.


Plz help me, connect a common wire for smart thermostat in furnace

I think you are right. From what I remember once I did something similar as their was no c to the thermostat. Luckily for me the unit was right next to the thermostat so it wasn’t hard to run.

You could use this instead if you don’t want to run the cable?

Venstar ACC0410 Add-A-Wire Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008PLWT8C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_OFbeDbAE61VDQ


Niall is correct.  Opening the T&P valve to drain water from the water heater is a common practice, but if it's really old, it can be damaged by sediment and corrosion.  Where the plumber went wrong is not using the T&P valve to drain some water, but rather trying to hammer it shut.  T&P valves prevent BLEVEs (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion), which are a type of catastrophic explosion -- in this case, in the event of a malfunction in the water heater.   Let's just say that if your water heater BLEVEs, you can kiss your entire house goodbye, so since there is clearly a problem with your T&P valve, you need to get yourself a new one.

In order to replace the T&P valve, you can call a plumber or do the following:

1) Turn off the cold water ball valve.
2) TURN OFF THE WATER HEATER'S BREAKER IN YOUR BREAKER BOX (if the top heating element hits air, you can damage it, and it will make a massive shotgun-like sound)
3) Open some hot water outlets, such as the hot water handles on a few sinks.  These will allow air into the top of the hot water heater.
4) Run a garden hose from the hot water heater's drain to the street/driveway.
5) Open the water heater's drain, and empty the hot water heater below the T&P valve.
6) If it does not flow on its own, you have sediment build-up (which you most likely do if your T&P is failing.)  If it doesn't flow, open the cold water ball valve so that the water pressure can help break through the sediment layer.  After 2-3 minutes, close the cold water ball valve again to allow the top of the water heater to fill up with air.
7) Replace the T&P valve.  Use teflon tape to help create a seal.

8) Turn off the drain.
9) Remove the garden hose, but keep it held high so no water comes out the end that is in your hand... and take it back outside.
10) Open the cold water ball valve.
11) A mixture of water/air should come out of the still-opened sinks after 1-2 minutes.  You can shut them off at this point if you don't mind seeing the air bubbles the next time you use the sink.
12) Turn the water heater's breaker back on.


Neutral wire is tied to my electric metal box, why is it so?

I would use the white as a neutral

Based on what we can tell so far, the white is indeed a neutral wire, so that should be wired up to the silver screw on the outlet, with the brass screw on the outlet connected to a pigtail to the existing black hot, which is also pigtailed to the switches.  It definitely should not be landed on the box, though!

And run a separate ground wire

From there, you can then run a separate ground wire (green #12 THHN or bare #12 copper works, provided it's not subject to physical damage) back to a suitable grounding point (i.e. another suitably sized equipment grounding wire, the wire that connects the panel to the grounding electrode system, or back to the panel, but not to a water pipe) to ground the box and receptacle.

As to the rest of the improper grounds...

To clean up the rest of the improper grounds, what I would do is take some 6AWG bare copper and run it alongside your cold water pipe from the point where the water pipe is connected to the panel to the end of the water pipe run.  This will serve as an equipment grounding "busbar" or "trunk" of sorts.  Then, I would use an Ilsco GTT-2-2 tap connector to connect the grounding electrode/bonding conductor (the wire from your water pipe to the panel) to your grounding bus wire -- the part that comes off and goes back on lets you slip the existing wire in there without having to cut it and splice it back together, while your new wire can go in the other hole, and both screws can get tightened down then.  From there, you can use split bolts, or a similar sort of tap connector, to connect your existing grounding bus wire to the improper ground wires after disconnecting them from however they were attached to the water pipe.


Should the gaps around the door casing be filled?

If it is an interior door - the answer is no.   Leave it as.

If it is an exterior door then yes for sure you should you should fill the cracks with insulation.   For anything big enough - over 1/4" maybe - I stuff Roxul insulation in.   Cram it in the gaps really good.

Then once you have the bigger gaps at least as filled as you can get with standard insulation you spray the smaller gaps and the outside parts of the larger gaps with spray foam insulation (cheap big box example is Great Stuff - not a recommendation just an example, however I do recommend Roxul above).   Wait at least an hour - depends on temperatures - for spray foam to expand and slightly harden.   Then scrape off excess foam sticking out.    It is always good practice to get up close on each side and make sure you cannot see to the other side.

An added step that I have seen in cooler climates is to (flashing) tape the "cracks" after insulation.   This for sure adds a wind barrier to the gap and might help with drafty doors/windows.


Cutting a window to see your garage from within the house

You'd do this like you would add any other new window. Find the studs, choose a location, cut square holes in the drywall on both sides, cut sections out of the intervening studs to make room for the new window, and frame the new window properly like this:

Then you would flash the rough opening's sill with self-adhering membrane and install the window just like any other one, then repair the drywall on both sides and add trim.

However, in terms of the wisdom of this plan, it seems questionable for a variety of reasons:

It's probably a fire hazard; no window is going to contain a fire in the garage as well as thin sheets of rock (drywall), and this is especially true if the windows are framed in vinyl or wood.
Windows aren't completely airtight, so you're creating more routes for nasty gasses and fumes from the garage to enter the house.
The garage side of the window is going to continuously get dirty from car exhaust and need cleaning.
If you don't happen to own two fancy sports cars, or you use the garage for storage, the view may be less than stellar.
Anyone you try to sell the house to may be less than enthused by a window into their garage allowing them to gaze upon their dirty Toyota Camry and boxes of Christmas and Halloween decorations.


Honeywell zone panel turning on cool of instead of heat

To figure out if your Honeywell control board is bad, I would swap the two zones' wiring and see if that makes the heat work in the master bedroom but becomes broken in the main part of the house. Make sure you disconnect the power before you work on anything.

Label and disconnect your zone 1 damper and zone 1 thermostat wires, and connect them to zone 2. At the same time label and disconnect your zone 2 damper and zone 2 thermostat wires, and connect them to zone 1. Taking a picture might help if you get confused later.

This board should be able to control 4 zones, so if zone 1 or 2 is broken you may still be able to switch it to zone 3 or 4 on the board and not need to replace the control board.

If swapping the zones doesn't do anything, I would check if the thermostat wiring is bad. Connect your master bedroom thermostat directly to the Honeywell control board and see if that fixes it. If the problem stays the same, then we at least know it's not your thermostat wires when we continue troubleshooting.

Honeywell HZ322 Zone Panel Professional Installation Guide


How to repair holes in wall and properly mount a clothes pole?

Jack is right.  Take down the old mounting piece.  Buy a new longer piece of plywood that will extend over to the nearest studs.  You can take the old wood piece into the store to use for color matching a pint of paint.  You could paint it outside before attaching it to the wall.
Then center the new piece along the wall for aesthetics and use heavy screws to screw it into the studs.  This would hide the old torn out drywall holes.  You can then mount the old hardware with L brackets.
Alternatively, you could try to mount a taller piece of wood that extends up to the ceiling and screw diagonally up to the wall's frame.
Just a thought... You might be able to see the studs from above.  I see the attic access right there.


How to mount header bracket for garage door opener to concrete wall?

Mount a 24" piece of 2x6 up there with four 3-1/2" lag screws and 4 2" lag  shields, one in each corner.Then screw the bracket into that with two 1-1/4" lag screws. Use 3/8" lag screws for the header and bracket.

Center the 2x6 over the hole in the concrete, Screws should be about 1" down and over or 1.4" diagonally from each corner. Washers are a good idea. You're going to need a hammer drill for the concrete since you'll have drill 2-1/4" deep for each lag shield.The drill size will depend on the actual lag shields purchased.


Can 2 wires of a higher gauge be used in place of 1 wire with a lower gauge?

No, you cannot parallel that size conductor. Rule 12-108 states that conductors smaller than 1/0 AWG cu or al cannot be paralleled. You will need to run the larger wire.


Can you identify these large pipe shaped chunks that came out of my cold water tap?

My best guess is limescale that's been knocked free by some kind of work upstream. You could contact your local water authority to see if you might have been affected.

You're right to clean the aerator screens in your faucets, etc. The only other thing you might consider (after running water for quite a while until it turns up clear) is operating all the shutoffs in the house. Open and close them a few times.

(Pro-tip: know where your main shutoff is and know that it works before you mess with the local shutoffs.)

Operating the shutoffs might chew up the washers and prevent the shutoff from working, so be prepared for this possibility. I mention this step because I'm of the 'it's better to know now and fix it, rather than when it's an emergency and you have water pouring into the sink cabinet' school of thought.


Why does this new HVAC have open holes in the side?

[ Edited to reflect that this may or may not be outside vented and may or may not be dangerous. If you upvoted mainly because I warned of the dangers, now's your chance to remove it :) ]
That is a high efficiency heating system.  It uses a PVC pipe instead of a chimney for its exhaust.  There are two kinds. Some are "direct vent" that use another PVC pipe to ingest air from outside for combustion.    The other kind uses air from the room around the boiler for combustion (but still exhausts to the outside).
Hopefully yours is is designed to consume room air, as more thoroughly described in another answer, in which case the empty hole is where it gets its air.  If it's properly installed it will be in a room large enough to provide it plenty of air for combustion, or in a smaller room with one or more vents into larger spaces.  You should check the model and the manual to see if it is installed correctly and in a large enough space.
If yours is meant to be direct vented (consume outside air) it would have a second PVC pipe going outside.  Your manual will tell you.   Hopefully that's not the case but if it is, you should not use this for heating until it has been fixed.
Either way it's a good idea to install a CO detector near the unit.   As little at $15.  Some give you a reading so you know if it's non-zero even if not at danger levels.
All of this relates to heating.  I don't have an answer to the issue of not cooling.


One thing is for sure: It could have benefited from better consolidation. This is usually accomplished with vibration. Vibration causes the mix to liquefy, allowing trapped air to escape and allowing the fines in the mix to make a smooth uniform surface against the form.
Professionals often use a power tool that actually vibrates; they immerse it into the wet concrete and move it about. Professionals, and DIY too, can also vibrate a post form like this externally. Do it by tapping/striking the outside of the form with something. Maybe a hammer/mallet, maybe a stick, short piece of lumber, a stake, etc. Hit it just hard enough that you see the concrete inside shake a little. Moving a stick through the concrete in a reciprocating up-and-down motion also helps.
My eye for concrete isn't quite good enough to tell whether your mix was truly too dry, was set up too much before it was placed in the form, or was practically perfect in every way but simply didn't get enough attention to consolidation.
I'd be a little concerned about whether water freezing in those voids might eventually cause the concrete to crack. Given that it's for a treehouse, and that there's a generous helping of reinforcing steel cast into the concrete, maybe it doesn't matter too much.
If you do re-pour these, you could consider placing a post base or an anchor bolt into the concrete before it sets. Sometimes that's a little more convenient than drilling holes and bolting a base to it after the concrete has hardened.


How can I reconfigure my breakers to make room for a sub-panel feeder?

There are 100a 32slot main panels available from GE. This would solve your lack of slots, but since you want to add a 60 amp service it may be wise to upgrade your service to 150a with a higher slot count. Many electricians will suggest going as large as possible for future loads.

If you do change from an electric water heater to gas you could use that slot but many water heaters no longer have pilot lights and they require an outlet for the igniter, so keep that in mind. The wires in use now may be able to be changed to 120v depending on the type (some only have 2 hots and a ground). If legal in Canada you could reidentify one of the hots as a neutral at both ends so you won't have to pull new wires.

I have heard that the Canadian federal Pacific panels don't have the issues experienced in the US but if it is a stab lock style of breaker I would want an updated panel because I have found several that have failed for breakers not tripping and arcing at the buss. I save used breakers for possible use on other panels but after my 3rd stab lock panel failure I started testing breakers and found quite a few failures. I no longer save stab locks. I toss them and the only work I will do on a stab lock panel is to replace it because of liability.


How do I pre-treat and stain my hardwood floors a dark color?

It depends on what type of hardwood you have.  Some species like pine/maple are almost impossible to stain dark without blotching.

I have stained oak floors to almost black.  We picked up the darkest stain we could get - sorry I don't know the name but this was 8-9 years ago.  We sanded the floor then went over with a fine sanding.  Then we painted the floors with water.  Not sure how to quantify the water but it took about one hour for it to visibly look dry.  After we applied the first coat of stain.  Just rubbed it on with a rag and another guy was behind me wiping off any excess.  We did this three times total - one day between coats - no one was allowed in house but us.  48 hours after the last coat they threw on the finish/poly.  Looked great but the family had to go on vacation and trust us at their house (grandpa was letting us in).

My advice to you is put a few pieces of the wood material together - if you don't have any pick some up at big box or craigslist.  Go through the process - sand, water, stain, stain, stain - and make sure it looks like you want.  You won't get the perfect black finish with all woods.  You might find that you might want a different tint if you can't get that.  Also I would not do the water if you don't have a hard wood - it will cause blotchiness.  Also putting on gobs of stain will not make your floors darker it will just make it look like a kid did yours floors.  You will need to do more coats to get it darker.  My guess is after 3 coats you start to get diminishing returns.  Some people do 2 coats, some do 3.  Maybe on your test you do half 2 coats and half 3 and see if you can tell.

Edit: On a side note to staining.  If you are doing the floors totally DIY.  Do not over sand your floors with the course grit.  If you over sand with a course grit, you will get swirls.  If you leave those swirls then it will be very important that you get almost black.  Because you will end up with a chocolate floor with very black swirls.  The swirls will take to the stain faster and the pattern will show.  Not trying to scare you here - just go easy on the sanding and do finish sand it.


What is “naturally durable” wood in reference to Code required “naturally durable wood or preservative-treated wood in contact with concrete?

Here is a study done in 1995 that looks like the heartwood of Douglass Fir, and the heartwood of redwood hold up the best for outdoor exposure. It may not give an indication of what you are looking for with regards to contact to concrete, but it at least gives insight.

In my years in the trade and having a curiosity about how houses were built, how they last, or fail in areas always has intrigued me. I have noticed a great number of homes over time that have D. Fir plates, directly on concrete AT ground level, in a 60+ year old home and the wood is still viable.

I would imagine that there will be this "list" that the gov't relies on to determine the "naturally durable" wood specie somewhere.....

I read/heard that poplar, when super heated becomes surprisingly rot resistant...

None of this may not directly answer the question, but I would like to mention black locust has been used for fence posts that would last for decades. I am sure there is no milled lumber of black locust available, but it sure would make the list.