Why did polyurethane make wood feel coarse?

First of all, I'm assuming you already sanded the surface smooth enough before you started. If you put polyurethane on a rough surface you will get a rough finish.

Second, as @keshlam says, make sure there is no dust at all on the surface before you apply the finish. A slightly damp cloth can help pick up anything remaining (but make sure the wood is dry before you apply). Also, don't bother trying to apply a finish in a dusty environment, that's just asking for frustration.

Another possibility is that you kept brushing over the finish as it dried, which is a common beginner mistake. Moving quickly, do a thin coat over the surface and then don't go back to touch it up. Small bubbles may form on the surface as air comes out but it will be OK. If you keep re-brushing over the finish as it gets tacky you will leave the surface rough.

Finally, your chosen brand (Minwax) is perfectly fine, so no particular concerns there. If the can has been sitting a while make sure you stir it before using, but don't shake. You don't want to introduce unnecessary air into the poly.


It's the combination of polyethylene and fiberglass batt insulation. What you have there is a mold-and-rot-machine. For more info, see http://www.buildingscience.com/documents/digests/bsd-103-understanding-basements/

You need to remove the poly sheeting at a minimum. Preferably, you would redo the basement wall entirely to have rigid foam insulation against the concrete walls and spray foam in the stud bays of the aboveground part.


How can I deep clean grout in my kitchen?

Mild Sulfamic acid (I've bought it at Home Depot years ago) and wear gloves.


Do I need a nailing edge around the perimeter of my room for my new AdvanTech subfloor?

I did it both ways in a laundry/powder room I completed last year.

Along the one wall, I installed the nailing plates your described.

Along another wall, I didn't, in part because the sole plate for the wall had to be down before the subfloor, in order to run the plumbing. Also this area holds the washer/dryer & a utility sink, so no foot traffic.

In any case, the inspector was satisfied.


How should I install tile backer board with a curved tub flange?

You can put backer board on top of this flange and then set the tile to overlap the flange and sit down snugly on the tub, sometimes having to bevel the back side of the bottom edge of these bottom tile with a diamond blade on a 4.5” angle grinder. But, make sure that the combined thickness of the backer board and tile will get you out far enough to achieve this. You may need to furr the wall out a bit anyways to make overlapping that flange possible.

Before setting the tile you want to tape all joints with alkaline resistant mesh tape and use a suitable surface prep cement to fill all voids at all seams and screw heads, including the void at the bottom where the backer board sits on the flange and not down on the tub. Flatten as much as possible while the mud is wet, and when it’s set give it a rubbing with a flat grinding stone to knock down any minor imperfections. You
May need to repeat the process to get where you need to be. Apply your waterproofing membrane, then set your tile.

Remember that tile is a surface finish, just like paint, and the quality of the prep beneath will show through in the tile. The flatter you make your substrate the easier it will be to keep the tile flat, and the easier it will be to eliminate voids and irregular bonding between the tiles and the backer, which will prolong the life of the job.

On that note - how well in plane are the studs of the walls you plan to tile? You may need to furr studs out to bring them all into a flat plane - this is the first thing you can do to ensure success. The extra time spent here will come back to you at every other step of the process. If the walls are really bad you can run 1x3’s perpendicular to the studs, use shims to bring the 1x3’s into plane, and hang your backer board on the 1x3’s.

Maybe more info than you’ve asked for but is hopefully relevant.


How do I connect original to new wiring when repairing an electrical fault in an AC unit?

Generally, it should never hurt anything to use thicker wire, assuming that you can make solid connections.  The wire should never be the limiting factor!  The system should already be fused so that #18AWG won't melt, so #14 will only help.

Wire nuts and tape is a tried and true method, although some would argue that soldering and heatshrink is better.

You mention "thickly insulated".  Is there any rating information (voltage, temperature, etc) stamped on the insulation?  You want to make sure the romex is at least as good.

Specifically, though, it sounds like something else is going on.  The existing wire certainly shouldn't have burnt through.  The system shouldn't have drawn more current than the wire could handle, and if it did, an upstream fuse or circuit breaker should have caught it.  I suppose it's possible that it rusted first, became less conductive, and then burned through...

If there is some sort of unprotected over-current problem, then using #14 might cause the failure point to change.  The wire became the fuse this time; who knows what wold have melted if the wire hadn't?

Anyway, just some things to think about...


paintable silicone caulking at shower ceiling joint?

It doesn't really matter if the ceiling joints are caulked with silicone or not.   Silicone is used so that water does not enter.   Most good latex caulks would handle this joint just as well because there isn't direct water pressure - I understand you have steam and splashes.

My advice would be to use a latex caulk that matches ceiling color (hopefully white!) and not paint it.   Painting even paintable caulk will not last above a shower so why do it?  I also actually prefer latex here as I feel I can apply latex thinner and smoother in a corner leaving less chance for peeling in the future.   Silicone is just fine too just my preference - even when being careful you will smear silicone more and end up with larger lines more susceptible to damage later on.   (I used latex above my shower in current home and 8 years later looks brand new)


I have 2 windows in my kitchen, would it be crazy to remove one?

This is really an opinion question so should be closed.

I like windows but have both added them and removed them in the past. My suggestion would be to evaluate your lighting as you may need to add lights after removing a window. Dark rooms actually hurt sales especially kitchens and dining areas. So if you do remove the window (not crazy) make sure the area is still well illuminated and your new design may increase the value and functionality of your home. But I do think it is a good question + but off topic by our rules.


Since you've reglazed, there aren't many options for re-clamping the corners, so... do repairs with a two part wood filler ("bondo" in North America).

Regarding the primer, try to find out if it was latex or oil based putty (tip: if it dried fast, it was latex; if it can still be imprinted with your thumb after 3 weeks, it's oil), and match your primer to that. Your painter is correct -- you should overlap a 16th onto the glass.


How do I display the US flag at half staff with a standard house flag pole holder?

I couldn't find a more 'official' site that lists this custom, but flying a black streamer with the flag is appropriate when the flag cannot physically be lowered.  This blog posting is one random source, but if you search for "half mast black streamer" you get many results.

Possibly a more reputable source (worthiness left for you to decide):
http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/05/30/fly.american.flag.mf/
Also: http://eventresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/How-to-Properly-Hang-the-American-Flag.pdf

What if I can't fly my flag at half-staff?
Some flags, like the ones commonly seen in school classrooms or on
houses, are fixed in a certain position on their poles. How does one
handle the sticky situation of a flag that physically can't be flown
at half-staff? The United States Code doesn't cover this conundrum,
but the American Legion advocates adding a black ribbon to the top of
the flag's pole to indicate mourning.


Installing a swing set between two brick walls?

3 for two reasons:

Your walls are not meant for dynamic, changing loads such as those caused by swingset motions, so you don't know the potential damage long term; and

I would hesitate very much to buy a house which had a physical connection to another person's house via a toy.


I have installed meter bases with limited service panels in the past, my last home I did what you want but you have to find the correct panel that can handle multiple 200 amp breakers. As far as the backup generator is it going to run the entire system or just one of the 200 amp subs? By setting up for one sub the cost will be much less as the transfer switches get really spendy for a 400 amp model.


Well, first of all...you probably didn't have an actual 277volts.  What you had is a cheap meter.  I have seen all kinds of whacky voltage readings from the $5 harbor freight meters I have laying around.

The only place one sees something other than 120 or 240 volts in a "normal" residential setting is the very rare "3 phase power".  The vast majority of homes do not have any 3 phase power available.  It has to be run to the house specifically as an unusual setup.  When this exists in a home it would add "208V" to the list of possible voltages.  Again, very rare and probably not at your house.

The only place you would see a real 277V is in a big factory. It is normally used for HUGE machines such as big welders and bigger shop equipment than you have probably seen before.  Normal DIY shop equipment runs on 120V.  Big shop equipment runs on 240V.  HUGE shop equipment requires 3 phase connection with the 208V "wye 3 phase" mentioned above.  It is extremely rare in a house.  The 277V delta 3 phase would never be seen in a house, and only rarely in any commercial building you have been in.  It is typical only in large factories.

Now as for what's probably wrong...you probably have a loose connection or a broken wire on one side of your 220 connection.  This would give you 0v between the two hots, but still 120 from 1 hot to neutral.

As for how to fix it?  Hire an electrician.  Could you fix it yourself?  maybe.  Could you burn your house down?  maybe.  Could you sleep at night after messing with it yourself?  only just maybe.  Hire a professional for anything that is a combination of dangerous and slightly outside your comfort zone.


Timber Retaining Wall - Beam Replacement

It might not be that simple. Many wood retaining walls use nails or rebar to lock each tier with the one below. You will likely have to remove them from the top-down, but you probably need to anyway. If that one is rotten all the way to the exterior, the others are likely almost as rotten.

I recommend taking it apart completely, removing what needs replaced, and staining/sealing everything (new repairs and old beams) with a good exterior sealant, and building it back up.


physical connections to a standby generator

Well just FYI, "rain tight" is false advertising.  Code requires you  to assume all exterior conduit is 100% full of water 100% of the time; the defense against wet is in the insulation.

Code requires you fully assemble the conduit first, and then pull the wires through it.   I don't like pulling through flexible conduit; it fights too much.  So I'd either go Schedule 80 PVC or (if I had a pipe threader on site) IMC or Rigid.  The latter two can be used as the grounding path, so one less wire.  Sched 40 PVC is too fragile and easily cracked, especially after being sun-bleached. The sun is not kind to PVC pipe; paint it.

Sched 80 has a smaller inside diameter (since the OD is the standard dimension for fittings), so you need to upsize the pipe sometimes.  You should upsize anyway if this is a DIY install, as it eases pulling - the last thing you want is get stuck on a pull and have to call an electrician merely for his truck full of pulling tools.

A bit for that reason, I would split it up, and have a conventional main panel straight off the meter, then a 100A transfer switch (the gen is only 70A anyway) to a 40-space subpanel.  Put most of the house circuits in the sub, and the non-generator-critical biggies in the main.  That way you're muscling around #1 aluminum (or #3 copper if it's short enough for the price not to matter) instead of #4/0 or #2/0.   The bigger reason is the main/transfer/sub will play well with emerging technologies like Tesla Powerwalls, EV chargers and solar. That stuff's price is just gonna keep falling.


Rust and ash in my AC/furnace - should I be concerned?

I would talk to your landlord to ask them to inspect your furnace/AC for the year and let them make the determination.

When I do something like this with my landlord, I remind them that making sure things are right will save them from a catastrophe, possibly in the near future.  And yes, I do say it something similar to that.  I hold back only enough to let them feel as if the decision is theirs.  I also make valid statements about things should work, vs how it currently is working, even if I have to research that info first (like you are doing).

If your landlord is honest, and not a slumlord, you have a good chance to get at least some work done to it, if not replaced.  Most furnaces are designed to last around 20 years, so it's a good chance it's been replaced sometime in those 34 years since the building was built.  It may simply need a good cleaning and some basic maintenance.

Furnaces usually smell of burnt rust and dust when they first come on for the season.  If that odor continues past the first week of steady use, then it's not normal, in my experience.

Again, letting your landlord make the decision will make you sound like less of a jerk tenant (or worse) and more of a concerned person who knows what you/they're talking about.  Just because you got your information of the Interwebs doesn't have to mean anything to them.  ;-)

Simply making them away of a situation before it becomes a problem will, eventually and hopefully, will get you on their good side.  I find that useful, myself.


Why does this load bearing stud not extend all the way to the floor?

The load from the discontinuous stud is transferred to the adjacent stud through nails between the studs. (The other stud is also reinforced due to a notch for a light switch box or something.)

You should check this by counting the number of nails between the studs. They probably used 16d nails and each valued at about 106 lbs. of shear. (I’d expect about 5-6 nails.)


My electric lawn mower won't start after getting grass blocking the blade

I've cut through meter-high grasses and other stuff with a plain lawnmower.  The trick is, you need to go very, very, very slowly.  And listen closely to the machine, it will make detectable noises when it is starting to overload and you must detect and respond swiftly to stop that.
Also, this is a time you'll want those blades super sharp.  So if you have the means, keep em bright!
It's gonna take an age, compared to what you're used to.  You won't like that.  But don't think about how miserable the job is today, think of the dozen times this year you didn't have to do it.  It's a huge net savings, so you should be happy.


Adding a subpanel, but have one question.

Since it is a subpanel, in your new panel, you will need to run the neutral to the neutral bar, run the ground to a separate ground bar, and make sure the green bonding strap/screw is removed so that the neutral bar is isolated from ground.

This is different from the main panel, where you can mix neutrals and grounds on the same bus.


Can I safely ground a light fixture if the ceiling box has two hot and one neutral wire (no ground wire)

Sometimes when ceiling boxes are roughed in, they use x/3 with ground cable so that they can supply 1 switched hot, 1 neural, 1 hot/switched hot, and 1 ground to the ceiling box.

This allows a ceiling fan to be installed in such a way that the fan can be controlled either by a separate switch, or using only the attached pull chain. In this situation the red wire in the cable is usually disconnected and capped at both ends, and is only intended to be connected as needed.
You may be able to verify this by opening the switch box, and verifying the wiring at the switch. If this is the case and the extra hot wire is not needed, it should be disconnected and capped at both ends. Once that's complete, you can move on to determining if you have a proper grounding conductor.
Grounding Conductor
If the building was renovated/built in 2008, it's not likely the circuit does not include an ground conductor.  However, there are multiple ways to satisfy the grounding conductor requirement according to NEC 2008 250.118.

A copper, aluminium, or copper-clad aluminum conductor.
Rigid metal conduit.
Intermediate metal conduit.
Electrical metallic tubing.
Listed flexible metal conduit meeting specific conditions.
Listed liquidtight flexible metal conduit meeting specific conditions.
Flexible metallic tubing meeting specific conditioins.
Armor of Type AC cable as provided in 320.108.
The copper sheath of mineral-insulated, metal-sheathed cable.
Type MC cable where listed and identified for grounding in accordance with specific criteria.
Cable trays as permitted in 392.3 and 392.7.
Cablebus framework as permitted in 370.3.
Other listed electrically continuous metal raceways and listed auxiliary gutters.
Surface metal raceways listed for grounding.

Checking for a Grounding Conductor
The most accurate way to verify whether or not there a proper ground connected, would be to check for continuity between the junction box and the grounding electrode system.  In most situations this is not an option, so another test must be performed.
Checking Continuity to the Grounding Electrode System
To run this test you'll either have to be within reach of; or be able to run a lead to, the grounding bus in the main service panel.

Set your multimeter to the continuity setting or the lowest
resistance setting.
Place one lead on the grounding bus bar in the load center.
Place the other lead on the junction box under test.

If the meter beeps or gives a reading close to 0, the box and the load center are electrically connected.  This means there is a proper grounding conductor installed.  If the meter does not beep or has a reading of infinity, the box and the load center are not electrically connected.  You'll have to install an approved grounding conductor throughout this circuit, if you want proper grounding.
Checking Continuity to a Known Good Ground
If you have a known good ground nearby (from another circuit, for example), you can use this ground to test for an equipment ground at the box in question.

Set your multimeter to the continuity setting or the lowest
resistance setting.
Place one lead on the known good ground.
Place the other lead on the junction box under test.

If the meter beeps or gives a reading close to 0, the box and the known good ground are electrically connected.  This means there is a proper grounding conductor installed.  If the meter does not beep or has a reading of infinity, the box and the known good ground are not electrically connected.  You'll have to install an approved grounding conductor throughout this circuit, if you want proper grounding.
Check Continuity to the Grounded Conductor
If neither of these options are available, the next best option is to check for continuity between the box and the circuits grounded conductor (neutral).  These two conductors should be electrically connected (bonded) at the main service panel, so checking continuity between them can (usually) determine if there is an equipment ground.
WARNING: This method relies on the circuit being installed correctly. If the grounded conductor (neutral) is (incorrectly) connected to the grounding conductor anywhere along the circuit, this test may give invalid results.

Set your multimeter to the continuity setting or the lowest
resistance setting.
Place one lead on the grounded conductor (neutral).
Place the other lead on the junction box under test.

If the meter beeps or gives a reading close to 0, the box and the grounded conductor (neutral) are electrically connected.  This means there may be a proper grounding conductor installed.  If the meter does not beep or has a reading of infinity, the box and the grounded conductor (neutral) are not electrically connected.  You'll have to install an approved grounding conductor throughout this circuit, if you want proper grounding.
NOTE:
All continuity testing should be carried out while the circuit is dead. Shut off power to the circuit at the breaker before working on the circuit, and verify the circuit is off using a non-contact voltage tester.
Electricity is dangerous and can lead to property damage, injury, and death.  If you do not feel comfortable working with electricity, please contact a qualified Electrician.


Should be no problem. As long as the downstream receptacles are wired off the LOAD side of the GFCI, they are protected.


Mounting screws into thin plastic decoration

If you can't relocate it to either the narrower white bit on the right or one of the red bits, simply use longer screws.
A Ring door bell or similar can't weigh more than a few ounces, so you could simply buy longer wood screws with the same type of head that the device came with, carefully drill a clearance hole1 through the plastic (to ensure you don't crack it), then push the screw through that hole until it hits something solid, then drive the screw into that.
Don't drive the screws to the point of deforming the plastic you're mounting it against, but until it's just flush. If you're using a powered driver, leave the screws just short, then use an actual manual screwdriver (I know gasp!) to do the final couple of turns, just to be sure.
If you tighten it too much, it will distort the plastic which won't look good, but will also be a hint to the less savory visitor that something's rotten in Denmark. Seeing the distorted plastic may encourage someone to attempt to remove the doorbell.

1A clearance hole is one that's big enough for the threads to pass through uninhibited. In this case, you're not worried about the plastic trim helping to support the doorbell, you just need to make a clean cut through it so the screw can pass. Once it's through the plastic, you want it to actually bite into the wood behind.


How do I seal off a small closet so smells there don't escape?

I would get some painters plastic it is thin plastic and it will block smells, I use non bleeding (blue masking tape) to hold it in place so it can be removed without leaving the adhesive residue. Cheap and easy to install , easy to remove.


Why do unused Refrigerator Appliances Grow Mold, while unused Cabinets and electronics don't?

They don't mean "Even when unplugged".  They mean "When unplugged".

Because refrigerators are wet inside, and refrigerator doors seal too well

Try putting 1/2 cup of water inside a cabinet, then bagging the outside of the cabinet door with plastic. You'll get mold inside that too.

The interior shell is not a hermetic seal.  It's just some cosmetic cowlings because white plastic is more attractive than galvanized metal and insulation fiber.  Moist air still moves around and through it, then condenses or freezes.

It's water in all those inaccessible spaces that is the problem.

After some number of months, that will eventually dry out.  And then, you can let the door close.


Outlets worked intermittently with voltage fluctuations and are now dead entirely

Having no voltage indicated on your meter would indicate a bad connection on the hot wire for most meters (an open neutral would show some voltage with high impeadance meters that are normally used). I would start checking at the last working outlet then the first dead one. When the new outlets or wiring was installed did they use the back stabs on the outlets? Back stabs or push in connections are notorious for failing. Most of the knob and tube replacements I have done the boxes were in the attic, it is very rare for the boxes to be in the crawl space but I did find several on 1 job.
Use caution in the attic because sometimes the in wall knob & tube was left in place but the feeder wires to that junction box was updated (still allowed by code).
So start at the 2 outlets since they would be the easy ones to get to then start checking the attic junction boxes.


It's probably not air as that would rise to the top of your system, but you should make sure your rads are bled anyway as you never know. Also make sure your system is pressurized in the green arc, usually 1.2 bar. Check the simple things if you haven't already, like make sure the valves the rads are fully open.

You need to determine if this is a balancing issue or something more sinister. First turn off your system and let it get cold, then turn off the all but the problem rads. Then, turn your system on again, your downstairs rads should heat up quick. If they don't then there's probably an issue, perhaps there's some gunk restricting one of the pipes or there's another problem that needs attention.

If the rads heat up quickly the most likely issue is that the radiators aren't balanced. If you had old radiators in part of the house then they most likely had less flow than the new ones, so your other radiators were probably partially restricted to force water to them. Now you have nice new ones and they're taking all the hot water.

This is called a lockshield valve.

Its job is to close one of the ends of your radiator to balance the system. The  valve on the other side is your more typical adjustment, probably a thermostatic valve. You may have a lockshield with a knob to turn (happy happy joy joy), or one of these pictured, in which case you have to pull off the plastic cover and use a flat head screwdriver (pain in the ass). If you have these be careful not to open them too much or the screw might come out and water will leak out.

First, go to the radiators that heat slowly and open their lockshield valves fully, then go to the radiators that heat up really fast and close theirs two full turns. You may or may not see an improvement at this point. Keep restricting the flow where the rads heat up quickly, half a turn at a time until you get the desired result. This can be a lot, I've had radiators where the lockshield was open 1/4 turn only.


Add an electric outlet by tapping through wall into garage?

If you cut open the wall (remove some drywall) in the garage and do your wiring and then replace the drywall ( which should be 5/8 type X for fire code ) tape and mud the seams you should be back to code compliant. You do not want to make any permanent openings in the garage wall that fire can pass through into the living space.

When you cut out the drywall in the garage you want the vertical cut on the center of a stud so that you have structure to reattach to when you put the old/new piece back in. You can do it with a razor knife but i find an oscillating saw to may much quicker work of it. Find your studs ( since you garage is not finished you should be able to see the drywall nail/screw marks on the wall ) Use a level as a straight edge to mark the lines for you to cut out, When you cut your horizontal lines do not plunge the saw deep into the wall cavity as there may be wiring, pluming etc in the space, run your say at an angle so that just enough of the blade it in far enough to cut the backing paper of the drywall. On your vertical cuts your blade will bottom out on the stud but you may hit the drywall nail/screw heads, move over these and leave the drywall around them to be cleaned up with razor knife.


There are numerous water pipe freeze kits on the market. You can do a computer search for "water pipe freeze kits" or try "pipefreezekits.com". I however have never used a commercial freeze kit due to their cost. Instead of this method, I always used dry ice which was available at many ice plants. I have frozen water pipes up to 3" diameter in buildings. Since the size of the frozen pipe length is very short, and the discharge length was very long, there was never a chance for the pipe to burst.
How I did this was by using "shaved dry ice" put in a bath towel and wrapping the towel around the pipe using several outer wraps of the towel to act as insulation for the dry ice. Then you wait for the pipe to show an ice layer on the pipe just past the towel. As long as you maintain the dry ice the pipe will remain frozen. I once froze a 3" supply water line in a school where all the upstream valves would not close completely, including the utilities street shut off valve and kept it frozen for 10 hours.
Make sure that you protect any exposed skin and eyes with heavy work gloves and eye protection. The dry ice is unforgiving and will freeze skin and damage eyes in seconds.


Best way to run 40 lan cables in loft style office

You won't want conduit, as you'd need a huge pipe to fit 40 cables.  Instead, the common solution is to use cable tray.

It's available from many manufacturers, in many sizes, styles, and colors. Follow the mounting, and installation instructions for the particular product you choose.


Urethane doesn't "cure". It dries as the solvent (which may or may not be water) evaporates. It isn't like masonry where time and moisture are critical.

There's no problem applying urethane in the sun other than the challenges it poses to the actual application. Very quick dry times mean less time to get good coverage and work out runs.

Never apply heavier than a minimal thorough coat. Apply liberally, then spread well, leaving just barely a glossy appearance. Multiple thin coats are much better than heavy coats, which will sag and run.


How can I unclog a passive bathroom air vent?

The vent doesn't need to be unclogged. You stated that paper is held to the register. That scenario shows that air flows through the vent unrestricted. The probable reason it might appear to be blocked (when the window is closed) is you reside in a well sealed building that has few drafts. With out going into detail about air flow; the reason you detect air movement when the window is opened is due to air flow from outside having a unrestricted passage through your vent. When the window is closed the air currents have to detour around the building walls.


How do I cut and cap copper water tubing cheaply and safely?

I think you should definitily go with sweating. It is very easy(even though open flames from a torch might seem intimidating) and is more reliable than compression fittings. Plus, installing a cap is one of the easiest things to do, so it will be a good practice to learn a new skill.

You can also achieve a pretty clean cut with a hacksaw, if you dont want to invest in a pipe cutter.


No, you cannot!  At least you cannot without opening up the wall.
If you can get at it from the other side that may be an option but having a "buried" box, outlet, or junction is not allowed.
Unfortunately, you have discovered why that is.  You have a problem and you cannot get to the GFCI outlet to fix it.


Drilling precise holes in concrete without bit wandering

Start with a small bit. (or maybe a diamond dremel bit.)
You still want to use a punch, then use a 1/8"th bit, or smaller if you can find one. Then step up to the size you need for your anchor or screw. The small hole will help guide the larger bit.
Alternatively you could make a jig;
Drill a hole of the size you need to guide your masonry bit in a piece of wood and then use some double sided tape to stick it to the wall. The hole in the wood keeps the bit from wandering.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
If, after drilling, they do not line up you could plug the hole with a wood dowel and adhesive and drill that out.


Would you have done this pantry construction differently?

Did he build it in place? I would've  built it first, then installed it. That way you know it is squared up. You could use shim to plum and level the pantry. I would have him do it over


Considerations for spray foam insulation with roof replacement possible in about 10 years

Spray foam is fine here. Hire it out, don't try yourself. You won't save much if any money and this stuff is better installed by pros. Make sure the roof decking is bone-dry on the day they install it. Determine what kind of R-value you want, too. The stuff is so expensive that installers will often try to convince you that 2 to 4 inches is sufficient for a variety of phony-baloney reasons; ignore that. If you want an R-50 roof (which is a good idea, and only slightly higher than code-minimum for your area in the latest version of the energy code), that'll require 7" of foam, which can very expensive. Typical price is $2+ per inch thick per square foot. for an 800 square foot attic, 7" of foam would cost more than $11,000!

Spray foam may be unnecessary. If you don't install the AC unit and its ductwork in the attic, then you can skip the spray foam and pile cellulose or fiberglass on the attic floor to get better performance for 1/3 to 1/10 the price. And it's easily DIY-able.


The manufacturer's installation instructions should contain a section on how to properly install a three prong cord on the dryer.  Buy a three prong cord, and follow the instructions to install it.  Keep the 4 prong cord, in case the next place has a 4 prong receptacle.

If you don't have the manufacturer's installation instructions for the dryer, you can usually download a copy from the manufacturer's website. You'll just need to know the model number to look it up.

  WARNING
  Using unlisted adapters found on the internet, or building ones yourself, is a good way to injure/kill someone.


link to website, not an endorsement as these are available at practically any electrical parts supplier or hardware store.


Very slow leak out of main line at elbow out of concrete

You need to explain what the pipe is for, what fluid is inside, where is it located. From your writing you are probably looking at having to do some excavating to gain access to the pipe. If you are trying to solder a line full of something like water, It shows that you have no experience to make the necessary repairs and it time to call for professional help before you do something that can hurt you or can't easily be fixed


How do I find a replacement door lock for this?

If you are having a hard time finding the strikes that do not have the rectangular plate, many latchset makers have the round ones like you have in the box with the others. Seems to me that they make the bolts or latch fit into any situation. According to one of the manufacturers the type of bolt you are looking for is called a "drive-in" latch

Or as Ecnerwal suggests, although it may take longer than 5 minutes for a newbie to mortise in the rectangular ones. All it takes is a razor knife, chisel and hammer


We used our electric stove to heat up our home.

Uh, like voiding warranties do you?

  What happened?

Sounds like you busted it.  Ovens are NOT space heaters.....

If you're lucky, there's a thermal fuse that will self-reset in an hour or so of no use.  You might try cycling the breaker.  But really don't.  If its acting badly because of a wiring problem the last thing you want to do is re-energize that wiring.

If the oven does not start working after several hours of non-use (thermal fuse), you have destroyed it.  You get to buy a new oven now.  If the new oven does not work, then you also get to run new wiring from the breaker panel to the oven.

It's going to be very expensive.  But cheaper than paying to rebuild the structure and put up room and board in a burn ward for all the residents.


Replacing water heater gas control valve

So I did it! And it turned out not to be the problem...

Things to note:

You may need a rubber mallet to remove the old gas control valve.

I had to bang on the T junction pipe to the left of the valve to get it unscrewed

Here is the joint compound that I used

I also used teflon tape.
Start by wrapping the teflon tape into the threads of the compression fittings 2 or three times
"Frost" the threads of the male ends of the fittings liberally; a little too much joint compund (pipe dope) won't hurt

Try not to get it inside the pipe however, so stay away from the very very end of the connector

And of course, be sure to turn off your gas when working with it, drain your water heater if it is an older style model (like mine) and be careful putting everything back together.

My problem: My problem ended up being the thermocouple. The replacement pilot light assembly I had installed just 8 weeks ago ended up having a faulty thermocouple. Obviously I should have taken more time to test the thermocouple rather than spending all the time and money on a new valve. Ah well! I'll be putting in a new anode shortly and hopefully I will get another 3-5 years out of this water heater. Enough time to take care of the freon line when the budget allows...

Also worth mentioning, I found an identical gas control valve from a vendor on Amazon. Ever since I got the new pilot light assembly in place it has been working just fine.


GFCI wall outlets that also provide surge protection & USB ports

Of course it's possible to cram everything into a box, but it's not necessarily wise or constructive.  It's perfectly possible to put those things elsewhere.

The GFCI

A great deal of confusion about GFCI arises from most people being acquainted with a combination device which has both a GFCI unit and a receptacle.  They think the two are one and the same.

Actually, a GFCI unit is nothing more than a black box, which provides GFCI protection to downline loads.  Electrically, it looks/works like this.

(Disregard red, blue, yellow and orange; you don't have them.)

They are simply taking this black box, sticking a couple sockets on the right side, and selling it as what you know.  Actually that GFCI can be a standalone module, or even part of a GFCI+circuit breaker combo device down at your panel.

All this to say, the GFCI does not need to be at the socket location.  It can have its electricity fed from a GFCI in another location.

Surge protection

This is even easier.  The surge protection provided in cheap power strips is rubbish.  Presumably you are trying to protect your equipment from surges from other faraway equipment, not your equipment itself. They also make commercial grade surge suppressor modules which can be attached at any accessible junction box along the circuit, or the panel itself.  These are sturdy modules that will provide lasting protection.

USB sockets

With the surge protection and GFCI offsited somewhere upstream in the circuit, you are now free to use any common USB receptacle or USB/NEMA 5 combo receptacle.


ALL of the grout? If so, I'd say scraping and re-grouting would likely be easiest solution.

If it's just in a few spots, you could try the brown paper bag + iron technique: cover the area with a layer or two of brown paper bag and then apply a hot iron to it. The heat of the iron will melt the wax and the paper bag will then wick it up. Try on a small section, first.


Where in the breaker box should I terminate the neutral wire from my dryer circuit?

Without being able to see the cables as they enter the cabinet; or the ability to touch or trace them, here is what I assume is going on.
Definitions:

Grounded (neutral) from the service
A typical single split phase service is made up of 3 wires. Two ungrounded (hot) conductors, and one grounded (neutral) conductor.  The ungrounded (hot) conductors will connect to the main service panel through a disconnect (usually a large breaker), while the grounded (neutral) connects to the neutral lug.  The neutral lug will be bonded (electrically connected) to the neutral bus bar, and all grounded (neutral) branch circuit conductors will terminate at the neutral bus.
Grounding Electrode Conductor
This conductor is used to connect the grounding electrode (ground rod, etc.), to the grounding bus in the panel. All equipment grounding conductors will be connected to this bus.
Bonding Jumper
The bonding jumper is used to bond (electrically connect), the un-energized metal parts of the panel to the grounding system.
Assumption:
Since it appears that (what I assume is) the grounding electrode conductor terminates at the neutral bus, I'm also assuming that this is the main service disconnect. This leads me to believe that the neutral and grounding buses are bonded (electrically connected). In which case, technically, grounded (neutral) branch circuit conductors can terminate at the grounding bus.
So you have two options:

Terminate the grounded (neutral) from the new circuit to the grounding bus.

Move the green wire that is terminated on the neutral bus, to the grounding bus. Then terminate the grounded (neutral) from the new circuit, to the freed up slot on the neutral bus.

Additional Information and Code Compliance:
Number of Conductors
Since this is a new circuit, it has to be installed to current code standards.

National Electrical Code 2011
ARTICLE 250 — GROUNDING AND BONDING
VI. Equipment Grounding and Equipment Grounding Conductors
250.140 Frames of Ranges and Clothes Dryers. Frames of electric ranges, wall-mounted ovens, counter-mounted cooking units, clothes dryers, and outlet or junction boxes that are part of the circuit for these appliances shall be connected to the equipment grounding conductor in the manner specified by 250.134 or 250.138.

Which in this case means installing a NEMA 14 receptacle for the dryer, and a proper grounding conductor.

You'll have to follow the dryer manufacturers installation instructions for upgrading to a 4 wire cord. For more information see this answer, and this answer.
Since you've said that you're already using 4 wire cable, you'll simply have to terminate the grounding conductor in the cable to the grounding bus in the service panel. Then connect the other end of the grounding conductor to the grounding terminal in the dryer receptacle.
Size of Conductors
You'll also want to be sure that you're using the proper size breaker and conductors.  In the case of a dryer, you'll typically use a 30 ampere breaker and 10 AWG conductors (depending on the length of the run). However, you'll want to check the dryer manufacturers installation instructions to verify this.


That's not a problem.  Anything large like this gets put together like Lego.

First you get a multiple gang box.

Then you fit a duplex NEMA 5-15 yoke in one position and the 14-50 yoke in the other position.

Then you go get a faceplate that has openings for a duplex receptacle and also a large opening for a large socket.  These faceplates are the key to it, they are readily available at a real electrical supply house, your local big-box not so much.

All the large connectors - NEMA anything-30 or -50 - are of a standard size and use the same faceplate.

You may need to work backwards, find the faceplate first, figure out how many gang box you need, then position the receptacles to match the faceplate.


One shower runs out of water in 7min.. Other stays hot forever!

So this is happening in separate bathrooms that is supplied by one water heater?  You'd be surprised how quick you can go through 38 gallons of hot water especially with a high flow shower head.  Newer shower heads are usually rated at 2.5 GPM, while older ones were much higher.  Also check the timer on the heater.  One other question, is the hot and cold water tied into one shower valve? Or is it two separate valves for hot and cold?  If it's only one valve that ties the hot and cold together, that may be the problem. They use rubber parts that get swollen and wear over time and the valve may be the problem. That would explain lukewarm showers due to the 50/50 cold and hot mix.


None. Why would you paint over good paint?

Otherwise, one. Recent experience with the likes of Behr Premium Plus and other modern products has left me very impressed with coverage and durability.

Of course, this requires good technique. You can't ever "stretch" the paint by pushing it out further than you should. A loaded roller covers something like 10 square feet at most on a smooth surface.


You can try a different search phrase as "Thumb Turn Security Latch".

There is a seller on eBay that has new stock available in range of finishes. Here is a picture of the offering.

Considering the price you may just want to consider purchasing new units instead of trying to locate parts for the old ones that are broken.

The trade name for these seems to be: Deltana mortise bolt

You can find those at many web sites including at MyKnobs.com.

Here are some dimensional pictures from a Deltana specification sheet so you can compare to your existing items.


How do I connect a light before a 3way, followed by a 3way, then a light?

Your question is a little unclear a diagram and pictures would help. If you want to add a light to a 3 way set up the easiest way is to run a 2 wire of the same size as the others in the circuit from the existing switched light to your new one and connect the wires color to color.


How do I install a vent above a closet door?

Depending on the structure, the header of the door may be load bearing and you'll be met with a solid block of wood behind the drywall that shouldn't be cut. Drill a small test hole from the inside of the closet first.

Otherwise, installing a return grill on each side of the wall is fairly simple. Leave at least an inch or two border to the edge of the return grill so that the screws are not near the edge of the drywall. And it wouldn't hurt to use some plastic drywall anchors because drywall itself will easily crumble if you over-tighten the screw.

A few tips, turn the grill so the vents face the ceiling where you cannot see into the hole. And if you can, make a second vent towards the floor since you need a source of cooler air to replace the hot air you're trying to vent out.


The issue is thermal... and we're fighting two completely separate types of thermal wars.

The war on fire: Incandescent bulbs don't care about heat, they love it, they love being oven lights. They also create a lot of it!  A 40W bulb makes 39 watts of heat and 1 watt of light.   So with incandescent, the war is to keep the incandescent's heat from setting the building on fire.  A great deal of fixture design goes toward that purpose, including the lamping limits (e.g. 60 watts).

The war on product longevity: LEDs and CFLs make far less heat.  A 40-watt equivalent LED (7W) is very efficient, it makes 1 watt of light and only 6 watts of heat.  However, LED and CFL must be kept cool. Their driver/ballast will have its service life shortened by excessive heat. LED emitters can burn out if not properly cooled.  (junction temp at the emitter must be < 185-240F; the heatsink must be significantly cooler to move heat away fast enough.)

So in a closed fixture, the war shifts from "preventing fire" to "keeping the lamps cool enough to last".  Certainly a better prospect!

Presumably you will not want to fit LED bulbs brighter than 20 watts actual (about 150 watts effective) because it would be just too much light.   That means that thermal issues are completely off the table, and the reflector requirement on the label is simply not required anymore.

That said, though: LEDs naturally emit light in about a 150 degree cone.  Most of the time you want a cone or a wedge, and this fixture wants exactly a 150 degree cone, which is a perfect fit for LED.   Therefore you are better off using a "PAR-style" LED bulb that simply places all the LED emitters in a flat plane aiming downward, and does not use inefficient reflectors at all.

And I would go for one that is shorter than  your current BR30s, so it lights the diffuser more evenly.

 [src: China, not one I'd reco, but this is the general idea.]

The bulb can be as simple as that: raw 5050 emitters arranged on a flat surface.  Don't buy an LED that has a PAR style reflector: first, reflectors are silly with LEDs, and second, that will give you too narrow a beam.


Will changing 1/2" PEX from Main Line to 3/4" PEX increase flow to Sprinkler Heads

Pressure is pressure when you eliminate flow, add flow and the distance and you will end up with a lower pressure and poor performance like you are experiencing.

On the long runs increasing the plumbing from 1/2 to 3/4 will improve the sprinkler performance.
This will be true as long as your pump can keep up with the demand.

If you have several different sprinklers / spigots running at the same time your usage may exceed the capability of your pump. With large systems we segment the number of sprinkler heads that are allowed to run at any one time and cycle them for best performance.

So yes increasing the supply plumbing especially on the long runs may be what you need.


Fixing porch-supporting pier that settled because of bad drainage

I would endeavor to keep the pier but "fix" it.

First would be to get the pier block back into its original, ideal position.  Probably this can be done DIY with a car jack, a bunch of scrap lumber, shovel, and a helper to muscle the block out of the way, dig/fill appropriately, then replace the block.

Then drive some mini-pilings in front to help hold its position even as the ground wanders away.  If you can rent a jackhammer (or vibratory hammer or pneumatic hammer), you can probably install the mini-pilings yourself.

Rig up a platform for the jack so it can relieve all weight from the pier block and restore the deck position.  It is probably expedient to raise the deck another inch or two above ideal position to provide adequate working space re-inserting the pier.
With all weight off the pier block, move it out of the way.
Rework the underlying soil so it will support the pier block as it was originally.  Probably you'll have to remove the sagged material and add gravel to rebuild its support.
Put the pier block back into position and test it by temporarily jacking down the deck, let the block bear the weight, jump on the deck a few times, and inspect.  Repeat until satisfactory.
Remove the jack and its platform, and install mini-pilings according to instructions.  Note that it is very difficult to pull out a piling if it is not positioned correctly.  Set up ABS or PVC pipe with braces as a guide to starting each.

Having all the foundation be the same design is superior because as the earth moves is the best chance of the deck moving in the same direction at the same time.  Using different foundation technologies will cause the deck to travel in different directions.


I've used the single wheel version of this before, and it works fine.

Pros:

Simple design. Just like using a utility knife to score a line, you cut your circle out on both sides, and then punch out the hole.
Perfectly round holes.

Cons:

Slower. To make the cuts at the same place, you drill a small hole in the center and then align the cutout tool on that hole.
Error prone. I'd worry that two cutting wheels would only make it more difficult (you have to line them up, so they're cutting the same location).

That said, if you're doing a lot of cutouts, mastering a rotary tool with a drywall bit will be a lot faster.

And a keyhole saw will be a lot more versatile for occasional usage.

And if you're making lots of identically sized holes, then a drill mounted hole saw makes a perfectly round hole each time without much effort.


1lb of cure is worth 10 tons of mold: DIY repair of a poorly sealed window? lots of photos herein

Andrew, excellent question and great photos.  The problem is a bit complicated. I can see from the photos that the water migration is coming from the top, perhaps even above the top of your window. Anytime the plaster separates from a concrete base, it means the moisture is coming through the concrete, most likely from the out of doors in your case. Unfortunately the proper fix would have to be diagnosed and repaired outside at the source of the leak. Since you have no assess to the outside to explore and repair, the only mitigation to the problem from the inside would be to seal the concrete with a hydo-seal product such a Dri-loc sealer. I really think trying to replace the scratch and finish plaster coats will be a waste of time and fail again soon.  I would strip away all the plaster to bare concrete in the effected area, making a clean line at the end of the bad plaster.  Attempt to dry it as much as possible with a fan or fan forced heater. Something like a small box ceramic heater would be fine. Strip out as much of the caulking from around the window frame as possible.  Paint the concrete with two coats of the Dri-loc sealer.  Let it cure completely, recaulk the window frame with a Silicon/Acrylic paintable caulk. Paint the sealed surface with a recommended type of paint compatible with the sealer you select.  You will not have as nice and smooth a surface as the original plaster, however, since you cannot stop the source of the water, the goal here is to simply stop it from entering your window bay.


Best method to tile over concrete block with drywall glued over it?

There are not many options to resolve this properly. So I will address your questions first.

  1) Do we need to install some kind of vapor barrier in this scenario?

The current best practice is to place waterproofing over the backer board and just under the tile. (ie Kerdi waterproofing)

  2) Can we use insulation board between fur strips and if so, foil facing tile or away from tile?

The answer is no and for the same reason no vapor barrier is to be used behind the backer board. The wall cavity should be able to breath and allow any moisture to evaporate.

Updated: Based on finding out it is a basement

So my answer to you is:
As mentioned by Ed - Spray with water to soften the drywall and it should easily come off to the paper.

Inspect and choose best method of removing glue: if it was glued unevenly.
Maybe snap lines or draw lines as a layout for furring strips. (no need to do more work than needed)

Fasten furring strips, use backer board, seal (recommended) with (ie. Kerdi waterproofing) and tile over that.


Light bulb broke in oven, wire still attached

You can use needle nose pliers to grip the metal of the broken off light bulb. Grip the edge and unscrew it. Turn off the power to the stove at the breaker before you do this or unplug it if the plug is accessible. You MUST make sure that the light socket is unpowered while you stick pliers into a broken off light bulb.


Furnace flames run for a minute then shut off

The high limit was indeed being reached. This was confirmed by watching the unit trip the high limit after the burners were turned on.
I had thought that the unit was getting enough air since my filter was new. It turned out that the secondary heat exchanger was packed full of matted dog hair and dust. I'll explain how I cleaned it.

Remove service panels, disconnect wires (orange stars), disconnect spark plug (pink star). Then remove the two screws marked with the blue stars to removed electrical box, gently set aside.

Disconnect the 3 wires attacked to the blower, be sure to note how they were connected, then remove the two screws that keep the blower from sliding out on the metal track (visible in the upper left). Then slide out blower.

Things should then look like this. The secondary heat exchanger is in the back and above the visible foil.

This is what the heat exchanger looked like, and what it looked like after a bit of cleaning.

I then vacuumed the rest of the heat exchanger as well as everything else to try and reduce future buildup. Everything is then put back in reverse order.
Thank you everyone for your help!


Tiling over old 2x6 tongue and groove subfloor. Underlayment? Levelling?

I quite literally did this exact same thing a few years ago.

First ensure that all of your structural posts have support beneath the house to foundation.

Then I got decking screws and screwed the planks down everywhere they were already nailed.

Then I bought about 50 sheets of CCX ply and lots of subfloor glue. I glued and nailed ply over the entire floor using shanked dipped nails.

Now I had a very stout floor about 2" thick....

Ditra over that, tile over that.


Hardwood to Tile Different Height Transition

That's a difficult one, and probably should have been thought through before installing the tile, not after.

I like using stone thresholds (commonly marble or granite) to terminate tile, but even a 6" wide would be sitting at a steep angle to make 3" vertical offset, and still be a stumbling hazard, at least. I'd probably take out that last/first tile and chew downwards until I could set it as a ramp of more reasonable slope.

If you are just going to have a 3" step and hope not to fall on it, you could make one from wood, or you might be able to set a 2" stone threshold on edge and a 4 or 6" one flat on top of it, filled with mortar to make the step; Or, remove wood in the threshold area until you can fit a solid 3" thick stone in there flat.

Alternatively, build up a ramp on the wooden floor side.


Is my irrigation system winterized properly?

The ONLY way to ensure that there is no water trapped in low spots in a sprinkler system is to BLOW it out with compressed air.  Until that is done, there is almost certainly some amount of water trapped and it only takes a small amount to split the buried pipe when it freezes.  Generally sprinkler pipes are buried only a few inches deep and even in moderate climate areas (like Portland) the ground this deep will freeze.

A properly designed system will have a port where an air compressor can be connected to inject air and if not, you may want to add one to save time later.

Bottom line is that you cannot tell just by looking at the valves if it's been properly winterized or not.


Why does my Goodman a/c blower motor randomly not work?

Motor controller and or run start capacitor (s) are going bad.  That's my first guess.   It works when cold(not used for a while) then once used it gets hot ad does not work.


How to make vinyl flooring stable in bathroom?

Normally vinyl is just glued down.  Robert's  adhesive can be bought at the big box.  Loctite makes glue for vinyl that can be bought in a caulking tube.  You just need to lay some heavy things on the floor after you glue and let it sit for a half day or so.


Is it ok to wait several days (after undercoating) before applying an oil-based top coat?

Yes, it's okay to wait 5-6 days before applying the top coat.  The only consideration would be the settling of airborne particles on the surface during the intervening time period (ie. such that may occur because of nearby construction or cooking within the home and/or the use of fans which may stir up a significant amount of dust).

Note, per the spec sheets of the products you are using, there is a minimum amount of drying time between coats; not a maximum amount of time.


Is it possible to use add-a-wire with my current configuration to add a C-Wire?

According to the ADD-A-WIRE™ Owners Manual, you should be able to use the product to achieve your goal.  I've never used this product, and do not endorse it in any way. I have no idea if it actually works, I'm simply going on the claims made by the manufacturer.
This is the diagram from the manufacturer.

This is how I'd wire it up.

R and W stay the same, at both the furnace and the thermostat.
Switch the BLUE wire to C, at both the furnace and thermostat.
Connect the ADD-A-WIRE™ device in the furnace as described in the installation instructions, but connect the BLUE wire from the ADD-A-WIRE™ device to the GREEN wire in your cable.
Connect the BLUE wire from the ADD-A-WIRE™ Diode 'Y', to the GREEN wire from your cable at the thermostat.
Finally, connect the GREEN wire from the ADD-A-WIRE™ Diode 'Y' to the G terminal of the thermostat, and the YELLOW wire from the ADD-A-WIRE™ Diode 'Y' to the Y terminal of the thermostat.

WARNING: Use of this product is at your own risk. I have never used this product, and will take no responsibility for any damage it may cause. Be sure to read all manufacture documentation before using this device.


Does it do any good to use fiberglass insulation if you're not going to drywall?

After reading all the questions and answers in the comments (including my own), I think I finally have a good enough understanding of your situation to answer.

And the answer is - in your case, fiberglass insulation will help, but you have to be careful about how you apply it.

Why?

The point of insulation is to create a thermal break that prevents the transfer of heat from one space into another.  You get heat transfer through a roof or a wall because hotter side (whether you're inside or out) warms the wall of the cavity, which in turn warms the other side of the cavity.  If your wall is closed on both sides (the norm), that warmer air within the cavity then warms the cooler wall on the other side and so forth.

Insulation serves to reduce the ability to heat the air in the cavity - it's basically a spun glass thread (hence the fiber - glass) which is much less thermally conductive than air, and the spun texture creates lots of little air pockets within the fiberglass, so it's much harder for heat to move from one side of the fiberglass to the other.

Now this thermal break works whether or not the cavity is closed up, which is why you see fiberglass or loose fill insulation (cellulose) in attics sitting on the attic floor (aka the ceiling below) without any covering over top.  So - IF you put fiberglass in your garage ceiling, you will improve the thermal resistance of the roof, and help keep your garage cooler in those hot NV summers.

HOWEVER - here's the danger - if you apply the wrong kind of fiberglass or apply it the wrong way, you're going to destroy your roof over time.

Why?  The moisture trap.

In your case, the biggest risk is trapping moisture up between the ceiling rafters, which will eventually rot your roof from the inside.

Right now your roof isn't at risk of a moisture trap because the space is completely open, so moisture doesn't get stuck anywhere against the roof, it dissipates into the garage.  However, if you put the insulation in the wrong way, since your garage roof isn't vented via soffits you'll create an enclosed space into which moisture will get sucked in and get trapped, creating a hot damp jungle like space right against the plywood of your roof, and boom - mold, bacteria, destroyed roof.

So - in your case - use UN-BACKED insulation - that means NO paper on either side - and insert into the cavity.  Do NOT secure the insulation in place with sheets of plastic, you need to secure it in a way that (ironically) allows plenty of air flow.  You could secure it with thin strips of wood placed about a foot apart, or something like that, or you could try stapling the fiberglass to the rafters... dunno how well that will work.  In other words, getting it to stay put without trapping moisture is going to be a pain - but it WILL help insulate your garage.

All that said ... I would recommend you just jump right to spray foam.  Why?  Because spray foam creates the moisture barrier where it needs to be - right against the plywood of the roof - so there is no way for moisture to become trapped (no pinholes to suck it in and hold it) - AND you won't have a hard time just getting it to stay put, because it sticks on its own, unlike fiberglass.  And since there's ZERO air flow with foam (unlike fiberglass), the insulation quality is better.

So yes you can fiberglass - but I wouldn't even bother with fiberglass in your case because of the trouble to install, the lower R value, and oh yes, its going to look ugly however you install it cause it's going to sag.  (Stupid gravity...)


Using self leveling cement in basement bathroom around drain

Old question but to give a correct answer... You don't level basement floors - PERIOD.

You have two options:

Add a subfloor and shim that to flat - dricore squares are an example.   The problem with this is not the bathroom, it is the bathroom floor will be 2" higher that the rest of your basement.
Buy flooring that you can install over this.   I have installed many many basement bathrooms that had slanted floors (they all do).  I have used pure vinyl (waterproof not water resistant) planks and they for sure bend enough as long as the floor is pretty flat.  The planks are very high end and can look however you want.

This is a very typical basement bathroom.   The water in your basement must be able to drain.   It isn't just for the bathroom but it could be sloped for a good part of the basement to here.   You don't get to just "level" it.


Fixing gap under one side of a steel garage door

Trough out the high side of the concrete where the door lands on it.

Get an angle grinder with a diamond blade. Mark the concrete on both sides of the closed door.

Cut 2 straight lines on high side and chisel/ grind  away a trough equal in depth to the 1.375” gap.

I used a laser to determine how much material needed to be removed.

On my neighbors house it only required about 14 inches of  trough to allow the gasket to make full contact.


Replacement or retrofit listed smart switches

I see nothing in the installation instructions that indicate that it is listed or "marked for use in replacement", the instructions show a neutral connection, and do not show what to do when the neutral is missing.
Occupancy sensors that satisfy the requirement like the Leviton ODS10 state "intended to replace a standard light switch" and the instructions show connection without a neutral and indicate it "requires a ground wire to operate".


You don't have enough wires right now
Right now, all you have is a single hot, a neutral, and a grounding wire running from the switch box up to the fan and light.  As a result, with a plain wall switch and the existing wiring, all you can do is turn the light and fan off and on at the same time.  Splitting the two would either require replacing the existing /2 cable between the switch and the light/fan with a /3 cable, or using communicating "smart" switches to let you put a two-button remote at the wallbox and matching relay modules at the light and fan so they can be turned on and off by signals from the remote.  (My recommendation for this sort of "spot" retrofit work is Insteon gear; while seemingly pricy, it doesn't need a hub device, a cloud server, or WiFi to work, and it's much more adaptable to the realities of mains wiring installations than stuff made by IoT gadget makers.)


If I understand the question correctly, then steps should always be a uniform height.  The 9 1/2" rise at the bottom of a series of 7 1/2" rises is definitely bad.

Adding a 2" platform on the ground below the step to even out the overall step size is a great idea.  I'd suggest you make the platform be large - something like 2 feet deep and 6" wider on each side than the step itself.  That will give it a clear, distinct landing feel and be much safer than having that 9 1/2" drop at the end.

If you can't do that, however, then making the new bottom step be only 2 1/2" above ground is better than the 9 1/2" you have now.


This is a special situation.

Don't fool around with grounds around water

Electrical drownings are some of the most tragic fatalities around electrical.  Current that is nowhere near lethal can stun a person to where they cannot keep their head above water, and they drown.   Far worse, when someone goes to rescue them, they too suffer the same fate, like these four girls and nearly, several more rescuers.

Or it may be mistaken for a plain drowning, and only discovered after an unusual string of drownings (and more).

In fact, the death of more than one person (victim and rescuer) is the hallmark of an electrical drowning.

There are literally hundreds of these incidents.

Using Earth as a "ground wire" actually causes this

The whole point of the ground wire is to return fault current back to source.  Current wants to return to source, not earth, and artificial current's source is your electrical service (i.e. neutral).  If current leaks, you want to efficiently return it via the grounding wires back to the main panel and back to the power company.

Current flows down every available path in proportion to its conductance (1/resistance) - you can't do anything about that, but you can provide an extremely high-conductance path so that proportionately very little (almost no) current flows any other way. That's what a ground wire does.

Anyway, earth - even wet earth - is a terrible conductor.  That's why we go to all the trouble to mine copper :) It's low enough conductance that if it's in parallel with a human, some fraction of total current will flow through the human.  And that will drown them.

So we definitely do not want to go to earth as our current return, because that will cause current to try to return via earth, water and anyone in the way.

Tying ground and neutral causes a single point of failure

If your neutral-ground wire breaks, and that is a common enough problem, it means that normal current tries to return to neutral (but can't) so it floats the neutral up toward 120V.  Neutral is tied to ground at the boathouse, so ground also floats to 120V.  And ground is tied to equipment in contact with water, so it also floats the water and earth up to 120V.

Now if you have separate neutral and ground back to the house, it may seem clever to bond them to halve your chances of a wire break.  Actually, not so much.  Many things which would sever neutral would also sever ground, and you're back to this situation.

Whereas  if neutral and ground are kept separate and severed, the equipment just won't work.  It will not electrify the grounds/water unless it also has a ground fault.  So it requires a double failure to have a problem.  It's true that second failure could happen first and lurk until the first failure happens, but if you are using GFCI protection, it won't be likely.


Is it possible to vent two exhaust fans through a single wall penetration?

I don't know about code compliance.  But, this might work for you:

1 Y-Connector at the outside vent.

2 Backdraft Dampers (one on each leg) at the Y to stop the backflow of noxious gases from one fan(on) to the other (off).

Note that the backdraft dampers will add to the resistance of the duct work.  You may wish to move up to the next size of duct.


Water leaks out of spout when the shower is on

If the shower diverter knob is on the faucet itself, then that can also happen if there is low water pressure to the shower. The type of spout you have uses some of the water pressure to seal the gaps that would otherwise allow water to come out of the spout. The easiest thing to try would be to simply unscrew the faucet from the pipe and replace with another of the same type and see if it works better. If not, then your issue has more to do with the shower water pressure being too low.

If that is not the case, then replacing any different kind of diverter may require working inside of the wall. Access to most shower plumbing is usually done from the opposite side of the wall, in another room.


In parts --

The smell from any paint or varnish is a result of outgassing.  Leave the doors open and that should disappear in a week or less.  If it doesn't, or the paint remains "tacky" then strip and redo with fresh paint.

Unless you are storing foodstuffs unbagged, there's no direct contact between food and the drawers, so it's a nonissue.  If you are storing loose items (onions? ) I still strongly doubt any significant material transfer can take place.  If worried, peel and/or wash before use.


I have heard of issues like this with Moen "pressure balance" valves, in circumstances where there is a pressure difference between the hot and cold supply (call Moen, they will tell you about it too). You said the valve was fairly new so it is likely a pressure-balancing unit, and this sound like a pressure-balance feature malfunction. Turn the pump OFF and test the system to see if the problem goes away.

If the test proves the pump is the cause then it may be oversized for the small single circuit on which it has been installed, maintaining an increased pressure on the hot-water side even with the water running, whereas optimal would be for the pressure to drop to normal system pressure when the valve is opened. As a matter of fact, removing any restriction to flow, as suggested already by others, might help (though, counterintuitively, for a totally different reason).

Grundfos re-circulators are powerful pumps, putting one on a small loop is not commonly done. More often a thermosiphon circulating loop is established, without a pump, and they work quite well. You could convert yours just by yanking out the pump and connecting the pipes up (make sure there is a check valve on the return line near the boiler, as mentioned by @d.george.

Diagram shamelessly stolen from the internet


Two white, two black, two ground, and red wire in ceiling box connected to switch

From your photo, it's clear the electrician left you a handy little gift -- those third white and bare wires are pre-installed pigtails.  With the power to the circuit off of course, simply strip the white pigtail and the unstripped black wire and hook up your receptacle (free black wire to brass screw, white pigtail wire to silver screw, bare pigtail to green screw).


What are recommended ways to connect fridge ice maker?

Something like this?   (Brass Quick Tee Adapter)

Do not use a saddle valve. In many places they are illegal...for good reason


How to determine if my heating & cooling system is adequate for my home?

There are a couple of ways.

Are you comfortable when it's really hot or cold outside? If so, then it's sufficient.
Do a Manual J heat load calculation. You can do a crude approximation of this yourself using http://www.loadcalc.net/
Use "rules of thumb." These rules depend heavily on your area and become less accurate the better or worse your house's thermal envelope is.

You have a roughly 3,000 square foot house, assuming the basement isn't insulated/sealed off from the first floor. And you have a 30,000 BTU heat pump. That means the primary HVAC system can provide 10 BTUs per square foot. If you house is average to below-average construction in terms of insulation and air-tightness, this would most likely be insufficient in Minnesota, Maine, or Montana. But it would be probably be fine in California, Florida, or Georgia. In the middle third of the country, it might be okay, might not be. Might depend on how cold it got.

The fact that you have a (relatively) low BTU central ducted heat pump coupled with an electric furnace tells me that you live in a cold climate, and that the people who installed this system suspected that the heat pump would occasionally not keep up during cold snaps, and added the electric furnace for back-up. It woulda been a heck of a lot cheaper to simply calculate the load correctly and install a right-sized heat pump in the first place...

Another thing to consider is that a lot of older heat pumps don't work very well below certain temperatures. So if it gets to be -10 outside, the heat pump might be incapable of producing any heat. Newer better Japanese heat pumps can manage this without electric, gas, or wood backup heat, but most older American ones can't. So if it gets really cold, you might be forced to rely on the electric furnace, which will cost you big bucks to run.

I would highly suggest you improve your house's insulation and air sealing. After all of that, you might discover that your heat pump works just fine to heat and cool the house.


Concerned About Possible Lead Paint in Basement of Old Home

If the paint remains undisturbed I would think you have little to worry about. It is only when it is, becomes, or is made friable and then ingested or inhaled that you have an issue. Because you are "not creating any dust" I think you will be fine.

Although any amount of lead exposure to children and pregnant women should be avoided, it takes considerable dust generation to produce quantities that are generally accepted as harmful. Activities to be avoided in your basement include large scale demolition projects and scraping, sanding, or using a heat gun on the suspect painted surfaces.

Interior Work disturbing less than 6 square feet of surface and exterior work disturbing less than 20 square feet is even exempt from recordkeeping requirements for lead abatement contractors (with a few exceptions).


Can you use a dimmer with a can (recessed) light conversion kit?

I recently did the exact same thing you're evaluating. We used a conversion kit to install a pendant light above our sink where there was previously a recessed light. As far as dimmability goes, that's mostly up to the switch and the bulb you have, i.e. you have to have a dimmer switch and a compatible, dimmable bulb. We went with Leviton in this particular instance, though we have Lutron dimmer switches elsewhere.

One thing we've noticed, since we're dimming a single bulb, is that we have to find a "sweet spot" on the dimmer to prevent flickering in between brightness levels. It's a minor nuisance for the flexibility of adjusting the brightness.


Should I use an additive to my septic system?

No, Heck, No!

Every single offical source I have ever consulted explicitly states that they should not be used, and do more harm than good. Every bacterium required for the process lives inside you, and populates the tank "naturally."

Here is an excerpt from one: http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/environmental-health/plumb/top-ten-tips.htm

  You do not need to put special additives into your septic system. In fact, some can do more harm than good. Those which advertise that
  they will remove solids from your tank, usually do. The problem is
  that the solids exit the tank and end up in the disposal field. Once
  there, the solids seal off the disposal area, and the system
  malfunctions. Also, although it hurts nothing, it is not necessary to
  "seed" a new system with yeast, horse manure, and so forth. Normal
  human waste contains enough bacteria for the septic tank, and other
  microbes are already present in the soil and stones of the disposal
  area.

The problem with "products that liquefy sludge" is that you WANT the sludge to stay in the tank until it is pumped. if it gets into the drain field, it will cause the drain field to fail, and then you need a new drain field ($$$).

But there is plenty of unofficial bad advice on the internet, and elsewhere, if you want to  follow that instead.

My advice for

  the best way to ensure that I minimize problems with the system?

as a somewhat informed septic system owner, is that you should have the tank pumped and inspected (that should have been done as part of the "Title V" portion of the sales transaction, ideally - read the report, if it was done) and if it does not already have one, consider having a filter retrofitted onto the (or in place of the) exit Tee. Those can significantly improve the odds of NOT plugging the drain field; but they are not a substitute for regular maintenance (pumping of sludge).


Are electrical switches under kitchen sinks common for any utility?

A standard snap switch can be used as a safety disconnect for small hard-wired equipment.

I would suspect it is a disconnect for the dishwasher.

Good luck!


I get a flat screw driver and tap them with a hammer until it is about 1/8" inside drywall.  Then just a bit of spackle over the indention.


Can I extend #12 wire on a 15A circuit with #14 wire?

You can extend the circuit but it is bad practice to put #14 awg wire on a circuit that originates with #12 awg wire. For example; the reason is because someone tosses a mini fridge on the circuit and now the breaker trips, going back to the panel you many years later or the next owner sees #12 wire and installs a 20 amp breaker not knowing or remembering there was 14 in the run. This can result in a fire especially with back stabs in use and the smaller wire size. I have actually found this exact change of events on several occasions over the years. 12 awg is not that much more than 14 awg so it is best to continue with 12 awg , if you go cheap make sure to label the wiring in the service panel as connected to #14 , but even that is a bad practice compared to running #12.


Wiring outlet with a switch for garbage disposal

You don't have a 3-wire cable; you have two independent 2-wire cables. To have two independent receptacles of the duplex receptacle with two 2-wire cables both tabs need to be broken off, so the neutral side must be broken as well. The hot and the neutral wires connected to a given receptacle must be in the same cable.

If the switch does not control one of the hot conductors at the receptacle, then the switch may be faulty or more likely wired wrong. Look in the box for the switch and see how the switch is wired.

EDIT
The currently capped white neutral must be connected to the neutral side of the receptacle that it's companion hot is connected to. Break off the neutral tab if it is not already broken.


Can I run conduit through a retaining wall?

Structurally it’s not an issue, even if you happen to drill through a rebar in the concrete retaining wall.
However, if you’re holding back subsurface water behind the concrete retaining wall, the hole could allow water to squirt out.


Should I use vapor barrier for a framed floor over a slab?

The best place is for the vapor barrier to be is UNDER the concrete slab.  This prevents moisture from the ground from seeping through the slab into the living space.
Assuming that's not the case, then your next best choice is to apply a moisture channeling product on top of the slab.  You don't want to use poly film here as that will cause moisture to condense between the slab and the poly with nowhere to go.
There are any number of commercial moisture channeling products but these provide both a vapor barrier and a system of channels for the trapped moisture to drain, most often to your sump pit.
Even though your floor is "dry" now, that doesn't mean there is no moisture coming through it.  Concrete is porous and allows water to penetrate.  The reason it seems dry is that the moisture is evaporating into the air.  Try taping a sheet of poly to a small area of the floor for a few days and you should see moisture trapped under it.


Manufacturer pairs 6 ft tall vinyl fence with 8 ft posts - should I find 9 ft posts?

I'm about to put some of these in myself. I believe the manufacturer's instructions answer this question in Step 2c, shown below. Note that the post does not extend the entire depth of the hole, but the hole is back-filled with concrete to a 30-inch depth before placing the post. That way, the concrete holding the post extends past the frost line, even though the post itself does not.


Should I be concerned if the toilet water level drops after a flush?

Open up the back part of your toilet and push down firmly on the flush valve ball (the flap that goes up and down when you press the toilet lever) after you flush the toilet.  Your ball/flap probably is leaking a bit and eventually settles after a flush.  These can be replaced by following a set of instructions and spending $15.


Aerator Assembly

(source)

They're all pretty standard. You should be able to find one at your local hardware store. Or, buy a faucet aerator assembly on Google.


How do I reduce height of the curb on my driveway?

Contact your local town, and ask them if it is acceptable for you to add some asphalt mix to make a small ramp there, adequate for a wheelchair to roll up. Make sure they understand why you want to do so, that it is necessary for wheelchair accessibility for your father in-law. Then follow their directions. You might even be surprised and find they do it for you if you asked nicely.

Edit: Another possibility - find a contractor who can grind down the curb in one part of the driveway. While this too may require permission, it may be easier to obtain, since no mods would be done to the road surface itself. If you are handy, you could probably do the work yourself, with a small (rental) electric jackhammer.

My approach would be cheaper yet. Cut many parallel kerfs in the curb with a diamond blade in a Skilsaw or an angle grinder. You can buy such a blade for only a few dollars at your local home center. Make these kerfs no more than about 1/2 inch apart, and slope the depth of the kerf so that the cuts are deepest at the street. Now, take a hammer and cold chisel, or an air powered chisel, and break out the material between the kerfs. Done carefully, this will leave you with a nicely sloped curb that a wheelchair can ride up over, and nothing on the road itself to upset the town. You can surely do this in a way that looks as if it were professionally done if you take your time.

Of course, if you do this work yourself, use ear protection for the noise and definitely wear a respirator. That dust is terribly bad for your lungs.


What would cause arcing between equipment connected to each other where power is connected to different circuits?

That is very bad.  I recommend a comprehensive survey of the relevant parts of the electrical system, starting at your main panel.

Service grounding (earthing) system

This goes from a water pipe, ground rods, etc. to your main service panel.  If you have a sub-panel, it goes to the main panel.  It is the reference to zero voltage for the entire system. This goes to the ground in your panel.

Don't worry too much if it's not perfect, I'm more concerned with its relationship with the rest of your panel(s).

Ground-neutral bond in your main panel

Throughout the world, mains power is wired as if it's an isolated system with a grounded safety shield.  That is to say, ground is never used in any way to carry current, except during a fault condition.  But it is not an isolated system: to prevent wild voltages, neutral is intentionally bonded to ground in the main panel only, via a wire, strap or green screw in the neutral bus.

Make sure that exists and looks OK.  Without it, a ground fault in equipment will "electrify your grounds".  (actually put neutral at a wild voltage compared to ground.)

In the main panel only, it is legal to simply use one bus for all neutrals and grounds.  It looks awful; it makes you think neutral and ground are redundant; they're not!

Any sub-panels

If these branch circuits are fed from a panel, which is itself fed from a breaker off the main panel, make sure the feeder has a separate white or gray neutral and green/bare ground wire.  Metal conduit can substitute for a ground wire.  Make sure the sub-panel has a neutral bus and a ground bus, carefully separated and not bonded.

Also in the panel

Watch out for a ground bus with wires that are not green or bare.  Watch out for a neutral bus with wires that are not white or gray.

Now look for circuit breakers which have white, gray, green or bare wires going to them.  White/gray to a breaker is OK under a few circumstances:

a 2-pole breaker (the breaker itself is double normal width, and obviously has 2 handles tied together), often has 1 black and 1 white
A GFCI/AFCI breaker, which has 1 hot and 2 neutrals going to it (one coiled up and going to the neutral bus).

Obviously, pay special attention to your difficult circuits.

Now follow the receptacle chain back to the panel

For each circuit in turn...  Unplug everything and turn off one of the breakers.  Use a nightlight, circuit tester, plain lamp and some intuition to identify which receptacles and other loads are on that circuit.

Physically check: Now, work forward from the panel to your problem location.  Open up each junction box, remove the switches/receptacles from the boxes,  and give it  the basic eyeball.   I bet you'll find problems at one of them.

Electrically check: Voltage testers are hokey and don't work, because they are only comparing the receptacle to itself.   Noting that you started on electronics.se and know a thing or two, you can electrically test by running a wire back to that original zero reference.  The zero reference won't harm you, but getting between it and a hot voltage could, so I'd add a 20k-50k ohm resistor on the far end of it.

Voltage to ground should be <0.1 volts, essentially 0.
Voltage to the taller neutral slot should be 0 to 3 volts depending on load on the circuit
Voltage to the shorter "hot" slot should be near 120 volts
If you add a ~1500W heavy load on the circuit, neutral should increase, and ground shouldn't.

This is no substitute for a physical inspection.  You can't reliably detect a bootleg ground or ground-neutral swap, for instance, which are things which would cause this.

I guarantee you'll find a problem before you're done.  Possibly 2 or more, since a guy who makes a mistake often repeats it.


I'm going to start with the obvious here: water drains downhill.  If the water goes back up, it's not really downhill.  A deeper depression doesn't mean that the water will flow out the "other side" any faster, it just leads to a deeper pond.

So a taller trap isn't going to help you here.  The only thing you can do is to make the wall side trap lower than the disposal outlet.

You pointed out your two possibilities: make the disposal higher (by using a shallower sink or taller counter), or by lowering the pipe going into the wall.  I would think that changing the pipe in the wall would be more work than the other two options, but it's entirely up to you (and maybe your spouse) as to what you end up doing.

It's possible that the semi-clogged pipe was using suction to drain, which you no longer have, due to more room in the clear pipe no longer allowing the suction to work.  It's also possible that the drain for the previous disposal was closer to the bottom of the sink, allowing the water to flow normally.  In fact, that's the more probable reason, now that I think about it.


How can I utilize the power at the range and dryer for other appliances?

According to the National Electrical Code, receptacles on 40 amp circuits have to be rated for the circuit meaning they have to be 40 or 50 amp receptacles. Or you will have to hard wire your equipment with #8 wire and remove the range receptacle. Not very practical.

There are many options to power your equipment but tapping off of a range or dryer circuit is probably not as cost effective as just running new circuits for your equipment or using the range circuit to feed a sub-panel for your equipment.


Can I stud out a wall without removing the plaster

Freestanding steel studs are fine (assuming they are anchored to a sill and top plate). Steel studs anchored to the furring strips are fine. Why wouldn't steel studs anchored to the furring strips, plaster and lath be fine? The only limitation would be if the lath and plaster had significant bowing or hollowing in spots that the new studs came in contact with (minor hollowing would not make much difference).

Also, as you install, you want to make sure that crumbling plaster does not get wedged in a way that prevents the studs from creating a smooth planar surface.

While plaster is not much of an insulator, you still have a bit of air trapped between the plaster and the brick in the furring strip troughs. Add high density batts or rigid foam between the steel studs to improve the R value.

If you are very concerned about insulation, wood studs are poorer transmitters of heat and should be considered. Also, creating a real thermal break by not having the inner wall directly abutting the outer wall would improve the situation. But this approach does eat up interior space.


What you have is a concrete slab  not a block. Semantics.  I would rent a jackhammer, breaking that thing up with a sledgehammer will be a arduous task.  You may also need an angle grinder with a metal cut off wheel to cut the metal lath or rebar reinforcement’s that should be inside the slab.  You will want to break it down into small enough pieces to lift and handle in order to make the disposal job easier.


Plastic-on-plastic lubricant that wont leave a residue?

Polydimethylsiloxane meets almost all your requirements. PDMS is non-conductive, optically clear, inert, non toxic, non flammable, and extremely slippery. It's typically an ingredient in silicone oil, but you can probably buy it separately somewhere too.

Other than PDMS, mineral oil would also work. Much easier to get too.

There will definitely be reside, if you want to call it that though. Neither substance will evaporate, so it's going to be there forever. On the other hand, that property will help you disassemble them if you need to repair it in the future.

Maybe just use as little as possible? Probably just on the contact surfaces.


new washer installed in my condo, and water is backing up and overflowing on the floor through the hose

Older washing machines required 1 1/2” pipe.  Newer machines drain water faster than older-style washers, so you may need to install a 2 inch (50mm) drain or get a washing machine that drains slower, like the old one.

I've seen this problem before.


All the light switches should have power at all times on one screw.  The other screw ahould have power when switched on.   According to your description, they don't.

That means whatever is feeding the light switches is not doing so.  If you have receptacles which are also broken, keep following the chain toward source.  You may be a broken GFCI or the GFCI itself may not be getting power.

It may be a problem with the neutral.

It is almost assuredly one single problem.   Double failures are very unusual.

If necessary, undo wire nuts and measure voltage on each wire.


There is made an interlocking 1/2" deep foam rubber pad made to be use on basement and shop floors for just this purpose.  These pads come in colors for play rooms of in black for work space.  they fit together fairly tightly. They come in 2x2' squares and I believe 2x3' rectangles.  Good Luck


How can remove a flat head screw that's in a hard to reach space?

On this style of light fixture, you'll usually find that one of the three clips is spring loaded and can be pulled horizontally away from the center. This allows you d to remove the glass.  There is no need to unscrew the clips.


Whomever told you that hurricane windows are "required" wasn't being exactly truthful. The only requirement is that the window opening must be hurricane compliant which can be achieved through a combination of windows and shutters and will eliminate window breakage.

The biggest drawback of hurricane impact windows (besides price) is that they will not survive a large missile impact and will have to be replaced. I have yet to understand why they are even allowed to use the term "impact" in their name - it's the one thing that they don't do well at all. To prove this do an internet video search for "impact window test" and you will see what happens to impact windows when they are struck. They do a superb job of withstand high wind loads and keeping the hurricane winds from entering the building. They are also good at reducing noise and therefore work great at elevations of the 3 floor and up. However when it comes to using them on the 2 lower floors, it is recommended that they be shuttered to stop impact damage and the ensuing costs and inconvenience. They are fragile and are easy targets for vandals.

Some window folks like to entice you with energy savings figures but those claims are erroneous and the payback has been estimated by independent, non-window replacement industry laboratories of at least 40 years. A little internet research goes a long way in helping you see through most of these falsehoods.

You may want to opt for a good quality energy saving non-impact window and cover them with a fabric or mesh type of impact system. If you want better protection there are roll-down shutters or accordion types, too. If you want the top of the line there are the flat, crystal clear, flat polycarbonate style.

Two simple rules to remember:
1. If it's made from glass it's going to break.
2. Aluminum frames are stronger and last longer that plastic frames.

Whatever you choose do your research, ask questions and get the answers in writing. Some salespeople will tell you anything to close the deal. Good luck!


To me your parts names are:

condensate pump
condensate drain assembly
discharge hose for condensate pump

The drain assembly is different than the ones I have used and in some cases I don’t use OEM parts because of the cost when a standard off the shelf part can be made or purchased for much less.


Which peninsula sink vent strategy is best for this situation?

Thanks a lot for the illustrations! I'd go with Option #4 where the sink connection and trap are done right. Trap parallel with wall and drain immediately elbowed. Trap is as low as needed and no forgotten odd in-wall setup while hanging a serving shelf type of situation.

In the case of a Garbage Disposal (GD), you'd use the GD itself as the elbow. Or, like the picture, you'd send that to the back ASAP as well.

Now, if you want to go nuts, literally, and get away from cleanouts or slip joints. Then, you'd glue-in union fittings under the sink so the entire drain start is solid-state and drops out for snaking. The picture is for using the trap as your elbow, but displays the union wonderfulness.


Mounting home networking gear on pegboard

I have all my networking gear (router, switch, PoE injector) secured with industrial strength adhesive velcro and zip ties. I imagine if you can take the time to fish the zip ties through the holes of the peg board this would work pretty well (the green lines are zip ties):


It's low-voltage. The wires you can see would never be rated for mains voltage. I doubt that anyone, anywhere has ever made a doorbell that runs directly on mains voltage. It would be far too dangerous.

The bell itself doesn't care about AC vs DC, so probably AC for simplicity.

As far as replacement, either get another one just like it, or build a small circuit that rectifies/filters the AC and apply the resulting DC to any electronic beeper or sound generator you like.


The copper rod looks like a grounding conductor, typically located outdoors amd pounded 8 feet into the earth.

In some juristictions newer code allows (or even prefers) the rebar frame within the foundation to be used as a source of ground instead; this conductor could be connected to that.

No current should pass through any grounding conductors under normal circumstances, but if there is a problem they can carry full line voltage, and current up to the limit of the breaker or fuse protecting the problem circuit.