How do I frame a room inside a garage so that the room's ceiling will not touch the garage ceiling?

You are essentially building a self-supporting flat-roofed shed inside the garage, not adding interior walls to the garage.

You should be able to screw a 2x4 sill plate onto the garage floor. The sill plate is mostly there in case the concrete is uneven. It could be pressure-treated in order to resist rotting from moisture on the floor or in the concrete. (In that case, use galvanized nails to nail the sole plate to it.) If you don't build a floor, I think the sole plate of the walls could be screwed directly into the floor, avoiding the sill.

Since you're in a cold climate, you may want to build and insulate a floor. If so, place the rim joists, then hang the remaining joists with joist hangers, insulate, then glue and nail on plywood sheathing. If the joists go in the short direction and are spaced 16" o.c. you should in theory be OK with 2x4 joists, but the code may require 2x6 as a minimum, and that would leave more space for insulation.

Next, frame the walls individually, sheathe them with plywood or OSB, and raise them. If you have a sill or subfloor, face-nail the sole plate to the floor with 16d nails 16" o.c. Sheathing the walls adds lateral support, and thereby helps keep them square. This is a lot easier to do while the walls are still flat on the floor, before you raise them. Make sure to double the top plate.

Finally, frame an "attic subfloor" as a ceiling for your office. In response to your question, the ceiling is somewhat similar to a wall, but the joists must be hung properly (not just end-nailed like the studs in a wall), and the sheathing (plywood or OSB) needs to be glued as well as nailed. Sheathing this subfloor is essential for stability. As mentioned, if spaced 16" o.c., 2x4 is sufficient to span 6 ft, but your code may require 2x6 anyway.

Check out the framing books at the home improvement or bookstore, or google for "framed floor" and "platform framing". Check your building code for insulation requirements. You will probably need a building permit.

The ceiling height may be an issue, once you subtract 6 inches for a floor and 6 inches for a ceiling.


What is the name of the hardware used to build this dinner console table?

They're called table slides or extension slides.  They generally come in 2 versions - one for pedestal type tables (sometimes called equalizer slides) and one for traditionally legged tables.

As far as the design goes, you're pretty much limited to your imagination and woodworking ability. Just build it like you would any other extending table, but with the fixed table top only long enough to accommodate the hardware.


What can I use as a temporary noise insulation on a door that connects bedroom and bathroom?

Fill the cracks around the door, especially at the bottom with egg crate foam. Cut it up and pack it in. Preventing air movement will help a lot with preventing sound transfer.

An alt to the foam is weather stripping. This would be a more permanent solution that will allow for the door to be used and still help to deaden the sound. Something that would would have to bug your landlord about before doing it.

Once that is done putting something solid in front of the door on the other side like a bookcase or decorative rug will help even more. If you can hang towels on the bathroom side as well that will help a little bit.


Is this what a leaking toilet looks like?

There are numerous explanations for possible causes of moist grout near your toilet base, one of them being a compromised wax ring.

washing/cleaning of the outside of the toilet can allow water to run down and moisten the area at the base
a compromised seal between the tank and bowl can allow unseen water to run down and moisten the area at the base
poor aim by male household members will cause urine to run down and moisten the area at the base, this would cause a urine smell as well (this is a thing, I had 3 boys in the house)
a compromised wax ring could cause moisture at the base of the toilet

Some modern wax rings have an integral plastic funnel that allows gravity to direct water/waste into the drain line, which helps prevent leaks (under normal circumstances) even if the wax is compromised. I would recommend that you carefully examine the unit for other signs and if you find none go ahead and pull the toilet. Get a friend to help, they are unwieldy, and use a ring like I mentioned above when you replace it.


Should I worry about my electrician not being vat registered?

Not at all.

If he is a sole trader it is quite possible that he doesn't turn over enough money to need to register for VAT.  Registration is only mandatory above a certain threshold (which changes every year) and is optional below that.  Most traders who don't have to register won't bother as it saves a lot of tax form-filling hassle.

As long as he has the appropriate qualifications, go with it.

He won't have to charge you VAT so you should get the work done cheaper.


How do I figure what height I need for my egress window wall?

The minimum height of the window is specified in code, and so is fairly standard.  And is not typically influenced by the well dimensions.

The bottom of the window must be within a specific height above the basement floor.  The well has to go from that depth, to at least finished grade level.  So that's what determines the size of the well, not the window.

The code also states that if a well is deeper than a certain depth, a ladder or stairs must be included (to get out of the hole).  So I would assume the manufacturer made the well less than that height purposefully, so as not to have to include a ladder.

Measure from the basement floor, to the maximum code specified height of the bottom of the window. Then from there, to grade level.  If the second measurement is greater than 46", you'll need a deeper well.


why do faucet control valves use packing

It is really simple, the packing keeps the water from leaking out of the valve stem when the valve is open.  That’s what it does and what it is for.
Ball valves also have a stem packing but it is usually an O ring. Without  the O ring, water would come out the stem when turning the valve from open to closed.


What type of tape is appropriate for pipe insulation?

I think duct tape is the best to hold insulation in place with but I have also had really good luck with electrical tape on the foam insulation. (Disclaimer, I am an electrician so I use a lot of electrical tape).


Is my "two room, two switch, four lights" diagram correct?

Yes, your diagram is correct. It will achieve what you described.

You should always connect the ground, it is a safety measure. While it may not appear to do anything during normal operation, it's presence covers many failure cases that have been discovered the hard way - death by electrocution, house burning down, etc.

You should also absolutely check your local electrical codes and regulations for how to correctly do an installation, there are many things that are not obvious or intuitive. In the USA, "NFPA 70" is the name of the code book. There are also many laws that cover who is allowed to do this kind of work, inspections, and etc.


Why did my tub drain start running slowly after going unused for a little while?

I'm guessing that the soap scum hardened. It's initially soft and can get partly flushed out with regular use. Now that it's hard, you'll need chemical and/or mechanical means to clear it. You can try the usual home remedies, they might get it flowing adequately for a low flow shower. You might as well invest in a plumbing snake. I'm sure that's all your plumber did. A minimal length manual snake is cheaper than a plumber and it's available 24/7 at no additional cost.

All a snake often does is clear a narrow channel through the gunk. Unless the clog is held together with hair, a good part of it will remain, meaning the drain will eventually clog again. Tub drains are essentially clogs waiting to happen. Unless all the parts are accessible and able to be disassembled, there's little you can do but keep a narrow channel reamed out. To use the snake, remove the lever at the overflow assembly along with the attached parts. Feed the snake down through the overflow and into and through the trap below the floor. The short horizontal bit between the drain and overflow is accessed through the drain itself. You usually need to remove some parts here as well to gain access.


Hanging 60 lb beveled glass frame in courtyard on a brick wall

I would suggest using Z clips, unless you want the chain as ornamental.

These are attached to the wall and to the mirror's new frame.

To attach to the wall, I'd set anchors into the mortar (It's as strong as the brick and easier to patch if you move the mirror later.) Then use screws to attach the clips.

You have some fussy alignment to do to get the clips to match when using more than 2 pairs.

If you don't want to put a frame on the mirror, look at buying a single sheet of pressure treated plywood, cut it to match the size of the mirror, and glue to mirror to the plywood.  I don't recommend this for an exterior application.  Glass has a fairly high coefficient of thermal expansion.  I think the usual is to leave 1/8" per foot of glass dimension.  So a 4 foot high window has 1/2" of header space in the frame for it to wiggle in.  Might be 1/16" per foot.  Have to look.

A compromise is to use a plywood back, and then a lighter weight frame.  Frame elements only need to be big enough to hide the expansion room.  If you go this route, be sure to put drain holes in the channel at the bottom.  Otherwise water getting into that channel will rot the wood.


How to plumb and line, i.e., square, stud-frame walls if sheathing before raising

Your plan is correct. I usually tack the bottom plate to the wall line on the deck at several points to be sure it's straight. If you do this correctly you can easily pull the nails once the wall is up and nailed down. Don't do it from the bottom of the plate as the nails will hold the wall off the deck.

Now you pull diagonal measurements from the bottom plate corners to the top plate corners (not the double/tie plates as they don't match). Tack the top plate to the deck in one spot and you're golden. Sheathed walls are extremely rigid with respect to square. Don't expect to be able to make adjustments. They'll even show you where your deck has dips.

I'm not sure what you mean by "lining" but if it means straightening the top, I usually tack a scrap of two-by at each end, run a dryline between, and measure for 1-1/2". You'd have your ends plumbed and braced (or tied into perpendicular walls which are already square) first.


Why is my furnace blower coming on so early in the ignition process?

Most furnaces use a preset, adjustable, time delay circuit to control the start of the blower motor. Some higher end models may use a temperature sensor to determine when the blower should come on, but this is a less common setup. It's possible that something in the furnace is broken and/or configured incorrectly, but it's more likely that the thermostat has been installed incorrectly.

A thermostat in its most basic form, is simply one or more thermally activated switches.  In the olden days, it was likely a mercury switch, that only controlled a heater.  Most more modern thermostats control heat, A/C, and the blower fan.  In your case; since you're having trouble with the fan, we'll focus mostly on the fan settings.

A typical thermostat will only have two settings for the fan, ON, or AUTO.  In the ON position, the fan will run continuously.  In the AUTO position, control of the fan is handled by the furnace instead of the thermostat.  Since your fan does not run continuously, I'll assume you have the fan control on the thermostat set to AUTO.

If you accidentally connected the FAN wire to the HEAT terminal and/or the HEAT wire, every time the thermostat called for heat the fan would immediately turn on.  Since this is the easiest, cheapest fix. I'd start by making sure the thermostat is wired properly.


What are low-cost ways of cooling down a room?

You have got to get the most amount of outdoor air in your bedroom at night.  This is the most important thing you can do.  Make sure the windows are open and the fan(s) are sucking in the hot air.  The ice works but it needs to be in front of the fan and you need to do some pretty big chunks.  Fill a bucket up and put it in the freezer.

So the windows need to be open from sundown until the morning.  After that your room needs to go into lockdown.  Put a blanket over your window (better is put something over bedroom windows from outside), no lights (and switch to fluorescent), no shower humidity, no electronics, nothing.

There are other things like insulation or adding trees around the house but these cost a lot of money.

An easy cheap thing that has worked for me is putting a semi-wet towel in the freezer.  Keep it around your neck and head.  Keep an extra in the freezer if your house is really hot.  I went a summer without AC in Fort Worth doing this!


How can I find a fault causing loss of internet signal on mains

I'm not aware of of any end-user targeted troubleshooting tools for powerline network issues. I have personally used an oscilloscope in the past to identify the source of interference.

Are your breakers AFCI? Those are known to cause problems with powerline adapters, and there isn't a great solution for that.


Is it against code to have the thermostatic valve outside the wall?

The only way I can see it would be a code issue is that the anti-scald valve is in a unit which could be easily switched out without having to demo the wall. However, I really can't imagine that the code enforcement would limit us all because some very few people would get around the code by installing an expensive valve and then swapping it out after inspection. And presumably all valves on the market which would fit this rough-in do have anti-scald controls.

In my part of the US there is (or was) resistance to mandates on the anti-scald shower valves. So the plumbing inspection procedure had to be changed--they wouldn't issue the final plumbing approval until the wall was tiled.
Plumbers were roughing in one valve then replacing it with the older style before the wall was tiled. But one plumber told me that the renegades would then just demo the wall after final inspection and put in non approved valves. Some people are really determined to have their own way.


Storing items in washroom (protection from moisture)

You can run a test with some scrap paper or something, but I suspect this won't be a problem. Towels, toilet paper, and tissues are all commonly stored in bathrooms with no ill effects, and many vanity cabinets are made of particleboard - notoriously susceptible to moisture.

Just make sure to run the fan every time the bath or shower is used (don't wait for it to turn on automatically) and for 20-30 minutes after.


Usually the grill strainer just pulls away. Try to pry it up with a screwdriver or grip with needlenose pliers and gently pull up.


Overcoming non standard drawer pull (handle) sizes

You can use color matched wood putty to fill the holes. They'll mostly by hidden by the handles, so it may not look as bad as you'd think.

Minwax Colored Wood Putty


How can I insulate a window against the sound caused by high winds?

The peanuts won't do anything as there'd still be gigantic air gaps. Do you want to seal the window? if so, you could get the plastic weather shrink-wrap stuff and seal it from the inside.


The classical way you handle this situation is to pull the old part out and take it to the store, precisely so you can compare dimensions and show it to a clerk to tap his experience.

You prefer mail order.  That works much better if sizes are standardized to one size, because then, you would not have to learn things about lock fitment. As a direct result, you have formed the expectation in your mind - because that is what will work the best for you.

It's like "surely the speed limit must be 120kph, because I'm late".

That is why you are concerned with BS 3621 - you desire size standardization to exist, you hope there is a standards document that calls it out, and so you latched onto (heh) the first standards document that seemed to relate.   It says nothing about lock dimensions.

I recommend you make yourself a sceptic of thought processes like these so you can stop being snared by them.

Also I suggest you run, do not walk -- I mean walk, do not type to the nearest appropriate hardware store, old lock in hand, and have the clerk help you, then cheerfully pay his retail price for the needed part.  While this will be more expensive than 1 mail order lock, it will certainly be cheaper than "education via buying the wrong parts".

P.S. I just spent a half day fiddling around with a fuel pump which arrived with the wrong fittings necessitating a fuel line  reroute, and the bar was  bent wrong so it wasn't even touching the eccentric (hence not pumping). A quick search of the Web reveals all modern fuel pumps are similar.   So I feel your pain.  I would have much rather just walked into the Stihl dealer, however this is not a Stihl.


Can I remove a 32" portion of a supporting wall?

Any time you want to change, remove or do anything to a load bearing wall it is best to call a structural engineer to make sure you do not do something that can't be fixed or creates a dangerous situation for the occupants for that structure.  1 cut too many can cause a disaster. my 2 cents


What are these orange outlets directly attached to my breaker box?

That recep appears to be right next to your service panel, connected to the panel by a 1" conduit nipple.

That makes it the "magic electrician's outlet".

It's not required by Code.  It's just a "common practice" for an electrician to fit such an outlet, and place it on a dedicated circuit breaker.  This costs about $10 normally ($5 for the breaker, $1 for the nipple, $1 for the Handy Box, and $3 for a quality recfep and cover). This is generally the first breaker installed in the panel.  The electrician then runs extension cords off it to power tools and lights while wiring the rest of the house.  Alternately, the electrician can power down the whole house (except that one circuit) and do the needed tasks.

Since it is dog simple, only the two THHN wires to the recep (ground is via the steel conduit itself), it's very easy for the electrician to visually inspect that it cannot possibly be interacting with any other circuit in the house.  So the electrician can be confident that the entire house is powered down.

I'm not sure why your electrician would use an orange one.  I would look closely at how it is grounded to the ground screw on the receptacle.   Perhaps the electrician wired it intentionally groundless for some reason, in which case I would hope and expect to see it fed from a GFCI breaker.

Once, a person complained that they were having breaker trips trying to power a gaming PC, laser printer, and (not surprisingly) air conditioner in their home office on a single 15A breaker.  They simply needed another circuit run.  How far is the service panel? "It's actually in this room. Here's a pic." Et voilà, there was the Magic Electrician's Outlet, and on a 20A breaker no less. Problem solved!


Can a sun tunnel be installed with a 15 to 20 degree angle in it?

Whether or not they can be bent, and the degree to which they can be bent, depends on the manufacturer.

The amount of light will be impacted, but the question is by how much. Light is lost the more reflections required to reach the diffuser.

I would say you don't need to worry to much if you have one bend. Where it will get bad is if you have multiple bends and (in the case of flexible-reflector units) if the film is not drawn tight.


98 out of 100 times it is indeed lefty loosey. In cases of some power tools it is the opposite.


engraving steel sheets with a punch set - what can go wrong?

whether a normal (500g?) metal hammer or rubber mallet will do

A 500g/1lb metal hammer should be fine. A 1000g/2lb would not be overkill

whether I will need any kind of support (e.g. special bench) or if I
can improvise one easily - I assume I need a hard material

Solid support is needed, but it need not be hard. End-grain wood is typical - a straight section of log/firewood will serve. Set on ground or a concrete floor to minimize bounce, or use a very heavy support.

whether the steel sheets are appropriate for engraving - not too hard
for the punch set?

Stainless steel in most grades is very difficult to punch as compared to mild steel. You should also realize that you are not "engraving" which is a cutting process (can be done with cutting tools or acid or electricity, but material is always removed) - you are stamping (or embossing) into the face of the material, deforming it to make an impression. In stainless steel, that deformation causes "work hardening" so it can be quite difficult and may exceed the capacity of your punch set. Using a thinner stainless sheet in "dead-soft" condition as sold might help with that.

A simple wax-resist chemical or electro-chemical engraving process might be a lot easier (coat with wax, scratch through the wax to the bare metal, immerse in an etchant bath where the bare metal is eaten away and the metal protected by wax is not.)

Anything else I should know or haven't planned for?

Wear safety glasses for sure (the potential to have a chip fly off the hammer or punch and into your eye is always there) and hearing protection of some sort is also wise when hammering.


Why is the live wire reading live, but the neutral is not, in my lighting circuit?

Where can the problem be?

The problem might be that you didn't take into account that neutral is usually tied to ground/earth. In the US this typically occurs at the point the supply enters the building.


Concrete does not react well with normal wood, so don't pour up along the post. That's why the little block is on top of the pier you have, its made either of pressure treated wood, or redwood.  If you really want a better pier, pour one a little larger then what you have, and you can include a metal hold down or strap to make sure nothing moves later. (and you still need the little block in between the post and pier,by the way, unless you get a full column base the post sits on instead of the concrete).


Question about running new drain pipes in Laundry room

If it were me, I'd install a new sanitary tee in the main drain, just above the existing sanitary tee.  I'd have the standpipe for the washer come down into a P-trap, and connect the other end to the new tee.

However, you'll have to make sure the standpipe is at least 18" above the trap weir. If that height cannot be maintained, you'll have to move some things around.

I'm also not sure if a proper P-trap will fit in the stud bay, so you'll have to measure to verify.
 The minimum length of a trap arm is two pipe diameters. So if you're using 2" pipe, that's 4" from trap weir to the sanitary tee.

Then I'd have the trap from the washtub, connect to the existing sanitary tee.

Basically, something like this...


Use heavy screw eyes or eye bolts, screwed into the 2x4 frame of the lattice panel, and screw hooks or screw bolts into the 4x4.


I once built a bath floor with white cement, and then covered it with sikatop-107 seal. it was an outdoor shower but it will fit also for an indoor one. here is a link to an article i wrote about it in my website. sorry, it's in Hebrew - but you still can look at the photos :)

you can build a structure out of salvage materials, plaster a thick layer of cement on it, and finish it with the sikatop-107 seal.


Looking at these operating instructions for a Philco 90, the top knob is indeed the station selection knob, the bottom left is tone, bottom right is volume, and the center is the on/off switch.


You find the manual and determine how the wires are supposed to be connected up so you don't let the magic smoke out.

It's three phase, and can be supplied either Delta or Wye. How is your 3-phase circuit provided by the electric company configured? You WILL NOT BE RUNNING THIS OFF SPLIT-PHASE 120/240V house power unless you have a magic box called a phase converter which generates 3-phase power from 240V Single Phase.

Here is a 3-phase connection diagram from Franklin's AIM literature.

Unless you have a 3-phase power installation or have a Phase Converter, you will need to return the pump motor and exchange it for a 240V Single Phase capacitor start motor and wire that to run off the two hot legs for 240V single phase line input power.

If none of this makes sense, you need to consult an electrician. If this is a replacement pump for an already existing Franklin 3-phase pump, he can check to see if you have a Phase Converter already in position and make sure the connections are properly made so the pump motor doesn't get fried.

http://www.franklin-electric.com/media/documents/M1311_60_Hz_AIM_Catalog.pdf

Note: I realize the question states 9 wires, this is the closest I could come up with for pump related information on the Manufacturer website which was a 1-hp 3-phase submersible. I could not find the part number stated above and don't have a picture or description to tell me if this is a submersible or above ground motor. Having the proper manual is very important!!


Running Ethernet between floor and finished celing

It may be possible to use the coax cable to pull your CAT 6.
Remove the coax wall plate and pull the cable off the back of the plate (or otherwise get the cable freed from the wall).
Securely tape sturdy, but thin string or twine to the end of the coax. Pull the coax back through the wall to an access point in the laundry room. Doing so will pull the string through the wall, leaving a "bread crumb trail" back through any holes that were drilled for the coax.
Securely tape your CAT 6to the coax cable. Using the tape, make a tapered lead end around the coax and around the CAT 6. I'd suggest that not having an end on the CAT 6 would be the way to go - it's a big square thing that will catch, while the cable itself is fairly small and will slip through holes easier.
Carefully pull the string back through the walls until the coax and CAT 6 pop out at the original location.
Terminate the CAT 6, reattach the coax to the plate, and presto! (You may want to upgrade to a plate that has a coax and RJ45 jack so you have a nice, tidy finished look.)
NOTE: all this is predicated on:

The coax not being attached to the walls anywhere.

Any single wire staple anywhere in the walls will prevent the coax from pulling out in the first place.

There being no sharp bends in the coax cable run.

When the cable was first run with the wall open, it could make some fairly sharp bends. Once the wall is covered and you're tugging from 15+ feet away, it's far less likely.

The cable(s) and string not separating.

You'd probably be better off tying the string behind the barrel connector of the coax, then taping over it as a 2nd method of attachment

The holes in the studs being big enough to pull the coax and CAT 6 through.

It's entirely possible that the original installer drilled a 1/4" hole to pull the 3/16" thick coax through (actual dimensions may vary, numbers quoted for demonstrative purposes only) and terminated the cable once it was run. If this is the case, the coax won't pull back through the wall.
It's possible there's enough room to get the barrel connector through the wall, but not the connector, cable and an extra piece of CAT 6.

If this doesn't work, you may have to bit the bullet and cut a couple of access holes in the ceiling to pull the cable, then patch & paint when you're done.


How to keep floor insulation dry and safe from pests?

See above picture

I would add an electrical outlet in this crawl space and plug in a electronic pest repeller, to make any rodent's life miserable, if they found their way in there.

The other added reason to have at least one outlet down there is for your convenience, if you needed to plug in temporary lighting. Insure that this outlet is GFCI protected as well.


How much caulking do we need for a standard bathtub

One standard caulk tube will do a tub plus another.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-10-1-oz-Clear-Silicone-2-Kitchen-and-Bath-Sealant-GE5040-12C/100663319

plus

https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-smooth-rod-caulk-gun-10-oz-HD109/203788465

The caulk link above - my go to.   The gun is just an example (that brand gun is actually crap and pushes out too much even when no pressure).

The way I caulk a tub is to run a first pass that goes as deep in as possible, hit it with a wet paper towel or sponge (push the caulk in), wait about a half hour, and then do the second coat and smooth the finish.


It will sag. This is known as "deflection", and is known for various materials and cross-sections, including your steel pipes.

https://www.engineering.com/calculators/beams.htm

Scroll down to "Hollow rectangular beams" and enter your numbers. Unfortunately, this calculator is in inches, but it's easy enough to convert.

Your 300kg mass would cause a deflection of 17.25" or 438mm, but that is based on a single 300kg mass placed on a single tube. In reality, your load will be spread out more, right? If it is evenly spread over all 4 of your pipes, then one pipe has to carry 300kg/4 = 75kg, which would result in 1/4 of that deflection, or about  4.3" or 110mm.

These are just estimates, as the specific material and how you load your shelf will make a difference.

To improve on (reduce) the deflection, you have the following basic options:

Reduce the total load.
Add more tubes. This would distribute the load more. Divide your total load by the number of pipes for an "ideal" estimate assuming perfect distribution, as I did above.
Stronger material (thicker tubes).
Shorter span. If you can move your end supports in towards the center, or add a center support, your effective span length is reduced.


can we use UPS as stabilizer for 1.5 ton AC?

The key facts about your A/C are

Power Requirements  1/230V/50Hz
Cooling Operating Current   7 A

7 A x 230 V = 1610 Watts. UPS specs are in VA not W due to power-factor corrections which I'll ignore:

Your 800 VA UPS is probably not a good choice for a 1610 W load.


What could be causing the humming sound in my hot water radiator?

Sometimes the circulating pump moves too much water and causes noise and vibration. Years ago when I was doing residential service and most pumps were single speed I carried cut down impellers just to fix this problem. Most pumps back then were from Bell and Gossett. Today there are numerous fixes. take the name brand of the pump, the model number and serial number of the pump, (a picture may also be a good idea) to a local hvac shop that services hot water systems. They can look up the flow from a chart and recommend what to do: a cut down impeller, smaller pump,  a multispeed pump etc. This should fix the hum or vibration.


You have a clog somewhere in your line. The first thing to do is check out your P-Trap because it's fairly easy and doesn't require any tools (assuming the nuts weren't tightened by Hercules). If that doesn't work then it's time for a snake. Snake by removing the trap and going in under the sink. Then you won't have to navigate the P-Trap and will have an easier time.

Look around for cleanouts. If you can't reach the clog from under the sink, moving to a different, downstream access point might bring you close enough to get it.


What is this architectural shingle condition called? Is it reparable?

It’s called “self sealing” shingles (or lack thereof).

Shingles are made to self seal to each other by having the sun heat them up (including the asphalt strip on the underside) and the weight of the shingle will cause the asphalt to press into the lower shingle.

When the shingle is hung at more than about 6:12 or in a cool environment, then the weight does not affect the shingle and it does not stick to the lower shingle.

Often “hand tabbing” is required. Hand tabbing is merely “hand applying” a glob of asphalt about the size of a quarter to the lower shingle about every 12” on center and then stepping on the upper shingle to squish it flat.

Without the shingles sticking together, they are susceptible to “blow off” in high wind areas.

In your case, use a single glob for the small shingle. Do not coat the entire area, because the shingle will heat up from the sun and need to move and expand.


Will old anchor holes in a concrete slab reduce its useful life?

The concrete looks intact enough for re-use, I can't see if the anchor bolts are good or not, if they can't be reused  getting old anchors out of concrete can be tricky: you might have to move your letter box one inch to the side so that new anchors can be drilled into virgin concrete.
If you do move it don't leave the old anchors protruding they are a trip hazard, if the can't be pulled out use an angle grinder to cut them and grind them flush.


How to replace a double switch (single-pole and three-way) with separate switches?

If you're not sure how the terminals on a switch are used, the best thing to do is to unwire it and test the continuity between each pair of terminals, in each switch position.
In this case, you can be pretty confident about the two-way switch. You just need to find which terminal on the three-way is the common.
"...do I connect the yellow and red Black wires to the single-pole and then leave the yellow and red White wires as they are?"
Yes. Why would you think of doing anything else?


It is exactly what it states. That’s the minimum temperature for the bulb to start. It doesn’t necessarily mean the bulb won’t work below that temperature. It probably will light. Rather it means either that some of the electrical components will not perform within specs below that temperature, it simply wasn’t tested below that temperature, or use below that temperature will cause damage and limit it’s lifespan. If you’re going to regularly use the bulb at -40, get one rated for that for lower temperatures. If nothing else, it will likely mean replacing the bulb less often.


Usually for causing the vacuum to turn on when you plug a hose into the outlet, or plug a hose into the outlet and turn the switch built into the hose on.

It's generally a low-voltge relay setup in my experience.

Normally they would be connected to terminals on the vacuum outlet - not quite clear what's going on if they are just twisted together (and appear to have been painted at some point.) What is your normal procedure to turn the vacuum on - that might shed some light on this odd arrangement.


What is the correct procedure to turn a 10" rough-in toilet drain into a 12" rough-in drain when the drain goes through a slab-on-grade?

Plumbing in concrete slabs pretty much requires ripping the floor open to make any changes to it. I suppose if you chose a new toilet with a LARGE base and were very careful you  MIGHT be able to keep all the floor damage under it, but that's making assumptions that you'll be able to rework cast iron pipes (not the most cooperative things) through a fairly small hole.

I'd suggest that the extra cost of a 10" would have to be quite high before it made sense to rework for a 12" - or else you should consider if you'd like to change the tile as well, so ripping up the floor is not a problem.

Edit: I suppose the other question I didn't think to ask is where the current toilet is leaking? I rebuilt a 40 year old one last spring, as it was starting to leak around the tank bolts. Replaced the rubber washers, replaced the tank to bowl seal since I had to take the tank off to replace the washers, and was out of there with a non-leaking (for, presumably, the next 30-50 years) toilet for under $10. Left the bowl in place during the overhaul, so no new wax ring, as that end fortunately was not leaking. Unless you crack the china, they generally can be overhauled to like new, or better than new condition.


Installing a switch that requires a neutral connection in a double gang box with two single pole switches

OK, so I don't know why it didn't work the first time I tried this, maybe one of the wires was loose or something.  Anyway I connected the Black from the new switch to the hot black from the distribution box.  The green to bare copper, the white to the bundle of all the whites and the red to the other black that goes to the light.  For whatever reason it decided to work.


I need a 'female' 120V AC Plug / socket for a wall plate?

What you want there is an inlet and I recommend you stay within Nema 5-15. It is perfectly legitimate to connect a Nema outlet to a Nema inlet with inside-the-wall wiring. Since there is an inlet involved, do not under any circumstance connect this section of cabling to Mains power in any other way.

You want to do your inside-the-wall wiring with perfectly standard and common Nema 5 - 15 outlets and inlets.

Now, if you need to connect to IEC c-13 / c14 ends on your equipment, you can get the adapter cables necessary to go from IEC to Nema without any trouble.


You just need to set it to pilot. Pilot lighting is just the position used to light the pilot.


Is there such thing as automatic hot cold water mixing valve?

These are also known as “thermostatic” valves and are used on showers, but also for hot taps in schools, hospitals etc to limit the hot water to a defined safe limit. This is usually around 46 degrees C.


Framing a non-load bearing basement wall - are plates required to be a single piece?

Negative. Bottom plates rarely are in any case, since they're fully supported, though better carpenters tend to splice them on studs.

Simply fasten them to the floor with construction adhesive and/or mechanical fasteners as appropriate. No scab is necessary (though one could help keep things in alignment if not splicing under a stud).


Why would I have little to no water pressure after reopening the main water valve?

I would not count on the main valve - it could have broke. I had similar situation last year, but in my case it was that i couldn't close the main valve. If every output - even the ones that You didn't touch - gives same response (little or no pressure), it is highly probable that main valve broke down.

I would suggest calling city plumbers (as this is main valve) to check and replace it.


Can I use 6-2 NM W/G when running a new 50A branch circuit to my cooktop?

I see no reason to include an insulated neutral. (40-years in the business.)  One thing you may or may not be aware of when making the splices in the J-box behind the new range, use an over size box. And #2 use something better than a large wire nut to make the hot lead connections.  Polaris makes a good splice connector. That kind of current can cause real problems with poor connections.  Wire nuts were never designed to handle those kind of loads.


How can I read this GE type I-55-S electric meter?

It reads 2698 -> read the number BEFORE each dial, remember that if one dial turns clockwise the next will turn counter-clockwise


What are the different kinds of "spackle"?

Spackle is a brand name for a wall patching compound.

Joint compound is what is used to smooth over the butt joints and corners of newly installed drywall aka gypsum wallboard in order to achieve a finished surface.

Setting type joint compound such as Durabond 45 or similar (the number indicates the 'open time' or workable time but it's usually significantly less than the number stated in real life) is a fast setting and tough compound that can be used for either patching or for the first coat of 'mud' when taping drywall joints.

Be careful when using the pre-mixed 'spackle' type products. The are easy to use and dry or 'set' quickly but they are very soft and more easily dented than the setting type joint compounds.


If mold is pushing cracking through paint, does it mean its inside the wall?

Really hard to say for sure; the only way to be certain is to do some slightly invasive investigating. Peel back the paint and see what is going on with the drywall underneath. Is it moldy? Wet? Water damaged? If you still can't tell, drill a 1/2" hole and look at the swarf that gets pulled out by the drill bit. If you can get your hands on a borescope, try poking it in there. Then you'll know for sure.
There is one thing that is certain though: if there is mold behind the paint, it means the conditions under the paint are favorable to support its growth. Clean, sealed and dry sheetrock is not very mold-friendly.
Don't worry too much about saving the paint. At this point it's already failing, so it will come off soon enough even without help. Likewise, drilling shouldn't be a concern; if you're going to end up painting anyway, patching over a few small holes is no big deal.


Is there a problem with concrete patio that's next to the house and poured above the house's foundation?

That's a hack job and will cause you problems down the line with rotting siding, evidently a hose bibb so close to the surface you won't be able to get a hose attached, and an illegal because you can't open it partially embedded junction box, for a start.


Those are to help protect the cable. By keeping a loop and not a tight wrap around the anchor point it strengthens the cable compared to not using them. If the cable will be on something that moves not just static force they prevent wear on the cable. If a static load I may not use them but on a mobile load I do use them.


What should I do with this crack on an outside brick wall?

Very unusual to have the crack extend through the brick. Usually, the mortar is designed to have less strength than the brick so when the wall settles it cracks staggering down the wall in the mortar joints only. That way, the mortar can be repaired without replacing bricks. (Finding bricks that match exactly will be difficult.)

Several possible issues: 1) settlement, 2) expansion, 3) bowing of wall.

1) Vertical cracks are usually caused by differential settlement.  That is to say, as the load is transferred to the ground, the ground has soft spots that cause the wall to settle a different amount at different points along the wall.

When this happens the crack will taper. That is to say, the crack opening will get bigger along the crack. Also, one side of the crack will drop from the other side. Neither of these issues happened, so I doubt settlement is your problem.

If it is settlement, it would be so insignificant that it would not be “failure” (collapse).

2) As a wall heats up and cools down it expands and contracts. If the wall is on the south side of the house (the side with the greatest heat gain and expansion) or if the wall is exceptionally long, expansion can occur. Cracking will occur at a weak spot, like below a window, etc. where there is less support (strength).

If this occurs in solid wythe walls, it can crack through to the interior. Is it solid wythe brick wall and did it crack through to the interior? Does the crack extend through the foundation?

If the wall is a brick veneer wall, the backing support wall portion may or may not crack too. Is it a brick veneer wall?

3) If the wall is bowing inward or outward it could cause the wall to crack. Is the wall straight?

Regardless the type of wall, if water gets in the crack and then freezes, it will worsen (enlarge) the crack.


Bizarre Behaviour with CFL Ballast (light turns on when I touch the physical ballast)

This is extremely common behavior for old fluorescent ballasts, though the reason for it depends on exactly what type of ballast it is.

If it is a really old model that uses a replaceable "starter" cartridge, it is likely that the starter needs to be replaced.

If your ballast does not require a starter, the issue most likely the lack of a ground plate behind the bulbs. "Rapid Start" magnetic ballasts require the metal plate that makes up the back of the fixture to be grounded, which provides a pathway for the "radiated" high voltage current that starts the lamp.

If the fixture is already properly grounded and this is still an issue, then it is likely that the ballast is failing and is just too weak to provide a good starting current.


How do I fill a wide gap between tile and other flooring / sill plate?

Would a sill extension work for filling the gap at the entry door?
Here's the first link I found:
http://www.thebuilderssupply.com/Sill-Extensions_c_351.html

And, since you mention that its appearance is secondary, I'll throw out that you might be OK just filling that 1/2" gap with grout.  On my first tile job I didn't notice that the edge of my fiberglass tub had a slight belly, and ended up with a gap that went from 1/4" at the middle of the tub (same as my grout spacing), to about 1/2" at the head and foot corners.  I filled the gap with grout and it looked surprisingly good.  When we moved after about 4 years there was no evidence of any cracking or separation between the tub and the grout; it looked pretty much the same as when I first installed it.

EDIT: Another possibility would be to fill the gap with a length of aluminum bar stock to match the threshold.  You could remove the threshold and fasten the bar to its tile-facing edge with countersunk flat head machine screws and nylon-insert locknuts so that the screw heads are hidden in between the tile and the bar.  Assuming the cement board is butted right up to the threshold, you'd probably need a 3/8" square bar mounted high on the threshold so it overlaps the cement board.


How to remove smell from new wooden cupboard?

It's like new car smell and will go away on its own over time. While you can mask the smell with air freshners, there is nothing I am aware of that will instantly remove the smell. Keeping the doors open for a while will help speed up this process.

Baking soda (like how you'd use it in a fridge) might help a bit too.


The wire currently hooked to Y and C will be going off to your air conditioner condenser unit. Y is cooling.

C is common, and yes, you can connect another wire to that terminal.

You appear to have a two-stage furnace however, with W1 and W2. That means you have a couple options:

1 - Install another wire

To take full advantage of two-stage, you need to connect all 6 wires (R, C, Y, G, W1, W2).

You can run another physical wire, or buy 3rd party accessories that add a unit at each end that allows doubling up of some of the wires.

2 - Run as single-stage

You can possibly run your furnace with only W1. Many (all?) furnaces will automatically go to the second stage after they're run in single stage for a few minutes. This isn't as efficient as if your thermostat tells it to immediately go to second stage when needed, but is still usable.

3 - Run without fan control

You can potentially skip hooking up G (fan) but this means you can't run the fan in 'on' mode (or use periodic air circulation features) -- it'll only run when the furnace or A/C is on. (I'm not entirely certain about air conditioning with this setup though -- I am fairly sure A/C call will turn on the fan even without G connected, but not 100%, and it may vary by furnace model -- be sure to test if you are going to do this).


Protections from CO/CO2 Poisoning in Rooms?

If there is no oil/gas/wood burning/ heating system in the near, the natural air change through house hulls is enough to prevent a dangerous concentration. If the house is built with a very air tight hull (e.g. passive houses) , a ventilation system provides the air exchange. Air exchange via fully opened window every few hours helps also to avoid high CO2/CO levels. In general, not high Carbon(di)oxide levels , but fine dust from candles/smoke or aerosols from cleaning agents/moebels etc. or asbestos from building materials used in the past (radiator wall coatings, cement flooring, pipe insulation, PVC floor or tile glue, Eternit Wall covers etc. if sawed/grinded/broken/drilled) are the biggest threat for the health.


Should I place my RO filter on straight city water or post-softener water?

Both sources are going to carry mineral deposits which may cause scaling. The pre-filters will remove anything that will clog the membrane, reducing maintenance intervals.

Bottom line is if you want to extend the life of your membranes as much as possible, don't add a process to the supply water that's going to increase mineral deposits on the pre-filtered side and slowly obstruct flow over time.


Suspending a chair lift swing from a single pole

May I suggest a slight alternative?  My preference is to avoid tossing the CM (center of gravity) way off from the submerged portion of the support pole.  How about fabbing a support like this. Perhaps increase the off-center vertical part's length if you want to "swing" without feet hitting the diagonal stretch.


Option B is the better choice.

(A) may eliminate some drywall patching, but will not provide the same strength as it  different load forces at work.

Option A will create a pivot point that will be more torsion/twisting force. Each connection wanting to act like a hinge under weight and pull away from their connections, which will take less energy than shearing.

The header spanning across the full space (B) as a single structure is mostly bending (Compression and tension) force against the middle that will be pressed on the connection with outer joists (and some shear force where nailed to joists).

Think about the pressure on your roof will be pushing at least in part down on that middle joist.

See https://www.teachengineering.org/lessons/view/wpi_lesson_1 for an overview of load types.


First I check for obvious fitment of the tubes and conditions of the tombstones.  For instance one easy problem is failing to rotate the tube a full 90 degrees, so it doesn't properly engage.  On T8/T12 tubes there are score marks to help tell you where center is.  Can't speak to T5.

If that all checks out, and fitting new lamps doesn't make them all light, or if the ballast has a rep for burning up lights quickly, or is leaking goop, smelly or buzzing loudly, then I condemn it by snipping all its wires flush at the ballast.  That assures no one wastes time trying to reuse it.

Otherwise if it is a magnetic ballast, I cut or unhook its wires in a non-destructive way, and stick it on the shelf as a usable T12 ballast (I only fit new T8 ballasts).  That happens when I upgrade a 2-ballast fixture.

Then I slap in whichever electronic ballast I please to, with a strong preference for rapid start or programmed start ballasts.  If a fixture had a serious arcing problem, I would shun the arcey instant-start ballasts, and favor programmed-start ballasts as they have a startup sequence.


Can tile be removed and placed again before it sets?

I see your question was posted two days ago, so without a bunch of discussion, I think the answer at this point is a simple "no", if the tile is still on the floor.

According to the instruction sheet for VersaBond tile mortar (a product typically used to adhere tile to floors), the tile is ready for light foot traffic after 24 hours.

intructions here

In my own experience installing tile, removing a piece that has been set with mortar is the kind of thing that can be done if it's caught right away, and if it's only a piece here or there. Even if the decision to remove half a room's worth of floor tile was made immediately, say within 5 to 10 minutes of setting, doing so would take time, meanwhile the mortar would continue to harden on the the tile, including the backs of the removed tiles and the sub-floor where they were removed. Cleaning that mortar off the removed tiles and the sub-floor before it hardens to a point where it needs to be chiseled (effectively ruining the tiles, plus making a big chore out of preparing the floor again) is the main problem with removal.

It would be considered an emergency in the scope of the job. And if discovered mere hours after the fact, I would not consider it as an option but would discuss the issue in terms of "starting over" with new materials.

Good luck!


What is an oven anti-tip device and how do you install one?

It's a bracket, with a U-shaped slot. Depending on the model, it is screwed either to the floor, or to both the floor and the wall behind the oven.

You slide the oven's rear foot underneath the bracket, and it holds the oven in place in case you step on the door while it's open, preventing your pot of boiling water from sliding off the top onto you.

Installation is usually just a matter of:

Sliding the oven out;
Cleaning all the gunk that's collected there over the years;
Measuring where the foot will be when the oven is back in its spot;
Screwing the bracket into the floor, and the back wall if it's an L-shaped bracket.
Sliding the oven back in, making sure the foot goes under the bracket.


GFCI with a light switch off the load trips when switch is off

When in doubt, don't use LOAD

Generally when people fit GFCI+receptacle combo devices, what they look for and expect is for this receptacle to have GFCI protection.  They don't have any expectations or plans to protect other stuff also.

So leave LOAD alone.   LOAD comes with tape across it, and the tape roughly says "Do Not Use.  Wizards Only."   Leave the tape on.   If you need to land 2+ wires, put them all on LINE -- either by pigtailing or using the "screw to clamp" feature on some GFCIs.

What the wizards know is that LOAD has a very specific purpose: to extend GFCI protection beyond this receptacle to other devices. That may seem like a no-brainer, "everything's safer with GFCI", "what could possibly go wrong" but it means any of those devices can also trip the GFCI and you are stuck with that, even if it sucks.   So wizards do not extend protection lightly.  They do it precisely where they mean to!

Bathrooms and LOAD

Bathrooms are the worst for this because a) wiring often has a switch and receptacle adjacent, and that invites a neutral imbalance error;  b) you have lots of old, damp machines in bathrooms that are grounded and aren't dangerous, or that are old fluorescents; and c) there's a safety issue of failure of a dangerous tool tripping the light also, and plunging the tool user into the dark, whether it's a circular saw or curler, it's equally bad.  So there's an arguable case in bathrooms for not protecting more than the receptacle.

Often the use of LOAD terminals boils down to "I still have 2 extra wires, and I see those 2 extra screws to attach them to".  That's using LOAD lightly, just as the wizards warn about.

So I would absolutely not bust up their drywall to mess with cable runs.  Just remove everything off LOAD on that GFCI and put it on LINE.  At that point nothing can trip the GFCI except things plugged into the sockets.


Recommendations for finishing a workbench

I use Water-based polyurethane. Drys fast and you can get one for floors so it will be a little harder. Put at least three coats on.

You can get a big can and before you use it, divide it into small air-tight plastic bottles, so you always have some around for re-coating the bench if it needs it or other projects. You might consider soothing else than plywood for the top. You can get cheap solid-wood countertops at Home Depot or even Ikea. A thicker top will let you eventually sand the top and re-finish it to make it look new again in 5-10 years. Thicker also = more mass and will feel better it you are hammering etc.


It is safe to insulate my uninsulated oven?

I personally would not insert any insulation anywhere inside an appliance, even if you see a spot where it looks like another model is insulated. You risk starting a fire, blocking airflow or vents, trapping moisture... Also note that the broiler will get well over 2000 °F, even a normal household candle can be 2500°F. So I wouldn't necessarily consider your mineral wool safe if it is anywhere near the burner.

Possibly you could insulate the sides or back of the oven. The manual should include any clearance requirements, if any. As long as you maintain those you could be ok.


Why would a new switch come with aluminum wires?

I would guess that that's tin, or some other solder alloy.

Coating copper in tin makes a surface that wont oxidize as much (or in the same way, I'm not sure). This is good when you're expecting to need a surface contact later.

You can tell if that's what you're seeing, by snipping the end off with some (sharp) clippers. If the cut is clean, you should be able to see whatever metal is in the middle. I don't know of any reason not to do this, but that doesn't mean you should.


How can I hang a closet rod where there are no studs?

It is possible to fabricate some sort of support no matter what, it's more about what is the most expedient method of support that is not completely ugly. As mentioned by maple_shaft, there would typically be an intermediate stud between the corner and the window. It is conceivable that 24" spacing is being used and the only structure is at the window and at the corner. The window would typically have a least 3" width of rough framing at the side, mostly behind the trim, but allowing for frame thickness and rough-in allowance, there should be a bit of framing behind the wall finish you can nail into right along the edge of the trim. Even if completely behind the trim, you could, for instance, use a 1x6 support and dado it into the trim so that it has positive attachment to the underlying framing.

So now you have two points of support, one either side of the clothes pole. A 1x6 will be adequate to span between these points and look compatible with the trim. I agree you should use a proper clothes pole instead of copper. I assume it is the hard type that is somewhat rigid. (The soft type is obviously unsuitable) Even if it appears sturdy initially, under constant load, it will slowly bend over time (creep deformation) until it pulls out of it's support and falls.


12 spaces is OK for this, but 20 or 24 spaces would not be out of place

A 12 space panel is a bit small, but OK for this job, given that you'll be using main lugs here.  I would upsize to a 20 or 24 space unit though if at all possible -- as Harper said, "Spaces are cheap, regrets are expensive."

I'd stay in the BR line, however

Whoever recommended you a GE panel, though, was silly, and that breaker P/N isn't even a valid Eaton part number!  (The correct Eaton P/N for a 50A two-pole breaker for that panel is CL250, BTW, and the corresponding native GE breaker for that would be a THQL2150.)  I'd just get something like a BR2424L125G for this (provided it's indoors -- the outdoor counterpart is a BR2424L125R, but you'll need to field fit the grounding bar yourself in that case).

Don't forget the details

Make sure you pull the bonding Z-strap in the new subpanel, and also torque all the panel and breaker lugs to manufacturer's specs with an inch-pound torque wrench!


Does 9'-11" mean any length less than 9 feet and 11 inches?

I think that table should say "Maximum allowable span" , so yes anything up-to  9'11" is allowable.


Should my ground-level package unit have a condensate drain trap?

The drainage is normal and you want it to drain. Some units are quite sensitive to blockage and a trap will prevent the condensate from getting out. This drainage is quite normal.
I would not worry as just about every unit has a drain of some type - most just like yours.


Why did oiling cause this crank to become dirty?

The oil that you applied to the crank joints is doing several things.

Foremost it has eliminated the dryness in the joints that led to the squeaking.
It is flushing out the years worth of wear dust and particulate that collected in the joints from operating them without lubrication.
Oil present on the joints now will be a magnet for new dust and dirt from the area nearby the crank rod, although this is a relatively minor issue.

The primary factor that is leading to the 'dirtyness' is the second point above. So you may want to look into thoroughly cleaning joints with something that can penetrate into the wear areas and flush out all the old crud. This could be achieved by either removing the crank and moving it to a convenient work are or done in place. If you remove the crank you may get effective results by soaking and working the moving parts in a bath of warm soapy water. If done in place you may have luck with using a penetrating type cleaner that comes in a spray can with a nozzle tube. (Note that if you spray in place hold the rod and joint in an old cloth or rag so the spray does not get all over everything else nearby).

Once the joints are nice and clean you have any number of options for lubricating the joints for smooth operation. Using the oil again is an option but it would take a very small amount. A dry lubricant such as a silicon spray may work well if applied right down into the joints with a nozzle tube. The key to the lubrication is to eliminate or significantly reduce the wear on the moving parts.


What do you call this plastic paneling on the outside of garage?

It is vinyl siding, available at big box stores. It will come in different sizes, double 4 or double 5, counting the inches between each horizontal bump. Some comes in double 4 1/2". Double means, there are 2 horizontal lines for each piece of siding.  There are other sizes available too, along with styles of the face that is created in the bending process.


Alternatives to wool pile weatherstripping for an aluminum frame door

Yep, the old stuff sure is worn out. I'd go with the peel and stick foam rubber weather-stripping. Those, have the most thickness options to get you to better than new. Since, they block air completely where a felt, pile or wool never did.

Keep in mind that weather-stripping is only air sealing and really not thermal insulation. So, you'll want maybe just a 1/8-inch thick ribbed weather-stripping...your door gap looks pretty tight in the pictures.

Just close the door and push it out/in to where the latch stops it and then measure the gap and match it with the similar thickness weather-strip. This, will pad the door out far enough to keep it tight in high winds and also keep tension for a secure seal.

However in your case, you'll also need to fully caulk the old wool pile slit flush, so the new stuff has a solid bed and not that currently existing very questionable super-thin nothing inner edge.

You can either stuff the slit's cavity with newspaper or even fill the cavity with spray foam and scratch its excess back a hair less than flush to still caulk it. Peel and stick likes caulk, glass, metal and paint, but not much else.

Also, finger force caulk into all of the corners (inside and outside) where those butt-edges are and immediately wipe the face clean with a damp paper towel to seal out air and water at those spots too.


How do I wire a remote fan switch and still be able to use wall switches?

Get a different remote and receiver
If you want a remote and receiver that will play nicely with having light switches in the wall that work, you'll need to set what came with your fan aside and get something else instead.  My suggestion would be to get a Lutron Caseta fan controller and matching dimmer; they install instead of your existing wall switches and provide both wall and remote control.


What could cause my boiler to provide hot water, but not heating?

The room thermostat does not control the boiler directly. Instead, it controls a circulating pump that draws heat from the boiler and delivers it to the radiator(s) in the room. It is the removal of heat that subsequently causes the boiler to fire, when its thermostat indicates that its internal temperature has dropped because of the heat removal.

It sounds like either the circulating pump or the relay that controls it has gone bad and needs to be replaced.


How can I make sure that the ledger board supports for a floor are level?

Use a level. There are many types.

A simple string and a bubble level. Use a 4-6' level at the center of the span (to account for sag).
A bubble level on a common joist. Obviously this is heavier, but with a helper it can be done. Set your first ledger and install a hanger. Place the common joist and lay a level on the other end, extending to the wall.
A laser level. Mount it in a convenient location and measure up from its beam.
A water level. Fill a length of clear tubing with water. Lift both ends until the water line is at the joist height.


How can I prevent a bathroom fan from vibrating?

Fan vibration is mostly a matter of fan quality (which unfortunately is not as simple as price, though it's sometimes related.) Bearings and how well the fan blades are balanced are the main influences.

You can also switch to an inline duct fan located away from the bathroom - any vibration would be non-local to the bathroom, at least, and as a general (but not utterly definite) rule an inline fan may be of better quality than most ceiling-type fans.


Do I need a wall thimble for thermal separation with a category III venting appliance?

In accordance with NFPA 37 and NFPA 1 Fire Code: "An approved thimble shall be used where exhaust piping passes through combustible walls or partitions."

This code would apply to all venting categories.


A partial solution is to install cat5 jacks connected to each other instead of a straight through cable.

As for the power cable, that is a strange one.  Wouldn't it be better to have the wall wart and cable inside the room?  Trying to do a jack or cable running through a tight conduit is a recipe for built-in obsolescence and/or compatibility.


Changing Light Switch - all three wires the same color

While annoying, it is entirely legal in the USA to use all same-color wires for a 3-way switch setup.   This implies wires in conduit, where any wire color can be chosen... rather than multiconductor cable, where the factory decides the colors and they'd never put 2 reds in a cable.

Two of the screws are the same color.  These are the messengers.   One screw is a different color.  This is the common.   If the screws are not different colors, look at the markings on the switch to figure out which is which.

The wires enter the box in one or more cables or conduits.  The messengers will always be together.  Depending on topology, there's probably a 70% chance that the messengers exit via a different conduit than the common. The fact that the installer used the same colors makes this even more likely... if they were all in the same conduit, he'd confuse himself! So most likely the common goes into a different conduit/destination, and the installer used the same color because it was in his hand.

Assuming we're dealing with a 3-way switch, there is no harm in trial and error; worst case the circuit won't work fully.  However, do not connect a ground wire anywhere except the ground terminal.


Repair sealing inside toilet tank that leads to bowl

I have done this. The cylinder thing is called the canister. The red seal should stay attached to the part below, that the canister rests on. Mine was squishy and I was able to temporarily reshape it until I got a replacement.

The entire tower part rotates about 1/4 turn counterclockwise, then lifts off easily. It seems fragile, as if it might break, but mine didn't. There are probably instructions on Kohler's website.

I know of no other option than to pay the overpriced $7 or so for an official replacement seal at HD or Lowes. The new ones are yellow and supposedly last longer.

Btw, if you ever replace the Fluidmaster fill valve that came with the Koehler, be careful that the new fill tube (white in the original) is not of a narrower OD, or else it will eventually come loose and spray sideways, which ends up on the floor somewhat. I fixed mine by wrapping with tape to make it have a greater diameter.


Any methods to cover yourself when dealing with smell during repair

In your case a fully isolating mask connected to some source of fresh air is the best solution. Perhaps you could get without a tank and just have two pipes that end somewhere where there's no substance you protect from - not sure if it works, but worth considering.

The problem with the mask is it has pretty limited blocking capacity - if the substance has high concentration the mask filter will get saturated pretty soon and the mask will get ineffective. Add to this that it complicates breath and it's clear that the mask is not always the best option.


How do I remove multiple layers of paint from wooden entrance ledge?

One of the best tools to begin the process of removing old, thick paint is a simple hand scraper

I would remove the metal strip, if possible, and use the scraper to remove most of the finish. The edges on the scraper can be rotated as they get dull.

Then you can follow up with either stripper (there are new citrus based that are pretty effective if you let them sit), or an orbital sander.

If it is very resistant, you could use a multitool with a scraper blade or even the grinding plate if it is very hard. This is an example, but there are many simpler and cheaper versions.

Caution with the multitool because once you cut through the paint, the wood may gouge or tear.


Hardwood over poorly-installed asbestos sheet flooring

ArchonOSX's right of course that the best solution is to remove everything. But, if that's just not going to happen until hell freezes over for a 2nd time. Then, a few thoughts come to mind. If the Bamboo is underlayment approved, then even dime-thick padding will help.

First, get the floor as solid as possible...noticeably improved. Surface bubbles can be X-cut & glued back down...short screws into the lower layers, a heavy object or a floor to ceiling stick wedge for clamping would be needed. Cut, chisel or plane spikes to remove them.

As far as the big dips, hills & ramps go. I think you're right & I don't know of any "Floor Product" or "Concrete Resurfacing Product" that won't breakdown to dust. However, I do know of Bondo or Plastic Auto Body Filler & that won't dust, is easily manipulated & sanded, has decent open time, plenty strong & adhesive enough, is meant for large areas & is water resistant.

I think this line of thought is your only good option & you can start cheap & small to try it out & go get more if it's doing the job. These have the same benefits so you might choose them instead. I'd also say go with an Epoxy, but it gets expensive & is a lot worse goop to clean up & might slump or run too much. Finally, a soap & water clean-up would be Loctite Power Grab caulk adhesive since it dries good & hard & you'd be able to return unused tubes.


What would cause my door to not close even though it fits in the frame?

If the door resists being closed just as it is almost closed, then you certainly have a hinge problem. I've seen a lot of this particular problem in old houses I've lived in, where it is usually caused by excessive paint thickness on the frame and door edges at the hinge side. These faces meet before the hinges are closed, so when you force the door shut you are actually levering the hinge screws out of the wood. (Don't do that!)

You can see whether this is the problem by looking at the side of the door where the hinges are — if the door and the frame touch before the door is shut, then you have this problem. (Since you mention that there is no clearance on the hinge side, I assume this is the case.) In extreme cases, you will see the hinges lift away from the wood as you force the door shut.

You will need to fix things so that the meeting faces of the hinge plates are flush with (or above) the surface of the door and frame, rather than set below the surface (as depicted in the drawing on the right).

Planing the frame (or door) is certainly one way to do that, but I'm not a real DIYer (I just pay attention to the spaces I live in) so I don't have any experience with which to say which is the right solution. I hope I have helped illustrate the problem.


Will closing the ventilation windows in my garage cause problems for my water heater?

When you say ventilation windows, do you mean operable glazed windows or small permanently open screened openings? Either way, fuel burning appliances require adequate free openings in enclosures to ensure proper exhausting of combustion by-products. Electric water heaters do not require such openings.

Your local building authority probably has specific requirements for such openings which you need to comply with. An example may be something like the garage must have at least 50 cubic feet of volume for every 1000 BTU/h of appliance heat output. If this requirement is not met, provide two openings in an exterior wall with at least 1 square inch free area opening each for every 4000 BTU/h of appliance heat output.

If your locality has no such requirements, following the above recommendations would be adequate.


How do I clean bleach marks off bluestone pavers?

The white stains might be dried on soap scum, i.e. calcium etc. salts of detergents. In that case, a vinegar or citric acid solution should solubilize them and allow you to rinse them off with a hose.


I think I'd run the tile all the way out over the door frame.  You definitely don't want to do mdf trim there.  Go with natural wood, or one of the synthetic materials.


Can I run a copper pipe for water in an exterior wall without it freezing in the winter?

Use a frost-proof sillcock.  It will shut off the water 12 inches into the wall (which is probably on the inside of the wall for you), and the water on the outside of the shutoff will drain as long as there is no hose attached.


I'm not an expert, but here is what I found out when I redone my bathroom.

The OSB is used to add stability to the floor. When walking around, if you're only on plywood, the floor will bounce; simply adding the hardwood floor over the plywood sub-floor will not solve that issue.

When installing the OSB, using floor screws is sufficient. No nails, as these will move and you'll end up hearing them. And while you're at it, you should screw the plywood to the joists if it's not already done.

And if you could get tongue and groove OSB, you'd reduce even more the risk of hearing your floor ;)


Is it code compliant to run only a hot wire to a relay used as a 3-way switch?

Your relay-on-a-switch-loop is fine in general...
Your relay-on-a-switch-loop turns out to be up to Code after all -- NEC 300.3(B) only requires the neutral ("grounded conductor") to be in the same conduit as the hots if it's necessary to route the neutral to a location to begin with (note that the wording about "grounded conductor" is prefaced with "where used" in the Code section in question), and in your case its not, as 404.2(C) point 1 is satisfied as long as there's enough spare space in the conduit to pull a neutral thru it later if need be.
But there are a couple of sticky points with your arrangement
However, your plans do have a couple of potential snags in them.  First off, in your project box, you'll need to be very careful about line-voltage/low voltage separation if you want your control circuit to be Class 2 instead of Class 1.  This will include using a relay capable of providing high/low voltage separation while switching a 15A tungsten or ballast load such as a RIBT24Z (you could use a RIBT24B, but that limits you to 10A of tungsten load), as well as having a barrier inside your project box between high voltage and low voltage wiring; in fact, I would screw a 4" square junction box to the side of your project box and use that to contain the mains wiring and mount the relay, thus keeping all that nasty mains wiring safely out of your low-voltage project box to begin with.  Note also that you don't need the NC contacts of the relay here, so you only have to route two wires through your conduit, not three.
The other issue is that while your three-way switch setup will work for what you're doing, it's not often done due to the inability for a local operator to guarantee the load stays in a known state with the wiring you have.
In general, what's normally done in this situation is called a HOA (Hand, Off, Auto) switch; while not generally available in familiar wallbox form, it's still possible to pull off.  This is done by replacing the existing switch with a DPDT, center off, maintained contact switch such as a Leviton 1281, and use one side as "Hand" (with an always-hot feed) and the other side as "Auto" (fed from the relay-switched hot).  You'll have to supply the labeling yourself, but this is probably the best solution for your application as it doesn't limit the load on the circuit any more than the relay does as well as fitting normally into a multi-gang junction box and faceplate. (A 20A circuit can use a Leviton 1284 instead.)
(The more typical "industrial" solution would be to use a 3-position selector switch; while a 22mm selector can be mounted into a junction/gang box using a faceplate with a 1/2" trade size knockout in it, such faceplates are not available in multigang configurations, and 22mm selector switches have pilot duty contacts on them, which means they're rated for much lighter loads than 15A of tungsten or ballast lighting.  One could use a SIB02S from Functional Devices, but the form factor of that part isn't right for your application as it provides its own hub-mounted box.)


Idea to fill the tile gap after removing the wall

I think I have another solution, but it's not great.

Remove the entire row of tiles that affects most of the right hand void.
Retile the area on the left, continuing the pattern from above.  You will need to seriously think this through, and maybe intentionally mis-align the tiles a little bit so that the black line on the photo is eyeball straight (Although the void from the removed row will probably be different widths at either end.
Retile the removed row with a small, somewhat random shaped mosaic, making a transition strip between the two rooms.

Like I said before, this depends on finding matching tiles, and also finding an acceptable mosaic.
Get a chalk line, and draw it out on the existing tile before you do anything!


What do I do with these extra multiway wires in my light fixture?

TLDR: Find the ballast.  Cut its #18 white and black power lead halfway down its length, and fit a ballast disconnect there. (don't bother connecting the ballast side). Connect your LEDs on the ballast side of that.

Since the fixure did not tap into those wires before, you leave them the heck alone.

The irrational need to play with wire groups that are not involved, is the undoing of many lamp projects.  We had one case in an old apartment building where instead of the two wires needed, the asker had dug out a full ten wires from the ceiling, unhooked them all (knocking out the neighbor's power), shot a photo, and asked "how do I hook these back up?"  You don't.  That information was stored in "how they were hooked up before", which the person destroyed.  Now, an electrician has to tone out all those wires and try to figure out what was originally intended. Cost the asker over $300.

The old ballast has a white and black wire.  The ballast black goes to certain wire(s) in the ceiling. That is where your supply black (hot) goes to.  It doesn't matter what colors they are.  If the wire(s) are white, they must be re-marked with black tape as they are actually hot.

The ballast white goes to certain other wires in the ceiling, probably white.  That is where your supply white goes to.   You must keep them all together. They're not spares, they're working for a living!

Really, you should be installing Wago style or Ideal ballast disconnect plugs to the aforementioned wires.  (Not least, it allows you to turn the power back on the moment the disconnect is installed, instead of having to do the whole job in the dark.) However, installing the ballast disconnects will also help you keep the wires straight.


Where do I put my c wire the un used or c wire for me is blue but where do I connect it to?

Include it in the nut with the red and grey wires in it

Given that the wiring diagram for your furnace says that the grey wire going into the thermostat wiring compartment is your C wire, we can connect the blue wire to the thermostat into the existing junction there to make it a C wire for your thermostat's use.  This is further substantiated by the fact the yellow wire in your thermostat cable goes off into the white wire in the compressor cable, which leaves the red wire in the compressor cable to return 24V control power back to the transformer, which implies that the red wire must be connected to the furnace's C wire.


Dimmer Switch Install - Trying to Locate Ground

It's the bundle of bare wires in the rear right of the box
Since we are dealing with NM cables here, we know we need to look for a bundle of bare wires in order to find our grounding connection.  As it turns out, there is a bundle of bare wires heading through the center of the box and into a wirenut in the back right; it's simply not obvious that they're bare (I can tell from the diameter) because someone slopped a bunch of white paint and/or drywall mud into the box during construction.


Can I use slot shelving in a wooden shed?

So, from the comments, I assume you mean "slot shelving" to be shelf standards like this:

If this is what you mean, then you should be able to use them, and are quite handy for adjusting the spacing. Biggest issue here is getting the proper ones for the weight of the shelves. More standards (the upright slotted bar) you have will allow for better weight management. Using a double slot standard, and you have better weight capability also. Now, depending on the mounting method, the standards used, the brackets, and the shelf materials, you will be able to determine the weight you can add. The components will list the max weight. But be sure you add the weight of the brackets and shelf material. If it says 100lbs, and the brackets are 1lb and the material is 5lb, and you have 2 standards, 2 brackets and 1 shelf, then you have a limit of 93lbs per shelf. Just a simple example.

Now, building your won from 2x4 studs and attaching to the framework studs of the building, would in essence be the same thing, but would increase the weight of the shelving system, reducing how much weight the shelves can hold.

Your best bet, would be to build free-standing shelves as you are only limited by materials you use to build them, you can even build them to have movable shelves with slots and pins, but this would change the weight limit. This method would have no weight bearing on the structure.

So, in closing, you could you any of the 3 methods you have mentioned. I have used the slotted shelf standards like pictured in my new pantry so that I can adjust the shelves as needed. In my shed I have free standing shelves that I got free from a business tossing out old shelving systems. My garage has a combination of free standing plastic shelf systems, as well as the slotted standard shelf systems, because I was cheap and used what I had from various other projects. I even have some shelves that are mounted to decorative shelf brackets. That is also an option for you.

Not finding info on shelves in a shed is not an issue, because every shed is built differently. Plastic, metal, wood, lean-to, free-standing, attached or detached. In my case it is an attached with one wall of the shed being the rear wall of the garage.


It's going to be very difficult to get a good finish using drywall compound slathered on thickly.
I recommend that you remove the drywall you installed and re-frame or shim the doorframe out so that once you place the drywall it will be right in line with the existing drywall.
That should leave you with just a seam to be taped and make finishing it much simpler.


What parts should I replace for a rusty facuet head?

The discoloration is either caused by rust or hard water stains. If you are seeing the same kind of discoloration on your other plumbing fixtures such as rings in the toilet, water stains in the tub, etc. then you have hard water.

Hard water stains are very tough to remove and won't come off with bathroom cleaner. There are products on the market which are specifically made to dissolve the built up minerals such as lime, calcium, sulfur, etc.

If you are seeing rust in your fixture, than that would indicate that it is near the end of its life. The internal components are probably worn too, which will eventually lead to a failure (leak). If I was in that situation, I would just replace the entire fixture. You may be able to buy a new aerator, and a rebuild kit from your local hardware store.

In either case you shouldn't have to replace the whole sink unless it is in bad shape.


How can I mount a Ring Pro on this door post?

Almost two years later, I realized that I never came to an answer here. The kit that Ring provided consisted of angle wedges to turn the doorbell to better focus on the area in front of the door, which did not help me, as it even more blocked the door. What I wound up doing is drilling an additional hole into the front of the post to run wires through, bought some more bell wire, and spliced additional length to the front, where I mounted the doorbell. My primary method string the wire involved using a more stiff wire to initially poke from the side to the front, and then attaching the bell wire to that to pull it through. The only issue I've faced is that I had to seal off the hole to the side to prevent humidity from affecting the bell's operation.


Thermostats utilize 24VAC, not DC. If you measure an AC voltage with a DC meter, it will show 0.

I just noticed that ThreePhaseEel posted this answer 16 hours ago as a comment. He/she should get credit for the answer!


Will internal waterproofing solve my moisture problems?

I remember Neillsville from "The Rock" radio station. ;)

So, to answer the question, we need to know where the water is coming from. You mention that it's due to a high water table.

As such, I'd not ever finish the basement. It will always be one power outage or one clogged drain away from being ruined again.

It also means that your dehumidifier will never 'win'. Basements are moist by default simply due to cooler temps, but if you have constant hydrostatic pressure, it will always be an uphill battle.

Your (what I call) interior footer drain will certainly help, but you're at the mercy of the drains always remaining unclogged and the sump pump always having power. You'll also have to make sure it can handle excessive rain during those big midwestern downpours.

If it was merely an occasional rain/snow melt issue, I'd feel OK finishing the basement, but given the high water table, I'd consider rethinking doing a full finish project down there.

If your water problems are primarily at the footer, It may be OK. As that is exactly what the drain system is designed to handle. But if you have actual cracks in the walls and water is coming in there, I'd be definitely be hesitant.

One other note...a bit further west into MN, the clay soil we were on had a lot of radon. So you may want to get a radon test before thinking of finishing the space as well.

Oh, one last comment: note that the systems being proposed are in no way 'waterproofing' systems. They are water abatement systems--in that they are designed specifically to not be waterproof and actually allow the water to come in so it can be moved out. It's a nit-pick, for sure, but actual waterproofing is an entirely different discussion.


Can't calibrate infrared motion detector

The problem is simple. These are residential motion detectors. Yours probably ran you somewhere between $20 to $30 dollars. Manufacturing costs on this was probably $7 - $8 material inclusive, let's say 50%. You can't expect a highly sophisticated piece of electronic equipment that you can calibrate to spec from these things. They are what they are, a basic low grade and inexpensive motion detector for general residential use.

Many years ago we added these things in our no warranty list with light bulbs and ballasts due to the fact that most people were disappointed in their results. Even though they selected them and they were performing, just not the way they wanted them to. We were completely able to supply them with  a more sophisticated motion detector, but most people considered it cost prohibitive.

In short it's a cheap product and it performs in a cheap manner.


Single pole/single throw switch turns one light on and one light off

Someone tried to tap light B off at the switch-end of an old-school switch loop
The behavior you're describing is symptomatic of a relatively common wiring error where someone looks in a switch box, sees that there is a black and a white wire in it, doesn't pay attention to the fact that both wires go to the switch, and connects a second light across the switch at that point, assuming the white wire in the switch box is a neutral.  However, in an old-style (pre-2011 NEC) switch loop, it's not a neutral; instead, one of the wires carries power to the switch, while the other wire carries the switched-hot back up to the light, with neutral nowhere to be found in this picture.  (It terminated at light A in your situation.)
So, you'll have to either abandon the old feed for light B and feed it from somewhere that has always-hot and neutral (such as light A's box), or replace the run from the switch to light A with a /3 cable to bring neutral to the switch for use by light B.  (The latter also has the nice side effect that it brings the switch wiring up to the "new style" standard set by NEC 2011, where switch loops are required to bring neutral with them for use by dimmers, timers, sensors, remote-control switches, and other such "smart" gizmos.)
Why does it behave that way, though?
If you're wondering why this error yields the symptoms you're seeing, simply draw the resulting circuit out:

Hot goes to the junction of one side of the switch and the "hot" side of light B (which has a switch built in)
The other side of the switch is joined with the "neutral" side of light B and the "hot" side of light A
And the "neutral" side of light A is connected to neutral

As it turns out, the two lights form a series circuit, which explains the curious behaviors you see.  In particular, with the switch off, any attempt to turn light B on puts light A and light B in series, which will mean that the bulb with less resistance lights up more; with fancy LED bulbs, you get either dim glows or flickering from both bulbs, as you have observed.  Once you turn the switch on, you short out light B, which explains why light B can't turn on any longer -- the lion's share of the current is taking the express route to light A via the closed switch, instead of the congested road through light B (and its switch).


HVAC started whistling after changing filter

Yes changing to a finer filter can cause serious damage to your system. I try to always mention this. Each system is set up for a fairly narrow range of back-pressure.
By putting in a a filter that takes smaller particles out it increases the back pressure on the system and can even cause motor failure.
How can this cause motor failure motors cool themselves with internal fans if the load it out of range the motor will star overheating once the motor gets to about 180 external temp the internal temps are much higher and they usually start shorting out 1 coil to the next more heat and soon you see and smell the magic smoke that is escaping.
The other thing that can happen is overheating the fire box lucky there is a safety to prevent a meltdown but it can shorten the furnace life if used for heat while the higher rated filter is in place.
Last the air exchanges are reduced so less air is getting filtered, so not only is size important but also what the system was designed for. High MERV filters require a little more beefy baffle to hold the filter securely or they buckle and air goes around them.


Framing long walls - Lots of 8' sections or should I use longer top plates

A continuous top and bottom plate are preferred, and longer 2x4 or 2x6's are available for this. If you need to breakup the wall, then make two separate walls and nail them together, to the floor, and with a staggered top plate. When possible, you want to end the wall near a corner to give the joint more support. Also try to stagger top plates near corners for additional strength.


Add slope to existing flat porch/balcony

Slope is quite easy. 3 ways. First, is to cut full length wedges out of 2x4's or bigger & screw them to the top of the sub-floor at the joist locations. Second, is to remove the sub-floor too & sister-on pitched or sloped 2x4's or bigger. Third, is to use concrete or cement over the sub-floor & new decking, the floor needs to be real stiff to avoid future cracking. Typically, just 1/8" per foot is enough to keep everything heading out ...anything more is better.

Yes, a level should easily indicate if the floor is already sloped outward or not or even sagged in either direction. As far as good waterproof material. I'd probably opt for a 3/4" plywood (not OSB) with Cement Board on top of Options 1 & 2 for all taped & cemented seams & screw heads to then be covered in Concrete Resurfacer.

This would just need an Exterior Masonry Sealer to prevent dusting &, if desired, could be painted with a porch or garage floor paint. Glued-down Aluminum Diamond Plate Panels or Textured Thick Plastic Sheeting would be my next option, seams would just be caulked & painted (so they stay nice looking). I wouldn't try to protect any kind of wood though, as you've discovered it's a failure waiting to happen...this is true whether sloped or not.


What is the difference between various wood sealers?

There are 2 basic categories for wood finishes; those that penetrate, and those that coat. Linseed oil, wax, "hand rubbed polish" finishes are all examples of a penetrating finish. Varnish, lacquer, shellac are examples of coating finishes. There are many different reasons to choose one over the other. Some factors:

what type of wood
how will the wood be used
tools available
skill level

In general, penetrating finishes are the easiest to apply, and the most forgiving of mistakes and easiest to repair. But they offer minimal protection against the elements, scratches, etc. Also they don't look best on soft woods, i.e. pine, fir, etc.

The coating finishes are really a progression of technologies. Shellac was the original hard coat finish, but has been replaced for the most part by lacquer and varnish. Lacquer is generally used commercially as it dries fast and can be re-coated in minimal time. Varnish is easier to apply by the average person with a brush. The downside is it takes longer to dry, and therefore more opportunity to catch dust, bugs, etc. Some of the newer water-based "varnishes", however, dry pretty quick.


How can I create a polycarbonate roof valley?

You will have a difficult time getting approval for a non-traditional material in a roof assembly, code wise.

Additionally, polycarbonate has degradation problems with UV light: City Plastics

Acrylic or safety glass might be a better choice.

HOWEVER, the real fly-in-the-ointment is the structure necessary UNDER the roof valley, which is not transparent.

Stick with standard roof windows BETWEEN the framing members.  It will be warrantied, accepted by your insurance and code authority, and easily installable by a journeyman roofer.


How to remove wooden screen door from the frame to replace screen

I have repaired a few screen sliders in the past several you just lifted the screen to the top and pull out at the bottom to remove. My current house the slider takes 2 people to remove lifting the screen the wheels do not clear the track a 2nd person is needed with a screwdriver to lift the wheels pull that side out then the other as they are spring loaded. This is the only way I have found to remove this slider so I could replace the screen. Make sure when you put the new screen in the door is square or it won’t seal properly. I usually measure diagonally corner to corner and make sure they are the same, I made that mistake in my youth and I had to get another screen.


Are hydronic systems set up as loops or ladders, and how can I tell the difference?

The temperature gradient between heaters will be different depending on how the system is arranged.  A larger system is likely a two pipe system with the supply and return piped to each floor.  Get an accurate clamp-on pipe temperature probe and the appropriate meter:

Open all windows, turn all heat full on at all locations and let the system stabilize for 20 minutes or so.  Record the temperature at the inlet pipe and outlet pipe for each radiator.  Highest temperature indicates closest to the supply line.  Coolest temperature indicates closest to the return line.  If the floors are run in parallel between supply and return, then the radiators closest to the supply line on each floor will be about the same inlet temperature.  Follow the temperature gradients and map out your piping.

Edit:  I should mention that this test relies on the boiler running continuously.  If your boiler is cycles frequently because it is oversized, then measuring the system temperature gradients will be tricky.  You will need to pay attention to the varying supply temperature.


How do I install a junction box with NM-clamps?

Method 1

Place the box where you want it and screw it lightly to the stud.
Run the clamp screws in until they bite into the wood.
Remove the box.
At the marks left by the clamp screws, drill 1/4 inch relief holes about 1 inch into the stud to make room for the ends of the screws
Reinstall the box.

Method 2

Remove the existing clamps
Knock out the inner discs on the sides (not the ones near the original clamps) by
pushing one side with screw driver, then wiggling back and forth until it breaks off
Install bolt on cable clamps like these (screw section goes on the outside)


What to best use to build an artificial wall in my house?

Given that it's a rental, I'm assuming this is intended to be a temporary structure. I'd look at using some sort of storage as a wall. The Ikea Expedit shelves work well as room dividers, if you're only looking to divide the space.