Is a shop-vac adequate for discarding the greenish water on top of the pool cover?

A wet/dry shop vac should be great for this, and it will be a useful tool for the rest of the year as well.  The main limitation is going to be the amount of water you can "pump" before emptying the vac.  You'll be limited to 5-10 gallons at a time depending on what you buy.

Leaves or any other dirt or trash will be fine.  As long as it can fit through the nozzle and the hose, the vac will happily suck it up.  I've used mine to suck water out of a hole when doing an irrigation repair and to clean up a major water spill in the house.

Follow all instructions for wet use.  Normally the filter will need to be removed.  Also, clean the vac immediately and let it dry when you are done.  Old, dirty water gets moldy and nasty very quickly and can make the vac smell bad for the rest of its life.


Identifying Replacement Parts for My Bathtub

This is one of those projects that you need to turn the water off, if just hot make sure no one turns another faucet on with cold and hot or water will come out once the valve stem is removed.
Remove the trim
There should be a nut remove the nut (it’s called the packing nut)
The valve body may come out with the nut
If the valve body stays turn the stem and remove
Take that assembly to a local plumbing store.
Match up the assembly.
If it has a rubber washer seal seat get one for the new valve and one for the cold they are cheap,,  buy a box of them then when the new faucet gets hard to turn off you change the washer, seat/seal or whatever you want to call it (it looks like a little round volcano when new when worn out it looks like a flat o ring held in by a brass screw.
Install the new valve with a new washer/seal, seat.
Natal the packing nut there is usually a seal here also
The packing is many times a PFTE string or cord it may be white or black impregnated with graphite.
The PFTE is wrapped around the shaft and the packing nut compresses the seal so it won’t leak.
Replace the trim
Turn water on and verify no leaks. And the valve works.


You can get floor paint in a tintable base and have it tinted to the color of your choice.
Rust-oleum has an option as well.
Sherwin Williams has an option as well.


Should outside hose bib be suppled from shut-off valve with a bleeder port from upstairs bathroom

Drains on the inside valve for outside faucets are indeed normally open for the winter to prevent freezing.
You close them when you turn on the faucet in the spring - evidently you didn't look when you turned the valve on?
Builders are not required to use any particular sort of pipe, so long as it meets code, unless otherwise specified in the contract.
Plastic pipe (especially PEX) is usually preferable for outside faucets, as it's less prone to burst in a freeze event.
Code does not particularly care where your outside faucet is fed from. If you wanted it fed from a different location, that should also have been specified in the contract. If it was not specified, the plumber presumably took whatever path was easiest given access to plumbing to supply water and specified location of the outside faucet.


Is it acceptable to splice a circuit in two opposite directions for outdoor recepts/lighting?

We can't post what is not there. There is nothing prohibiting this and as Tester states, quite a bit of chapters 1 thru 3 apply in general, with spots in 4.
The NEC is NOT written in a way that you can simply look up a specific job you are doing. It can be very general and very broad, yet also specific on certain things.

I realize this question is 3 months old and the project likely done by now, but what is being proposed in the original post is fine.


Sheet aluminum and pop rivets. Extra points for using old beer cans as the aluminum source, label side out, but flashing is a bit thicker than today's beer cans.

Hairy (loaded with fiber reinforcement) Bondo. "Bondo Hair" is the actual label on the can. Some screws or pop-rivets might still be needed to help the bond to the plastic at the edges. Looks awful, but quite sturdy.

Run with no hood at all. It doesn't really serve a functional purpose. And then you can start taking parts to a chrome shop and have a real hot-rod lawn tractor eventually.


Dealing with a toilet that doesn't have an air vent

A one way AAV (air admittance valve) can be installed in a vertical position above the sink to solve your problem, however, a minimum of one vent must be open to the atmosphere (outside the dwelling) to allow the release of pressure in the drainage system which may lead to sewer gases released into the home if not present.


How to get A/C analog thermostat to have tighter hysteresis

Divert some of the A/C output air toward the thermostat sensor. This should cause it to shut off sooner and raise the low end o9f the hysteresis. It works like an anticipator.


I cannot make out from your low-resolution pictures if there's a strain relief or cable tie point built into the socket. Possibly the silver loops on the right side of the third picture? If so, using a cable tie to tie the cable to that would stabilize it. If not, attaching 4 of the unused conductors to the unused contacts will make a better mechanical connection to the cable. If the terminal strip has holes that go all the way through it, moving the wire connections to the "interior" side of that strip may also be helpful as opposed to making the connection on the "exterior" side as at present. Less interference when poking the assembly into a hole in the wall.
These fittings are normally simply installed in the wall, and once placed in the wall they do not move, so no further "enclosure" is needed. You can get "surface mount" boxes which do have a front and back that snap together, if you would prefer that.
While the 4-pair cable probably is Cat5, it is being used as a telephone cable, and is connected to a telephone jack. The only way it's "an internet cable" is via a modem running on the telephone line connecting to the internet. It is not any form of ethernet, despite sharing a physical layer that is used by ethernet.


is a permit required for changing old outlets

You do not need a permit to replace fixtures or devices (outlets) with new ones.


Is it ok to stand atop my central A/C unit to install a missing soffit vent?

The condenser is usually made of simple sheet metal. So no, I would not recommend standing on it. You could instead use 2 ladders on either side with a platform between them.


Can I upgrade my 40amps breaker to 50amps or do I need rewiring?

You need a number 6 wire. The picture looks like 8. It's written on the wire. Following AWG _


Can I replace a high limit switch myself?

You might be able to do it yourself.

Google for "service instructions <brand and model>" of the furnace to determine where the limit switch is located.  With power disconnected, open the necessary panel(s) to assess whether it is something you would be comfortable doing.  It may require removal of the blower assembly and/or reaching past sharp and delicate heat exchanger protuberances.  Or it could be right there, front and center held in by only one simple screw.  It is well worth taking a look.

If you decide you aren't up for replacing it, you don't have to call an HVAC company.  Maybe you have a handy friend, relative, or neighbor?  In such a case, etiquette calls for exchanging their services and skills with a tasty drink or meal, depending upon how much you value their help.


How to change inline water filter on whole home humidifier system?

This filter appears to be a single unit, so the way to replace it would be to disconnect this one and install a new one. First make sure the water supply to your humidifier is off.

The attachments look like 1/4" copper compression fittings. If you look at the fittings in top-down order on your second pic, you have first the copper tubing, then a nut which is clamping the compression fitting onto the copper, then a male adapter that threads into the filter inlet. To disconnect the filter use one wrench on the plastic "nut" at the end of the filter to hold it steady, and another wrench on the adapter (the brass part closest to the filter). Should be a normal counterclockwise unscrew operation.

Then you can reuse those fittings with a new filter. Alternatively, you can cut the copper tubing and install new fittings with your new filter.

You're probably looking for an "ice maker filter" like this: https://www.amazon.com/LASCO-37-1821-Compression-Connection-10-Inch/dp/B00HYXR24S/ref=sr_1_3?s=appliances&ie=UTF8&qid=1514872086&sr=1-3&keywords=water+filter+1%2F4%22


How to deal with inadequate drainage of my walk-up basement?

My bottom line would be that you want to do anything you have to in order to get the standing water out of there. That may very well require some work to redesign the outside drainage lines. I'd look into an outside drainage system that fed into a nice deep rock filled pit that allowed excess water to disperse into the ground away from your house foundation. You may also want to equip that outside pit (also known as deep french drain) with a sump pump to take care of extreme heavy rain or high water table incidents. After the drain situation is corrected I would look strongly at correcting the landscaping and roof runoff gutters to you minimize the amount of water that the drain pit is asked to handle.

All that work can be done outside without tearing up your floor in the den. Hopefully the area under the floor would then stay dry like it should.

As far as heating....trying to use a soil and concrete "tunnel to bring heat into a room it terribly inefficient. I would find out how you can disable that part of your existing heating system. Then have a suitable sized direct vent heater installed in the room for in room heating. A direct vent heater sits on the floor by the wall and has a concentric pipe system goes out through the wall. The heater draws combustion air in through the outer cool pipe and exhausts through the inner hot pipe. I've installed one of these in a basement room that was more than half under ground and had good luck with it. Obviously you have to route electricity and a gas line over to the heater if you have gas type heating fuel (either natural gas or propane).

An advantage of the separate heating zone created like this is that you can easily regulate the temperature to suit that specific room or just shut it off it the room is not in use.


How to install a washing machine outlet box on the inside wall

There is no problem with multiple 90 degree elbows. Yes there will be some friction loss due to the elbows, slightly affecting your flow rate; no it will not make any difference, your washing machine may take a few extra seconds to fill up is all. Describing the situation exactly will help you get the best answer.


That's the waveguide cover. It's non-conductive, typically made of a mica/resin-based material.

Yours should be replaced. When you get that degree of carbonization (which should never happen, but eventually does, usually because food particles weren't cleaned off it promptly and left to attract electrical arcs on subsequent uses of the microwave), arcing becomes a lot more likely.

The arcing will eventually destroy the magnetron and possibly other components.

Fortunately, replacement waveguide covers are readily available. It can be a little tricky to get the old one out and put the new one in, depending on the microwave, but not at all beyond the usual household DIY-er. Yours appears to have a simple shape and be secured with screws, which should make replacement very simple.

You can either get a waveguide cover made explicitly for your make/model of microwave, or purchase a pack of sheets that can be used to cut one that fits your microwave. The former is more convenient, but of course costs somewhat more.


Is a wooden buck necessary when installing windows into full width brick?

Windows are installed directly to structural masonry openings in Europe all the time. Since you already have a sloping sill, you're good there. You'll need to have the windows fabricated for a very small gap between the windows and the brick. Then screw the windows into the brick with shims and masonry screws, and fill the gap with backer rod and caulk on the outside (100% silicone, butyl, or polyurethane--no latex/acrylic!) Spray foam the remainder of the gap from the inside, and finish the interior however is most appropriate--likely with plaster.

Don't worry about your formstone cladding. It won't hurt anything, especially if the brick sill extends beyond the formstone, allowing water to fall down through the air rather than dribbling down the side.


Can I span 23 feet with doubled 2x8 floor joists?

No, you cannot span 23 feet with conventional lumber, even doubled. It'll be as bouncy as a trampoline and won't meet code, and that's if you can find such lengths.

You'll need at least a 12" (nominal) I-joist or an engineered floor truss to span that far, or you'll need an LVL or steel beam midway.

None of us can offer more specific advice without a site visit, and most of us aren't engineers anyway. There's really no way around having a qualified local expert stop by.


Table saw blade stops on contact with wood whilst motor keeps running

Either the blade is slipping on the arbor or the belt is slipping on a pulley. If the former, tighten it. If the latter, tighten it.


How do I remove the acrylic knob on my faucet?

It's in a splined (fluted) shaft and it pulls straight out.   It's common for them to be a little sticky.

If you just leave it like that with the screw out (don't lose it) it may work loose from the stress of normal usage.  Let time do your loosening :) If there are a lot of threads engaging the faucet, you could try loosening the screw about halfway and leaving it like that.  Then it wouldn't come off entirely, just get sloppy.


How to make a 12" deep wall cabinet face be 15" from existing wall

You can, but...

It is unlikely but possible that the exact space you want to install the cabinet only has 1 stud available. (if studs are 16 inch on center it is possible that a stud is centered in the vicinity of the cabinet).

If that is the case, then wall anchors will be required to help support things.

Do you have plans to mount a hood or micro hood in this area?  If so, this configuration could prove troublesome on installation. Further, depending on the cabinet height, you may find the cabinet intrusive for full operation of the rear of the stove, especially with a tall chef and rear-mounted controls on the stove/oven.

Either way,  make plans to seal the gap created by pushing the cabinet out from the wall. That will prevent having an unclean able greasy trap for dirt which will be prone to dropping into your food.


Cold or lukewarm water coming out of the hot water tap

I'm inclined to side with nobyman's shower mixing valve failure. A typical issue resulting from the water being turned back on all at once or too quickly and rupturing the rubber and plastic parts of this century's shower valves.

This is most common with ball valves. The best practice, especially with ball valves, is to just crack them to open and wait for the system to fill and return to silent before opening the valve the rest of the way.

Very rare but also happens with basement shut-offs that are quite a distance from the fixtures by creating a water hammer. This is one reason to have individual shut-offs for each and every fixture everywhere.


How do I keep my pool water clean without nasty chemicals?

Still chlorinated, but if handling chemicals is the issue, how about a salt water pool?

The alternative I've seen pushed is copper-oxygen system.  I can't say how effective it is, but last I checked it is not approved by the EPA for sanitizing water.  I've also read that they take more attention and care.

Just based on experience having a pool in full sunlight - UV isn't going to do the job by itself.  I think the filters they sell are designed to reduce your chemical dependency, but not eliminate it.  Same with ozone generators.


Outbuilding branched from LOAD side of GFCI

10 ga copper would be quite adequate for a 20A feed if purchasing wire for the job. 12 ga would do for most purposes. 125 feet at 20a (or 16A continuous) is not that bad a run, particularly if you don't get hung up on the 3% guideline (not rule, unless Canada, I guess.) Given "the work of digging the trench" and the cost of conduit (once) for options to pull wire out and in if/when needs change, I will, as usual, advocate for conduit.
Bury the 6/2 UF if you want to "because it's free" and you're digging a trench (and junction box splice it to smaller conductors at the ends, a few feet of 10 or 12 ga won't bother the overall voltage drop at 20A) and put in empty conduit (or conduits) for "whatever comes next." Or fill the conduit to run more than one of your 4 circuits out there. You can change the splice connections to 6Ga if you ever up this to a larger feed, but that wire will (practically) be limited to 120V - just think of it as a 120V circuit only, or two if you have 250 feet of it to make a double run as completely separate circuits.
Don't try to put the UF in conduit - it requires a huge conduit and is not practical (nor easy to get into the conduit.) Use THWN in conduit.


Leaky shut off valve to toilet need to know what kind of sealant to use can't turn off Main water

Dry ice on the pipe to freeze it so you can replace the valve has worked for me in the past. Pack 2-3" of dry ice around the supply or main line if you can access the smaller line to the toilet 1" would work. Turn on a cold water tap after several minutes to relieve pressure and verify there is no water flow. Once pipe is frozen replace valve, remove dry ice and you will be good to go. Use gloves with dry ice or instant frost bite will ocour if handled with bare skin.


Can a range hood vent have a 90 degree bend and vent out the wall?

In general, yes an exhaust vent (or any vent) can turn corners.  But there are many other factors to consider.

Different vent materials or dimensions resist air differently.  Different ways of turning corners resist air differently.  The best place to start looking for info on this is the vent installation manual.  It will talk about different ways to construct vents, what types of ducting corners can be used, and what size of ducting you need.  It will talk about how many feet of vent the blower can push through, and how many feet to count a corner as (typically 5').

So you know, the shallow box vents have poor airflow.  And you have to consider getting through the top-plate of the wall, which would create a huge weak point.  When we built our kitchen I was hoping for in-wall ducting.  Instead, the installers had to put a 10" circular duct up through the middle of the cabinet above the stove.


What kind of professional to call for help with structure-borne noise issues from HVAC

As an engineer having dealt with window and wall mount A/C noise problems for over a half century, I can offer you the most likely cause of the noise transmission and the solution to solve the noise problem. But first, we must understand that most, if not all, resonate noise vibrations in such units are being emitted by the compressor. Yes, the electric motor (60 cycle) driven compressor, transmits shock waves from the piston or scroll device and delivers the waves to the foot mounts at the base of the compressor body (housing) and then into the structure of the entire window or wall mount unit itself. Once one accepts the premise of this conclusion, it will make it easier to resolve the cause of the vibration problem. Resolving vibration issues in almost all cases that I have encountered, starts with relieving the stress of the compressor foot mounts. As you know the mechanical vibrations created by a compressor operation are transmitted directly to the base of the compressor. And while the entire electric motor and compressor are internally suspended with a spring mechanism, sometimes the springs do not absorb enough shock waves, which results in the motor/compressor vibration being transmitted into the frame of the the A/C unit. So with all that said, the solution is... 1- Further loosen the compressor support nuts/bolts that hold the compressor in place. 2- Remove the compressor support nuts/bolts, lift the compressor (an inch or so) and install compressor mount springs to support the compressor externally, (as well as it is supported internally) which will provide the necessary removal of vibration into the A/C housing. At the end of the day, it's all about controlling compressor vibration transmission into the unit housing.


Do I need a neutral on the other end of a three-way switch?

No, you do not need to extend the neutral to all locations in a multiway setup

NEC 404.2(C) governs the provisioning of neutral at switch boxes (irrelevant parts snipped, emphasis mine):

  (C) Switches Controlling Lighting Loads. The grounded
  circuit conductor for the controlled lighting circuit shall be
  installed at the location where switches control lighting loads
  that are supplied by a grounded general-purpose branch circuit
  serving bathrooms, hallways, stairways, or rooms suitable for
  human habitation or occupancy as defined in the applicable
  building code. Where multiple switch locations control the
  same lighting load such that the entire floor area of the room
  or space is visible from the single or combined switch locations,
  the grounded circuit conductor shall only be required at one
  location.

The emphasized sentence applies to basically all multi-way setups you will run into in a house: it would be very strange indeed if you could not see what you are doing with the light from at least one controlling switch location.

Furthermore, the way multiway smart switches work only requires more conductors than fit in a /3 cable at the location of the "master" switch; a /3 is sufficient to connect the remotes to the master in all systems I have seen.


How to calculate steel beam and posts size to replace existing wood beam in terrace

I can provide you with the answer that comes is the result of college statics and dynamics classes.

What I can not do is provide you with an answer that carries the weight that would be provided by the stamp of a public engineer licensed to practice in the state of Florida, or your state of residence.

In all sincerity, I would ask that you not accept the word anyone who has not already approved residential construction issues in the City or County of your residence. And even then, do not take their word as accurate until you have the data in writing.

Hurricanes, slow or no insurance payments, and political inaction seem to happen at the same time.

My in-laws lived between I-95 and the Ocean, in Palm Beach County. I think the biggest difference between their house and yours, is the pool edging not being flush with the deck, and the house next door was a different color.

Realize I am guessing about everything from ASTM rating of the steel that would be used, to the hurricane wind design rating required in your zip code.

I would not blink if you were told that it needs a heavy 4 or a standard 5 inch beam. The 5 inch beam is less than 1/4” larger on each side. So we will go with that one.

I know nothing about the most recent building code and large pieces of steel around residential pools. But I will bet that 32’ bits of it weighing about 325 pounds and raised in the air, on steel, are not allowed within 6 feet of the water.

I am sure that there is now something about needing enough space to walk all the way around the perimeter of a pool.

There is likely also something about footings, saturated soil, flying debris, and the term ‘grounding’ will be used at least twice. If we add 6 feet to each side, we are well inside the bounds of reasonable.

We have now hit a 44’ clear span.

It gets a little tough to tell distance, but I am (again) guessing that this will put 1 post over your pool pump water works, and the other in front of the bathroom window. You are not going to be able to move the post closer to the pool, but
I am open your thoughts.

The question is now, what are you going to do about the beam that will now overlap with your eaves. The easiest answer it likely to wrap a hollow fiberglass post around the steel one. Then paint it blue and hope it is not noticed.

Since you are changing the patio roof so much, from the materials used, the distance between the supports, the additional length, and joists now being attached to steel instead of wood. I would expect the patio roof to be seen as new construction and not repair. This will require the patio roof to be self supported. This is much better for you than the alternative of having the patio roof seen as a part of your house.

It appears from your pictures that the house side of the patio roof requires the outside wall of your house, and is even attached to it with hurricane straps. The 2x on the wall, but connected to nothing else seems to be there as an attachment point should you want to put in a flat ceiling.

To recap up to this point, removing the 2 center posts and replace it with a single steel beam spanning the entire distance, you will need to build a 4 post, self standing, cabana type roof.

It can be against your house, and the roof can be integrated into your house, but it must be able to stand on its own.

In reality the posts closest to your house will need to be far enough away from your house that they will not disturbing you house’s slab. (But you might be able to offset the footing enough that the post can be right against the house. Way too much math for right now.)

Ok, at this point, it makes no sense to build anything but a rectangle of steel, and put it up on steel legs. You will need ’notches’ to allow for both ends of the new roof, to make room for where your house becomes wider.

You will need to decide what you want the roof to look like, the notched portions will be the hardest. Thanks to this now being all steel, you can add gussets, strengthening web where needed, this will help to keep the beam size down.

We still need to deal with the new joists, roof and shingles, there are some other decisions to be made first

The costs at this point are likely in excess of the quality of life you gain in having the 2 wooden posts removed.

It would be informative to call planing and zoning, and ask if they can think of any issues with you installing about 32’ of steel, where the posts are within 6 feet of a pool. The answer would allow a few facts to get involved here.

And this is how we truly figure out what size beam you need.


Can I run a ground wire from a cheater plug to another 3-prong outlet to ground it?

The problem you may encounter is that in many areas, even with a homeowners permit, you have to rip drywall to get grounds to the ungrounded outlets to properly fix them.  It sounds like the ground makes it to the first outlet in the chain, so you may wish to consider replacing that outlet with a GFCI and putting the other outlets on the load terminals.  This alleviates most of the safety concerns of the ungrounded portion of the circuit.  GFCI breakers can be used as well although they are often more expensive.
I'll leave to someone else to figure out the legality of stringing a surface ground, but my instinct tells me done properly it would be better than nothing.  It would be wise to add information about where you live for a properly informed answer.


What is the lifespan of plywood as roof decking?

I would give your business to one of the "is good and stays dry" roofers who are not blatantly trying to fleece you.

Now, the other two may be working from the assumption that if you bothered to call a roofer, you have leaks. But they strike me a lying scammers if they are selling you new plywood with no idea if the roof deck is rotten or solid.

Plywood does not have an expiration date.


The fact that you can see the tape has no bearing on the success of the job. If it doesn't leak consider the job well done. If the exposed tape gives you worry that someone will see the tape and say it is a bad job, tell them that is how much you had to use to get a tight seal. If you really want to remove the excess tape, take a wire brush and carefully use it to remove the excess tape.


Running ser cable from 200amp main to 100 amp sub panel

Your support plans are fine; just make sure your feeder breaker is 90A or less
SER cable used for feeder or branch-circuit duty is treated exactly the same as a (rather fat) NM cable for support and installation-technique purposes, albeit without the 60°C working temperature limit on ampacity calculations:

(4) Installation Methods for Branch Circuits and Feeders.
(a) Interior Installations. In addition to the provisions of
this article, Type SE service-entrance cable used for interior
wiring shall comply with the installation requirements of Part II
of Article 334, excluding 334.80.

As a result, since the NEC only requires NM cables to be supported at a 4½' interval:

334.30 Securing and Supporting. Nonmetallic-sheathed cable
shall be supported and secured by staples; cable ties listed and
identified for securement and support; or straps, hangers, or
similar fittings designed and installed so as not to damage the
cable, at intervals not exceeding 1.4 m (4½ ft) and within
300 mm (12 in.) of every cable entry into enclosures such as
outlet boxes, junction boxes, cabinets, or fittings. Flat cables
shall not be stapled on edge.
Sections of cable protected from physical damage by raceway
shall not be required to be secured within the raceway.

Note, though, that while people may say that your 2-2-2-4 SER cable is good for 100A, that's only true when it's feeding an entire dwelling unit (house or aparment); for other applications, like yours, you're limited to the 90A ampacity of a 2AWG Al wire at 75°C by the NEC 110.14(C) termination temperature limits, unless you have an old main panel that isn't marked for 75°C usage, which then limits you to 80A instead.
GO BIG OR GO HOME
Assuming you haven't already acquired the subpanel, there's no reason to skimp on subpanel spaces.  While the heater may only require 4 or 6 slots for its own use, a 24-space or 30-space, 100A or 125A, main lug subpanel isn't that much more expensive than a mini-panel, and will provide valuable expansion room in the future.  This is especially true since the home of the new panel needs to provide a fridge-sized clearspace in front of it as per NEC 110.26(A) so that someone who has to work on the thing while "live" doesn't have to do a contortionist act to get to it.
Note that when you're hooking this panel up, since it's a subpanel (i.e. doesn't have a service disconnect inside it) powered by a feeder, you'll need to pull the green bonding screw out of its home in the panel, or simply not install it to begin with, and make sure that you install and use separate grounding bars to land your grounding wires in the panel if the panel doesn't come with them already fitted.
TORQUE ALL LUGS TO SPEC
Last but not least, you'll want to use an inch-pound torque wrench and/or torque screwdriver when tightening breaker and lug connections.  This is required by 110.14(D) in 2017 and newer editions of the NEC, and is a good idea anyway, lest your electrical system lose you the race!


I don't think it would be an issue.  Just make sure to pre drill holes the correct size and use screws with a coarse thread.  Make sure the screws don't penetrate the other side as well.
I mounted a computer on the side of a similar desk with multiple Command™ strips once.  It was fine structurally.


I think you'd end up running into a whole boat load of issues before you could even begin talking about efficiency. The first and most pressing being the rapid condensation that would occur within seconds of circulating the cold liquid (leaving you with a whole host of other DIY problems you'd need to work out). Which, I imagine would need to be somewhere between 20-60F below the ambient temperature of the air to get any significant cooling effect.

As for efficiency directly, if what I learned in PHYS160 about thermodynamics holds up, it should be exactly as efficient (heat transfer wise that is) as the radiators are at heating the air. But I HIGHLY suggest getting a second opinion from someone more versed in HVAC work, as the closest I've come to directly researching this is looking at data center cooling technology.

**More on datacenter cooling: http://searchdatacenter.techtarget.com/feature/Modern-data-center-cooling-systems-No-muss-no-fuss-no-waste


First, wait for a foul-smelling day and obtain samples from before your filter, and from hot and cold faucets. Send them to a testing facility that YOU choose.

Well-established bacteria can easily survive a chlorination treatment, as it will only kill the bacteria on the surface layer.

It might be your city's water. It happens from time to time in my city - just means I can't drink faucet water that day.

If it's in your system, you may need a shock chlorination or acid treatment, or possibly to replace some pipes.

To me, it sounds as though you have well-established sulfur bacteria in your house's pipes.

I would probably spend $20 on bleach before a treatment, just in case. Take out your filters, and using the filter assembly or well cap (if you're in the country), just systematically introduce a couple bottles. Run faucets individually until the bleach mix is coming through all of them. Shut them off, wait 15, run them all for 15, shut them off. Then wait an hour and repeat the process. Then do it again.  Bang on the pipes to shake things up inside - Iron/Sulfur bacteria is literally a sludge layer on the pipes and banging on them is a tried and true method.

In rural WI, where I grew up, when farmers get a foul-smelling hint in their water they pop off the well cap and dump a bottle of bleach down. It's not technically chlorination, but it's cheap and it works.

If the bacteria is in your system and the DIY doesn't work (or you don't feel comfortable doing it), find a good plumber and tell him the situation, including the part about standard chlorination not working. Pipe replacement, shock chlorination, or acid treatment will be the next step.

Good luck.


Can I re-fluff blown-in fiberglass insulation with a cellulose blower?

Whether you can or not, you probably don't want to. If you're going to go through the trouble trouble of pulling out the fiberglass, you might as well just replace it with cellulose, which has a significantly higher R-value (around 50% higher per inch than fresh loose fill fiberglass). Your settled fiberglass, on the other hand, has a significantly higher R-value per inch than the fresh fluffy stuff! The settling of loose fill insulation is only a problem because you lose inches faster than the R-value per inch increases. "Fluffing" what you have now would save you a little bit of cellulose but if you still fill to the same depth, but would leave you less insulated.


Can you remove foul paint in new construction to bare drywall?

Your choices are rip out and replace or add another layer of sheetrock.  I'm guessing the cause of the smell has soaked into the porous substrate  (sheetrock)  and will never come out.  I would advide using a vapor barrier unless you fully understand vapor and moisture control in walls though. From your tale personally I would sheet over the ceilings and rip out walls if it was just blown in above.


Can I use indoor Romex in buried outdoor conduit?

What you're calling outdoor Romex is actually called type UF (underground feeder) cable, it resembles Romex, but it's not. UF cable is THHN conductors plus a ground encased completely in PVC. Romex is a brand name for non-metallic paper bonded cable (NM-B, as printed on the jacket) with a PVC jacket. This is why type UF is suitable for burying and wet locations (or dry) where NM-B cable is suitable only for very specific dry locations.

It's rather common to protect or shield Romex with PVC in locations where (wet or not) it might be harmed by objects or people, but if you're going to be running high voltage (120 V+) outdoor lighting or receptacles it's a much better idea to just use UF, or PVC conduit and pull the THHN conductors through it as you need.

For this project you'll want to:

Have someone show you how to strip UF cable, it takes a bit of skill to do it and not damage the THHN insulation when removing the PVC casing (or your fingers in the process)
Call a utility locating service before you dig to bury the cable, it's got to go at least 18 inches in the ground depending on your location
Perhaps hire someone to trench for you if you've got long runs, or intend to just bury PVC conduit and pull your own conductors.

When using UF, please  take my advice on getting someone to show you how to strip it, the folks at your local electrical supply or home center will probably be more than happy to show you. Your hands and fingers will thank you. Almost every time I was called to troubleshoot a tripping buried circuit it was because the UF cable wasn't stripped properly, and was shorting due to it.


Cedar fence posts - advantages over pressure treated?

Personal opinion/experience agrees with the advice you are getting. Cedar is a good choice above ground; it's less toxic and as long as it can dry out it resists bugs and weathering pretty well. If the posts will be above ground resting on concrete anchors, cedar is fine. If you are going to bury one end of the posts, though, I would recommend PT. Realistically, the difference in appearance is minimal, especially after staining or weathering. I'd save the cedar for the fence panels.

Of course if you want a natural product that is extremely bug and weather resistant, some of the tropical hardwoods like Ipe are now available for decking and it might be possible to get 5x5 posts. Not cheap, though.


Never use chicken wire or fiber glass meshing, they don't do anything.

When it comes to non rebar reinforcement you have some options. In your case I would add fibers. This type of reinforcement is called FRC or Fiber Reinforced Concrete.

Steel fibers add tensile strength and have no weak points like rebar does because they are spread throughout the slab. They also improve impact resistance and freeze-thaw damage.

On the other hand you can also add polypropylene and Nylon fibers, as they do a similar function. I'll add more on this if you need.


People often get very confused by GFCI trips

We install ground fault detectors (that's RCD to you Brits), but then we're caught off guard when we actually catch one!

If a GFCI repeatedly trips, then an appliance downstream or the wiring probably has a ground fault.

Then it's a matter of divide and conquer. Break things out of the circuit until you find the culprit.

My hunch is it's an old or cheap fluorescent ballast.  1000bulbs.com stocks a huge variety.


Is it safe to remove/trim jack studs to make a door opening wider?

For high priced custom doors, you deserve to get it right.

The king studs are the primary support on the sides of the door (they go all the way up to the top plate.  However, the jack studs are supporting the header over the door and that is supporting the cripple studs over the header.  If this is a load bearing wall, these are all supporting members.

If the jack studs are cut down, they probably need to be cut more than 3/4 inch total to accomodate shims to square the door in the opening. If you take out only 1/2 inch on each side, you have reduced the jack stud by 33%. If this is done in place, you are also stressing the remaining structure of studs, header, etc. in sawing out the excess.

It could be that the overall framing is overengineered enough to survive this assualt, but it is risky, violates most building codes and is a bad way to start a good project.

I would insist that they measure thrice (three times instead of the recommended two) and bring a correctly sized door.

P.S. I had a similar problem with a custom tempered glass shower door that I had waited eight weeks for. They played with cludging it for about a minute and then took it back for a correctly sized piece. It hurts but it is worth it.


While I think you'll be smart to hire an electrician and consider replacing the whole panel...

Circuit breaker boxes vary in style.  You have to buy the correct replacement breaker for your specific box.  To determine what you need, examine the box itself.  Somewhere on the box will be the name of the manufacturer.

Tip:  "Square D" is not it.  (Personal experience talking) - Square D MAKES breakers to fit numerous types of boxes.

If you can't immediately find the name of your panel maker, go to this link:
Online site for buying circuit breakers

They list a lot of manufacturers there - see if you can find yours.

Now again - because you yourself said you're scared to remove it - PLEASE DON'T.  This is potentially deadly work you're considering and if you don't know what you're doing, this is NOT a project you should learn using the trial and error method!!!

Update - after looking at the extra pics - your breaker box is by "American".  First manuf. on the list.  The labels on some of your breakers indicate it.


Cooking stove is causing a short circuit, how do I diagnose it further?

Visually inspect the igniters. If if you see any cracks in them or burned wires, that's almost certainly the fault to fix.

If you don't see anything wrong with the igniters, check with an ohmmeter if there's short between line and ground on the input plug of of stove. It's not clear to me from your description of the problem if the breaker disconnects when you push the spark/lightning button or all the time... but try to repeat the scenario with the ohmmeter. If there's a fault to ground somewhere, it's almost certainly from a wire with burnt insulation... somewhere inside the stove; you'll have to trace/inspect all the wires.


How can I prevent my house from smelling of smoke after having a fire in my fireplace?

When I light my fireplace I leave my flue open for the night.  The residual smoke from your fire is putting the smoke smell in the house when you close the flue


Doorbell transformer - Installed in panel -doesn't work when green is connected?

Follow the Instructions
The instructions say:

For metal junction boxes, it is required to connect the green ground wire from the transformer to the metal junction box or clamp it to the metal conduit.

If it doesn't work when connected properly then either you have something very strange going on in your panel or the device is defective.
The fact that the instructions actually say this, rather than "nothing" or "the green wire is only required if you are not installing the transformer on a grounded metal junction box", means that you need to do it for a proper installation. End. Of. Story.

Ground != Neutral
...except when it is :-)
In a perfect world (electrically speaking), ground would only ever be used for two types of current: device/wiring fault and external current (e.g., static discharge or lightning). In order to make everything work properly, ground is bonded to neutral at one place, typically the main panel.
For a bunch of historical reasons (e.g., separate ground wires have not always been a thing), there are a bunch of situations where there used to be, and in some cases still are, ground and neutral together at the device.
However, there is no requirement that ground and neutral be the same and be connected in a device. But there is, generally, a requirement that each device have a ground connection. (There are exceptions - double-insulated tools, simple devices such as wall warts or lights, etc.) With many devices, the case or exposed metal parts of a device will be connected to neutral, whether or not there is a separate ground wire. However, it is quite possible to build a device which has ground to the case (for safety) but which does not connect that ground to neutral because doing so would make the device not work properly. A transformer is a simple example of such a device.
End result: If you have separate ground and neutral connections (screw terminals or wires) on a device then you do not connect them both to neutral unless the directions tell you to do so. Doing so when not appropriate may cause the device to not work (no harm done) but may be deadly.


Can I power both legs of my breaker panel with 120 volts from a Honda eu3000is generator?

Yes you can power both legs of the panel from a single 120 volt source. Any 240 volt appliance won't work properly, and as you noted multi-wire branch circuits would be at risk of over-current on their neutral. Everything else should be fine.
One thing to check is the neutral-ground bond. Honda EU-series do not have a built-in neutral-ground bond. Make sure your system is appropriately bonded when switched to generator inlet mode.
Edit: More info about neutral-ground bond
Part of the reason we bring ground wires along with the line and neutral wires, at least in the USA wiring custom, is for safety. If certain kinds of electrical faults occur they could result in current flowing from one of the energized lines to earth-ground. Earth (dirt) isn't a great conductor, though, so the current won't be high enough to cause a circuit breaker to trip. Tripping a breaker is a good thing because it de-energizes the fault and because it calls attention to the problem. It turns out that if we "bond" (connect) the earth-ground wiring to the neutral then that fault current will be high enough to cause a breaker to trip.
There should be only one neutral-ground bond in a system. In a single-family home context that bond should be found in the first service panel -- usually the one where the electric meter is installed. It can take several forms: a screw that electrically connects a neutral bus bar to the housing of the panel, or a jumper wire between neutral bar and ground bar, or simply neutral wires and ground wires all landing on the same bus bar.
By definition all transfer switches switch the line conductors(s). Some also switch the neutral (and some switch the ground too? I'm not certain.). If a system has a 1- or 2-wire transfer switch, ie it switches only the line conductors, the generator connection should be arranged so that it does not introduce a second bond. With a 3- or 4-wire transfer switch, though, one needs to figure out whether the existing bond becomes disconnected by operation of the transfer switch.
In summary: it comes down to tracing wires. When the house is configured for normal grid power confirm electrical continuity (0-ohm resistance) between ground and neutral wires. Figure out where that connection/bond exists. Then configure the house for generator power, trace wires, and figure out whether that same ground-neutral bond is still in effect (and is the only bond), or whether there are 0 or 2+ bonds in the generator configuration.


Using two light switches to control a single outlet location

Yes.

Assuming power enters at the switch box.  You'll have to run a 3-wire with ground cable between the switch box, and the receptacle.  You'll also have to break the little bonding tab, on the "hot" side of the receptacle.

At the switch box:

Connect the feeder white wire, to the white wire going to the receptacle.
Using pigtails, connect the feeder black wire, to a terminal on each switch.
Using pigtails, connect the feeder ground to the receptacle ground wire, and each switch.
Connect the black wire that goes to the receptacle, to one of the switches.
Connect the red wire that goes to the receptacle, to the other switch.

At the receptacle.

Connect the white wire to one of the silver colored terminals on the receptacle.
Connect the ground wire to the green terminal on the receptacle, and the box if it's metal.
Connect the black wire to one brass colored terminal on the receptacle.
Break the tab between the brass terminals.
Connect the red wire to the other brass colored terminal on the receptacle.

Here's a diagram showing the wiring when the power is at the switches, and when the power is at the receptacle.

Yellow blobs represent wires in cable/conduit.


Garage door seal is glued and I want to replace it

Overhead door seal channels are available as well as the rubber seals. Kits would probably come with sheet metal screws for mounting. You'd just need to pull the old seal off or cut it away so that it gets covered.


When is it ok to sand against the grain?

Sanding with or against the grain doesn't matter much until the last sanding stage, if that. Lots of us use random-orbit sanders which sand in all directions at once, and that works Just Fine.

The first sanding pass, with the coarsest grit sandpaper, does most of the work of levelling the surface; ideally, it should leave you with no scratches larger than that grain. Each successive move to finer sandpaper erases the previous set of scratches and creates finer ones -- and shouldn't take as long since there isn't a lot you need to remove in order to do that. The final sanding, with the finest grit sandpaper you're going to use, should be with the grain so any remaining scratches also line up with the grain and hence are less noticeable.

Ideally. I have to admit that I've been known to just random-orbit my way through and trust that the 220 sandpaper's scratches are fine enough not to be noticed after the wood has been coated with varnish. I'd probably be more paranoid if I was staining the wood, since sanding details can affect how the stain is picked up... or if I was doing something that will be looked at from inches away rather than feet.


Honeywell C wire on a dual transformer system

I'd use the blue wire from the air handler as your C wire
From the pictures given, it does appear that the blue wire from the air handler is connected to C, so I'd just use that as your C wire.  Let us know how it goes!


ACE900 KBD prepaid electricity meter - no power on second circuit

Your supplier needs to turn the Economy 7 output on. They can probably do this via an update the next time you top up with the key.
And you need to register a new account with the supplier anyway to ensure you aren't being charged for any debt or outstanding balance of the previous occupant.


Why does the relief valve leak on my new water heater?

There are two scenarios,either the relief valve is working properly or it isn’t. Check the pressure. If it is too high the valve is doing its job and you will need to install a regulator. Does this problem happen only when hot or when cold as well? If only when hot and has been sitting unused for at least a few hours an expansion tank will help. If it is hot and leaking, open a hot water faucet and let it run for a few seconds, close it and see if it is still leaking.  If that temporarily solved the problem an expansion tank will help. If it didn’t help it is either too hot or too much pressure.


Suggestions on how to fill gaps at all of my windows

Most of these types of windows rely on weather seals that look like brushes and they do ok when new but compress and leak after a few years.
Without replacing those brushes on the sashes you have 2 choices.
Either use the weather seal rope caulk which can be removed without damaging the window or use the heat shrink plastic window covers.


How can I keep from breaking my water hammer arrestor

Seeing some pictures of the plumbing overall could jog additional suggestions from others, but there are a number of things you can do to eliminate the hammer. Using the product you are buying is one of those things. I would NOT expect that it is breaking, but the fact that you state its good for a few days then no longer works and you replace it then it happens again a few days later gives me a few thoughts first off of what you should check.

Make sure there aren't any leaks, and that all connections are tight. Also make sure all plumbing is properly secured. This includes the hose/tubing for the dishwasher itself. In fact, ensure the arrestor you are installing is also secured and not moving around. Leaving these this laying on the floor coiled up allowing it to move around is just going to strengthen the water hammer. Also, the pipes involved should be properly secured with mounts. Once you have secured all plumbing properly, AND ensured the arrestor is installed properly and oriented properly-securely, there are additional things you can do.

Does your property have a water column tube going vertical anywhere? You may not even see it, but it may exist. If it does not, you can create one easily. Quick google shows what I'm talking about:
https://www.familyhandyman.com/plumbing/plumbing-repair/stop-banging-water-pipes/view-all/

Now, you may have one of these already. Turn off main water as it enters the home, and open the farthest, highest faucet in the home, then open the lowest/closest. Let the water drain from the plumbing. You can partially drain the hotwater tank to get the hot side of things done. You are just getting air back into any vertical columns put there by your plumber. If none exist, you can add them yourself, e.g., see the link above.

With that out of the way, you might actually choose to reduce your water pressure. Mind you, we all love water pressure, MORE IS BETTER right? Not always. In your case, you might want to lower it. More can be bad, and can shorten valve life for a number of applications, but 60 is alright. Try lowering it to 55, or 50. Generally keep it above 40, 45,.... and obviously to your liking in your home. But with two bathrooms, and reasonable length runs, you dont really need 60. Trial and error, give it a shot. Obviously dont increase it.

Lastly, and you can try this as a cheat method for what I just described, install a valve or partially close a valve upstream that feeds the dishwasher specifically. Again, this is trial and error, but limiting the flow just a tiny bit can have an impact.

Also, I mentioned the size of pipes because if you have some mineral buildup on any valves or pipe fittings, or pipes reduce in size and then go larger again, this can aggravate a water hammer issue if your diswasher solenoid is on-off on-off rapidly, because the water will move "abruptly". So it could be handy to ensure good flow too *(i.e., dont over restrict it somewhere)... this is less likely the issue.

If you question the quality of the mechanical arrestor you've purchased *(repeatedly), try a different one on for size and see. But sincerely, I'd work more on securing the pipes, and install a man made arrestor like pictured above.


Should I connect one or both Ufer grounds to my panel?

You only have to bond the closest one to the panel. NEC 250.52.a.3.2. (2017) same in the 2014 code.


You apparently saw a video where a flexible finger pointing trowel was in use. These find use also in tuck pointing work.

(Picture Source: https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Finger-Pointing-Flexible-Jointer/dp/B00ZMGLMMM )


Removing calcium carbonate deposits without damaging tiles

Try with boiling white-vinegar, I use it to clean limestone buildup aluminium and steel pans. A commercial produt I found very effective is 'Viakal'


SimpleHuman plastic slim trashcan cover won't stay on

From the reviews of these Simple Human trash cans at Amazon, this seems to be a complaint many have reported. It sounds like a design flaw. How long have you owned it?

  The only positive that I have to say about this trash can is that it
  looks nice. However, the functionality of it is less than desirable. I
  have had this trash can for almost a year, and it is literally falling
  apart. The hinge comes off at least once a day, and has to be snapped
  back on before it will function properly again.


Edited to add: it's not the showerhead-to-pipe connection that's leaking; instead, it's the pipe-to-wall connection.

I think you figured it out. It is possible your drop ear fitting in the wall is cracked or you have a bad connection to it.

Normally, the plumbers pressure test the whole system before the drywall goes on. You may have to remove some drywall to repair the pipe and then patch the drywall.

Major bummer but all things can be fixed eventually.

Good luck!


Can I add rolls of unfaced insulation to increase the R value of my attic insulation?

Yes you can. Every bit helps, though you can eventually reach a point of diminishing returns. You're not there yet :)

I would leave the floor boards to avoid compressing the cellulose. I don't need to tell you to maintain a ventilation path from the soffit vents, but it's worth mentioning. I would also consider building a storage platform for both containers and on which to walk (crawl?) so the ceiling can be fully insulated even under the storage area.


All 120V 15 & 20 amp outdoor outlets are required to be protected 2014 NEC 210.8.3. If they are all on the same circuit wire the GFCI outlet from the breaker on the line side. Then the wire that feeds the rest of the outlets on the load side of the GFCI and they will be protected by the 1 GFCI outlet. I would recommend "while in use" covers. This type of cover allows the outlet to be used and protects better than the water resistant outlets. I like the metal ones better but they are quite a bit more expensive.


I would add the new drain at the edge of the grass up to the right (not two close to the trees)  and continue it to the original drains. You can tell the original drain is working because it is mushie beyond that point this would have been the location I would have used at first but it is longer thus cost more and the previous owners may not have cared about the lawn much in the winter. A new drain should do the work of drying out the lawn.


Installed LASCO MagnaFlush Toilet Tank Kit, Now Toilet Runs All the Time?

runs constantly

Generally when someone says it "runs constantly" it means they are talking about the ballcock valve (the fill valve). A new fill valve that constantly runs usually means that the installer did not flush the internal components of the fill valve after installation. Oftentimes debris is dislodged from the supply system (supply line, stop valve, supply pipes) that can affect operation of the new fill valve. It is standard practice for a plumber to open the top of the fill valve assembly and open the stop valve a bit, flushing the new valve diaphragm and washers. In fact I will bet $$ that the installation instructions recommend this.

However, a clue in your post makes me suspicious:

  turned the water off at the valve at bedtime with the tank full whether it would be full in the morning. Strangely it was near empty in the morning

A leaky fill valve would just run all the time, but the tank would not empty. Now we need to suspect the flush valve assembly (which includes the flapper). You tested the flush valve seat surface with a piece of styrofoam and it did not leak, so the flush valve seal is OK.

So on to the flapper. Generally a bad flapper causes a slow leak into the bowl, resulting in the fill valve running intermittently, to refill the tank as the leaky flapper allows the tank level to slowly drop. The "constant" run you describe would only occur if the flapper was leaking catastrophically (using "catastrophically" in a relative fashion). I suggest you put a few drops of food coloring in the tank, this will immediately tell you whether or not the flapper is leaking (cuz you will see the dye in the bowl).


HVAC leaking cold air at unit: seal with tape?

A little bit of duct seal, will plug that hole right up.

(source: idealind.com)

Grab a bit off the brick, and roll it into a snake (like you used to do with play-doh). Wrap it around the pipe, while pushing it into the hole.


How should I replace this ABS p-trap and drain?

You probably won't be able to replace just half of that trap as different manufacturers use different threaded connections at the union. Assuming the "lock ring" you referred to is the union nut (the large nut connecting the two halves of the trap), hand tight is not enough so tightening it carefully with a tool was appropriate. Unfortunately it is common for the nut to crack, causing a leak at the union.

I would cut the black horizontal ABS pipe downstream of the trap and replace the trap with an adjustable P-Trap. This will require a glue joint, but will leave you in a much better position for future repair or replacement when necessary. Use only ABS cement.

Remember, hand tight is not enough. Use adjustable pliers to tighten (but not over tighten) all slip-joint fittings.


You'll want to use a saddle mount ceiling box with at least 11.25in3 of space for this application as pancake boxes don't have enough room for 2 incoming 12/2 W/G cables -- they don't even have 10in3 of space, typically.  (Image below is simply representative.)


Samsung Refrigerator not cooling (both freezer and fridge sides)

Start with manually defrosting the unit. Remove all food and place into another unit. Unplug the unit and allow it to defrost, with the doors open, for at least 24 hours. Make sure it is completely defrosted by feeling it and looking for any leaks of water. Once it is defrosted, plug it back in and monitor it for a few hours. Check for it to start, blow cool air, and chill inside. It could be that the defrost timer, thermostat, or heater have failed. This test will help to determine if it is potentially one of these things.

If it doesn't cool, see if you can manually move the timer. If so, will it now cycle? The timer is bad if you can manually cycle the unit, but it won't automatically cycle.

Condenser coil frozen, could be either defrost heater, thermostat, or timer.

If timer is ok and cycles properly, then see if it cools. If so, then you could have a thermostat issue that is not cycling the defrost heater. If the heater is not coming on, but the thermostat is good, then the heater is bad.

So see, it could be a number of things. But first, you gotta figure out if you can manually induce a defrost cycle.


What's the intended usage scenario of the Cat5e runs in my new house?

Summarizing what has been said in the comments:
Having the blue pair paralleled between all the cables strongly suggests the builders intent was that they be used for phones. Cat5e cable is often used for phone wiring as it's more interference resistant than regular phone wire and the blue pair is the conventional "first pair" for phone wiring.
As for your options, there are two main ways forward.
Option 1, ditch the phone wiring cut off the builders mess and terminate the cables individually as network cables with all four pairs. This will let you run gigabit networking.
Option 2, leave the phone wiring as it is and use the green and orange pairs of each cable for Ethernet, this will limit you to 100 megabits per second.


How can I stop birds from hitting my sunroom windows?

There are two reasons birds fly into Windows, either they can't see the glass or they see a reflection in the glass.  The only real solution, is to make the window more visible or less reflective.  Unfortunately, making the window more visible to birds also makes it more visible to humans.  So the solution may not be exactly... um... fashionable.  You'll have to put decals, tape, paint, marker, or some other type of markings on the windows.  You could also try hanging wind chimes, or other decorative items inside/outside the window.  Some sources recommend decals in the shape of birds of prey, stating that the birds will be afraid to fly towards the the "prey bird".

Another solution that seems to be successful, is to hang fine mesh over the windows.  The theory here is that the mesh will reduce the reflection on the windows, so birds will be less likely to fly into the window thinking they are flying into whatever is reflected in the window.

The good news is, you may only need to do this during migratory seasons.  So you could pick up a window paint marker (~$5.00), and draw lines, squiggles, or patterns on the windows during migratory seasons.

You could try making up some detachable screens for the exterior of the windows, and put them up during the migration season.  This might be a less noticeable solution, while also being temporary.


Running schedule 40 black steel pipe through concrete foundation wall

Gas lines running underground to a house are supposed to break the surface of the ground before penetrating the  wall and entering the house. This is so that in the event of a gas line leak under ground the leaking gas will follow the pipe to the surface and be expelled to the atmosphere instead of inside the house. Check with your local gas company to see their requirements for running a new line, wall penetration sleeve if required, type of pipe to be used, and are you allowed to run this pipe yourself. Installation codes change with city, township, county, etc. You do not want to replace the line and find out something was not done correctly and it has to be redone. Where I live the codes are strict and you must follow the codes to the letter. So again, call your gas co. and ask first.  Anyway the 1 inch pipe has an ID. of 1.315 inches which should slide into 1-1/4 inch schedule 40 pipe that has an ID of 1.380 inches.


Space between 12'x24' tile is it 1/8 or 1/16

This will be a matter of opinion but my opinion would be to have at least 1/8" spacing between tiles. You want enough space for the grout to grab onto. If you're using a contrasting grout for a designer affect, then a larger spacing could be used.


Aerogel is brittle, easily damaged and extremely expensive. Thirty dollars per cubic inch sounds more likely than per cubic foot. There's a web site for aerogel and related products. The linked product is a silica disk, about an inch around and less than 3/8" thick. US$35 fits in with the expected price.
The same site also offers composite blankets. It's a combination of aerogel and other insulating materials. Two feet by four feet by 5 mm for US$180 still falls into the expensive category, but that's my opinion.
There's no R factor in the main ad copy, but the spec sheet is available for download and may include that information.
Aerogel is silica and in powder form can be a problem if inhaled. Any product of that nature is a health concern. Don't shred it or otherwise damage it and the risk is low.


Can I use cement instead of paint for interior walls?

Cement is acceptable as an interior finish.  The reason why it isn't used more is that it is heavy and terribly hard to make look nice.  Basically once it is dry it is done for good.  Also cement adheres to dry cement but not that well so patching is not easy.

As for durability it depends how you prepare the surface and the thickness of the install.  In my area it was a thing to finish basements with a cement coating (over the poured cement walls).  These went on about 1/4-1/2" thick and looks a bit like plaster after a few coats of primer and paint.  You can certainly give the concrete a pigment but it has a pretty prickly surface that a thick coating of paint would help smooth.

The other thing to think about is hanging things on the wall or doing things like electrical.  You have to know that if you hang something on the wall you will need to use adhesive.  If it is something heavy you might have a hard time taking the adhesive off without ripping out the underlying cement.  In the older basements we would go in we would see dozens of little cement patches missing from things like pictures or whatever.


How to get a gasoline odor out of my shed?

Open the door(s) and window(s) if any, plug in a fan, wait.


Can I connect two condensate pumps to the same drain line using a T connector?

The location you suggest is going to be the best suited. The U-bend is effectively a vapor/odor trap to prevent back-smell from getting through the tubing into your household. Any other location would require that you create a new U-bend to prevent those gases from returning via the new drain line. One could expect odors from one drain line returning via the other, but there's nothing to prevent that with the existing line running solo, so that would mean you don't have odors from the condensate. Ensure that the flexible tubing will not kink when connected to the T fitting and you're good to go.


How to wire light switch separate line/load Wires to single wire

The switch you purchased is a three way switch. Three way circuits have a line at one switch and a load at the other switch which is why you have a line/load wire. You need a switch with a separate line and load terminal/wire. Check your instructions or post them to your question. You use one of the travelers for the load connection.


How to remove the set key from shower faucet?

Looking at the drawing and photo I'd have thought you just need to get a small screwdriver or awl in the gap you've shown there, and the one on the other side and gradually work it out, ensuring it stays straight.
If you work it out a bit at a time, alternating sides, make sure to support the side you've just moved, or it may simply pivot on the middle section.


Seemingly overbuilt basement wall - load bearing?

This gives all the impression that is was designed and installed to support the basement wall that the "arrow" of the diagonal bracing points to. The vertical post against that wall is what was put there to support that wall.
The bottom of that post is most certainly held up against the wall securely by the bottom plate in that wall which is likely pinned to the concrete floor.
The top of post is held against that wall by having that large horizontal beam bear against the opposite basement wall.
The diagonal braces are keeping the center of the vertical post from bowing in. The studding fitted above and below the diagonals is placed there to keep the long diagonals straight so that they do not bend under compressive load.
You should carefully evaluate what is going on on the outside of the basement wall where that vertical post is located. There may be excessive ground pressure against that wall due to any number of reasons that can only be guessed at. In the evaluation also check the wall itself to see of there is evidence of cracked blocks, cracked mortar joints or overall inward buckling of the wall.
It is even possible, though not likely, that this wall support was placed there based upon past concerns that may not be obvious today.


Filling a crack in hardwood floor (between house and extension)

Black caulk is what I used to fill the ~1/4" gaps in a timber floor hallway. The hallway consists of three, thirty foot long boards that are 13" wide and +2" deep. They have, what has become, a dark polyurethane finish, so I'd have to say it looks fabulous  (I had lived there for years and they began to split apart, so not having a gap that can cut you toes open is awesome in the first place). Yours will end up looking like a threshold, but there's nothing worse than light colored wood filler, IMO.

You can use a matching color if you want, but anything less than black with show dirt eventually anyway. It's kinda like grout lines, but for wood. But unlike grout (or the mixture of polyurethane and sawdust –from said boards– that we used to fill the gaps at first, it won't crack when the floor expands and contracts seasonally, or from further settling).

I do believe we'd urethaned over the whole thing at some point afterwards, and should it happen to flake off of the caulk (not that it has AFAIK), at least for a while it provided some level of protection from debris embedding themselves.

Specialty (grout) colored caulk is available for wood-to-tile transitions; look into that kind if you really want to match the color of your hardwood.


In a very similar situation, I turned off the power and disconnected all the switches and in a logical sequence using a volt-ohm meter (or toner and receiver) I determined which box had the hot lead, which were just travelers (usually the one with two reds) and which connected to the light. I drew an image of the results and the diagram makes it much easier to ‘picture’ your circuits. You realize that a single red is the beginning or ending traveler connected to the four-way in the middle. Be aware that when you see another black-white in the same box it is likely another circuit not related to your four-way. You can use a three-way at the ends but only a four-way in the middle where the two reds are located. Of course it can be much more complicated if you have two separate four-ways in the same box or if the light is not at the end of the circuit but in the middle or beginning (where the ‘hot’ lead is found). That may be when you need to employ a real-live electrician.


Combine Lights on one switch and remove smoke detector from switch

Pigtail the wires going to lights A and B together with a short 6" wire, and send that to the pole of your new switch, and supply the other pole with hot from the breaker.

Send the wire going to the garbage disposal to a pole on your other switch, and supply the other pole with hot from the breaker.

Then just send hot from the breaker to the smoke detector.


What is involved with replacing floor joists

Working from the info you proide:

Back up 6 feet from the wall.
Put a 5 foot chunk of 2x10 against the ceiling spanning the bad joists and good ones on either side.
Put another chunk of wood, 3/4 ply or osb on the floor to protect the floor. (If you have ceramic tile on the floor figure out a way to spread the load.)
Put in 2 teleposts. and take up the slack.  You aren't supporting anything.  You are just keeping the teleposts from falling over.
On a wall far enough from the problem to be stable, put a shelf, about 18" from the ceiling.
Rest a laser level on this shelf.
attach  16" chunks of wood to the 3 bad joists and the good one on either side.  You want to measure the middle of the board, and the ends that are on good joists.  These chunks need to be line of site to the laser level on the shelf.
Affix a cheap ruler to each board.  Record the ruler marks in your notebook.  This is how you are going to check what hapens.
Now, in the basement: Set up a similar support beam and pair of teleposts.  This might be overkill.
Set up a similar shelf and indicator for the joists under the
upstairs telepost.
Tighten the upstairs teleposts enough to get detectable movement on the center indicator.
Go downstairs and see of you are pushing the floor down.  If so,  tighten up the downstairs ones to bring it back up to the original reading.
Back upstairs.  Gradually lift the board, until you have motion on the good joists.  Back off a bit.
Back downstairs.  Check that the floor hasn't pushed down.

At this point you have the good part of the joists level with the rest of the ceiling, and the load isn't bending the lower floor out of shape.

Now you can cut the bad joist back to good wood, or at around 4 feet.
use an angle grinder and take off the ends of nails and screws poking into where the joist was.
Clean out the hole.
Insert new chunk of joist.  If you haven't addressed the problem that caused the rot, use pressure treated wood.

At this point I'm of two minds.  You need to splice the new chunk to the old chunk.  My gut level feeling is that I want a 6 foot chunk lapping the joint on both sides.  There's going to be significant stress on the fasteners.  I think I would use both glue and 2.5 inch x 5/15 lag bolts.

This is where you should consult someone wiser than I am.  I'm not sure how many bolts you should use or what the spacing should be.  Without a consultant I would put two rows of bolts 8 inches apart, alternately 1 inch and 2 inches from the edge.  Bolts from the other side have the opposite alternation and are offset 4 inches so that in the middle joist there are no bolts closer than 4 inches, and no two adjacent bolts are on the same grain line.

At this point you should be able to take down the teleposts and not have anything move much.

Caveats:  I've not done this.  I am not a professional.


Is this the first time you've used an impact driver? They sound and feel very different. The clicking / banging you hear is not the clutch, it is the hammer mechanism striking inside the tool. (Does your impact driver even have an adjustable clutch? It is not common on impact tools.)


You should caulk this with the best exterior caulk you can buy (doesn't have to be roofing, but do NOT use latex caulk for this). Don't use expanding foam, as it's not waterproof.

You might want to double check and make sure there's no lasting water damage (i.e. wood rot) before you do.


Why is the ph of my hot water 2 points higher than my cold water?

Water testing is affected by temperature so if they tested the water hot and did not adjust for the temp the measurement was off. When I worked in a clean room the water was tested at 72 degrees if the temp was +- a couple of degrees we had to adjust the values so that is probably the reason for such a high level. But I think it went down on hot measurements, the only thing in your tank that could affect the PH is the anode , flushing the tank and or replacing the rod would be all that you can do.


Well, this is thicker than a skim coat, but it's normal.  The compound will contract somewhat as it dries.  The normal and correct procedure here calls for multiple coats.  It is time consuming, but the only way to do it.  At any rate, inconsistencies will certainly exist between coats.  Its the final coat and finish that is important.  If this were supposedly a finished job, that would be a problem.  But this is just a work in progress and I wouldn't worry.  The only possible concern would be in the first pic.  That kind of does look like a crack which may indicate poor adhesion.  But it is hard to see.  The second pic looks like normal shrinkage of a somewhat thick coat.


Drawbacks of a stacked top-loading washer + drier

Stacking a top loading washer on top of a front loading dryer is going to be a ripping pain to use. The height to the top of the stack will, in the worst case, require a step ladder to get the cloths in and out. If it is reduced height thing then maybe just a stool is required but it still seems like a big pain.

There is another consideration too. Washers, especially ones loaded with wet cloths and water, are way heavier than dryers. It seems all wrong to put a heavy washer on the top of the stack.

Lastly if you select one of the type of stacked units that only lets a lower washer door open up to a 45 degree angle I find those to also be a pain to reach into and get the cloths in and out (especially out).


No Ground Wires - Can I connect a wire to the metal box for ground?

Congratulations, you have EMT conduit or better.  This is the good stuff,  much of the "pipes" you see in commercial and industrial buildings are this. Look at the ceiling at CostCo.

Your box looks exactly like it's supposed to.  All my boxes look like that. The metal conduit serves as the ground wire.

How do you attach a device ground?  Look in the back of the junction box.  There are several holes,  but one of them is different.  It is tapped for a 10-32 screw.  Often, it sits on a little "dimple" to give the screw threads somewhere to go.

Any short 10-32 screw will do, but for a professional flair, they make green screws for the purpose, and even will sell them with pigtails attached.  Do not use sheet-metal screws.

However, this may not be necessary. The device has metal tabs (ears) where you screw it into the box.  Pay close attention - if the ears "bottom out" on the metal of the box, you do not need that ground wire.  If they bottom-out against drywall, you need a ground.

Unrelated, one more tip on the device-mounting screws.  Some are shorter.  Look behind the lower right mounting screw on your box.  See where a pipe is coming in?  That screw needs to be shorter, or it'll hit the pipe. (the screw will suddenly get stiff to turn; stop or you can strip out the threads on the junction box, a painful repair even when it's not in drywall.)  The old screws may be captive on the old device; they are held on by a square of cardboard or plastic, easy to move.  Or you can buy short ones (1/2") at the hardware store, or cut them to length with the screw shear on the a multi-strip tool (that's what it's for).

 source


so you plan to get 2 of 4' pieces of C channel and screw it to your ceiling 2' apart then slide the troffer in from one end.

not to scale

possibly you could use two of these drop ceiling edge moldings
 riveted together to form a C

Else you could get a sheet-metal place to fold C channel for you, or see what you can find in aluminum extrusions.


I think you have a nice project idea.  The type of masonry anchors/screws you choose will be important.  I recommend Tapcon screws long enough to use a washer, penetrate the wood/cleat, and go 1.5" into the wall.  So that'll probably be 3" in total length.  Get the recommended masonry drill bit when you purchase the screws; and install them approximately as described, below:

mark the desired location of mounting cleat on the wall

mark the desired screw/anchor locations on the cleat

drill holes in the cleat

place the cleat against the wall again, and use the drill holes to transfer marks to the brick wall (spray paint with a thin nozzle works well)

pre-drill holes in the brick using the recommended masonry drill bit; this will be slightly thinner than the tapcon anchors.  A hammer-drill helps a lot here.  The needed hole will be around 1/4" deeper than the fastener, so for a 1.5" fastener installation depth, hole depth 1.75".  The instructions that come with the tapcon fasteners will indicate this, too.

hold the cleat back up to the wall.

install washers and tapcon anchors through the cleat and into the wall.  An impact driver with the correct hex bit will help.

The trick with this is if you don't already own a hammer-drill and impact driver (and bits) you may need to rent or borrow them, or the job will be more difficult.  That's half the reason for paying handy-men is if you don't want to accumulate expensive tools that you may not use often.


I had a similar issue on a house (built in 1973) that had 3/8" plywood for roof sheathing. Over the years it tended to bow downwards, leaving an odd look from the curb. To solve it, I cut multiple 2x4 stretchers that fit between the trusses and boosted the plywood even.

You didn't say if it was a truss roof or rafters, but the solution should work the same either way. You could install the 2x4 stretchers at the joint of the sheathing and it should level the roof out. I will say that unless you have good spacing in your attic, it will be a practice of straddling the trusses and getting in to tight spaces.


Does this look alright??? Does this meet code??? Electrical surrounded by water pipes

This is compliant...

The 110.26(E)(1)(a) rule about dedicated space goes as follows:

  (a) Dedicated Electrical Space. The space equal to the
  width and depth of the equipment and extending from the
  floor to a height of 1.8 m (6 ft) above the equipment or to
  the structural ceiling, whichever is lower, shall be dedicated
  to the electrical installation. No piping, ducts, leak protection apparatus, or other equipment foreign to the electrical
  installation shall be located in this zone.

Note that it says that the dedicated space is equal to the depth of the equipment.  Since the box is surface-mounted to the plywood, this means that the dedicated space starts at the front of the plywood sheet (the side facing out towards you), and the piping behind the sheet does not infringe upon it as a result.

Personally, I'd deploy a NEMA 3 family enclosure here instead of a NEMA 1 to minimize the risk of problems due to splashing, etal, but that's just me being mildly paranoid.

but be careful where you put the washer!

However, the Code compliance of this also has to do with where you put your laundry appliances.  The washer needs to be placed in compliance with the 30" minimum width requirement of 110.26(A)(2):

  (2) Width of Working Space. The width of the working
  space in front of the electrical equipment shall be the width
  of the equipment or 762 mm (30 in.), whichever is greater.
  In all cases, the work space shall permit at least a 90 degree
  opening of equipment doors or hinged panels.

Note that this doesn't have to be centered on the equipment -- in your case, simply making sure that the washer is 30" away from the side wall and not putting anything else there(!) would be enough to comply.


New house concrete slab foundation cracks - TX

In your case whether or not they screwed up is kind of a matter of interpretation.  The claim that concrete always cracks is really BS.  In my opinion (and the opinion of many others) the number 1 reason residential concrete cracks during curing is too much water used in the mix.  It's possible to put down concrete that WON'T crack - do you seriously think that the Hoover Dam is full of concrete cracks????  It is just more costly.  But that's water under your bridge since it's too late now that the concrete is down and has hardened.
Now, the one crack there intersecting the post may be a problem since it's wide enough close to the post that it could be considered structural.  The inspector probably will bitch about it.  It gets narrower further away so they probably will allow it, but the reality is that it is easy right now to repair that area, just run a concrete chipper blade over the crack to V it out then put in patching epoxy.  Since it's a fresh crack it's clean and not filled up with dirt so the patch should be able to get all the way down to the bottom and bond the 2 pieces together.  It's a lot easier to do it now while dust generation and so on won't be a problem.
If you ever decide to pour your own concrete for a small job (like a couple of bags of sackrete) the trick is to add just enough water to make it into a paste.  You don't want it all sloppy and liquid.  It takes more effort to work with less water but it gets very dense and hard.  Then periodically while it's curing you want to mist it with water.  That prevents the water in it from evaporating quickly so it cures a lot slower and will not shrink as much and it is much less likely for it to crack.
The problem with residential slab cracks in my opinion is you can get water coming through them if there's water pressure in the soil, (like a gutter drain plugs up) and you can get the little sugar ants coming through them.  If these are really just shrinkage cracks (which if you bitch to the contractor they probably will claim that they are) then once the concrete is cured they won't get larger - so you can push the contractor to v them all out and run concrete epoxy patch in the V's.  That will prevent water and insect intrusion.  It also will pi ss off the contractor but too effing bad.
The important thing with residential slab construction is soil settling.  Residential slabs are not made with re-rod so they have very low shear strength and so if you get soil settling one side of the house, the slab will crack and that side will settle. That happened to my father in law, they bought a beach house about 20 years ago, slab construction, with the back end settled.  They thought it would not settle further, they were wrong, and 3 years ago they had to tear out the carpet, and have a foundation company come in and repair it.  My advice to you is to really get on them about good water control.  It's critical that water from the roof is discharged as far away from the house as possible.  You do NOT want the dirt under the slab getting wet.


How to dust proof and waterproof garage concrete screed?

Any surface coating will prevent dust. just apply the waterproofer.


How can I stop my shower turning too hot and too cold?

Is the shower mixer a thermostatic control?

We have a similar set up. The one shower with a non-thermostatic mixer is a bit temperamental, but the other shower with a thermostatic mixer keeps a steady temperature. The former has a single control - left and right for temperature (though mixing), in and out for flow rate. The latter has two controls - one for flow rate and the other for temperature.

The problem with the radiators heating up implies that you haven't got a valve on the radiator feed that prevents the hot water entering the system. I'd get a plumber to check that the system is set up correctly.


How to untangle spring for kitchen faucet hose?

You can't untangle it easily while the hose is in place.

If you can remove the hose, this becomes straightforward; rotate the sections of spring 90 degrees to each other, and it should become obvious that pushing one through the other will either disengage them or make the problem worse. If it looks like it will make the problem worse, rotate one side 180 degrees and look again. If that still doesn't look like it will help, rotate back the other way.

Websearching "untangling a spring" or "untangling a slinky" will find illustrations/videos that will help you with this. From what you've shown us, it looks like there's just a single crossing that needs to be backed out.

Then reinstall the hose and you should be good to go.


Since the ceiling in the attic is too low to make it into a living space, you should only insulate the floor. Insulating the ceiling will create a new heating zone, and essentially you will be paying more to heat your attic.

Another reason you wouldn't want to insulate the ceiling rafters is that you can wind up with ice dam issues. The roof could get too warm and cause the snow to freeze more rapidly than normal and then refreeze into a sheet of ice when the weather gets colder such as in the night. This melting/freezing cycle could eventually let ice seep under your shingles and enter your home. It is a very common issue in homes that are in cold climates.

You should top off the insulation in the floors if it is cellulose, or replace it with new fiberglass batts if what is there isn't adequate. If you want additional insulation, you can cover the entire floor of the attic with rolls or batts of unfaced fiberglass insulation. When you are done, you should have a "carpet" of insulation on the floor. When selecting insulation, also look for the highest 'R' factor you can find in your area.

As far as the storage goes, you can suspend some shelves from the rafters by chains to avoid disturbing the insulation. If you do this, avoid storing heavy objects from them such as air conditioners etc. The shelving should be adequate enough to store boxes of holiday decorations and other seasonal items. Just be aware that the items up there are not going to be in a conditioned space, so don't store items up there that are sensitive to heat or freezing. I would also recommend storing any of these items in plastic storage bins to help deter any critters from nesting.

I definitely would not encourage children to go into the attic. There are many dangers up there which you would not want to subject them to. Depending on your attic there could be exposed wiring, poisons, toxic chemicals and fumes, etc. They can also get splinters, or be cut by exposed nails.

There are products on the market which can seal off the whole house fan for the winter. Since the attic is not a conditioned space, there probably isn't much of a need for it.

You would also want to look around your home for air leaks which lead into the attic. Access panels, etc. should be sealed for the winter. You can also use expanding spray foam in a can to seal up any gaps you find.


infloor heating thermostat from sub panel question

GFCI does not require a ground connection to function. It checks for an imbalance between the HOT and NEUTRAL lead current, assuming that any difference is escaping to ground, possibly through a human body.

This is why it is legal to use a GFCI outlet without a ground connected, assuming you are installing it on an old non-grounded circuit.


Can I erect a barrier to keep water out of my garage?

Strangely enough, I have had to deal with this same problem a few times. Short of raising the garage or pouring a second higher floor, the solution is in the driveway.  We had to excavate apx 6 feet of asphalt and create a gradual dip draining away from the house and garage to exit water. Obviously, they screwed up big time when the driveway was installed. Installing drains in the garage won't work, especially in freezing, thawing etc. All you will get is an ice covered floor.  The only solution is to stop the water from getting in. That is going to mean reforming the driveway to self drain away, not into you garage. There is no quick cheap solution to your problem. Gravity rules!


Electric Hot Water Heater-Draining or Not after 8 months of non-use

First off -- if your tank has been sitting idle eight months while full, there's a good chance that it's produced some hydrogen gas.  To fix this, go up to the highest hot water faucet in the house and open it, but do not have any open flames or lit cigarettes present, and do not turn on any lights or appliances where the faucet is.  If hydrogen is present, you will hear a hissing noise and/or see bubbles if you take a sample of the hot water with a glass.  Keep the faucet open until the hissing stops and hot water flows steadily from the tap.

Second, "draining" a hot water heater is a misnomer -- your goal is to remove sediment from the heater, and that requires some oomph to push the sediment bits out.  See this answer by BMitch for his suggestions as to flushing a typical residential tank like yours.

Finally, you may run into problems with stinky rotten egg smells in your hot water even after a flush -- hydrogen sulfide can also be a problem for idle hot water heaters, depending on your water supply and anode chemistry.  Spiking the tank with hydrogen peroxide when you bring it back into service is a common, cheap solution to this problem -- a tee piece and valves can be used to provide a place to add it to the heater.  There is more documentation on the peroxide fix available from Water Heater Rescue in case you want to try it, by the way.  (Another trick for stinky heaters is an aluminum/zinc alloy or powered anode, but that doesn't always work if a heater is left idle for very long periods of time.)


How much weight can a 2 by 4 support in this configuration?

The 2x4's are also the problem.  You want to support this from casters only on the corners.  That means you need an 8 foot span, as well as a 4 foot cross-span, and you need to keep all this rigid so it doesn't spread and lose strength.

Half of the structure is the wood to carry the weight.  The other half is to keep the first half from twisting or spreading when the weight is applied.

2 by anything isn't going to work lain flat.  You'll need to stand these tall and I would go with 2x6 myself.

I would create two box structures on either side of the frame running the long way.  How do I describe this?

Start with two 2x6's that are 7'9" long, set on edge and parallel to each other, and about 8" gap between them.  Got it?

Under load, these beams will want to twist, spread or lay over.  We don't want that. So we put stuff between them.  Spacers made out of more 2x6 material 8" long.  In the middle we set those vertically, making a tall "H", except we need more than one cross-spacer.  Near the ends, different deal. We lay the spacers horizontally - and this is what we attach the casters to.  We can position these spacers up or down as needed to set the desired height for the platform.   Got it?  We build two of these.

Now we get two 4' 2x6's.  These will become the end caps.  Lay the box structures parallel so their outsides are 4' apart, and attach them to the end caps.

That leaves a big, thin 2 foot by 8 foot rectangle in the middle with no support whatsoever. Another 2x6 joist would suffice there, or even a 2x4 if weight is a worry.

Now the framing is done.

The top plywood is very important. It's not just a hole filler.  It also provides structural stiffness to keep the whole thing from skewing or spreading.   So 1/4" will certainly not cut it.  Given that we now have joist support every 12" or so, 1/2" will probably do.


This should be a fairly easy project for you. The first step it to determine, if possible, if the existing paint is an oil or latex based paint. If you have the bucket that the old paint was in, you're in luck. Otherwise, it is hard to tell even though a trained eye may be able to tell. Regardless, using latex will be safe over either oil or latex (oil over latex will wrinkle and peel almost immediately and make a mess).

Since black will be hard to cover with one or two coats of white, I'd use a good blocking primer like Kilz or any good color block. Two quick coats of primer should be a great backer for white over black. Then just roll on your good quality, hard finish floor latex enamel. Probably two coats will do the trick.
Be sure to clean the existing black finish well, and if possible, sand lightly just to rough up the surface a bit. This will help assure a good bond with the primer.  Good luck.


2 layers of plastic film window insulation?

There are, as always, tradeoffs. First, 1 inch is more than is generally considered ideal - 1/2" or so is preferred as it's less prone to internal convection currents. Yes, plastic window film kits are often installed with considerably larger spacing, but they are also commonly installed on less than ideal windows where they stop actual drafts...

Any multi-pane system comes with a very basic tradeoff - more panes, less light. Neither glass nor plastic lets all light through, and multiple panes/layers have a multiplicative impact on the light transmission - if a single pane lets through 90 % of the light, two let through only 81% and 3 let through only 73%...

The additional layers do provide improved insulation value over a single pane, though even a triple-pane system is still a poorly insulated area compared to the rest of the wall (if the rest of the wall is properly insulated, anyway.)

I suspect hard data on the effectiveness of plastic film layers would be difficult to source (though I could be wrong, I don't feel like looking for it right now based on that suspicion) but you'd probably see far more difference from REPLACING the old single pane window with a modern, low-E double-pane unit than from covering it with 2 additional layers of plastic film - but the cost would also be higher.


Where should I put the Google Nest smoke alarm in this room?

After consultation with Google customer service, they recommended that the alarm go at the top peak. They did not provide the rationale.


Pros and Cons of sealing a flat roof with liquid rubber product

Adding a sealer to the surface does not sound like a permanent repair - may last a few seasons...

Covering the whole roof again does not sound like a reliable solution. Will this treatment do the 70years the original surface did?

I would look at opening that joint by removing the rivets / screws whatever the fixing is, then re-doing that seal and refixing the metal back down securely.