What are the proper steps for staining a deck?

The key to any finishing or refinishing job is proper preparation.

1) Clean the deck, railings etc well, removing as much dirt, grime etc with a power washer on medium setting

2) Wet the area with a mixture of 2/3 gal water, 1/3 gal bleach, and 1/2 cup TSP.

3) Let the mixture set for 5 minutes, then scrub it in with a stiff bristle push broom wetted in the same cleaning solution.

4) BEFORE the cleaning solution dries, rinse it off with a hose or your power washer.

5) Repeat this in any areas that still look bad or stained with BBQ leftovers etc. This should brighten the wood considerably.

6) Repair any loose boards, nails, screws etc.

7) Let the wood dry completely, usually a couple of days under good conditions before staining.

8) I like to apply stain with a roller on a pole or 1 gal pump sprayer, then immediately over brush with a good china bristle brush to even it out.  Don't be surprised if it takes two coats to look good again.

9) Don't wait 10 years again to freshen up your deck!!!!!   Good Luck


How easy is it to change a B22 light fitting to an E27 one?

it's usually pretty easy to change the fittings:

make sure electricity is off (turn off the breaker that powers the light)
double check the electricity is off
loosen the screws that hold it up on the ceiling and keep the wires attached. Remember which wire is connected to the ground (bare/green or yellow green striped wire), live (red, orange or blue wire) and neutral (black wire) connections. If your house is newer then the colors may be different: green/yellow stripe for ground, brown/black or gray for live and blue for neutral
connect the wires as indicated in the manual for the new fitting
attach the new fitting to the ceiling
put in new bulb
turn electricity back on, if the breaker doesn't want to stay on you did something wrong and should inspect what you did wrong before trying to "fix" the breaker.
toggle the switch and bask in your accomplishment.


How do I repair this damage to my driveway?

The technical term for what happened to the concrete on your driveway is that it "spalled", and sealing it with caulking isn't going to do much toward repairing it at this point.  What you'll want to do is clean out all of the loose debris (a shop-vac and wire brush work pretty well) and then pressure wash it.  After it is completely dry, inject or force epoxy down into any crack that extends down from the damaged area. Then apply a concrete bonding agent, fill it with a patching concrete and trowel it smooth.

Note - depending on the condition of the rest of the driveway, you might want to look into applying a concrete sealer to extend its life.


Hot water issues in the apartment and plumbers are stumped?

Very odd, but here's a thought on how to troubleshoot. Shut off water pressure into your water heater. Test each one of your hot water taps. If any of them work, something is mixing cold water into your hot water pipes. Some one-handle faucet and shower fixtures can do this if their internal seals are worn out. Find it and fix it. If they all only work when water pressure is supplied to your water heater, then the problem is likely the water heater itself.

Are the other units on the same piping? If so, the mix may be caused by a recent change in their plumbing. Maybe you can engage them in the troubleshooting.


What are these 'cabochon' tiles called in English

"Octagon and dot". Not very elegant a term, eh?


Should I install 10 AWG or re-use the existing 8 AWG?

Yes, by all means - larger than minimum wire is perfectly fine.


Take a brush or putty knife or trowel or slab of cardboard or whatever you have on hand and slather the material in there. Get it thoroughly covered so that your primary objective--sealing the wall--is accomplished.

Then wrap a large rag around your hand and dab off the extra. Really you're just trying to prevent runs and create a texture that comes close to the rest of it. There's no science involved at all.


An application for a time delay relay though in most cases you'd need that driving the control/coil of a heavy duty relay/"contactor" to actually switch appliance or whole-house power, as most time delay relays (TDRs) are fairly low current devices. One to switch whole house power will probably be expensive, but one for each circuit will add up, so you'll have to make that call based on what you find when shopping.

TDRs are a standard industrial item, widely available in many configurations. While you may not be aware of them, many consumer devices have one built in (i.e. my air conditioner has to have had power for 3 or 5 minutes (I don't recall which) before it will start the compressor, so that a an outage or being unplugged does not result in trying to start the compressor before it's ready to be started without damaging itself, if it had been running before the power went out.


How to connect 5-15P plug into 6-20R receptacle?

Assuming that your computer power supply accepts its power through a C13 socket, you could use a pigtail to make the connection.

Example: 6-20P to C13 Power Cords

Cables like this are commonly used in data centers to get 240V tolerant equipment attached to the rack PDU.


Solder only connections are a code violation. A metal crimp on the soldered connection with your new wire would be the best way to tie the grounds together.
crimp.


Which pH should I aim for when neutralizing restored/refinished antique surfaces?

If you are cleaning something that can be washed, you can neutralize the pH with water.  After using HCl on bricks, I would just hose them off.  The acid will become very dilute quickly.  pH just measures the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution, so if you add a bunch of water (neutral pH) the pH will approach neutral.

I also don't think you need to worry about the pH of solids such as dried plaster.


How many times can you extend NM-B with splices/junction boxes?

From what you are proposing, you are only lengthening the run by 10 feet. Your circuit is still only 85 feet long.

Short answer: Unless you are really loading this circuit heavily (~16 or more amps) you will be fine. There is no limit to the number of boxes or splices, only a length limit.

In the specifications of most of the commercial and industrial jobs we wire they require an increase in branch circuit wire size if we exceed 100 feet. This is a "rule of thumb" without doing a voltage drop calculation.

The definitive answer comes with that voltage drop calculation. There are many web sites online where you can enter your particular information and get a voltage drop estimate.

Also, If you are running PVC you don't need the UF cable you can use THWN rated wire. If you just want to protect the UF it only needs the PVC where it is exposed as long as you bury the UF to the depth required by the Code.

Good luck and stay safe!


What do I need to do to replace this shower faucet handle?

When it comes to trim kits for mixer valves, the method of attaching them can differ a lot between manufactures.  If you can get the model number of the mixer valve and/or trim kit (trim kit is the handle and escutcheon plate, usually sold together) you can go to the manufactures catalog and see if;

1) different handles are available for the trim kit  or

2) select a different trim kit with the handle you like. Most mixer valves will work with various trim kits from the same manufacturer.

At most box stores, they only display complete kits, mixer and trim together, however a knowledgeable sales person will know how to use the manufacture's catalog to select different trim kits to work with your mixer.


How can I patch a concrete porch that separated from the house?

From the two pictures, it looks like the porch is two parts - the foundation slab, and the top surface. Is the slab moving, or just the top surface?

My suggestion would be to apply low-expanding spray foam (they make a grey-colored version so it doesn't look ridiculous, as well as one with pest deterring chemicals) to those cracks. If it expands too far out of the top-surface crack, trim it after it's try, then apply caulk to the face of it to waterproof it.

Continue to monitor it for movement going forward. It's important to determine how and why you're getting movement.


How to make a house that tolerates condensation

What you need to do is to keep the surfaces that moist air will touch warm so the condensation won't form in the first place.

So, for windows that means installing double glazing so that the interior pane is the same temperature as the room and the outside pane can be a lot colder.

For walls it's harder - but installing cavity wall insulation (assuming you have a cavity!) will help, as would installing insulated plasterboard (dry wall).

You won't get rid of 100% of the condensation, but you should be able to get rid of a lot - especially if you do make the improvements to the ventilation in the house.

You can improve the ventilation, but ideally you want to remove the moisture without removing the warmth so simply fitting a vent in an exterior wall to give the moist air somewhere to go isn't ideal. You can get heat exchangers that will take the warm, stale/moist air and transfer the heat to the incoming cold, fresh/dry air.


How do I safely paint the walls and ceiling in this high ceiling staircase?

There are three ways:

1) Lean a ladder against the lower wall, put boards connecting it with an upper stair, and put a ladder on top of that.

2) Use a baker scaffold.  Baker scaffolds can be set up with varying height legs. Then put a ladder on the baker scaffold.  This is my recommended solution.

3) Use a 2 wheel edging paint pad that will allow you to cut-in using a pole.
http://www.decoratingdirect.co.uk/viewprod/f/FDDEDGPD/

If you are really careful, this might even look ok.


We can assume that the mistake starts and ends in that box, but there are other considerations. If the outlet is fed from a sub-panel, neutral and ground aren't (or shouldn't be) bonded. If they're also reversed there, reversing the connections at the outlet could be dangerous.

If you're confident that you're working with conventional wiring served from the primary service panel, go ahead and make the switch. Otherwise, consult a local expert. I'd have a look at a few more outlets in the area to see if there's a trend.

Also be aware that if you're working with a 15A circuit, the microwave likely consumes all available current. You won't have any overhead for other devices without causing nuisance trips.


Installing windows - screws laterally into studs vs nailing flange?

You are probably correct that the nailing flange will hold the windows in place.
However, if there is ever a warranty claim, there's a very high likelihood that they'd deny it if you don't put the screws through face trim as they instruct. Heck, it's possible they'd try to deny the warranty because you've used screws (as I likely would) instead of nails through the nailing flange.
i.e. Failure to follow installation directions to the letter = failure to honor warranty.
Whether you choose to follow the instructions or take your chances on the warranty is your decision.


No. You will need to increase the size of your wire. Assuming the distance is short enough so that voltage drop isn't a problem, you will need at least 10AWG wire. Your standard outlet is most likely 12AWG or 14AWG, depending if it's on a 20A or 15A breaker.

You may want to have an electrian help you install this. Not knowing the wire needs to be changed along with the receptacle and breaker shows a lack of understanding in electrical work. DIY electrical work can be dangerous and should be done by those who are knowledgeable and qualified to work with electricity. Please know I'm not trying to burst your bubble or insult you. Safety is my number one priority and I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving this answer without this comment.


Door newly out of plane - just winter weather or bad framing?

Most units are prehung. If the mortises on the jam and door look perfect and fit precisely, it is usually a prehung.  Unless the situation is intolerable, I'd give it a while and let conditions change before making drastic changes to the door or hinge sets. I suspect possible settling or drastic humidity or temperature  related expansion to the frame. You should also check to assure all the hung screw are snug. If you have a good 6 foot level, you can compare plumb between the door and frame on both sides to determine if a side has moved or lay the level against the door and look for any bow, gaps etc.   An other test is to remove the door (just remove hinge pins) and check that it has not warped by laying it on a known flat surface and look for gaps or rocking indicating that the door may have warped. Sometimes very hard to see a small wain by eye when hung.


Should I tape joints during or after an initial fill with setting-type compound?

Tape goes in early. The tape is providing a paper face across the joint just as the paper face of the board does across the wallboard surface, and wants to be bonded as close to that surface as possible.  So, it's generally embedded in the first coat of mud. Mud, tape, mud over tape, build up to a smooth surface.
You are not spackling, you are mudding joints (applying joint compound, which is somewhat universally called mud.) Spackle is a different product for a different purpose.


Can a HVAC be split between bonus room and garage, but with return and Tstat in bonus room?

There are multiple ways to do this but since it is a retrofit a 2 head (or more) mini split system makes the most sense.
With a mini split system each room has its own control.
There is no ductwork check them out.
the air in one room can be totally isolated from the other room.
With a conventional air handler the rooms can each have there own intake and output ducts but the air for the 2 rooms is mixed at the handler.
The ductwork gobbles up quite a bit of space and the controls can be in one room but if the rooms are not well balanced the controls will feel inadequate.
Look into a mini split I have multiple zones and they are quite efficient, if you are not using one room turn it off the compressor unit slows down and saves energy.
The pipes and power all fit through a hole in the wall for each room, if the rooms are large or 1 is, that one can have multiple heads if needed and the compressor is sized according.
If you want a central air add on it may cost much more than a mini and take up more space because of the ductwork. The temp control will be better with a mini each room being its own zone. The longer I have my mini split system the more I like it the efficiency is outstanding and comfort is a push of a hand held remote away.


There's nothing wrong with screwing the door to those two lips on either side. Depending on the weatherstripping on the bottom of the door, it should fit right up to the cement bottom, or top of that sill. Adding an additional "header" piece should not pose much of a problem. It could even extend a bit below the existing one if necessary for a good fit. Hardest part will be cutting those two angles. A saber saw will do the trick if you don't have a miter saw.


If you have a tank-type heater, flush the tank.
Beware that if the tank drain has not been used, it may fail to seal well after being used to flush the tank (so try to schedule the operation for when the stores are open and you can go get another one.)
A water softener (at least on the supply to the water heater) is probably advisable since you have hard water from the city, and heating it tends to cause stuff to come out of solution. Your flakes are mostly limestone (calcium carbonate, dissolved in the water, which comes out of solution as the water is heated), in most parts of the world.


If I understand your question correctly, the answer is it is irrelevant how you connect the standard receptacles past the GFCI one. What determines whether they are GFCI protected is how you connect the GFCI receptacle.

If you connect the GFCI receptacle to the line connection only (usually using pigtails) and do not use the load connections, then none of the following receptacles will be GFCI protected.

But if you feed the following receptacles from the load connections of the GFCI receptacle, all following receptacles will be GFCI protected no matter how they are connected, i.e., with pigtails or by using the receptacle contacts to feed the receptacles further on.


You could try a wire rope cutter like the Felco C2.


Is it okay to have a dryer vent in the wall cavity?

One of the leading causes of house fires is dirty or plugged clothes dryer vents. Dryer vents should not be installed in ways that make them difficult to clean and inspect.  Any vent in a wall cavity should be made of solid metal, with all joints sealed with metallic tape. There should not be any tight turns and they also need to be sized properly to the distance run. Flexible or corrugated plastic ducts should never be used in enclosed areas. When possible, it is safer to have vents exposed, as short as possible, made with metal duct with a minimum of bends. Ducts should be inspected for excess lint and vermin debris regularly and cleaned on regular intervals, usually every 6 months or annually depending on your usage. Also, anytime you see that your dryer is taking longer than usual to complete a drying cycle, it is a good idea to check the venting for problems.


I don't know how much code applies to low-voltage wires. Since it's unlikely this will be inspected at any point in the near future, I'm not sure it much matters.

You can drop Ethernet or coax through a drilled hole like this. Mind you, it's not sightly, but it sounds like that it's not a concern. It would be trivial to remove, since you simply remove whatever ends you've attached and pull the wire back into the basement.

If you have access into the wall, the cleanest solution would be to drill through the top plate of the basement and the bottom plate of the wall, then cut a low voltage bracket in and fish the wire up.


What could be causing water to drip from the relief valve of my new gas water heater?

A few things to check;

Did you place the expansion tank on the cold water side?
Did you pressurize the expansion tank to the same pressure that the
water line is at after the regulator?
Is the expansion tank size rated for the size of your hot water
heater?


How do I prevent my washing machine stand pipe from overflowing?

There could be a blockage downstream somewhere. However, there would    probably be a lot more water on the floor and on a regular basis.    Check the height of the stand pipe. If it is not tall enough, the    water will run out of it when you have more water in the tub than you    normally use. I/E: If you normally wash a small load but sometimes    you run a super sized load.

Also, it looks like that piping is fairly old. Washing machines have much stronger pumps than they did years ago and the stand pipe height requirements for your particular washer might be different than what you have. Lengthening the height of the stand pipe might help.

You could also install a flood-guard, which is a type of back water valve. This one can be added inline by inserting it into the pipe, tightening three screws and you're done. Any water attempting to back up in the line will be prevented from entering your home.


how to best remove concrete splash from vinyl siding

If [the concrete] has set, soaking the concrete with a strong
detergent solution helps loosen its adhesion so you can scrub or
scrape it off. Georgia-Pacific recommends mixing the following
ingredients to make a strong cleaning solution for vinyl siding:
1/3 cup detergent
2/3 cup trisodium phosphate
1 gallon water
Scrub with a soft-bristle brush or scrape with a plastic paint scraper. To
give the scraper more leverage, wedge it underneath a concrete deposit
and tap it with a hammer; this usually makes the concrete pop off.
If you have a concrete deposit that just won't budge, muriatic acid is sure to dissolve it. If, on the other
hand, the concrete is spread over too wide an area to make scraping,
scrubbing or washing by hand impractical, you can opt for a pressure
washer, but check the siding product warranty to be sure you won't
void it by pressure-washing. Both options should be considered last
resorts.
Using Muriatic Acid
Step 1 Put on goggles and rubber gloves to protect
yourself from the corrosive effects of muriatic acid. Mix one part
acid with three parts water in a bucket to create a 25 percent
solution.
Step 2 Test the acid solution before using it. It's safe for vinyl,
but your siding may not be 100 percent vinyl. If it's safe, spread it
liberally in the concrete with a natural-bristle paint brush. Don't
use a synthetic-bristle brush -- the acid dissolves the bristles.
Step 3 Allow the mixture to dissolve the concrete. It may take several
minutes, and you may have to apply more. As the concrete dissolves,
wash it off with a garden hose.
Step 4 Clean off the residue with a kitchen scouring pad. Use the pad
only after rinsing to avoid dissolving it in acid.
https://www.hunker.com/13415205/how-to-remove-dried-concrete-from-vinyl-siding


Replacing old 3-switch with new one that has Line In

Fixing the sins of installers past

What the installer who put this switch in did is run two /2 NM cables between the switch and the junction box downstream of it to hold all the switched hots and the neutral, which was rather naughty of them as it is a likely NEC 300.3(B)/310.10(H) violation that could get your switch box mighty toasty if the circuits the triple-switch was controlling were heavily loaded.

What they should have done, and what your electrician (as you indicated you weren't comfortable running wire yourself) needs to do to fix it, is run a /4 W/G NM cable from the switch box to the first downstream junction box -- that cable has enough wires in it for the neutral, the ground and all the switched hots, combined into one sheath.  Then, they can put the new switch in and have the installation (or at least, this part of it) meet Code :)


Why do double hung windows have sash stops

Generally, double-hung window sashes are removed by opening them to the limit of their travel, then pulling the sash away from the frame (after removing sash stop and molding). This movement to the limit also usually reveals parts of whatever balance and attachment mechanism(s) the window is equipped with. "They" don't want the end user to extend the window that far; except deliberately, to effect repairs.


Why is high voltage coming out of HDMI port on my TV?

You mention that there were sparks and a concern about your ground, I'd check for an incorrectly wired outlet as a precaution. The initial check is a simple outlet tester. These have 3 lights and quickly identify a hot ground or swapped neutral/hot, along with other common issues.

What they can't identify is if there's voltage on both the neutral and ground, for that, you'll need a known good ground and a simple voltage tester. For a known good ground, you can find some plumbing lines that are grounded, or perhaps the ground rods that the panel connects to, but a really easy way is to plug a long extension cord into a friendly neighbor's house and use the ground pin (in your case, the bedroom is probably a good ground). Check if there's voltage between the known good ground and your ground, or your neutral.

Since you're seeing actual sparks, I'm going to rule out phantom voltage from running an hdmi near electrical wires. And since the problem happened after you moved the TV, either the TV was damaged in the move, or it's another device that you added to the mix. Start with the outlet to be safe, but if that's not the problem, you likely had a faulty device. Given the reading of over 300V, I'm guessing that it was a faulty device. A hot/ground short would usually trip a breaker (unless it's not really grounded) and only read 120V.


You will never get 100% out of a dimmer, but 70 sounds low. Do you have a trueRMS multimeter or a cheapo unit? A non-RMS one could be mis-sampling the AC voltage given the irregular shape of the resulting AC waveform, which can give an off reading.
I would also check again with a load (bulb) in-place. You might not have enough current to get the triac (the component that "dims" AC) to latch (holding current, often >10ma, aka 1.2 watts in USA) early enough in the sine wave. Adding a load will enable everything to work as designed, which could (should?) fix the issue.


Can a standard PVC electrical box be used as a junction box?

You can do what you want, as long as...

The box remains accessible.
The box is fitted with a proper cover.

That being said, it may be more appropriate to make the splice in an existing box (assuming the box is large enough for the additional conductors).


Switch leg to light/ceiling fan with two 14/2 cables

Two cables won't fly, most likely

Splitting the wiring here between two 14/2 cables would be a 310.10(H)/300.3(B) violation for having unbalanced currents in each of the cables.  Using a 14/2 and a 14/3 is likely to be a non-option as well, as many fan/light controllers assume a common always-hot for both sides of the control, again bringing unbalanced currents into play.

Smurf (tube) to the rescue, though!

While 14/4 or 14/2/2 will definitely work for this application (check with your local electrical supply house -- they should be able to get you decent pricing on this stuff if big-box is gouging you on it), there is another option as well -- running an ENT ("smurf tube") between the switch box and the fan box.  A 1/2" trade size ENT can fit 11(!) 14AWG THHN wires  alongside a bare 14AWG ground, and also gives you the flexibility to use the rainbow to your advantage, selecting wire colors based on application instead of being bound by the monotone of NM cable.  Furthermore, it makes adding additional wires to that loop later trivial compared to ripping out and replacing a cable, alleviating concerns about having to provision an unused neutral now.

You'll need boxes with 1/2" conduit knockouts though, or to carefully make your own KOs with a KO punch set or KO holesaw (a 1/2" trade size KO is 7/8" in diameter to accommodate a standard conduit connector or cable clamp) if you have cheap plastic boxes without conduit KOs.  Also, stranded THHN is your friend here -- it is far easier to work with than solid wire due to its flexibility.


Will using portable heaters in the attic during heavy snow help melt it?

Very unlikely.

what would happen is that the snow or ice on the roof would melt somewhat, flow down to the edge of the roof where the attic ends, and refreeze, forming large ice dams. The ice and snow would continue to melt, backing up liquid water against the roof and evenutually finding its way under the shingles and through the sheathing into your home where it would drip down the ceilings and walls onto your dog, your kids and your computer. You would then curse and try to find a solution, but by then its too late. Your kids would hate you, your computer would be ruined.


It matters which one you replace, because that will determine which type of timer you need. One of those switches is going to be the "middle" switch, between the other two circuit-wise. That middle switch is a four-way switch, the two outside switches are three-way switches. You can determine which is which visually is you don't know the circuit layout - the three-ways will have three wires plus a ground, the four-way will have four wires plus a ground attached to each switch.

This is a simplified and idealized example of the circuit you're dealing with:


The framing above the pantry door is not load bearing. The doorway to the left of the pantry in the middle picture is load bearing. You can tell by the solid header.


AMP-MFAH-M Replacement Media Filter for AHMAC - Merv 11

The quality of the filter ie the size of the particles it will trap.

The smaller the size the better the filter - of course a coarse filter can be suitable for the task, that depends on what needs to be achieved.

Hepa filters or pollen filters tend to be most expensive.


What is a reasonable expectation of decibel reduction when sound proofing?

First off, a reality check; not trying to discourage you, just trying to set some expectations here:

First off, the actual pressures you're dealing with are very small. Absolute pressure is measured in Pascals; 1Pa = .0001psi. Your 80dB sound is inducing pressure changes of approximately .2Pa = .00002psi (that's two hundred-thousandths of a psi).
Second, the percentage changes you need to make to these small pressures are very large. The Bel scale is logarithmic, based on a "reference" pressure. One Bel - 10dB - represents a tenfold increase in pressure. So, a 90% reduction in the pressure of your 80dB sound only reduces it to 70dB; to get the sound level below 10dB (you or I would call that "silence"; in laboratory conditions the threshold for human hearing is 0dB) would require reducing the pressure differential by 99.99999%.
This level of isolation is possible but extremely cost-prohibitive in most applications; million-dollar recording/mixing studio spaces are built with lower levels of soundproofing than this. You normally see this level of isolation in medical and sound engineering research labs, where they literally build a room within a room, suspended on vibration-dampening struts, with a near-vacuum maintained between outer and inner walls of the chamber.

The upshot of all of this is that, no, a reduction in sound of 80dB is just not possible on a $1000 budget.

Now, all that said, don't lose heart. First, you seem to have much more ability to make changes to your rented space than the average apartment dweller would have (though I'd double-check your rental agreement; if you're required to return the space to its original condition - or pay damages - when you leave, think carefully about studding in a new wall).

Second, much smaller reductions in SPL can make a very big difference. Soundproofing that reduces an outside noise by 20dB makes the noise sound only a fourth as loud. This is easily doable in your budget (add some sound-insulating material such as mass-loaded vinyl between the existing wall and an extra sheet of drywall or wall covering), add a sound-insulating curtain or three, etc and you'll start hearing results pretty quickly. Two layers of mass-loaded vinyl will reduce most sounds above 125Hz by 18dB just by itself.


Stack Effect and an open top floor window

I think you're asking where air would come from in a modern, well-sealed home, in order to replace that which escapes through an open window. The answer is simply that there's no such thing as a "sealed" home. Even brand new, ultra-efficient homes have countless tiny leaks. Door seals. HVAC penetrations. Recessed light fixtures. Gaps in vapor barriers. They happen.

Older homes were so leaky that it was almost as though a window was open at all times. Modern homes reduce that leakage dramatically, but you're still probably talking the equivalent of a 3-4" pipe through the wall. By opening a window, the convection and escape create low pressure that dramatically increases the airflow through those leaks, probably on the order of ten times as much.

There's also the natural mixing that occurs, which has probably as much effect or more as the overall leakage volume.


How install single Insteon switch with only line, load, and ground?

You can't. Neutral is not available in that box.

This is a switch loop, and currently white and black are always-hot and switched-hot.  The proper method is to use white as always-hot, to make it more apparent that it is not a neutral (i.e. it's always hot).

Your best bet is to go up into the lamp box and re-task the black and white wires to be always-hot and neutral (white must become the neutral, so make black always-hot). The switch's red wire goes to nothing at all.  Then, obtain an Insteon inline module and place that up in the ceiling rose of the lamp.  It will connect to always-hot, neutral and switched-hot to the lamp. (the lamp's other wire goes to neutral, of course).   Then you pair the module to the switch.

It may also be possible to obtain LED bulbs with the module built into the bulb.


It depends on how your kitchen is wired. If one breaker controls all your kitchen counter outlets, you can replace the "first" outlet with a GFCI and protect the rest of them from it. If you have two or more breakers for the kitchen counter   outlets then the "first" outlet on each circuit needs to be a GFIC. you could also change the breakers for your kitchen outlets to GFCI breakers.


Yes, you need to follow (in the conduit) the same hot and switched-hot wires.  Follow the switched-hot to the lamp itself; there, a neutral must be present.  Tap the neutral from there.
Do not tap the neutral from any convenient location.  Only the other end of the switched-hot wire.


Sounds like a high resistance connection somewhere. Try plugging in both the 3-light tester and a light to the outlet. I expect that then, the tester will indicate something wrong. If all of the lights go out, the problem is on the hot. If it shows an open neutral, then the problem is on the neutral.
I’d suggest you remove the outlet and check all of the connections. Also, if you are using the back-stabs, you should switch to the screw connections instead. These are much more reliable.


can a ceiling fan be wired via a 3-pin plug and switched using the standard power socket switch?

Yes. A ceiling fan swag kit is made, that allows you to convert a hardwired fan into a plug-in fan. You would install this kit, then install the outlet that is wired to the switch.


How should I troubleshoot and unclog an outdoor drain?

One frequent cause of backups is that a root from a tree or large bush has grown into the pipe. If that's happened to you, you'll need to dig up the clogged area to sever the root and then repair the pipe, or if it's a porous drain pipe, wrap it in a landscaping fabric.

As Tester says, use a snake to see what you can find. You can also measure the distance until the snake gets stuck to get an idea of where you need to dig. Pay attention to any bends you feel the snake making on the off chance it isn't a straight run to the front.

Once you have an idea from one side, I'd fill the drain up with water on a dry day and see if you can find the outlet. Then try snaking from that outlet as well since the clog may be a long one from sediment building up over time. Again, measure the distance, and now you'll have an overall area to check.


How long can a fireplace go without cleaning/inspection if it's never used?

Theoretically you'll never have to get it cleaned or inspected again as you're not putting smoke, soot and damp air up it.

However, if you do get it back in working order you'd be better off to keep using it on a regular basis and then cleaned regularly too.


If you don't trust a ground, don't connect to it - use GFCI instead.

If a GFCI won't trip with its own internal test button, it is duff.  Into the trash it goes.

Here is how GFCIs and ground wires are supposed to relate to each other -- or to be more precise, how they are not.

To the left you see unprotected hot and neutral coming in, out the right you see protected hot and neutral, which I've recolored.  Ground sails right by unconnected (normally).  Obviously, if your ground is corrupt/defective, this is bad news indeed.

"Wait, all the GFCI's I've ever seen have a ground screw."  No.  That thing you call a GFCI is actually a GFCI+receptacle combination device.  It provides a GFCI module, and also two sockets (wired past the GFCI). The GFCI can't use ground. Look at a GFCI breaker, it doesn't even have access to ground. The ground is for the sockets.  This means effectively, that ground screw is on the "protected" side of the GFCI.

So if the ground is bad, where should you cut the ground?  Before it reaches any protected loads, and remember, the ground screw on a GFCI+receptacle combo serves the protected loads.

Should you do anything creative like tie the protected-side ground into protected-side neutral? No No No! This post of mine explains how that utterly defeats the GFCI protection.  Wrap the ground wires with tape so they can't touch, and don't use them.

Detecting tied ground-neutral

If your panel is set up this way, the single easiest way to test your neutral-ground isolation is to disconnect your neutral-ground bond in your main service panel.  Now the only thing connecting neutral and ground is that long path of dirt between your grounding electrode system and the pole transformer's. If you also unhook your grounding electrode, your house's internal grounds should be fully isolated from neutral, and should megger out at a couple megaohms.  (Don't megger things in residences though, it could fry electronics).

Or test circuit by circuit.  It's a simple thing, on any given circuit there should be 0.000 amps of current flow on the ground wire. Nothing is supposed to use ground but test equipment.  Now, if neutral and ground are tied together, current follows all paths in proportion to their conductance (1/resistance) so a significant fraction of current will take ground instead of neutral (assuming there is a load).   Obviously a GFCI will detect the shortfall, but a clamp meter will detect the ground current directly.

I don't agree with that video's claim of nearly 1 ohm between neutral and ground. Copper wires have much better conductivity than that unless he has many hundreds of feet of wire between his lab and his main panel. There may be something peculiar going on in his test lab, or he is misunderstanding or misusing the equipment. You shouldn't have 1 ohm neutral-ground, that would limit dead-short current to 120A, which would not flow enough current to safely magnetic-trip a breaker.

In any case, a clamp ammeter around the N-G bond (or a circuit's ground wire) would soon show if any AC current was flowing.


How much Load Capacity does a 12' 2x12 board have?

Putting those numbers into the sagulator, a 12' 2x12" Ponderosa pine board lying flat could support 100-125 lbs with about 0.2" of sag in the middle.

If it were on edge, it could support several thousand pounds. The sagulator says borderline sag began at about 12,500 pounds, but that was beyond their stated target sag of 0.02" / ft. I found that target sag at about 7000 lbs.


What do I do with a leaky roof in the middle of January?

If the leak(s) are due to water backing up behind ice dams, you may be able to keep the problem at bay and defer the roof work until summer, by addressing the ice dams and using a roof-rake to remove most of the snow.

There are a few approaches to battling ice dams; chipping away, electric heat tape, or ice melt that is safe for your roof/siding/yard/pets... I currently have some ice-melt-filled nylon stockings draped across a problem ice dam, so that it creates a drainage channel for the melting snow I miss or can't quite reach with my roof-rake.

Don't put off the roof work for a full seasonal cycle tho, or you may find your newly remodeled bathroom drenched next winter.


Replacing cast iron hot water floor standing radiator with wall mounted type

For the heat output of the standing cast iron radiator you need to show the name, height, # of sections, # of tubes in each section, then look on a chart for the equivalent sq ft and multiply that # by 240 btu/sq ft


Reducing traffic noise in front and back yard

If you go with trees, go with spruce:  This gives you high density twig/leaf structure.  Evergreen leaf trees are also possibles.

Trees don't reduce sound by a lot, factor of 2 to 4.  That sounds like a lot, but it's only 3 to 6 db.  3 db is just detectable.  An earth berm is the best system.  Make it fairly steep on the side facing the noise so that sound is reflected up.  However, trees generate their own noise -- closer to white noise without the swoosh of traffic.  This will help mask the freeway noise.

Material for a berm can come from creating a pond.  A track hoe here in Canada runs about 1500 bucks a day, and a day's work moves a LOT of earth.

If you are going to build a wall, it needs to be massive.  Stone, concrete, brick, block.  Ideally such a wall has a hollow core, with the area density different on either side of the core. This reduces coupling between the front wall and the back wall.


can I install new leviton outlet without ground wire?

In order for you to find the answer to your question you need to have a continuity tester, or some type of meter that can measure ohms. You could also use a plug continuity tester

First make sure all circuits are dead in the box you are testing, then see if you can get a "ring" between the neutral and the metal box (make sure they are not touching in the box). If you do get a ring then chances are your system is grounded through the metal conduit or cable back to the panel. If it is grounded to the panel then you can go ahead and replace the receptacle. Is this a good idea? Probably not, but if your dwelling falls under an old grandfather clause that uses the metal conduit as a ground there is no reason you can't.

The more modern and acceptable approach or if you can't get a ring between the neutral and the ground, is to replace that receptacle with a GFCI receptacle. If all of the outlets on this circuit are the same configuration as the one shown. Then the best method would be to find the beginning of the circuit and install a GFCI there and label the preceding receptacles ungrounded with the little labels provided with the GFCI receptacle.

Here is a picture to help explain, just remember the is no ground.

Good luck


When splitting a 240v circuit, what happens to neutral's amperage?

Delta. stop Stop STOP!  Wiring a subpanel will not fix your problem.  Your problem is a GFCI trip, a subpanel won't help that! Fat wire and dedicated circuits won't help that! GFCI stands for Ground Fault Circuit Interruptor. You have a faulty appliance or possibly bad wiring that has a ground fault, the appliance is leaking to ground, or leaking through you and shocking you. If it's always one appliance, it's the appliance.  If any appliance causes it, look in the outlet wiring for a neutral touching ground.
If you still want to wire this subpanel, awesome. You have a serious code violation with bathroom receptacles sharing a circuit with non-bathroom receptacles and it'd be good to be rid of that, and more power in the garage is never bad.  But I want to be clear, when you finish your masterwork and plug the same tool in, it's gonna trip the new GFCI.

It depends how you wire your subpanel, but either way, you'll be fine.  North American panels have two poles or legs, as shown here.  So you are putting in a 40A subpanel, 4-wire (hot hot neutral ground) with #8 wire.  Suppose you fully load two 20A circuits, one at 20A the other at 18A.

If you put both 120V/20A breakers on the same pole (via a double-stuff breaker, or in two spaces both "black" on the linked illustration), the black hot will load to 38A, the neutral will load to 38A, and there will be no activity on the red wire.  You could load that to 40A@120V  also.

If you put them on opposite poles (via a 2-pole breaker or in 1 black and 1 red space), then you will evenly split the load.  The black wire will carry 20A, the red wire will carry 18A, and the difference of 2A will be carried on the neutral. Note that this is uses only half the capacity of your #8 40A wire. You can carry another 20A@240V.

To answer your questions:

Once your subpanel is in, you can wire 2 subcircuits with a shared neutral (aka Multi-Wire Branch Circuit or MWBC), but I don't recommend it, because it does not play well with either GFCI or AFCI.  This is largely a deprecated wiring method.

The other problem with this method is the danger of overloading neutral.  You must put both subcircuits on a 2-pole or handle-tied breaker for common trip and opposite poles, so neutral carries only difference current.  2-pole breakers are easily confused with double-stuff breakers, and if somebody "tries to save space" bymoving it to a double-stuff, it overloads neutral. /3 cable is the right way to wire the subpanel's feed, but stick with /2 for branches.

The best way is in my second example above, conscientiously putting 120V branch circuits on opposite poles to the extent possible. I would recommend using a size bump to #6 wire, because the cost differential is not large, and this bumps you to 60A capacity, enough so you won't be worrying about power for a good while.
Keep in mind you are allowed to oversubscribe a panel: if you had a 60A subpanel with twelve 20A 120V breakers evenly balanced on the panel, and also one 20A 240V, that is fine, because you are rather unlikely to max out all of them at once.  If you followed along you know we have 140A of breakers on each 60A leg.  That is fine.


It likely has a spring / pressure / snap connector and is not a screw on type of fitting. We can tell that it's not a screw on since it's the same no matter how much or what direction you turn it. Try carefully prying it to one side or the other from the top of the light cover while holding the light base so to not put force on the connection of the fixture to the wall. More than likely it will just pop out. Don't be shy with the force, it might take a little, while of course being careful not to break or damage anything


You don't have enough juice for a normal dryer
The problem you have is that while you have space in the panel for the circuits required, your feeder just can't quite provide enough grunt to support a bog-standard electric (condensing) dryer.  In particular, you are looking at 750ft2*3VA/ft2 = 2250VA for lighting, along with 3 1500VA allowances for appliances (microwave, fridge+disposal, kitchen receptacles), which gives you 4313VA of load once you apply the 35% load factor for general loads over 3kVA, or 18A @ 240VAC.  However, that load factor does not apply to the dryer's 5000VA load allowance, and you need to provide 1500VA (load factored, though) for the laundry small appliance circuit as well, which puts you at 9838VA of load, or 41A @ 240VAC, just a hair too large for your 40A feeder.  Oops!
Heat pump dryers to the rescue!
However, there is a way to do what you want without breaking your apartment's feeder, although it does mean buying a not-so-cheap dryer.  You see, in the quest to make a less piggy clothes dryer, some bright sparks hit on the idea of taking the exhaust air from a dryer's drum, running it through what's basically a dehumidifier, and then stuffing it back into the drum.  This arrangement is called a heat pump dryer, and it has the upside that it is exceptionally efficient compared to any other powered clothes-drying means out there, in addition to not requiring a vent, either.
In particular, the Miele TWB1xx series of heat-pump dryers will run perfectly fine on a 120V outlet, pulling roughly 8A from that outlet.  Along with your average apartment-sized washer, with its 8-12A of 120V load, it just barely fits onto a single 120V laundry small appliance branch circuit.  Furthermore, we can skip the clothes dryer allotment in the load calculation as a result of this (allocating 5kVA in a loadcalc for an appliance that cannot ever draw that much power as it plugs into a 120V, 15A branch circuit is simply silly).  As a result, we add one factored 1500VA small appliance allowance to our existing load, giving us 4838VA, or 20A @ 240VAC.
Note that this trickery only works with the Miele dryers -- the Samsung and Blomberg/Beko heat pump dryers both run on 240VAC circuits, and it appears the Samsung requires neutral as well, really constraining one's options when it comes to provisioning power for them.  (Also, Samsung doesn't document how much electricity their dryer actually draws anywhere on their website or in the product specification sheet.)


4 prong Dryer cord not quite in all the way

If it is only 1mm you have it in as far as it will go, good contact is being made. Your concern is what? The blades of the plug start engaging their receivers in the outlet almost as soon as the blades enter the receptacle. Lots of contact.

To answer your question, no you do not need to replace the outlet, IMHO.


How could I conceal exposed outlet wiring after electric baseboard heater removal?

Some ideas, in order of preference:

Drop the wiring down from each box, under the floor (which would allow you to remove the shelf board)
Bring the wiring up under the shelf board where it's mostly hidden.
Overlay a one-by board with a minimal gap behind (maybe right behind the blocks on which the faceplates are mounted)
Run Wiremold™ or similar in beige or tan


Top half of outlet is no longer "switched" and stays on contiuously!

If all of the wiring was properly installed previously then chances are you haven't broken the tab at the receptacle or someone else has just wired in the source and not the switch leg. Check out the drawing below:

Hope this helps.


radon mitigation fan running, but u-tube manometer shows no pressure differential

Our u-tube shows a 2" WC.  IMO, the hole is the problem: the pump is sucking air from the basement, making both sides of the tube at the same (basement) pressure.  Hence, 0 pressure difference.  This will obviously reduce the suction from the subsoil; at the same time, it will be pulling radon-contaminated air from the basement.  I have no idea what the net effect would be.

You could get a continuous radon monitor.  (Amazon, $130)  Not cheap, but I find ours very reassuring.

FYI, a couple of things, from experience with our system.  (It doesn't seem like these apply to your problem, but just in case.)

We've had the outlet ice up in winter.  (Moist air from sump, cold pipe.)  When this happened, we showed 0 pressure.
We've had problems in summer, where a water bubble developed in the u-tube.  This affected the reading, but I don't remember how much.  At the time, we were drawing outside air into the basement, and getting a lot of condensation.  So, warm air, u-tube in contact with the cold pipe.  We now keep the cellar mostly closed in summer, and I spaced the tube out from the pipe.


Cleaning "Builder's foam" off where it shouldn't be

It's called 'spray foam insulation'

Acetone (nail polish remover) will remove it - but it potentially will damage the surface that got contaminated.

On an unrelated note - you should demand that the window company pay you for damages/cleaning.


How do I interpret the power supply specs for an electric convection oven?

It's referring to the electrical service supplying the house. Most homes in the US are supplied by a single phase service, which is often described as a 120/240 Volt system. If your house is supplied by a three phase system, it could be a 120/208 Volt system.

In both these cases you'll be able to install the equipment you have.

NEMA 14 devices are four wire grounding devices. Which means they'll require two ungrounded "hot" conductors (X,Y), one grounded "neutral" conductor (W), and one grounding conductor (G). When installed on a single phase 120/240 volt circuit, NEMA 14 devices can supply 120 and/or 240 volt loads. A NEMA 14-30 device is designed to supply 30 ampere equipment.

The circuit will require a 30 ampere double pole breaker, and four at least 10 AWG copper conductors. You'll connect one ungrounded "hot" conductor to each of the X and Y terminals. The grounded "neutral" conductor goes to the W terminal. And the grounding conductor connects to the G terminal.


There are glues out there that will do what you want (Super Glue comes to mind) but a nice investment would be a 23 gauge headless pinner. I bought one from a discount place for 25 bucks USD and does great for me. If you are staining, be careful how you are gluing.


voltage draw differences on GE Spectra electric range/oven

That would require way more smarts than the current mains electrical system has.  Mains electrical is a constant-voltage system (as opposed to a constant-current system like you find inside a fluorescent ballast).  Mains will be 240V at all times.

Most stoves work by either switching 240V on and off, or doing some wave-shaping tricks that chop off part of the 240V waveform.  At less than 50% chop, peak voltage will be somewhat less than 240V, but not less enough to be helpful for life safety.

Now, in America 240V is delivered as split-phase with a center-point called "neutral".  120V circuits are wired between a phase and neutral.  That means if you get between 240V and ground, you'd only get bit by 120V.  Most ovens use the neutral to allow clocks, electronic controls and the oven light to be 120V, meaning you can use common incandescent light bulbs instead of weird 240V bulbs that would be hard to find.

If she is complaining about being shocked, then perhaps she actually is being shocked.  There are two ways to wire an oven - a 4-wire connection which is as safe as any modern equipment, or a 3-wire connection which omits ground, and potentially catastrophically, connects neutral to the chassis of the oven. (WTH?) The idea is that the neutral wire is unlikely to fail on an installation that is rarely disturbed.

Well. The problem is that if the neutral wire does fail, then it most definitely electrifies the chassis of the oven.  The oven electronics may not flow enough current to electrocute someone, but the oven light definitely would.

So if the oven has a 3-wire connection, that is something to take very seriously. I would recommend retrofitting a single ground wire from the oven to the panel or intermediate location, and removing that pesky neutral-ground strap on the oven that connects neutral to ground.  Once the oven chassis is properly grounded, at that point she is just mistaken.


Can I put Hardie Board siding directly over old stucco?

For weathering in you home, it would be best to remove the stucco.

To add strapping, then the siding would place a lot of emphasis on how the windows are treated for weatherproofing. To do that properly, the stucco needs to be removed from around the windows and add thick trim and head flashing before the siding is set so the trim bridges the gap created by the strapping.

To remove the stucco, it can be removed in sheets, really heavy sheets, really heavy sheets with a bunch of nails sticking out the back side that are in really solid... with wire teeth all around the edges ready to rake the skin off of you. But doing it this way using gloves, will keep the trash to a minimum.. If a right angle grinder is used to cut the stucco, then the wire ends will be kept to a minimum.

Real stucco is 3/4" thick, and solid masonry, with expanded metal lath reinforcement. The stucco can be thicker, or thinner, but 3/4" is the norm. If you go that way, as in removing the stucco, it can be elaborated on farther.

More on adding it over the stucco. It would be best to find the studs to attach the strapping to, since when the siding is done, there will be a lot of weight hanging on each piece.


Bookshelves are not designed to be trolleys!

They will tear themselves apart if casters are put on the corners.

I would have a 1" plywood deck to be a "chassis" that carries the dynamic forces between the casters.  Fasten the casters to the plywood deck, then fasten the deck to the bookshelf. Normal wood bookshelves are not meant to roll around, and do not have the physical strength needed to sustain the dynamic forces of being rolled around.

If you've ever pushed a cart on casters, and had it jump or stop abruptly when it hits a low spot, doorway threshold, pebble or pavement crack -- then you have met the dynamic forces I mention.  Your generic IKEA tier plywood/engineered-wood bookshelf just can't handle that.

For that matter, you may have a problems with books blowing through the thin back sheet on most bookshelves.  You might replace that with 1/4" luaun plywood and lots of wood screws, and predrill them especially if they're going into engineered wood or particle board.

Casterwise, you want the smallest wheels possible. The problem is, larger wheels mean the center of the wheel is farther inset from the edge, and that means the actual footprint of the wheels is getting smaller and smaller.  1" wheels = 11x23" footprint.  4" wheels = 8"x20" footprint. 8" wheels = 4"x16" footprint.  Too small a footprint makes the bookshelf increasingly "tipsy" when being transported, so instead of stubbing its toe, the bookshelf may fall over.


What's this top part of this faucet used for?

That is a backflow preventer, which makes sure that if the water pressure in the house plumbing drops, it doesn't suck water from the hose or whatever the hose might be sitting in.

You can also find information on similar devices by searching for "vacuum breaker".


The first photo could well be mold. Testing will confirm/deny. As to danger, the answer is, 'probably, yes, it presents a hazard to occupants'. There are lots of variables to consider, though.

It is very common for HOAs to be responsible for roofing, but you need to contact theirs to see. A paper trail is very important in matters like this.

A mold remediation specialist can weigh in on the rebuild versus rehabilitate question, but my instinct says that you'd want to strip off and replace the affected sheathing.


air gap between insulation batts and subfloor

Leave it alone.
There's nothing wrong with this, especially in a subfloor.
More air is more insulation, and in this case the stratification means here's not going to be much in the way of convection currents to mess it up.


Is it safe to use a 50W light in a 35W hood range?

Probably, but you don't want to.

As comments mention, there are several factors which play into the maximum wattage. You don't know which factor(s) was/were the driving factor(s) in that rating so you have no guarantee.

The consequences of ignoring it could be as benign as a fuse breaking, or as bad as the insulation cooking and releasing toxic chemicals which cause health effects, or just getting it done with and burning down your house.

Buying the right bulb is probably a lot cheaper.


Replacing the subfloor will not be easy, it likely runs under the walls.  You'll have to cut around the perimiter and the pry up the boards which are likely gluded down as well.

If you want the glue removed try a belt sander with a 40 grit paper or lower and see how well that removes the glue.  You'll gum up a lot of belts, but the area is still small. Wear a dust mask.


How to remove stubborn kitchen faucet mount nut?

Since the sink is out, it should not be an issue at all. Just remove the same as any other nut... Perhaps a little more pressure? Try to squeeze the nut only tight enough to maintain a grip, too tight may be deforming the nut slightly to "pinch" the nut tighter than is seems.


Looks like:
System "on" at B.
1 to pilot, 2 should either press or turn (and will need to be held, if it's what I think it is) and 3 should be pressed in (and will make a "clunk" sort of noise) one to three times.
There should be some place you can see the pilot light - you might need to move a flap, you might not. When you see it light, stop pressing 3 but hold 2 for (typically 30 seconds, but it varies.) If you don't see it light after a few presses of 3, or can't figure out where to look, re-evaluate.
1 is the gas valve, I believe that 2 is the over-ride that allows you to light the pilot, and what it over-rides turns off the gas if the pilot is out, and 3 appears to be a spark igniter (you may have seen them on gas barbecue grills) to light the pilot.
When the pilot has ben lit for long enough it will stay lit when 2 is released - at which point you can move 1 to "on" and proceed with heating.


mitigate mold concerns from humidity in sauna in PNW

If you're building a proper sauna (Finnish sauna) and using it correctly, there should be no moisture problem in it. The air you feed it initially has the same humidity as the surrounding air, then the stove raises the air temperature leading to a decrease in relative humidity (same water content by weight + higher temperature = lower relative humidity, RH%).

The only two things that can add water vapor to the air in your sauna are 1. multiple people sweating in there for a while and 2. somebody pouring unnecessary amounts of water over the heated rocks, thinking a sauna should look like the steam baths (Turkish baths) they've seen in the movies, where people can barely see eachother through the thick clouds of vapor.

People in a sauna still need oxygen replenishment, so you should build it with a fresh air intake under the stove or somewhere close and low, and an air exhaust on the opposite wall and at half height or higher (sometimes it's a small sliding wooden window on the ceiling). This should deal with the humidity from sweat just fine.
Stop it. A sauna is not a steam bath. The air in there should be (very) dry. The only time you pour 1-2 ladles of water over the rocks is maybe if you want to "kickstart" your sweat response by generating a sudden wave of extra heat, or if you're looking for the supposed antioxidant or other benefits of löyly. Other than that, adding too much water just makes the high heat unbearable, shortens your sauna session to way under the normal 15 minutes, plus it introduces unecessary risks of germ growth, which is normally inhibited in a sauna by both the very high temperature and the dry air.


What options do I have for quick disconnects for copper/plumbing?

You might want to take a look at what micro-breweries use.  The connections between the various tanks are fairly modular, allowing the wort to be pumped out of the mash tun, through a heat exchanger, and into the holding vessels.  From what I've seen, the pipes have flanges that are held together by a circular clamp.


KItchen backsplash tile cut too short and grout line too thick

The only right way is to pop those tiles off and reinstall them with a better fit. Any attempt to conceal the poor workmanship will look tacky.

In my opinion, the installer should handle this for you. A cut end should always have a matching or smaller grout line for just this reason.


How can I dry out and reseal this corroding railing to prevent further damage?

That's pretty far gone, basically that split is beyond economical repair.
But since you asked:
To drain it, it can be drilled from below the deck using a long drill bit, or a slot can be cut using a hacksaw with the blade sideways or reversed, or you could remove rail unit from the house and just use a regular drill.
To dry it you can heat it with a propane torch or heat gun until it stops steaming.
You can then cover the split with duct tape, might be good for a year or two, a better repair of that split seems pointless
Basically to fix this properly you need to replace that bottom rail.  That means removing the unit from the house, cutting out the old rail and welding a new one in.  After that consider having the whole thing hot dip galvanized before  re-coating it and fitting it back onto the house.  The person doing the welding probably knows a place that can do the galvanizing.


How high to seal vapor retarder in open ceiling basement

Having the ends of your joists rot out is also a pain. If you don't seal the spaces from the warm, moist air inside, it will infiltrate, cool, and dump water in the cavity and insulation - that's why a vapor barrier is used.
Probably the "least painful" approach (assuming cold climate) would be to insulate the rim joist spaces with the mineral wool outside and the XPS inside, and use closed-cell spray foam to seal the XPS in each cavity, since XPS is a vapor barrier itself. You'll need some sort of fire barrier (such as sheetrock) over the XPS, though.


How do I insulate the floor under my shed?

You probably don't need a separate vapor barrier. What you'll want to do (since the bottom doesn't touch the ground) is put regular faced batts in, with the kraft paper on the bottom side. That's both a vapor barrier and the easier install method.

Putting plastic on the ground under the shed can't hurt, but isn't necessary.


Yes, you can cut concrete.  You could hire someone with a concrete saw to do the work, or you can buy a masonry blade for a standard circular saw.  Make sure you wear goggles and a mask to keep concrete dust and chips out of your eyes and lungs.   It is noisy (and slow) so please wear ear plugs also.

You will have to make sure the trench slopes towards the drain, of course.

If you have a blade that works in dry or wet, there will be less dust if you can cut it wet or dampened.  You can use a standard electric circular saw if the concrete is dampened, but make sure it is grounded properly for safety.  If you need to cut through standing water, use a gas powered saw (you can rent these).

This is an example of a good masonry blade, available from many sources.


You need to figure out what exactly is rattling. Is the storm window rattling against the normal window, or is it parts of the storm window rattling against each other?

Without a picture to show exactly what's loose, my general suggestions are:

Tighten up any screws on the storm window--you can use some blue loctite on them if you want to prevent them from loosening up again.
add foam weather stripping around the perimeter of the storm window where it contacts the normal window or house. This should take up the slack that allows it to rattle and make it more effective as well.
for any other gaps you can try wedging in some vinyl gasket weather stripping:


What to do with smoke getting into ventilation?

I wrote a comment a while ago that suggested using a combination filter and charcoal filter in duct work to eliminate odors. I use them in my home since my wife hates most odors that others don't mind. I buy them from Home Depot and Lowes and the go by the name "The Web Absorber", cost around $10.00, and are a cut to size filter. You could also look in the furnace filter dept. and see if they carry a charcoal furnace filter that you could fit into the fresh air duct. Charcoal should filter out most if not all the odor.


Bonding CSST to electrical ground system

The pipe only needs to be bonded at 1 place, usually this is at the meter. If it is bonded there the entire system is attached to a grounding bond and would be legal.

The gas pipe is bonded to prevent it from becoming electrified by a short. It cannot be used as a grounding electrode but the grounding electrode system needs to be attached someplace after the gas meter. I would check there as that is where the bond is usually located.

If you have lead pipes I would want to drive supplemental ground rods and get rid of the lead pipes (I hope you don’t drink the water). The reason to have a pair of additional driven grounding electrodes is a good idea for what happened to a tract of homes in my area. All the old pipe was removed and new non metallic pipe installed. A customer called because getting shocked. I discovered she had no ground and the pipe was plastic up to the house. Their utility did this to every home and the only grounding electrode was the water pipe. After installing a pair of rods she quit getting shocked. If that same case happened to you your gas pipe would end up being your electrode not safe and a code violation.


Why should I replace the starter every time I replace a fluorescent tube?

Modern electronic ballast technology (T8, T5) doesn't use starters. I associate starters with old, inefficient magnetic ballast installations. I haven't had to replace a starter in years because they have not been used in any of the newer buildings I've worked in.

My preference would be to convert any T12 installation with magnetic ballast and starter to T8 tubes with electronic ballast. The tubes run brighter and consume less energy, and since the ballasts use far less copper, they can be obtained in the $10-18 range.

Flickering lamps on magnetic ballasts can overheat the ballast, so it's pretty cheap insurance to replace the starter and both lamps so you don't burn out a heavy copper-wound magnetic ballast which in the day was quite expensive to replace.

Another reason is that failing starters can cause premature tube failure which kind of negates the reason for replacing the tubes. Filaments in the ends of the tubes stay on too long causing excess sputtering which turns the tube end black from the metal deposit and early filament burnout causing the tube to not light. Starters have two failure modes, the bimetal gets weak and delays opening keeping the filaments on too long, the contacts burn and the filaments don't light up during the starting phase.


Gas water heater burner flame goes orange as I turn temperature dial up

Your burners probably need cleaning. Regardless of whether you are talking about the pilot light or the main burner, an orange flame indicates an excess of gas to oxygen.

See, for example: https://www.hunker.com/12003355/why-is-my-gas-stove-burning-orange


How often should I repaint the inside of my house?

It should normally be many years, if not decades, before paint starts to peel. Cracking may occur as the house settles, but that is usually due to the structure shifting and not a poor paint job. If the paint was not applied properly (eg, surface not prepared correctly), it may peel earlier, or this may indicate another major problem such as moisture in the walls.

So to answer your question: you should likely re-paint when the house is looking dated, the walls are scuffed up or damaged beyond cleaning, or when you're sick of the color. Between 5 and 15 years is a reasonable expectation of time between repainting, in my experience.

To have the longest-lasting paint job, the keys are good surface prep and good quality paint (basically just not the cheapest stuff). There's also another question with some good tips about painting.

Though we don't give decorating advice here, if you are going for a long-lasting paint job, keep in mind that there are colors that seem to always be current (I guess the "neutral" colors) and others that while they may be trendy today, a decade from now someone will look at them and say "wow that is so 2010's" just like today you might do that for the 90's or 80's.

Many people paint neutral colors before selling as it does look new, and some potential buyers  can be negatively affected by strong colors they don't like or that make a room look dark or small.


Is this patch panel used for phone, security, or data?

CAT5e wiring is now commonly used for voice lines, since it's basically the same price and you can run multiple lines over the same cable if you want. All the wiring you've shown is only for voice, not data. If you want to repurpose the cables for data you will need to cut and re-patch the cables to RJ-45 connectors on both ends (in the closet and in rooms).


Why did water come up through my basement drain instead of out the sump?

In some locations you cannot connect the sewer to the sump system, I understand this is not the discharge but sewage can be in that drain and pumping it outside could Create a health hazard. I have installed back flow preventers in the past to keep back pressure from entering, these do have there own problems but stop the city system from filling your basement with other peoples waste.


How can can I get replacement wood siding to match the existing siding?

Best guess is that's cedar, which should be easy enough to find at a home center or cedar dealer. It won't be gray like that when you purchase it but you can leave it outside untreated for a summer or two and it should gray up nicely. There are chemical "graying" agents that you could buy if your in a hurry but I generally find letting nature take its course is better. Looks like in the second picture your substructure might need a bit of attention too. Don't cover up rot or moisture or you'll be doing this again much sooner than you'd like. Cheers


How do I fix a garage door opener light that loosens in its socket?

First unplug the opener. Now look in the light socket. See if the small metal tab at the bottom is nearly flat. Carefully pull it up a little bit so it applys more spring tension to the bulb. Also, they used to sell "rough service" Incandescent bulbs for openers, but I have had OK luck with compact fluorescents.


Better to run air conditioner fan on high or low speed?

In very simple terms you are trying to "Condition the Air" not just cool it. There is a term "relative humidity" which affects the way you feel at certain temperature. Weathermen refer to it as a heat index. The higher the humidity the more uncomfortable you feel at a lower temperature.  So if you are running a fan at low speed it gives the compressor and cooling coil time to dehumidify the air rather than just cool it. On high temperature low humidity days running the fan at a higher speed will allow the air to cool down faster and reduces the air conditioner's ability to dehumidify.


Resurface exposed aggregate concrete patio

If you don't have to make the overlay "very thin" and the patio is structurally sound, there's not a whole lot of "bonding" needed - a 1-1/2 - 2" thick overlay on a sound, solid concrete substrate will happily sit there, unless it has voids to encourage spalling (by filling with water and freezing) in the winter. As it happens, that looks like a pretty good bet for bonding to (with very exposed aggregate) though it would probably be advisable to pressure-wash it to remove any loose material, and probably also acid-etch it to improve bonding and further clean it up.

Thin is generally harder to do well with masonry materials.


Four anchors are adequate if:

They're substantial enough to secure the load to the ceiling, such as lag screws with expanding shields
The plywood is rigid enough to handle the span (you could place the anchors at the 25% points lengthwise to reduce span)

Otherwise, use six or eight screws. It's hard to say more without more detail about your situation, such as type of concrete. Some general advice:

If you're able to drill 5/8" holes, lag shields are a sure bet
If not, #12 or #14 screws in plastic anchors should do well if everything is sized properly
I'd use 3/4" plywood. It's less likely to warp and will be rigid enough. You could get away with 1/2" or 5/8" with six or more anchors.

Followup questions from comments:

I didn't use any math. Math isn't great here because it makes all kinds of assumptions, many of which depend on your carpentry prowess. For example, if you use the wrong size screws in plastic anchors you'll cut holding power by 80%, and if you run screws too deep in plywood you reduce its hold by about the same. If the integrity of the concrete isn't there it's all out the window anyway. I'm relying on more than three decades of professional and personal experience, but  I don't have all the information I'd need to be specific.
I think four plastic anchors are barely adequate for a 30# load in tension (as opposed to in shear, such as with wall-mounted stuff), and I'd use at least six. Again, properly sized screws, to create the required internal friction, are critical.  Test well before putting it to use. If it doesn't hold you up, it's not done well.
Screw head type doesn't much matter as long as they aren't small-head trim-type screws. Good plywood won't allow them to pull through if you barely counter-sink them flush or leave them above the surface.
To reiterate, just four corner anchors may leave you with substantial sag in the sheet. I'd move them inward somewhat to reduce span.


How do I install a high intensity infrared heater and thermostat

Do not hook this to mains power.

Get yourself a 24VAC, 40VA transformer, which is common as dirt, $12, and widely used on conventional furnaces.  They typically mount either on the cover of a 4x4 square metal junction box, or in a 1/2" trade size knockout on the side of such a box.  Both these wiring methods put the mains power inside the metal junction box, and the 24VAC power on the outside.

The transformer provides two 24V terminals: R and C.
Your thermostat requires 3 wires: R, W and C.
Your heater needs W and C.

The R wire should be red.  The W wire should be white.  The preferred color for C is blue, but that may not be practical in 2-3 wire cable.

This setup, which is mandatory for this heater, will allow you to use almost any thermostat on earth including smart 'stats like the Nest.

If you ever anticipate doing A/C or heat pump you want at least 6 wires in the cable to the thermostat.


...and I have an 230v nearby oultet which has 2 wires black + white and the ground , this outlet is plugged to 50A breaker in the
eletrical switchboard, the wall outlet model is NEMA 6-15 250v

A NEMA 6-15 receptacle is only rated for 15A, so if it is connected to a 50A breaker, that is dead wrong and an immediate fire hazard.
If the conductors are rated for 50A (6AWG if you are in North America), then there may be something usable here, but not the way it is. It would be difficult however to have connected #6 wire to a NEMA 6-15 receptacle, so it's not likely. If you can, take a picture of the outlet with the wires attached to it (turn off the power before removing it). IF it is #6 wire somehow, you may need special help in terminating it to a 20A receptacle. Report back what you find.
For a 20A circuit, you need #12 wire at a minimum, maybe #10 of the distance from the panel to the outlet is long. If you have that now, then you only need to change the outlet to a NEMA 6-20
All that said, I see the JA50 pump as being rated for 2A, not 20A. So I'm not sure where you are getting that info from. Maybe it says 20A MAXIMUM, but that would not preclude it from operating fine on a 15A circuit.If that's the case, your existing receptacle is fine, but the 50A circuit breaker is still not.
But also, is this a hot tub and if so, does it have electric heating? If that's the case, you likely DO need a 50A circuit to power the heaters + the pump. If it's gas heat though, then you only need the pump power.


You'll have to move through each item and inspect it very carefully.

Inspect and correct

Start with the junction box buried in the wall.  If that box is made out of any kind of plastic, or aluminum (not magnetic), or Magic Self-Burning Metal (magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, uranium, etc.), then the box needs to be replaced.  If it's made out of good old iron/steel, inspect it for serious arcing damage - if arcing has burned a hole in the box, it's done for.  Otherwise just scrub out the soot and call it good.

Now the wires need to be viewed very critically. Manhandle the insulation.  If it is anything but resilient and strong, then the damaged insulation must go.    Now, look at what insulation remains.   Wires must extend  6" beyond the cable clamp, and, 3" beyond the surface of the wall, with only a modest amount (3/4") of insulation removed.  You can try loosening the cable clamp and see if you can pull more wire in.   If you still have the length, in good, undamaged insulation, and the metal wire is not discolored or polishes up easily... then you dodged a bullet and can continue the wire in service.  Otherwise the cable must be replaced.  Yeah, in the wall.  Ouch.

As for the recep, carefully visually inspect it, follow with a borescope and X-ray -- I'm kidding, that recep costs 50 cents.  Just buy another one, except get the $3 kind that is better built.

And use a torque screwdriver to set the correct torque on the screws.

If any of the wires are aluminum, then use a recep rated CO-ALR.   Also, place an AFCI circuit breaker on this circuit.  If the circuit is not grounded (it might be via armored cable), then fit a combo GFCI/AFCI breaker, so you also have GFCI protection.  At your leisure, review all other outlets and ascertain if aluminum wire is present; if so, again use CO-ALR rated receps or switches, or Alumiconns, and torque correctly.

Any outlets protected by GFCI may be installed as 3-prong.  Label them "GFCI Protected".  If they are not grounded, label them "No Equipment Ground".

Now, move through the circuit and the house and inspect each other recep -  particularly ones that lost power, or that do lose power when this breaker is off.  Give them the same treatment as above, but see our Q&A on what to watch out for when replacing receps.

Next look at the service panel. Make sure all the breakers are the correct size for the wires they are feeding; 15A is pretty safe, no receptacle circuit should be over 20A.  Also look at what kind it is, and google whether this is a dangerous panel. (Hint: Pushmatic isn't dangerous, but it is obsolete).  If unsure, feel free to post a picture here.  (door open, no need to unscrew the cover; also get a shot of any labeling).

What went wrong

Most likely a screw was torqued incorrectly, which is why they require torque screwdrivers now.

Copper terminations have a serious defect in that they will not correctly clamp aluminum wire.  Many people used copper-only-rated receptacles with aluminum wire, and many more used devices rated CU-AL, a standard developed hastily and incorrectly by UL, and which proved to have severe problems and had to be revoked.

It's also possible the circuit was wildly overloaded, but the breaker should have intervened to protect.  If it was a Zinsco or FPE firestarter panel, or a Pushmatic with Connecticut Electric breakers, that would explain why it did not.  It might also have been mis-sized; sometime when confronted with frequent breaker trips, idiots don't want to stop overloading the circuit, and instead put a larger breaker or fuse and let the wires smoke.  This is a mistake.


Frame Overhanging Slab by 3inches and not attached to support bolts

That is not normal or acceptable workmanship. The correct response to a foundation that far out of specification is to require the foundation contractors to rip it out and try again, or not get paid. Clearly that point was missed.

The larger problem for you is that you are already entered into a contract with an incompetent, lying builder. I'd have your lawyer/solicitor review your options at this point according to the terms of your contract. I can't see a lot of hope for a happy outcome, unfortunately. And yes, call in inspectors, notify the bank, etc.


Why am I reading low AC voltage on my garage opener light?

There are two possibilities that I can think of that may be causing the problem with the light on your garage door opener.

There may be an internal relay within the opener that turns on and off to control the light. The electrical contacts in the relay may have become burned and producing such a high resistance connection that even a tiny load drops the voltage way down. In this case it may be possible for someone reasonably handy with a soldering iron to remove and replace the relay.
In the second case the light bulb socket on the opener may be controlled via an AC switch component called a triac. These switch on and off via the presence of a electrical signal from the opener control circuit board. Triac switches can fail and cause the symptom you see where just a fraction of the applied voltage makes it to the light bulb socket. Failure of these is most commonly caused by power line spikes from storms and lightning. They can also fail due to current surges caused when a light bulb burns out and the fractured filament swings around and momentarily shorts out the internal light bulb electrodes. Triac replacement is possible to do for someone experienced in working with printed circuit boards. The tricky part can be identifying the proper replacement component.


Add fiberglass rolls across joists in attic if joist cavities not completely filled?

Yes, you can do this, but...

Any gaps between the layers effectively negates the benefit of the upper layer. If unconditioned air is allowed to flow between the layers, the upper/outer layer does almost nothing. By putting the layers in contact with one another, the negative effect of small gaps is minimal.

I'd fill the cavities with R-11 and run R-19 crossways on top of that. Problem solved for minimal extra expense.


What's the minimum distance for a mantle above a fireplace?

I was just about to ask this last week.  I found the NFPA Guidelines here - don't go to their site or you get a 1000 page PDF.  I agree with DA01 - fireplace TVs hurt the neck.


You say the room is above the kitchen and family room. Does this mean the room is on the top flor? If so, you could be exposing attic insulation.

Beams used for concealed construction is often of a lower grade and may have large or missing knots, checks, etc.

Often roofing nails will penetrate the roof sheathing and you’ll need to cover the roof sheathing and nails. (When the drywall is removed, you’ll need to “deal” with the nail holes too.)

Of course you’ll need to reroute any electrical, heating ducts, drainage pipes, etc. Beams with holes drilled for electrical wires, etc. will need to be patched. Or, you’ll need to create a design scheme that is rustic so the holes don’t matter.


I watched my fence installers and there where some areas that had a lot of stone. They would take a pointed metal rod and jam it into the hole to loosen up the rock and then use the post hole digger to get the loosened rock out.  He alternated between the pointed rod and the post hole digger. Two men dug 9 holes by hand and finished the fence in one day.


Why does my new floodlight trip the circuit breaker?

The green/ground should be connected. My understanding (others more expert will correct me if I'm wrong) is that if the box for the floodlight is metal and has metal conduit going back to the switch, etc. then the box should be grounded and that the normal thing to do without a ground wire coming in to the box is to connect the floodlight ground wire to the metal box. If the box is NOT grounded that wouldn't hurt anything (but would NOT be providing the expected ground, but no worse than a capped ground wire, which does no good at all and is most likely not considered a complete/proper installation). But if the box is somehow hot then (a) you have a dangerous situation and (b) every time you touch the case of the floodlight (which should be connected to the floodlight ground wire internally) to the metal box you will trip the circuit. So I see two likely scenarios:

1 - Floodlight is good. Box is bad (shorted to hot?). Need to diagnosis/fix box problem, which may be a bit complicated. Check for voltage between neutral and metal box - should be 0 V, if I understand the nature of neutral/ground bond correctly. If it is 120 V (or anything more than a few V) then I think either your metal box is hot (VERY bad) or hot/neutral reversed somewhere (also VERY bad) - figuring out which one would require a bit of detective work - but definitely need to fix before installing the light. I just noticed you DID test neutral/box = 0 V and hot/box = 110 V, so that would indicate the box is OK (though unknown whether it is a proper ground or not) which leads to...

2 - Floodlight is bad. With the floodlight disconnected from the circuit, use a tester to check for continuity (or low resistance) between (a) ground wire and metal case - (good), (b) hot wire and metal case (VERY bad), (c) neutral wire and metal case (bad, but if I understand things correctly, that shouldn't cause a sparks-flying-breaker-trip). If (b) or (c) then I think you have a defective floodlight.


The best program for this is Google Sketchup. Why? Because the purpose of it is to easily let you draw in 3D, meaning a perspective view, rather than the view from above.

There is a free version. There is also a professional version which I use, but most homeowners do not need that.
♠
Depending on your ability, it can be very easy or slightly challenging. However, I would give it a try. It's a lot of fun.

Since you are concentrating on a bed in front of your house, or a foundation planting, you will want to draw in your house. This does not have to be exact. However, I would put in the length of the house and correctly locate the windows and doors at the least.

After you select plants, which are called components, you can adjust their size.

I hope this is helpful. Here is the link. Sketchup


Tracking Potential Bathtub Leak Without Removing It

Do you only use tub? Shower curtain to high. Put down towel to dry.Low spot in floor.Add color diy to water see if it shows on floor.Then it is drain.


Using 15-amp thermostat on a 20 amp circuit

First off, regarding fixed electric space heating equipment the National Electrical Code has this to say:

424.3 Branch Circuits.
(A) Branch-Circuit Requirements.  Individual branch circuits shall be permitted to supply any volt-ampere or wattage rating of fixed electric space-heating equipment for which they are rated.
...
(B) Branch-Circuit Sizing.  Fixed electric space-heating equipment and motors shall be considered continuous load.

Since the heater is considered a continuous load then the branch circuit serving it has to be sized 125% of the load. Consequently, a 20 amp circuit can only serve a 16 amp load.
The Code also says:

424.19(C) Unit Switch(es) as Disconnecting Means.  A unit switch(es) with a marked “off” position that is part of a fixed heater and disconnects all ungrounded conductors shall be permitted as the disconnecting means required by this article where other means for disconnection are provided in the types of occupancies in 424.19(C)(1) through (C)(4).
...
(3) One-Family Dwellings.  In one-family dwellings, the service disconnecting means shall be permitted to be the other disconnecting means.

So, an additional disconnect is required for the heater besides the main service disconnect.
Then the Code has this to say about thermostats:

424.20 Thermostatically Controlled Switching Devices.
(A) Serving as Both Controllers and Disconnecting Means. Thermostatically controlled switching devices and combination thermostats and manually controlled switches shall be permitted to serve as both controllers and disconnecting means, provided they meet all of the following conditions:
(1) Provided with a marked “off” position
(2) Directly open all ungrounded conductors when manually placed in the “off” position
(3) Designed so that the circuit cannot be energized automatically after the device has been manually placed in the “off” position
(4) Located as specified in 424.19

So, you can use a thermostat as both a controller and the additional disconnect.
Now, elsewhere in the Code it is allowed that a switch can be used as a disconnect provided it is sized for the load it serves.

404.14 Rating and Use of Switches. Switches shall be used within their ratings and as indicated in 404.14(A) through (F).
*Informational Note No. 1: For switches on signs and outline lighting, see 600.6.
*Informational Note No. 2: For switches controlling motors, see 430.83, 430.109, and 430.110.
(A) Alternating-Current General-Use Snap Switch.  A form of general-use snap switch suitable only for use on ac circuits for controlling the following:
(1) Resistive and inductive loads not exceeding the ampere rating of the switch at the voltage applied

So, the branch circuit must be sized 125% of the load but the switch or thermostat in this case only has to be sized for the load. Consequently, this is why all the thermostats you have found are only rated for 16 amps since most branch circuits supplying these would be 20 amps and that would limit the load to 16 amps.


Will foam-filling this gap create problems?

Ignore people who tell you that you don't need as much spray foam because it is better air sealing or whatnot. That just comes from lazy installers who don't like working with the material and want to prevent sticker shock. R-value is R-value. 4" will be twice as insulating as 2".

But to get to the heart of the matter, there's one and only one reason why you even need spray foam there instead of batt insulation: to create an air barrier to prevent any moisture-laden air that gets past the drywall from hitting the cold roof sheathing, condensing, and starting to rot the wood, which as you can imagine is very bad.

You don't need a full 6" of spray foam up there. You only need enough to fully encapsulate the underside of the roof sheathing to prevent interior air from hitting it. So 2" of spray foam would be fine, and then you could fill the remainder of the cavity with lower-cost open cell spray foam, or typical batt insulation, or blown-in cellulose, or anything really; it's all safe because you've created that crucial air barrier.

Alternatively, you could avoid this whole rigamarole by increasing the thickness of the foam insulation above the roof deck, thereby keeping it warmer and above the dew point, which would make any moist air that gets up there not condense in the first place. You'd want to increase it by at least 5". If you're in a predominately cold climate, don't use polyiso, which has worse performance in the cold--stick to XPS or EPS. In this case, you could stick whatever you wanted in those cavities. I would recommend blown-in dense-packed cellulose, because you wouldn't even need to take off the drywall.

If you want R-50 or 60 in your roof, you don't have a lot of great options without significant modifications. Entirely filling the bays with spray foam will only reach R-42, plus R5 or so from the foam above the sheathing. It requires tearing off and replacing the ceiling drywall and only gets you to R-47. Don't forget that thermal bridging of those 2x6s reduces the effective R-value. To go farther and correct some of these issues, you could additionally put more foam boards between the underside of the rafters and the new drywall, which could boost you up to R-57 with 2" foam boards. You'd only lose two inches of ceiling height.

Packing more foam above the roof deck will let you reach whatever R-value you want and fill the bays with whatever you want. It's the cheaper preferred approach, but requires removing the rubber roofing membrane and may undesirably increase the height of the roof above parapets or whatnot. If the roof is in bad shape and needs replacement soon anyway, that would be a perfect opportunity to substantially increase the foam thickness underneath the new roof.

This is the approach recommended by the Building Science Corporation:

http://www.buildingscience.com/documents/insights/bsi-043-dont-be-dense/

  So, what should we do with these flat roofs and cathedral ceilings that can’t be vented and insulated in the “typical” way? Simple, follow the building code. Add insulation on the top of the deck to elevate the roof deck temperature above the dew point of the interior air vapor mix (Figure 1) before dense packing or take the interior ceiling down and install an air impermeable insulation. Spray foam on the underside of the roof deck (Figure 2). The thermal resistance of the insulation needed to be added above the roof deck or in the form of spray foam on the underside of the roof deck is dependent on climate and the interior moisture load.

Good luck!


How can I coil up a rope so that it doesn't get tangled?

Around the elbow no good, for ropes they get tangled and for cords they get ruined over time.

See my instructions below, but check out this animation for reference.

Keep in mind, I am right handed and this is how I do it:

Start by placing one end of the rope between your left thumb and forefinger, and grab the rope with your right hand about 2 1/2 - 3 feet away both palms down. While holding the rope in your right hand, grab it between your thumb and forefinger.  Now bring your right hand to your left hand so the tips of your thumbs meet (and the newly created loop should form towards your left wrist). At the same time, roll the cord that is between your thumb and forefinger on your right hand away from you.  Now grab it with your left hand and slide your right hand down the cord 2 1/2 - 3 feet and repeat till done. The last 2 or 3 feet will be used to wrap the cord/rope.

If done correctly, you'll be able to take the end you wrapped around the cord like in your pic, unwrap it, hold one end and throw the cord/rope to unroll.


Ceiling options when junction boxes are present?

The ceiling max website says the tiles are removable so yes the area is still accessible.


How to deal with paint fumes from 2-pack paint?

The fumes are not isocyanates.  Once the paint cures fully, there will be no isocyanates in the paint.  Let me explain where the isocyanates are (or were) and how the paint is toxic.

To oversimplify, paint contains three parts:

Pigment - the stable material that gives paint its color.
Resin - the glue-like binder that sticks the paint to the surface and holds the pigments together.  This stuff cures like epoxy.
Thinner aka reducer - which makes it thin enough to paint, then evaporates fully (dries), and is gone. This is the "paint stink".

Pigments used to be hazardous. But since they are part of the paint forever, and they become microscopic dust when you sand paint, the government made toxic pigments illegal long ago.

Thinner/reducer has toxicity like similar chemicals like gasoline, toluene, etc.  That's why you should not paint in a confined area. The stuff used in 2-pack paints tends to be nastier and more stinky.  And yes, it will give you a headache.  When it evaporates, it will be gone.

If you want to know exactly what it is, look up the brand of paint (likely Interlux or Awlgrip), figure out the reducer recommended for that paint, and check the MSDS (material safety data sheets) for that reducer.

Resin is designed to "polymerize" as it cures: join with nearby molecules to become a much longer molecule.  With 2-pack resin, they simply contain an A and B part which connects sequentially: ABABABABA. The B-part contains BPAs or isocyanates which have receptors on each end of the molecule, which will aggressively "grab" the A-part.  This makes it polymerize fast, in mere days.  At that point it is no longer isocyanate, and its atoms have become part of a much longer molecule that is too large to be liquid or vapor.  You're not smelling that, obviously.

Isocyanate is a cumulative toxin which can inflame or damage the immune system.  Painters get exposed to it thusly:

Spray guns atomize the paint resin into a fine mist.  If they don't use proper protective gear, they can breathe it into their lungs, which are very vulnerable.
Sanding dried paint which hasn't fully cured, and getting the dust in their lungs.
Brush/roller application is pretty safe since the resin is not airborne.

So how does that impact you as a boat owner?  The isocyanates aren't much of a threat to you.  It will be almost entirely cured after 3 weeks, which means the isocyanates are gone.  Like epoxy, it doesn't need fresh air to cure.

The fumes will ultimately dry and go away.  It helps to air out the boat; and/or it helps for the boat to get hot.  The fumes are heavier-than-air, and will want to go to lower parts of the boat.