Continue to use hardwired smoke detectors?

I strongly recommend continuing with the AC with battery back-up models. They are required by code for new construction (in my area) for a very good reason- the potential for someone to remove the battery. Also, they are available with a wider range of features, such as described in your question.

This battery removal behavior is very common in rental units. So much so that landlords now are obliged to pay for replacement batteries, to remove any financial incentive for not replacing them.

Even if you will personally be in control of the units, you might decide to remove the battery for some reason, then forget to put it back. Most of the AC units let you know (with an annoying chirp) that the battery back-up is dead or is not installed, whereas "battery only" units just sit there dead with no indication to the user that it is not functioning.

10 year batteries are available for you to install in your AC w/battery back-up units:


At what temperature should an unoccupied house be kept at in winter?

Depends on location but 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit is fairly standard.


Repair holes concrete ceiling (not just masking them)

Use a resin or hard setting product and make sure the holes are dust free.
Worked well for me, either reusing those holes or having to drill a new hole part through the wall of the repair.


This is a very difficult question to answer without pictures or plans to look at. If I am understanding your scenario right, as you enter the house you have an immediate landing and then stairs either going up or down into different levels of the house. While these walls may not have a lot of bearing on the structural integrity of the stairwell they may have bearing on the rooms above and below the stairwell. Depending on how the architect drew the plans there could even be a beam involved for support of the upper level. Removing sheetrock to determine how the structure is built, in general, isn't hazardous to the structural integrity assuming the the structural engineer didn't factor in the sheetrock as part of a shear rating of that wall.

My best recommendation would be to have a licensed framing carpenter come in and have a look at this wall before you proceed further. It is always better to pay a little extra for a professional opinion.


Covered in foam would be a better seal and offer insulation (minor) and sound deadening for air traveling through the duct.  It would also probably cost your first born child depending on the company, their quality, the size and access of ducts, etc.  There is duct mastic that may work better for some areas, smears around like bondo.  Maybe explain your condensation issue more in depth?  That sounds odd depending on your climate and the setup.


Where should I install skirt boards on my oak stairs?

You really need another skirt board for the wall. When I have my druthers, I make the skirt board the same thickness as the base that will meet it at the top and bottom so it ties in continuously. If need be, I rip a base so the top element, if it has a profile, will make it look like the base goes right up the wall along with the treads.

As a mention, the material you have for the skirtboard would be used on the outside where the wall is under the staircase, using riser brackets to help hide some of the joinery.


Broken drill bit is stuck in DeWalt drill

Remove chuck with strap wrench (preferable -less chance of damage) or some large pliers (more likely to have on hand)?

e.g.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVYLLDW7ScE


I sanded a similar wood floor, a bit older though.
I used a drum sander 8 or 10” in diameter and 14 or 16” long roughly.
I sanded diagonal to the grain with coarse then finer grades of paper. It took about 5 passes in total with 2 at the medium paper.
This produced a lot of dust and I sealed all the doors to prevent other rooms getting covered. Also had a big vac to get the dust.
Stain and finish as preferred.


How can I darken a bedroom yet let air in as much as possible?

3 layers of pegboard (pierced hardboard), internal surfaces painted black, with the middle layer offset, and spacers between the layers. This should provide little or no straight path for light, but allow ventilation.


Is it safe to use apple cider vinegar / baking soda to remove mold on (soft) plastic?

Depending upon your mix, the PH may wind up at 7.0, exactly neutral. Vinegar (acetic acid) lowers the PH, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) raises the PH.

Either is GENERALLY harmless to MOST soft plastics, whether alone or in combination. Do you have a specific plastic in mind? If it happens to be polyethylene ("polythene", to those on the opposite side of the Big Blue Wobbly Thing from me), that's nearly perfectly impervious to both vinegar and baking soda.


Does this Dewalt corded drill have multi-speeds?

If you see the letters VSR in a description for a drill, that means it is variable speed.
More to the point VSR stands for:

Variable
Speed
Reversable

which means the drill/tool can run from 0 RPM to the max RPM for the drill/tool in forward and reverse.


What material to use for replacing interior porch panels?

I've had great luck with expanded vinyl beadboard.  It comes in sheets that can be used as paneling, pieces cut to smaller sizes for wainscotting, and planks.  Some are reversible, with a bead on one side and a V groove on the other.

Expanded vinyl is the material used for most "permanent" house trim.  It is a little more expensive that wood-based alternatives, but it is durable, lasts forever, and has better characteristics in virtually every respect.  It's weatherproof, moistureproof, and unaffected by UV.  It doesn't warp, rot, or split.  The material inhibits the growth of mold, mildew and bacteria.  It doesn't require painting but is paintable.  It's easy to work with, and looks like the wood product.  The rigidity is closer to thin wood boards than to paneling or plastic sheets.  I've used it for exposed exterior, protected exterior (screen porch ceiling), and inside use (wainscot).

The big trim manufactures like Azek sell it through building supply stores: https://azek.com/products/trim/beadboard-trim.

Stores like Home Depot and Lowes have in-house brands: http://www.homedepot.com/p/House-of-Fara-W96WP-12-sq-ft-White-Vinyl-Reversible-Interior-Exterior-Paneling-3-Piece-per-Pack-W96WP/205437105


removing skylight from resin storage shed

See pages 24 and 33 of the instruction manual. The ridge was installed first, and the roof panels slid in place. You'd need to do the opposite to take them out.


How should I handle cracked grout in my two bathrooms?

Just caulk it. Grout will tend to crack in any change of plane, so caulk is the recommended practice. For prep, scratch out anything that's loose or protrudes past your caulk profile. You'll probably want to use white for the tub transition and a color matched caulk for the tile-to-tile corner.

A typical installation is caulked at the plane change and has room for both planes or at least the floor to expand comfortably. Grouting it with no expansion room is what you have. The "right" thing to do would be to scrape it out to give it more wiggle, but it's not absolutely necessary. It's a lot more work and possibly more likely to break your tile compared to just leaving it be, especially since it's been fine for a year so far.


How much shear load can rebar withstand?

One of the 1/2” rebar “you have access to” has enough “shear strength” to support my car full of groceries with me in it.

However, you don’t want to use it for a horizontal support of grape vines, because it will rust and deposit so much rust in your vineyard that you’ll be labeled a hazardous waste site.

Also, that rust will contaminate the taste and bouquet of that wine so much that I’d have to hold my nose to drink the wine.

Try something a little more common like wire.


How noticeable should the seam be on a quartz counter install?

I wouldn't sign the form if you were told that you wouldn't be able to notice the seams.  As Jack says, they are in horrible locations.  But the #1 thing I am thinking about is I have had granite and quartz installed on at least 30-40 kitchens, with at least 15-20 Ls.  You have two sheets, not 3 and your seam is in the corner.  If they are using smaller pieces they could easily be using leftovers from other jobs, maybe really costing them nothing more than labor.  I would have never allowed them to install 3 slabs there.  That is the biggest mistake.

I have had many many companies propose something like this, a couple with no-see guarantees.  I took two of them up on it in the beginning and they both looked like yours.  Got the first one at 1/3 cost and told them to take the second one out.  Never did I go for the three slabs.

Now the other issue is the install itself.  To me - and I am just seeing a picture - it looks like the slabs aren't exactly level with each other.  They may be off by 1/128th of an inch but it looks like they are off.  Then you have the epoxy filler which was not mixed with a matching sparkle nor was it sanded/buffed properly at the site.  I have paid a lot for high quality quartz and don't have pictures but the seams are much smaller than yours and really you couldn't see them unless you put a spot light on them.

The question is did you get what you paid for.  Did this cost you $500-800 and you are expecting better?  If you paid full/normal cost you probably just need them to come take the counters.  You obviously aren't happy now.  Let me tell you by the looks of your seams, they aren't going to look this good in 3-4 years.  So you are seeing them in their best state.


How old is it? Have you been draining it daily (when used), or not?

If elderly and it hasn't been drained regularly, buy a new tank, remove this one, drill holes in it so someone else doesn't try to use it as an air tank, and junk it. If that feels overly drastic, get it hydro-tested. Air tank explosions suck...

If not too old or old and regularly drained, you could either not worry about it too much, or try to flush it out by adding water to the tank. If you have any reasonably large openings (doubtful on a small compressor tank) you could drop in some chain to serve as a "scrubbing" device to help free up loose rust as you turn the tank over and slosh it around. This will require removing the compressor from the tank. If (lacking any large ports) all you are doing is adding water and then blowing it out, you can leave the tank upright and just slosh it back and forth a bit before building pressure on the compressor and opening the drain valve to dump the water (by adding water you will be diluting the "rust slurry" from just being the water that condenses out of the air as it's compressed and the rust in the tank to being something like half a tank of water and the same amount of rust, so you might get more rust out.) More rust will form, as there is always water in the air; in most climates, enough to condense out in the tank, unless there is an air dryer between the compressor and the tank.

If you just don't like the look of the rust in your daily draining - get over it, it's normal. While you might be able to reduce it by somehow coating or treating the inside of the tank it's a fair amount of work and expense for not a lot of benefit.
If you are getting rust in your air, use a filter.


How to lift/raise/repair a segment of concrete slab?

This slab is small enough that you should be able to easily lift it out and repair the base soil. Unless the concrete was weak initially or in otherwise poor condition it won't break.

From the lawn side, trench along the slab about 6" wide and to the bottom of the concrete. Save the sod by wrapping it in a tarp.
Using heavy steel or wood bars and some fulcrum blocks, begin lifting the concrete. Work in stages and block it up as you go.
Once you're high enough, move the blocks rearward, underneath the slab. Continue maneuvering it until the entire slab is floating above the level of the surrounding slabs.
Lever the raised slab sideways as needed to gain access to the soil below. It's not necessary to move it completely out of the hole area.
Repair your soil base using non-organic sand or gravel. Tamp it well and leave it 1/2" higher than necessary.
Move your slab back into position and remove the blocks. Be careful not to drop it to prevent damage to it and the surrounding slabs.

Allow the slab to settle for a few weeks, ideally through a rain event. If it doesn't rain, flood the area well to allow the soil to compact and settle.

If you find that you've left it too high, a hose worked under the slab from the lawn side will allow you to wash out some fill soil. Work slowly so as to not go too far.


Can I fit a valve with 15mm connections without replacing 22mm pipework?

Cant you find a 22mm-15mm adapter?
I live on the other side of the pond and to change sizes there are adapters both male and female to make the change.
I just googled a “22mm to 15mm pipe adapter” and a brass piece for $6.69 came up on the first page.
adapter
We use national pipe thread so I don’t know if that would work but try it.
It is a male thread so it should screw in and then female so your new piece would screw into that if the thread pitch is correct.


Is stacking material under an I-Beam to make it level structurally sound and passing code?

These are metal shims - very very common.

You install ibeam and either right after install or after joists are installed you want to level everything out.   You will need to shim at least one side.

This is really common.   Dealing with ground settling, concrete shrinking and so on over a 60' or longer stretch you have two options:

Pay a ton of money to make sure all the planets align and your beam is perfectly level on concrete cut-outs.  (and after all that money, it could still be off)
Put $2 worth of metal plates under to shim.

Those plates are not going anywhere - the weight of your house is on them.   As an inspector it would not concern me in the least.

The only fear you should have is an overzealous inspector in your town - but this should be the same guy that signed off on the house in the first place.   They could require the plates welded to the ibeam or to get a welded piece on that.   This would require a temp post, jack it up and weld it on.

Also not sure what it looks like if you go further but I like my ibeam resting on a steel flange.   I don't see that here and that bothers me more than anything.  And looking at the picture further I would like to see the top of the beam - really doesn't make sense on what is going on there.

Notes based on 2nd picture:

Some cities may have a max height of the shims.  I have seen 4" more than once.   I don't believe there are any code standards on this.
The height may not meet code but the most concerning thing is that the plates are not stacked appropriately.   The fact is there may be a lateral force due to this.   Probably negated by the extreme downward force.
And of course they are not welded or tied to the ibeam
How concerned would I be as a home owner maybe a 3 out of 10.   I mean it wasn't done perfect but it isn't going anywhere.   Just the fact that they used this many shims shows they took time to make sure your floors were flat and level.
The verdict... I don't think it will pass inspection.   I think inspector makes them weld a solid piece to ibeam or steel piece plus 1-3 shims.   I would give this maybe a 10-20% chance of making it.   The good news it is a relatively fast fix and will only cost builder a few hundred.


Can I use single walled stove pipe for my wood stove?

As a wood stove owner I can tell you this is a bad idea.  You need to look carefully at the wood stove manufacturer's requirements, but most wood stoves need a large draft to operate correctly and loss of heat through a single wall pipe causes too much loss of draft as well as creosote problems eventually leading to a chimney fire, if you can manage to keep your stove lit.


This is what happens when you walk into Home Depot and buy a bunch of random parts.   Which is why I do not like Home Depot.   That, and their prices are outrageous.

Currently, you have a genuine fluorescent fixture, with a rapid-start ballast.  (Or possibly the even better programmed-start type).   Hence, the 2 wires to each end of each tube.  The 2 wires use the little filaments in the tubes to preheat the tube, which makes it easier to start (strike the arc). A fluorescent makes a Tesla-coil style arc through a tube of argon gas. In fact Tesla invented this.

What you bought was an instant-start ballast, which only has 1 wire per end, because it ignores the filaments and strikes the arc with a violent voltage surge.  This is hard on the tube, so don't use them where tubes are hard to replace.  I'd call it a cheapie ballast, but in fact it is not cheaper.

You have not told us if this was originally a T8 or T12 ballast. (It is an option to stay with T12, and today's tubes are excellent due to new quality standards). I have been switching to T8 because my old T12 ballasts are failing, and I'm not buying new T12 ballasts. Nope.

You have no idea if the fluorescent tubes are bad, or if it's the ballast.  OK.  Are there black marks a couple inches from the ends of the tubes?

Staying real fluorescent and switching to T8 is a good plan.

For that, you need to buy actual fluorescent tubes with the argon gas. Sylvania has some 90CRI tubes that I absolutely love, and I pay about $1.60 a tube in 36 quantity.

You need to sort out whether you want to stay with rapid-start or the deluxe programmed-start ballasts; or switch to the poor instant-start type.  Instant-start does have one advantage, implied in its name.  It is not as likely to work well in very cold; for that go programmed-start.  All will not flicker.

Your fixture's wiring can handle any type.

To switch ballasts, if the old ballast is known-bad, cut the wires flush at the ballast.  Otherwise leave 6” so it could be reused. Don't tear too much wire out of your fixture, sourcing legal 18AWG 600V wire is hard, and sourcing the wrong wire is too easy.

If you replace with a rapid or programmed start ballast, it's real simple - yellow to yellow (interchangeable), blue to blue, red to red, done.  Use blue sized wire nuts.   Don't bother fiddling with the sockets (lampholders/tombstones).

If you replace with an instant-start, then one color (blue or red) has only one wire.  Both yellows go to that color.  Both blues from the fixture go to one of the remaining wires.  Both reds to the other.

Don't worry about the excess wire, just fold it back and put the cover over it, there's room in there.  It does no harm.

Now having ballasted it for actual fluorescent tubes, you could put LED replacement devices in there if you really want to, but ...facepalm... Why.  Modern real tubes are better light.  If you do this, you use LED types called Plug-n-Play, and you must make sure the subtype of plug-n-Play LED matches your ballast type - instant-start, or rapid/programmed-start.    But this is stupid, because you are forcing a ballast to drive something it was not designed to drive.

Or use direct-wire LED replacement "tubes"

In these, you wire 120V straight to the LED "tube" and remove the ballast entirely.  These come in two types.

Power on each end of the tube:  in this case you wire both yellows to supply neutral, and both blues and both reds to supply hot.
Power on the same end of the tube: in this case you wire supply hot to one yellow, supply neutral to the other yellow, and cap off each red and blue wire separately. If you install the LEDs and they don't work, flip them around so you're plugging in the opposite end.


Judging from your pressure gauge your system pressure is far to low. You want the system to operate between 15 and 20psi. You need to make sure the pressure reducing valve is operating correctly and adding water/pressure to the system. Also make sure there is no valve closed going to the boiler fill line and pressure reducing valve. Some systems will just have a regular valve and it is up to you to add the right pressure to the system and then close the fill valve once complete.

You will also have to bleed any air from the system. You will need to have the system fill as you bleed it or else you will just remove more and more pressure instead of purging air.

If you can purge all the air and have the system fill back to 15psi your issues should go away. You will have to bleed out every radiator in the system to properly purge it.


Can a house with moldy, flooded basement be a likely fixer upper?

On some TV show I was watching, they showed the cleanup of a house with a severe mold problem.  The procedure was to strip everything back to the studs and subfloor and clean with a media-blaster.  Instead of sand, they used small dry ice pellets.  It basically took off the top layer of wood from the studs and rafters.  Since it was dry ice, there was no cleanup except the sawdust.  You are probably looking at doing something like this, and it won't be cheap.


Should I Install a sub-panel, IN PLACE OF of an unused hot tub disconnect, for a basement project, and will I need to change the main breaker?

There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with your logic.


Typically if there are any wires in the attic attached to the roof framing, they will be on the underside of the rafters well separated from the surface you are planning on installing the roof anchors.

The only wires I could ever think would be of concern are wires that would run to an attic light. They will be attached to the sides of the rafters well below where nail points will be that you will be driving. All other wires would be in the ceiling joists for room lighting, etc.


Anyone installed a hot water coil in their HVAC ductwork to increase heat pump efficiency?

Better idea: flip things on their head

You need hot water to run a hydronic heating coil efficiently, far hotter than you'd ever set your water heater to (water heaters struggle to reach 180°F which is the standard temp a hydronic boiler is set to).  However, your hydronic load probably pales in comparision to your domestic hot water load most of the time, and your current gas heater is not all that and a bag of chips regarding efficiency (EF=0.50).

So, the solution I propose is to use a hydronic boiler to drive an indirect hot water heater tank in addition to the coil in the air handler.  An indirect tank the size of your existing heater with a 150kbtu modulating-condensing boiler can give you practically infinite hot water, will have far fewer standby losses (~350-400Btu/hr for a Bradford White SW-2-80-L based on the AHRI figures of 0.6°F/hr and a 71 gallon potable capacity) compared to the kBtu/hr range standby losses of a conventional gas heater, and will be more efficient than your existing heater overall with a computed EF in the 0.7 to 0.8 range depending on the thermal efficiency you can milk from the hydronic setup (good modcons get into 95-96% thermal efficiencies, and indirect tanks are quite efficient as well), comparable to a good condensing gas tank-type heater.

Atop that, you'll be running the coil in the air handler more efficiently due to the improved delta-T available over what a domestic hot water heater can produce, and you have a solid platform for future desires (such as zoned air handling or radiant heat).


fencing under electrical transmission line

Duke Energy has employees whose job is specifically to work on easement issues.  I received a call back from them after a few days.  They talked to me about my fence project and sent a PDF with some general guidance, as well as aerial photos of the property with the easement and lot lines marked.

No written application was required; fence project approved over the phone
16-foot gate required at each end of easement for Duke vehicle access; Duke will supply locks which I could connect to my own locks if desired, so they can access the easement without bothering me or cutting anything
Maximum fence height 8 feet (no problem for me)
No limit on materials, e.g. metal fence would be fine
No special grounding requirements

The Duke rep recommended agricultural gates which are about $200ea.


multi light 1 switch each, and one switch for the all light

You could use smart switches and have a lot of versatility... but you can also do it with manual switches easy enough.

At the first switch point, you have the "master switch". You bring in always-hot and neutral.  Pass through neutral, connect always-hot to the switch, and switched-hot to the other side of the switch.

Then at the second switch point, you have 6 switches.  Switched-hot goes to each of the switches.  Then branch-switched-hot comes off the other side of the switch for each of the six branches.

Annnnnd... this is why there are 8 legal colors for hot wires.

In this diagram, black=always hot, red=master-switched-hot, and all other colors are branch switched hots.  Grounds not shown because, enough.


As already pointed out, yes you can. But maybe understanding the why will help:

From this article, "https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/everyday-tech/question110.htm"

"The idea behind grounding is to protect the people who use metal-encased appliances from electric shock. The casing is connected directly to the ground prong."

So, chances are the device you are using would not electrocute you if a wire became loose inside and touched the casing. That is why there is not a need for the ground prong.


How should I frame a small void in my floor system to support subfloor?

None of the ideas that you outlined are really ideal. Probably the best approach would be to cut some pieces of joist sized material (2 x 10s if I read your question properly) to be used as blocking between the open joist and the one down under that wall. These would be cut to match the spacing between those two joists. You can use metal joist hangers to secure them in place. I would space these equivalent to your normal joist spacing.

This picture shows the idea where you would place these.

Another alternative is to use some joist sized material cut to length and just lay it up against the outer joist that is under that wall and simply screw it through the face into that covered joist. It may take several iterations of this to being out the top of these sistered joists so that the top extends beyond the wall surface. This alternative may be easier so as to avoid difficulty with the electrical wire running through that area unless the wire is already below the bottom of the existing joists.


Any inorganic gravel or sand will do the job. The trick is packing it in tightly enough to eliminate all gap. As you can imagine, concrete doesn't flex, and any gap will eventually result in a crack and settling of the concrete.

Fill the gap by tamping horizontally with a piece of lumber or similar tool, and work your way out. A little bit of moisture might help compact things as you work. Once you have the void completely filled, landscape around the patio to retain the material you've installed. This is critical to long-term success.

You may need to hire a "mud jacking" company to inject concrete through the slab to fill the void where it's inaccessible. They'll drill small holes and patch them when they're done.


Cutting out most sink cabinet back panel to access utilities

If it is only 1/8" and there are some structural pieces (typically near the top and bottom) across the back then the panel is not structural and can be removed. In fact, many times the back panel won't even be installed on a sink cabinet. However, if there are no other structural cross pieces on the back then, depending on how well the cabinet is built, how it is attached to the wall, type of countertop, etc., the panel may be important in keeping the cabinet straight.
The only concern I would have is the increased possibility of unwanted cold air or critters coming in, particularly if this is against an outer wall.


Can I use tile sealant in place of grout?

This happens on every tile install at least a little. There's nothing wrong with some mortar squishing out. Now, if it's over the top of the tiles, that's another issue. If you think there's room for a caulking/grouted/sealant, then there's likely room for grout.

You can use a sealant in place of grout, but from my experience having done this before, the sealant attracts dirt which seems to stick to it vs. grout where you can just sweep dirt off your tiles. Also, the sealant is less durable to foot traffic and wear and it's a huge pain to put in.

Grout is just colored/sanded cement. It will adhere to your mortar that is already there. No one will be able to tell unless maybe you want white grout and your mortar is grey. I'd just use grout anyway and see how well it covers. And if you really think you need to remove some of the mortar from between tiles, you will make your life a lot easier by using a multi-tool with the proper vibrating blade attachment which is made for masonry. You can get a carbide masonry blade that will fit most of the common multi-tools. It's meant for grout removal, but it may help a lot for your situation as well if the mortar is sticking up really high.


Is a 200 amp panel adequate for my needs?

First, the aluminum wire

In the 1960s, owing to a copper shortage, they rushed to market aluminum wire made from transmission line alloys, for 15-30A branch circuits.  Electricians used it with common receptacles and switches listed for Cu-only, and in the rush, nothing was properly tested. On top of that, the work was often badly performed because housing booms tend to draw from the bottom of the barrel skillwise.  I hardly need to tell you how that went: the things you saw were indeed your house almost burning down, and they were due to arcing.   There are two good fixes:

Tear it all out -- kill it with fire before it kills you with fire.
Feed it from AFCI breakers, which will detect and trip on arc faults before they melt insulation. Then at leisure move through the house, and either tear it out, or clean up all the terminations of every wire, using CO-ALR rated receptacles/switches and Alumiconns instead of wire nuts.

As a backgrounder, copper has been commercially viable since 9000 BC, aluminum since 1950 thanks to smelting processes which use electricity.  Obviously Al arrived in an electrical system long built-out and with pre-existing stock of gear made for Cu-only.  The AA-1350 alloy, developed for steel-core transmission lines not small-wire terminations, was also a problem.  All done in a rush.

Regardless, it can be argued that Cu is the bad actor because it doesn't have a good elasticity range and likes to work-harden.  Al wire on Cu lugs doesn't work, but Cu wire on Al lugs works fine - as seen on Alumiconns, CO/ALR receptacles, and the lugs on your panel.  You need to get the torques right because of dissimilar metal expansion/contraction rates.  The right torque lets the Al flex and spring back as Cu changes size.

The new AA-8000 alloys are safe for 15-30A branch circuit wiring, but I won't use it because the inspector hates it, the buyer hates it, there's no cost savings, and it's too oddball.  Like a lot of people, I start looking at Al for 60A+ (#4-), the larger, the more likely.

Needed service

As I look at your numbers, first, on-demand water heat, awesome. Even better if it's several units near point of use, because then you're not paying or waiting for hot water to cross the house.  It's common for all-electric houses in the snowbelt to have 400A service.

I don't understand 4x50A for air conditioning. This seems like both too little and too much for a heat pump, the pump proper doesn't need 50 and the emergency heat usually needs more than 50.  Critical issue is which will be used at the same time. If you need to run 4x50A at once, you're gonna need a second service.

Subpanel

I think a subpanel is a great idea and I would go 200 or 225A. Stay with QO if you like, great commercial-tier panel type.  I would confer with the power company about where to locate this if it's to be the future main panel for a second service (keeping in mind one option is to put the main breaker outside as part of the meter pan, and feed this as a subpanel).  Set it up so you can do both:

For now, feed it with as you plan, a 100A or 125A breaker and correct size wire.
later, make it the "main" panel of the second service.

Spaces: You say nine 2-pole breakers (seems low, but alright, 18 spaces) plus you say 15 singles (but I count 18 singles in your panel already with the double-stuff's).

Using double-stuff breakers is bad news, especially on a panel with 3/4" wide breakers.  Most circuits are or will require AFCI or GFCI (and you want AFCI on any AL branch circuits).  Those don't come in double-stuff, not even on 1" breakers.

Now we're at 36 spaces optimistically, you have 30 now.  I would recommend at least a 30 space subpanel but given the small cost delta, I'd go 40 or 42.   40 is not unreasonable for a 200A service.

Existing panel

As far as the existing fat 200A aluminum wires, The lugs are aluminum. I would call the power company, have them pull the meter, inspect them at all ends for deterioration, clean 'em up, use the No-Ox.

Change the meter-panel run to Cu if it's really going to bother you.  Copper on an aluminum lug will work if you get the torques right.

What am I overlooking?   See the two large wires landed on the neutral lug and dissimilar metals to boot?  That is illegal, a recipe for disaster, and a lost neutral can do far more damage than a lost hot.  If the stranded Cu cable is your wire to your grounding electrode, that should go to your ground bus.  If you absolutely need both wires to land there, then get the correct lug for this, which has voids for 2 wires.

Nope. Try

Src GALCO

It sounds like you prefer running 6 AWG wire.  Paralleling is absolutely not allowed, you cannot run two #6's for 100A instead of one #1Al or #3Cu. If you want to keep your heavy-wire runs to a minimum, don't be bashful about putting the subpanel right next to the main panel. That is completely kosher.

For a short run, I'd be inclined to use copper (damn the dissimilar metals) because it will flex easier and be less likely to unclip the breaker.


How do I correctly install metal roofing over a workshop with a vaulted/exposed ceiling

All metal roofs leak and condensate and therefore need a "moisture barrier". I call this condensation phenomenon, "The Coke bottle effect." When you take a coke bottle out of the refrigerator, it sweats because the inside of the coke bottle is colder than the outside of the bottle sitting in a warm room. So, your metal roofing will be colder on the "outside" compared to the side on the roof sheathing...thus, sweating and condensation.

The type of moisture barrier depends on the slope of the roof. The lower the slope, the better the moisture barrier should be.

For "low-slope" applications, like yours, water is more likely to get blown through joints, up under underlayment (building paper), etc. To protect against this, we use a "peel-and-stick" rubberized underlayment membrane. This membrane is 36" wide and has a sticky backing. It is applied directly to the roof sheathing and lapped 2-3" at all edges. The sticky backing will seal the entire roof. (We turn the peel-and-stick membrane over the edges of the structure about 2-3" to eliminate "blow-back" moisture that could get in under the membrane. )

Then, the metal roofing can be installed directly on the peel-and-stick membrane. When you nail the metal down (hopefully with concealed fasteners) the shank of the nail (or screw) will get sealed by the rubberized membrane.

You didn't ask, but if you insulate the roof, be careful about venting above the insulation. If you don't insulate the roof, be careful to protect the plywood from the dew point or moisture will accumulate under the peel-and-stick underlayment and rot the plywood.

By the way, if the existing plywood is bad enough that you can step through, then it needs to be replaced (or new plywood can be added over the existing plywood if it's dryrot and not insect infestation.) Dryrot will stop if the moisture is stopped, unlike insect infestation. They seem to just keep coming back.


Should I use a halogen light transformer with a higher wattage rating?

I think you are asking the right question. The transformer should be rated higher than the total load. It would be better to go higher with a landscaping type transformer this one is 12V @ 500W. You don't want to use a switching supply as they have a tough time with loads like halogen lights.


You will need to dig a footing or be on an existing concrete slab. In the north (assuming your in the USA) the footing needs to extend below the frost line, which I'm told is 3 feet.
Cinder block is required for the first few feet (2 or 3 courses) of wall height to prevent water damage from rain or snow.
Anything that will change the outside appearance of the home will most certainly need a builders permit.
If this is your first project, you're going to need some help. There's a lot of skill sets required to do this.

Are you going to drywall the interior or leave the studs exposed? What about the exterior? Vinal siding? Stucco? etc... Any electrical in these walls? Windows?

There are kits available that'll make it easier, but at that rate, you may as well just have them install it.

SunPorch

I've wanted to do this to my house since I've moved in. Our porch is covered and on a concrete slab. I haven't decided yet if I want to use the space as a office or a first floor bathroom / laundry room. I put the expense around 7k to raise the floor to the same height as the house, drywall inside, playwood and vinal siding for the outside, and I'll reuse some of the windows and doors from the part of the house its attached to.

Nothing you can't do by yourself with another hand. Score some books from the local home store and plan it out. If you get stuck, make sure you know who to call.


[Posted for original questioner]
SOLVED. It was secret door number 3. In this case, a GFI outlet two floors down in the basement adjacent to the fuse panel. Having only been in the house a couple months I never even noticed it or thought of it as playing a key role in a bathroom fan/light two floors up.


How do I fix where cat scratched and tore carpet from threshold?

A typical way to fix this type of damage depends upon having a remnant available. Repair consists of cutting back from the door to good solid carpet material using nice straight edges. A replacement piece is cut from the remnant to fit and then joined to the original carpet using a hot melt carpet splicing tape. (Special tools are required for this process that can be rented in lieu of having to purchase them).

If no remnant is available then your choices become a bit more drastic including the following:

The possibility to borrow a chunk of carpet from another part of the existing installation. Possibility could be to remove carpet from a closet for the repair and then re-do the closet in tile.
Full up replacement of the carpet in the office with something new. A new spring time update may be just what is in store anyway.
Conversion of the office space from a carpeted floor to some other style. One possible style could be a laminate floor.


Why not use steel strap?

You can round and smooth the ends, and bend them up to bolt through the upright and horizontal supports.

These straps do not have the compression (push) strength of tubing, but if used on all four bottom corners, their tension (pull) strength should prevent the racking that you are trying to cure.

The illustrated piece is 12" but you should be able to find longer pieces. They could be painted black or silver if the bare metal is too rustic.

  Images and links are illustrative only, not an endorsement of goods or sources.


Why is my new Altura 68" fan so slow moving on high speed?

Your new fan is larger, which means it should be able to move more air at the same speed. As you say, it moves more air (8435 CFM, up from 7344). Who cares how fast the blades turn? If anything it's probably quieter to have a slow, large fan vs a small fan that has to spin a lot faster to move the same amount of air.


One thing that can cause this problem is the old single handle Moen faucets that used the old 1225 cartridge. If you have a Moen faucet in the vicinity that either pulls straight up or straight out, you may have one of these faucets.  Replace the brass cartridge with the new plastic one. Problem solved.


Problem hanging ceiling lamp with cord set (from Ikea)

I have a similar Ikea fixture, but it came with a metal sleeve that tightens with a screw--this part sits below the cap, but this light has a rod (rigid, not the cord itself) for this sleeve to work on.

Did you buy it new? If for some reason you didn't have the instructions and therefore couldn't verify if a piece was missing, you can find those here: http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/customer_service/assembly_instructions.html I know you can order replacement parts from Ikea, at least if what you need hasn't been discontinued.

Assuming you have the instructions and all the pieces, I think your best bet would be finding a rubber O-ring (or several) which match the cord diameter, and sliding those up to keep the cap up....or using a twist-tie painted to match the cord. Once you have the cap up reasonably flush with the ceiling, you could use clear silicone caulk around the rim of the cup, which can easily be peeled away later if you're renting.

Finally, is the hook all the way in? Perhaps screwing it up further into the ceiling would make the cap go higher.

Best of luck!


Fix water pooling on porch connected to driveway

Yes, you could try the asphalt patch but after a few winter freezes, it would crack and crumble.
A better, more permanent solution would be to dig out about 12 square feet in front of your stairs, about a 3.5' x 3.5' area. Regrade it to eliminate the pooling and install patio stones/pavers. You'd loose some asphalt but it's not that great to look at and you'd have a nice landing at the base of the stairs.


Should I extend a drain vent that terminates in my attic?

Bad. Not only are you introducing stink and moisture to your attic, but toxic and potentially explosive gases as well.

  Decomposing waste materials in public and private sewer and septic systems create sewer gases. Methane is the largest single constituent of sewer gas, which includes an assortment of toxic and non-toxic gases, such as hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, ammonia, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide. Improperly disposed gasoline and mineral spirits may also contribute to sewer gases.

  https://www.nachi.org/sewer-gases-home.htm?loadbetadesign=0

Fix it now.


Is this the legal and best way to add power for bathroom fans?

Answering your questions in turn:

Yes, you would have to bring Circuit #2 up to Code if you altered it.  The applicable provision is actually E3401.4 of the International Residential Code as your jurisdiction doesn't use the Annex H model legislation to adopt the NEC.
The primary hazard the current wiring poses is that tripping Bathroom 1's GFCI turns the lights out on the unsuspecting occupant of Bathroom 2, which could lead to a minor disaster (say involving a hot curling iron, or stumbling and falling in the shower in the dark).
Adding the fans to circuit #1 isn't a problem, by Code -- bathroom outlets other than the required receptacles serving the countertops can be on any general-use branch circuit.  With a fair bit of rewiring, though, it's possible to juggle things so that the bathroom lights and non-bathroom receptacles move to circuit #1 while the bathroom receptacles stay on circuit #2, which would make things almost fully Code-compliant (bathroom #3 would need to be addressed separately, but that's simply a matter of putting a new breaker in the panel and moving bathroom #3's homerun to it, based on your diagrams).
Last but not least, you don't need a divider to put two different circuits in the same wallbox as the voltage between adjacent devices can't exceed 300V on a residential 240/120V service. The requirement for dividers between circuits in mains-only boxes only kicks in for commercial folks and their 277V lighting circuits, see NEC 404.8(B) for details.


What's the proper way to address a moisture issue in a concrete slab?

A plastic or EDPM rubber sheet will work, if the flooring installers don't puncture it. That pretty well limits your flooring to a floating floor, but that's not a great impediment.

Nothing  painted on to the inside of a concrete structure will stay put if water is coming from the outside (more commonly seen as failed attempts at "waterproofing the inside of a basement" but the principle is the same. Painted on products only work from the outside.

On the other hand, if you have actually resolved the sources of moisture, there should not be any more.


Ok to install NEMA 14-50R in plastic, new-work, single-gang box?

Box fill calculations say you need a volume of 5 in³ per AWG 6 conductor that lands in, or is spliced in the box, plus an allowance of 2 wire volumes (5 in³ each) for the receptacle itself.  For a 14-50R receptacle, you will have 4 conductors, plus 2 for the receptacle, means that 30 in³ is required.

A 2g remodel box is only 25 in³, which is not legally large enough, but is exactly what we use for every Tesla charger we install.  It's a bitch to squeeze the wires in and get the receptacle screwed down, so I recommend installing the whole assembly before mounting the box in the wall so you don't break the drywall with the force of the screwdriver pressing against the screw head.

I'm starting to reconsider this practice and may start using a 4"x2-1/8" square box, which is the minimum actually approved for this application...


How to replace existing ethernet wiring in the house?

Rip the walls open. Unless someone had the sense (they almost certainly did not) to run the network cables in conduit, that's generally the only practical method to replace wires thoughout a house. It's messy and tedious and involves a lot of cleanup.

Might be a lot less hassle to check for connector issues first - a 2007 house would almost certainly be using Cat5e (you can check the writing on the outside of the cable jacket if you have a few feet exposed anywhere), and Cat5e is gigabit cable - Cat6 has no practical advantage over it for Gigabit ethernet, which was designed to run on Cat5e cabling. Sure, it's higher frequency rated - but actual Gigabit equipment does not run at those higher frequencies, so that's pointless. Pure sales gimmick.

[You'll naturally find many websites trying to convince you that Cat 6 is a magical secret sauce - Cat 6 is an orphan - it was supposed to run 10 Gig, but it does not - Cat6A does over short distances - so the cable companies were left with this cable they had gotten set up to make, and they whipped their sales forces to sell it. I personally have over 1/2 mile of Cat5e running gigabit on switches that report error rates, and I see NO application for Cat 6 - period.]

Disconnects are almost always bad connectors. Bad wiring either never connects (it's broken, or mice chewed through it) or it connects at a lower-than-rated speed (it was installed poorly and became derated.) Low-quality and/or poorly installed jacks and plugs are a far more common cause of most problems, and especially intermittent connections.

Treating it like a new install, rather than "replacing the wires" you could abandon them in place and run wire though the basement, then drill up into the first floor walls, aiming for the service boxes,  make one run to the attic (either by ripping open walls that are easily repaired or scheduled for a repaint anyway (or in desperate cases go outside the house - or look for a space to run with the plumbing stack) and down through the tops of walls aiming for service boxes on the second floor. Slightly less mess.

But I'd suggest concentrating on the connectors first, and possibly renting a network cable analyzer or hiring someone who owns one and knows how to run it, as being a lot more likely to solve your problem without making a mess of your house. Depending on exactly what your switch is, you might find that it has a built-in cable test function and/or error reporting - fiber optic switches circa 2007 were not the bottom of the line, in most cases.


2-part door for raised patio (horizontal and vertical) with tiles possible?

Your idea is possible. It will take as you may know already, a custom metal fabricator who is certified, to build to insure all welds will hold up under the weight of the assembly, since it will weigh hundreds of pounds. Using aluminum to make the base, sealed bearings in proper housings for the pivots. Counterbalance filled with lead to ease its operation, and solution to help lower the door in place to keep it from slamming down, like a gas filled piston and rod, like a shock absorber. an aluminum mesh, spot welded in many places to give a way for the tile to bond to the plate that makes the face of the door, with a perimeter angle to dress up the edge so you do not see all the layers at the edge of the door. With all this done, it will need to be powder coated to keep the contact with cement based products separated, so it will not corrode. Your biggest problem will be with your counter balance. When the door raises, it will drop in front of the door. It may be better to use springs or electric lift mechanism, or hydraulics. I made a small sketch to see how it acts together with a counterbalance.

This is by no means a complete sketch, it is missing reinforcements, the hinge pivot is off,etc. Just a picture study on feasibility.

In my opinion a lift system like that is on the rear gates of SUV's is a good way to go, although, should one of them fail....


If I move my sink, how should I route the vent?

Does your jurisdiction allow Air-Admittance Valves (aka AAVs or Studor vents)? If it does, this would eliminate the need for an external vent.


Will drain camera see whether P-trap is filled with water?

Yes, they should get you the answer you seek. It should be plainly apparent whether there's water standing or not.

You can buy cameras that do what you need for much less. Note that there is variety in the type and rigidity of the cables, so read carefully.


Does UF wire allow direct burial or require conduit?

Since the deck itself protects the wire from physical damage and sunlight, you will have no problem running the UF exposed under the deck.  Attach it to the side of a joist in the same way you'd do an indoor run of NM in an unfinished space, and treat it as 60 deg C wire for ampacity purposes.


Unless you have a big enough pile to make snowballs...or sawdust balls rather.  I wouldn't worry about it.  It shouldn't hurt the grass and again unless the kids are rolling around it it, or licking it you should be just fine.

In the First Aid section of the MSDS, for skin contact it says...

  For skin contact, wash immediately with soap and water. Get medical
  attention if irritation develops or persists.

The by the book answer is yes follow the MSDS to the letter. But MSDS sheets are written with lawsuits in mind and are generally overzealous in how things should be handled. This is the same reason a piece of stained oak threshold at Lowe's has a "This product has been known to cause cancer in the state of California" sticker on it. I have had ptw dust in my eyes and on my body and had no ill effects. Sure if you have a pile, pick/clean it up, if its scattered...mine is realistic advice, I would not worry about it.


What type of beam should be used over a split arch doorway?

Beams rarely follow curves in cases like this. Put a standard beam at the height of the zenith and frame down to shape the arch, thereby creating the proper rough openings for the windows. Install the center post under the beam.


Used the wrong color wood stain on a Cypress post

Typically, I find sanding is the most sure way to remove a staining mistake. To use a solvent or thinner will not remove enough of the wrong stain to make the difference you are looking for.
When sanding by electric sander, it will leave marks that will not be apparent until, you stain. Those marks will also make the stain look slightly different than the other posts, even when using the exact same stain. You should finish the sanding by hand and sand up and down the post with the grain, not across the posts the short way, across the grain. This will even out the swirl marks left by most electric sanders.
You would need to start with a relatively coarse grit, like 80G to start, to remove the bulk of the stain. Switch to a finer grit like 120G to remove the swirl marks from the 80G. Then move onto the hand sanding with 120G and maybe finish with 180G.
Since the other posts are typically not sanded before staining, they are never touched by sandpaper. This surface usually stains differently than a sanded surface, so the need for a fine sanding with the grain is important.


Trimming hollow doors without circular saw?

I have done this with 100s of hollow doors.

You need a table saw period for your situation.   The electric planer is the other tool you need - which you have.   But using the planer is not right for that big of a cut.   You will have trouble managing the edges - these doors will splinter on you unless you are perfect.

If you want a half inch gone -

Remove the bottom piece of the door.   You can usually bump it on one side with  something blunt - that side will push in and the other side should pop out a little.  Pull it out.  If you have serious issue just put a screw in it and tap screw and pull out by screw.   It is the bottom of a door so no one will ever see a screw hole.
Cut door with table saw.  I guess you could use a circular saw but you need to use a guide.   Honestly I wouldn't use a circular saw because these are hollow and you will get kick back and the doors are flimsy.
Reinsert bottom of the door.
Wood glue the bottom back in.   You will need to put glue on every side.   Clamp it while it dries.  (check 20 mins later and wipe glue)  It needs to dry for a day.
A day later you will probably need to shave about 1/32" off with the planer.   No matter how good you try to get the piece in, it won't be perfect.   The planer will make it look new and will also shave off excess glue.

Also don't touch the top of the door.   Imperfections are really not noticed at the bottom and even if not perfect it will look like wear and tear.   At the top it will be very noticeable and will look like a hack job.

The other factor of not cutting the top is when you look at a hallway all of the panels should be the same height.   You will notice the distance from top panel to the top door frame trim and if there are differences an OCD person might have a meltdown :)


Backwater valves, furnace drains, and vent pipes

1) Recommendations vary from inspecting every 3 months to every 1 year. You're checking for any debris that might prevent the valve from closing if water does come up the drain backwards. If a furnace is on top of the access point, you won't be able to inspect it.

2) The vent pipe must be within a certain distance of the drain trap, determined by the size of the drain pipe. Section 906.1 of the IPC states that for a 2" pipe, your vent needs to be located within 8 feet of the trap. Just eyeballing your setup, it looks like it's possibly OK. However, your locale may have adopted modifications to the code, so you'll need to check with your inspector to ensure that it meets code.

That said, please make sure that your inspector is aware of the changes. The plumbing had to be approved before the slab was poured, and the HVAC contractor knew it wasn't going to get a second look. If the inspector gets another chance to review it, changes may be required.

Good luck!


Filling holes in floor where heating ducts used to be?

Filling the holes is the easy part. You put a scrap of 2x4 under the floor across the hole on each side and run screws through the existing subfloor to fix the scrap in place. Then just fit a piece of sub floor in the opening and screw it onto the 2x4's.

The hard part is replacing the flooring itself. If it's hardwood, you have to try to match the grain and probably remove a few pieces so there isn't an odd rectangle in the grain. If it's carpet, you need to get a scrap of carpet (hopefully one was left from the last install), align the grain of the patch with the existing carpet, and fix the scrap of carpet in place with glue strips that are heated with a special iron to melt the glue. A professional carpet installer can make this spot disappear in a way most DIYers can't.

Since you have a temporary solution in place with the vents that are there, I'd suggest holding off on removing them until you decide to replace the flooring if that's at all convenient.


Any potential problems with re-numbering electrical panel?

The accepted practice in most of the USA is to number the breaker slots. We number them odd on the left and even on the right from top to bottom. A two-pole breaker takes up two slots and therefore two numbers.

Some newer panel numbers are imprinted in the metal with this numbering scheme. Most construction blueprints also use this numbering scheme.

You can use whatever scheme you want this is just the common practice. The National Electrical Code requires that you complete a panel registry with descriptions of the circuits. As long as it is legible and logical, any subsequent homeowner or electrician should be able to follow it.

Happy Day!


The home lead testing kits are very accurate if used properly, but only spot check.  I buy these same kits in boxes of 50 for home inspections.  If you are concerned about widespread lead, you need to have an electronic scan dome by a pro.  This type of electronic camera can detect lead in walls, trim, interior or exterior and can cover an entire house in half an hour.  Costs vary, but 200 to 300 bucks is average in my area.  If you are only concerned with a small area or certain surfaces, the home test is fine. There is a technique to it, don't want to over simplify, but not hard if you read and follow the directions carefully.  Good luck


8 years should not ordinarily result in a significant deflection of the floor unless there is a problem.  Figuring out the problem and how to correct it may involve several professionals, depending on exactly what is wrong and how much work you need to do: structural engineer, architect, soil testing, carpentry, painting, etc..., and you could wind up needing someone to manage insurance claims or deal with legal issues.  It may be as simple as having a GC replace a failing support or as complex as a major erosion problem or faulty building design.

The first thing to do is find a reliable general contractor and have them look at the house.  Before hiring anyone to do major work, talk to and get bids from multiple contractors.  The second contractor may realize something the first didn't, and competitive bids ordinarily save you a substantial percentage of the price.


How is power to an entire room restored by plugging something into an outlet in an adjacent room?

Most likely scenario is that all the devices in the "dead room" are daisy chain wired on the same circuit coming from the outlet that you plugged the printer into. That printer outlet is likely to have been wired up using the notoriously unreliable back stab connections on the outlet. One of the back stab connections has come loose and when you plug in the printer it torques the contact metal inside the outlet just enough to make the loose wire connect up again.

The loose wire in the back of the "printer outlet" could be the source of arcing and this can build up heat and maybe become a fire danger. It is wise to get this addressed as quickly as possible.

When the circuits are repaired make sure to have all the wires be secured by the side screws on the outlet. That will give you reliable connections for years to come.


It would seem to me that the 100mm square tube posts would be a bit chincy for holding the hinges for gate of that weight. If it was me I would probably be looking for something a bit beefier like a 5"x5" or a 6"x6" steel tube with a wall thickness of at least 0.25".

Gates will place a tremendous torque on the posts and I also have my doubts that a burial depth of 1.5m would be enough to prevent post movement above the ground when there is a huge cantilever weight hung on the post. This is the reason that some of the following ideas are applied to gate posts:

Overhead post tie:

Substantial support structure:

Swinging gate support:

Back bracing into adjacent fence:


Trying to install smart switches - came across something that looks wrong

The nut of the problem is the ground wire joining the neutrals in drawing 1.   This is a bootlegged attempt to fix a fundamental problem of bringing 5 wires:  2 travelers, always-hot, neutral and ground in a /3+ground cable.

Everything in drawing 1 is bootlegging neutral from ground. This is bad and needs to be fixed Right Now.  Not least, nothing in that box is actually grounded.

Good thing you're into smart switches

Because the real solution here is use smart switches to reduce the number of 3-way travelers, so we can free up the wire we need to do this right.

Theoretically, you can reduce the number of travelers from 2 to 0 with Insteon, X10 or other tech that uses powerline signaling to communicate between switches.  However it will suffice to use smart switches that use 1 comms wire, so that is what I will describe.

remove the 3-way from the 2-gang box.  There, see the clump of blacks in the 2-gang box, which include a white from the /3 cable?  Remove the white and replace it with the /3 cable's black (remove yellow tape).  Now you have a 5-wire bundle of eevery black in the box (not blueblack) and a pigtail to each switch.  These are always-hot.
Notice the bundle of neutrals here.  Add the /3 white wire to it, and also add a white pigtail that will go to the future 3-way smart switch.  Now you have a 6-wire bundle (you will need a red or tan wire nut for that) with all white wires and a pigtail to each switch.  These are all real neutral.

Remove the 3-way from the 3-gang box.  There, see the /3 white going to a clump of black pigtails going on to switches?  Remove the white and replace it with the /3 cable's black (remove yellow tape). Also add a black pigtail that will go to the future 3-way smart switch.  Now you have all 4 uncolored blacks in a bundle (supply and 3 pigtails). These are always-hot.
Notice the bundle of neutrals here.  Remove the /3‘s green wire and replace it with the /3’s white wire and add 1 white pigtail for the smart switches.  Now you have 5 white wires (one from every cable plus the pigtail) so you'll need a red nut for this.  This bundle is full; you'll add the smart switch pigtails to the other end of that white pigtail.  All these white wires are neutral.
Now you have a loose ground wire.  Joint it with every other ground in the box.
The red wire is now the only comms wire.

Whew!!!   We have corrected  the bootleg wiring, and have honest always-hot, neutral and safety ground in both boxes. The 3-way circuit is wrecked: cap off its wires until you procure a correct smart switch.

The 3-way smart switch "master" must go in the 3-gang box. It connects to line/always-hot (black), neutral (white), load/switched-hot (blue), and if needed, comms/traveler (yellow-red).
The 2-gang gets the 3-way smart "remote".  It takes line/always-hot (black), neutral (white) and if needed comms/traveler (yellow-red).
The other smart switches install according to their instructions. The load/switched-hot wires all have colored tape on black.


Will the water heater be damaged if its turn off and on?

I'd advise against turning off and on the water tank daily. For the physical tank and parts, a hot water heater turns on and off frequently during it's operation and won't suffer any damage from the switching, with the possible exception of the controls themselves. The bigger concern is large temperature swings by leaving it off for long periods of time and then reheating the water.

Turning off a hot water heater and allowing it to cool to 32 to 42 °C (90 to 108 °F) can allow pathogens to grow. See this question and answer for more details about ideal water heater temperature settings.

Turning a cold tank on, if your system has a one way "check valve" preventing back flow of water into the municipal system, can result in a large pressure increase. That dramatic swing can overload the capabilities of a small expansion tank if you have one, and cause valves to fail in your home. The failing valves will be seen as dripping fixtures, running toilets, or a leaking TPR valve on the water tank itself.

For a vacation home where the tank is turned off for several months, I wouldn't have these concerns. The tank is typically allowed to cool well between the lower limit for pathogens, and the water lines often have air in them from being drained or are being run to purge the stale water, which allows for the expansion as the water heater turns back on.


How to bolt something to a wood member when can't access the back side and a carriage bolt won't do

You could install a few of these three prong tee nuts on the back of your board before it's attached to your studs and then bolt the inverter from the front. I'm curious why you'd "feel better" with two bolts instead of four.


Why do adjacent kitchen outlets need to be on separate circuits?

You guessed it. You put adjacent receptacles in a kitchen where you regularly have high wattage items, toaster, blenders, microwaves, on separate circuits.  Additionally, each circuit in a kitchen or bathroom should be protected by a GFIC outlet.

I'm not sure of the code in your area, but typically you use 14/3 (the thinner wire) only for lights on a 15 Amp breaker. For receptacles, you typically use 12/3 and a 20 Amp breaker.

If you have a failure, it won't be catastrophic as long as you match your breaker amperage to your wire capacity. Though if you are using toasters and stuff on your island, you may be popping the circuit now and then.


I'm no expert, but AFAIK, the frame of a shear wall is (by definition) clad with plywood, OSB, or somesuch, not just with sheetrock. From the looks of the chunks of sheetrock on the floor and remaining on the frame (top center), only sheetrock appears to have been removed on “this” side (exposing the framing we can see). The other side, which we can only see the back of, looks to be sheetrock as well, based on the white seam you can see just above the noggins, which looks like the front white finish paper folded over the edge onto the brown backing paper.


The original diagram has a problem

There's one issue with the original diagram -- it shows the two /2 NM cables between the lights being used in a way that can be considered a 300.3(B)/310.10(H) violation for cables in parallel.  So, as long as all the wires between the two lights are run in a single cable, you are fine in doing what you propose -- powering a light from the same circuit via two parallel paths is not a Code violation, or a major issue otherwise, as long as folks know to turn things off at the breaker before servicing the fixtures.

I would take up Chris Cudmore's suggestion of making the black always-hot and the red switched-hot, by the way, though.


Is there a reason I shouldn't use an oil radiator to heat a 1400 sq ft (130 sq m) space? (Why do commercial buildings use electric air heaters?)

Well, first off, you're wrong about the heat source.
See the gray insulated pipes?
Those are carrying hot fluid from (and cooler fluid back to) a source that costs a LOT less than electric resistance heat.
That flows through a coil, and a fan blows air through the coil.
You have a fan-coil unit.
Or, possibly, those only carry chilled water for cooling in summer, and the black iron pipe carries natural gas to the unit - again, much less costly than electric resistance heating. That would be a "Gas unit heater" though I can't see where the exhaust is if that's the case. OK, based on comments, the gray pipes appear to be intake and exhaust for a "sealed combustion" high efficiency condensing gas furnace.
So, oil-filled (or any other kind of) electric resistance heat will cost a great deal more to operate.
Noise may be able to be reduced somewhat, but is generally not a major consideration for industrial heating, and strong air movement is required (with associated noise) to distribute heat in a high-ceilinged space like that. Your oil-filled radiators would give you a nice warm ceiling. The warmth might not even reach your head level.
If the "conversion" from industrial to residential was as minimal as this implies, you probably have a much larger heat load than you would expect. Such factory buildings were insulated somewhere between minimally or not at all, when built. There was penty of excess heat available from steam power needed for industrial processes, and fuel was cheap.


How to spackle a plaster/drywall to firmly hold a magnetic door lock with plastic nails?

Usually something like this:

Enlarge the hole to something like 4 x 6 inches.

Cut a scrap of drywall about 5.5 x 8.

Drill a couple of holes in the center of the patch.

Tie a loop of cord through the pair of holes.  Leave enough slack to get a good grip.

Maneuver the patch through the hole, rotate it to cover the hole, then secure with dry wall screws

Cut a second piece of drywall to fit the hole.  Screw it to the back patch.

Drywall mud and tape the seam.

Drill holes for drywall anchors, or use the plastic screw-in anchors.

Use appropriate screws to mount through the magnet plate into the anchors. ...


Can't get drive hub out of washing machine to replace gearcase

I'll answer my own question.

I resolved this by

whacking the heck out of the drive hub with a hammer
using "rust buster" penetrating oil in all the cracks
eventually, i had to drill out one of the stuck screws
then finally, I split the center piece in half with a metal chisel

Summary: Brute force removal method. Good thing I had already bought a replacement hub assembly.


Identifying an unknown and intermittent source of electric power usage

Find the water heaters relief valve drain pipe and put a bucket under it. if this repeatedly fills with water the cause of the cycling and the lost hot water you are having is from two possible causes.
1. A defective relief valve that is popping open when the water is being heated causing it to be refilled with cold water. Hint to this is when the water to the home is off you have no problem keeping the water hot.
2. The water pressure as it is being heated is rising due to thermal expansion.
I had this issue when I replaced an old failing water heater with a new hi efficiency one. The water pressure coming into the house from the city was 80 psi. With the new water heater I put in problems started due to the fact that water expands when heated and our water meter has a built in check valve to prevent reverse flow.
The pressure would climb until it hit 150 psi and this would pop the safety valve causing it to return to about 90 psi. This would happen every time the water heater ran. The fix was to place a pressure reducer in the line to the house and install an expansion tank.


Choosing the right replacement pump for well

Jet pumps were a great idea when pump motors were terribly unreliable, and you could keep the pump motor out of the well by using one.

These days, that's not true. Likewise, anyone who recommends a "3-wire" submersible is also living in the past. Things have changed. I'd suggest a 2-wire pump (there are 3, but one is the ground, and not counted as per usual - "3-wire" pumps use 4 wires for the same reason.) 3-phase is a different deal and un-applicable to most folks with individual water wells. Personally, I prefer a stainless steel pump.

Advantages of a submersible pump other than greater depth capacity -

much more power efficient - you pump the water once, that is it. You
don't pump a lot of water around in circles to pump less water out of
the well, which is roughly what a jet pump does.
You don't need to prime it. So much simpler. Drop it in the well and apply power, out comes water.

If they made them, you could probably use a 1/4 HP pump on that well. Last time I was shopping pumps, 1/2 HP was the smallest they made. You may need a restrictor valve (or orifice/plate) to keep it happy.

In the same counterintuitive manner that fans draw LESS power when restricted, non-displacement pumps also draw less power when restricted, and can draw too much power if unrestricted with low head. The short and simple explanation is that it's doing more work (moving more water) when un-restricted, and doing less work (moving less water) when restricted. Most people not already aware of this won't believe it until it is demonstrated with an ammeter and a valve.

Likewise, if your well can't keep up with 12 GPM you'd want to restrict the pump for that reason.


What are some tips for installing a roof cap?

As Shirlock says, cut the duct off of the cap, install the cap, and reattach the duct using a 6" scrap piece of metal ducting. Tape any joints with the HVAC foil tape.

Another alternative, remove a bunch of shingles, install the cap and flashing straight in, and then install some new shingles over the flashing.


Will garage door insulation improve cooling efficiency?

Yes, insulation would help reduce heat transfer through the door enough to make it a worthwhile investment. Steel is a good heat conductor, so heat from the outside air is readily transmitted to the indoor air.

You wouldn't have to purchase a branded kit, however. Simply fitting 1" or 1-1/2" extruded foam (or even Styrofoam) will do. The one you linked seems priced competitively, though.

Make sure that you have good vinyl seals on the door as well. Airflow is much worse an energy waste than conduction.


What screws should I use for my floating Ikea bookshelf?

Did they have chalk when you went to school?  Soak newspaper in diluted Elmers glue, wrap it around a stick of chalk, let it dry, that's pretty much what drywall is.  You wouldn't expect that to carry a load, would you?

Your wall probably has wood or metal studs typically 16" on center, sometimes 24",  unless it covers concrete or cinder block.  Of course the IKEA product is metric, so we can't expect it to line up with 16/24" centers unless they were rather clever.

The UPPER holes nearest the poles do 90% of the weight carrying.  Either one will do.  The lower holes just keep the unit from flopping upwards. Can't hurt, won't help much.

So find your studs in the walls and figure out how to position the Ikea unit to get the best weight transfer onto the studs. Ideally position it so both outer poles are well supported near studs. Feel free to drill extra holes in the IKEA mounting bracket, again the upper holes are the ones doing all the work.  You are drilling into steel, "feeds and speeds" matter, feed is downforce (roughly) and speed is drill speed. When you're in the sweetspot, the drilling is fast and the chips are long.

If you just can't make things line up the way you want, another option is get a piece of hardwood 1" thick (preferably 1.5") and the size of the backing plate.  Position it exactly where you want, attach the hardwood to every stud it overlaps, then attach the IKEA mounting bracket to the hardwood as instructions direct but with 1-1/4" screws.  The trick to working with hardwood is pre-drill every hole so it doesn't crack the wood, and drill a slight countersink for the screws into the wall so the Ikea backplate doesn't ride up on their heads. Bonus points if you drill extra holes in the Ikea backplate and run them straight into the stud as well.

Never drill more than 1-3/4" below the wall's surface.  The standard for construction is that wires and pipes must be at least that far away from the wall surface or be guarded by a metal plate to make them difficult to drill through.  If you carelessly use 3" screws and nick a wire, it can break wires or pipes - even electrify the entire shelf!


What can I use to clean the walls in my bathroom before repainting?

Use TSP. You can get it at HD/Lowes. Follow the precautions!


Can I use sealer over recycled asphalt to retain it?

No. Sealer isn't nearly strong enough to support the tremendous tearing forces at play.

Instead, watch your local community sale websites for used or leftover concrete pavers. You want the heavy duty ones, which are about 2-1/2" thick. With a little patience and luck you should find a relatively inexpensive lot that will give you proper pavement for life. You could even use the recycled asphalt concrete as a base, with a little sand over the top to make leveling easier.


What kind of grease can be used on outdoor screws to avoid rust

Any coating of grease or other rust inhibitor will wear off over time. The right approach is to use fasteners that are corrosion resistent either due to their material (such as stainless or brass), or are plated (with zinc, chrome, or other durable material).


Can I reroute these drain lines to make this stack more compact?

Depending on the size of the sink drain, (if it is 1 1/4") I think you can run it through the joist. Then the toilet will have a proper vent.


what is the likely cause of a single fluorescent tube not working in a light fixture with a ballast that supports two tubes?

I buy most of my ballasts on ebay for a couple of bucks, they are new pulls (seller bought new fixtures and immediately converted to LED). I combine them with the newest 90+ CRI tubes ($2 each) and the light is amazing! Don't look at the fixtures, look at the stuff the fixture is lighting up.

ALL fixtures can take electronic ballasts, I have converted some 1940 era fixtures (after giving them a trip through the paint shop). Those old fixtures are well built.  The only exceptions are very cheap fixtures with weird unobtanium tombstones or no space to fit a ballast.

If the ballast is instant start, it is possible for an electronics failure to take out one side.  But it's more likely a tombstone problem (or wiring).  A bag of spare tombstones (60 cents ea. at 1000bulbs) is essential even if converting to LED.

I dislike instant start ballasts and prefer rapid or programmed start when obtainable at sane price.  You want programmed start for hard to reach locations or frequently cycled lights e.g. Bathroom or on a motion sensor.

Tubes don't "burn out", they get dimmer, scorch their ends and then flicker or barely light.  An abrupt failure is tombstone or ballast.


How to lay of underlayment for a cedar shingle roof

For an unheated tool shed, you don't need the 3ft wide course of underlayment. Over a heated house, that 3ft course should be a rubbery waterproof ice barrier that seals around nails, so if an ice dam forms, water will not back up and leak through. Just run one course of the narrow paper, sticking out so that it will hang into the gutter a bit, then a starter course of shingles. If your shingles are 18" and exposure is 7", then run your next strip of paper 7.5" to 8" up from the bottom, then add your 2nd layer of shingles for the double starter course, then paper/shingles/paper/shingles to the top, ensuring that the paper never shows. That would be 14.5 to 15" up from the butt of each shingle course.

This article covers the subject quite well, and I even learned the term "interlayment" for those 18" strips of tar paper:

http://www.nachi.org/wood-shakes-shingles-part3-135.htm

(I'm in Vancouver, and just re-did my tool shed roof the same way.)


Can I replace a ceiling light fixture with a higher wattage one?

Yes it could matter your best course of action would be to determine all loads connected to that circuit and potential loads to see if the circuit will be likely to handle the additional load. Connected loads will most likely be other lights. You can either identify them and add the wattage or better turn them all on and check the amperage that breaker with a clamp on ammeter then add any general use outlets on that circuit at 180 watts each. A 15 amp circuit should not have more than 12 amps (1440 watts) continuous load a 20 amp circuit no more than 16 amps (1920 watts)


House with many cracked external wall bricks

Cracks are a sign of movement. Movement from 1) a settling foundation, 2) shifting soil, 3) structural wall movement.

1) Obviously, if the foundation is setting the wall will settle. I’d look around the perimeter at the concrete stem walls to see if there are any cracks in the concrete.

You should look around the perimeter from inside the crawl space too.

2) I’d check to see if soil is sliding away from the house due to erosion or neighbors installing underground pipes, patio footings, etc.

3) If the wall is the single wythe brick type (we call them brick veneer walls here in the U.S.) the wood could be shrinking due to drying, dryrot, etc. To check this, simply check to see what is opposite the cracks on the interior walls.

BTW, we don’t design brick walls with “strong” mortar. The mortar mix is always chosen to be weaker than the brick in compression and tension. That way, when the house moves, (and all houses move,) the cracks will develop in the mortar, which is easier and cheaper to fix than a bunch of broken bricks.

There is a possibility that the builder was able “to get a good deal” on brick seconds. That is to say, the bricks could have been rejected and sold cheaper. There are tests to help determine the quality of the bricks. Here’s a website to help you get started:

https://learnwithatul.blogspot.com/2017/09/types-of-field-test-of-bricks.html


How can I find the part to fix this bookshelf?

This is a simple "barrister's bookcase" door mechanism. There are several versions on the market; a bit of searching may find a match for yours, or you may need to replace the hardware completely.


The cable entering from the left is just old wire whose marks have faded or was never polarized in the first place.  I'm not worried about that. Pretend one is white and one is black.

The box is entirely ungrounded and the old Romex cables do not have a ground wire. Again, not worried about that.  Just leave it dangle.  It's not that I don't like grounds, this is just a pretty low priority as it's unlikely to be touched by humans, and is probably going to be in a GFCI envelope anyway.

What concerns me is it doesn't look quite right for a switch loop.  It looks like there's only one wire on the orange nut, which us weird. Which makes the red wire nut seem superfluous.  Just rubs me wrong is all.

Nonetheless, the worst mistake you can make is take apart wire nuts or wires other than the two conductors (and ground if present) that directly lead to the old lamp.

Are you sure you didn't pull a wire out of the orange nut and put it back on the red nut?  Does the switch still turn the light on and off? does power enter this box even with the switch off? Was there ever a second light location also controlled by this switch?


All pumps will pump to a specified head or height that is listed in feet.  If you exceed the allowed head then the pump will not pump. The head is the combined height in feet from the pumps discharge + the resistance of the supply piping.If the total resistance is above the pumps capacity then this will not work and you will have to utilize either a different pump or a series of pumps.You could use a "sump pump" and an inline pump or some other combination to give you the required Head.


Do I need more than one receptacle on a 17 foot kitchen wall with two doors?

I would install at minimum 3 duplex outlets for a kitchen counter of that length. One foot from each corner and one in the middle.
Depending on how it looks then I might do 4 duplexes. One foot from each corner and one 4-5 feet from each corner.
You will NEVER EVER say to yourself: "Gosh, I wish I had fewer outlets!"
The only code thing you need to look into is whether they all need to be GFCI protected and whether each duplex needs a dedicated circuit.

Update per your edit:
It's just a regular house wall so treat it as such.
I think the only applicable rules are "within 6 feet of the doorway and within 12 feet of the previous outlet". You can have an outlet every foot if you wanted to.
I would go for 1-2 feet from each door and maybe one in the center of the wall.
You might still need to verify the GFCI ruling and/or dedicated circuit ruling since it is in a kitchen.


Are there any restrictions on using crimped connections to electrical devices (receptacles, switches)?

After further review, it appears that receptacles and switches are listed for use with crimp terminals. So this installation would not be a violation of NEC 110.3 (B).

  National Electrical Code 2014

  Chapter 1 General

  Article 110 Requirements for Electrical Installations

  110.3 Examination, Identification, Installation, and Use
  of Equipment.

  (B) Installation and Use. Listed or labeled equipment
  shall be installed and used in accordance with any instructions
  included in the listing or labeling.

  2013 UL White Book

  Receptacles (RTDV)

  Receptacles for Plugs and Attachment Plugs (RTRT)

  Terminals
  Terminals of a receptacle are permitted for use with certified field-installed
  crimped-on wire connectors or an assembly, if so identified by
  the manufacturer.

  A receptacle may also be provided with conductor leads with factory-installed
  crimped-on connectors. Such connectors may be either attached
  to the receptacle terminal or are provided with the receptacle in the smallest
  unit shipping container and are suitable for use with the terminal of
  the receptacle.

  Switches (WFXV)

  Snap Switches (WJQR)

  Terminals
  Terminals of a flush snap switch are permitted for use with Listed field-installed
  crimped-on wire connectors or an assembly, if so identified by
  the manufacturer.

  A flush snap switch may also be provided with conductor leads with
  factory-installed crimped-on connectors. Such connectors may be either
  attached to the flush snap switch terminal or are provided with the flush
  snap switch in the smallest unit shipping container and are suitable for
  use with the terminal of the flush snap switch.


Your situation is not uncommon.

Here's a study on crawl space encapsulation in the Southeast USA:
http://aceee.org/files/proceedings/2004/data/papers/SS04_Panel1_Paper07.pdf
(Moisture Solution Becomes Efficiency Bonanza in Southeastern United States
 Bruce Davis and Cyrus Dastur, Advanced Energy #DE-FC26-00NT40995 ).  And see also What are the pros and cons of a vented vs unvented crawl space?

Don't do the walls with anything impermeable: you'll trap moisture in the space which is worse than doing nothing.  Do consider doing the floor.  Using bubble wrap below the floor can reduce tearing of the plastic.  Note that some people worry about plastic leading to mold growth below the plastic: thus an effort to completely seal the ground.

You should get a humidity meter (they are not expensive) and monitor before and after.  Report back with measured humidity levels now and it might help refine the answer.


Any ideas for cutting door bottoms on pocket doors?

Hire a Door Trimming Saw.

In the UK HSS stocks them.


Hampton Bay ceiling fan doesn't work properly with wall dimmer switch?

If you want to use a wall fan control, you'll likely have to remove the remote fan control receiver from the unit.  The remote receiver in the fan housing controls the fan speed, and will not allow the wall control to override it.

In the most basic case, the remote receiver will have "input" wires connected to the standard household wiring (ungrounded, grounded, grounding).  The unit will then have "output" wires that connect to the fan, and/or light kit. Because of this, controlling the "input"  of the remote receiver will have no effect on the "output".

The procedure for removing the remote receiver will completely depend on the unit.


how can I convert my AC under kitchen cabinet lights to LED lights?

These are currently available:- "Gx53 LED Light Bulb 110 Volts 5 Watts Warm White with Lamp Base for Ceiling Downlight Under Counter Lighting (5 Watts)" and will hardwire directly into your existing 120V wiring.
It also removes the requirement for AC/DC transformers which are just another link for failure.


What amp rating fuse should be used for the low-voltage side of the control board in my Goodman furnace?

I believe that this document is for your unit and it indicates a 3amp fuse. Refer page 29, the trouble shooting section, top row, 5th column


How do I remove the drill bit from my hammer drill?

You may use your hands, a chuck key, or other means to loosen the chuck. See page two of the manual. Page 12 also mentions using the chuck key.


How can I mask water damaged ceiling drywall with faux painting?

Cut out the bad section, and replace it with a sheet of new drywall.  The water has probably damaged the existing drywall, and even if you do manage to hide it temporarily, the damaged area will come back.


Best method of repairing plastic door frame

I personally do not think a PVC cement will give satisfactory results. I would probably:

1) find a thin gauge aluminum channel that fits over the broken frame, deep enough to cover the gouge, spray paint it to match, and silicone it down over the length of the frame. Or,

2) use automotive body filler, plane and sand to blend, than spray prime and paint the entire lower frame (perhaps this is similar to the "bond and fill" product you found, if so give it a try!)


Partial power outage after installing new light fixture

A ohm meter or continuity tester will help you troubleshoot the wiring. With the power off and the light switch on check each set of black / white wires you are looking for the one that is close to zero ohms or shows continuity, then turn the light switch off and the reading should show close to infinite or no continuity. This wire is the switch leg.

The other 2 cables are your power and the run to another light or outlet. Now if you tie all 3 blacks together that side is done. Mark the white switch leg wire with black tape and connect to the black wire from the light. Connect the 2 remaining white wires together with the white from the light.

Since you have a metal box the ground (bare copper) should be attached to the box It may be better to pigtail the ground if the fixture has a ground wire connect 1  ground to the box then connect the incoming ground and light fixture together. This should get you back up and running.

With a direct short the breakers clear quite fast and don't  usually damage the wires. to reset a faulted circuit breaker turn / push it all the way to the off position than back on.


How can I make the radiator heat my room more efficiently?

You could try using a portable fan to blow air across the radiator so that the room becomes more evenly heated. The moving air will actually extract more heat from the radiator than still air would, so you may find that this makes the room noticeably warmer.


How to straighten a sagging wooden house?

The process is simple, but actually doing these things may take equipment and expertise that you lack.

Find out WHY the floors are sagging.  Is it due to improper foundation/footings?  Is it due to failed or failing materials?  Is the structure just inadequately design to support itself?
Come up with a remediation plan to fix the issue(s) you identified.
Do those things yourself or hire a contractor with the necessary expertise to take care of them for you.

I'll add that in my experience the most common problem causing floors to sag in an older home is subsidence in the support structure either because they are inadequate or have been undermined.  Usually the process involves jacking up the sagging parts, usually using foundation jacks.  This often needs to take a while because you want to avoid breaking any joists, walls, etc.  Then you shore up (if possible) or remove and replace the failing/failed supports.  After that you let the building down on the new supports.

You will almost certainly end up with plaster cracks and the like but simply putting down new flooring without fixing the root cause is just a waste of time and money.


I just polyurethane 700 sq ft. of hardwood flooring

Oil based? 48 hours should have been plenty of time. You sure it's not water-based?

Either way, give it another day or so. Rub out the sins with some 220 by hand, making sure to feather it out. Re-poly just the affected board (s).

If that doesn't fly, I know you don't want to hear it, but recoat the whole floor.


Is it safe to use Greenboard drywall in a shower?

Green board is basically sheetrock with a waxy paper face. It's not as stiff as cement board, nor as waterproof, both of which are nice to have when applying tile.

CAN you use it? Sure. It's been done before. Is it to code? Not sure. You'd have to check with your local authorities.

If you decide to use it, see if you can find a product called 'redgard'. It's a paint-on waterproofer that should help keep the green board dry.


Refrigerator freezing on top up to 9 degrees warmer on lower shelves

It sounds like the evaporator coils are freezing up and the fan is unable to keep the air moving, it could be a faulty defrost timer, this is unacceptable for a new fridge.


How do I keep drawer knobs from loosening over time?

I'd recommend going with a metal knob that's held in place by a machine screw. They're going to cost more, but they won't get damaged from everyday use, and you don't have to worry about them stripping out. Most of the knobs in my house are metal and take machine screws. I do have to periodically re-tighten them though. Some Blue Loctite might take care of it, but I've never taken the time to address the issue.


Are suspended ceilings common in residential buildings?

In the US, it's often done in basements.  You're right in that it's relatively simple and light weight construction techniques.
Typically builders finish the ceilings in the rest of the house.  But finishing a basement with such material allows one potential future access to utility wires/pipes/ducts that would otherwise be exposed, and the ability to establish a ceiling height that takes into account any utilities that drop below the joists.


Can I remove excess damp proof membrane under garage concrete floor?

If the garage isn't below grade, doesn't have a sump pump on its level, there's no drain pipe open to daylight out in the yard and you don't have holes drilled at the base of the walls. Then yes, you can cut it down, as it's just newer concrete of this century that normally requires a water and vapor barrier...typically it's clear or black 6-mil polyvinyl sheeting required by code.

If yours were a very minor part of a proper drying or water handling system it would be hard and stiff plastic that's bubbled or ridged, like the picture below.


How much vinegar and baking soda do i put down my vent to get rid of backed up sewage

This is most likely a plugged vent pipe - check your pipe on the roof make sure it is free and clear (no little animals went down it and no birds started to build. Depending on the drain connections and where this toilet is a connecting pipe for a drain vent could also be the culprit.


1 is a spare stack and it's 3" abs

2 is the toilet also 3"

3 is a vent and

4 is a sink.

It's a pretty bad rough in. If 3 is in fact a vent why is it so far away from the wall?
If it's for a shower/tub why is it so close to the wall?

This is what your rough in should look like

3 must be a vent.

EDIT
This is an example of what is going on
www.doityouself.com

If you can pour water down one of the 2-inch pipes and see that it holds water at level, that would indicate it has a trap as in the pipe at the far left of the image. Traps it only ever be installed at floor drains or shower drains it sink drain will not have a trap under the floor.

Your 3-inch that's close to the wall may be repurposed as a shower drain provided it's vented.

In your image pipe number 3 could very well be intended as a shower drain, just in a very poor location.


Can dywall vinyl j-channel be used on exterior siding?

i would say NO. the drywall channel will not be made for long exposure to uv sunlight nor will it be as thick and durable. If you use the drywall channel You will more than likely be replacing it in the near future.

As you know it is not at your local box store, find a siding contractor or supplier in your area and get it from them.


China bristle paintbrush stiff from oil based paint and varnish

I've had some success with recovering a gummed-up brush using a paint brush comb.  Soften the bristles by soaking them in thinner for a while, then use the comb to brush out loosened paint; repeat, probably several times.  If the brush is really bad, you may just be better off buying a new brush.

It's hard to get a brush completely clean, so to help prevent this, I have a large glass jar with some mineral spirits in the bottom.  I hang the brush from the top of the jar with wires so that the bristles are submerged (but not resting on the bottom).  Seal up the jar and the brush is OK to use next time.


What to use to funnel floor air vent in cabinent for proper air flow

An air conditioning supply warehouse could fabricate a metal duct for you. Cut a cardboard template before you go. They will like you for that.

Alternatively, you could just fashion something yourself out of air duct foam board and foil tape, both of which should be available at your local hardware store.


Odd smell from hot water if I don't use it for a while, what could it be?

The bad smell is not dangerous. It is usually caused by 1 of 2 things. The anode in the water heater has dissolved and there is a bunch of gunk in the bottom of the water heater that needs to be flushed out using the bottom drain on the water heater. The second reason is trapped air in the tank, I have found this more often on systems with pressure tanks that the bladder has failed, air in contact with the water makes it stink. At 3 years it would be a good idea to pull the anode and make sure it is still intact. Regular anode replacements and flushing (2-4 years depending on water quality) can double or triple the tank's life.