Joining two composite decking boards side by side

The answer that you are looking for is... there is no answer.

You will not keep the rain from migrating under the deck boards. That is the reason the framing for decks are done (or should be) in a rot resistant wood. If you wish to add another layer of protection, remove the deck in the area you wish to further protect. It should be easy since it is screwed down, and cover all the tops of the framing you wish to protect with a "peel and stick" membrane that also seals around any penetrations. This product is usually used for flashing around windows and doors when they are installed in their rough openings. It comes in rolls 6" wide or wider, but you can slice it into 3" widths to cap over 1 1/2" wide tops or use it full width on the 3" backer under the joint in question. The sticky material also seals around any screws you put through it so no water penetrates through where the screws are. Here is a link that shows how it is used on a deck. It is a few pages down on the pdf.


PVC pipe end cap fitting, with center hole and offset hole?

Wye won't a why work?

Reducer that will accept your air inlet pipe straight on, and a cleanout plug coming out the bottom to drain it.


What's the fastest way to remove/dissolve plaster from brick?

Sandblasting would be the fastest, but it's not a easy DIY project.

Muratic acid, properly used, vented, masked (organic cartridges), gloved, goggled.  A 10:1 water:acid mix is a good place to start.  Be sure to add acid to water during dilution.

You should hand scrape or carefully grind with a diamond cup wheel to leave a thin a layer as possible (< 1/16 inch).

Let soak 10-20 min and scrub with acid safe brush.

Once clean, several water only rinses, then use an acid neutralizer.
Baking soda and water, diluted lime or diluted ammonia will work.  Final water rinse.

If any walls are in kitchens, a natural stone/grout sealer will greatly ease future cleaning.  You may also like the look of an enhancing sealer, but that is a personal preference if mine.


Judging by the rays in the third picture (and the classic look of every floor I've ever worked on that wasn't maple), it's White Oak. And we can't see any knots, so it's specifically Clear White Oak.

(source)


Second LED bulb in each fixture burns out, what should I replace?

Older dimmer switches are not necessarily compatible with "dimmable" LED lamps. Replace the dimmers with those designed for LED's, or replace with a standard wall switch, and use remotely-controlled lamps.

BTW, there is no problem disposing of "dead" LED lamps -- most should comply with RoHS and contain little or no hazardous material. While the emitters may contain tiny amounts of arsenides, they're well sealed in plastic. Perhaps you're confusing LED's with fluorescent lamps, which have small amounts of metallic mercury.


How long does radiant heat in a concrete floor last?

According to the Copper Development Association, it is perfectly fine to embed copper tube in concrete under certain conditions. However, it is unlikely your home met all the conditions like making provision for thermal expansion (especially important with a heating system that will likely cycle on and off many times in one day) Another important requirement is to protect the copper if "it comes in contact with concrete mixtures that contain components high in sulfur, such as cinders and fly-ash, which can create an acid that is highly corrosive to most metals including copper."

In the early 80s I lived in a house that had plumbing in the concrete slab floor. Not heat, just domestic water. It was much younger at the time than your house is now. There was a leak and the only way to find and fix it was to jack-hammer the living room floor. Because the water followed existing cracks in the concrete, a lot of concrete had to be removed to find the actual location of the leak.

My recommendation: write off the radiant heat system and budget for a forced air heat replacement. You can upgrade the house to have air conditioning for the summer at the same time.


What type of adhesive should I use to attach metal to vertical tile?

If I had to install something like that without mechanical fasteners I'd try a product called Lexel. It's silicone based so it's good in wet conditions and sticks to pretty much anything, but it gets harder than traditional silicone so it forms a bond that's scary strong. Having said that, relying solely on an adhesive in an application like this is not recommendable. Ceramic tile is really good at not letting stuff stick to it,  and a falling knife rack is the stuff of my nightmares. A couple hollow wall anchors will buy you a lot of piece of mind.


Wiring for Light switch in sump pump room

NEC 210.70 Lighting Outlets Required  210.70(3) Storage or Equipment Spaces ...control shall be at the usual point of entry to these spaces...The lighting outlet shall be at or near the equipment..
A sump isn't specified as needing a dedicated circuit, but circuit ampacity, location of disconnecting means, and manufacturer instructions would come into play for the exact pump installed. If the sump is considered NEC 210.23(2) Utilization Equipment Fastened in Place it can't exceed 50% of the branch circuit rating of a shared circuit. Otherwise if not fastened in place then a cord connected plug is limited by NEMA and NEC 210.21(B)(2) to 12A on 15A plug and 16 on a 20A so circuit capacity to add lighting could be assumed adequate. AHJ interpretation could come into play.
If your installation or circuit ampacity requires a dedicated circuit for the sump, then Section 210.8 which specifies most of the locations GFCI protect is needed applies to receptacles not lighting outlets (at least through NEC 2017).


How does an end notch in a ceiling beam affect deflection calculations?

A notch in the end of a beam does not affect the strength (or deflection) of a beam, unless it’s more than 1/4 th the height of the beam (or joist) at the ends out to the face of the bearing point. (See Code ICC R502.8.1)

Code does not allow notches in middle 1/3 span and Code allows 1/6 th depth of beam in the last 1/3 rd span at each end of beam.

In fact, in your case, you could probably cut the whole end of the beam off where it’s notched and it would not affect it structurally. (That size beam needs about 2” of solid bearing, depending on the grade and species.)


I do not think you will find any more of an elegant way to do what you want to accomplish. You need to go under the vanity and so something has to go there. You could try to wood face that portion - but I think you will have a less than attractive end result.

If you were using wood flooring tile as your base boards - you might be able to make it blend.
Either way though I think you do not have many options, and will probably end up with the L. If you notch it right I think you will find it to not be as bad as you might think.  I would silicone the back edge of the tile at the vanity edge rather than mastic at that end - so the silicone caulking can bleed through from the back side - kind of hide the sealant if you will - and provide a more seamless contact point.


How do I stop a dimmer switch from humming?

All dimmers buzz a little bit.  They "chop up" the AC waveform, which creates mechanical vibration (buzzing) and electrical noise (EMI).  Usually they are the most quiet when the lights are fully bright, and get louder as you dim the bulbs.  Here is a good page that describes what is happening.  A different dimmer may be quieter, although Leviton does make solid products.

I suspect, however, that you may be using the "new" CFL (compact-fluorescent) bulbs?  They're the ones with the twisted white glass tube.  The electronics in most of these bulbs interact poorly with the dimmers and can cause a lot of noise problems, both audible and electrical.

Now that it has become difficult to find incandescent bulbs (at least here in the USA), a lot of people are having to choose between paying substantially more money for "dimmable" CFL bulbs, or simply replacing their dimmers with simple on/off switches.

Good luck :)


what is the right drainage system around a floating crawlspace foundation?

There are too many questions in this to do a good job of answering so I will tackle the most important one.

I would build a French drain from above the house along the property line:  build it as high up the property as you can afford to go and at least 3' deep.  The depth will help capture both surface and subsurface water movement.  If you also have water coming down the slope to the top of the property, a drain 20-30' in front of the house that is higher on one side sloping down to where it can tie into the property line drain would be the best starting point to try and reduce the water issues.

If there is still standing water in the lowest corner, you may have to dig a trench under the footer and install another drain there, though not as deep as the main one along the property line going straight downhill until it is at the surface and gravity will keep the crawl space dry.

When I put drains in I use the perforated pipe that comes in a sock. It prevents the small gravel from getting in the holes and filling the pipe. pipe in sock it cost more but really helps over the years.


How can I inspect and repair a roof with moss and other greenery on it?

It's probably time to replace the pantry roof. But first, you need to understand how so much water got there that plants started growing on it! Is the pantry roof a much lower slope than the house roof it's attached to? How's the flashing between the house roof and the pantry roof? Are you in a rainy climate? Could the slate roof be leaking water onto wood framing or decking beneath the slate? What are the plants consuming for nutrients? Most things don't grow with only water... are they rooting in some wood?


Enlarging a deadbolt door knob hole on a steel door

For this scenario, since it's a hollow core door, I'd get your plywood templates aligned on the outside, and drill in from each side of the door.

If you had a solid core door, I'd worry about not being aligned from each side and suggest holding the drill perfectly level and going all the way through from one side only.


The short answer is Yes it will negatively affect the performance of the unit - lower air flow. The supports block the air from going through the opening - like closing off a portion of it.

So what does this do - it reduces the air flow (like a clogged filter) and what are the effects of dirty or clogged filters ?
That is your answer to how you will be impacted and what components will be impacted - BOTH the inside unit and outside unit - they need to work harder run longer.

How bad will the impact be ? Your air filter effectively becomes a 16 inch air filter and loses @ 5 inches times the width of the filter (the square inches of Area). You can ask the Manufacturer - email or call their tech support line and ask for details on your model air handler.

Aside from that answer - it does not really matter and here is why .. You asked the sales company / installer to fix that air handler mounting and they did not.

1: How did you pay them - credit card or on credit , cash , check ?

2: Call them back and have them fix it as you had requested, now is the time to do it - you simply wanted it done right and they did not follow your instructions - case in point would you accept it if they put a different unit in than the one you asked for (that was your instructions too) ?

If you paid with a credit card - if the company ho hums, drags feet or refuses to fix it .. dispute the charges and they will not get paid unless it is fixed.


There are two possibilities:

Either you make the tank valve available with an access hole or similar,

Or you install an external valve, but this would defeat the logic of having the isolation valve as close as possible to the tank with no intermediate piping.

Making alterations to the gas system may invalidate any insurance coverage unless you have it inspected by a relevant authority - depends on the location ...  Lots of regulations for gas systems as the possibility of a big bang is high :)


Securing furniture to prevent tipping due to earthquakes and babies

The velcro type product you posted looks like it has adhesive on both sides.  The velcro itself would probably be plenty strong if the straps are large enough, but I suspect that adhesive on the wall would not work out well.  It could fail too easily by simply ripping the top layer of paint off.  Or, when you do want to move you are going to rip a big chunk of paint (or more) off the wall when you try and remove it.

A screw into a stud is going to provide the most secure hold.  I usually use 2 1/2" #8 screws for this purpose. You can either get metal brackets or the purpose-made earthquake straps at the hardware store.  If the bookcase is made of particleboard and/or it's heavy, then I would consider two brackets/straps to hold it since the connection into the top of the bookcase will be much weaker than the connection into the wall.

A few holes from #8 screws will leave holes considered "normal wear and tear" in California.  If you (or your landlord) are really particular, it will be easy to patch when you are moving out.


The faucet washer is loose or worn out. The rush of water causes it to flip back and forth, causing the hammering. Close the water shutoff valves for the faucet, take off the handle and replace the washer (you may have to bring it to a hardware store to get the exact right one).


Why is there a drip after I replaced toilet innards?

The toilet connections shown depend on rubber gaskets to make seals. These seals likely need replacement. In addition, I see that PTFE (white colored) tape was used. It should not be used for these fittings (or any compression or flare fittings), and can cause leaks.

Disassemble the connections. The top leak is likely caused by the washer (inside the toilet tank) not being seated correctly. The gasket should have come with the replacement fill valve. The tank should be cleaned at the location where the gasket sits. I can't tell for sure, but the nut holding the valve onto the tank looks a little bit undersized. It should completely cover the hole in the tank.

The metal flare tube also needs a washer in order to mate with the fill valve. This washer should be replaced. I would tighten it hand-tight plus 1/4-1/2 turns. In addition, the nut should be cleaned of the debris visible in the photograph.

Another reason could be that the tank was cracked. Sometimes, hairline cracks are very difficult to see, but are able to produce leaks.


How do I route plumbing vent line around a corner?

Vent lines have to be "vertical" (where vertical is defined as 45 degrees or more, rather than what vertical normally means) until they are "6 inches above the flood rim of the highest fixture on the floor served" so the horizontal routing evidently below the sink level shown is not going to pass inspection, AFAIK.
You would have to run up at (at least) 45 degrees to the appropriate level before you can go horizontal.
The framing there looks like you would have major issues keeping it concealed in the wall. I gather that the "floating" nature of the new vanity prompts the desire to conceal the pipes differently. I'd strongly suggest considering a vanity that does not require structurally difficult rework - or else going straight up the wall cavity and doing the cross connect above the ceiling.


Search for outlets that aren't working elsewhere in the house. Start with the bathrooms. You probably have a bunch of daisy-chained outlets on one circuit. The simplest "fix" will be if one of those outlets include GFCI protection that has tripped - reset and then all the other outlets will start working again. If that is not the case then you have to check each outlet in the chain for a loose or broken connection.


How can I reduce heat transfer around my window unit air conditioners?

Two things come to mind:

Heat loss occurs much more rapidly when airflow is involved.  So do whatever you can to seal all those gaps.  Buy some compressible foam insulation (about 1" wide) and use it to make a tighter fit around the air conditioners.
Those accordion things don't seem to have much R-value.  Buy some rigid foam insulation and cut it to fit snugly behind the accordion.  You could even use some of those compressible foam strips to get an even tighter fit.


The best type of silicone to use on a drop-in kitchen sink with raised sides on stone top

if its a drop in sink, you don't use silicone - you use plumbers putty.  the clamp bolts hold it in place, and the putty acts as the seal.  if you silicone it and ever have to replace it, you will never get it out without breaking the granite.

if you are 100% dedicated to doing it wrong and insist on using silicone, use ge silicone I, but not silicone II (its for outside and has uv protectant in it, and it can discolour some types of granite)


How to remove asphalt used to repair concrete

This would be easier to answer with some pictures of what you're dealing with.  But I doubt asphalt would have been used to fix chips and gouges.  It's more likely that the concrete broke all the way through, or was damaged during the driveway work, leaving holes or a full-depth ragged edge.

A concrete repair won't bond well to asphalt.  Trying to surgically cut it out, or soften it with heat and scoop it out, will leave a mess on the concrete surface you want to bond to.  And with heat, you're likely to get stains from hot asphalt on other concrete spots as well.  It will also be a long, messy job.

Even if the asphalt patching is thin and you are planning a concrete surface patch, you can run into separation and wear problems.  Concrete products are cheap, and it will be faster, easier, and longer-lasting to just cut out the problem area and replace it.  I would use a concrete saw to make a clean cut and remove the asphalt-tainted material.  Then repair the hole.

But if the current asphalt repair is solid and clean, I'd think twice about removing and patching it just because you think paint won't stick.  If you scuff up the surface and use a good primer, it may work well enough, and the difference in material may not be noticeable under the paint.

If there is a lot of texture in the asphalt, grinding the surface and then filling any indentations with the right material, like an epoxy, could give it a smooth surface for paint.  Even if the paint wears off, slapping on another coat in a small area every few years would be a trivial job, and way less work than redoing a repair that isn't broken (if that's the case).


What portable light dimmer to use for cieling lights?

Yes, the Philips Hue and competitors.  They are smart bulbs you control with your smartphone and possibly a hub you put at a receptacle.  They screw right in, no fuss, no bother.


Can I add a breaker to my main disconnect panel?

First of all, congrats, you did a great job researching before asking the question. That's expected of participants here and you did that.
To answer your question, yes, there shouldn't be any reason you can't add a breaker to the outdoor combi box. Others here might chime in with local code issues, but I doubt it. If it makes you more comfortable, turn off the main breaker to shut off power to the buss.  Remove the cover, clip the new breaker in place, twist out the cover for that space and wire up the outdoor circuit using conduit and THHN/THWN or UF (UF is hard to work with!), NM (Romex) isn't legal in outdoor installations, even if in conduit.
I don't want to be a dick here, but this is a pretty basic question indicating a basic unfamiliarity with simple wiring. While this is a DIY Home Improvement site, remember that improperly installed electrical circuits can be dangerous.   You might want to grab a book at HD or Lowes on basic wiring principles. Again, I really don't want to be rude or condescending, you might actually enjoy reading about basic wiring and how to do it right. Take care and stay safe.


What's the most cost effective solution for repairing a slab leak?

The future health of the system can only be insured by gutting it. However, you're paying insurance; who cares? I don't really know the ins-and-outs of insurance but perhaps you should send them a letter recommending that they do replace the whole system; providing leverage for you to stand on when it breaks in the future and they want to raise your rate after you need to have more work done.

If you do care, then go with the third option after doing the second. Have as much work done, paid for by the insurance company, as possible. Piping into the attic should lower the bid to replace everything else. I wouldn't want to start tearing up concrete as a homeowner or as an installer, where I could just run it above (which your climate permits); much easier and less messy.

If you found this recent leak to be less than catastrophic, ride it out and let the insurance worry about it.
If it was, drop the cash on a new system and sleep better at night.

Ideally you go big or go home (gut it). Otherwise however, I cannot quantify what your piece of mind is worth to you, and what possessions are at stake.

Bottom line: the most cost effective solution for you and the insurance company is to only repair what's necessary, provided you're not looking at a rate hike and don't have any Picasso's hanging on the walls.


Single pole switch with lighting "zones"?

This can be done with wireless smart bulbs (or fixtures) and a remote switch in place of your current light switch.  I'm going to describe how to do it with the Phillips Hue series, since I'm more familiar with them, but other brands will probably work just as well.

For the lights themselves, if you have not already bought the fixtures, you can get Hue recessed fixtures with built-in communication and dimming capability, and you'll never have to change a bulb.

If you already have fixtures, you can simply add smart bulbs to them, but make sure they fit and will cool adequately!

Then, to control it at the location of your current light switch, install a wall-mounted remote.

For your current light switch, you can either leave it in place as a way to disable the whole system, or remove and bypass it to supply the Hue fixtures with always-on power and let them turn themselves on and off remotely (recommended if you want to use any other smart features, like timer on/off, or google home/alexa connectivity).  If you remove the current switch, you can install the remote over the top of a cover plate.  Otherwise, you can install the remote on the wall next to the current switch.

Lastly, you will need a Hue hub to tie it all together.  You can place this wherever you want -- it need not be on the same circuit as the lights.  This will also give you voice control of the lights.

You can learn more about the Hue line here.  Again, I don't mean this as a specific endorsement -- Hue are popular and capable, but not the cheapest, and there are competitors that are also well regarded.


How do I mount curtain rods securely into crumbling plasterboard?

Stop using plugs in plaster.
These anchors are designed for drywall, and even then may not be useful for hanging curtain rods.

If you're using an anchor where the drywall/plaster is weakened, the drywall/plaster will fail and the anchor will fall out.  If you're using an anchor too close to the edge of a sheet/seam/cutout, the drywall/plaster will fail and the anchor will fall out.
All drywall anchors and plugs are meant to be used in the middle of an undamaged sheet of drywall. They are also not very good at handling varying loads, such as those caused by opening/closing curtains (not to mention little Johnny tugging at the drapes, and Felix the cat climbing the curtains).
Wood Frame
If it's a wood frame wall, aim for the studs or the header. Use appropriately sized screws, directly into framing members.
Masonry
If it's a masonry wall, epoxy appropriate plugs into the masonry behind the plaster.


Two switches what is it for and what does it mean?

If this is the kind of place a person might ordinarily put a ceiling fan... And if they also fit a ceiling fan-rated box when they built the place... Then most likely they also put the extra apparatus to allow you to switch the ceiling fan and light separately.

That would be /3 (or /4) cable in the walls and  a 2-gang switch box for 2 normal switches (so you don't have to use those janky twin switches and can use bulky dimmer, fan speed control or smart switch modules.) And my guess is they gave you two plain switches by default.

That's fairly standard for new builds, they want to let you pick your own fan or chandelier.


Shut down gas for heat boiler but did not shut down electricity

If you just shut off the gas without shutting off the electrical, it shouldn't damage the system.  Basically the thermostat(s) will continue to call for heat, the boiler will try to fire up and fail, then the boiler should give up and enter lockout. The boiler has safeguards built in to handle a lack of gas, which should prevent damage to the system.


What are the steps to map (and remove) unused electrical housing wire?

Identifying circuits
Step 1: Most of your breakers are labeled.  Start by checking the labels by turning them off one at a time and verifying that the indicated device was shut off.  Then make a list of all the lights and outlets, and all the breakers that are not yet matched.
Step 2: This requires two people with walkie talkies or cell phones.  Organize the unidentified lights and outlets into groups that can best be observed from a central location.  EG, several bedrooms can be observed from the upstairs hall.  Plug lamps, TVs, radios, whatever into the unidentified outlets.  One person stands in the basement and turns off each unidentified breaker in turn, one at a time, and the other stands in the central location and lets their partner know what lights and devices are shut off.   The person at the breaker box takes notes.   If you’re using cell phones to communicate turn off wifi on both phones because you’ll be turning your wifi network on and off frequently.  Repeat this exercise once for each floor at least.  Don't attempt to ID every single outlet at this stage.  Just most of the ones that can be easily observed using this technique.
Document all your findings on paper or a spreadsheet.  Don’t attempt to do it on the panel, there isn’t room there.
At this point you should have most of your outlets and all of your lights matched to breakers.  Some outlets will be unidentified because you just missed them, and some breakers will be unidentified for various reasons.
All the above will take about an hour.
Step 3a remaining outlets: Do this gradually over weeks or months.  Whenever you have an outlet that hasn’t been identified use a Breaker Finder (about $40) to figure it out (no partner required).  Buy one of these. and keep it handy.  You'll gradually identify all remaining outlets.
Step 3b remaining breakers: Turn off all the unidentified breakers.   Make sure all your critical devices (fridges, boiler, sump pumps, etc) are working.  Then leave them off, and you’ll gradually figure out what’s not working when you discover dead outlets or devices. You’ll likely find some of these quickly as odd random outlets in the kitchen, bathrooms, and hidden behind furniture.
Dealing with disused breakers and wiring
You may have unused wiring in your home where there used to be, e.g., the jaccuzzi, or window A/Cs if you now have central air, or electric appliances if you now have gas, and so on.  If your basement is unfinished you ought to be able to trace most of these visually.   You can remove the front panel from the breakers and literally trace the “off” circuits to wherever they go.  You want to make sure these wires are all correctly terminated in junction boxes.  If so you can leave them, or disconnect them at the panel and remove them from the panel, or remove them completely.
If disused wires are modern, safe, and safely installed you should consider, rather than removing them, re-using them instead to ensure that critical devices like fridges and all your wifi electronics have their own dedicated circuits.
You may find disused wires improperly terminated, e.g. just loose in the ceiling.  This could have been done by a non-electrician contractor removing an old A/C or other device.  Deal with those as above: Either put the end in a box, or disconnect and/or remove the wire entirely.
If you are going to physically remove a lot of wires from your breaker box, hire an electrician to do it.  There are dangerous permanently-on areas at the top of the box, and the more work you do near them, the more likely you are to make a careless mistake.
Dealing with older wires
Your wiring seems mostly upgraded and installed properly.  There is no knob and tube in any of your pictures.  There’s nothing that cries out to be replaced just for the sake of replacing it.  Are you sure you know what knob and tube is?  Look it up.   Post pictures clearly depicting what you think needs replacing because of its age or construction.  It's very unlikely that knob and tube was used for a hot tub, and if it was, I'd love to see the hot tub for historical interest.


What is the easiest way to "detect" electrical installations (wires in wall)

Studfinders usually have AC detection circuitry, but they only work if there's power in the wire.
These are $20 or so, and you run them along the wall to find the wires.

To detect which socket/circuit they are on, have an assistant turn off the breakers one by one until the studfinder stops flashing, and then go back and use a test light to determine which socket it is connected to.


Can 2 stage furnace be forced to stay in low?

The W2 wire in the thermostat controls the 2nd stage heating.  If you disconnect that wire at either end you should not get the 2nd stage.

By the way, you might also check to see if your furnace has a fan speed control.  The default setting, usually HIGH, may be too high for your installation.  I know that in my unit there is a rotary switch with labels "I", "II", "III", "IV", "V" that controls the blower fan.  I found that "V" sounds like a tornado but "IV" does the job.


Wainscoting a wall that has windows without casings. Is there a typical trim method?

I would case the windows too. No need to tear out the sheetrock if it's sound - nail right up over it to the framing wood behind it at the corners. What you use to do this and how exactly is up to you, the functions of the windows, and the wainscoting. The wainscoting is going to add visual bulk and interest to the surface of the otherwise blank wall, and leaving a window in the same room as it uncased is going to make the window look naked and unfinished. I might take it a step further and suggest adding crown molding to the room as well, for the ceiling-wall corners are also going to look naked and unfinished with the heavy wainscoting present in the room. Wainscoting is part of a larger system and method of finishing a room that I don't think it can be divorced from without sacrificing harmony.


Alternative to T Transitions for floating laminate floor

Schluter makes a number of transition metal pieces that work seamlessly and permanently but some need to be embedded under the last row of tile in the thinset.
Some examples:

Schluter Reno-T is metal, can be glued to the tile side, and doesn't require tile to be lifted though works only for same height.
Schluter Reno-V is adjustable to accommodate different heights on each side of the transition (in case your flooring isn't as level as depicted in your drawing), and secures underneath tile side.  This is solid, has a smaller transitional space, but requires that you re-glue / grout your tile or be doing a fresh installation.


What would be the wiring diagram to add a receptacle switch combo to the outdoor garage lights circuit?

yes, your diagram nails it, and it's obvious you have a good grasp of what needs to be done.

Those "handy-boxes" are great for plain receptacles.   However, GFCIs are too bulky for them.

For GFCIs, I like to use a 4x4 steel square box, with a 1-gang "mud ring" that sticks out about 1/2", that gives plenty of room for the GFCI and nuts.

Since what is downline of the GFCI will be lights only, those don't need to be on GFCI protection.  As such, do not use the LOAD terminals at all - leave the warning tape on them. Make all your connections to LINE.

Another option is to remove the GFCI from the garage altogether and put it in the house. Where? At the switch.  By using a GFCI switch!  Remember, once you complete your plan, you will almost never throw that inside switch.  You are actually better off leaving the PIR powered up 24x7, and you'll be controlling the garage lights from the switch inside the garage.  That's a perfect application for a GFCI switch, which is basically a GFCI deadfront that is rated for switching duty.  The "Test" button becomes the Off switch, and the "Reset" button becomes the "on" switch.  This will protect the entire circuit, lights and all, which is unnecessary, but it allows you to put the GFCI in a box that has room for it, and that lets you use a simple Handy-Box in the garage.


Wire Line to GFCI Switch Combo to Outlet

Install a 2-pole GFCI breaker in the panel
This is what's called a multi-wire branch circuit or MWBC.  It is 2 sub-circuits fed off separate breakers. These 2 breakers are handle-tied because that is a safety requirement for MWBCs.  That is also why neutral is pigtailed.
The split receptacle is a very typical use of an MWBC to deliver 2 sub-circuits to one recep.  The switching is a neat trick.
The only way you can make this setup GFCI is to install a 2-pole GFCI breaker in the panel.  Individual GFCI devices will not work because there isn't space for them.
Note that your current breakers are half-width (we call 'em "double-stuff") and that means you will need to find some more space in your panel. There's no such thing as a half-width GFCI breaker.

However, if you are able to run new cable between the switch and receptacle, and are able to blow out the under-sink receptacle into a 2-gang, then you could fit a GFCI+switch device in the current switch location, and a plain recep and GFCI downstairs.  use either 2 cables or /2/2 cable; mark one of the cables' wires purple and gray (gray=neutral), and the other hot wire red.

In the under-sink box, red+white land on a GFCI receptacle that powers the dishwasher.  Purple+gray land on a plain receptacle that powers the disposal.
In the switch box, Red + white wire as before. Black+white go to the LINE side of the GFCI+switch.
Purple to one of the switch pigtails. The other switch pigtail to LOAD hot.  Gray to the LOAD neutral of the GFCI+switch.

The key to it is the separate neutrals past the first GFCI. That's why you can't do it with cables as-installed except by using a 2-pole GFCI breaker.


Here's an example:

My home was provided with a three-phase supply when it was built in 1990 because the builder intended to install an electrical storage-heating system.

I bought the house before the heating system was installed and opted for an oil-fired system instead.

So, in my area, it's an option you can request from the power company if you have a specific need for it.

So far as I know, three-phase supply is commonly used for equipment that requires substantially more power than most domestic household appliances. Some industrial electric motors require a three phase supply. In my area a single phase is 230 V so domestic households almost always use only a single phase. I expect the phases are separated at the local substation where high voltage local distribution is reduced to 230 V.


Applying flammable coating at temperature below its flash point

You should be aware that the just because the temp. of the liquid is below the listed flash point, does not mean that the liquid is not giving off flammable vapors. It means only that it is not giving off enough vapors to reach the low end of its flammable range (LFL- lower flammable limit) concentration in air under specific test conditions. If the conditions you describe were to change, you could have a problem because xylene ignites at a relatively low concentration in air (1% - 6%).

That being said, I think it would be difficult to achieve the LFL concentration (1% for xylene) in a room that small, at that temperature, with a 100cfm fan. The fuel-air mixture would just be too lean.

Don't forget to wear a good respirator rated for organic vapors.


Why will a pipe hold water pressure, but not air pressure?

Water is approximately 200 times denser than air so the very tiny leaks that can allow air to escape are too small for water.
In industry we do similar testing with less dense gasses like helium to see if it will leak as air is denser so if the helium is leaking below a specific rate we know it won’t leak air.  Check out helium leak testing if interested.


As homes become more airtight ( new windows=less drafts and no air exchanger ) there is more of a chance for humidity to hang around and not evaporate. If you allow the moisture to just sit there the chances of mold growing is increased.  Wipe the moisture away on your windows on a regular basis. Perhaps spray them with a bleach solution as well.

Consider adding de humidifier or some ventilation.


How do I reduce the number of screw pops in my drywall?

Where I'm from, the ceiling schedule for drywall nails and screws is 7" O.C.  From your description you're closer to 11" O.C.  Particularly when you're using a heavy sheet like a 12' x 4' x 5/8" sheet I recommend strongly a jack to hold the drywall in place as you screw it.  You can rent one at any major tool rental yard.

Also may I recommend picking up a carpentry or plasterer's textbook.  They offer many helpful tips and techniques for a stellar sheetrock job.  Two examples:  "Carpentry, 5th edition" by Leonard Koel, or specifically for drywall: Gypsum Construction Handbook, Centennial Edition 2000, published by USG.


Should hot water heater pipes in the basement be insulated?

I've done it in my basement, otherwise you are just heating the basement, which is typically not conditioned.   You can use the split foam insulation that's preformed, and cover as much as you can.


You want to make the run as high as possible early on and here's why.

If you mount it low, then the water comes off the pump with a lot of energy, runs along (losing energy) and then has to climb a hill. This means that you have a potential backwash situation and you have a LOT of water sitting in the drain line. I found this comment from Bosch to be helpful

  The high loop in the drain hose of your dishwasher is to keep water from settling in the hose if it were hanging down any lower or horizontally. This keeps the drain hose dried out and keeps any odors from backing up into the dishwasher.

So I would run the drain line high and then slope it down so can drain and stay empty and dry. The less water you have standing in the line, the better.


An HDMI splitter will work, though from the ones I've looked at, they have to send the exact same signal to both. So if one device is at 720p and the other 1080p, both will be forced down to 720p (HDMI is a two-way protocol, so I assume the splitter has a chip to negotiate this sort of thing). If only one output is on, it should work normally.

A simpler option for you, if you aren't planning on using both screens simultaneously, might be an HDMI switch, which just switches which output receives the input. Make sure to get one that's bi-directional, as the common use case for these would be switching the input, not the output. There are switches that have IR remotes which would work with your Harmony Hub.


Thinnest screed over the water heating floor

We have underfloor heating, pipes like you describe with a 50mm screed of light concrete, well cement, surrounding and covering the pipes and heavy tiles (12mm thick) as the final floor surface.

The heat transfer is fine but the response is slow - but we designed for that as the floor stores heat to be gently released as we also have the sun heating it during the day in winter.


I called the gas company (I wasn't able to originally when posting the question as it was Saturday) and they said that the 3' is from any side of the meter - so essentially a bubble around it. As long as the vent itself clears this, it'll be fine.

I'd also called the tankless water heater manufacturer located in the US, but they said that this could vary by gas supplier. So although my gas company allows a 3' bubble, others might be more like the Canadian code and require 3' on either side up to 15' above.

Just for reference as well, the gas company was also able to look up the BTU output of my meter from within their system to tell me how much I could load it down with.


Float switch as emergency cutoff for well pump

My recommendation is to build a "float pan" under the run of Cu pipe in question.  As Ed Beal suggested, don't depend on the sump pump as a diagnostic tool.  The  pan only needs to be an inch or so deep, as you expect it to be bone-dry all the time.  Put a float valve on the pan, and tie into well pump power as planned.

BTW, I didn't come up with this on my own:  central air conditioners' air exchange handlers have this sort of arrangement, to avoid disaster if the drain line clogs.


Can I share a 240V outlet between two devices?

I think for what you want to do:

temporary short term solution
you guarantee you will never operate both the dryer and welder at the same time

You could consider building a 220V 30A power strip.
Without knowing your welder, I'll list parts from Home Depot that might work but you have to confirm their suitability for your use.

Please review this URL to determine your plug NEMA type. It will probably be NEMA 10-30 or 14-30. Make sure the plugs, receptacles and dryer cord all match.

Note this is for standard 30A dryer. If you need 50A, you will need different receptacles and cord. Probably a range cord.
But I assume that since you are currently plugging your welder into your dryer receptacle, 30A will be sufficient.

Raco 2-Gang 42 cu. in. Square Boxes
Model # 8257 Internet # 202058366
You should screw this to the wall if possible for safety, as that will reduce stress on the dryer cord.

6 ft.10/4 4-Wire Black Dryer Cord
Model # AW20009 Internet # 100672788 Store SKU # 601004

(two) Leviton 30-Amp 2-Pole Flush-Mount Outlet
Model # R50-05207-000 Store SKU # 621336

wire, wire nuts, box cover, cord clamp etc.
If your box can be mounted close enough to the existing outlet, you can cut the excess off your dryer or range cord and use that excess wire to connect the two new outlets. This is just a very minor optimization and you might figure it out as you assembled the box but this way, you'll know before you go shopping.


What is an appropriate cut radius for a semi-circle bench for a 36" round table?

Table over hang is anywhere from 0-5 inches judging from these pictures' measurements and eyeballing what I've seen online. Meaning the seat is the same radius or smaller. If you call it at a 4" over hang per side then you need a 28" radius semi-circle cut in the bench. I slouch, so 2-4" is good for me. People with good posture probably expect 4-6".

Experiment with a chair and table to find your preference. Go to a restaurant that has booths, take some measurements and scale them to your table. I wouldn't make it any smaller though, unless you only expect your kids to sit there. I've never seen a corner booth smaller then say 4'. I'd better really like the dude I'm sharing my 28" circle of knee space with.

Your question was asked here: gardenweb.com, specifically suggesting to pay  attention to the seat back distance from the table, to accommodate normal(?) sized humans. The differential of the radii is open to interpretation, the space between the table and the back of the seat isn't, generally to be not less than 18". (example 1 has it at 21")

http://www.centralrestaurant.com/bg-spaceplanning.html

https://m1.behance.net/rendition/modules/6133285/hd/ad04c5d37a255529d55320cc9d96b257.jpg

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/161074124148336216/

It doesn't seam like you'll be having a fixed table, and if the booth is built wrong, guests will be continually deciding 'where it goes'.


I have a forced air system in my new home. The heat and air conditioning are unbalanced. How do I fix it?

Hot air naturally going up. You need to enhance air circulation. Some thermostat has circulation mode. Booster fan in air outlet. Some ceiling fans in area, where no air circulation. All problem because of design of whole system. But change it very complicated.


Adding electrical outlet for wall mounted TV

If there are two cables in your existing outlet, one of them is supplying electricity to the box, and the other is connected in order to supply electricity down the line to some other outlets/devices on the circuit.  I expect the existing outlet to be pig-tailed with the conductors in the other two cables.

If you disconnect the two cables in the existing outlet (turning the circuit breaker off first of course) then I would expect only one of the two cables to be 'hot'.  The outlets before this will stay on, and the ones after it will be off.  If this is the case, then you know both cables are on the same circuit. You can choose either cable to be the supply for your new outlet.

Whichever cable you choose, you will:

Cut the cable
Run both sides of the cut cable into your new box
Attach the new box (probably use an 'old work' box)
Using a pig-tail, attach the black/white/ground together and to the new receptacle

You will probably run into the same problem I had, which is once you cut the cable you don't have enough slack to do the above.  If this is your case you will need to add an additional junction box above or below the new outlet, and cut the cable again.  There you will splice in some additional cable, then cover this junction box with a blank cover.  Since it will be behind your TV, it won't be a big deal.


What is the downside to installing faced fiberglass insulation in a dirt floor crawlspace vs non-faced?

"When fiberglass batts are installed in the ceiling of a crawlspace, gravity always wins in the end" source

Faced or unfaced, it is almost always a bad idea to insulate the floor above a crawlspace, especially with fiberglass batts. Insulate the crawlspace walls and seal the vents instead. The one exception is if you are in a flood zone.

A sealed crawlspace will be drier, healthier, and usually more energy efficient than one insulated at the floor.


Need tips, approach, or method(s) to eliminate smell/odor in a closet short of a tear down?

Your closet is going to be considered a small enclosed area, a perfect description for a low-cost ion generator. They are frequently used to eradicate pet odors, smoking smells and even fire damage smells. A family member once sold tool-box sized devices and also rented them out for circumstances similar to yours. It was more of a whole-room device due to the size, power and volume of air moved.

You'd be able to get away with a smaller unit for the closet. A caution with the device is that people are to be vacated from the area being treated, not a problem for your closet troubles.

eBay and Amazon sell various devices. I'd consider even to use a motor vehicle sized device designed to plug into the accessory outlet formerly known as the lighter socket, if you wanted to save money or reduce the risk that it would not work as needed. Of course, with a tiny unit, you'd expect a longer period of recovery.

Using "ion generator" as search terms, many devices are returned with prices from the tens to hundreds of dollars. I would be suspicious of any device that does not specify that one should vacate the area, as that would be an indication that it produces low or insufficient levels of ions for your purpose.


What extra conduit should I include in a utility trench?

I would want a good separation between the electrical, water, gas, and any other conduits.  I doubt you'd be able to push a water line through the conduits anyway unless they are using plastic pipe for the main, and even then it would be a challenge.  In terms of what you may need in the future, here we have electrical, water/sewer, gas, phone (copper and fios), and cable all running underground, but this will vary by area.  All the low voltage stuff (phone/cable) can be run in the same conduit.

For a real world example, looking at the construction site next to me, the sewer and storm water lines were buried first because they depend on gravity.  Next, they ran a load of conduit right by my home with what appears to be electrical on the bottom.  I believe the water lines are running on the complete opposite side of the road.  The electrical conduit was encased in cement (this is a large site, so I don't think they want to risk anything messing with these lines).  For all of the 4" or larger conduit, they mostly use pre-curved corner joints rather than bending a straight piece.

In addition, there are a few things you may want to use from this site.  Above every conduit, a few feet higher, they run a plastic ribbon indicating what is buried below that gets pulled up by any trenching equipment before the line is hit.  Every 50 yards or so they have access panels where they can splice the lines running through the conduits and make it easier to pull new lines.  And access panels are physically separate for each type of utility running below ground.  These panels are 5 sided boxes (bottom is open) that are buried to have the removable top flush with the ground, and the conduit makes a 90 degree turn up to the box and the next piece of conduit makes a 90 degree turn going back down and continuing to the next panel.  The more curves, the closer you should space these.

Edit: I just noticed that you said 150', for some reason I had it in my head that you were doing 150 yards.  Ignore all my concerns about access panels for only 150'.  But like shirlock says, conduit is for the wiring, not the plumbing and piping, and I don't think I made that clear enough in my answer.  And for only 150', I'll leave it up to you whether you're worried about forgetting where the lines are buried to want to run the indicator tape above the conduit.  It's likely overkill, but the utilities aren't responsible for marking stuff after their demarcation.


Can I connect a household heater to a 240V garage outlet?

A 220/240v single phase outlet (they are the same)  is not what you would want to plug a 120v 1500w heater into. If that heater is tripping a 15 amp breaker there is something wrong as it should only be drawing 12.5 amps.
Most mobile power outlets are 120v 30amp or 240v 50 amp. In either case it would be a code violation to plug this heater in because both breakers are two large (even an adapter cord is used on the 240v)


How can I keep my doors from expanding in the heat?

Like user2492 says, it's almost certainly moisture.  Wood will warp and change shape as moisture levels change, and depending on the grain, each door may warp differently.  Unless it's raising the bottom of the door for different flooring, or removing a lot of layers of paint, I leave shaving the door down as a last resort.  Prefab doors are all designed with specific clearances and any mistakes are almost always from the installation.

To fix the hinges, you have two options, push things out or pull things in.  Since you have to lift the door, you can push it out from the bottom and pull it in at the top.  The most frequent issue I see is the door trim pulling away from the building frame at the top from the weight of the door.  And the easiest way to pull that in is to remove the highest screw that is also closest to the hinge pin, and replace it with a 3" deck screw (assuming you have wood framing).  The deck screw doesn't have threads in the last inch, so it will pull the hinge and door trim towards the framing when you get it all the way in.  The reason for replacing the screw closest to the hinge pin is to also get the hinge to twist a bit and close tighter (compare the closed top and bottom hinge when the door is closed to see how the bottom hinge fits tight).  Just be careful that you don't over tighten the deck screw and cause cracking or a lot of paint damage on the door trim.

Should you not be able to use a deck screw (e.g. non-wood framing), or for anyone that needs to push the hinge out, you can use a washer behind the hinge and return the screw through that washer.  If you put the washer closer to the hinge pin, it will cause the hinge to stay open further when closed.  And if you put the washer away from the hinge pin, it will cause the hinge to close tighter.


Safe to put nail into drywall when stud finder finds "live voltage"?

Nail isn't exactly safe if you are directly nailing.   Chances of something happening are small (and really much greater chance to damage line than "shock" yourself) but it is there.   Also I doubt a nail would hang the calendar without eventually sagging.   Calendars are touched and moved and not ideal for just a nail - unless you can get that nail in framing.

Monkey hooks should be about as safe as it gets.   Don't hit them or press them in.   Screw them in slowly (I know there isn't threads) and once you pierce the drywall loosely move the main shaft up.  If you aren't applying pressure to it once it is in even if it hit a line it should not nick or pierce it.   I would go this route if you have to have the calendar in this exact location.   Monkey hooks are very strong and not invasive to your walls.

If you want to be extra safe with Monkey hooks you can bend the tip so it isn't sharp on the end once you get through the wall.


As long as the cap UF rating or micro farids are within 10% and the voltage is the same or higher it will usually work fine.
This is a bit smaller but it will probably work.
Mcm 2 wire ceiling fan 5,5uf 450 vac Ccb61. would be a better match
$8.50 on amazon square case 2 wire . Free shipping
You can go higher on the voltage but not lower than the peak to peak voltage
120v x 1.41 =170 as an absolute minimum  higher is better and will last longer.


10 years ago I used some red oak stair treads and put Minwax stain, an oil based product. I waited  a few days for drying, then put three coats of satin polyurethane on them with a very light sanding between coats. We use these stairs several times a day and they do not look worn in the least.


The HVAC technician I had contacted just got back to me right after I posted this. He says the noise is the compressor going into defrost mode, and it is an expected sound for the quality (builder-grade) of the unit I have.


Is it normal for the burner in my furnace to turn on and off during a single heating cycle?

Probably. You'd have to inquire of the furnace maker if it is or is not. Speculating, since we have no information about what make or model furnace you have, it probably runs the burner until the heat exchanger is too hot, shuts off the burner until it's too cold, and starts it again. Very few furnaces have any ability to modulate the flame, so it's either on or off. In all likelihood the on/off time varies with the return air temperature (and thus, the heat load.)

The post-burn run to cool the heat exchanger after the call for heat is satisfied is certainly standard.


Besides insulation and air conditioning unit, what else is there to check if my A/C isn't keeping me cool?

First, I feel your pain. I'm in Houston at my girlfriend's place; we live in a single family house, and the A/C is running all day even with the thermostat at 84 degrees. I work from home, so I can't let it go up higher than that. Our outside thermometer recorded 106 degrees today.

The things that we've added to the house to help keep cool, besides new insulation and having the A/C unit checked, include a bunch of things. First, a little theory. Your apartment heats up because of the sun heating the building primarily, and secondarily because of infiltration from the outside of warm air.

I'm going to just assume that your landlord isn't willing to replace your windows and doors with low-E dual-paned units. I've done this to my house in Bryan, TX and it literally cut my utility bill in half.

The first thing we did with her place, where the landlord is also not willing to rip out a ton of windows and replace them, was to get blinds with reflective shades in all of the windows, and external solar shades or screens where possible. Remember: Black stuff is OK on the outside of the structure, because black absorbs heat (and you don't care about the heat if it's on the outside) -- and white things on the inside of the structure, because you want the heat to not be absorbed and to just be reflected back out.

The second thing we did was to get a better thermostat for the house. The old one was a manual one with mercury in it; the new one has a digital timer and a bunch of other features that include breaks for things like the compressor coils to defrost.

The third thing we did was start replacing the A/C filter frequently... at least once a month.

It might help to suggest more if we knew what kind of A/C unit you have (is it one of those high-rise below-window units, or a 'real' one with a compressor and air exchanger in a closet or attic?), and what kind of structure (concrete or wood frame) you're in.


Are there any major differences between a smaller table band saw and a larger stand up band saw?

From a "size - only" standpoint two critical dimensions of a bandsaw are the throat capacity and the maximum cutting height.

Throat capacity is the size of the opening between the blade and the frame.  You need your workpiece to be able to fit through this opening as you push it through the blade.
Max cutting height is the maximum amount of blade that can be exposed.  This will impact how many pieces you can stack.  Keep in mind you may not be able to fill the space, depending on the material.

Larger, more expensive bandsaws will generally have better blade guides, a more powerful motor, more table and fence adjustments, and can hold wider range of blade widths.  Adjustable speed is nice if you intend to cut metal, as slowing the speed will increase blade life.


oven repair, is it possible the gas line is clogged?

Cleaning is always a good idea after a mishap like this, but if it does not immediately fix the problem, you should call in a professional repair service. A fire in an appliance, especially a gas fed appliance, needs a pro to ensure that the unit is still safe to operate.

Many plastics can form a pretty solid mess when melted onto metal. It may be difficult or prohibitive in time to clean some of those parts. Also, the burning plastic may have damaged a thermostat or electrical connects. Whether anything needs to be replaced is again a decision that should be made by a professional specifically familiar with this unit and who can directly inspect the damage (or lack of damage).


Aquarium grade Room Temperature Vulcanizing (rtv) silicone will not harm fish life - it's what holds nearly every glass aquarium made in the last 40 years or so together. If the aqaurium in your picture is glass, it's probably glued with silicone. Read the label on the tube. Somewhere in the fine print there will, or will not be a mention of suitable for aquarium use. If it's not there, don't use it. If it is, use it, paying attention to required cure times. Honestly, the PVC is more questionable than silicone; look up organotins.

Unless you really want to pay extra, the product will be sold as clear silicone caulk (it may or may not actually say RTV, but it is) and you just need to find the fine print in question on it.

Of course, if it's remotely like the picture you can also just  poke a hole in the SIDE of the pot at the proper level - anything "leaking" from there will "leak" into the aquarium.


Typically you use sanded grout for seams over 1/8" and non-sanded for under. Any good quality grout will do the trick if you follow the on-package instructions. Regarding the spacers, you want to remove them mainly because they'll cause a gap or weak point in the seam that could cause the grout to fail prematurely. Try using an awl or small screwdriver to get under the spacers and pry them out.
That silicone caulk will be fine for corners and along tub edges, etc.and should come in varying colors but silicone, while waterproof, is difficult to work with. You may think it will be easier to use but it isn't - it's meant for small patch jobs and edge seams. I'd stick with the grout which is very simple and easy to use. Again just follow the directions and yes you will want to seal it afterwards. Grout isn't waterproof and only marginally water-resistant.


For our home, we simply used a draping thread-curtain. The curtain is made of individual strings which we hang on the staircase itself. The strings will drape down and we cut the remaining threads according to the height that we require. Previously the storage underneath there was open and look a bit unsightly too. But with the "door" guests will not be too surprised like previously they had before.


TV antenna far from box - how to ground?

I would mount the antenna on the same side of the house as the current box, and run straight-shot to the cold water bond point
Given that you can't rely on the integrity of metal plumbing to bond things together, your best bet is to place the antenna so that you can run the antenna ground wire as a straight shot to the existing water pipe bond point. This will give you a decent place to tie into the grounding electrode system at, provided you clean up the paint and such so that a good connection can be made with a split-bolt or other listed connector; with a bit of work, you could even retrofit an Intersystem Bonding Termination device there.


What are the steps to cutting polyurethane?

I normally would not recommend thinning urethane. If you have a new can of fresh urethane, it should be ready to go. I would try to apply it thin rather than a thicker coat. If you feel you really need to thin it, just slowly pour some in another container and add a small amount of thinner at a time. Stir it slowly and you will have no issues with air bubbles. Never shake or use a high speed mechanical mixer.  If you see some small bubbles, don't worry. They should dissipate during application. the only time air bubbles are an issue is when the product is shaken hard and the urethane appears real cloudy.


How can I fill old screw holes in wood on the exterior of a house?

You can fill the holes with Wood Fillter which is available at almost all home stores:

You fill the hole with it, and let it dry. Once dry, sand it flush with the other surface, prime and paint.


Use a 3" hole saw or closest metric size on a drill. 3 inch hole saw

Use whatever tools you use to make a round hole in a door for a lock.

EDIT

What is on the other side of the cabinet where you want the hole? Is it open space or is it against a wall? I would say that pounding a nail repeatedly around a 3" diameter hole would likely damage the cabinet and maybe pull it apart at the joints. The right tool would be what used to be called a "keyhole saw" but is now usually called a "jab saw" (shown in the another answer, currently deleted). This tool is commonly used for drywall but can be used on other materials. You would drill a hole (say 3/8" or 1/2" diameter just inside the 3" circle and start sawing there.
Best jab saws


This conference presentation (PDF) seems to lay out the process fairly well. It also mentions a few resources that go into more detailed calculations and considerations.

The Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association has an overview guide available here (PDF) for improving efficiency. They also have entire standards available for download for a fairly hefty price tag too.

There's also this seemingly in-depth duct loss calculator here.

It's by no means comprehensive, but you may be able to get a basic understanding of the design process.


Your guess about the padding bunching up in highly possible. If the carpet was installed over the pad for some time it may have stuck to the padding in some places leading to the padding being pulled out of position as the carpet was restretched. There are a number of things that could cause carpet to pad adhesion.

A carpet backing material inherently incompatible with the type of padding.
Environmental conditions that cause the padding to decompose into a sticky goo that pastes to the carpet backing.
Hot melt carpet splicing tape where some of the glue oozes out from the edges of the tape and adheres to the padding.
Something was spilled on the carpet at one time that bled through the backing and made a sticky mess at the padding but was unable to be fully cleaned from above. Think 'can of soda' or similar.
Heavy furniture with legs that caused high pressure point locations that compressed the carpet and padding so tight together over a long period of time that they literally bond together.


tankless water heater before the reg hot water

If your 80 gallon tank turns cold at an unacceptable rate, either you have a broken hot water heater (like, a broken siphon tube), or you really, really like high water flow.   For instance a lo-flo 1.5GPS shower head, given 2 parts hot to 1 part cold, should last 80 minutes.
I would start by looking at the water flow rate out each faucet (i.e. by sticking a gallon bucket under there and timing it with a stopwatch), and comparing that to best practices for efficient homes.  Your problem might be right there.
Obviously you should be able to get the lion's share of 80 gallons of water out of the heater before it turns cold. It may be broken.  For instance there's supposed to be a pipe or baffle to assure that incoming cold water is deposited in the bottom of the tank.  If this has corroded and is dumping cold water at the top of the tank, your outlet pipe will tend to gulp up this cold.
You will not be able to buy another 80 gallon water tank.  New tanked water heaters of that size must be "heat pump" types - they use half the energy but make a lot of noise.  Also since they are pumping ambient heat into the water, they chill the area around the heater. Your HVAC system will have to work harder in winter, summer will be a wash.
Another complication with tanked heaters is they must now be kept at 140F or hotter to prevent formation of legionella, the bacteria responsible for Legionnaire's Disease.  It was always a problem, but now we know it, so now it is a requirement.  This higher temperature means more insulation losses and less efficiency.  It also will cause scalding, so it absolutely requires new blending spigots with anti-scald features - traditional 2-knob setups cannot be used.  This most likely means a low-flow shower valve.
Tankless heaters are excellent if you can provision the large electrical service.  They are actually more efficient, since they only heat the water you use, and only when you're using it.  Since they don't have an hour to preheat the water, they must do all their heating on-the-spot, so they need more powerful heaters.  But you also don't need to pay them to preheat water for an hour or keep it at temperature.  Tankless heaters also don't pay for insulation losses. Local heaters can be moved quite close to the point-of-use, so you are not heating a long hot-water-pipe run - nor waiting for it!  However to keep power requirements sane, you must keep flow requirements fairly modest.  Since they don't store hot water, legionella is not a factor, so you can heat to the more modest and safer (for scalding) 100-110 degrees F.
Using a tankless and a tanked together makes no sense.  Putting the tankless after the tanked is useless since the tank must be kept up at 140 to stop legionella, so the tankless would never run until the tank is exhausted.  Putting the tankless before the tanked might slow exhaustion of the big water tank, but probably not by enough to matter, and at a huge energy cost.


Cable securing/support, conduit, etc when exiting main service panel: questions

Note: All code references cited in this answer are from NFPA-70:2014 (the 2014 NEC).

Question #1: It looks like you have it right that the installation is in violation of 312.5(C). The code reference is attached at bottom of my answer.

312.5(C): There is less than 18" of EMT used. This rule was evidently introduced in the 2002 NEC because a number of electricians were stuffing a bunch of NM cables through a single hole. I have yet to exactly figure out from code history why 18" was the selected value, but I suspect it is because a generally accepted height that is no longer subject to physical damage is 8' and the maximum height of a breaker is 6'7" (hence the potential minimum height for the top of a service panel with a breaker at this maximum height) per 2014 NEC 404.8 (8' - 6'7" = 17"). It seems like the installer met the spirit of the rule given the low basement ceilings (but not the letter) by giving each cable assembly it's own EMT protection even though the length is only 8" -- this is perhaps why the inspector let it slide.
312.5(C)(a): At least one cable is not secured within 12" of exiting the EMT (the orange one on the right).
312.5(C)(d): The EMT is not sealed at the outer end (per your description)
312.5(C)(e): There is no visible NM sheathing extending into the box and is definitely less than the required 1/4" of sheathing extending into the panel

Question #2: I could see an argument for installing NM cable outside of conduit so long as the cable originates from a punch-out toward the middle of the panel. The reason I say this is that you effectively have EMT providing protection against physical damage on all sides around it. That call would ultimately be up to the inspector's opinion though -- the same goes for all calls on "subject to physical damage" since the NEC doesn't define it.

Question #3: You will note that flexible conduit is not expressly allowed by 312.5(C) and expressly specifies only two allowable methods: securing the cable and specific uses of nonflexible raceways. Also, all flexible conduit options are subject to the same "cannot be used where subject to physical damage" restrictions as NM, so it wouldn't do any good in this case even if it were allowed since the NM cable is being protected because it is subject to physical damage.

Just to show the specific prohibitions on the various flexible conduit options:

  ARTICLE 348
  Flexible Metal Conduit: Type FMC

  348.12 Uses Not Permitted. FMC shall not be used in the following:

  (7) Where subject to physical damage

  ARTICLE 350
  Liquidtight Flexible Metal Conduit:
  Type LFMC

  350.12 Uses Not Permitted. LFMC shall not be used as
  follows:

  (1) Where subject to physical damage

  ARTICLE 356 Liquidtight Flexible Nonmetallic
  Conduit: Type LFNC

  356.12 Uses Not Permitted. LFNC shall not be used as
  follows:

  (1) Where subject to physical damage

  ARTICLE 360
  Flexible Metallic Tubing: Type FMT

  360.12 Uses Not Permitted. FMT shall not be used as
  follows:

  (5) Where subject to physical damage

  ARTICLE 362
  Electrical Nonmetallic Tubing: Type
  ENT

  362.12 Uses Not Permitted. ENT shall not be used in the
  following:

  (9) Where subject to physical damage

  ARTICLE 320 ARMORED CABLE: TYPE AC

  320.12 Uses Not Permitted. Type AC cable shall not be
  used as follows:

  (1) Where subject to physical damage

  ARTICLE 330 METAL-CLAD CABLE: TYPE MC

  330.12 Uses Not Permitted. Type MC cable shall not be
  used under either of the following conditions:

  (1) Where subject to physical damage

I think that has it covered.

  312.5 Cabinets, Cutout Boxes, and Meter Socket Enclosures. Conductors entering enclosures within the scope of this article shall be
  protected from abrasion and shall comply with 312.5(A) through (C).

  (C) Cables. Where cable is used, each cable shall be secured to the
  cabinet, cutout box, or meter socket enclosure. Exception: Cables with
  entirely nonmetallic sheaths shall be permitted to enter the top of a
  surface-mounted enclosure through one or more nonflexible raceways not
  less than 450 mm (18 in.) and not more than 3.0 m (10 ft) in length,
  provided all of the following conditions are met:

  (a) Each cable is fastened within 300 mm (12 in.), measured along the
  sheath, of the outer end of the raceway

  (b) The raceway extends directly above the enclosure and does not
  penetrate a structural ceiling.

  (c) A fitting is provided on each end of the raceway to protect the
  cable(s) from abrasion and the fittings remain accessible after
  installation.

  (d) The raceway is sealed or plugged at the outer end using approved
  means so as to prevent access to the enclosure through the raceway.

  (e) The cable sheath is continuous through the raceway and extends
  into the enclosure beyond the fitting not less than 6 mm (1⁄4 in.).

  (f) The raceway is fastened at its outer end and at other points in
  accordance with the applicable article.

  (g) Where installed as conduit or tubing, the cable fill does not
  exceed the amount that would be permitted for complete conduit or
  tubing systems by Table 1 of Chapter 9 of this Code and all applicable
  notes thereto. Informational Note: See Table 1 in Chapter 9, including
  Note 9, for allowable cable fill in circular raceways. See
  310.15(B)(3)(a) for required ampacity reductions for multiple cables installed in a common raceway.


What to do if average gas usage increased by 30x but they say there is no leak?

If you're worried about a gas leak, and the gas company cannot come out fast enough. The local fire department should have the equipment to detect a leak, and should be more than happy to come out and take some readings. Preventing a gas explosion, is much easier than dealing with the aftermath.


New GFCI outlet on ungrounded circuit won't trip when tested

The test button on the GFCI should work it doesn’t use the ground. The tester uses the ground with a resistor to create a ground fault since the ground is not there the test function will not work with the plug in tester. As long as the test function on the receptacle works the receptacle is protected as required by code.

The electronics compare both the hot and neutral, a imbalance of more than ~5mA will cause a trip. This is a legal method of GFCI protection with a 2 wire circuit.

IF you want to run a ground wire back to the panel that feeds this circuit OR if there is a grounded circuit in the area that is fed from the same panel recent code changes allow a new separate ground wire to be installed.
However if the test button on the GFCI works the receptacle is protected.

Just a note, in my jurisdiction a rental requires a licensed electrician to do anything more than replace a device (light, receptacle or switch) for example. I have heard of some that require a license for even those but have not worked in a state that has that strict requirements. I would verify your local regs so you don’t get in trouble.


How do I replace this tile/marble transition in a tiled bathroom?

Option 1: Replace with another marble transition

Marble transitions are still sold.  Replacing a broken one with another would preserve the original look of your floor.  However, marble isn't the most durable material to make a transition out of, and it may look out of place if it's the only marble thing in the area.  They're also kind of clunky because of their thickness.

Option 2: Embedded tile transition

There are a number of extruded metal (usually aluminum) transitions designed to be installed in the mortar underneath the tile.  These extrusions can transition between even or uneven flooring heights and present a cleaner, more flush transition between floors.  The caveat here is that the transition placement might be odd, depending on where the wood floor stops in the doorway.

They typically look similar this, but may vary in thickness and profile depending on the height difference:

Option 3: Wood transition

If you can find a wood transition that matches your existing wood (or an unfinished one you can stain to match), you could replace the marble with a wooden transition of similar profile.  The difficulty in matching existing, aged hardwood is not to be underestimated though.  Hardwood tends to darken with age and UV exposure, so a transition that matches fairly well now might not in 5-10 years.  Alternately, you could stain the wood a different color to match wood elsewhere.  Sometimes it's better to go with a completely different color than to get a "close but not quite" match that looks off.

Option 4: No transition

It is possible to butt wood against tile without a transition.  A Google Image search shows many instances of tile being butted against wood without any sort of transitional trim piece, and all of them look pretty good.  This depends on your tile floor being the same height as your wood floor and both floors being cut cleanly and precisely at the transition.  If either of those things isn't true or true enough, I would stay away from this method.  No transition and a rough edge will look sloppy and unfinished.


That particular switch is made for construction installers to do very fast work so they can get 2 houses done in 1 day.  "Time is money, friend".

I imagine the source of your inquiry is that you notice how easy backstabs are to install, and you wonder why ground doesn't use backstabs too.  This is not allowed because backstabs are unreliable. Historically, NFPA and UL don't care if your circuit fails, as long as it fails safe.  They later realized backstabs do not -- backstabs are the reason that circuits now require AFCI breakers.  The backstabs make connection only on a tiny spring surface, this poor connection often causes arcing, which can lead to overheat, causing the plastic receptacle (and box) to char and burn.  The AFCI detects this arc and trips.

The backstab situation is made worse when someone (who doesn't know any better) re-uses a backstab, which violates instructions (and thus NEC 110.3).  The spring is fatigued, and is even more unreliable!

Most of us have had the experience of a scorched wire or melted socket from a failed backstab, and have sworn "Never again".  As DIYers, time isn't money -- time is safety.  It's no bother to use the screws.  Or we pay $2 extra for the higher tier Leviton ProGrade or competitor, which back-wire but clamp with the screws, making them a true lug instead of a hokey spring.

That hole is to quickly wrap the ground screw - remember for best effect, wrap clockwise so tightening the screw tightens the shepherd's hook, not unwinds it.  You stick the wire through the hole, pull it over sharply, then clockwise around the ground screw, tighten the screw, done.

Honestly, it looks better positioned to shape the shepherd's hooks for the other wires -- you'd wrap counterclockwise in that case, since you'd flip the wire over (nub up) to attach to the side screws.  Slick.


How does high static ductwork ( Mobile home) affect AC Seer rating?

The statement is not accurate.
The seasonal energy efficiency ratio is how efficient the system is at converting electricity into cooling.
The biggest gain is with variable speed compressors that run at a low level with very few starts.
The worst efficient systems 13 seer are the ones that the compressor starts pumps to a high level and shuts down then restarts in 5 minutes.
1 inbetween is a 2 stage compressor that can pump at a lower level and change to a high level without stopping.
The inside unit the air handler may have a higher static pressure but if the duct work can handle the pressure the flow can be increased without affecting the heat transfer at all.
One thing to look at is the payback in some cases the additional cost of a 24 seer unit VS a 16 seer may not be worth the cost!
What is the warranty length?
Higher seer units have more active components and fail more frequently (they usually won’t tell you that) but they are getting better.
When comparing a less expensive 16 seer to a 24 seer unit the cost can be 30% more will it save that additional 30% cost in power consumption in my experience no but it’s better for the planet.
So just making a statement because you have a type of home you would need your duct work replaced I would challenge that.
Ask to see the flow curves and the size of the evaporator housing. If it is the same size as your existing system there will be no difference.


How do I determine where to connect a new C wire inside my furnace when no control panel or wiring terminal exists?

You will need to connect the blue wire for "C" to the wiring node that corresponds to the "BL" connections at the transformer as indicated by the yellow highlight in the following picture.

Do not connect to those two white wires unless you first confirm that the also connect into the "BL" node at the transformer.

Note from the picture that this "BL" node is also connected to the ground connection of the furnace. This is most likely the metal frame of the furnace so you could look also for a screw that attaches to the metal frame and attach your blue wire there.


Make sure the wood is dry first, the just paint over it with Kilz. Maintain the paint so that future rain doesn’t get in and reawaken the mold spores.


Will running AC on low fan speed cool room faster?

Energy transfer (aka pulling heat out of air) depends on the temperature difference.

So you quickly fall into diminishing returns when you try to cool the air down those final 2° when in the same time you can cool the same (warmer) volume of air by 15°.


How can I level and secure retaining wall steps?

Trying to quick fix masonry in the pictured condition is most likely not the way to go. Remove the treads and rebuild the the footing under the riser with pea stone, backfill with sand or pea stone and replace the treads. Slanting them downward is not a good idea if you live in a place where water freezes in the winter. If you want to add adhesive between the riser and tread use liquid nails for masonry. I’ve done tons of block stairways, to last they need to be relaid.


Do we need a 400A service to power a home and an in-law (ADU)?

Maybe some local code ,but 400 A is excessive power unless you have something like a weld shop. I have 200 A in 2500' plus 1000' garage+room  plus a 96' out building.  Includes 5 ton AC. circuits for an electric stove and and an electric dryer have never been used , but are dedicated . Also a 20 A 220 in the garage , I told the electrician I might want to weld one day, I never have but I bet I could if I wanted to. Looked in the box for curiosity : 28 breakers used, 2 -50 A, 7 -30 A , 19 -20 A . How in the world would one need twice as much power ( 400 A) in a home ?  I assume the licensed electricians hooked it up correctly.


Built a shelf out of 2x4s but some braces do not meet, will they hold?

I paid someone else to build this basic shelf for me because i'm no carpenter,

Unfortunately, I am afraid the person that built this isn't either.

There is a major weak point - the screws into the end grain of the cross pieces could just tear out of the wood.  The gaps are not really the problem.

There are a lot of stronger options for the joint but most of them would involve starting from scratch, which would probably be best.

If you want to salvage this, you might find a bracket that makes it strong enough.  I don't think it's ideal but the Simpson FBFZ for example might work:


Black & Decker KS850 Circular Saw pinning sporadically

Looks like it might need new carbon brushes, or maybe the motor commutator is worn out.

If the plastic piece that wasn't important to you was a part of what holds the brushes, rotor, armature, commutator, or any motor pieces in place then you could have mis-alignment of any of the above that might cause sparking like that. Take the motor housing apart and look closely for crooked stuff, there should be some blue/black marks from that sparking to clue you in.

P.S.- unplug the saw first


Do future electrical works invalidate a satisfactory EICR?

The EICR is a report of the electrical installation at a particular point in time (like a vehicle MOT test certificate). It is not invalidated by any subsequent work.

Any electrical work done should be accompanied by a Minor Works Certificate (MWC) for small jobs, and this Certificate will be limited to the work done and will not test the rest of the installation.

It is a requirement of the IET Wiring Regulations that work is tested and certificated, and a requirement of NICEIC membership to follow the IET Regulations and issue certificates accordingly.

For rental purposes you would need an invoice to claim the cost of the work against tax, and a MWC to demonstrate compliance with your landlord's duty of care in respect of electrical safety.


How can I keep a hanging cloth hydrated?

Place the bottom of the fabric in a shallow pan of water. It'll wick moisture continuously until the pan is empty. It should last a day at least, though.

You could even suspend a wallpaper tray from the fabric itself, which you'd install on the curtain rod (assuming that it's robust enough).

Place a rod through the ends of the tray with the curtain's hem slipped over the rod. It should be stable enough if you only fill it say 1/3 full and keep the rod up high.

Or install a curtain rod at the tray location and hang the try on that.

        _________________________________
       |  ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧  |
=======|=================================|====== <-- curtain rod
       |                                 |           through double hem
       |  ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧  |
       |                                 |
       |                                 |
       |  ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧  |
       |                                 |
     . |.................................| .
   =========================================== <-- curtain rod
     | |  ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧ ♧  | |       through holes in
     |_____________________________________|       ends of tray
                                                   or straight rod
                                                   through tray ends
                                                   and curtain hem


So is it better to go from a smaller pipe to a bigger pipe?

I don't think the shutoff valves leaking should have anything to do with the diameter of pipe you're using. It sounds like the situation is: you are replacing that last bit of pipe anyway because the shutoff valves are leaking, and you want to know if you can also increase the pipe diameter while doing this.

Changing the pipe diameter will not do anything to fix leaky shutoff valves, and it probably won't have any benefit, but I also don't think it will do any harm.

If it is less than a foot of travel, it's hard to see how flow could be impacted  much, unless it is getting constricted from something huge down to a half-inch. Keep in mind that the flow will be restricted by the smallest diameter pipe. If a 1/2" line is what's coming out of the wall and you couple it up to 3/4" for the last foot, you're not really changing much.


Why is it safe to use 15 A receptacles on a 20 A circuit?

A 15A outlet is rated for 15A, with a 20A pass through. That is to say that the 20A circuit is in continuance throughout the circuit, however the receptacle itself (the contacts) are rated for 15A continuosly. Any single appliance with a 15A plug will not normally draw more than 80% of 15A, or 12A. The total circuit draw (multiple appliances - same circuit) can be 20A before the breaker trips.

A 20A breaker used with 12awg wire can feed multiple 15A outlets, one example is the kitchen. The reasoning is so that today's demanding appliances, which draw more current, can be used with a 20A breaker without the worry of nuisance tripping. If more than a total of 20A were to be drawn from the circuit, the breaker will trip.

It should be noted that any circuit that is intended to be 20A must use a 20A recepticle.

If the appliance were using 15A, it will be safe with the 20A breaker ( @ 80% = 16A). If it were to short, it will trip the 20A breaker just as it would a 15A breaker. A 15A receptacle can take 20A for a short time with no problem. The receptacle is overrated, otherwise it would blow up upon a short. A short circuit in actuality can be hundreds of amps in a very short duration. The breaker and receptacle are rated as "Time overcurrent" meaning it can take a lot of current for extremely short durations, and will trip on lesser currents that occur for a longer time.

An example one can relate to (refer to chart): Joe plugs in two electric heaters in his family room. Everything works fine until 20-100 seconds later the breaker trips! Joe overloaded his 20A circuit, by drawing 40A! The breaker will allow this overload for a short time. If the overload were bigger, say 60A the breaker would trip faster from 10-35 seconds. If the trip was due to a direct short, the breaker will trip Immediately. Breakers actually have a "Load characteristic curve" that you can tell when it will trip in time vs current.


Are there wood sealers that are safe for fresh or saltwater marine use?

They do make stain specifically for marine use.  Doesn't say specifically that it's environmentally friendly, but the MSDS sheet does say it's water soluble.  The same manufacturer has environmentally friendly stains as well, but I have no idea how well they might work (or exactly what "environmentally friendly" means to them).


Which is the ground wire in my lighting circuit?

Odds are excellent that you have an additional bare wire and cable sheath out of sight up the ceiling. And that your "yellow" wire is actually "White, but old and yellowed."
This is a crappy install, in that the cable sheaths should have been coming all the way into the "old fixture as junction box" and if they don't make it to the hole, that obviously wasn't happening, and the next thing in line wasn't grounded, (and I doubt the first thing was given how short that ground wire is cut,) unless that cable has just retreated into the hole after you removed the fixture. Bare copper or green are grounds.
It's marginally possible but highly unlikely that the ballast in one fixture was running a tube in a separate fixture (where yellow would be a reasonable likelihood as a real color.)
If so, you're going to need to replace that wire anyway.
For cables used in North America, the conductors are black, white, bare, then black, white, red, bare, etc - i.e. you won't find a yellow wire in a normal household cable. You might in a conduit. But the yellowed/aged white wire is a much more likely case.


How can I disable or remove a ceiling fan wall switch?

Yes. Assuming this isn't a 3-way or 4-way switch, all the switch does is connect all the stuff wired into it (excluding the ground conductor, of course). If you want it on all the time, just take the stuff that was attached to the switch and bond it together with wire nuts. Remove the switch and replace the switch plate with a blank wallplate.

For a no-wiring-required solution, you can also buy a switch lock like this:

That is held in place by the screw that holds your cover plate, and just mechanically prevents the switch from being moved. If you think the switch might be useful in the future, this is a little easier to reverse.


Cut the red wire going to the A/C, strip the cut ends, and nut the C wire in with them

As it turns out, since you have central air conditioning, finding your C wire isn't that hard after all.  We start with the yellow Y wire from your thermostat, which is connected to the white wire in the cable going off to your condenser (outdoor unit).  From that, since we know that there must be a complete circuit going from the transformer (R wire), through the thermostat to the yellow Y wire, then through the compressor contactor's coil in the outdoor unit, and back to the transformer in the furnace in order for the air conditioning to work when called for, we can infer that the other wire (the red wire) in the cable to the outdoor unit goes to C; in this case, that's a terminal on your furnace's gas valve, which is corroborated by the air conditioner connections shown on your furnace.

As a result of all that, we can treat that red wire as a C wire; however, I'm not sure if you can have multiple wires to a terminal on that gas valve of yours (beyond what's already being done that is), so we need to cut that red wire in two somewhere in the middle, strip both cut ends, and wirenut the blue wire from the thermostat in with the two cut ends to gain access to C on your furnace.


The image is low resolution and warped, but it appears like the tile patterns repeat in different orientations. This suggests it is not linoleum, where the patterns are likely to repeat in identical orientations and less frequently. The more than slight reflection of the white appliance also shows the flooring has more shine than plastic flooring like linoleum or vinyl.  You can also see the primary light source is coming from significantly higher above and behind the camera (by the shadow under the cabinets).  The tiles appear to follow this shadowing, strongly suggesting they are significantly raised (approximately .33 inches or higher each).

Because of all this, it's probably regular ceramic tile.


Drilling a hole in a dry-wall backed by concrete or plaster?

If the concrete is thick enough you can try using concrete anchors.


Is this a load bearing wall? Please help

I would definitely assume the wall is supporting that beam. Get a structural engineer's advice to be sure, and to find out what your options might be. Solutions often exist, but may not be DIYable... and this is emphatically not something you want to risk getting wrong.

For comparison: My contractor was able to open a 15-foot-wide passageway through a central loadbearing wall, but we needed to install a heavy (4x12?) Parallam beam to absorb the load, strong columns at each end to transfer the load downward, and at the non-foundation end a steel C-beam was sistered to an existing joist to transfer load to foundation and main beam.


How do I get the globe off this ceiling fan?

Hold the glass bowl steady, and turn that metal piece at the bottom counter-clockwise. It's a fancy-looking nut, threaded onto a rod, holding the bowl up. (The clips are a bit strange, but are likely some sort of reinforcement for the bowl, and not the point of release.)


How can I cut this semi rigid aluminum duct for my dryer?

If it is simple Type A vent pipe you can just cut the pipe and then use a 4" coupling that has male ends on both sides.  You should use some mastic around the male ends of the union or just simply wrap some aluminum tape around to seal the joint.

Do wear gloves when you're cutting the pipe with tin snips to prevent cuts.


Are there drawbacks to installing a stronger bath fan?

While this would just be short term use. If you have natural gas, propane or oil appliances, this could & even would suck noxious fumes into the house which could eventually or quickly kill you. That's the bad news.

Other than that, an exhaust fan does, of course, remove heated & cooled air. If you're single I don't see this being a big deal. But, in a family situation this could evacuate the house & therefore waste a good deal of money on a daily basis.

If you're talking about something over 300cfm by a good deal, then partially open doors could slam shut. Like, you don't have your keys & your front door's knob is locked when you take out the trash, retrieve the mail or chat to a neighbor.


previous owner painted over door latches, preventing doors from closing - how to proceed?

That's an interesting tactic.

You may be able to mask things off and use paint stripper to clean up the latch area in place. Otherwise, take the hardware apart and soak it clean. Lubricate as appropriate and reinstall.


I have not seen cable of any sort in direct contact with concrete. It has always been placed in conduit, in the gravel bed. At the least it has been UF in the gravel bed, but never low voltage in direct bury.

In my opinion, you would be wise to place 2 conduits under the level of the concrete. This with keep the concrete from cracking over the pipe, it acts as a control joint, but on the underside if into the concrete. The 2 conduit need to be separated at least by 6" more if possible. This will keep the low voltage from picking up on the interference created by the line voltage.

Your length of run, should be good, in the States there is a maximum run of 200 ft between pull boxes (Maybe it is 100'), one of the electrical guys can firm this I hope. Never the less, you are ok on this.

If you are using direct bury cable, after you get out from the edge of the concrete, I would get it down 18" if possible, or keep it in the conduit to protect it from casual digging.


How can I repair a persistent toilet seal leak?

Remove the toilet . Remove the wax ring and replace it with a new one - the toilet should rest on the seal / floor - there are also some non wax ring seals available as well - they are typically used for fixing a broken or cracked toilet drain pipe.


What is the best way to secure (2x6) wood framing to the concrete portion of the garage opening?

Yes, use pressure treated wood. There would often be anchor bolts cast into the wall to hold the 2x6s, these can be reused. Sometimes powder actuated fasteners are used. Besides needing a special tool to install these, they often do not penetrate well into old, well cured concrete.

You can install new expansion anchors by drilling holes with a hammer drill. Whichever method, back it up by using construction adhesive to limit future warpage.


Are there any issues with using deicing salt on sand stone paving?

Salt on stone can cause pitting, but it should be okay as long as you don't over-do it.  If you still have visible salt crystals after the ice has gone, you're using too much.  If you have trouble both avoiding visible crystals and clearing enough ice for safety, try using a sand/salt mix.


The bumps face up to provide air flow.

This felicitates the complete and continuous drying of tableware which helps prevent the growth of bacteria, especially useful if you like to store your cups upside down.

There is a con to that type you have. Unlike others I've seen that are a sort of nylon web, yours is a solid sheet of plastic. If any water gets under it, it has no way to evaporate. You could put one sheet upside down to protect the cabinet, with another on top for the glassware (or just use one and be sure everything is relatively dry before stowing it).