Should I be able to just peel tile off the wall by hand if it is installed right?

Portland Cement has poor adhesive qualities by itself, which is why it is commonly mixed with a polymer. By definition, "thin-set" refers to an application thickness of under 3/16th of an inch. Other common additives to thin-sets are water retaining compounds that help them retain moisture to extend the curing time for more strength. By adding additional Portland Cement, both of these properties have been compromised in the mix. As far as curing goes, the ANSI spec for thin-set performance specifies a final set time of under 4 hours (this link has a good run-down). Tiles should be difficult to peel off within an hour.

That said, there are several other issues I can pick out from your pictures:

Even if the tile does adhere properly, the grout will most likely
start cracking within the first couple of months. There shouldn't be
any of the huge voids visible in the bottom two pictures,
especially in the corners.  When you float grout in, there won't be anything to support it in places other than the sides of the tiles
themselves and any minimal keying from packing it into the joints.
In the top picture, it appears that the float-cement backing was
applied over sheet rock or plaster? If this is the case, it will wick
moisture into the wall.  Although this will be a fairly small amount,
eventually it will start bubbling around the edge.
Weight. This installation will weigh approximately 20 pounds per
square foot more than another backing type.  On a small shower,
you're talking close to a ton of excess weight. If this is on a
framed floor, it will deflect and exacerbate all of the other
issues.
I don't see any indication that any structural support was
incorporated into the float-cement (wire mesh, fiberglass mat, etc.),
and certainly not in the "thin"-set.  This means that it will be
prone to cracking over time.

I think @DMoore hit the nail on the head with this one. You need to have this contractor stop work immediately. The simple fact that he can't lay tile straight (and isn't using spacers) is fire-able in my book sub-strait aside - now you're talking about what you will see when it's done. Schedule a time for a building inspector to come by and take a look at it (you did get a permit, right?) - they are generally less busy this time of the year, so will be a lot more willing to give you a good opinion. Tell them that you are concerned that the work being performed isn't up to code and that you'd like somebody to take a look before it gets covered up.

As far as how I would go about an installation like this, I would generally back everything with framing and half inch cement-board.  If I was worried about deflection at all, I would thin-set a second layer of cement-board to the first layer with staggered joints. I haven't seen a shower around my neck of the woods done with float-cement backing that was installed more recently than about 1960.  Even though the materials cost more, if I'm billing $40 to $50 an hour for labor it still costs half as much overall, doesn't have long down times for curing, and is a ton easier to work with.


Many times the element(s) crack and burn up like what happened to you. There are replacement elements for most stoves you need to match the size. To replace unplug the stove and usually there are screws or slip on spade connectors (these spade connectors are special high temp ones) if one needs replaced don't use normal ones from the big box stores, unless they are stamped high temp (I think 900 deg F) The stove should be fine to use just not that burner until replaced.
A link to 1 element not very expensive.


How do I cover old baseboard (skirting)?

I think this is a problem easily solved by Quarter round. Actually I think this is why quarter round was invented.

If the existing molding is small enough you could possibly cover it up, but it might look even worse if the original molding is too large because the cover would have to be bigger.

If you want to cover the original molding you could get larger molding, and using a router hollow out part of it so the old molding fits inside.  Then simply nail it on.

Other than that you could always ask the tiler if he could fix the problem (at his own cost of course), because it sounds like he did not do a proper job.  If you have not paid him, consider withholding the payment until the job is done properly.


Recessed LED lights need to be turned on twice to work

I recently added some canless LEDs on a multi-way switch with a dimmer and I noticed something interesting. If I have the dimmer set very low (near or at the lowest setting), the lights will not engage at all. Adjusting the dimmer to a higher brightness and switching them back on seems to work. I would try leaving the dimmer at least at 50% or higher and see if that fixes the problem (you can always dim them once they are on).

The catch with LED fixtures and LED dimmers is they aren't always compatible. Some even go so far as to list dimmers they work with, and will exclude supporting any others (even if they are LED compatible).


What are normally-open hydronic zone valves used for?

Choice of normally open or normally closed for a valve actuator is part of the overall controls design process, part of which is considering safety/protective functions.

As an example, consider a climate where it gets freezing cold (below 0 degrees C).  You have a normally closed heating valve that is closed.  Something happens such that your electronic valve actuator no longer receives power (board burns out, breaker trips, etc).  Now imagine you are away from home for an extended period of time, and you don't know your valve is now stuck closed, and it gets freezing cold.  The zone will have no heating, and the consequences of no heating to the zone could be a burst pipe and a flooded home.  Had the valve been normally open, you would likely be wasting energy overheating the space, but no burst pipe.

Note that normally open/normally closed is often used to mean fail open/fail closed, but they are not necessarily the same thing.  Motor actuators without specific additional features (spring return, capacitor driven return, etc, backup power) do not have a fail safe state on loss of power, they fail in place.  Normally open/normally closed can describe the valve state at the control signal input of zero/false/off.

By the way, there are other valve actuators used in hydronic heating systems besides electronically operated actuators.  Pneumatic actuators and mechanical (thermostatic) actuators also exist.


This one may be a bit tough. If I understand correctly, you really want to use the same coax. from pole to house for both incoming signal to the Comcast access point and a local network to the barn. I can't say for sure that it won't work, but I really, really wouldn't count on it. You might be able to get MoCA working, but I'm not so sure. Keep in mind that you would be throwing your own "local" network on top of what is (past the Comcast box) Comcast's network.
My recommendation would be to run another wire, or possibly fiber, from the house to the pole to the barn. Keep in mind that 500' is way over normal copper Ethernet distance, so this would not simply be ordinary 4-pair CAT 5e or 6. You could go with a line driver of some sort (there are types for twisted pair - even old CAT 3 or worse, as well as for coax.), but this might be a great one for fiber. Fiber has some big advantages:

Speed
Distance
Immune to electrical interference
Non-metallic

The converters needed have gotten relatively inexpensive. Just an example, no experience with this particular brand:

For the fiber cable, unless the coax is in conduit, you will want to look for outdoor-rated cable, possibly armored. Make sure it is the right type (LC, SC, etc.) and I would seriously consider getting pre-terminated cable rather than doing it yourself for a one-time fiber install.


Can I use a single wire and run two jumpers to two gcfi outlets and on the other side run two wires off the single wire to two gcfi circuit breakers?

NO WAY!!!!
If I understand you correctly, you want to run 2 15A circuits over one cable. You can't do that. (There are certain exceptions involving a 3-wire cable, but I assume you are describing an ordinary 2-wire (plus ground) cable.) Depending on how you wire up those two circuits, you would either end up overloading the wires (30A on wires designed for 15A) or just outright zapping everything by ending up with 240V when you want 120V.
Following up a bit more based on comments:
Assuming that each device specified by the manufacturer only actually uses 7.5A, that would be too much for a single 15A circuit (therefore requiring two separate circuits) but small enough (15A is less than the 16A continuous limit for a 20A circuit) to fit on a 20A circuit, and therefore on 12 AWG wire.
However, aside from being a violation of the manufacturer's instructions, which is a big no-no on permanently wired devices, there is a potentially fatal flaw:
If you slam two circuits into one, you have no way to control which circuit actually carries the load! It might go 50/50 (as planned) but it might not. In addition, if one of those wires comes out, you now have all 15A of load going over a single circuit. While technically OK in the short-term, that is exactly what the manufacturer is trying to avoid by having you use two circuits in the first place. In addition, if there are any startup loads then there could be real honest-to-goodness overloads involved as well.
But wait, there's more! This will probably not actually work anyway because not only do you want to nominally split the circuits 50/50 for load purposes, you must split the loads consistently on hot and neutral. That just ain't gonna happen. Which means you may end up with frequent GFCI trips. Which inevitably leads to "who needs this GFCI stuff anyway". Which leads to taking out the GFCI and replacing with regular breakers "just for a little while to test things". Which of course becomes permanent. Which results in serious (possibly fatal) problems when there actually is a ground fault in a bathtub.
NO @#()$@&#$)!@@# WAY!


Caulking/Sealant for Conduit Pipe on Roof?

From the Steel Tube Institute (an institute comprised of various steel conduit manufacturers):

  Question: Can EMT be used on roof-tops?

  Answer: There is no prohibition in the NEC. In some installations,
  there may be a concern about physical damage or corrosion protection.
  This is often a judgment call by the authority having jurisdiction.
  The NEC does not allow EMT to be used where, “during installation or
  afterward, it will be subject to severe physical damage.” The NEC also
  requires the EMT to be “securely fastened in place” and provides
  requirements for supports. The AHJ may determine more supports are
  necessary. If the AHJ approves the installation with EMT,
  consideration should be given to compliance with NEC 110.12, 300.6,
  300.7(A) & (B), 358.10 and 358.30.

So, if your conduit was installed with fittings designed for a "wet location" (it looks like those are, but confirm) and it is properly supported, and provisions for expansion were provided (if required), then you should be OK. Most importantly, if the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) approved the installation, then you are fine.

In the end, it would not hurt to apply silicone. Use 100% silicone and clean the area(s) first so it sticks.


Wood frame door and window repair. Steps by step answers please. In Ecuador

One Time Wood Protector is the only worthwhile option. Expensive but goes a long way & it has an unlimited shelf life for future re-applications. You just sand the crap out of everything until there are no long wood fibers sticking out (known as feathering & is mild or surface wood rot). Then, you just paint on One Time & you're good for up to 7-years. I used the Natural finish & it does darken the wood like water, but gets 10% lighter after each year of exposure. I did a redwood 2-car garage door with it 3-years ago & no more rot & no more water wicking nor soaking, I still get gushing compliments.


The space between the window and wall I'd just stuff with some fiberglass insulation. I wouldn't be using the expanding foam because it might put a strain on the window and impede operation. Then straighten out that drywall edge and add a new piece down to the window and tape with mud. If the space is small enough, cover with some trim or molding. The latter will look weird if the other windows don't have the same molding.


Need help identifying shower diverter cartridge

It's going to be difficult identifying that part without a model number. At this point I think your best bet would be to go to your local home store and search the plumbing section racks for an identical part. Better yet, take it to a plumbing supply store and they'll be able to match it. Good luck.


Mesh has two three issues:

It requires more coats and coverage.
It is not manufactured to middle split evenly.  No folding line like paper.
When applying joint compound to mesh there is an art to not getting the corner of your knife on the mesh.   I have had to use mesh late at night for inside corner repairs.   Using mesh in a corner forces you to use your knife's corner meaning your knife will snag on it as you are putting more stress on the inside when tapering the compound.   Meaning you will have snags or the worst when doing a corner - moving the mesh.

In a lot of years drywalling and hiring some really good crews I have never seen anyone use mesh for an inside corner.   You could but why do something that is harder, takes more time, and could be flawed over time.

The best drywall guys I have seen only use tape for 95%+ of the job.   The mesh is for binding drywall to something else.   Even the pro-mesh guys (these weren't the best) have rolls of paper for inside corners.


How can I replace particle board overlayment installed under interior walls?

I just completed a similar project where cat urine had soaked through carpet into the OSB subfloor in a bedroom which ran underneath an exterior wall.  I cut the subfloor as close to the wall as I could but the remaining stub of OSB still smelled.  A few nights of research convinced me that replacing the remaining OSB under the wall would be nearly impossible.  Recommendations were to saturate it with BIN 1-2-3 pigmented shellac primer to seal in the odor.  I was expecting a heavy coating, but the BIN is about as thick as whole milk and the porous OSB drank it right up. I put several coats on every bit of the exposed OSB, the exposed wall framing under the drywall, and also 6" up the drywall which had wicked up some of the urine.  It took 7 coats until the smell was mostly gone.  If followed up with 3 coats of Kilz MAX water-based primer (avoided oil-based due to pregnant wife in the house) over the BIN primed areas and up the entire wall, which I realized was still emitting odor.  The Kilz went on thicker and was more effective at sealing in the odor by the 3rd coat. For the unsupported subfloor edge, I built a "bridge" between the last I-joist and the wall ledger, loosely based on ideas in another thread on this website.  Search "How do I replace a sub-floor that goes under a wall" and you'll find it.

(Top) This is the section I had to cut out.

(Bottom Left) The ledger board was 2" beyond the OSB cut and there was only 7.5" between it and the first I-joist, not enough room to swing a hammer to fasten joist hangers or anything else.  I sistered a 2x12 with StrongDrive 1/4 x 3 wood screws (using a Dewalt right-angle drill attachment) and some P&L, after first fastening 2x10 cleats with 16d nails, leaving just enough room for a piece of 2x between the top of the cleats and the OSB.

(Bottom Right) For the I-joist, I ripped a 2x10 to squeeze in snug against the web between the two flanges.   I fastened vertical lengths of 2x4 flush with the top of the 2x10 using 3" SPAX structural screws, then fastened the completed piece against the web with 1/2 stainless hex bolts.

(Left) I then cut more 2x4 pieces to bridge across the 2x members and screwed them down using cheapo 2.5" wood screws and P&L.  The bridge pieces fit snug under the existing OSB cut edge.

(Top Right) I cut a new piece of OSB to fit which joined the T&G in the uncut floor board to it's right.  The bridge provided flush support where it joined the wall edge.

(Bottom Right) I cut and fitted the 2nd board, then glued and screwed everything down.  It feels solid as a rock and I'm confident it will support the hardwoods going in this week.  As mentioned, I followed up with 3 coats of Kilz Max on the entire back wall and used the rest of the can to coat the entire floor, so that if anything manages to seep through the new hardwoods and the vapor barrier the OSB hopefully won't drink it up like a sponge again.


using C clamp on ceiling beam to avoid screw holes - will it hold?

I don't think your plan to make a custom bracket will work for a number of reasons.  It's way larger and heavier than necessary, it will be very hard to make a spring clamp of that size to make a pressure clamp, and it will be hard or impossible to slide it on over VHB tape.  VHB tape may or may not hold up to the heat generated by the light.

It's always good to be careful about drilling holes in a beam, but the tiny holes needed for a few small short screws to hold up LED panels won't have any significant effect on the strength of the beam.

If you'd still rather not drill the beam, you could hang the lights from the joists near the beams.  If you want a surface mount, you could mount them on the short side, that way they will shine on more of the room.

If you don't mind hanging the lights from a v-shaped wire or chain, you could hang them from eye screws into the joists on the longer side of the ceiling.  That will keep the lights level and get them closer to the center of the room, which will give you more even lighting.  It will also let some air circulate over the light, which will help the heat dissipate, which will be better for the LED fixture and for the ceiling.

If you are really set on hanging them in that exact position, you could make a small bracket to go across the bottom of the beam (perpendicular) and attach to the ceiling on either side, either with toggles into the drywall or preferably with screws into the joists.  Not something out of 2" tube steel, more like 3/16" flat stock.


Since the transformer says "Gaslight Conversions", that's a pretty strong clue that it's part of a lighting system from Gaslight Conversions, located in St Paul MN, which also matches what's written on the transformer.

If you've ruled out all of your exterior lighting, it may be leftover from a low voltage lighting system that was replaced but never fully removed.

It's also possible that the transformer has been repurposed for something else by a former homeowner, but most likely it is (or at least was) used for lighting. -- especially since that company sells their transformer for $40, but you can pick up a generic 24VAC transformer from Home Depot for $10 - $15, so why buy the name brand if not for use with their lighting products?

If it plugs in (as opposed to being hardwired), that makes it less likely that it powers any permanently installed equipment like a doorbell or furnace.


Extra wires and jacks on my chandelier - where do they go?

The black, white and green/bare are for you to connect.

The blue/white are internal to the appliance to route the current to the various place it is needed (each bulb). It's got nothing to do with over-heating.


How do I eject a bit from a Wiha 38600 screwdriver?

Pull it straight out the opposite way it went in. The retaining ring is a spring steel circle of round wire that is split on one side. The diameter of the circle is very slightly smaller than the distance around the points of the 1/4" hex bit:

The ring is inserted so that it floats inside of a groove around the inside end of the driver tool socket.

When a bit is first inserted into the tool socket the rounded fillet on the back end of the 1/4" hex bit is designed to allow the ring in the groove to expand out around the hex bit.

Just as the bit reaches its full insertion depth the ring is allowed to drop into a series of notches that are machined into the corners of the bit all the way around:

This is what helps to keep the bit from falling out of the tool socket. Sometimes with a new tool where the ring has not been exercised much it can clamp into the grooves extra hard. Another factor is that some hex bits have deeper notches which may also enhance the grab the ring has on the bit.

The normal thing to deal with this situation is that the insertion and removal of bits needs to be done a few times to relax the spring steel ring some. At first it may be necessary to use a pair of pliers to extract the bit. A small amount of lubricant could help too.....but it is not recommended for several usage scenarios. One example is if the tool is being used around raw unfinished wood the lubricant can stain the wood in an undesirable manner.

Note that not all hex bits have the retainer ring grooves. The retainer ring can still help keep such bits from falling out of the tool socket but the retention is based purely on the friction against the bit as opposed to the snap action of the notches on the bit.


No power in one room (circuit), breaker not tripping

Your test shows you have hot coming from the breaker (hot to ground 120 volts) but you are loosing it on the neutral side. I would start at the breaker box again only this time looking at (volt meter test) the neutral wire. If it's good go to the first junction box and test there and so on.


GFI trips when turning on a computer with the monitor on but not when the monitor is off

If the GFCIs have a 5mA threshold, the reason  might be related to the cable capacitances. Domestic cables can accumulate 200-400 nanoFarad per kilometer, i.e. the GFCI could trip if the summed up downstream cable length is 500m , if the voltage is 120V, 60Hz. Without any devices plugged into the circuit.

The usual PI-filters of switch mode power supplies in PCs and monitors can add more capacitance, increasing the tripping probability. This is why those 5mA GFCIs seem to be too sensitive in some cases, thus providing not more safety then a 30mA GFCI, but instead are the reason for a safety gap if the annoyed user eliminates that 5mA GFCI if it tripped again just before he was to top his high score in the difficult PC game after weeks of failed sessions.


How can you keep constant power to lights by removing switch but still keeping power to the switch?

Yes a traditional switch just connects 2 wires together.
For lights controlled by a single switch there will be 2 main configurations you will see.
(colors are assuming US conventions)

neutral at the switch. This is marked by a white wire(bundle) that isn't connected to the switch. And 2 wires connected to the switch.
To install a smart switch there pigtail the wires connected to the switch together and add a wire to the neutral bundle. Those will be your live and neutral to power the smart switch.

no neutral at the switch. This is marked by not having a non-ground wire disconnected from the switch. Often the white wire will be marked by a loop of tape.
This is more complicated to adjust. Find the junction box where the switch-loop starts (often the at the light itself) and move the white wire going to the switch to the neutral bundle and the black to the live bundle. Then you can remove the tape loop marking the white as a live both at the junction box and the switch and you now have a live and neutral at the switch.

When multiple switches control the lights, there will be a set of 3 wires running between the switches: 2 travelers and either a neutral or a switched live. The process to convert is similar to above with the addition of an extraneous wire that you can cap off.


What exactly is pitch in terms of nuts and bolts?

Nuts and bolts start with two options, US or metric. US units tend to be in inches, metric units are typically millimeters. The size of the socket is completely separate from the size of the bolt and nut. The size of the nut/bolt is measured outside of the threads on the bolt, not the nut. So a 15mm bolt measured from the diameter from outside the threads, which would be written M15, could easily require a 30mm socket to install.

The pitch is how steep the threads are. On US nuts and bolts, they are measured according to the number of threads per inch. So a pitch of 20 would have 20 threads per inch. For metric nuts and bolts, it's measured in mm per thread, so a 1.50 pitch will be a thread every 1.5 mm.

The best option, if you can, is to take the existing nut and bolt to the store to find the replacement and ensure you get a proper fit.


Sofa recliner difficult to lock in place

Recliner mechanisms definitely wear out.  I have never heard of adjustments.  If everything is still bolted down properly and nothing is loose it may be time for a replacement.  I talked to a furniture man once.  He said that there is little you could do with them when they start to go.


Suggestions on How to Remove Very Old Carpet Tape from Hardwood Floor

A plastic putty knife can often remove residue if it isn't too sticky. In a pinch, an old plastic credit card can also work. If the surface finish is weak, it may lift with the residue.


Is it possible to notch framing studs for installing conduit w/out structure collapsing?

The rule is that the studs in any exterior or load-bearing wall may be notched, but no deeper than 25% of the width of the stud, or a hole no bigger than 40% of the width of the stud may be bored in it (you could pass the conduit or cable through the stud). There's an exception that you can notch 60% of the depth if the stud is doubled and no more than two successive studs are notched that deeply. Non-load-bearing studs can be notched up to 40% of the depth of the stud.

Also, you cannot notch the side of the studs that structural sheathing/plywood is affixed to (see shear walls).

Here's the seemingly relevant International Building Code section:

  R602.6 Drilling and notching - studs. Any stud in an exterior wall or
  bearing partition may be cut or notched to a depth not exceeding 25
  percent of its width. Studs in nonbearing partitions may be notched to
  a depth not to exceed 40 percent of a single stud width. Any stud may
  be bored or drilled, provided that the diameter of the resulting hole
  is no greater than 40 percent of the stud width, the edge of the hole
  is no closer than 5/8 inch (15.9 mm) to the edge of the stud, and the
  hole is not located in the same section as a cut or notch. See Figures
  R602.6(1) and R602.6(2).

  Exceptions:

  A stud may be bored to a diameter not exceeding 60 percent of its width, provided that such studs located in exterior walls or bearing
  partitions are doubled and that not more than two successive studs are
  bored.
  Approved stud shoes may be used when installed in accordance with the manufacturers recommendation. R602.6.1 Drilling and notching of
  top plate. When piping or ductwork is placed in or partly in an
  exterior wall or interior load-bearingwall, necessitating cutting,
  drilling or notching of the top plate by more than 50 percent of its
  width, a galvanized metal tie of not less than 0.054 inches thick
  (1.37mm) (16ga) and 11/2 inches (38mm) wide shall be fastened to each
  plate across and to each side of the opening with not less than eight
  16d nails at each side or equivalent. See Figure R602.6.1.

  Exception: When the entire side of the wall with the notch or cut is covered by wood structural panel sheathing

Is this EMT (metal conduit)?  I would consider putting protective metal nail plates over the notches, as well. If it isn't metal conduit, I'm pretty sure you have to use those plates.


Possible to buy this switch for my lawn mower?

Yes. Hit up electronic component suppliers like Mouser or Digi-Key.  They have a staggering catalog of switches and you are likely to find a match.

Prepare to spend a fair amount of time looking bleary-eyed at the mechanical drawings on data sheets to match the physical size.

It also helps to limit search to items they actually stock.  If it says 6 week lead time, nope.


Why can't I drive this Tapcon into concrete?

Aside from not using hammer mode, as suggested in the comments, I will report that I have had HIGHLY variable results with Tapcon's in old poured concrete - I don't recall what they claim to work in, but I begin to suspect that concrete block or green (not yet fully cured) poured concrete is more their cup of tea, or perhaps "concrete made only with "soft" rocks for aggregate."  Some work as they should, some stick partway in, some go all the way in and don't hold; I think it's luck of the draw on what the concrete right at that particular hole consists of. Sometimes the threads shear right off (bit of hard aggregate they can't cut into?)

You can switch to driving them with a ratchet, but you may find that the threads shear off, or the entire shaft shears.

Since this is a vertical-down hole, you might try vacuuming it out before driving the Tapcon.

I've gone back to traditional anchors. Our local aggregate tends towards hard rocks, not crushed limestone.

They work OK as big blue overpriced wood screws ;^) which will let me use up the boxes.


Door knob (lever handle) only engages in one direction

MOST door knobs I know of engage the latch in either direction. You may have something broken or installed incorrectly on yours, or someone purposely had it made to do this. In fact, it is considered a "safety issue" to not have the latch retract when pushing the lever DOWN, because if you were trying to get out of the house during a fire, you might be crawling on the floor below the smoke and having to push the lever UP to open the door may be difficult. You should fix/replace it immediately.


My power strip has (what appears to be) a burn mark. What do I do?

Don't risk your life over a power strip.  Throw it away and get a new one.

You can try taking it back and Ikea is pretty good with customer service.  But I personally wouldn't be trusting an Ikea power strip with my computer equipment.  I would get something a little more heavy duty and has surge protection.

Also is your printer laser or ink jet?  If laser you should be treating that device as a small appliance.  IE, no power strip/extension cords as they tend to draw high current during the printing processes.


removing a exterior wall below a floor joist of the second floor

You’re lucky, you will not need to add a support floor joist or beam provided: 1) the floor joists run the direction you show, 2) roof joists run the same direction as the floor joists, 3) the remaining second floor wall does not have a window (as shown), 4) the remaining second floor wall has a minimum of 1/2” plywood sheathing or 1/2” OSB board sheathing.

1) There is no floor load on the wall you want to remove, if the floor joists run the direction you show. (If the first floor joist is more than 8” from the exterior, you’ll need to add a sister joist where the wall is being removed.)

2) There will be no roof load on the wall you want to remove if the roof joists run the same direction as the floor joist.

3) and 4) The remaining second floor wall is a “giant” beam that only needs to support itself and a portion of the roof wall above.

However, if any of the issues I’ve outlined above are different, then you’ll need to add a support beam...or at least double (or triple) the floor joist where the the wall is to be removed.

The existing footing at the existing post is supporting 1/4 the existing floor load. There is not much load (about 3,100 lbs. plus roof load, if any) transferred to the footing, but should be verified. About 18” x 18” should be adequate, unless your soil condition is a swamp.


180º/gooseneck/u-shaped cold air return?

If you want to go completely amateur, you could just stuff it all in there. However, that's going to result in a significant decrease in airflow and will result in a lot of strain on your air handler's blower motor.

The cross-sectional area of at 16" ID duct is about 200 square inches. That's the number you need to match or exceed to maintain the same possibility of airflow.

Since you are using a rectangular vent and you only have 14 inches of depth, let's figure out how big of a rectangular duct you need. 200 / 14 = 14.3 inches. 14x14? That's pretty close to some of the standard sizes, like 10x20. But since you have to make 2 90 degree bends, up-sizing is a good idea. Also, a larger grate can help reduce airflow noise. So I would go for 12x24, which is almost 50% larger.

So at your local home improvement center, you can try and get a 12x24 filter grate, two 12x24 90 degree rigid metal ducts, and a 12x24 to 16 ID adapter.

However, it's likely you will not find those exact pieces. So what you can do instead is get a few sheets of duct board and make a duct. Duct board is like a rigid piece of insulation rated for HVAC airflow. You will also need a 16 inch collar to attach your flex duct to your new box.

In your case, I would make your duct box extend down through the floor (where you have your two question marks) and attach your flex tube to the face of a duct board. This way you minimize the number of bends you put in the flex tube.


How to reduce the sheen of a wall paint?

No.   The paint doesn't have a glossy "finish", the gloss is built into the paint.   You must repaint.    Anything that "deglosses" your wall will certainly hurt the quality of your paint job and with 100% certainty will not match your other wall.


Can I use a 6 foot long table as the base for a stand up desk?

I use 2 3-drawer file cabinets with a 8 foot door.  It works really well.  Adjustment higher can be done with some 1/4"-1/2" pieces of plywood but the height works well for me.  It has the added benefit of storage.


How can I dry out our attic and prevent mold?

If you can get to it, try spaying it down with a diluted bleach solution. Then see if the dry winter weather kills it off.

You may have already removed its source of moisture and depending on how much there is it may die off on its own.

You should check it periodically to make sure it doesn't get any bigger.

Happy Sunday!


How do I tap into the PEX water supply line?

First you need to cut the PEX tubing at the access spot. That can be done with a PEX tubing cutter.

Then you acquire the correct type fitting (your size requirement may differ from picture) to rejoin the cut PEX with "T" fitting and a branch connection for an added PEX tubing to go off toward the ice maker. It is also necessary to install an inline valve to permit turning off the ice maker connection as shown.

An alternative method is to use a more conventional nylon tubing supply line toward the ice maker and connect that to the PEX tubing with a integrated valve type "T" fitting like this:

At the ice maker end of the newly added PEX line (if you had decided to run the distance with PEX) you would need to select the appropriate type of adapter fitting(s) to allow connection of the small diameter ice maker line.

At the actual ice maker connection it will be necessary to use the small diameter plastic tubing to the ice maker fitting. You can purchase kits that include fittings and the tubing at big box type home centers.


What is wrong with my recessed light wiring?

If you have a voltage reading between hot and ground but not hot and neutral, it means you have an open neutral somewhere between the bulb and the panel.  Since you were playing around in the fixture, that'd be the first place I'd check.  Remove all of the wirenuts and check the quality of the connections, both from the line as well as the socket.  If the fixture has a transformer there will be another set of connections to check (primary and secondary sides).


What would cause the water to stop when I turn a faucet to hot?

Very small pieces of debris (very frequently rust chips in homes with older galvanized pipes) can block one side or the other of the cartridge of a shower valve.

Newer valves have replaceable cartridges than can be examined and cleaned.  Just shutoff the water, open and close the valve to relieve pressure and undo the trim plate.

Note, examples are of Delta shower valves

The Cartridge is usually behind a finely threaded retaining nut (bonnet nut).

Sometimes the seals break and jam..  here's a Delta cartridge and seals


Efficiency of having 2 heat pumps in my house

Without the performance curves, it's impossible to say, but in general, equipment is more efficient when it's not operating near either the maximum or minimum load, so yes, it's possible that two units, each operating at 40-70% of their rated capacity, could be more efficient than a single unit operating at >90% of its capacity.

This link is actually about computer power supplies, but it does illustrate how many performance curves look. Realistically, this should serve to illustrate proper sizing so normal operation is near peak efficiency with peak performance matching maximum anticipated load.


No matter where you are you have a problem that needs to be addressed by your power company. In both US split-phase or EU 240v at the incoming terminals, reading more than 10% below is an indication of a problem.

Since you can not turn the power off before the main breaker, the utility needs to find the problem. It is probably a loose or burned connection, I have seen fuses on the service do this when a carbon path provides some voltage unloaded,  then a load coming on causes the voltage to dive. Many times it is a loose or burned off wire connection, so contact your utility and tell them you have an outage.


You may not be able to find a timer that's designed to directly switch that much, but you can find a timer that switches a lot less, and use it to switch the coil of a relay that can switch whatever load you require. Relay coils take very little power to switch, and relay contacts can be had as large as you could possible need, or larger.

However, if you are not bound up in love with your 58 year old cooker, it may be a better idea to replace it; a relay capable of switching a typical cooktop load is not generally all that inexpensive itself, unless you can find one surplus.

A newER used cooktop is generally quite inexpensive - people remodel kitchens all the time and discard or sell off inexpensively perfectly good appliances that are not the right color, etc.


Follow-up to 12/18/20 Question about Feeding 2-Gang Receptacle Boxes with MC 12/4

Since each circuit has its own yoke of receptacles, you're fine
The rule that Harper's referring to is in NEC 210.7:

210.7 Multiple Branch Circuits. Where two or more branch
circuits supply devices or equipment on the same yoke or
mounting strap, a means to simultaneously disconnect the
ungrounded supply conductors shall be provided at the point
at which the branch circuits originate.

Since you are giving each circuit its own duplex receptacle, and thus its own yoke, though, this rule does not apply to your situation, so you can leave the two breakers un-handle-tied.  (Note also that since you're dealing with 120V AC, 406.5(J) does not apply to you, either -- that rule's generally only a concern when dealing with 277/480V systems found in industrial work)


Don't use the words "line" and "load" for plain receptacles.

What's happening here

If indeed the power is coming from the upper right... This is a multi-wire branch circuit that appears to irrevocably split here.  It shares neutral up to this point, then it does not.

Because it is an MWBC, the neutrals are pigtailed.  That is correct and important.   However it is not necessary after the MWBC hots split for good, so the upper left cable did not need to be pigtailed, it could have chained off the receptacle same as its "hot" does.

The lower right cable is the "red" leg of the MWBC.   It departs and we don't deal with it again here.

The receptacle is the "black" leg of the MWBC.

How to hook up a GFCI

It goes without saying that you de-energize both sides of the MWBC before doing anything with wires.  This will involve many trips to the breaker panel.   Most likely the breakers are adjacent, possibly with a handle tie, or are a 2-space 2-pole breaker.

First, disconnect and fold back both hot and neutral from the upper left cable.  We will not be using them at all. (yet.)   You might, at this point, go see which receptacles are downstream and now dead.   Make a note of those.

The lower right cable stays exactly as it is.

At this point there will be 1 hot and 1 neutral going to the receptacle, and the receptacle should work.

Replace the receptacle with a GFCI type.   The hot and neutral go to the LINE terminals.   The LOAD terminals are unused.

At this point the GFCI should work fully.  Plugging anything into any receptacle in either this or the other half of the MWBC should not trip the GFCI at all.   A GFCI test on the other half of the MWBC should not trip this GFCI.

Lastly, go back and grab the upper left cable I said we weren't going to use.  Connect these to the LOAD terminals on the GFCI.   At this point all the downstream receptacles should be back up.    Now go test the downstream receptacles with a GFCI tester.   All should trip the GFCI.   Other than that, if you are now getting nuisance GFCI trips, it means one of the appliances downstream (or the wiring) has a ground fault (that is, after all, what you are paying this gadget to detect).


Can I power my air conditioning with solar energy?

Actually your AC is much more efficient than that because it is a heat pump, not a direct conversion of electrical watts in to BTU of heat moved per hour. If you know your SEER rating, you can just divide the BTU/h by SEER to get Watts.

An SEER of 10 is very common so that would mean each AC needs 800 W to move 8000 BTU per hour.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_energy_efficiency_ratio

BTW, it's good to keep your units straight between energy and power (which is the rate that energy is being used).
Watt-hours and BTU are energy.
Watts and BTU/hour are power.

And your AC is not 8000 BTU, it's 8000 BTU/hour.


Height Adjustable Kitchen Island on Casters

While you will likely be exempt from the requirement for counter receptacles for small appliances, provided you have those in other (fixed) areas of the kitchen, you may want to consider providing them for convenience. There are a few ways to do that. The simplest would be to use a 20A floor receptacle with a plug/cord from the island that goes to a junction box in the island where you would have receptacles. You may be able to hard-wire the adjustable top to that or, alternatively, use a quad receptacle (instead of a double) with the adjustable top plugged into 1 of the 4 receptacles, leaving three for small appliances (food processor, blender, toaster, etc.) or other convenience items (cell phone charger).
One of the pros can speak to the specifics - you do NOT simply take an extension cord and hack it to connect to the back of the receptacles. But that is the general way to think of how things will connect.
Consider a Pendant
As noted by Harper, a pendant may be a better solution than a floor receptacle. See How can I provide an electrical outlet at my portable kitchen island? for more details.


Dishwasher not draining before and after pump replacement

There is a float/sensor in dishwashers that tells it when there is water in the unit.
You might have an object that is jamming it up or it's sticking.   It should be an easy fix (if that's it).


Can interior and exterior lights be on the same circuit breaker?

Yes, interior and exterior lights can be on the same circuit. The same circuit breaker that works for my family room also works for my porch.

And yes, GFCI and non-GFCI can also be on the same circuit. Typically they recommend that the GFCI outlet is the first receptacle connected to a circuit so if it trips, it cuts off power to the rest of the circuit since current will not travel through the neutral to the other leads.


At minimum, you should drill weep holes in the cans to allow standing water to drain. If you are ambitious, remove them. The globs of tar you see at the lower edges were used to waterproof the fasteners that attach it to the roof. Scrape off the tar and remove the fasteners. Patch the fastener holes with roof tar. Remove the entire flashing, tuck the up-slope edge of the flashing under a course of asphalt shingle, apply roof tar under the flashing at the fastener hole locations. Fasten down then tar over the fastener heads again.

A manufactured version of the same style of mount is pictured below, note the weep hole.


The long answer. For the TL;DR, skip to the bottom
A repair isn't difficult per se, but it will take time, energy and tools.
That bottom rail of the door is a separate piece of wood glued to the two vertical stiles on either side. It is likely a reasonably standard "cope and stick" cut on the ends. You will need a router and a "cope and stick" bit set to make the cut.

Take the door off the hinges and lay it down on some saw horses.
Put up a temporary door, because it's going to be off the hinges for a couple of days
Using a saw, cut that bottom rail near each end to remove the bulk of the wood
Measure the vertical size of the piece you just cut out, and the thickness of it. Write this down, you'll need it later.
Remove the little pieces of rail that are left attached to the stiles. You'll be breaking a glue joint, and often, the glue is stronger than the wood. Heat will often soften the glue allowing it to be removed, but there's no guarantee. It will depend on the type of glue used. Asking about glue separation on the Woodworking.SE when you get stuck would be a good idea.
Pull the cut up panel out of the door. This should be easy - it should not be glued in. Wood expands & contracts, so the panel is left floating so the door doesn't tear itself apart.
Buy a piece of plywood the same thickness as this original panel and cut it to the same size as the panel. Set the new panel aside, chuck the old one into the burn pile.
Find a "cope and stick" bit set for your router that matches the profile of your door. You may want to take the big piece of rail you cut out to your local woodworker's supply place (Rockler and Woodcrafter's are two big chain stores in the US, as examples of what I'm talking about. If you've got a similar non-chain local store, I'd encourage supporting them) to have them help you identify what set will work for you.
Cut a replacement rail oversize for the dimensions you need.
Cut the cope along what will be the top (facing the panel)
Cut the "stick" along one edge.
Carefully measure the length and cut the "stick" along the other edge.
Slot the new plywood panel into place
Liberally apply glue to the rails and to the stick cuts on the new rail
Slide it into place in the door, making sure you've got good glue contact with the stiles, but not with the panel
Clamp the stiles across the rail to hold it tight while it dries.

Tighten the clamps firmly
No, more than that
No, really, even tighter!
Now, add a couple more clamps
Yes, more than that
As a matter of fact, if you can have clamps completely along the "height" of the new rail, you're just about right.
No, a woodworker can never have enough clamps.

Wait for your glue to dry. I'd give it a full 24 hours under clamp (unless your glue of choice calls for a longer drying time or the weather is cool).
Scrape the squeezed out glue from the joints
Scrape, sand or strip the paint off the rest of the door
Sand the whole thing smooth
Paint the whole door with a couple of coats of quality, exterior paint.
Rehang the door

TL;DR:
You know what... Unless you've already got the tools and woodworking experience, just replace the door with a new one. You can pick up a pre-hung, plain steel door at your local home center for around $100. You can get a "fancy" one with a window and and internal sliding blind for under $200. If you go to a nice wood door, it'll probaly be $400 and up. You'll spend more than $200 on a cope and stick bit set and a router capable of spinning them, plus all the other tools that you probably don't own yet.
Of course...
If you want to get into woodworking, this is the perfect excuse to buy the tools. Just know that this isn't a perfect beginner's project.


Is it standard/acceptable to leave drywall bare behind kitchen cabinetry?

If it's visible it should be finished. If you ever plan to clean it then it should be finished. If it will come in contact with water or grease will land on it then it should be finished. If it's behind a cabinet where you'll never see it then that's pretty common to leave it unfinished.


My question would be how do you keep water in the trap for the vent? , I would add an air admittance valve then you won’t have to worry about water in the trap and won’t get back flow through the vent. The air admittance valve on the open end of the pipe.


Is a home inspection of lead worth the money or will it basically tell me what I already know?

Beyond simply identifying whether you have lead, there are two main reasons to consider getting a more thorough XRF lead inspection:

If you're trying to fully de-lead your home, this is a thorough test to determine if the deleading project has been successful.
If your goal is to make your home safer without going as far as a full deleading project, you can use XFR to prioritize remediation work. For example, you may find that some areas do not contain lead and can be safely ignored.

For safety impact, the most important rules are:

Any repair work should be done with proper personal and work area protection. Work done without proper precautions is a major risk for dangerous levels of lead exposure.
Peeling or chipping lead paint should be safely removed and replaced or covered (e.g. with an encapsulating primer designed to secure lead paint).
Lead paint in areas subject to frequent motion (e.g. window partition beads, door jambs) or in child-accessible areas (e.g. base and window molding) are higher priority for remediation.
Keep your home clean (vacuum more often with a HEPA filter equipped cleaner).
Supervise your children and/or remove lead paint in their primary play areas.
Watch out for any new paint chipping and clean or remediate as needed.

Of course, it is safest to fully de-lead your home. You should come to your own conclusion about how much risk you and your family are willing to accept around this.


How do you remove the handles on this faucet

Thank you Kris -- it was possible to unscrew the base. I ended up using a basin wrench to loosen the locking nut underneath the sink a tiny bit and then that made it really easy to loosen the faucet by hand.


Trying to change a faucet, there's a piece of metal that prevent me to use a basin wrench... What to do?

https://www.amazon.com/Moen-118305-Installation-Tool/dp/B002PB1JJS

You need an extremely deep socket. Most faucet manufacturers make them, and they're often included with a new faucet. That metal collar makes it look like a standard basin wrench won't work, but it's worth a shot if you have one.


I would hesitate to give a definitive answer to this because it's obvious in your circuit that when S1 is ON and S2 is OFF then you are connecting mains to the output of Sonoff 1 with no connection to it's input.

However, I have checked my own Sonoff (Basic R2) and the input line is switched to the output by a mechanical relay with no other connection to the output so I can see no reason why this wouldn't be perfectly safe. Worth checking yours is the same though as other versions may be different.


How can I pull cable through wood and metal framing without damage?

The simplest thing I could think of would be to use MC cable, the armor is pretty rugged.  If you don't want to re-do the entire run, you could transition from NM to MC in a metal box mounted over the hole you made.  Bring the MC in the back of the box, screw the box onto the top plate face up, and enter one of the sides with NM and a "button" NM clamp.
In my opinion MC with a right angle connector on top of the water heater makes a nicer install anyway.


Multi point door lock security and can I use wood screws near it?

The "no screw" locations will vary from lock to lock.  The typical "multi-point lock" has 3 latches that interface with the side of the door frame like this:

As you can see, screwing anywhere at the top or bottom of the door should be fine.

If you do have a type of lock with bolts that go into the header and door sill, I would expect the "boxes" to be smaller, but still present in the area of the bolts.  Measure from the door frame to the far side of the bolt, and add 20-30mm to that for your no-screw zone.  That should put you beyond any hardware and into good solid wood.

Of course, if you can find a manufacturer for your lock set, Google it up and see if you can get a picture or installation instructions so you know exactly what to avoid.


Grohe shower leaks from faucet when shower head is selected

if you mean you have water coming from the handle part of the shower (this is the mixing valve), then it needs removal and repair.  could be anything wrong, but its usually the front seal on these cartridges.  this unit looks like it has the diverter in the mixing handle, so the whole unit probably needs repair.

if you mean the water comes from a tub filler spout with a diverter valve in it (the little pull or twist handle that selects shower instead of tub filler), then the tub filler probably needs servicing or replacement.  most of them are less costly than replacement parts for the same unit


How far away from the wall should ceiling heat registers be?

Place them wherever the cold comes in. Under windows is preferred, but if it has to be over them, well so be it. Same for exterior doors too. The principle is if you put registers too far away from the cold source, one side of the room will be cold, the other will be warm. So stop the cold at its source.

Now to answer your question. Since window treatments are always part of a design, make sure the registers are out far enough so they are not blocked by the window treatments.
7" has been the standard for all the jobs I had worked on. The only exception has been when a designer has spec'ed heavier than normal drapes, so they would be set sometimes out as far as 9"


Not sure how to hook up new LED light fixture

Yes, what you're seeing there is the neutral terminal also being used as a splice.  Neutral comes from supply, and also goes onward to other unrelated equipment.  They are just making the splice at the lamp screw rather than up in the box at a wirenut, which is a little weird.

I'd pull the two white wires off, clean them up and strip them (they might be one continuous wire looped over the screw, nothing wrong with that but it won't work with your new fixture) and join them with on a wire nut, yellow is the right color and Ideal brand is electricians' favorite. Your new lamp has pigtails so just add its white to these whites.


How do I remove an oil stain from my concrete driveway?

I've always used cat litter.  It's absorbent enough that it tends to pull the oil out of the concrete.  Not sure how well it would work on a stain once it's set in for a while though, but it's cheap enough that you don't have much to lose by trying.


Poorly installed drywall anchors (by me)

There are many types of anchors. I suspect you used the basic cheap plastic plugs. I'd look to the various expanding or toggling types and simply use the same holes.

Otherwise, get some setting type joint compound and press it in firmly. Knife it off and allow it to cure thoroughly before a light sanding.


Understanding GFCI configuration in basement

The warning from the manufacturer is pretty common on treadmills. the outlets just don't like them. Your right about the downstream outlets being connected to the GFCI by the main panel. I would try plugging your treadmill into that outlet and see if it trips. One solution that has worked for me is to replace the individual GFCI outlet with a standard outlet and replace the breaker with a GFCI breaker in the main panel. Don't ask me why, but it works and I've done it many times. Is your basement finished? Code doesn't require GFCI outlets in a finished basement/room. Good luck


What to block a hole with to stop mice getting in?

When sealing a hole around an electrical entry cable, the best product to use is Plasduct. It is a putty like material, gray in color. You will find it in most electrical departments at the box stores or your local hardware store.  Use it just like modeling clay, work it a bit to make it pliable, then stuff it into the hole around the cable as deeply as possible. I have never seen rodents or insects get through this stuff.


Any plugged in and turned on device, for example a light bulb, makes a connection between the hot and the neutral. This enables current to flow through the light bulb and power it. If the neutral is disconnected anywhere between the light bulb and the panel, then the neutral from the light to the point of the break in the neutral will become hot (and the device will be unpowered, because no current will be flowing through it). Look for a disconnected neutral.

To test whether you have a broken neutral, turn off everything in the circuit which has the hot neutral. If the neutral is then no longer hot, this confirms that a neutral is disconnected in the circuit.

For the purposes of this test, if you have any lights with 3-way switches in the circuit, you will not know if the light is switched on (and the neutral path broken so the light is not lighting) or if the light is switched off. It might be best to temporarily unscrew any such bulbs. Also, unplug any floor or table lamps because you can't tell it they are switched on or not.

There could be a loose neutral at any connection of the neutrals in wall boxes or at the neutral connection block in the electrical panel. Check the wall receptacle boxes first. Look for evidence of heating of a neutral wire or a loose neutral wire. Are your wires connected to the receptacles by "back stabs" into the receptacles or are they looped around the screws? Do you have copper or aluminum conductors in this circuit?


That qualifies as a junction box. Provide you did everything else correct, (affixed the box to something a rafter, stud, etc., connected the box itself to the ground wire inside, covered any previously knocked-out knock-outs, etc.) then you're fine.


Can I run a ground wire along the outside of conduit?

Absolutely, you can run a separate ground - they have allowed this for a long time and have recently liberalized the rules on retrofitting grounds to practically everything else.   So if you have other outlets that could also use a ground, food for thought.

The grounds do not need to follow the same route as the original wiring.  They do need to be thick enough for their purpose.  Also, other circuits can share a ground wire, as long as they originate from the same panel.

Should you do it? Absolutely!  The problem is, right now you have the NEMA 10 problem.  Normally if a neutral wire breaks, the neutral wire is pulled up toward 120V because power has nowhere to return, but we don't care because the grounding system still protects us.  Now,  if ground is also the same wire (like in NEMA 10), it too will be pulled up toward 120V - and now things which are supposed to be grounded will instead shock you!  Including switch plate screws, metal chassis of equipment, and of course, the metal chassis of your subpanel, which you will be opening directly when you realize there's a problem.  Touch that and a water pipe, and blammo!


What, if anything, do I do to repair notched floor joists?

Gluing a patch in place like as shown below will not add much to restoring the original strength of the joist.

If you were to attach a longer piece like shown in the second picture and glue this in place for the full length of the piece a whole lot more strength will be added to the joist.

Note that if the joist has started to sag down due to the inappropriately placed holes or notches you may want to try jacking the joist back into its original position before applying the glued on pieces.

The length of the piece that you would use is going to be dependent on an number of factors including the overall span if the joist and its top to bottom height. The material could be a variety of different things including 2x4, 2x2 or even strip of 3/4 inch plywood. You could also consider gluing on a strip on both sides of the joist. When gluing make sure to clamp the pieces to the side of the joist with good pressure to make sure the wood joints are tight.


How do we polish an old damaged bathtub?

The easy to your question is Yes. Clearly the products have shown that this is not an issue that will be solved with chemicals.

Be prepared that the remaining porcelain might not have the thickness needed to polish it.

You speak of buffing and polishing, that is the correct answer. You need to remove enough material to remove the 'dingy' parts.

The long answer:

Porcelain is a glass

To over simplify, they could be making pottery, or china tableware, instead they make bathtubs.

They take the metal tub, cover the surface with the glaze, and bake it at high temperature that will melt the glaze into a glass, cool it, polish it and put it in a box that they ship.

Polishing removes material, anything that gets polished, gets thinner.

Polishing makes things smooth, to make things smooth,is to make them level.

To make it level you can either get rid of the high spots, or fill in the low spots.

Waxing fills in the low spots with a different material, which clings to the surface where you applied it. For a while, and then you need to do it again.

Polish removes the high spots.

Almost everything in a tub, causes friction, friction gets bits of something to get in something, even if at a very small level. Water, dirt, and skin are among the biggest problems in a tub. Hot water only makes it easier to remove the porcelain.

porcelain can also be chipped or cracked.

The only options are to not use the tub, or to reglaze it. If there is not enough heat to melt the original glaze, then it is, at best, a really strong painted coating.


Can't use in ground pool anymore, how do I maintain it?

Difficult.

You may be able to drain it, but it doesn't take much standing water for mosquitoes to breed so that's an ongoing issue unless you fill it in.

If your don't drain it, you can keep it chlorinated/brominated/ozonated to kill the mosquitoes. That may require running the filter system. If you can keep the pool covered, you can reduce the amount of organic material drifting into the water, which shold make maintaining the chemistry easier. But any standing water on top of the cover risks becoming a skeeter colony again; see above. And you may face Attractive Nuisance legal risks.

You could try turning it into a fishpond, stocking it with enough fish to eat most of the skeeter larvae. Your county extension office, or the equivalent agricultural advisory service in other countries, might be able to tell you whether this would be at all workable. Converting it back into a usable pool might not be easy, though, and the fishpond might still be considered an Attractive Nuisance.

I believe the way most folks solve this is by selling the house to a family who wants the pool and using the proceeds to buy an equivalent or better house, or by selling the land the pool is on (either makes it someone else's problem) or by accepting that it has outlived its usefulness and filling it in.


What can happen if someone doesn't get a building permit for a renovation?

This varies greatly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.  It also depends on what kind of work and how much.

In many locations, minor electrical work, in-kind plumbing replacement, interior construction that does not change the overall footprint or the number or types of bedrooms, bathrooms, etc, (such as the building of a closet in an existing room) need no permit. However, some locales may require new installations to come up to a newer code level than those that they replace. You really need to check with your local building department to see what is allowed without permit and when permits are required.

Failure to get a permit for work that requires one could result in a stop work order if the building authority learns of the project.  It also could result in the property not having a valid certificate of occupancy, which could make selling the property difficult.  It also might compromise your relationship with your lender. Finally, it may put your insurance coverage at risk if a claim is based on the work done in violation of permit regulation.

Often if work is not done based on a permit, it can later be corrected by filing a new application, submitting plans and paying a penalty in addition to the regular fees.  But there is a risk that the plans will not meet the standards when the permit is eventually filed, and may fail, requiring a redo.

Your best bet is to check and see what is required before starting on a renovation. Then you can make an informed decision.


Fan runs when in "on" mode, but not when in "auto" mode while in "cool" setting

Usually A/C, heat, and fan run the blower at different speeds. It's possible that the speed the A/C uses is dead.

Any easy test, is to swap the motor speed wires connected to HEAT and COOL on the board. Then see if the blower starts with the A/C.  If it does, that means the speed used by A/C is dead.  Depending on the system, you might have to replace the blower, or simply run it at a different speed for A/C.

WARNING: Don't run the A/C with the wrong blower speed for long, as it could damage the system.

If it's an ECM motor, there may not be a way to select/change the speed manually. Or the speed selection might be adjustable using dip switches, or jumpers.


Is insulation on 30cm concrete wall worth it?

Someone else can feel free to edit in the SI unit R and/or U (=1/R) values, I have a conversion stashed somewhere but it's not handy. Off the top of my head, in "English" units mostly only used on the USA now, 30cm (12") of concrete or stone is roughly R1 ([1 square foot•hour•°F difference]/BTU) while 2.5 (1") cm of foamboard is roughly R3.5-6.5 (depending on the foamboard type) and 2.5cm (1") of rockwool or cellulose is R3-3.3
So merely adding 2.5cm of insulation (not much at all) to the 30 cm of concrete would roughly quadruple (or better) the thermal resistance of the bare wall. Being only one room, and only the walls, it may not make much difference until you do more (the heat will leak elsewhere), but it will make a difference.


How should I install an access panel in a high traffic floor?

The thin flooring poses a problem. If it is too thin to have enough body of its own to be handled as a removable 13x19 inch piece, I would probably try to use the trapdoor as the base and glue a slightly oversized (by 1/4 inch all sides) piece of laminate to the door. Trim the rest of the flooring so it abuts the edges of this oversized piece.

If sealing against moisture is necessary, I would bevel the outside edge of the trapdoor opening and glue in some soft foam insulation bead that sits just barely above wood level. Laminate overhang presses down on that.

I would also probably put a removable saddle on the seam in the doorway. It could be held down with two or three removable screw.  It would protect that joint line and give you something more substantial to handle and seal, at least on that edge.

Finally, I would insert a lift ring somewhere through the laminate and into the trapdoor for ease in removal:


How should I install 5" white oak hardwood?

If it's solid hardwood and not a laminate or engineered, you probably don't want to glue it. How thick is it? Generally hardwoods are edge nailed through the tongue with a special nail gun.

3 days isn't a great amount of time for it to acclimate, but if you take it out of the boxes and spread it out, that'll help.

You may want to contact the manufacturer if you bought it boxed some place or contact the mill where you bought it and see what they specifically recommend.


Stuck padlock without key - its attachements to the door seem stuck, how could I remove it?

A set of bolt-cutters of an appropriate size should be able to cut that shackle without too much trouble.  It appears to be a relatively cheap lock.
Alternatively you could also easily cut either or both of the eyes that the lock is holding.  Those are just bent mild steel.


How can I cu a heart-shape out of wainscoating that has been nailed together?

A lot of care will be needed to create this, but it can be done.


What is the best way to fill a hole in a concrete basement floor?

Let's not over complicate this little project.  I have seen these open sump holes hundreds of times. I am absolutely sure there are no structural issues here, how long has the house stood without concrete in the hole? There was probably not a concrete floor when it was built and for many years after.  If you want to simply keep stuff out and hide the dirt then let's do it simple.  Dig out to about a total of 4 inches below your water pipe and valve. Mix up a small bag of  Sacrete concrete mix and fill the hole to about 1 inch under the pipe. Float it smooth, you're done.  There is no need to get carried away with a special base etc. The size and weight of the concrete patch is negligible as far as settling or shrinking is concerned. Get the stuff and be done with it in an hour!


Identify this old E27 5W 230V short lightbulb

The nearest I can find in size and wattage is a Bulbrite Industries, Inc. E26/E27 7.5 watt "25G12/CL-220" at this website:
https://bulbman.com/globe/3391-25g12-cl-220.html (I don't know anything about bulbman.com)
It looks like a 220v decorative bulb. I have not been able to find a direct replacement.
Based upon the filament supports, it looks like a very long-lasting bulb design. If the bulb is rated for 230v and is being used in a 220v environment, it will last roughly twice as long as its rating.
If the color doesn't matter, you could use a 7.5 watt S11 sign light bulb with an E26 base. Unknown availability in EU.
Or you could go with any number of LED replacements.
This was a challenge to find a relatively close match in the US.


How to Fix an Unlevel Floor on an Upstairs Floor in Preparation for Nail-Down Hardwood Flooring?

One solution is to cut subfloor on either side of the offending joist, plane the joist down, sister 2x6 nailers alongside the perimeter of the exposed opening.  Then replace the subfloor with new 3/4 ply.


Correct Breaker for older Murray panel (wider slot)

Abducted by alien breakers

Someone (Bruce Banner?) tried to fit incompatible breakers such as GE THQP215 or a double-stuff Murray MP2020U. Breakers that Just Don't Belong in this panel.

When the breaker didn't fit, that person just "made it fit".   And bent the bus stabs all to heck.  You've circled the faults, but I would pop the other breakers and check them too.

Fixing stabs?

I really, really, really, really do not like damaged bus stabs.  If you look at the history of panels that have had severe problems (Zinsco, FPE) the real firestarter in the panels is their faulty bus stabs, and that can't be fixed by changing breakers.   So bus stab damage should be treated "serious as a heart attack".

The affected spaces are 9-10, 13-14, and 17-18. The even numbered spaces aren't making good contact either, so you cannot continue them in service as-is. That means the 2-pole breaker in 16+18 can only go in spaces 1-8 now.

I suppose you could shut off the main breaker, test that it has no leakage, and get in there and straighten the breakers, and pray to the metal-fatigue gods that  you haven't weakened them in the bend-unbend.  Not easily will they bend; the last guy really did a gorilla job on this thing.

However, I also see what look like "burrs" on there, most acute on the one above the top red circle. I can't even fathom how a breaker would do that damage,  unless it was arcing. (which is of course the danger).  That's a harder fix; that'll require getting in there with a light file and dressing that back to proper shape as far as possible, but that'll require someone with some chops at metalwork. if you scratch up the sides of the stabs, you'll create an arcing problem.

Who knows what other damage is under breakers 1-8?

The root problem: one too many latté's

Separately from that, this is a 20-space, which is small even for an apartment, which I suspect is how this all started.  Some chowderhead decided to pound in double-stuff breakers, even though the label plainly prohibits them.

But the failure tree branches back further, to the person who saved the cost of a latté by speccing such a small panel.  Spaces are cheap when you're buying a panel.

This.  This is why on this stack we veritably foam at the mouth to say "get a HUGE panel". Because then, stupid doesn't happen.

Just replace the darn thing

Fortunately, this panel is in a "utility space": it's surface mounted, so you won't be fighting drywall.  There are two ways to go on replacing this panel, depending on logistics.

Option 1: Double-barrel panels. if you have the space, fit another service panel right next to it. I would go at least a 30-space. (no more double-stuffs, 'K? They're effectively illegal now anyway.)

Feed the new panel from a big breaker (or subfeed lugs) in the old panel.  Move circuits to it at  your leisure. As discussed, spaces 9-10, 13-14, and 17-18 are unusable;  and they're all on the same phase. Ignoring your 240V breakers, you now have 8 spaces on phase 1 but only 2 on phase 2.  So effectively, you can't use spaces 9-20 at all, and should migrate away from them ASAP.  They really chowdered this panel.

Option 2: Replace main panel.  Again, being in utility space saves you, but you'll need to have the power company cut power.  Fortunately, you are in conduit, where you can just go to the other end of the conduit and pull the wires back to protect them during all the metal-flinging.

I would replace with a 40-space panel. Staying with Murray/Siemens is perfectly fine, it's a good panel and it'll let you reuse the breakers.  40-space because the next size down is 30, and that's too few.  If physical space is an issue, look at Eaton CH or the overpriced Square D QO which are more compact (without being double-stuffed).

If your panel was more glued into the wall and had more cables and less conduit, I would propose swapping the bus assembly with another panel with the same mounting hole and cover form-factor; or simply going with one of the Eaton kits that lets you replace all the panel guts. (it's intended for Zinsco/FPE panels). But that's excessive here.

Watch out for Multi-Wire Branch Circuits

I see a couple red wires in there, and I see more hots than neutrals.  Your panel should be labeled to show which neutrals go with which hots.   I suspect you will have cases where 2 hots share a neutral, which is called a Multi-Wire Branch circuit or MWBC.  In that case, the 2 hots must be on a 2-pole breaker such as the one in 16-18.

If this is done, the neutral will carry only differential current (e.g. if one leg draws 10 amps and the other draws 15, the neutral will carry 5 amps).  If they are improperly placed, the neutral will draw the sum (25 amps).

Look at breakers 11 and 15 (or 15 and 19?)  They appear to be an MWBC.  Danger! Their breakers cannot be positioned like that, or they will overload the neutral.  Losing most of your phase-2 positions makes it impossible to place MWBCs correctly in this panel.

If you cannot fix the MWBC problem any other way, then you need to place both hot wires on the same terminal of the same 1-pole breaker. Neutral will still carry the sum of currents, but, both hots total will be limited to the single breaker throw (e.g. 15A).  Never place an MWBC on a duplex breaker!  Note that this arrangement may create statutory code violations because it is effectively combining circuits that may not be permissible to combine, such as bathroom receptacles + kitchen receptacles.


Can a larger joist be trimmed and have it perform as a smaller joist?

Yes, lumber cut to a smaller dimension is essentially the same as lumber cut to that size at the mill.


Can I install heat mat and backer board over cork flooring?

When I am redoing a bathroom and adding the needed backer board to a subfloor assembly, I would remove all existing finish floors no matter how many to get back down to the original subfloor. Then evaluate that, repair it if needed, add to it if needed to make it stiff enough for tile, then add the one layer of 1/4" backer board, then the heating wires, screed, then thinset and tile.

All these layers together will add up to a reasonably thick floor, if the all original flooring is not removed, you will have a potentially sizable rise in height from one floor to another


How should I run CAT6 wiring from one side of my house to the other?

Use Cat5e (good for 1GbE) unless you have a spectacular reason to use Cat6a (10GbE)*. Cat6 is essentially a deprecated spec, nobody should be using it for new installations.
They make structured cabling conduit. It's cheaper than the PVC electrical conduit. PVC works great if you need something rigid. Copper would be incredibly expensive and complete overkill.
Your local hardware store probably has a book on retrofit electrical and structured wiring. It would be a good buy/read for someone who hasn't done wiring before.
Consider using your air ducts to run the wires. It's really not a good idea as you wont be able to clean the ducts anymore, but people do it when in a bind.

*Consumer computers probably wont come with 10GbE NICs for another decade. There's very little demand and the technology is incredibly expensive (compared to 1GbE). Most Internet connections are still <10Mb anyway, so 1GbE is already 100x faster than the primary use case.


Those are ceramic towel bar posts.

This type of towel bar is set in with the tile, a tile is cut so there is a space for the towel bar ends to "seat" into, held in by the grout.

If it is removed you may crack or break some surrounding tile, at the least there will be missing tile where the rack was.


Tap Into a 20 Amp Circuit Wired w/10 AWG Wire?

You can combine whatever wires you want provided they are all large enough - 12 or larger for a standard 20A circuit, so 10 is fine.

You need to check each specific type to make sure, but there are definitely Ideal and other brands of wire nuts that can handle ranges of wires up to 4 #10.


How can I remove the caulk from this window?

It could be construction adhesive, which would be hard to completely remove. Use a sharp utility knife to open up the crack. Don't worry about removing material that is still providing a seal, just remove the rough stuff in the opening so the new caulk will be able to bond to solid material. Fill the enlarged opening with caulk and you're done, unless you feel the need to paint it.

BTW, you can't paint conventional silicone caulk.


Lots of security cameras but no DVR, what one do i get?

The older security camera systems use "traditional" video feeds, typically using RCA type connectors. That's likely the red connection on your camera. The yellow connector may be audio.

You should also have a barrel type connection for power.

The termination at the DVR end should involve connecting the RCA to the DVR and the barrel end to a power source. I managed to contact the new owner of my old DVR and he has confirmed that the power supply is a 12 volt DC 2 ampere unit. In this case, two cameras were powered by one power supply, through a splitter provided with the equipment.

This is consistent with other camera gear I've had in the past, requiring 1 ampere current at 12 volts DC.

You can test your cameras, one at a time, if you have an old VCR. Apply power to the barrel lead, connect the RCA to the VCR input and select appropriate settings on the VCR, connected to a television or monitor.

If you don't have three independent wires in a cable running from each camera, the above does not apply. Newer systems use POE, power over ethernet and require an injector at the DVR end and also require that the camera have the ability to accept such an input. It does not appear that your connectors qualify for this concern.


How do I nail furring strips without them cracking?

You may be using the wrong load.  This site recommends using a Yellow #4 load on strips 3/4" thick, or Green #3 for 1/4" - 1/2".

You could also use concrete screws.

Pre-drill holes in furring strip and wall (about every 24").
Clean holes in walls well (with shop-vac).
Using concrete screws fasten furring strip to wall (do not over tighten).


Should I unplug the timer on the water heater when shutting off water to the house?

I wouldn't bother unless you're going to have your water turned off for a couple days.  In that case, turn off the water heater itself.  You'll have a hard time using any hot water with the main turned off, so it is mainly a consideration of whether or not it's worth it to keep the water in the tank hot over the period you won't be using it.


There are numerous DIY epoxy products for refinishing fiberglass tubs. The quality of the resulting finish can vary widely, with best results when properly preparing the existing surface and following the manufacturer's' instructions exactly (and using only top quality application tools).

This is one brand (not an endorsement): Klasskote


Should I insulate the exterior foundation wall above grade or insulate the interior basement wall?

Insulation slows the loss of heat, it will not raise the temp of the wall above the dew point unless there is a source of heat inside.  (Heater, leakage from another source, or a day/night average temp above the dewpoint.

You may be best looking for a way to lower the humidity in the space.  Removing standing or leaking water, finding vapor leakage from the conditioned space or other sources of moisture (clothes dryer vented into the space).  You may want to contact a basement specialist contractor.  Concrete is porous, and if the wall were not sealed with a watertight membrane before backfilling moisture can be leaking through the walls. If you do not wish to heat the space, adding ventilation to get the wet air out will help.

Once that is done you can think about insulating.  The easiest, though expensive, solution is to spray cold cell polyurethane spray foam on the wall.  This will act as a vapor barrier and insulation, and it has no air space behind it for condensation.  Second best is solid foam board insulation outside, from top to bottom of the wall (even underground).


Adjustable angle climbing wall with electric hoist and pulleys - how to lock the pulleys?

I'd put the winch in the middle, use it only for positioning.

Maybe also have a long length of chain there so that if the winch fails during positioning it can't fall all the way over.  Then again that's a hell of a shock load to your house so it might be better to risk the fall and just stay well clear of it when the winch is moving.

For supporting during use, I'd use unistrut on the two corners. Attach the unistrut via a very heavy duty hinge to the corner of the ceiling and use two captive bolts in the unistrut and L brackets on the climbing wall to hold it tight to the strut.

I laid out some parts to show the idea.

I didn't have a large hinge so I used black plastic pieces.  You should be thinking large barn door hinge though.

The two 1" pieces represent your ceiling and basement wall.  The 2" lumber is your climbing wall.

Be careful of how long the strut is so it doesn't stick out and become a hazard.  Against a wall wouldn't matter, but in the middle of the room you could walk into it potentially.

Unistrut can handle loads of many thousands of pounds and obviously holds in tension and compression.  You'd use a wrench from the climbing side to loosen the bolt heads to allow the winch to move it, then tighten back up before climbing.

The wood screws in this example might not be able to be inserted all the way because I doubt that angle will be 90 all the time.

Climb on!


Ceiling-fan switch no longer turns off fan

Yes, you miswired. Now you need to disconnect the wires to the switch in question, figure out which is the hot feed, and make sure the switch is between that and the lines to & from the fan. But since you think the left switch has changed function, it looks like you have made a hash of things.  Next time, label every line before disconnecting.
I suggest bringing in an electrician rather than risking doing something even more wrong.


How can I repair a carpeted floor partly worn down by an office chair?

Possible, but unlikely.

It's not unusual for chairs used like this to create a ring of matted carpet where you usually sit, and the frequent pressure can damage the carpet's pad as well, giving the illusion of deep indentation. This is more pronounced with certain carpets.

The only way I can think of that this would seriously damage a subfloor is if you have moisture issues also (e.g. several drinks spilled, very moist crawlspace directly underneath, burst or leaky pipes nearby). Frequent or prolonged exposure to moisture will cause problems in any wooden subfloor.

Creaking can be a sign that the subfloor is damaged, but it's not unusual for some fasteners (nails, mostly) to move a little in some parts of older houses. If you take up the carpet and pad and see problems with the floor (water stains or rot are obvious indications) you might need to replace part of the subfloor - but again, this would be unusual and not directly caused by the chair.


200Amps panel difficult in clamping aluminum cable due to limited clearance

I would consider moving the panel down and bringing the cable in one of the knockouts on the back of the panel.  That way the part of the cable inside sheath is a "straight shot", and need not be bent.  Then you can remove the sheath and bend each of the individual conductors as needed.


Light fixtures flicker after replacement

The power feed to a single phase fixture can be connected either way. The fixture doesn't care or at least I have never seen one that does.

Are these fluorescent fixtures? The flickering could mean you didn't seat the lamps well enough into their sockets. The pins should go straight in and then twist the lamp ¼ turn to seat them firmly.

They should flicker slightly when they are brand new and first turned on but the tubes will "burn-in" in just a few hours. Leave the lights on for a couple hours to allow them to burn in and they should stop flickering or strobing.

Otherwise they flicker slightly as the are turned on anyway depending on the type of starter in the fixture. This should only be a split second though and they should come up to full brightness.

Happy Friday!


Why isn't water coming out of a radiator in my freshly pressurized system?

I think you have a air lock.

Turn off all but one of the none working radiators, this will force the water to go do that radiator.  Then bleed the radiator and move onto the next one.  Do with with the pump running, but the boilder turned off (or turned down so it does not heat the water).

If that does not work, you will need to get someone in to flush the system. Don't overlook the option of just replacing all the pipework and radiators if you have a lot of sludge adn the system is old - then you will only have one trades person that is responible for all problems.


If you can't budge it at all,  it most likely is the lock. Difficult to advise you on how to handle the lock without seeing it. If possible post a photo of the lock.


My goodman furnace is not igniting my burners

No fuel.

Verify that you have gas supplied to the unit.

Also, an automatic gas valve sometimes malfunctions by sticking.  After you have verified that gas is supplied to the unit, give the automatic valve a solid tap with a hammer or a wrench during the start-up cycle to see if it opens.  If so, then you need a new gas valve.  (Do not tap the valve hard enough to damage it.)


Wood meeting concrete in a damp area is never a good recipe. As porous as concrete is, its not even ideal that treated wood meets concrete. this is mostly because of the chance for standing water or leeching.

My recommendation in this scenario would be to trim the wood siding ~1/4 inch minimally, or better yet 6" to 8" above the concrete area. If you go inches, (which you should) install aluminum flashing (for example).

After doing the trimming, you should use flashing or caulk as you suggested to not so much as seal it off, but while sealing it off, make a curved bead that directs water away from the wood.

I would have thought ideally the contractor would have put expansion strips here right along the side, and ideally should have discussed with you the height of the concrete once cured and what the plans were for water control and keeping it off of the structure.

What you have there now is going to rot, caulking it would slow it down from the outside, but underneath it would probably accelerate it since the moisture will wick up behind the caulk and up the siding.

Here is a quick google search of water wicking up wood:
http://www.cwfbuilders.com/images/Water_damage_at_walls_from_patio.JPG

Here is just one of many views yours could look like with flashing. Just picture it is a slab instead of a deck, Also, consider direction of travel for water. In this photo while it gives you and idea, the trim strip is not something you'd install on top, this is just a pictoral reference form anotehr quick google:
http://decks.blob.core.windows.net/img/articles/large/16011219304064.jpg


What should I do with a large gap in a concrete floor

That is a major issues, especially on a new home. Call the developer. They have a right to repair it before you pursue legal options.


What makes good deck footing substrate on clay soil?

Alaska Man is right in that any deck attached to your structure must have the same type of frost footings that the structure does, otherwise it's likely to put strain on the building that it shouldn't.
Wooden deck posts are almost always set on concrete footings themselves--either poured or pre-cast. Only non-bearing fence posts should be on washed rock or gravel alone. For your purposes I'd probably put a few inches of washed rock down, then pour or place concrete pads on that to support the footing.
Your local inspection office will have specifics for you, even if you ask about it hypothetically. They'd know what works reliably in your area, and at what depth.


Second 100 amp breaker inside existing 200 amp residential panel for new detached garage

Watch your stab limits

Sure, you can fit as many 100A breakers as you please.  What you cannot do is place them opposite one another so they clip onto the same bus stabs.

Those little bars of metal, which are typically shared by breakers across from each other, have "stab limits" limiting the max current you can put on any one of them.  The stab limit may be discussed in the panel's labeling.  If not, make sure the breakers opposite them are smallish, like 15 or 20 amp normals (not tandems).

Note that it is common and normal for the individual breakers to total far more than the main breaker. That's because they're not all used to capacity at once.

Don't oversubscribe - but electricity is for using

200A service is more than enough for most homes.  Because of that, you have some headroom for things like cottages and shops. And what's more, these days so many people have money that lots are putting in 100A subs on a whim, when in the past they might have fit a 30, 40 or 60A sub.   So I'm not particularly worried about these multiple 100A subs.  However, it is possible to overdo it, and excessively load your panel.

You haven't given us nearly enough information to know if you are doing that. That is determined by practical load calculations which would evaluate all your potential loads.  But it is something to be mindful of.

For instance if I had a lovely wood shop in my garage, and wanted to add a big L3 EV charger, I would simply install the charger so the EV must be pulled into the wood shop area to charge, preventing its use.

Remember though; electricity is there to be used.  If you need to, you can always increase your service size.

One last thing: think BIG on the panel

A guy sold us his entire shop for $5000. Suddenly we had eight 240V tools, and I needed 16 spaces in the panel.  The moral of the story is: Spaces go fast! Get loads of 'em!

I was certainly glad I installed a 30 space sub panel, however suddenly I really wish I had installed a 40 space.  I have backed away from advising 40 space subpanels simply because it seems so absurd, but it's not.  Note that 30-40-space subpanels are not made in 100A sizes.  You will be getting a sub panel rated for 150-225A and simply feeding it with a 100A feed breaker back in the main.  That is fine.

Yes, the far breaker will trip first, but it's gonna do that anyway even if they are of equal trip value, since consumer breakers are too cheap to coordinate.  Anyway if you really, really want coordinated breakers, use a shunt breaker as your sub panel main and a little Arduino or Raspberry Pi listening to a current transformer, and write code to have it shunt-trip the breaker before the main would trip.


Should I connect one cable to each outlet in a two-gang box?

No. You have an upstream cable (source power) and a downstream cable (which feeds something else--more outlets or lights), and they need to be connected in order to maintain continuity throughout the circuit.

You'll need either pigtails (best practice, but a bit messy), or jumpers connecting the two receptacles (simpler, relies on the outlet hardware more).

Your fundamental misunderstanding was that you'd have two source cables connected to one outlet. That would result in an odd (and potentially dangerous) situation. An exception would be when half of the outlet is switched, and fed from a second cable. The telltale sign would be removed tabs on the sides of the outlet.


Would wrapping a wood fence post in plastic help protect it?

Most concrete and cement these days do not contain lime. When it contains lime its called Limecrete and generally it is used as a type of mortar for older buildings. Anyway If you wanted to protect the posts you are best soaking the post in creosote it's a type of oil that is used specifically to treat wood for this very reason its also used in tar distillation and is commonly available. You can also soak the wood in general motor oil for a week as it absorbs it well and repels water. The plastic would in fact trap moisture in the wood which in effect would increase the rot. Ideally you want to dig the hold deeper and put gravel under the post to allow water to drain easier and then fill the rest of the hole with concrete


Two pole breaker feeding three pole receptacle?

All good - the neutral doesn't terminate on the breaker, just the two hots, X and Y in the diagram below.


What kind of wall/ceiling texture is this?

I don't think there's an actual name for this, maybe grade school art.
After doing all your patching and smoothing out the wall, get a 1" knife, putty knife, dip it in some drywall mud and dap it on the wall. Do it a couple of times without redipping to get the thinner, smaller lines. Dap and twist a bit to get the uneven lines. After it partially dries, you can flatten out a few with the knife to get the smashed down look. Experiment a bit and you'll be surprised how close you can match it. You're lucky, this is an easier pattern to match than most.


Cutting a Custom Threshold: Best Tool for the Job?

Yeah, that 4" would be a long cut.  It could be done in two passes, one from each side.  The middle area would have a bit of an overlap and maybe a blade mark, but that could be sanded down.  Plus you are probably going to finish it anyways.

What I would recommend though is changing the shape of your transition piece to make it easier to cut, and would also make it more pleasant to walk ok.  I posted a similar question regarding a transition from tile to hardwood.  Although your question is different, some of the answers there might help you out.  For example, take a look at the shape of this transition piece:

In your case, this would be 3 separate cuts instead of one long one.  Also the flat top surface will make it more pleasant to walk on vs. the angle (point) you have at the top of your example.


How can I insulate the plywood before replacing the vinyl flooring?

You would insulate UNDER the floor, not between the floor plywood and vinyl. To properly insulate your kitchen: normal insulation material (fully enclosed is preferred) is applied between the Floor Joists. To access this area you need to get into the "crawl space" under the floor you want to insulate. NOTE: All floors (for main floor level rooms of a house) should be accessible via the crawl space, and all rooms should be insulated (for best heat retention). Special hangers are made for installing under-floor insulation, or: 1. chicken wire 2. strips of wood can be cheaper method of "hanging" the insulation between the floor joists. NOTE: Insulating water/sewer/electrical wiring under floor(s) can lead to problems locating them later. Plan ahead... for future access to these.