What is "skin" time for bathroom sealant?

After 15 minutes, you can no longer work with the sealant, e.g. smoothing out any imperfections with a wet finger.  After 24 hours or so, you can use the shower again.


Is it safe to cut out my center stile in base cabinets?

The granite tops will supported solely by the sides of the cabinet, anything that is over the toespace, therefore your center stile is not structural, at least as far as the countertop is concerned. If a countertop installer tries to shim an installation at the center of the cabinet, I am sorry to say they would be doing it wrong. It must be shimmed at the sides of the carcass. The sides of the cabinet that go straight to the floor is where the structure is.

Although it is not needed for support of the countertop, it is needed for the support of the drawers and possibly the interior shelf. The structure of the face frame in the third picture shows the rail at the underside of the drawers is cut to either side of the stile you wish to cut out. When it is gone the only continuous part that will support the drawers is the upper rail under the counter. You could add another header, so to speak to take up support for the drawers.

One thing I think I see in your picture is that the left side of the cabinet looks like it has a toespace that turns the corner, so in essence, that cabinet side is not structural either. It looks like it is the last cabinet in that run, so the countertop installer may need to give some thought on how the top will work on that side.


How can I repair a door that a dog chewed on?

If its hollow then there no way to fix it unless its just on the surface. If its painted than you can just apply some wood filler and sand smooth and repaint the area. It will look as good as new.


That design was very poorly thought out, but you undoubtedly know that already...

The structural members going along your house will have a maximum "span" width that they can support. Moving it to one side will decrease the span on the side that you move it to, but INCREASE 9it on the opposite side, and you will have no idea if that will be too much or not. If I had to guess though, it probably is, otherwise they would have made it wider to begin with.

So what I would do is to decrease the span on BOTH sides by adding ANOTHER support post, one on either side of the sliding doors. That way you have not increased the span anywhere and there is no doubt as to whether or not it is safe.


How can I fix chipped paint from the wall?

You'll want to fill and level the patch with some spackle or joint compound (drywall mud). Carefully remove any loose paint first. Use a putty knife to press and level the material. Sand lightly when it's dry.

Then repaint, ideally with a small roller to create a similarly-stippled texture. Blend outward to better hide the new paint.

If you don't have paint on hand from the original job, you'll probably need to paint the entire wall, though you may not need to completely edge everything if you get a close match.


What wall cladding should be used along the floor of the garage?

I would use cement board. Since it comes 3x5 feet typically I'd use it for at least the bottom 3 feet, unless doing a larger area (or using a scrap you already have on hand) where I might cut it in half and just come up 18 inches from the floor. It takes both water and the sort of minor impacts common in garages with tools far better than drywall does.


Frigidaire Electric Range trips arc-fault circuit breaker in another room

The surface burner controllers on electric ranges work by making and breaking the circuit to the heating element. I don't know the frequency at which this occurs, but this mode of operation would appear to have the potential to trigger an arc fault breaker or receptacle. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_regulator

Therefore, some ranges might trip some AFCI breakers or receptacles. Is AFCI protection appropriate for a kitchen? I thought AFCI was for bedrooms.

Frigidaire is a name brand of range so I would first suspect the AFCI receptacle or breaker. What is the type (receptacle or breaker) and brand of AFCI device you have in the kitchen circuits of these apartments?


How soon can I use my shower that I recently grouted and tiled? Should it cure first?

It sure looks like you did a beautiful job on your shower, be a crying shame to see all that hard work ruined with stained grout. The glazing agent in the grout needs 8 to 10 days to harden completely. I suggest that you tape up some poly to protect the new grout if you really need to use the shower before the prescribed cure time. A few days of inconvenience is definitely worth not having to scrub and look at stained grout for years to come.


What purpose does the lining inside sheet metal duct serve?

I assume JPhi1618 is referring to thermal insulation with his/her comment, which is correct. Especially in the case of long runs, much heat can be lost or gained en route due to conduction through the duct wall. Obviously this reduces efficiency and hampers environmental temperature control.

In other cases it's about sound reduction. Fan hum and howl, along with the noise of airflow itself, can be problematic.

Drawbacks to internal insulation are dust and odor. Obviously they're more likely to accumulate on rough, porous surfaces, and cleaning is less effective as well.


correct direction for bathroom faucet to turn?

I've typically seen faucet handles configured in one of two ways. For radially symmetric "knob" type handles, both may be set up so that the behave like common screws - righty tighty (off), lefty loosey (on). For "lever" type taps like the one linked in the OP's comments, it may be more common to have both handles rotate "in" toward the user to turn the tap on - the off position is at 9 and 3 o'clock for the left and right taps, while the on position is at 6 o'clock for both. If the faucet taps have long handles or are close to the wall, it's not even possible to have the levers rotate away from the user to 12 o'clock, but they can always rotate toward the user to 6 o'clock.
Which way you want the taps set up will be a matter of personal preference, handle type, as well as the physical realities of if it's even possible to turn the tap backwards toward the wall.


Do we need to re-install tiles if it was exposed to water for 20 minutes after installation?

There are two problems I can think of. The first is exposing the thinset to excess moisture, this will impact the chemical reaction that's part of the curing process, which may lead to a weaker bond and loose tiles. It's easy enough to wait at least 24 hours and then check the tiles to see if they are firmly in place. If a bunch are easily dislodged, then I'd remove everything to inspect for damage behind the walls. You'll want a new backer board for a flat tile install anyway.

The bigger problem is if water got behind the tiles into the wall. A proper install will have a waterproof barrier behind the tiles since grout, thin set, and often the tiles themselves are not waterproof. If this barrier (e.g. Ditra) isn't the case in your install, the materials behind the tile and possible paths water could take are important. If water is getting into drywall, even green board, wood (studs, plywood, or OSB), or on metal (non-galvanized nails/screws, electrical lines, communications lines) you will see damage. The damage will likely take time to detect, e.g. rusting, corrosion, and mold won't be noticeable immediately.

On the flip side, it's also possible that any damage that has resulted will not be noticed until after you sell the home or perform another renovation. Because of this, it's difficult for anyone to give a definitive answer. You may be exposing yourself to significant health hazards from mold, or you may not have any issues at all.


Is there a safe and compliant way to run consumer UPS power through house wiring to an outlet?

Yes.
You can run an isolated electrical line, using normal in-wall wiring methods, from a single inlet to outlets.
The inlet will need to be in the NEMA family.  A C13 inlet won't cut it for at least 2 reasons off the top of my head: first it lacks the necessary ampacity, and second it is voltage-agnostic, and the inlet needs to be keyed to reject a power source of the wrong voltage.
As far as having a built-in switch, same rules apply as for a generator.  You must have exactly one neutral-ground bond in the entire system.  Not zero, not two. ("two" is its own special kind of 'bad').  If the power source bonds neutral and ground, then you must switch neutral.  If it does not, then you must not.
The best bet is to switch neutral, but not bond neutral around the switch - have the isolated circuit draw neutral only from the switch.  These types of switches are expensive, so I'd just do cord-and-plug myself.
You would never have a reason to switch safety ground.


Garden light connected to main lounge light stopped working

You mentioned the outdoor light is on a sensor, which means it just needs a constant supply of power and handles switching itself. If this cable hanging down is in fact the supply to the outdoor light then connect the blue cable into one of the far left block of 3 (that also has an existing blue cable connected) and the brown into the central blocks (in your picture it has 2 brown connections). In a ceiling rose the two blocks of 3 are the constant supply and the single block of 2 is for the switched supply. So you will effectively be providing a constant supply to wherever this cable is going.

If the garden light still doesn't work then unplug it and get someone in, it may have been unplugged for a reason!


How can I remove a key that is stuck in a lock?

When a key is stuck in a pin-tumbler lock, what that usually means is that one of the pins has dropped down into the key's cuts but isn't lifting back out of the way so the key can be withdrawn.

There are several possible causes. One is that the key was cut badly and doesn't have enough of a slope to lift the pin as it is pulled back. Uncommon, though sometimes done deliberately to trap a key in the lock so it can be used as a semi-permanent thumb turn.

But usually the problem is that the plug (the rotating part of the lock) is not properly lined up with the shell. For the bottom pins to lift, they need to be aligned with the chambers in the shell that hold the top pins. If the key is slightly rotated, that alignment doesn't occur and you can't remove the key...

... But the more likely malfunction scenario involves front-to-back misalignment. If the hardware holding the plug in the shell (usually the tailpiece screw or screws) becomes loose, the plug can slide toward you as you start to pull the key out, misaligning it and trapping the key. (This doesn't become a problem while inserting the key because there's a hard stop in that direction.)

I'm betting on that being the cause here. If so, pressing the plug inward with one hand while removing the key with the other will probably work, for the same reason that inserting the key worked; you'll be using the plug's shoulder as an alignment reference point.

Try it.

If that does the trick, your lock needs to be dismounted and the tailpiece screws (or equivalent) need to be tightened. Don't delay too long on that, or you may be facing more serious malfunctions.

If this doesn't solve it, we need more detail about exactly what you did and the current state of the lock. It may be necessary to disassemble things to resolve this. Which is sometimes challenging if you can't use the proper key.

(Courtesy of ORK Security Services -- full-service, very part-time, locksmithing)


If you have, or plan to have, an appropriate amount of insulation in the attic, running wires or cables down low hides them and you won’t easily find them later. If they’re up high they may be in the way, but I think the ones you show in your picture are high enough that they’re well out of the way. Do either high or low; don’t do anything in between that will make it hard to move around the attic.
You also mentioned the green cable has nothing on either end. If that’s the case, why not just remove it?


How to tell if my new, unfurnished apartment has bed bugs?

Bed bugs are hard to see. They get in small cracks (e.g. between the flooring and wall) and can survive for months. Finding them by sight will be next to impossible. But you could have a service inspect the place before you move in. I think some use trained dogs that can smell them.

That said, no matter how careful you are, bedbugs can migrate through small cracks, vents, a shared laundry facility, etc. So even if you don't have any before moving in, it's possible they will migrate to your unit once there's a food source (people).


Replace Circuit Breaker on Split Bus Panel

6 of one, half dozen of the other on the red or blue arrow issue. You can plug a breaker in hot (assuming you know the proper safety precautions). I would probably swap out the unused one, just because the panel cover would not need to be altered (I'm lazy).

If you are uncomfortable working on live equipment, you can ask the utility to disconnect you (pull the meter). Generally that means they come out and do it one day, then come back and put it back in the next day. SOMETIMES you get lucky and they do it faster, but you can't count on it, so be prepared to have no power for a day. If you have one of the new "Smart Meters", they often have a remote disconnect capability so the utility simply sends it a signal to disconnect or reconnect, so it can be just minutes.


TL;DR - they're both designed for construction purposes and meet standards*
(*in the US, at least)
Generally, Simpson StrongTies are used for all sorts of construction purposes. Read through their documentation to ensure this will meet your needs. Since you don't indicate what you're building, it's really hard for us to say for sure.
The ATP4 is for 4-by material (~100mm) while the ATP6 is for 6-by material (~150mm), so make sure you're getting the correct sizes for your project. Also, be sure to use the proper screws (they specify that it has to be their structural screws and washers, but I'm sure any similarly spec'd structural screw & washer will do the trick - their's will be powder coated to match, which is an advantage) and to fill all the mounting holes in the bracket.
Personally, I'd be a bit concerned by the fact that the ATP4 has only one hole for each piece of wood. In my mind, this makes the cut of each joint extremely important. You'll need to leave some room for expansion (no more than 1/8" ~3mm gap), but too much leaves you with a pivot point on that single screw. I doubt that this would fail any certification process they put them through, but it would make me a bit nervous because I know my ability to get consistent quality joints.
The MiTek is also used for many construction projects. Personally, I'd feel a bit better about this particular strap as it's got 4 nails going into each piece of wood that it's attaching to, so there won't be any pivot issues.
Of course, the MiTek is "ugly" looking galvanized steel while the Simpson is "pretty" looking powder coated (not sure if it's also galvanized - I didn't look for that, but I'd be surprised if it wasn't) steel. On that end you're comparing aesthetics vs price and that's a decision only you can make.
I've used both Simpson & MiTek on projects at my house (a garage, deck and storage shed), but I've never used the decorative ones, as mine have all been buried and not for show. I've been happy with both and my choice was made mainly on what was available on the day I purchased.


Can the breaker on a sub-panel be rated for more amps than the main breaker?

If the current panel is fed from a 40 ampere breaker, with wire rated for 40 amperes. Installing a 50 ampere breaker in the second panel is pointless, since the 40 ampere breaker will trip before the load can draw 50 amperes.

If you want to upgrade to a 50 ampere breaker in the second panel, you'll have to upgrade the breaker in the main panel, and the conductors feeding the second panel. Then you can install a 50 ampere GFCI breaker in the second panel.

After new info.

If you're putting in a 50 ampere breaker; even simply for GFCI protection, all the wiring downstream of the breaker must be rated for 50 amperes.

A circuit breaker is designed to protect the wiring and devices connected to it. If you have a 30 ampere load (the spa) protected by a 40 or 50 ampere breaker, than the load and wiring could carry 40 or 50 amperes before the circuit breaker even thinks about reacting.  So unless the wiring is sized to dissipate that amount of heating, then you're creating a dangerous situation.

My advice is to put a new 30 ampere GFCI breaker in the second panel. If that's all that the spa requires, why muck about with anything else.  If the store doesn't have what you need, order it, or go to a different store.

The best way to know for sure, is to contact the local Electrical inspector. It's going to be their call as to whether or not they pass your wiring.


Why is plywood with tongue and groove preferred for flooring?

The way we lay flooring is to use subfloor adhesive and lay a bead down the whole length of the groove. You wedge it together till the gap totally closes. Doing this in addition to using tongue and groove plywood/OSB accomplishes two things:

You have an airtight floor membrane. This gets rid of heat loss and also the intrusion of moist damp air possibly mold contaminated from the crawl space.
You have a much stronger floor that is seamless which can carry more weight and not have bounce because the edge is supported by and locked into the adjoining sheet.

Why you shouldn't use standard plywood -> if you just butt plywood up to create the subfloor, you get this neat sawing action from the unsupported edges that slowly fills the crawlspace with sawdust as the wood eats away at itself, causing the seams to open up. It also groans nicely if you have the right amount of frictional contact and leaves you with a spongy floor because there is no support from the mating plywood sheet along the length of the seam to prevent differential motion between the two sheets.


What should I do about a hole in my dryer hose?

If your cats tore a hole in it, it has to be flex hose.

Do yourself a huge favor and replace every inch of flex hose with solid metal dryer vent. Flex hose collects vast amounts of lint that get past the lint filer and is impossible to clean effectively (not to mention being delicate enough to be torn by cats.)

As a one-time event I would not be overly concerned about the dry-cleaning sheet. But I would definitely scrap the hose and replace it with solid metal before using the dryer again.


Can I run #14 armored cable behind baseboards?

NEC 300.4(D) covers the type of installation indicated in the question, and it applies to both AC and MC armored cable.  So you'll need to use a steel guard at least 1/16" thick to protect the cable.

This tip from Fine Homebuilding illustrates this type of installation.  Rather than backing the molding with steel plating, they use a U-shaped channel to protect the cable, which should be much easier:

The illustration shows a nonmetallic cable and a plaster finished wall.  You will need more depth than the thickness of the drywall to fit armored cable and steel U-channel.  On your outside walls with the furring strip, you can just cut out the foam board with a knife and the furring strips with an oscillating tool to get the additional depth.  On the interior walls, with the drywall directly on the block, I think you'll have to route a channel on the back of the base molding to make room.  In fact it might be better to use that method on the outside walls, too.

You have another challenge here:  getting the cable from the baseboard channel to the existing boxes.  This might not be too difficult if you can fish the void in the blocks, but it could be a big can of worms.


Patching rarely works out, structurally or aesthetically. If you want the cost effective remedy then go with smashing it up and installing properly supported decking material. This will likely involve installation of footings for support joists.

A close look at the pictures reveals an underlying problem related to movement of the porch foundation, that is at least one of the root causes of the significant cracking visible in both the slab and the foundation. The proper fix would be to remedy the underlying problem. You wish the job to be "cost effective"; with the long term view, repair of the foundation would be the most cost effective because the problem would be solved and future repair costs would be minimized. It would, however, likely be the most expensive of your options.


Can I safely exchange the positions of differently-sized gas range burners?

The gas orfices are sized for the BTU heating of each individual burner. A burner that does not match the required orfice size of that burner may not be able to burn the gas supplied correctly: ie. too much gas, not enough air at max flame.


Where should I attach the blower motor leads on a Payne air handler?

Blue is a speed tap and yellow is common or L2   There should also be a red and black wire coming from the motor that should be capped off unless the motor has been changed.
A picture of the board and wiring diagram would help. It looks from the very poor wiring diagram I found that the yellow wire would go to K1 and the blue would go to NO but like I said the diagram wasn’t very specific.


Any way to mount a ceiling fan using a rectangular "wall" box?

The electrical box should be rated for a ceiling fan and that is not. I would personally add one of these to The surface of the false beam but drill through and screw it into the joist to make sure it will support the weight of the fan. It’s hard to tell if that’s possible from the photos but I think it should be.
1/2 in. Deep 5.9 cu. in. Ceiling Fan Box with Metal Cover
https://www.homedepot.com/p/205383205


I ended up priming it first and then repainting. That was also suggested by an employee of the paint department of a major home improvement store.
Here are a set of suggested steps.
1- Clean from the very top near shingles so that debris does not get into fresh paint.
2- Pressure wash from a distant using a wide spray. Pay attention to the underside of overlaps. Wait for it to dry.
3- Make sure you have time to do a segment before it rains. Plan to finish an hour before sunset to be able to see missed spots.
4- Use painters blue tape to protect areas not to be painted. Press firmly to prevent paint from going underneath the tape. Cover the floor. Use a 4 or 6 inch roller with 3/4" nap for flat part of surfaces. Need small brushes for corners, edges, and under overlaps.
5- Prime.
6- Paint.
I ended up wiping the brown stain on the board with a rag. A bright shiny yellow surface shows underneath those browned spots. Brighter than a fresh board. Same thing shows around the home. Mostly in spots that does not get much direct sun.
The reason for brown spots and bright yellow surface was not clear.


If there's a shutoff requirement a single valve will satisfy it. There's no need to use two. The kind that installs in a box in the wall behind the fridge are a little more intensive to retrofit but they're convenient to use. I can't speak to whether you might have state or local codes that require this in-wall style -- and I'll wager the Best Buy delivery crew aren't trained on the subject any better. In most places a valve at the supply end of the tube is a fine an alternative to the recessed box behind the fridge.

Line kits often include a self-piercing saddle valve. It's a pair of half-round straps, screws to squeeze them together, a 'stinger' on the inside which pierces through existing plumbing, and a small pin as a handle to operate the valve. They're easy to install but they're always junk. They restrict the flow and they eventually leak at the site and/or the valve won't close fully when you need it most. Use this valve only as a last resort.

It's much better to have a normal valve installed appropriate to the kind of plumbing in your home, then adapt it down to the 1/4" tube for the fridge.


How should I route my dryer exhaust pipe?

International Residential Code (IRC) says the maximum exhaust duct length is 35 feet. However, it also says that this length can be overruled by the manufacturers instructions, if the instructions are provided to the inspector.

2012 International Residential Code (IRC)
Chapter 15 Exhaust Systems
Section 1502 Clothes Dryer Exhaust
M1502.4.4.1 Specified length. The maximum length of the exhaust duct shall be 35 feet (10 668 mm) from the connection to the transition duct from the dryer to the outlet terminal. Where fittings are used, the maximum length of the exhaust duct shall be reduced in accordance with Table M1502.4.4.1. The maximum length of the exhaust duct does not include the transition duct.

M1502.4.4.2 Manufacturer’s instructions. The size and maximum length of the exhaust duct shall be determined by the dryer manufacturer’s installation instructions. The code official shall be provided with a copy of the installation instructions for the make and model of the dryer at the concealment inspection. In the absence of fitting equivalent length calculations from the clothes dryer manufacturer, Table M1502.4.4.1 shall be used.

I couldn't find anything that says the termination has to be a specific height above the ground, just that it must be 3 feet in any direction from any openings into the building. And that it should have a backdraft damper, and no screens

2012 International Residential Code (IRC)
Chapter 15 Exhaust Systems
Section 1502 Clothes Dryer Exhaust
M1502.3 Duct termination. Exhaust ducts shall terminate on the outside of the building. Exhaust duct terminations shall be in accordance with the dryer manufacturer’s installation instructions. If the manufacturer’s instructions do not specify a termination location, the exhaust duct shall terminate not less than 3 feet (914 mm) in any direction from openings into buildings. Exhaust duct terminations shall be equipped with a backdraft damper. Screens shall not be installed at the duct termination.

The code also says that the ducts must be 4" smooth walled ducts, and sections can't be attached using fasteners that protrude into the duct more than 1/8".

2012 International Residential Code (IRC)
Chapter 15 Exhaust Systems
Section 1502 Clothes Dryer Exhaust
M1502.4.1 Material and size. Exhaust ducts shall have a smooth interior finish and be constructed of metal having a minimum thickness of 0.0157 inches (0.3950 mm) (No. 28 gage). The duct shall be 4 inches (102 mm) nominal in diameter.
M1502.4.2 Duct installation. Exhaust ducts shall be supported at intervals not to exceed 12 feet (3658 mm) and shall be secured in place. The insert end of the duct shall extend into the adjoining duct or fitting in the direction of airflow. Exhaust duct joints shall be sealed in accordance with Section M1601.4.1 and shall be mechanically fastened. Ducts shall not be joined with screws or similar fasteners that protrude more than 1/8 inch (3.2 mm) into the inside of the duct.

NOTE: Always check with your local code enforcement agency before begining any project, as codes vary from location to location.


Ways to make table top removable from base/legs

Maybe this kind of fitting:

Each block is permanently screwed to either the top or the base. You connect the parts using a supplied machine screw (not a wood screw).


Should tiles of "stones" be removed from the backing?

Mosaic stone tile is supposed to be installed still attached to its mesh backing. Otherwise it would be more efficient to go to a landscaping company and buy a truckload of river rock.

From what I can tell, there could be two causes for the 'line' effect you ended up with:

The mesh squares were poorly designed/manufactured with all the stones lining up to form a perfect edge along the sides. There's not much the installer could have done to counteract this.
The installer didn't take time to make sure the edges appeared natural when lining up the mesh squares. It may also be very difficult to tell this effect will occur prior to applying the grout.

My guess is that it's most likely a combination of these two factors.


Is it worth it to upgrade a solar system to get power from partially obstructed panels?

What you are hearing about are called "micro-inverters". Instead of one large inverter, you have separate, small inverters, one on each panel. I believe you can get them both sepatate and already integrated into panels.

This would require rewiring your PV system, removing the old inverter and installing micros at each panel. as you say, probably not cost effective.


Persian blinds: why the headrail is open at the top

The upper rail of the blinds is made as an open topped assembly because the inside operational parts of the unit can be easily snapped into place when the blinds are manufactured. Since almost all blinds of this type are custom ordered to width they are manufactured from very long raw material pieces that are cut size when the order is being fulfilled.

Another aspect is that when the width of the blinds exceeds a certain amount there are center brackets that have to be able to clip into the upper side of the rail from the back so that the center brackets can remain hidden. (At least this is the case with some better looking styles....the center support showing from your exploded parts list picture leaves a somewhat ugly bottom flange of the bracket showing when the blinds have been installed).

When the blinds have been installed up against the top of the window frame there is not too much chance for dust to accumulate inside the upper rail. I've replaced old blinds in my house that were in place for decades and had little or no dust in the upper channel. If the blind unit is one that uses a valence piece across the front to hide the rail that acts as an air flow baffle to keep dust as well.

If you live in an area where dust is an extreme problem I am pretty sure that you will have many more short term problems with dust accumulation than inside the rail. If you must take some action to prevent any dust accumulation inside the rail you could choose to apply a narrow strip of self adhesive foam stripping to the two top edges of the rail before sliding it into place at installation. Such stripping would need to be cut away in the areas where the holding brackets are located. You would also want to have such installation use a valence piece in front so that the foam stripping does not stick out like a sore thumb.


At a 6' span, how much can an SPF 2x4 turned on 3.5" end support?

Check out this site :   http://www.msrlumber.org - it has all the answers to spans for most applications.  There are several good sites that have tables, just google "lumber strengths".


How to securely attach a wooden plank to a wooden banister

Use screws

The baby gate will tear the banister up so you need something to protect it. A 2x4 is a good solution
Screws come out easily and leave small holes. 2 screws total (I'd suggest 3" myself) should do the trick. Wood putty the holes and stain and/or lacquer

One tip: put something like a piece of plastic (maybe a plastic bag) between the banister and the 2x4. The lacquer finish (or paint) might get damaged by being sucked up to the 2x4


Inbound calls to one line cause other line to ring

Is the 4 wire cable the type with 2 twisted pairs? If so, you may have the jacks wired incorrectly, such that the each telephone circuit is using 1 wire from twisted pair A, and one wire from twisted pair B. This would lead to increased and perhaps excessive electrical coupling from pair A to pair B.

If the 4-wire cable does not have 2 twisted pairs, then using a 2-twisted pair cable will reduce crosstalk between your two lines (provided you make sure that line 1 uses twisted pair A, and line 2 uses twisted pair B).


Monthly vinegar use: a full cup in an empty washer on "pot-and-pans" mode with no heated dry.

This has kept my unit functioning well and lime/scale free since I tore it apart and discovered the pump, the "macerator", pretty much the whole lower works, plugged up with lime, scale, and a whole lot of solidified dishwashing soap. I predict that you will be disassembling the lower works, internet searches helped me tear mine down (along with trial and error and persistence) and put it back together.

I will never use bargain liquid or any type of granular soap again. I only use the gel pouches and it's been smooth sailing ever since.


When drilling your wire ways in the walls, what is the standard height in the horizontal height from the floor?

There are no standard heights. We usually run them close to the height that the receptacles are to save wire many of the homes I have wired run from 8” to 24” with most 12-16” I like the taller ones because boring the holes through the studs is easier a little higher, just make you bore your hole in the center of the board so there is 1-1/4” or more to the edge or you will have to add nail plates.


Is it common to caulk around the edges of vinyl tile instead of going underneath wood paneling?

Caulking from vinyl to quarter round isn't a very long-term solution.  The quarter round is small and flexible, the area is dirty, it sees a lot of traffic, it gets dirty.  The caulk will fail within a year or two of use and have to be scraped and redone.  Putting the flooring under the quarter round with no caulk is a much better solution.


Effective June 29, 2015, all GFCI receptacles and circuit breakers must have an auto-monitoring (self-test) feature that automatically conducts a periodic internal test to confirm that the GFCI is able respond to a ground fault. If a problem is detected, the GFCI must trip and deny power or provide a visual and/or audible indication.

Green Status

Dual indicator:

On initial installation - If no power to load, device has been wired incorrectly
Normal operation - GFCI has passed self-test and is providing power

Red Status

Blinking = Initial self-test upon first power up
Solid or blinking = Press TEST and RESET buttons to reset GFCI
If GFCI will not reset OR solid or blinking red continues, replace device

No Power

GFCI in tripped state, no power
Press RESET button
If GFCI will not reset, no power on the circuit

Self-Test Indications:
If the Status Indicator Light is solid or flashing RED a problem may exist. Press the TEST button to trip the GFCI. If unable to Reset, replace the GFCI.

NOTE: The status indicator may flash Red at power "ON" and Reset.


Should ethernet cable be run in attic or basement floor joists?

It's common to run the cables in the easiest manner for your specific application. A lot of times, ethernet cable is run as a retrofit, and so the attic may be preferred slightly as it's more accessible. Given that you're running it in new construction, though, just run it in the easiest way you see fit. Your drops for cameras may go through the attic, as the camera itself may be positioned up high. Drops for jacks on the wall may best be run through the basement ceiling joists, or they may be best run through the attic. It all depends on the layout of your house and the layout of your runs. As long as you keep it away from the electrical, you're fine.

@AloysiusDefenestrate does make a good point to include a chase between all floors and the attic for future cabling. I'd go farther and say run conduit everywhere you can in addition to that chase. At the very least, include pull strings. Run 2 drops when you think you only need 1, and 4 when you think you only need 2. Run cables to potential TV spots. Cabling is super easy when the walls are open, and cable itself is very cheap. Go overboard now, even if a lot of it sits unterminated for a while, because you likely won't have this opportunity again.


Electrical Bonding of Service Panel After PEX Replacement of Galvanized Pipes

You will actually need a second driven rod to be safe with the metal pipe to the house being replaced. NEC 250.66(A) allows for #6 copper. Also, that rod is not fully driven.  My jurisdiction requires the rod to be driven the full 8’. If you leave the old galvanized in the ground and it is in contact with earth for 10’, then you would not need the second driven rod.


I have a basement floor with lots of moisture, can I paint or seal it to make it waterproof?

In the end, I ended up using DRYLOK® LATEX CONCRETE FLOOR PAINT

It's holding up well so far, we'll see how it does over the next few years.


What is a suitable treatment for an outdoor table?

I looked into this question when building a picnic table out of construction lumber. I was looking for a clear finish.

It turns out that all clear finished break down under sunlight, so the most durable finish is paint.

But if you want a clear finish, it seems the best thing is spar varnish, the kind you have to go to a boating store to get (e.g. epiphanes). It is made to stretch a little more to accomodate the extra wood movement you get with outdoor temp/humidity swings, plus it resists sunlight for longer. That said, you still will have to reapply regularly, I think every year or two.

stain is a compromise between the two. Like paint, it contains pigment, which offers sun protection. I assume less pigment means less protection. But it will allow the wood to look like wood (somewhat).


Is it a problem that PEX emerging from the walls is floppy

You need a pex stub-out bracket that attaches to the studs:

And a 90 pex support that attaches to the bracket:

It would be nice to have a sleeve and a escutcheon:

Your PEX will still be a little wobbly, but connecting it directly to the toilet valve is considered by many to a better solution than using a copper stub-out, because there is no fitting behind the wall.  Anyway, PEX is pretty tough.


No, this is not OK. All the wire on the circuit must match or exceed the breaker size based on the type of circuit it is.


How to scribe a circle in the ground...without access to the middle point?

If the ground is perfectly level, then you don't need access to the middle of the circle, you just some point directly above it, and then a longer string traces the shape of a cone as you draw your circle.
As you said that you need more precision than having a person just stand on the rocks and hold the string, you will need build some sort of structure to hold the end of your string stable above the rocks.
You could:

Use three stiff pieces of wood or pipe to make a tripod that goes over / around the rocks.  Tie a loop on one end of your string so it fits around where the three pieces join, and then mark the string where it comes to one edge of your circle

If you're going over something that's relatively long, you may want to build two supports on either side, to hold a pole with the string tied to the middle of the pole.  But in this case, you'll have some problems where the supports interfere with the string, unless your center pole is larger than the diameter of the circle you're attempting to draw.

In the second case, the pole needs to be really stiff, and the string securely fastened to the pole, or you're not going to end up with a perfect circle.


Do I need to add supports before replacing a cripple wall stud?

It probably would not sag enough to do any damage, but "probably" isn't good enough.

Without a picture it's hard to figure exactly what you have from your description - I can't picture a cripple wall without a top plate.  This is a typical cripple wall framing:

One way to build temporary support is to build a temporary stud wall a few inches in front of the wall you're working on, with the top plate supporting the joists.  You can wedge some shims between the top plate and the joists for a snug fit.  You can arrange the studs in the temporary wall so that it's easy to reach past the temporary wall to get to the sill and studs you need to work on.

Another way is to lag a 2x10 across the face of the studs, spanning two studs that won't be disturbed on either side.  If you have 40" between the studs that won't be disturbed, and 16" to the studs on either side, an 8' 2x10 would work.  This lets you cut the bottoms off the studs over the rotten sill, repair the sill, install a temporary stud between the studs you cut, remove the 2x10, remove the rest of the studs you cut, and finally replace the studs you removed.

A reciprocating saw will work, but an oscillating tool with a blade that can cut nails is very handy for cutting out the sill and studs.


Bleach is safe to use on marble.  Take a dish scouring pad and a heavy bleach mixture - wear gloves.  Scrub away.


What you have is a 4 1/2 inch colonial base trim. I can't tell you exactly the name or number, but if you take a small sample to your supplier, or preferably the same supplier your contractor used, they will have a chart that shows all the millwork profiles. What you have does not look unusual, so with a little footwork you should be able to find it easily.


Can a gas fireplace insert heat an entire house?

There is no way that a simple fireplace insert can heat a house the same way that a central air system that pipes the heated air into each room.

It is possible to have a fireplace built that has a heat exchanger built into it that feeds into an air circulation system such that the warmed air is moved around to other parts of the house. However I doubt that your existing fireplace has this heat exchanger system built into it...then yet the ducting to an air curculation system into the rest of the house.

I'm glad to see that you seem to have it in mind that the advice that you get from the fireplace salesman will always be biased toward what he is trying to sell you!!


Acceptable to add knockout to PVC conduit body?

I believe it would violate code even if it had a stamped volume. The modification would weaken the structure. A stamped conduit body can be used for splices, but conduit bodies are separate from J boxes that are allowed to be modified.
I would probably change over to a “anybody” conduit body. These are configurable straight, left, right, T , and an extra port can provide what you want. I used to carry a couple of these in 1/2, 3/4 & 1”. You don’t have to have all of them if you want to save space.
There are also threaded covers available through Hubble. I think I have picked them up at Home Depot as well, similar to the anybody conduit body.


How to wire a light , switch and receptacle

In the diagram you link to there is no neutral in the switch box so you cannot start there to wire a receptacle. You would need 3-wire romex + gnd (black, white, red, gnd) to a carry a neutral from the line cable in the fixture box to the switch box. You would use B for the always hot, R for the switched hot, W for the neutral.

EDIT
There are several ways to power this receptacle using standard ordinary wiring but you cannot start from the switch if is wired as in the diagram because there is no neutral there.

One way would be to run another cable (2-wire + gnd) from the ceiling box to the receptacle. This would go in the attic to the top plate above the receptacle where you would drill a hole and run the cable down to the receptacle box. The box currently there would have been removed, the wire pulled through the opening and into an "old work" box and the box inserted into the hole. Then install the receptacle. The cable you have right now from the switch to the receptacle would be cut at both ends and abandoned in the wall or pull it out if you can.

Another way would be to run a new cable (3-wire + gnd) from the fixture box to the switch. This would allow you to have a neutral in the switch box which your existing cable to the receptacle would connect to. This may be easier than the first choice.


Yes there are expansion joints available

This is an example of a expansion joint

Www.homedepot.com

You also need to make sure that there is enough wire inside to allow for expansion.


Can IC-rated recessed lights come in contact with sheet plastic?

Go ahead, although I'd stick a thermocouple up there and double check the temperature to be sure
NEC 410.116(A)(2) permits IC-rated recessed fixtures to be in contact with combustible materials in the manner you describe:

(2) Type IC. A recessed luminaire that is identified for
contact with insulation, Type IC, shall be permitted to be in
contact with combustible materials at recessed parts, points of
support, and portions passing through or finishing off the
opening in the building structure

As a precaution, though, I would use a cheap type-K thermocouple probe and meter to measure the temperature at the light-to-plastic interface after the light's been left on for a few hours -- anything under 90°C should be fine, as per NEC 410.115(A):

410.115 Temperature.
(A) Combustible Material. Luminaires shall be installed so
that adjacent combustible material will not be subjected to
temperatures in excess of 90°C (194°F).


DIY Tubular Skylights for special application; seeking tubular skylights smaller than 10"

Your question is very complete. But, for a flat concrete roof? Yes, I know, it won't truly be flat and it better not be. Either way is No Way...you'll be re-caulking every year and it'll take all year long with that Swiss Cheese.

Please have the mason customize the roof for these. I'd like to see a 2" to 3" (twice that if you regularly get snow and ice) ramped cone poured for each location that's part of the initial monolithic pour...not some add-on guaranteed failure afterthought nonsense that actually collects and retains water.

Also, please don't run short-lived Romex under the slab for the night and cloudy lighting. Use the aluminum armored cable, unless it's attacked by the concrete. Then you might need the PVC or epoxy coated armoring.

I'd actually suggest a sidewall stovepipe looking singular tube that feeds a fiber optic lighting box. Of course, it could be a nice feature like a faux gable or corner turret. But, this would allow for experimentation and scalability. Maybe 4-inches is too bright in a fiber optic setup and you just need a 2" periscope that operates as a flagpole.


Are push-connect sockets intended to be reusable?

It depends on the light socket, and maybe how you "disconnected" it.  Some push-in type wire connectors are actually threaded; they grip when you just push them in, but you can back the wires out by twisting them (lefty loosey).  However, if the wires were yanked out, it's possible that the threads were stripped and won't grip any more.  I assume you have also checked for small screws. Sometimes connections that look like push-ins are actually clamps.  You stick the wire in the hole, and then clamp it down (internally) by tightening a screw.


How should I support this large drywall patch?

It's a matter of preference, but I would float scrap lumber backing at four locations:

Down both sides
Across the bottom between the two studs
Across the between the two studs just below the plumbing penetrations
Anywhere else that seems too flexy when you do a little press-testing

1/2" or thicker plywood and 1-by or 2-by lumber work well. This backing doesn't really need to be attached to the studs in all cases (doing so can make it difficult to keep everything flush), but should be fastened well to the surrounding drywall. Construction adhesive would reduce the number of screws necessary there.

Protip: If you don't have access to a dedicated screw gun (which is not the same as a drill, despite common usage of the term), these drywall screw setter bits are golden because they keep the screw from sinking too far into the drywall:


Can I use expanding spray foam to support a cracked bathtub?

I highly doubt that spray foam will provide much support. In addition to the tub itself, water is heavy - ~ 8 lbs./gallon - and you could easily have 50 gallons, > 400 lbs. of water in a bathtub.

Foam is great for insulation (because of the trapped air), and depending on the type of usage, can be very good for filling cracks. But unless it were specifically engineered to do so, I would not expect any consumer foam to be able to support any significant weight. If you were to fix the crack properly first (in the case of a bathtub (or anything with a liquid) foam would not normally be enough to seal the crack by itself), I would make sure there was plenty of support to prevent future movement == future cracks. Foam, in this context, is filler and not support.


Could it also be that the walls were patched prior to selling, and the cracks, which were already there before, resurfaced?  Just as @DanielGriscom suggested, a hairline crack on an already patchy, uninsulated wall, in front of the heating pipes, points at "it's nothing".


How can I tap an unused well for outdoor watering?

If you are fundamentally opposed to (or trying to avoid paying taxes on) an aboveground structure, you could bury a vault to put at least a small pressure tank in. With use of a "constant pressure valve" or a variable-speed "constant pressure pump" you can get away with quite a small pressure tank (2-5 gallons) but you really can't run a pump without any pressure tank, at least not remotely efficiently (you could, I suppose, put a pressure-relief valve in the line at the top of the well, and run without a pressure tank - the excess pressure would recycle water down the well, but that's a terrible waste of power...)

If you really need water in the winter, bury the whole thing below frost line - one common method is to use 4 or 6 foot diameter concrete well tile (as used for shallow dug wells) placed over/around the drilled well casing to provide the frost-free vault - you can insulate the top and sides for better effectiveness. While you have a backhoe in to dig for that and the power line, dig some trenches below frost line to where you want to have hose spigots, and put "frost-free hydrants" at each one (they have a valve at the bottom, and leak away the water in the upright pipe between uses.) Might as well have the backhoe dig 100 holes for trees while you have it, too.

If not fundamentally opposed to a structure, an aboveground structure (small toolshed for the orchard) above the wellhead might be a less expensive approach, unless the local taxing authority makes it an expensive approach after all (that can happen, and is best to be aware of when deciding.)  The area with the pressure tank can be heavily insulated and electrically heated to 45F or so if you really need water to hoses in freezing weather, or you can drain the whole system in the fall and start it up again in the spring if you don't really need to use water from hoses in the winter.


How to add a drip edge to a steel deck beam over a porch

Consider a run of magnetic weatherstripping:

Source
You could back it with thin double-stick tape for an even more secure hold. Prep the metal a bit so it's smooth and clean.


Are there "uncommon" 3-way switch wirings?

I may have missed something in your question, but aren't you going to need a neutral for the Maestro switch?  Check out Wiring Diagram 8 here:

http://www.lutron.com/TechnicalDocumentLibrary/369666.pdf


The sensor that tells the compressor to run is probably coated with ice or frost.When this happens the compressor wont turn on enough because the probe is still frozen, look for a small metal tube like a wire about 1/8" thick usually clipped close to the cooling plate. this needs to stay free of ice for the fridge to maintain temperature. don't use an Ice pick to chip the ice off because you may damage the evaporator coils and release the freon. It is best to turn the fridge off and let it melt, (food in a Ice chest) I have used warm water to melt the ice faster but this makes a mess also. I don't recommend hair dryers as there could be a shock hazzard with all the water. Hand held torches may damage the coils and plastic parts. Usually a bad seal on the door causes the excessive buildup.


How you measure the slope with a 48 inch digital measure?

If it's a cruddy level it may be different when reversed.  I have one level that is off by about 1/8 over it's length this way. E.g. if it's level one way, reversing it takes a 1/8" rise on one end to fix.  I use this one or rough work, and for drawing lines on plywood.
Ok the level works.  You need a longer level. Go buy the longest straight 2x4 or 2x6 you can that will fit in the room.  Look down the length of it, or better, run a tight string down it to see that it's straight.  Piggy back your level on this.
A far easier way however is to get a self leveling laser level.Set it up so that it's exactly X inches above the floor at some point.  Now with a tape you can run around and map out your floor.  Mine has a couple of gratings that can be put in the path.  One spreads the beam into about a 45" wide beam.  Set up in one corner and do most of the floor with 2 moves.  (The other makes it spread vertically giving you a perfect plumb line.


what is the temperature rating for typical wire nuts?

You have to look at the manufacturer's specifications for the exact make an model in question, but many are rated for 105°C (221°F).


With a little more research and a better photo of the floor connection, it turns out that the floor connection had the mark “BS669”, which means its a bayoneted valve that auto-seals on disconnection.
Took a deep breath, disconnected it and ... Im still here with no uncontrolled gas release.  Valve did its job.


Any quality paint really that encapsulates the siding. The only change of my opinion in this matter is if oil based paint was used the last time it may be better to use oil, however there are many latex paints that work well over oil based with less prep work. Some require sanding a bad thing for asbestos base. If latex was used last laytex based would be best if the last coat is solid.


You have a blockage further down in the pipe that services your shower, toilet and sink. That's creating a sea of liquid that comes out at the lowest available point (i.e. your shower). Drain cleaner will be worse than useless; while a pool of poop may be nasty, a pool of caustic poop would be even worse. A 5' or so drain snake won't do it; you probably need something much longer, and a way to get it into the pipe (past the traps on whichever device you enter through). And, until you've cleared it, stop adding liquid to the situation.


Just replace your strike plate with an extended lip type.


No, not unless you also swap the breaker out for a 15A.
If there's 14g anywhere on the circuit you can't use a 20A breaker.


you probably have the dip switches set differently in the transmitter compared to the receiver.  you just need to open the receiver housing, check the switches and make sure they are set the same in the transmitter (assuming same model, frequency, etc is correct)


Should I overlay or replace 3/8 inch drywall during my room update?

I would just take the 3/8" down and install 1/2". Here's why I suggest it

Opening the walls would let you fix things if need be. Want to add some new outlets? Remove older wiring? Add some coaxial or Ethernet? Now's your chance. You said you were adding windows. You'll have an easier time if you just take the old stuff down.
1/4" is less commonly used, so it is slightly more expensive than 1/2" (plus you really need to glue the new boards to the old and that starts adding up). You could always stick 1/2" up over the top of the existing, but if you're going through that trouble, demo isn't that much more on top of that
Speaking from experience, hanging new drywall on bare studs is easier than going over the top of existing drywall. There's no guesswork at studs.

As to how to attach, I tend to use both nails and screws. When you're mounting the boards, nothing is faster than nails. A few nails will hold the board up. Then I go back and add screws. Be aware that screws are easier to goof up, but I like the lack of movement later. Be sure to smash the nails into the board (as in dent the board around the head) or popping will drive you up the wall later.


Condensation on window frame in basement

You are probably seeing condensation of moisture from the drying of the drywall mud. Give it a few days before sounding the alarm bells.

If you are concerned about the short term humidity increase in that area you could consider running a dehumidifier in the room for a few days.


How can I insulate an area without an attic above it?

Well, just like in surgeries, you can come in from either side, either take off the top or take off the bottom.  Generally speaking it is easier to take off the bottom.  However, you don't say how much of a gap there is (if you know) between the drywall and the bottom of the roof.  If you don't have enough space to put enough insulation in to make it worth your while,  then you might have to remove the roof and raise it enough to put in adequate insulation/


What structural elements need for gate in place of fence?

Size the gate to clear the window obstruction. From the image it looks like a 4x4 post set flush against the siding is sufficient to clear the window but if there is a light well then you need to leave more space. Also, a narrower gate will look better visually. If this is a 6' tall fence then a 4' wide gate would be typical (gets you close to a golden ratio 1.618). A smaller panel would be used to bridge to the siding.

The gate threshold should be anchored with posts buried in the ground on both sides. Gates are heavy and take a lot of abuse. You would be wise not to anchor your gate to either your house or the adjoining fence. This is true for the hinge side as well as the latch side.

If you build a narrower gate with a small panel on the house side it should be fine to re-use the 2x4 strip against your house for attaching one side of the panel (not the gate). And this avoids patching holes in the siding.

Here's what the pro's did on my fence gate in a very similar situation. You're looking at a 4 ft gate framed by 6x6 posts with a small panel attached to a 4x4 post. The total span here is 7 ft. Those are 9 ft posts buried 3 ft in the ground with dry packed cement footers. The two end posts are buried flush against the existing fence and the house (not holes I'd like to dig).

Note the A-frame bracing on the gate. This is something you should build into your existing fence panel. You could build a simpler Z-frame brace too. But make sure it's pointed the right way. For the pictured gate with hinges on the left a wooden Z brace should look like the letter Z. With hinges on the right you would form the mirror-image of the letter Z.


Did I hear somebody say 'drawing'?

Note: this diagram represents equipment and cables generally available in the USA. I have used blue to represent the white wires because white does not show up without a black outline, which I can't be arsed to draw.


How to repair void in edge of subfloor from rot?

Yick, we had something similar but worse.  I:
Cut out whatever subfloor was gone.
The joists were stained and powdery looking in spots, so to prevent any mold colonies I painted those up to the edges of the remaining subfloor material with Kilz.  When that was dry, I screwed in pieces of matching plywood to replace the gaps, noting that I made sure to have all edges secured over the joists - no pieces with hanging edges short of the joists.
I then painted everything I replaced on the exposed subfloor with Kilz, going on the idea that if it seeped once, it could seep again someday.

(Replacing the entire floor - once I had 1/2" plywood down, replaced where needed, I went over that with 1/4", which made sure no repair seams showed through the flooring over time.)


Pair of 3-way switches, when one is on, the other won't toggle it

You need to wire them properly for them to work properly.
So, the unswitched hot needs to go to the black screw on one switch. The switched hot to the light needs to go to the black screw on the other switch. The travelers between the switches need to be on the brass screws on both switches.


That railing is probably fastened to posts on both to the left and right of your picture.

One scheme to shore up the existing railing would be to come up from underneath the existing railing with a new wood piece that is the same dimensions as the existing one and screw it up into the existing rail. If the new piece is straight it will push up the sagging joint. Make sure to run the new piece from post to post for best looks and maximal strength.
Another idea would be to cut out the existing rail back to the center of each post on the left and right. Then lay in a new rail piece that is spliced in over the existing posts.
The last and likely not the most feasible idea would be to install an additional post just under the joint. Make the added post high enough that it pushes the sagging joint up to the position it should be in.

I have to say that whoever installed that railing in the first place with a splice like that mid span between supporting posts did not do a quality job. A splice should normally always be over a supporting post of be part of a double or triple beam made up of pieces of lumber with all splices offsetted a good distance from each other.


What should I do with the white wire when wiring a 240 volt garage heater?

I assume you are in the USA. The heater is probably a pure 240V load with no need for the neutral (white) wire. you should simply cap the white wire with a wire nut and tuck it back into the electrical box.


Half the house has power - Stove, hotwater tank and dryer not working!

Your electrician seems to be spot on. The fact that only one unit is having problems leads me to believe City Light's connections are good and the breaker after their connections for the problem unit is at fault. Why didn't your electrician replace that breaker when he examined it?
If this was a breaker in the unit I'd suggest swapping it with another breaker in the panel and see if the problem followed. Since it's a main unit breaker you wouldn't want to do that and have the problem move to another unit and tick those people off.


How to determine if a ceiling fan has a DC motor?

Fans from big box stores like Home Depot and Lowe's tend to be cheaper because they are made from lower quality materials.  Using DC motors in ceiling fans is still relatively new and most of the major fan manufacturers only have a few models that are equipped with DC motors.  The major benefit of using a DC motor in a ceiling fan is lower energy consumption, NOT reduced noise level.

You can expect to pay at least $450 for a ceiling fan with a DC motor.

I suspect 1 of 3 reasons for your humming Hampton Bay ceiling fans:

Are you using a switch on the wall to adjust the speed of your ceiling fan?  If you are using a light dimmer (or any control that is infinitely variable), your fan will often make a humming noise.  You need to use a "stepped" speed control, something that clicks in 3-4 specific speeds.
The fans you own are cheap.  Visit a ceiling fan specialty store and purchase a better fan.  You'll pay more, but you will get a higher quality fan that runs quieter.
Very rare, but the architecture of your house can amplify the noise of a ceiling fan.  If your fan is mounted on a wooden beam, fans with strong motors sometimes generate a humming noise.  Possible solutions: purchase a cheaper, weaker fan OR purchase a more expensive fan, preferably and Emerson fan with a K55 motor and a flywheel or a Casablanca fan with an XLP motor and flywheel.


First of all- Good on you for patching it rather than dumping it in the landfill!

I had the same pool problem last summer, several pin hole leaks.  What is cool is you can patch them underwater with the patch kit.  (I recommend applying the patches on the water side.)  The real tough ones are holes on the bottom of the pool.  They aren't easy to find without goggles and slowly crawling along the bottom of the pool.  I only found mine when a tiny piece of dirt was being sucked into the leak.

As for an answer, your sides will no suddenly tear because the material on the side is rip stop. (nylon threads embedded in the vinyl).


what's kind of bike hooks should I buy for this wall mount?

This is a configurable wall hanging design made by a company to work only with their proprietary hooks and brackets. I question why the seller took the hooks with them and not the board; one is worthless without the other.

Look for this brand, I think it's what you have:


Heating home by blowing hot air in to desired areas

They already have that.  It's the dominant system in use in North America... but I don't think you want it.  The problem is, the pipes are enormous.   - like 4" x 12" (100 x 300mm) per duct, with a dozen ducts.
We joke, and call that thing a "duct-o-pus".
That is why businesses have drop ceilings — to hide the monstrosity of ducts above.
Fat pipes
Now, the traditional North American approach was to have a fuel furnace with an air-air heat exchanger, then a powered "air handler" blower to force air through the heat exchanger and ductopus.   When air conditioning was added, its evaporator (cold side) coil was added just above the furnace heat exchanger.  With "traditional" heat pump systems, the fuel pump coil replaces the air conditioner, and emergency electric heat strips replace the fuel furnace (or not).  But we still have the duct-o-pus.
That system is exactly what you say you want: a heat pump in a central location that uses air as the distribution medium.
Thin pipes
In North America, the new trend is to "slay the duct-o-pus", stop using air as a distribution medium, and use freon itself.   Those units are called "mini-splits", and simply require a 1” hole for the Freon lines.  They use a central compressor and have a heat/cool unit in each room.
Water interchange
Another method seen commercially (think: hotels) is to plumb service water around the complex.  Then have standalone heat pump units which interchange heat with the service water.   The heat pump units can be either per-room, or per apartment and have their own ductopus.  Then, a central facility at the complex has some mechanical plant to return the water to a "normal" temperature of around 30C, either by running through cooling towers, or heating it with fuel. As an alternative, it can have a "ground-source” for temperate water all year; a running stream, seawater (this works for boats, obviously), or favorable aquifer conditions.  That is the only way water interchange makes sense for small operations.


Strengthening ceiling above the garage for additional storage

As a broad statement, this is a terrible idea. Why? Your truss system is designed specifically to hold up the roof and, to a lesser degree, tie your walls together.

2x4s spanning 28' with breaks are clearly not up to the task of holding up plywood and sleepers (parenthetically, not sure why sleepers seem like a good idea, but I digress), much less whatever stuff you (and future occupants) load up there. It simply isn't in the design.

What you'd need is something resembling a floor system... sturdy beams running across the 28' dimension with reasonably sturdy lumber running perpendicular to the trusses. (That beam at the front, by the way, is going to interfere with your garage door/opener.) Or some engineered joists running parallel to the trusses, which might or might not be able to simply bear on the top plate. On top of that, we need to ensure that the load on the joists/beams is being carried appropriately to the floor through posts, which then need to be carried adequately on a footing.

So, ask yourself: is all this worth the trouble? You'd lose either headroom in the garage or headroom in the "attic" because of a need for decently sturdy framing lumber. Cost of time and materials isn't trivial. You might need to revisit your garage door opener mechanism. Ensuring adequate bearing for joists or beams isn't going to be simple. You're probably digging new footings in your garage floor.

Storage sheds or offsite storage units start to look pretty good at this point.

So, capsule summary: this can be done. You need actual engineering expertise to do it appropriately. It'll cost a lot.

The alternative is to just chuck some plywood up there; undermine the structure of your garage; then call a contractor in 5 years to fix it all at great expense.

Disclaimer: I'm a professional carpenter, and I'd rather not have to charge people money to fix things like this.


That's a large hole I would probably purchase a split flange cover (eschutcheon)

that goes around the pipe but unless you can find a large one a patch job will be in order first. The split flanges you want will be metal as the heat may cause problems for a plastic one. On the few hot water /steam systems I have worked on they usually have a small gap and fill the gap with insulation then a cover if you seal it tight you would be amazed how much noise it can make.


Is a 240v solar panel setup better than 120v?

Because of Ohm's Law, double the voltage and your transmission losses drop to 1/4 with the same diameter of wire.  Go here and punch in your voltage, actual service amperage, distance and tolerable voltage drop in percent (try different numbers here to see the effects of different size of cable).

If the distance is rather far, the calc may start talking about fat wire like 6AWG or larger.  Don't buy that, come back and ask us.

14AWG wire at 120V will be 8.333A (repeating of course), and load a 14AWG wire enough for voltage drop to be an important factor.  Going 240V cuts that by 75%.

Going 240V also gives expansion "room".

I can't possibly guess whether the build quality of the solar panels in question has cut corners on current pathways (endangering 120V panels) or insulation and component voltage rating (endangering 240V panels).  Insulation is generally cheaper than current pathways, so all things being equal I'd favor the higher voltage.

I'm no fan of marrying the PV and the inverter hardware.  If either fails, both are scrap, so you are beholden to the build quality on both of them.  They are also only good for grid tie.  If it's on a roof, love your firefighters.


60 ampere double pole breaker in the main panel.
6 AWG copper wire (x4) for a run less than 75ft., 4 AWG copper wire (x4) for runs less than 150ft.
60 ampere panel with 60 ampere main breaker.


The soffits need to be cleared of their insulation. Otherwise you risk having mold forming due to the humidity not being able to get out.

There should be vent baffles installed to allow the air to continue to flow over the insulation.

You may have an HVAC contractor install additional events to push more air into the area.


The 45 deg cut gives more surface area for glue if you glue and more strength , 90,s are easy and can be nailed or glued but any paralyx (not totally square) will show more and be weaker than a 45. I have done both in the past but 45's look professional and last longer. Just look at your door frames, sliding screen doors and you will find 45's not 90's


Why do my rooms heat to different temperatures?

I think two things will resolve 95% of your problem. Get a new thermostat (I like my Nest), and adjust your vent dampers seasonally and to suit your space usage.

Your thermostat apparently has issues with temperature, and a modern "smart" thermostat offers many benefits. One is the ability to run a fan outside of the normal heating/cooling cycles to equalize temperature in your rooms.

The variance between rooms isn't particularly concerning. Solar gain, airflow differences, human activity, and other factors can explain that. The highest temps are seen where cooking and bathing tend to introduce heat. Tweak your vents and see where that gets you. Be sure to look at the returns, too. They're critical to proper air movement.

Replacing your furnace won't do much unless you spring for multiple zones or automatic vent controls. That's probably not a practical approach for cost reasons.


Drywall over Ceiling tiles and Plaster Ceiling

The only concerns are:

That the furring strips are on suitable centers (24" or less)
That they're anchored well enough to support the weight of the drywall in addition to the tile.

Otherwise it should work just fine. You can take this opportunity to shim out any dips or humps, too.

If you're going to the trouble of removing the tile, you might as well just remove the strips, too.


Can I put a 6" hole in this ceiling joist?

That joist is carrying something, even if it the weight of the material that make up that part of the house. I would say it is more than that since the new 2X with the framing anchor is attached to it, is telling me it is passing the load from the new 2X onto the one you wish to drill.
Now onto drilling dimensional lumber. Code only allows you to drill a hole that is no larger than 1/3 the total height of the material you plan to drill. 12" material, 4" hole maximum. There are metal brackets available online that will allow larger holes to be drilled.
10-23 edit
If I might add, and it should have been obvious earlier...That doubled joist is actually a beam, not a joist. Those follow a more stringent rule for drilling. I do not know what the largest allowable hole is, short of a 3/4" hole for electrical wiring, but that is all I do know. The mention by the OP about the outside roof and inside the house, that beam is carrying the outside wall above it with possibly the roof portion as well


YES, purchase (then practice a bit) with a grommet setting tool kit. manufacturers use automated machines for it, but this is the original "old school" way it was done.


How to seal the exposed top of glass block windows

Buy some anchors and attach them a good few inches up on each side, and across the blocks.  Throw some mortar or a generous amount of glass block adhesive on top of the anchor (you can also screw it into the joists).  Throw a 2x4 firmly on top of mortar so your gap is equivalent to your other gaps.  Then secure the 2x4 (might even think about 2x6 for this installation) to the joists with a few screws on each side.  Caulk any corners or gaps.

This will finish your install and keep the air leak issues.  As it stands your blocks are kind of dangerous right now.  That middle one isn't secured and when these things fall and break... they explode and shards could be in person they explode on.  The anchor and top plate will fix this issue and help fix your air issue too.  (If you still notice any drafting after caulking I suggest smashing some roxul into the area.


There might only be exposed nail heads at the end(s) of the ridge.  The other nail heads should be covered by the adjacent ridge cap shingle, like this (from here):

A professional would hide the last nail heads by gluing an end piece on like this:

That seems like what you are describing.  If so, there should be no nail heads exposed.

If you paid for the roof, have the guys come back and fix it at their expense.

As for drip edge, that might vary according to local climate and neighborhood restrictions.  (I used to live in a neighborhood which required cedar shake roofs with non-metallic edges.  The HOA successfully sued a homeowner who did otherwise.)  Check with your neighbors.


What nap roller should I use for primer?

Generally the smoother the finish the smaller the nap.  The nap on the primer wouldn't matter in this situation.  I doubt your walls were done with perfection - no offense (none of mine are either).  So you need a certain amount of primer to get to the point of painting.  Meaning if you use a smaller nap for primer you will just have to make more swipes to get to the same point.  Most painters I know won't prime with anything smaller than a 1/2 inch.


Best way to fill gaps between flooring panels evenly

I'd strongly recommend talking to the landlord to see if he will fix the improperly installed laminate flooring.
If he refuses, but gives you permission (I'd get it in writing, just to be sure) to make a permanent change to the apartment, I'd recommend a two step process:

Squeeze some caulk (clear or matching color if you can find it) into the gaps.

Silicone will probably last longer than an acrylic/latex and is more likely to be available in a clear "color".
You'll need to barely cut open the tip of the tube - you'll want a very fine bead so you can get it to go into the gaps, not just sitting on top.
You may need to use your finger or a plastic tool (a plastic spoon would work well) to push the caulk into the gap.
Check the tube for the specific curing time for the caulk you purchase. It may say that it's paintable in 20 minutes - that's not what you're looking for. You don't want the minimum set time, you want it to be pretty well done. It will probably be 24-hours or longer.
As you pipe the caulk in, you will get a ridge above the surface, that's where step 2 comes in.

Using a sharp razor blade, very carefully cut the excess caulk off the surface.

Hold the blade 90° to the gap you've filled and nearly flat to the floor. I'd suggest holding the blade as flat to the floor as you possibly can - the goal is to cut off the excess caulk, not cut the floor.
You want to cut along the length of the gap you've show ("horizontally" as you've described it), not along the width of the gap. The edges of the blade should be on either side of the gap, parallel to the nice tight joints that you're not fixing.
Push it along the gap to cut the bead that's sticking up.
Note that if you move the blade side-to-side in a cutting motion, you could cut into the surface of the laminate causing more damage than you're fixing.
Note that if you hold the blade too steeply to the floor, you could cut into the surface of the laminate causing more damage than you're fixing.
You might pull up some caulk. If this happens your blade probably isn't sharp anymore, go grab a new one (blades are cheap compared to the labor of re-fixing, don't hesitate to replace more frequently than less frequently), then redo the caulk for this portion. I'd save all the "re-dos" for the end, you may have more than one spot to repair.

Note that if you use silicone, it will leave a slightly greasy feeling anywhere it touches. Any amount of silicone that gets into the texture of the floor instead of just into the gap will be difficult to get out of the texture. It will wear off over time, but I'm not sure exactly how to define "time" - it could be a matter of a couple of days for high traffic area to months or more. The caulk is, after all, designed to stick to a variety of surfaces and not come off - that's how it does its job of sealing. It's possible probable that after it's fully cured (a few days) you'll be able to rub this thin coat off using a finger or pencil eraser.
I'm not quite sure how slippery it will actually be underfoot, but if you're sensitive enough to feel these gaps in the flooring (I can definitely understand that), you're probably sensitive enough to feel the greasy feeling and may not like the result.
Note that both silicone and acrylic/latex caulks will have an odor to them. They're not horrible nor toxic (check the tube, just to be sure), but you will want some ventilation. Open windows and turn on fans blowing air out of the apartment while you're working and as long after as you can. I just did some fresh silicone caulking around my tub and it took about 14 hours for the odor to disapate enough that I couldn't detect it - other family members couldn't smell it earlier than that. If you have a sensitive nose, you might smell it for up to a week. Acrylic/latex caulks will be similar.


Relocating central air conditioner coolant supply line

Yes, you can do that. Technically, you can have the condenser unit anywhere you want. You just need a pathway for the freon supply line and the electric lines. Ideally, the closer the air handler and condenser unit are, the better the cooling will be so that needs to be a factor. If you're moving everything around, you might want to consider getting the air handler out of the attic.


Don't  scrimp on panels

One thing we constantly preach here is to get plenty of extra spaces.  Oh, you can install a 4-space panel, hook up your lights, saw, dust collector and general sockets, mission accomplished... And then boom, wife wants an EV.  There's a planer but it's 240v.  The inspector comes by and says your 4 circuits need AFCI, but you used double-stuffs.  Changing panels is a nightmare, and the cost difference to a much larger panel is a few latte's.  Maybe a pizza.  So we say "go big or go home". Nobody ever complained about too many extra spaces.

(And by the way, panels that say "24 spaces 48 circuits", that's a lie. These days Code will almost never let you use the double-stuff breakers needed to get to 48, so that panel is effectively 24.)

An outbuilding requires a main shutoff switch

A panel with a main breaker is just a cheap, compact way to provide that shutoff switch.  You can also use an accessory shutoff switch that is in a separate enclosure.

Don't bother trying to coordinate the trip rating of this "shutoff switch" breaker with the actual supply breaker in the main panel. That must be sized to protect the wire to the subpanel.  For the breaker in the subpanel, size doesn't matter. If it is too big, that's fine. If it is too small, it protects the subpanel itself.

Trying to get the local "main" breaker to trip first is a lost cause, unless you use a shunt breaker and some sort of local smart equipment that will fire the shunt trip on a more restrictive -- gahhh, that would be hard to build.

You may be able to make this panel have a main breaker.

Some panels allow Backfeeding -- that's where you fit a breaker with a special tiedown kit, and feed the power into the screws where you normally take the load.  Since it's AC power, the breaker doesn't actually care which way power flows.

Traditionally one puts a backfeed main breaker in the upper left corner.


How do I activate my Cat5e+ connections int my apartment?

Each of the coax wires, green wires, and blue wires represent home runs from this box to your room plates.  Respectively carrying TV, telephone, and ethernet service.  (I agree with Ecnerwal's observations)
Presumably that black coax hooked to a splitter is your network input.

You can use this in two sorts of ways;
1) put your cable modem and a router/switch here, and hook the cable modem ethernet output to the switch, and wire the switch ports to the blue patch jacks.
If you want wi-fi, you can put it here or on a drop that is optimally located.
2) you can use one of the coax drops to run to the room where you want to put your modem and switch(s).  Back feed the ethernet from that room to a switch in this box, all other rooms would be downstream of that switch.

WRT to TV.  You can add an additional multi-line coax splitter (maybe that horizontal coax thing is one) to feed the other coax drops.  There may be two in a room to allow a DVD or satellite receiver source signal to be distributed to other rooms.


What could be causing my generator to not work?

Did you add oil prior to attempting to start it?

It looks like some models of Parkside generators have an automatic engine cutoff in the event of low oil. This is to prevent operation during oil starvation, which will ruin the engine.

Parkside geneator manual download (PDF)


How can I prevent or remedy "bio slime" accumulation in a sink drain?

This has been an ongoing problem in the bathroom sink we use the most. When I was using conventional solutions (Drano and the like) to unclog it, I just assumed that there was a bunch of hair in the drain. This was a problem every couple of weeks, though, and I hated spending so much money on toxic drain cleaners. A couple of years ago, I happened across a long and flexible, toothed tool called Zip-It at the hardware store, and I've not had to invest in drain cleaner since. Since this tool pulls whatever's clogging the drain out of it, I learned that it wasn't only hair causing the sink to backup - it was also tons and tons of black slime. It's pretty gnarly, but it's satisfying to know that I'm actually physically removing this stuff from the drain! I saw that the tool is sold online as well, and I noticed that it's marketed in some places as a one-time use tool, but that's ridiculous. I've used the same one since I bought it two years ago, and it still works as it should. It's really cheap, though (I think I paid $3 for it), so even if the teeth do break off, it's easy enough to buy another one.

That drain still clogs with black slime every couple of months, and even though I can pull it out, I'd like to prevent it if possible. So, I'm going to start using baking soda + vinegar + hot water to see if that works to prevent it.


Water comes out of the shower head when faucet is in tub fill mode (I know why, but not how to fix)

Most likely the problem is just the diverter on your tub spout, it's probably not opening all the way, which allows some back pressure to build up in the pipe that eventually gets back up to the shower head. It could also be corrosion inside of the pipe that is having the same effect.

I don't see how it would have anything to do with the height of the valve, unless maybe the lack of head pressure (weight of the column of water in the pipe) isn't enough to overcome the back pressure created by your diverter valve. The Moen valve is just on or off, it doesn't tell the water which way to go, that's done with the diverter.

If that doesn't do it, the other option would be to put a shut-off valve at the shower head spout. Same net effect, no need to open the wall.


Why is a 250 Watt heat lamp over a shower going out after a few minutes?

Most bathroom heater/lamps have timers to prevent fire (the lamp and housing get hot, not the wires) or accidentally running up a large electric bill. Turn the lamp off and then on again to reset it, if it's a timer. If it's a thermostatic safety device, you'll have to wait for it to cool.


lighting rail of two light fixture one turn on faintly the other not at all

My psychic powers (required for deciphering your question) suggest that you have a two-tube 48 inch (not foot) florescent fixture.

Sounds like you need to replace the ballast. They don't live forever.


Replacing a standard 2-gang light switch with an electric dimmer switch

As mentioned in the linked questions (see the above comments) switches that are designed to only work with incandescent bulbs frequently send a low voltage through the bulb when the switch is in the off position. This is to power some component in the switch, like a night light, a motion sensor, or the receiver for a remote control. With newer energy saving bulbs like CFL's and LED's, this low voltage will cause the light to flicker, while it would have gone unnoticed with an incandescent.

The solution is to get a switch that's designed to work with energy efficient bulbs. This switch is either a standard manual switch, or it can have a dedicated neutral connection to send power over for the switch's components. To wire a switch with a dedicated neutral, either the power source needs to go through the switch's junction box, so you can pigtail off the neutral, or if the power source comes from the light fixture, you need a 3 wire connection from the fixture to the switch (hot, switched, neutral).


TLDR: Plug it into a different GFCI.  If it doesn't trip, the GFCI is bad.  If it still trips, the appliance is bad. It happens.
--
That's not how GFCIs work.
GFCI detectors are not connected to the ground wire at all.   (Mind you GFCI receptacles are connected to ground, but only for the sockets. A GFCI breaker doesn't even have access to ground.)
Further, UL requires that devices be built intending to have no electrical interaction with the ground wire at all. So the saw should not be interacting with ground. If the saw isn't, then there are only 2 possible current paths:  From hot via the machine's internals to neutral.... and from neutral via the machine's internals to hot.  And AC power switches between them 120 times a second.
Machines cannot store electrons.  (it would take something like the Large Hadron Collider, but even that couldn't store enough electrons to trip a GFCI.)
All electrons that come in must come out effectively instantaneously.   Therefore, current flows should be equal on hot and neutral on a single-phase circuit.
Since current flows should be equal, the GFCI should not trip.   It only trips when currents are imbalanced, meaning electricity is leaking via a third ??? path.   The GFCI doesn't care whether the ??? path is to ground, via a human or pet, etc.
In a motor device, especially one where the motor's current is interrupted, this third path can be between the motor windings and the (grounded) motor chassis, due to a defect in the motor windings.  A mega-ohm-meter can be used to test for this, after disassembling the machine to avoid putting its test voltage on parts which can't handle it.  This isn't your problem on a machine within warranty.
Very often the third (fault) path is via the ground wire.  Strictly as a diagnostic, you can try interrupting the ground path, by using a 3/2 prong "cheater" and insulate the little tang so it doesn't contact the receptacle cover plate.  If the device stops tripping GFCIs at that point, that confirms an internal ground fault.  Don't continue in service a broken appliance with a ground fault.  One day you'll use it on a receptacle that is not GFCI, and the appliance will just kill you instead.
Appliance makers who are putting out appliances to be used in garages and sheds, really need to learn to make them not trip GFCIs.  Code has required GFCI in those locations for quite some time.  Don't let them "try to make this your fault", it's theirs.
But as a last sanity check, plug it into a different circuit protected by a different GFCI.  If it does, then yeah, it's the appliance.  If it doesn't, I'd examine the original GFCI.


From your description, I'd say one set of old wires in the box was the feed from the power source, and the other set of old wires feeds to other loads downstream.   The newer cable probably feeds the receptacle.  Just a guess though.

  Update: If I touch the white bundle in this box to the ground, both of the downstream receptacles work, as I expected, but as per this answer, that seems like a dangerous and unsatisfactory solution.

It's definitely NOT a viable solution - it wasn't really even safe as a test.  However it does indicate the problem is likely due to a neutral connection or break in the wire  between this box and the source.

Tracing this back and finding the problem may be easy or may be very difficult.


Can I wire additional circuits off of GFCI this way?

Yeah, that works.
Sorry for such a short answer; your design is correct.


Both a non contact tester and a voltmeter will show voltage on a disconnected wire that is running parallel to a hot wire. Using A load like a light bulb put on the red wire to neutral will take the voltage closer to 0. If there truly is a short from another hot wire to the red the bulb will light. If the bulb lights the short could be in any junction box or at a staple holding the wire in place, the last possibility is a nail or screw was driven through the cable. There is a tool that can scan through walls that some electricians have that can pinpoint an open or short through the walls. I would double check and verify the voltage with a load because most times it is just induced voltage from running with another wire.


How to repair/replace old tongue and groove plank subfloor in bathroom?

The following options will perform equally, their differences are time, cost, and thickness of the subfloor. Best case scenario you'll still have a 3/4" subfloor, worst case you'll have 1 1/4" (sorted most economical in cost/time to least):

Lay 1/2 or (preferably) 5/8 over the existing floor. It's simple, and should provide enough strength with the existing strips to support tile.
Replace the strips that are weakened (you should be able to find a piece of 3/4 that would fit the space. All strips should cross a minimum of three joists for strength.
Follow up by laying 1/2" or 5/8" on top.
Remove and replace. This is a challenging option, those strips probably cross the entire house, what this means is that the walls are resting on the strips. When you remove the existing strips it will cause sagging in adjacent rooms so you'll need to at least block out beneath the walls/between joists to support the flooring on the other side. You'll also have to block out in between joists, and at the edges where the joists are more than a couple of inches away from the bathroom wall.

Once you've blocked out the floor reinforcements take a look at the joist spacing.

Subfloor replacement selection - OSB or Plywood. For tile, plywood is generally recommended by manufacturers over OSB.

Picking sheathing

Not all sheathing is created equal, however if you're picking up sheathing grade from a big box store, they hold a respectable graded sheet which is what I'm going to base the rest on.

What's your joist spacing? What is the nominal size of the joist?
If it's 18" and 2x8 (most likely case) or greater, you can probably get away with one 3/4, but I'd recommend 2-5/8" cross installed. If it's 16" and under, you'll be fine with a single 3/4"

If you're going to lay sheathing on the existing floor, you need a minimum (emphasis on minimum) of 3/8". Whether it's T&G or not, anything less than 3/8 is a waste of money as it's not structural.

Install

Either T&G, or square edge is fine, what's important is to space them 1/8" apart (use something that's credit card thickness for spacing). Ideally glued in the seam if it's T&G, and to the joist using an ASTM D3498, or APA AFG-01 conforming adhesive (PL-400/Premium, Lumber Lock, AdvanTech for example). Before applying the glue, make sure all surfaces are clean and dry.

Cutting and Blocking

There aren't any perfect videos, however for the preparation this video has great considerations:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgWtHSsww-4

Notes about blocking, use a minimum of 2x6. If you're going to use screws, I'd suggest structural screws like these

Otherwise 16d common nails will work.

End product should look like this, ready for a well supported subfloor:

Sources

Ditra install guideline (they guarantee replacement if tiles crack so they'll give safe numbers) bottom of page 7 for your setup:
https://sccpublic.s3-external-1.amazonaws.com/sys-master/images/h71/h71/8858545389598/DITRA%20Installation%20Handbook.pdf

Page six for the bare minimum required for sheathing based on joist spacing: http://www.tolko.com/system/resources/W1siZiIsIjIwMTcvMDEvMTgvMTBfMjFfMzNfMjM3X0FQQV9FbmdpbmVlcmVkX1dvb2RfRmxvb3JfU3lzdGVtc19Db25zdHJ1Y3Rpb25fR3VpZGUucGRmIl1d/APA-Engineered%20Wood%20Floor%20Systems-Construction%20Guide.pdf


How to fireblock irregular shaped hole in subfloor with pipes and electrical wires?

As you write about in the question, there are expanding foam products designed for this. The most common I see at the home improvement stores is Great Stuff FireBlock. It is less about stopping the actual fire than not giving it a clear path to travel and acting like a chimney.

As far as code, it seems that it could comply with code. There are also a variety of easily purchased fire rated caulks that would work here..


Can I dim LED lights when there are two different switches for the same fixture?

No, you should not have to replace both of the existing switches on each circuit. You won't be able to dim from both ends, of course. You just need a "3-Way LED Dimmer" and follow the appropriate wiring. Replace one of the switches (on each set of lights that have two switches) with the dimmer - the other switch will turn them on or off, at wherever the dimmer is set.


What kind of mortar should I use to point a fieldstone foundation?

I have been working on my field stone basement as well (170 years old), and here is what I have learned:

Having hired an actual stone mason (that's right; they still exist) to repair an area of wall that was very decrepit I learned some things that are helping me now, and I have also learned that some of what he was doing was not necessary.

I have begun my tuck pointing by chiseling away the loose mortar; sometimes there is a lot, and sometimes just a little (sometimes I can clear a cavity inside the wall bigger than a softball, and sometimes I have to chisel away sound mortar to have enough of a keyway to hold the new). This process starts by actual, but gentle, chiseling, and ends by scraping with the chisel until I am satisfied that any mortar left is sound. (Old lime mortar is more like scraping very hard playdough that the kids have left out accidentally). I chisel this away strategically, never completely freeing a stone from the wall, if I can avoid it, and never removing to large an area at a time; as I progress, I work from and join into the areas I have recently completed, so that the wall is well supported. Then I vacuum out the cavities completely before I begin mortaring.

I am using a type N mortar mix (already to go; just add water). Since this is about 25 percent cementitious material (lime and portland cement), I am adding sand to bring the percentage down to about twenty percent, to more closely match the hardness of the old lime mortar, although with all the conflicting advice regarding this, I doubt this matters as much as some say. The sand, however, makes the mortar a bit more workable, and enables me to pack it into the crevices a bit better.

I am using a trowel and tuck pointing tool to pack the mortar thoroughly between the stones, and completely fill the cavities (I mean COMPLETELY). Then, after curing for a little while (till the moisture shine is off of the mortar), I use a damp paint brush (really cheap one for this) to brush the mortar joints smooth, and to bond all the edges thoroughly to the stone. The result is pleasing to the eye, and completely sealed. After this, the stone mason advised me that a parge coat (completely coating the wall) is unnecessary; in fact, it seems to me that if repairs are needed in the future, that coating will make them harder to see early on, and complicate the repair.

I hope this helps. My repairs are progressing nicely, and look just like what the stone mason was doing.


How do I clean the intake filter for my washing mashine?

That's brass, not copper, and it looks to me like a typical hose fitting with a pressed-in rubber washer.

Try grasping the washer with a needle-nose pliers and pulling it out. My guess is that the screen will follow. If the washer is damaged or worn it can probably be replaced with an inexpensive part from a hardware or garden store.