Can I wire 3 switches to 3 devices through conduit with a single hot and ground?

Conduit is a fine way to do it.  One of the luxuries of working in conduit is you can install any wires the circuit requires.  This is safer too, because it assures that hots and neutrals actually are together.  There's no problem with transitioning between cable and conduit of any kind, so long as you are in locations appropriate to both types.

It's also easier to wire, since you aren't stuck with red and black (or marking white or gray neutrals). You can use any color you please; brown, orange, yellow, blue, purple or pink. Even my local lumberyard sells several of those by the foot.  Of course green can never be anything but ground, even in a conduit.  (thanks gregmac for reminding me to specify what I assume you know, but the next reader might not.)

In metal conduit you must bond the conduit to ground, but you also can let the conduit be the ground, so one less wire to pull. To make a transition from wired ground to conduit ground, the boxes have a hole tapped for 10-32 for attaching the ground wire.  For convenience, they sell green screws 10 for a buck, and pre-made ground pigtails 10 for $3.


Internal Only Home PBX Intercom Using Vintage Wired Phones

I assume this is to draw the power needed.

Incorrect. A PBX is usually independently powered. Most people who install a PBX want to be able to call outside numbers.

RCA makes a PBX-style set of phones that operate over shared wiring common in a household. See https://www.rca4business.com/4linephones


How should I attach crown molding to cabinets with limited space?

You could use a good construction adhesive to glue it in the areas you cannot drive a nail through.  Make sure to use a scrap piece of molding to wedge the piece against the wall until the glue dries.


Carrier AC Air Handler Model #FC4DNF060 Filter Access Panel

Are you sure there is a filter there? Is there a return-air vent somewhere else in the house/office? The situation you show is common, but typically the filter has been relocated somewhere else in the return-air ductwork system.


Running power to garage. Can't find THWN. Is THHN rated for Wet Locations the same thing?

The wire needs to be rated as and stamped THWN. You need that "W" in there, that designates the wire is suitable for wet locations.  As you know, the inside of a buried conduit must be treated as a wet location.
However it's not a problem here, in fact I don't know if there's any THHN on the market now that's not also rated THWN.
That wire is actually dual rated as THHN and THWN, and the jacket will be stamped with both.  They just have THHN on the label and product description.  You can verify this in the Product Brochure PDF linked on the homedepot page in your post.


Is it ever necessary to have more than one back flow valve?

A single backflow valve placed in your outflow line would be all that is needed to prevent sewage from the city main backing up into your house. It sounds like this is all that would be necessary to satisfy the insurance company, but you'd have to ask them.

Multiple backflow valves would be designed to prevent a blockage in one of your internal drains from causing a drain overflow in the basement. Ask the insurance company if this is what they require.

EDIT

Back-flow valves are not required in my neighborhood of slab-on-grade houses in Dallas, but I have installed a spring loaded overflow in my cleanout in the yard. This protects me from a backup in the sewer under the street in front of our house, but this simple device ($4.00) of course wouldn't work to protect a basement.

The streets run east-west and the terrain slopes down from east to west. The neighborhood is bounded on the west by a street running along a park around a south flowing creek. Two houses on two different streets north of us have filled with sewage inches deep due to a blockage in the city lateral where it enters the city main under the creek bottom. This was decades apart in time. The sewage from uphill filled up the main under the street and then out the shower and toilets of the lower of the two houses at the west corners.

I knew the people in both houses and it was a horrible mess.


For deck stairs adjacent & parallel to the house wall do I need handrails on both sides?

No, one handrail is required on stairs with 4 or more RISERS. (R311.7.7.) it needs to have a minimum of 1 1/2" clear from the handrail to the wall and shall be mounted not less than 30" nor more than 38" above the nosing of the tread. (R311.7.7.1.) The handrail shall be continuous, but it can be interrupted by newel posts at turns. (R311.7.7.2.)

The size is complicated, but don't go larger than 2"... (R311.7.7.3.)

AND, all stairs shall be lighted. (R311.7.8.)


How can I create low-cost, fire resistant, hidden in-wall storage?

Brick and mortar box.  Put drywall over brick if you want to hide it.  Leave an opening so you can take things in and out.  Can use an old fire oven door or something for the opening.  I actually found the best place to do this is in a closet ceiling if you have attic space above.  It doesn't have to look good so don't worry about the brick job - just make sure that is is pretty well sealed so heat/smoke can't get in.  Could use garden stones too.


Can two ground rods be bonded via a PVC conduit above ground?

I can find nowhere in the NEC that says that you must bury inter-electrode bonding jumpers.  In fact, 250.64(B) explicitly allows for running grounding electrode conductors (such as inter-electrode bonding jumpers) along construction or otherwise aboveground when suitably protected against physical damage, etc.:

  Securing and Protection Against Physical Damage.
  Where exposed, a grounding electrode conductor or its enclosure shall be
  securely fastened to the surface on which it is carried. Grounding electrode
  conductors shall be permitted to be installed on or through framing members. A
  4 AWG or larger copper or aluminum grounding electrode conductor shall be
  protected if exposed to physical damage. A 6 AWG grounding electrode conductor
  that is free from exposure to physical damage shall be permitted to be run
  along the surface of the building construction without metal covering or
  protection if it is securely fastened to the construction; otherwise, it shall
  be protected in rigid metal conduit (RMC), intermediate metal conduit (IMC),
  rigid polyvinyl chloride conduit (PVC), reinforced thermosetting resin conduit
  (RTRC), electrical metallic tubing (EMT), or cable armor. Grounding electrode
  conductors smaller than 6 AWG shall be protected in RMC, IMC, PVC, RTRC, EMT,
  or cable armor. Grounding electrode conductors and grounding electrode bonding
  jumpers shall not be required to comply with 300.5.

Of course, you'll have to double-check with your local inspectors, though -- they may have some local requirement for burial of bonding jumpers.


Optimal Breaker Configuration for Split Phase Mains Power

This is not 2-phase, it is split-phase.  Think through how that works.

Imagine if you will, two 100A transformers separately service two completely separate 120V systems.

What's the capacity of these together?  200A @ 120V, obviously.  So now let's bridge them together so we have 240V end to end.

What's the capacity of these together?   Still the same 200A@120V, obviously, since all we've done is bridge them.  But what's its capacity @240V?

Now here's the 100-amp question.  Do these capacities share or stack?  Or does one take away from the other?   If the upper transformer is supplying 120V at 70 amps, how much 240V can it also supply without exceeding limits of the transformer?

Think it through.

In practice

Now in practice, those two transformers are constructed on a single frame.  But they are indeed separate secondaries, just like the diagram shows.  They can be wired with the secondaries in parallel, in which case 200A@120V is what you get.

And, in practice, you'll notice that in the following drawing, the transformer is up on a pole and shared by several houses.  The only way they'll sell it to you is 240/120 split-phase.

Now, you asked how you hook up 3 subpanels of 240V, 120 leg A, and 120 leg B, respectively.   Assuming we're dealing with a 100A main supply, you can do this:

Mind you, this is exactly what you asked for, not what would be commonly done.  Because of that choice, you wouldn't be able to support MWBCs or split-phase appliances (NEMA 10 or 14) out of the sub-panels.  That may not matter if you don't have any split-phase loads, e.g. split-phase appliances are not sold in the Philippines since half the island has Euro style 240-only power.   There may be other reasons for wanting to do this, e.g. putting whole-panel GFCI or AFCI on the sub-panel, sub-metering for tenants, a central shut-off for all electric heaters, switching part of household load onto a small generator or 120V solar, etc.

As you gathered from the earlier exercise, you cannot load all 3 panels to 100A.  Either 100A panel can be loaded to 100 - (240A panel load).

You want 300A

Right off the bat, the power company's pole line from transformer to meter must be able to handle 300A, and that's not what they usually install, because they're not in the business of filling the sky with useless aluminum, and pulling another power drop is not that expensive for the rare customer who needs it.

Depending on your panel, upgrading to 300A is not as simple as swapping your main breaker for a 300A one.  Very few service panels are listed for 300A.  The chance of you having one is remote.

Typically, in this case, power companies feed two main panels from a single meter, and so you could slap a common 200A or 225A panel right next to your existing 100A panel without having to rewire it.  However in that case you would not be able to feed 300A to each of three subpanels.

Getting split-phase out of the above

As drawn, you can't get split-phase out of any of the sub-panels because they are not 120/240 panels.  That would require a fourth feed wire.

That's because hots, neutral and ground must source out of the same panel.  You cannot feed out of 120V "A" and steal a hot from 120V "B".  (we actually had a landlord ask to do that, to force tenants to split the cost of a water heater).   You cannot feed out of the 240V panel and steal a neutral or use ground as neutral.

In that case, you'd either feed the split-phase load out of the main panel, or  add the fourth wire and reconfigure any of the panels to 120/240 service.  As a practical thing they probably started as 120/240 panels anyway, since straight 120 or straight 240 panels are rare.


Replacing rusted metal front porch posts

Depends on what you mean by non-structural. I think it's very unlikely that the overhanging roof is self supporting as it seems to be a large span. More likely that the posts are holding some of the weight.

Rather than replace the whole posts with something else (and altering the 'feel/look' of the place), what's your welding like? I only ask as the vast majority of the metal posts are fine. Cutting the 'feet' off each post and welding in new metal is not terribly time consuming and could be done one at a time negating the need for additional supports (handy since they are in pairs!).

I can't quite tell if the posts go into the concrete (hopefully not) or sit on top in some kind of foot. Maybe it's possible to make up some new 'feet' that can be welded/bolted into place with a little flair and ingenuity (after cutting away the bottom part of the post). Just a thought....


Replacing halogen under-cabinet lights - connection question

Cutting an extra notch into the existing plug allowed it to fit into the new socket and that worked a treat.


Concrete screws not going in all the way

That's far too long a screw for that application. 2-3/4" screws are designed for mounting 2x4 lumber, for example, which would leave just 1-1/4" of penetration or so.

Concrete screws, especially thinner ones like that, should only engage the concrete maybe an inch or a bit more. If you try running that in with a stronger drill it'll almost certainly snap.

Try the 1-1/4" screws, and be aware that running them in more than once usually results in the threaded concrete failing due to the grinding effect of insertion. They should be a once-and-done install. Move to a new hole if that one doesn't seem to hold with a shorter screw, or use some epoxy to rebuild the bond.


Do local building codes/regulations control where to locate a gas meter and responsibility for moving it?

Building departments usually rely on a nationally recognized model code. In California at the time your house was probably built, this was likely the Uniform Building Code published by the International Council of Building Officials. I don't have any old UBC references, but the current International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings which has in part superceded it has an entry related to under floor access that is very much like what appeared in older UBC codes.

  R408.4 Access. Access shall be provided to all under-floor spaces. Access openings through the floor shall be a minimum of 18 inches by
  24 inches (457 mm by 610 mm). Openings through a perimeter wall shall
  be not less than 16 inches by 24 inches (407 mm by 610 mm). When any
  portion of the through-wall access is below grade, an areaway not less
  than 16 inches by 24 inches (407 mm by 610 mm) shall be provided. The
  bottom of the areaway shall be below the threshold of the access
  opening. Through wall access openings shall not be located under a
  door to the residence. See Section M1305.1.4 for access requirements
  where mechanical equipment is located under floors.

It seems a reasonable person would say placing an immovable object in front of this access would violate the intent of the code, but this sounds like it will devolve into a legalistic pissing match where legal assistance could be required to get your way. This could end up costing more than simply paying to move the meter.


The jet pump may have a failed jet or plugged with sediment , that you can feel vibration on the submersible would concern me that must be really in bad shape to feel movement.


Exterior wall framing - Safe to remove 2x4 that was part of soffit/bulkhead?

The 2x4 looks to be the the nailer ,to the soffit drywall. You should be able to remove it. Looking at the rest of your frame, i see a leak or a old leak.  You should look into that a bit.


How to determine if electrical wires (romex) are undersized?

Look at the cable or wire.  Any cable or wire legal to use in the US must be labeled at regular intervals.  There's usually a lot of gibberish but amongst it will be something like 10 AWG  or 8 AWG or 6 AWG.

You should also double-check to see if the wire is copper or aluminum.  Look at the ends at the bare wire. Copper is the color of a penny.  Aluminum is the color of a nickel.  Aluminum wiring may also have markings like AL or AA-8000 or AA-1350.  The AA-1300 series alloys are illegal for new work and widely considered dangerous.  The AA-8000 series are legal but must be terminated in a special way.

The allowable circuit breaker size is defined by the size of the wire.  It's fairly simple:

14 AWG copper wire -- 15 amp breaker
12 AWG copper wire -- 20 amp breaker
10 AWG copper wire -- 30 amp breaker
8 AWG copper wire -- 40 amp breaker
6 AWG copper wire -- 50 amp breaker (higher in some cases)

(the pattern is not linear after this, it is also different for aluminum.)  You cannot use a larger (more amps) breaker than the wire can support. Smaller is OK.

So step 1 look at your wire.  Step 2 check your breaker.  If your breaker is not allowed for the wire, turn the breaker OFF until you change it to the value allowed for the wire.   Don't delay, shortcut or fool around.  Do it right away.  At this point the circuit is safe from overload.

Now that you know the allowed amps on the circuit, and have replaced the breaker to that value, it's time to look at the receptacle.  Here's the table right out of the National Electrical Code.

Look at your circuit amps, and change your receptacle to one of the allowed sizes.  (by the way, 50A receptacles are allowed on 40A circuits because there's no such thing as a 40A receptacle. If it ever did exist, code would allow it, but it doesn't. That's because there's already a glut of receptacle sizes, we don't need another.)

Your fixed wiring is now legal, in a safety sense. (it may not be provisioning the circuits that Code requires for new construction, but it won't burn your house down.)

Now, let's look at distance. All wires have resistive losses at high loads.  The loss is "per-foot", and the above steps have made sure the loss is small enough per foot that nothing will get dangerously hot, regardless of the length.

But on a longer run, this can add up to significant voltage drop - the appliance may not get as much voltage as it wants, which can result in poor performance.

You can compensate for that by using larger wire.  Here is a calculator to help you work that out.    This is rarely needed in within-the-house wiring; it would have to be a pretty big house.

The next step is to figure out if your devices can work with that amount of power.  I generally assume that previous people who worked on a circuit had a "method to their madness" and didn't do random stupid things.  You may find your appliances are able to work with circuits of that ampacity - check the documentation and/or with the manufacturer.

For instance it's very common to have ranges which actually work fine on 40A, but are supplied with a 50A plug for reasons discussed above.

Or this may be a replacement appliance, and the original one did work with that ampacity.  In which case you'll be able to find other appliances which will work.  This is likely cheaper than pulling new cable.

Or you may be able to adapt your use of appliances so you can stay within circuit limits.  This may or may not be legal.  For instance if your heat pump has a multi-stage auxiliary heat system, you may be able to disable one of the stages.


Leaving warm climate home vacant for a few months

No need to shut off the gas just turn down all thermostats.
No need to drain tank, set stat to vacation.
Leave this at 80*
Yes, close main supply valve
Reduce this setting a bit. Add several jugs of water to fill space.  Will reduce cycling.


New construction built on frozen ground = house settling 3" from north to south

Get your foundation and framing guy to deal with it. It should be his problem, since it's certainly his fault.

That may take your contract (one hopes it has appropriate language) and a lawyer, or not, depending on how much integrity he does or does not have.


When sanding spindles how far should I go?

I would make sure it is not lead based paint before I start sanding.  A product you may want to use is called peal and stick.  You apply a layer of the product then add a special paper that comes with it and another layer of product let it sit ans peal it away using plastic scrapers.  It will take it to the bare wood and you can seal with a primer and paint.


You asked,

  Does anyone know the name of this tool?

That tool is called a scorp. Specifically, that scorp looks like it is designed for block print carving, the act of cutting an image out of a block of wood or a thick piece of leather to be used in printmaking. Scorps are different from gouges or other carving tools in that they're meant to be drawn (pulled) towards yourself, instead of pushed away.

Other, larger scorps are made by bending larger flat blank into an oval or rounded shape:

These are meant for carving out the hollows in a spoon or other "dishing" actions.

Some scorps resemble really tiny draw knives, and are used like draw knives, but with a single handle (versus one on each end of a draw knife):

Confusingly, some larger scorps do actually have two handles, which essentially makes them a curved version of a typically-flat drawknife:

Sometimes they are designed to be used by one hand or the other, and are open on one side, not forming a complete loop. For example, this is a "right handed" scorp:


How do I figure out if these walls are load-bearing?

You don’t give a lot of info, but I’ll make some assumptions and you tell me where I’m wrong.
You live in an area that does not get much snow, based on the size and spacing of your roof joists.
Likewise, you live in an area that is not a high wind area.
You say “joists run this way”, which I assume you mean roof joists and ceiling joists.
The end wall shown in the picture (with a window in it) is NOT one of the walls marked “Wall 1” or “Wall 2”.
The type of roof structure is what I call “stick built”. That is to say, individual boards are used for the construction of the roof and roof trusses are not used. However, each roof member is important and no member can removed without careful consideration.
The ceiling structure is independent of the roof structure, but required for the integrity of the exterior walls.
Load bearing walls are walls carrying vertical or horizontal loads. Obviously there are no vertical supports coming down from the roof structure and because they are oriented in the same direction as the ceiling joists, the walls are not load bearing.
Another kind of roof load is called a “point load”. That means a structural post could be resting on the walls (or in the wall), which is not visible in the picture and is not used in this type of roof.
Horizontal loads are from wind loads and seismic loads. Shear walls are constructed to resist these loads and are usually the exterior walls, because the need to attach to the roof sheathing. Your walls do not extend up to the roof sheathing, so your walls are not “load bearing”.
Summary:
The two walls you want to remove are not load bearing (vertical or horizontal).


Determine if wire in switch box is safe to re-purpose?

I bet that the 40V measurement is likely a "ghost voltage," which is a misleading reading that can show up as a side effect of using a digital voltmeter on a dead wire.  The misleading measurement happens because there is capacitive coupling when you have an un-energized wire running next to an energized one.  The impedance of the voltmeter itself causes the high voltage to register, though the current it is capable of delivering would be miniscule. In this case, it would be from the switched wire running next to the hot wire.

To determine whether or not the voltage is actually present and being fed from a true voltage source, rather than being a misleading reading of an induced voltage from an adjacent wire, you need a low-impedance voltmeter.  Fluke makes several.

Given that this is the only time I am likely ever going to need this test, I'm not going to purchase a dedicated low-impedance tester.  Instead of doing that I'm going to do a few brute-force tests.

We're going to start with the assumption that the red wire is likely connected to nothing other than the outlet.  Today, when the switch is closed, it sends connects the black wire to the red one and sends hot down the red wire.

As far as we know, no other devices are connected to this switch.  If we shut off the circuit breaker, connect both ends of the red wire to ground, then turn it back on, the circuit breaker shouldn't trip.  If this is the case, measure the current from the red wire to ground on each side, and from the red wire to neutral and hot.  There shouldn't be any current flowing into or out of a dead wire, period.

Obviously, this was done at my own risk.  Current to ground came up with .001 mA.  Tied the red wire to neutral at the outlet, connected the smart switch, and works like a charm.


4x6 wood swingset beam, single span, center load max lbs?

Forte Web is an excellent tool for designing wood beams.

That being said, it can take a point live load at mid-span of 610 pounds. Make sure you purchase #1 or select structural. You don't want any knots in the beam because of the types of forces a swing will apply to it.


I searched for this and couldn't find a NEMA code for this outlet (no surprise there!). But in my research it appears that this has been around for a long time, terrible idea as it was. Attached is a pic of a similar outlet that is obviously quite old.  There are actually 3 of them with the same configuration in the pic.  I would rather have made this a comment, than an answer, but pics can't be posted in comments.


How can I lower a dirty arm trap drain(outlet) to accommodate a lower sink?

I ended up following Alaska Man's advice and lowered the sanitary tee.  After installing the new sink and the disposal, it was obvious that my only option was to take the sanitary tee route.  The good news was that I did have access to the other side of the wall so getting at the tee was simple.  The unfortunate news was that I really only needed to lower the DWV about an inch.

Here is what my disposal looked like after install - showing the DWV too high by just a bit.  The after shows how far I lowered the DWV.

On the other side of the wall, this is where I lowered the sanitary tee about 3 inches total.


Pests infestation in bathroom - identification and termination

I have found cases where flying insects are getting in at the bathroom vent when it was just pumping into the attic space on several occasions 2 cases were lady bugs and 1 was small beatles.
I have also seen them coming in at fireplace's where the stone work to wall was not fully sealed but since yours are in the bath I would check the vent fan and make sure it is vented to the outside and has a back draft damper. After that seal any cracks at the corners of your walls , and where your plumbing enters and exits even under the tub drain expanding foam is great to fill openings where water and drain pipes enter.


what kind of radiator is this? Can I build a wood cover for it?

It appears to be a "forced hot water" radiator, unless there is a steam vent you're not showing us. Also called "fin-tube radiators".  How the water is heated is not entirely relevant (oil, gas, wood, coal, electric, solar -- same radiator).  The fins conduct heat from the water in the supply pipes (tubes) and "amplify" the transfer to the air, which flows across the fins. Airflow may be natural convection or mechanically forced by a fan.

You need to straighten the fins for best airflow (there are heavy-duty "combs" made for the purpose) and blow/vacuum them out from time to time, if you want to maintain maximum efficiency.  You can dress it in wood if you like.  They are generally designed to carry water no hotter than about 180 degrees F. Wood will not be as good at conducting or radiating heat as the metal enclosure. You must provide adequate air vents in any enclosure so that the warm air has a way to heat the room.

My fin-tube baseboards run nicely at around 150, except on the coldest days, at which point our on-site engineer raises the boiler temperature and chucks in more wood.


How to white spray paint bath window for privacy?

Have you thought of a bathroom window film? It's very easy to put there, and it works really nicely. I mean one of these:

They  come in a variety of patterns, from plain to very fancy. I think they are easier to apply than the sprays (I've put them on couple windows without any problems). They are made to be in the bathroom so they last long, and the surface is easy to clean from dust.


At least two of those screws look like wood screws. the other a machine screw. The machine screw probably has a nut on the other end that is spinning when you spin the screw.

In all three cases, try grabbing it (a screw) with a pair of needle nose or regular pliers, and pull down on it while you turn counterclockwise. See it it begins to unscrew. Sometimes you can us a flat bladed screwdriver to apply pressure against a screw while you unscrew it with the right screwdriver.

In either case, as you noted you are installing a fixture rated for a ceiling fan, you will most likely want to gain access to the area above, or open the ceiling a bit further to secure the new mount. (They typically have spikes you are supposed to hammer into the wood, and for good measure holes to make it permanent).

Also, that is obviously some old wire. Just curious, are you going to put in new romex to control the light and the fan separately if the unit you have supports that?

Hope this approach works for you.


What is the maximum weight loading from a drywall screw stud?

First there is no easy way to answer the question.  It is a physics question that requires:

length of area of screw inserted into framing
the ability of framing to hold screw (this would involve a very complex set of equations)
angle of the screw
materials and manufacturing process of the screw (even with drywall screws there is a spectrum of quality)
temperature (not a huge factor but still)
the verticality of the load
time (the ability to hold an object will dissipate as screw becomes loose when loads get to more than 1/3 to 1/2 of its capacity)

Here are some numbers for wood screws into 2x4 framing.

Just to give a round number I would be comfortable saying 100lbs for a drywall screw drilled 1.5 inches into a premium southern pine 2x4.  Just into drywall... 2lbs.


What's the best method of insulating windows against solar heat?

Thermal draperies may be the best option. They can be opened when needed. The fabric is available to make your own at JoAnne Fabric, but ready mades are inexpensive and readily available.


Can I plug a washing machine requiring a 15A breaker into a 20A outlet?

Actually, you don't need to change anything. All 120V 20 Amp receptacles are designed to accept 120V 15 Amp and 120V 20 Amp plugs. Because of that, all 120V 15 Amp devices are normally designed to work properly in a 120V 15 Amp or 120V 20 Amp circuit. This is true for appliances like a washing machine but even for something as small as a cell phone charger that actually uses < 1 Amp.

Once you get past 20 Amp, the design of the sockets change so that you can't mix and match. And you can't plug a 20 Amp device into a 15 Amp receptacle - it won't fit.

Bottom line: No problem.


How can I repair this damage to the walls in my garage?

Steven and I were typing at the same time, I've explained and elaborated a bit more FWIW. Neither of us really needs the points :)

It appears the wallboard was cut a bit too long during installation and it was forced into place, causing some pieces to spall off. In removing the spalled pieces, the paper was further torn. Ideally, you want a small gap here so any water on the concrete does not wick up into the wallboard. As long as this area does not get wet, it's nothing to worry about.

It's difficult to completely remove polyurethane foam from concrete. Scrape off as much as you can, then hit it with a wire brush mounted on a drill or angle grinder. You can level off the spalled areas with joint compound, then paint for a clean neat appearance.

Other than being unsightly, it's not really hurting anything. Remediation would be pretty low on my to do list.


Mineral spirits not drying out of hardwood floor before finishing

I would never put poly down on a surface that was uneven looking as this may magnify the uneven appearance. You may have saturated this area more than other areas, a fan might dry it out but remember the base of your floor is the starting point if it looks wrong now it will look worse with poly in my experiances, you want an even appearance for the entire floor, excess spirits may dilute the poly or cause it not to cure properly it sounds like you have done a good job with the prep work don't rush and you will have a better looking end product.


Installing bath sink draining for pedestal when drain does not line up

More pipe. Either an extender on the trap or extending the drain from the wall.


A shop that fabricates sheet metal can probably fabricate a new one. A company that installs metal roof systems would be a good candidate because they deal with pre-finished materials on a regular basis. An HVAC shop could probably also fabricate something but they are less likely to have a finished material.

If you're ambitious, you could perhaps fabricate something yourself out of sheet metal.


what size wire is a float switch for a HVAC unit

I would use an 18AWG multi-rated TFFN/AWM/MTW here

The most commonly available wire that I can reasonably say is usable for this application would be an 18AWG wire that is multi-rated as TFFN (fixture wire), AWM (appliance wiring material), and MTW (machine tool wire).  This wire is generally a stranded copper, with PVC insulation rated for 105°C in appliance (AWM) applications, and should be available from any competent electrical supply house (as it's also used for internal wiring in light fixtures, hence the name "fixture wire").

UL 486 listed wirenuts or insulated butt crimp splices suitable for connecting 18AWG to 20AWG (the latter applied using an appropriate crimp tool) should be used to splice the patch-wire into the float switch wiring, by the way.  You are correct, though, that the low-voltage fuses used on HVAC control boards are typically of an ATO (automotive) type (rated for 32VDC/VAC), so replacing the fuse with a plug-in automotive type of the same amp rating will work.


Removing wallpaper on concrete wall and prepare for paint

I think you have the right idea. Wall paper is a huge pain to remove correctly, and that glue will absolutely cause problems with future coatings if it's not dealt with.
I have 2 suggestions.

If you can muster the willpower to clean the walls one more time, get some TSP (trisodium phosphate, the real stuff, not the "TSP Substitute") and use it mixed with hot water to really scrub, then rinse with water. It does a good job of eating up that gunk.
Use an oil primer. As good a product as Gardz is, you absolutely must avoid any kind of water based product being directly in contact with the remaining paste residue. The water can re-activate it and cause poor adhesion and peeling. If that base coat doesn't stick, anything else that goes on top of it will fail sooner or later. Get a respirator with an organic vapor cartridge, a can of mineral spirits... and maybe a couple of fans. It's kind of a pain, but it dries fast. It's really not that bad.

Also, @JACK makes a good suggestion in the comments to deal with the texturing, but I will add a warning: don't mud directly on top of the unprimed wall, for the same reason I recommended not using a water based primer.


Is it possible to get a accurate assessment of a roof without ripping it off?

He eventually gave us a price of the job guaranteeing that this would absolutely not change.

Ok, so I assume this is in writing, correct?  If so, it's his problem, not yours.  Of course there may be the "fine print" that covers such things and makes the roofer's "guarantee" worthless.

It's hard to say beyond that without seeing the actual contract you signed.

But yes, a roofer should have been able to determine the condition and thickness of the decking before giving you the quote.


Are transition strips necessary in doorway for same level tile to tile?

There is no right or wrong answer to this as it depends on personal preference.
If it were me I would strongly consider not using a transition strip, to remove an additional element which would require extra work to install and maintain. A simple grout joint between the two tile types would probably be fine.


How should I insulate the ceiling between floors in a ski cabin?

You are correct. The field of building science is gradually moving away from friendliness toward vapor barriers in exterior walls, and you certainly should not put one in an interior wall or floor. Not a great idea.

In addition, it would make more sense to use batt or spray foam insulation between the floor joists as opposed to cutting rigid foam to fit in those irregular spaces, which would be a nightmare. Finally, most foam insulations are themselves vapor barriers, so if you use foam, you will be creating much of a vapor barrier anyway. For this reason, ideally you would use mineral wool batts (sold under the name "Roxul" in the USA) in the floor joist bays, as they are highly-insulating and vapor-permeable. As an added bonus, they block sound very well too--useful for insulation between floors of a house. I am re-insulating my house with this stuff and just love it. Unlike fiberglass, mineral wool batts are not moisture sensitive, easy to work with, and highly effective.


Latch locks when door handle pulled down

Are you sure the handle wasn't removed?  It's certainly a slight misalignment so that the latch is binding.  It could be that when it was rehung the door shifted slightly, or same thing with the handle being removed and replaced.  Either way, I'd loosen the handle enough that you can shift it very slightly but have it hold the position while you test it.  When you find a position that eliminates the binding (which I bet you do), retighten it.  If this doesn't seem to be the problem, let me know.


If your house was built before the 1940's, it's probably a layer of wood lath, followed by a standard 2x4 stud wall with no insulation.  Perhaps some knob-and-tube wiring just to make things interesting.  The plaster will make more dust than you thought possible (wear a mask).

After the 1940's, it's probably gypsum board, but without the foaming agents and plasticizers that make today's drywall easier to use.  Behind it, you probably have a 2x4 stud wall with no insulation and conduit or NM wiring.

[Here's a picture of a lath wall from the back, courtesy Wikipedia]


What are my options for grab bar blocking when pipes are in the way?

Consider simply double lining the wall. A sheet of plywood over the studs, then drywall on top.

This will narrow the room by 1/2-3/4" depending on the ply, but this may not be a problem for you. You could also use thinner drywall as it doesn't have to span any gaps.


How do I secure a vinyl window to the wall?

Yes put a nail into every hole.  I would recommend galvanized nails that are 1 to 2 inches in length.  If there is nothing behind the flange but plywood, anything over an inch and the nail will just be sticking through the plywood.

I assume you will hit some framing behind the playwood, so a little longer and you will hit that.  I looked over my new vinyl windows in my sunroom and there are no attachment points on the inside of the window.

I don't recall doing anything on the inside of the window when installing.  The most important point I remember was with the flashing on the outside.  Start at the bottom, then the sides, then the top so that water can be properly channelled away.  There is a video below in the comments showing an installation.  I remember it was pretty straight forward, just made sure the windows are level.


Exhaust fan hook up. I only have black and white from source. Please help

You're going to need to run new wire, which can be tricky.

ASSUMPTION - There is a wire from the panel to the switchbox.  If the supply goes directly to the fixture first, then this does not apply!!!

Turn off power to the circuit.
Remove the existing fixture.  See if you can get the mounting box out.
Feel along the wire and remove the staple attaching the wire to the structure.
Do the same at the switch box.
Hopefully, your wire will move now if you pull it gently at one end.
Take some 14-3 wire and strip a few inches of the outer insulation off. (A dull carpet knife works great!)
Tie one of the strands of the new wire to one of the old.  Wrap the entire connection in electrical tape.
Pull the old wire out, and the new wire will follow it in.
Replace staples to the best of your ability.

If you can't get the wire to move, you're going to have to break and patch the drywall, which can be a pain.

Wiring
 - The other wire in your switchbox should be the supply from the panel.
 - Cut two pieces of black wire, and pigtail them to the supply black with an appropriate sized wire nut. (You are splitting the wire into two).
 - Wire each end of this pigtail to a separate switch.
 - Wire the 14-3 black to one switch, the red to the other.
 - Wire the whites together with a nut.
 - Connect the ground to the box and the supply ground.
 - Connect the fixture at the other end according to manufacturers instructions.

Put the switches back in the box with one screw each.  Make sure the connections don't touch.
Test.
Reinstall the other screws, faceplates etc.

 -


Shop 3-way switches for two receptacles with 2 additional receptacles not controlled by the 3-way switches

Sure.  But it will take 5 wires, and due to the equal-current rules, you can't just gang a /2 and /3.  Given the goofy cable required, conduit makes more sense costwise.

First, do you want the always-hot and switched-hot on separate circuits?  I do that so my dumb mistakes don't plunge me in the dark.

Receptacles come in white, beige, black, gray and if you hunt really hard you can find other colors.  Plan for different color receptacles for the lights vs the always-hot.

Also, because fitting wires onto screws from a ladder is a nightmare, I suggest you sit at an ergonomically comfortable workbench, and pigtail every single receptacle.   Yes, I know receptacles have 2 screws on each side and pigtailing isn't necessary.

When I say "run a wire from source to each box. i mean daisy-chain: run source to box 1, box 1 to box 2, box 2 to box 3, etc.

Method 1: conduit, one circuit, source anywhere

You will use a variety of wire colors, the purpose of which is to make this wiring job stupid-easy.   You can use fewer colors at your peril but if you do, I very strongly recommend getting a $3 pack of 5 colors of tape, and marking every wire  that isn't natively that color. Feel free to change my color code, just be consistent!

Pigtail your to-be-always-on receptacles with black on the hot side and white on the neutral side.   Pigtail your lamp receptacles with red on the hot side and white on neutral.

run 2 yellow messengers between the two 3-way switches. There is no need to distinguish these from each other.  These land on the two brass screws on both switches, leaving one screw left.  That was easy!
A single black always-hot wire connecting supply to one of the 3-way switches and every receptacle location (where you want always-hot).
a single red switched-hot wire connecting the other 3-way switch and every receptacle location (where you want lamps).
a single white neutral wire connecting supply to every receptacle location.
grounds everywhere (EMT is ground)

Anywhere the wires need to stop to connect to something, you can cut, but leave 8" of slack on each end of each box.  The messengers pass thru and don't need a loop or slack in passthru boxes.

Wiring the 3-ways is stupid easy because one wire at each switch is unaccounted for, and one black terminal remains.

Nothing left but receptacles and it's all color coded.  Nut together all the white neutrals, black hots and red switched-hots.

Method 2: conduit, two circuits, source anywhere

An even larger variety of colors, introducing brown and gray for the second circuit.

Pigtail your to-be-always-on receptacles with black on the hot side and white on the neutral side.   Pigtail your lamp receptacles with brown on the hot side and gray on neutral.

run 2 yellow wires for messengers between the 3-ways, and again they use up all the brass screws on the 3-ways.
run a brown wire (lighting always-hot) from supply to one 3-way switch, only.
run a red wire (lighting switched-hot) between the other 3-way and every lighting receptacle.
run a gray wire (lighting neutral) between supply and every lamp receptacle location.
run a black wire (service hot) and white wire (service neutral) between supply and every service receptacle location.
grounds everywhere (EMT is ground)

Spare wire to the black screw  on the 3-ways as before, then join same colors.  Done.

With flexible cable (one circuit)

Just to put you on notice, this will be a nightmare tangle. As you may have gathered, you cannot do this with a single cable unless you have a source for /5 cable.   But also, there are current-return rules that must be followed.

You will need to tape wires colors, or you will lose your mind.  Upside, you only need one color of tape. When you mark a wire, mark both ends at once.

Fasten your seat belt!

Sit at your ergonomic workstation, and pigtail all the always-hot receptacles with black and white, and the switched-hot receptacles with red and white.

From supply, run a /4 cable (you heard me) to 3-way switch #1.  On this cable, tag the red and blue wires with yellow tape.

From supply, run a /4 cable to the other 3-way.  On this cable, tag the black and blue wires with yellow tape.

Between supply and each of the receptacle locations, run /3 cable.  Yes, this may involve paralleling the /4 cable.  This is necessary due to current balance rules.

At each 3-way:  yellow is messengers and you land them on both brass screws on the 3-way.   White is neutral and is unused, for now.  The remaining wire goes on the black screw.

At source (if it isn't a 3-way box): nut the 2 yellows "thru" the box.

Now join all blacks to blacks, reds to reds, whites to whites.  Done.

If you can't get /4 cable you are allowed to use /2/2 cable and use the white-red in place of blue. Taping it yellow will mark it as a hot.

With flexible cable (2 circuits)

Fuggedaboutit.

No seriously it can be done, but you use /2/2 cable (not /4) between supply and each receptacle, and to the 3-ways.

Follow the above instructons with a few changes.

lighting receptacles get pigtailed with red and red-white-stripe
service receptacles get pigtailed with black and white (or white-black-stripe)
/2/2 cable has a white-striped-red wire instead of a blue. That becomes lighting circuit neutral.
brown is lighting-circuit supply hot.
on the /2/2's to the 3-ways, tape the black and white (or white-striped-black) wires yellow.
on the /2/2 cable to 3-way #1, tape the red wire brown, "lighting circuit supply always-hot".

Now your color codes are

black - always-hot (service circuit)
white or white-striped-black - neutral (service circuit)
brown - always-hot (lighting circuit)
white-striped-red - neutral (lighting circuit)
red - switched-hot (lighting circuit)
yellow - messengers

Join 'em.


Is it okay for a Microwave to be off balance, not level on counter top?

It's not really surprising that an example of the lightweight sheet metal that passes for an appliance these days is askew. I'd have done just what you did, assuming that there are no signs of damage or faulty assembly. As long as the turntable functions smoothly there's no concern with it being slightly out of level, if it still is.


Should blueboard overlap at outside corners or stop flush with framing?

Corner bead is used on plaster work too, so run it the same way as you would drywall. My preference is to run one piece over the edge of the other side, but slightly behind. This can be achieved as well when the board is ran past the corner, then scored at the corner an broke back and finished cutting. Use a drywall rasp (cheese grater) to insure the break is back a little behind the corner if needed.


Replacing a stuck stopcock - what could possibly go wrong?

You'll need some way to shut off the water when replacing the valve - that may require calling your water supplier, depending on local rules (if there's an outside shutoff that they own, they may not want you operating it - varies.)
In the case that there is no outside shutoff, there are fancy units that will freeze a short section of pipe to plug it, but you'd probably need to call a plumber who owns one - not a practical DIY tool for realistic budgets.
The valve you have may only need service (cleaning and lubrication), but if you are going to the bother of getting the water shut off to service it, I would replace it with a 1/4 turn ball valve, as I have much less trouble with those for shutoff service (they tolerate sitting idle for years without becoming impossible to operate, since they have a very simple mechanism with few parts to corrode and get stuck.) If you have the sort of valve you show, operating it on a regular schedule (like once a month) is the best bet for it being able to operate when it's needed.


The best bet is to find a stud and use a heavy nail or screw.

If that isn't an option for the print's sake, I've had luck in such walls with toggle bolts before. It can be hit or miss with screws and even mollies and screws in tandem because behind the plaster and cement are 3/8" thick by 1 3/8" wide strips of wood spaced 3/8" apart called lath, which is what the gray cement (the "scratch" coat) squishes into when wet and locks into once dry. You'll drill a hole and you might hit wood (lath), or you might hit air, and which you hit will affect a fasteners ability to hold in the hole, and it's often a crap shoot on the first hole or two going in blind. A toggle bolt works well in these walls because the "wings" of the bolt have a good chance of catching the back of at least one strip of lath and hopefully more, no matter where a hole is drilled, giving it a good purchase and a high chance of success on the first try.

Don't even bother with nails in these walls unless your certain you're driving one into a stud. You're liable to break loose burgs of cement and plaster, and yes, bend nails, because the elasticity and memory of the wall across open space is high and the energy of your hammer blow will be mostly directed back at you and the nail itself.

You'll want to use masonry drill bits for any drilling in these walls. The cement beneath the skim coat of plaster will chew up any others almost immediately.


Should roofing nails be visible in the attic?

That's perfectly normal. I would have preferred to see the vertical joints in the sheathing line up with the rafters, but that's about it. Roofing nails actually should come through about a quarter inch - I'd be more concerned if they didn't.


Power outlet that works off a switch no longer shuts off after replacement

You didn't break off the tab between the hot screws. There's a small metallic tab that normally connects the two hots to allow chaining of outlets (line and load) along a circuit. For a half switched outlet, you need to use a pair of needle nose pliers to break off the tab.


Light fitting with power but no 3-way switch function

First, just to prevent any confusion, it's a "3-way" switch setup, not 2-way. 3-way switches take power in (or let it out) through a singular wire, which then is switched between two 'traveler' wires. It's referred to as a 3-way switch for the same reason as a 3-way intersection - there are 3 paths in/out of the switch.

Next, you need to ensure that the wires leading to and from your switches actually go to the light. This probably goes without saying, but if you've changed the light's wiring as well then that could be the issue.

However, the final solution will always come down to the wiring or the devices. The light itself does not control switching, so it is not bad. You might have a wrong switch, bad switch, or again just have some wiring incorrect. Follow this diagram below and it'll work:

The diagram might not be the exact layout for your situation as the power could be coming in at the light or the light could be between the switches. Regardless, that would simply call for wire nut connections and it would still come out to this exact setup.


How do I install a new header in an exterior load-bearing wall?

Assuming that the 3 2x8s will work for you - and it sounds right for your situation then you are fine with adding some sort of plywood to make your header flush.

However I usually (given I have the space) would throw down a 2x6 flat on top of the 2x8s that are on the jacks (yes you must have jacks for your header).  This gives good reference points for top and bottom.


How can I install a Pull-Up Bar on a brick wall?

The issue is that a pull up bar has a live, moving load. If it was just shelves holding a static load there would a vast multitude of ways to mount it.

Every time you do a pull up you'll end up stressing the anchors, the brick, and maybe even the mortar, since this is a person and not a vase that will get damaged when it fails, I'd look for a better solution.


How do I rid moisture under my deck that's causing rotting of boards?

Plastic is okay underneath but not touching the deck's joists, i.e. on the ground. Put gravel on top to keep it in position. Secondly, ensure that there is a good airflow over the top of the gravel and under the deck structure. Never put anything between the deck structure and the decking material.

Ensure the ground is properly prepared under the deck structure/plastic sheeting by making sure water will not pool. I.e. slope everything away to surrounding ground or drainage.


In-fridge icemaker makes hollow ice cubes. How to fix?

I eventually fixed the problem, and it turned out to be insufficient water flow to the icemaker.

The ice maker was being fed via a clamp-on saddle valve. I closed that off, disconnected it, and soldered in a 1/4" brass line with a 'proper' shut off valve. That provided plenty of flow rate, and since then the icemaker has been working flawlessly.


Is it unsafe to use an appliance that infrequently trips its circuit?

My guess is that the range is tripping the main breaker due to a marginal switch.  Either that, or it depends on some combination of burners operating simultaneously in combination with some wiring fault in the range.

It probably is not safe, so I would discontinue using the range until it is fixed.


What is this this square hole in bathroom rough in used for?

That's for a shower drain. It's common to leave an opening about that size to allow for slight variation in tub position, manipulation of the trap assembly, etc. You should find a stub under the dirt. Normally you'd remove the lumber, which was a temporary concrete form.


Due to climate changes in your house (moisture and heat fluctuations) and the natural tendency for wood to be effected from them, wood will move. The drier and more unsealed the wood is the more it will swell and contract. Also depending on how it was milled and what section of the tree it was cut from will determine how much moisture it can absorb and release.   You are correct in surmising that the landing shouldn't be splitting. Although wood can't be prevented from moving altogether there are steps that can account for and limit this movement. When constructing a project made from wood the planks  moisture level should be around 15%. If they are to used indoors with a central heating system an even lower level of 11% should be used. A kiln is used to get this final moisture level.  If the landing was installed using strip (1 1/2-2 inch wide) flooring that was milled with a tongue and groove the tongue should be nailed to the sub floor and into the floor joists if possible. If the boards are wider than 4-6 inches they should be installed in such a way that the fastener keeps them flat but can also allow for slight shifting. This is sometimes accomplished by oval screw holes from underneath.   If the board split is slight epoxy filler/adhesive can be color matched to the wood species to make the patch less noticeable. I would be hesitant to use any other type of filler for a floor patch since the nature of the wood is to move the patch will eventually get pushed loose.


Connecting a light-switch to turn thermostat on/off? (re: basement heat)

Yes, that should be very straightforward.  Simply wire the switch to interrupt the "W" wire, which is the one the thermostat uses to ask for heat.  Its request will be unanswered obviously.  Do this between the thermostat and what I presume is a big relay with a 24v coil that switches the 240v power on to the heaters.  Turn the 240v off at the breakers before touching the 24v signal line, in the off chance the transformer or relay has a 240v-24v fault of some kind.

As long as it's an old fashioned dumb thermostat, that'll be fine.  Now, if you ever fit a Nest or other smart thermostat, different story.  It configures by sensing if a relay coil is connected to each wire. It will not like a relay that disappears entirely.


What is causing a replacement ceiling fan light to flicker?

It turns out there is a watt governor (part# 98480-02) which seems to go wonky on Hunter ceiling fans.  I took out the watt governor, hooked nuetral to the wire nut with all the neutrals, and the hot lead to the hot wire nut, and now all is well.  See a description here:

http://www.fixya.com/support/t3831943-fan_lights_just_started_blinking


The ultimate effect will depend on the exact heater.

In general it will always be working flat out as it can't put out enough heat to raise the room temperature to the desired level. This could shorten it's operational life.

You'll also have a cold room.


Is it OK to install a TV mount when it can't be attached to a stud at all mount points?

If you are concerned about the weight an easy solution is to put a sheet of plywood (or nicer wood, if it will still be visible once the TV is in place) across 3 studs.  Secure it with 2 screws into each stud.  Then screw the wall mount into the wood.

Doing it this way will definitely support the weight of any TV you might try to mount.  And allows you to mount the TV exactly where you want it without worrying about where the studs are.

You can paint over the wood to make it blend in with the wall but in most cases it ends up nicely hidden by the TV anyways.


How to close large holes left in basement concrete floor after remove a coal furnace

I'd only initially agree with the recommendation you received & that's what most suckers go with. But, if the holes are leaking during & after a rain. Then, you've got outdoor surface problems that would much better address the problem & would be permanent repairs that are eternally free to operate never a future concern, like going away on vacation. Then, the holes can be filled with hydraulic cement.

Plus, your home won't continue to be damaged by the water. Overwhelmingly, this issue comes from gutter downspouts that feed into underground drains. The reason for this is because the underground drains create a void against the house & any water that backs up, gathers & saturates that or those areas enters & collects in that void to then drop by gravity to the lowest point. You may find the problem disappears tomorrow, after you call a Plumber in to clear your underground drains.

Otherwise or if you don't have underground drains, you'd need to re-grade the ground around the house (can cost less or the same as the basement's bad idea) to ensure that water runs away from the house rather than toward it. You want to pitch the ground away for 6-feet & even sculpt the ground with natural gullies to direct excess water completely off of the property as quickly as possible.


Assuming this is a basement, 14, 12, and I believe 10 cable are required to either be on a running board or drilled through the joists if they are running perpendicular to the joists.  Larger and smaller cable is not required to be on a running board.  I believe this was done because people were using normal cable for receptacles and lighting as clotheslines in the basement.  Keep in mind codes have changed over the years and just because it was legal when the electrician installed ungrounded cable in an asbestos jacket in the 50s doesn't mean it's legal to install it today.  The existing construction can remain, because it was built to the code at the time (assumingly), but if it falls into the scope of your project the only way you're going to pass an inspection for a permit is if you bring it up to code.

Also, if you drill a hole through a joist, make sure you drill in the center of the joist.  This is because the joists are beams supporting a vertical load.  Think of when you see a board with a heavy load, sagging in the middle. This displays compression on top and tension (pulling) on the bottom.  In the very middle, where the board transitions from compression to tension, there is no load, so drilling a hole in the middle will have minimal structural effect.


Would triple pane give me better results than double pane in a key location (bathroom)?

A triple-pane is not necessarily a better insulator than a double-pane.  You need to check the specific ratings of the windows you are considering.

In general, yes, you would expect triple to outperform double but that cannot be applied to all windows.


Rules to make a box stable, hard to tilt

Find the center of gravity, which in a rectangular prism, will be located at x/2, y/2, z/2.   The box will tip when the center of gravity moves outside the footprint of the box. (or just look at the intersection of diagonals)

Or, if you like, when the grey line in the diagram below passes vertical.

Adding weight to the bottom will lower the center of gravity, meaning that the grey line is less steep, and will require more of a tip to put it beyond vertical.

Here, with weight added, a lower CG makes the box more stable.

If you know that the box is likely to tip in one direction only, (such as being constrained by a wall, and only able to tip away) you can put all your weight in the corner, to move the CG towards the wall and change the angle even more.  But, this will make it tippier in the other direction.


Can I use a clamp meter to identify wires running to overhead fan?

If by "clamp meter" you mean a non-contact AC Ammeter, and if the circuit can be loaded enough to trigger the reading.  Yes, you should be able to isolate the circuit using such a meter.  (Keep in mind that this type of meter only registers AC current so you must have current flowing for it to read.)

On a related note, however, that box looks to be severely overloaded.  You may want to consider upgrading it as this may be unsafe.


Should I use or replace an existing ceiling fan bracket?

I agree that what we are looking at is an old bracket for mounting a box for a light fixture. Here is the Westinghouse version of a retrofit bracket which you can find in most hardware stores.

I can also tell you from experience, that it isn't very easy to install. Wait until you try and mount the box to the bracket and you will see what I mean. If you can get to it from above its much better. If you want to cut a larger opening and install a different type of bracket you can use a medallion. To cover the hole instead of a patch and paint.

They come in different sizes and decor. That's all I've got, good luck.


First step is to get an 802.11ac router. You're probably going to want wireless anyway, so just do that now. Live with that until you decide either you are happy with it, or you need to upgrade. And remember: you won't get ac speeds unless both the router and your device are ac.

If you do need upgrade to wired, buy 2-4 small gigabit switches. Terminate all of the wall plates with cat5e rj45 jacks. At the wall plates with 2 jacks,  hook up both jacks to a switch. Since you have daisy-chained drops, the switch will bridge the two halves of the chain. Those cost of doing this should be under $100 for switches and wall plate parts. This is a less than ideal network configuration, but since your bottleneck is going to be your internet connection speed, you will likely hit the limits of performance on this network.


Best style of toilet when there's a long run to the drain line

Absolutely.  The absolute best type of toilet would be a wall mounted toilet that uses an in wall tank-carrier.  Geberit is one of the best brands of carriers available and Duravit is one of the nicer brands for the actual ceramic bowl.
This type of toilet is a “wash down” toilet which has a larger trap way.  Almost 4”.
If you are unable to go with a wall mounted toilet, you can go with a back outlet, or variable outlet toilet, which is also a wash down toilet.  Duravit also makes them.  They are not typical 12” rough floor toilets.  But they flush more vigorously.
Good luck.


Does this ceiling look like it contains asbestos?

That just looks like standard “mud”.  The common ceiling texture that is known to contain asbestos is “popcorn texture” not what you have.
I doubt it contains asbestos but the date the work was done and the location would also help.
if the home was built after 1984 in the US I would not worry about it but testing is the only way to know for sure.


Getting rid of ozone and/or burning plastic smell left over from a dead box fan

Time is the only real cure. Air out the house with the heaters off whenever the temperature is tolerable. Run the fans, not the heat and change your air filters a few times. You can also spray Febreze or other odor eliminators where appropriate (i.e. not on bed sheets, garments, food surfaces etc.), especially any carpets or rugs because fabric traps and holds smells like that.  I like to use the unscented version but it's harder to find. These are not perfumes, they actually chemically neutralize odors and are basically temporary so if the smell is embedded in the paint on your walls or the carpet, it may return. But the odor eliminator will make it tolerable to live there. Also wash ALL of your sheets and garments that were exposed to it.

Article on how odor eliniators work.


Why would my two-pole arc-fault breaker trip when motors are used on other circuits?

Motor loads put a large amount of noise on the line, I have seen this on systems that are separate circuits just another weak point in the arc fault devices. Arc faults have trouble with motor loads, light dimmers that are heavily loaded and electronic ballasts. If the noise on the line is high the arc fault thinks it is part of the circuit. A quality whole house surge suppressor at the service panel may solve this problem.


You can use #12 to extend a 15-A circuit wired with #14.


Running conduit between basement and 1st floor

Yes. Your plans meet code for fire protection.  The low voltage wires you mention do not require placement within conduit (but I think it's a very good idea for future use/change).

Both the IRC and UBC requires one to "seal gaps around ducts, wires, and pipes at floor and ceiling level penetrations [between floors]."  602.8 "06 IRC"; 708.2.1 "97 UBC".

The type of duct, wires, and pipes used are irrelevant in regards to fire protection.


Pull this out.

Charlotte Pipe 3-in x 2-in dia Reducer Cast Iron Fitting, Lowes
And put this in.

Fernco 3 in. Hub x Cast Iron Service Schedule 40 Weight Donut, ferguson.com
If it doesn't connect to a 90 degree elbow hooked to a wye laying on its side, it was done wrong in the first place. That's the only situation you should have to bust up concrete.


Why won't the GFCI-protected devices in my kitchen work even though they seem to have power?

Is this a new outlet where there was not a GFCI before?

Was the unit working before and suddenly stopped working?

There seem to be too many downstream devices on the load side of the GFCI.  I would have expected this list of devices to be on at least 3 circuits.  That may explain why there still live circuits after shutoff to the GFCI.

In general, GFCIs won't reset when

They are wired incorrectly (power to load terminals)
The load side is ground faulted (current leaving the hot side does not fully return on the neutral)
The GFCI is faulty

To isolate the GFCI from any downstream problems, disconnect the load terminals and see if it will reset.


Why are there metal tabs protruding from my poured concrete foundation walls?

They look like the form clips where large forms were held in place to pour the walls. They can be handy as anchors if you add furring strips to drywall the walls instead of drilling for supports. They were just there for the pour and can be removed.


How can I remove small paint specks from a wooden floor?

Try some very fine steel wool, #0000 should do it. Confine it to the paint spots only, as best you can. You may try using small amounts of the spirit you tried with that. If the wool dulls the shine of the floor finish test an area first and apply wax over the treated area when done to restore the luster. You could also try automotive scratch removing compound. Use a little bit on a rag and buff the paint out.


How to remove interior stone wall facade

I use an air chicle with a wide blade but a hammer and wide chisel will work.
Start at a grout line and hold the chisel at a 45, one or 2 good wacks and you will be to the base lay the chisel as flat as you can maybe 30 degrees for the first one and many times a good sharp wack will pop the stone in some cases it will shatter after a few adjustments of your angle you will start popping larger chunks.
I have a tile chipper on a pole it can be used but is harder on a wall than on a floor.
I find the trick is getting the right angle so 1 wack will take a stone at a time with a 6” or 8” chisel.
On ply wood sometimes can be tough.
When it ends up being Sheetrock after I punch through I tear the entire wall out.
When backer board and thinset it comes off mastic can go either way.
Wear safety glasses or a face shield some pieces do normally shatter.
A dust mask can also be a good idea lots of dust doing this.
I put tarps down or a wheelbarrow in the room and get good at piping right into the wheelbarrow, with the tarp 2 people grab the ends before it gets two heavy and take it to the dumpster.


How should I mount relays in junction boxes?

I would use a 6x6x4 junction box and mount the relay to the back with Tek (drill point) screws. This should give you plenty of room for wiring and terminations.


My personal preference (currently, it used to favor tape more) is to use PTFE pipe dope (paste) rather than tape for threaded joint sealing. I generally have fewer problems that way.
It's also become needful to closely examine threaded fittings as many in the current era are poorly made and may be difficult or impossible to seal due to thread defects that should never have made it out of the factory.
These two things may not be unrelated. It's quite possible that better-quality thread machining meant that tape really did work better in the past. Or it may just be that when tape first came out, there was no PTFE dope, there was just dope, from the dark ages.
After that, crank it up more, but it's quite possible to ruin things by overtightening, too.


You have a bigger problem than chasing down a blue wire here

Here's the rub -- the Honeywell L8148A doesn't even provide a C terminal for the blue wire, PEK, or whatever to connect to, as it was designed for dumb mechanical 'stats.  Considering it not only contains a transformer and relay, but a high limit function as well, this leaves you with limited options -- simply replacing it with a separate transformer and relay won't do.  One could add another transformer and relay as an isolation relay, but that's probably more complexity than is called for here, considering that Honeywell makes a more versatile version of what you're looking at, called an L8148J.

Replacing your L8148A with an L8148J configured for a 24VAC gas valve (valve from B1 to B3) lets you connect the C wire to the TV terminal, jumper T to TV, and then pull the jumper from Z to W, connecting R to Z and W to W.  Of course, this all presumes that the cable doesn't transition from 3-wire to 2-wire somewhere in the middle; if it does, then you need to use a PEK or add-a-wire device to handle the situation atop the aforementioned aquastat changeout.


Can I count on being able to cut galvanized pipe to size?

If you buy the pipe at Home Depot, they custom cut it (and thread it) for free.  You have to buy the pipe, and there is a fairly flexible policy that they will make up to three cuts per 10 foot length, but if you catch them an hour before closing or when it is not otherwise busy, they are very accommodating.


Repair or replace a water pressure regulating valve?

Many water regulators are dirty or need a rebuild kit.
Cleaning the regulator inlets and orifices may fix things.
A rebuild kit may be needed.
normally the diaphragm is the component that usually fails most kits come with a new spring and diaphragm.
some as cheap as  $15.00 for just the diaphragm.
Kits that have the entire internal setup spring, diaphragm, valve, screen, o rings, screws. Can cost over 100$.
So I suggest trying to clean them first.


Supporting this old 2x4 hip roof rafter to the beam

The ideal is a 3-4' scab with the appropriate hip/valley plumb cut and a 45 miter sistered onto the hip rafter and fastened to the beam.
The reality is that almost anything will do--hips usually don't carry much weight and are almost self-supporting, just as a ridge board often is.


Should drywall used on a ceiling be of a different weight/grade than drywall used on walls?

Depends on the ceiling/wall function. In most cases for repairs you want to replicate what was there, unless you are ripping the entire wall/ceiling or it's too hard to track down matching replacement drywall.

If the wall/ceiling is a firewall, you normally need to replace the structure that was there, which may be double-layer 5/8 type X ("firecode") gypsum. I prefer it for ceiling applications anyway (single layer where double-layer is not needed), as it's far less prone to sag than the thinner grades. It's also heavier, which you may not be fond of - and it is sometimes used on "acoustic" walls for that reason.

I've dealt with old walls that use as little as 1/4" drywall. 1/2" is what's normal/standard in new construction - 1/4 and 3/8 may be available from a supplier but I would only use those for repairs of a wall starting with that thickness where replacing the whole wall doesn't make more sense.


You mentioned snow, and that's the only metric i know about. You want there to be more snow.

When there is frost, or snow, on your roof - it should not be melting from the heat of your house. The attic is supposed to be insulated, but the roof is supposed to be not insulated.

In my (southern Ontario) winters there will be frost on everyone's roof. If frost is melted where the roof joists are - i know their attics are not insulated enough (or the roof is over-insulated). In other words, this is bad:

The roof is supposed to be freezing, just like the outside. Melting snow means that heat is leaking.

Snow is how i know i can see when an attic is not sufficiently insulated, or the attic is not letting out enough heat, or the spaces between the rafters do not have those styrofoam channel things which let cold air reach the underside of the roof sheathing.

But all you have to go on is moisture, and dew. i don't know how dew reacts with an under-insulated attic/over-insulated roof.

i would assume everything's fine. i know that dark materials, while the best at absorbing heat, are also the best at releasing heat. i would think that the dark shingles have cooled off during the night, and water is condensing out on them.

But if it's the middle of the (hot August) day, and the shingles are still so cold that water is condensing on them - then something has to be freezing your shingles. That would have to be your air-conditioning; leaking to your attic and roof.

But insulation is not the job of the guy who replaced your shingles. And the fact that the roof can cool off enough during the night to allow condensation - makes me think that your attic is vented fine.

i'd say not worry about it, and wait for fall and check for melting frost, or snow, come winter.


How can I remove scratches from glass table?

There are commercially available glass polish products that can be helpful and this is an example:

Get such a product and follow the manufacturer's instructions for use.  Keep in mind that polishing scratches can take considerable time since you must remove quite a bit of material over a reasonably large area to get the scratch out.
There are also some products that claim to be able to fill scratches in glass but I've not had any success with any of them.


Leaving a pool covered for a season and through another winter

There should be no permanent cosmetic damage unless you have something seriously wrong with your liner (in which case the damage is already done).

Replacing water is very rarely the solution for algae.  In practice you can just leave it until next season.  Of course make sure it's winterized — i.e., if you're in a freeze zone ensure all lines, pumps, and filters are clear of water; and pump the water level back down.

If it were me I'd probably also dump in a "winterizing" dose of KemTek 60% algaecide, and if you have any metal in your water or pool also a winterizing dose of stain preventer.

But there's nothing you can do to have clear water when you open it in the spring: It will have to be started up, vacuumed, balanced, etc.


All you can do is complain to your power provider about the power quality issue caused by the other customer.
Your single phase is going to be one of the 3 phases - there's no separation between them in typical distribution, you just don't get two of them delivered to your house.
You can use a UPS for sensitive loads, but it's not generally practical/affordable to have one that will supply the whole house.


I don’t think a drill and auger will be of any use.
I did a job like yours many years ago, providing much of the grunt work for a much older, but more experienced workman.
Step one is to dig a trench in the crawl space deep enough to stand without stooping (much). The trench goes adjacent to (within reach of) the spots where you want the footings. Branch the trench as needed. Use a pick and shovel. To remove the tailings efficiently, fill a container about the size of a U.S. Mail bucket, drag it out and dump it. A pick and shovel can deal with hard soil and rocks. A drill and auger, not so much.
Step two is to dig out the sites where the footings will go using a pick and shovel, while standing in the trench.
Step three is to build forms for the footings.
Step four is to mix your concrete outside, fill buckets, carry via trench, and dump.
Safety note: if you need electricity down there, make sure to get it from a GFCI protected outlet.


How can I verify that my ceiling fan is properly grounded

Do you have a multi-meter and an extension cord? If you do plug the cord into any outlet then drag it over to the fan and measure between the fan case and a ground pin on the cord... It should read close to 0 resistance.


How to patch wood subfloor surrounded by gypsum/gypcrete?

Assuming that you can't fix this without removing and replacing the subfloor (I can't think of anyway to "do it right" without doing so but I'm not all knowing in that area).  To cut out the subfloor, you can use your circular saw for all but the corners.  Since you know the thickness of the floor, just set your blade such that it's depth is exactly the same thickness (or slightly less) than the floor and have at it.  If you aren't cutting beyond the depth of the floorboard, then there is no chance to cut into a joist.  At the very least, this will allow you to cut a larger hole so that you can better evaluate what's under it.

For the corners and/or next to the wall, I recommend investing in a oscillating tool.  And a straight cut blade (ones on the left):

You don't need a nice oscillating tool for this small job and a cheap one can be had (at least in the US) for $20 from Harbor Freight or similar store (+$5 to $10 for the blade).

When it comes to how to patch it after it's removed, that entirely depends upon what's underneath that you have to work with.  Since this is under a toilet (and you plan on tiling when its all said and done), it needs to be rock solid.  You might have to expose more than your 1'x2' area to make it work and you will likely need to end up with something similar to this:

-edit- here is the video the above image came from that shows cutting out and replacing subflooring due to water damage by a window.

Considering you have plumbing you will have to work around, it might not be an obvious or simple fix and you may have to update the question (or ask a new one) after you get the subfloor removed.


Is there any difference between wood screw and anchor screws?

Anchor screws and those designed specifically for wood have very similar (if not identical) thread pitch. In fact, anchors often ship with standard pan-head wood screws. I've used them interchangeably many times.

The critical concerns are diameter (larger diameter offers substantially more holding power) and length.


That vertical member is a truss chord not a post. It’s in compression (as @SteveSh) has identified.
It’s buckling due to an excessive vertical load (and probably because of a small defect in the wood).
This phenomenon is identified in Euler’s Formula. While I don’t understand the formula, the concept we know it by is the “slenderness ratio”. That is to say, a short board can support more load than a long board before it buckles, given the same size, material, etc. Likewise, the member will buckle in the narrow direction.
The center chords are the longest member in the trusses AND are in compression. This particular member has a small defect near the middle of the span (top to bottom). It also happens to be at the hip in the roof, so it’s probably carrying a slightly larger load than the adjacent trusses. (We often see defects in chords that cause them to fail.)
I’d repair the chord by sandwiching it between similar size members, much like what daneb described.


That type of connector is commonly used as a socket for a temperature probe that can be inserted into the food (usually meat) to measure its internal temperature instead of the air temperature in the oven.
I imagine the labeling “MT” you saw probably stands for “meat thermometer”.


Do I need to replace the wall after a shower head leak?

Chances are very good that the inside of the wall is just "regular sheetrock", and that will have gotten very wet.  That fan setup is pretty cool and should dry it out since you were smart enough to cut a hole in the ceiling.

Mold grows in areas that get wet and take a long time to dry.  If you can quickly and completely dry out a surface, it should be fine.  Once it's dry you can spray a mold preventative in the cavity just to be sure.

More on the sheetrock...  Builders use "green rock" (many names, but the front face is green most of the time) in wet locations.  The front face is moisture and mold resistant, but the back of the drywall is plain, brown paper.  Your water hit the plain paper.  Many remodelers will use a cement board to replace the old drywall because it's a much better material that they can warrantee, but only a very high quality builder would use that, and chances of it happening go down with the age of the house.


Run electric from breaker box in house 150 feet to garage, only need 110, 10 receptacles and 6 lights

As for wire size, you did not say what loads you want to run.  Here is a calculator tool - enter your cable run (150ft) not the round trip (300ft).  The breaker in your main panel is sized to protect that wire.   Think about upsizing - wire or conduit is cheap, labor and digging are not.

If direct burial, USE-2 or UF.  If in conduit, THWN single-wire.   Price the various wires but you may be better off in conduit and pulling just the size of THWN that you need.  Lay extra large conduit so the next guy can pull bigger wire if he wants to.

You must use correct colors of THWN wire.  White or gray for neutral,  green or bare for ground,  anything else for hot.  No remarking allowed, except mark all you like on #4 or larger wire.

Aside from what Tyson suggests, a good reason to have a sub-panel is so your lights are on a different circuit than your tools.  Nothing is worse than tripping the breaker and plunging into darkness with your fingers 2” from a spinning blade.  Also, outlets cannot have larger than a 20A breaker, so if you ever want to provision more than 20A of service out there, e.g. For a dust collector, you'll want a second circuit and therefore a sub-panel. Demand can sneak up on you.

On the sub-panel, price several larger sizes and get the one with the most spaces that you can bear.  No homeowner ever said "I have too many spaces in this panel".  Its OK to run a 60A or 125A sub-panel on a 30A breaker in the main panel.

If you want to run 120V only, just do the sub-panel in the normal way and don't hook up one of the hots. Every other breaker row will be dead.  Who cares, just don't put breakers there.


Its perfectly normal for the main breaker to be smaller than the sum of all the breakers.  This is fine, because its rare that you would turn on your electric stove, dishwasher, hot tub, central air, electric furnace, dryer, fridge, and arc welder all at the same time.

Now, its quite possible that the electric service was undersized for today's use, but that should have tripped the main breaker.  A fire could be caused by a lose connection, which creates resistance, which generates heat.  Or a bad breaker that failed to properly trip.  Or undersized wires, where someone put a larger breaker than the wires were meant for - the modern equivalent of replacing a fuse with a penny.

Aluminum wiring has also been known to cause fires if it wasn't properly installed and maintained.  It can be used safely, but is harder to do right than copper wire.


Looks like it could be a flow activated trap primer:

  A trap primer (or trap seal primer) is a plumbing device or valve that
  adds water to traps. The water seals in traps are needed to prevent
  sewer gases from entering buildings, but because this water is exposed
  to the air, it is subject to evaporation over time in infrequently
  used floor drains, leading to the release of sewer gas into the
  environment. The trap primer mitigates this problem by injecting
  water, either directly or indirectly, into the trap to maintain the
  water seal indefinitely. - Wikipedia

Example of one here and as well as the source of the above image (link is to a PDF, only picked this one as it was one of the first search results).

Look to see if you can find a make and/or model number on the 'Tee'. You may need to use a small mirror or camera to see the backside.

If it is now constantly flowing, there may be on obstruction inside the valve preventing it from functioning correctly. It could also be broken and in need of replacement. Depending on the valve, you may be able to just replace the internals.


Do I need an outlet box to install an outdoor light fixture?

Electrical code requires that all junctions be accessible in a box, so you definitely need one here.  You have two choices (that I know of at least):

cut a large hole in your siding and mount a retrofit light box into the wall cavity.

drill a small hole in your siding and mount one a weatherproof box on the outside:

The exterior boxes come in a range of depths and colors so you should be able to find one you like.


Do NOT stick a board out your window!

The board will be angled outward, making your overall vehicle significantly wider than usual. Worse, you will not be able to judge how far it sticks out. Misjudge and someone gets killed.

Why not simply put it on your roof and tie it down to the front and back bumpers (or better, the tow points under the bumpers). Any extension past the rear bumper must be highlighted with a red warning flag attached to the rear end.

Also consider renting a truck from the big box store which charges a flat rate for a few hours.


My "smart toaster" recently started tripping the circuit/fuse... Advice please

You have a ground fault, and the GFCI in the receptacle is tripping, as it should, to protect you.

The fault could be anywhere in the wiring of the toaster oven. Since it does not happen immediately, my guess is that it is not in the power switch connection or power supply (the electronic controls have some sort of power supply to convert from high-voltage AC to low-voltage DC) but probably something related to the heating element(s). Possibly a loose connection on one of the heating elements so that as it starts to heat up something shorts and the GFCI trips to prevent any more serious problems.

If the heating elements are designed to be user-replaceable (rare on a small appliance though not impossible) then I would go through the process of disassembly, removal, clean contacts as much as possible on the elements and where they connect in the toaster oven (there may be oxidation or evidence of arcing) and replace the elements. If that doesn't fix it, or if that is not practical, then it is time for a new toaster oven.

Unfortunately, small appliances are not generally designed to be very repairable. Under warranty, depending on the company & the particular device, warranty repair is often:

Do a quick check to make sure it is not a really simple problem and then send out a "refurbished" item which is often just a return from a store for cosmetic or "didn't like it and returned but can't sell it because the packaging is damaged" item.

So a professional repair out-of-warranty is very likely not cost-effective.


After having a professional look at it, one of the wheels needed grease and the pulley was considered to be bad. The part cost $10 online, but the estimate to repair was $295.


Replacing a vintage 2 prong outlet that has 4 sockets?

That appears to be an add-on tap, NOT the actual receptacle installed as part of the home electrical system. If you remove the screw in the middle, the device should come off. It is likely an older version of something like this 6-outlet wall plug adapter, except only 4 receptacles and not grounded. You will likely find an ordinary duplex receptacle underneath, missing only the usual cover plate, which can be easily replaced.

The device you currently have is a bit beat up and is not grounded. I highly recommend:

If the receptacles underneath are not grounded, replace them with a duplex grounded receptacle. This is easy if they are in a metal box that is grounded, or if there is a ground wire in the cable.
If it is not possible to install a properly grounded outlet, then installing a GFCI would make a lot of sense, as that provides similar protection (others can elaborate on how GFCI is better, different, etc.) but if you need more than two receptacles (i.e., if you plan to install a new device similar to the old one) then you would need to install the GFCI upstream (e.g., at an earlier location, possibly in the breaker panel by replacing the existing circuit breaker).
If you want to install a new device to replace the existing device, make sure it is UL-listed.


RCCB trips and causes sockets to lose power, but lights, etc. don't lose power

Yes this is normal.

Under the 16th edition IEEE wiring regulations (introduced in 1991, superseeded in 2008, there were amendments, but I don't think any of them are relavent here) in TN installations* RCD protection in normal domestic situations was only required for sockets that could be reasonably expected to supply equipment outside the equipotential zone**. Interpretations of this varied, but in practice it meant that at least all downstairs sockets and frequently all sockets ended up being RCD protected.

Some houses were wired with a RCD covering everything but this was frowned upon because a single fault could leave the whole house in darkness.

It therefore became common practice to fit "Split load" boards where some of the circuits were on RCD and others were not. Exactly what got put on the RCD side was quite variable with some electricians putting everything except lights on the RCD and others only putting sockets and showers (I don't think an explicit requirement to put showers on the RCD but it was widely seen as a bloody good idea) on the RCD side. This appears to be the situation you have.

Since the 17th edition practically all domestic wiring needs to be on a RCD. On cheaper installations it was/is common practice to use a consumer unit with two RCDs so you only lost half the stuff when a RCD went out. Higher-end installations would often use "RCBOs" which combine the functionality of a RCD and a MCB and allow each circuit to be individually RCD protected. Until recently these were pretty expensive though.

There is no compulsion however to upgrade your existing installation to the 17th or 18th edition regs. Heck there isn't actually an explicit legal requirement to follow the IEEE wiring regulations (aka BS7671) at all, just a requirement that “Reasonable provision shall be made in the design and installation of electrical installations in order to protect persons operating, maintaining or altering the installations from fire or injury.”. Most electricians however will insist (and may be bound by industry schemes they are a member of to insist) that any new work is done to the current edition. In practice this means they will want to RCD protect any new wiring when modifying an installation.

* in a TT installation everything needs to be RCD protected, but sometimes with RCDs that have a higher trip current.

** I think there may have been some requirements for RCDs related to swimming pools and marinas as well, but those wouldn't apply in the vast majority of domestic installations.


I'm going to assume that the attic is for storage and isn't needed as a "conditioned space".

Remove the insulation from the roof. It's detrimental to ventilation and cooling in the summer and won't do you much good in winter.
Insulate the attic floor. You can probably reuse your roof insulation, and as little as R-19 will probably solve your problem for all but the very coldest days, but ideally you'll get to R-30 or better. Also insulate the attic trapdoor with foam sheets or whatever, and seal it against air leakage.  You can still use the attic for storage, but the floor may need to be lifted to accommodate the insulation.
Improve attic ventilation. Ridge venting is part of the system. You also need soffit venting or something else low in the roof. Ideally you have a flow path that moves air upward and out across the entire attic area. It's critical to vent heat in the summer and moisture in the winter.

It's that simple. Let us know in a comment or an edit to your question if this isn't feasible for some reason. The uninsulated floor isn't ideal, but it's a minor component of your overall problem.


Can I print plastic blank space fillers for my service panel?

One more step
You'll need to send several specimens of your 3D-printed cover plate to Underwriter's Laboratories along with a $5000 check, and have them "UL-Classified" for the panel in question. You'll be able to 3D-print the "UL-Classified" mark on the cover plate once you have that certification.
What UL will do is give it a variety of tests to make sure it won't accelerate a fire and will actually contain a panel fire, which is its primary job; will hold up to prodding by a 5-year-old who wants to see what's inside the magic box; won't go brittle and fail over time (least; they'll bomb it with UV light), and if forced to burn by an externally applied fire, won't off-gas toxic gases of some kind.


Should we contact a professional to handle our bathroom repair?

If you are doing it solely to save money, then it's probably not a good idea. If you are ready to spend time to learn how to do it and enjoy diy, then there's no reason calling a "pro".


Electric GE Dryer heating while turned off

Depending on the heat control it is quite possible that only 1 side of the 240v is being switched to control the heat.
The  broken coil and the touching ground on the other side would allow a return path and then create some heat.
Replacement of the heat coil will fix it if it is this kind of control.


Do I have to connect the grounding electrode at a detached garage to the grounding electrode at the main structure?

Yes, they should be connected so that the power has a set path back to the source. Rods in the ground are there for a direct shot of electricity (lightning.) Connecting back to the source is for actual grounding - to tie in with the neutral and cause a short if any sort of ground fault were to occur. Without this, running the ground rods and electrodes would not flip the breaker in most cases.

(source: nachi.org)


Joining two pieces of curtain pole together

What I'd do is drill out the too large hole to make it large enough to take a dowel. You'll need to clamp the curtain pole to ensure you get a clean hole.

Then glue a dowel into hole and cut it off flush - use a hacksaw and then sandpaper to finish.

Leave this to dry and then drill a new pilot hole in the dowel to take the joining screw.

If you don't have the tools/expertise for this then using glue and matchsticks/wooden kebab sticks to fill the hole like a rawlplug should work as well. This has the added advantage that you might not need to drill a new pilot hole - just screw into the mass of matchsticks. However this won't be as strong as using dowel.


You can get some wide white gaffer tape and cover the speaker grille. If you did it neatly, you would barely be able to tell it is there. Gaffer tape looks similar to duct tape, but it sticks better and leaves much less sticky residue when it is removed. That way your modification would be completely reversible.


Taping creates a fire barrier if there ever happened to be a fire in your wall a non taped joint could be a problem.


Are these sconces from the 1920s or newer?

The cloth wire in a fixture really is not a clue because many light fixtures use high temp wire like that today. I would take to an antique shop and ask them but the quality looks a bit less than the materials I have found from the 20' S and 30's. Specifically the detail work was much sharper/ cleaner looking.