The raw speed is fine - a single user can (except for really heavy usage) do fine with 1.5 Meg. DSL, so 10 Meg. is plenty fast for typical internet use. The problem is making it all work correctly.

First of all, 10 Meg. ethernet is a bit of a problem these days. Pretty much everything will work fine at 100 Meg. and most new stuff at 1 Gig. with automatic fallback to 100 Meg. But already a few years ago I started to find devices that simply will not work reliably, and sometimes not at all, at 10 Meg. I know that sounds a bit crazy as the actual speed realistically needed by any individual device for ordinary internet use (as opposed to traditional LAN use) is 10 Meg. or less. So problem one is that 10 Meg. may not be good enough. I have also found that a marginal network connection may work OK at 10 Meg., but with 100 Meg. port on device and 100 Meg. port on switch, it may be hard to force the network to back down to 10 Meg. and left at 100 Meg. it may be unreliable.

The second issue is the cabling. Normally you need CAT 3 cabling, 4 wires (out of 8) for 10 Meg., CAT 5 for 100 Meg., and typically Cat 5e (and using 8 wires instead of 4) for 1 Gig. So 4 wires is actually fine for 10 Meg. or 100 Meg. But I have never seen 4 wire cable with twists needed for even CAT 3 operation. CL2 refers to the outer covering of the cable, it says nothing about the quality/type of the actual wires. See if you can find any additional labels on the outside of the cables that might indicate the type of cable.

There is more likely problem. Telephone wires can be done in a "star" configuration, which is similar to typical network wiring. But that is most often the case with offices where each phone jack requires a separate home run to the phone system. In most houses with ordinary phone service, several phone jacks will be daisy-chained together. That is fine for ordinary phone service, but not for twisted pair ethernet networks.

Are there ways to make use of substandard cable? Absolutely. But typically those are for situations such as "extra telephone cables in place going about 70 ft. above a 16 ft. high ceiling and another 30 ft. above a 12 ft. ceiling" and the connection to be run is for typical internet access, not a LAN, so super high speed not needed. In that case (which my brother took care of), getting a line driver (a little black box on each end of the circuit) to make it work was worth a few hundred $ and it solved the problem. Putting line drivers or similar devices in 14 rooms that are close to each other is likely more expensive than having a "cable day" and just getting the wiring done the old fashioned way.

There are also things you can do to save time and/or money in an install of this type (as opposed to a first-class office installation):

Run double cables to single locations and put the drops on opposite sides of a wall to get two rooms with one run (i.e., 2x cable but only 1x labor).
Use additional small switches - e.g., run a cable to a spot in 1 of 4 clustered rooms, install a 5-port switch (some are less than $10) and then run short cables to the other 3 rooms.

But I admire your choice of wired ethernet. Even if you end up providing WiFi as well (which actually does make sense so people can browse on their phones without expensive data plans), there are some significant advantages to having wired network connections.


Occasionally floor around toilet is very very wet. Why?

it is possible that the wax ring is damaged, when another appliance like a washing machine drains the water backs up and causes the water on the floor. If this is the case it will probably get worse and your lines will need to be cleaned tree roots cause this very often in older homes.


I always strongly recommend the 3M plastic insulation kits. One of their main products is transparent tape and that is what fails with other brands.
Insulating too much might mean you are risking condensation between layers or similar. In the winter the air is dry enough for this to be unlikely.  I have never seen it. The kits come in Inside and Outside varieties but the inside is the easiest to use.
During a snow storm in Chicago that came to be known as Snow-pocolypse my 3M plastic held up. The wind was so strong against my balcony that the plastic was distended from the window over 1 foot. I stacked boxes against it to take the strain off. I've had similar storms since but the 3M has never failed.
On windows without plastic I can feel the cold, not the wind, move right through.


Since you already have a suspicion about the cause, the first step would be to confirm that.  The drain should slope at a rate of 1/4" per foot.  So if you had a 4' drain, there should be a difference of 1" in height between the start and end.  If its negative then that's without a doubt the issue. If this is the cause, the only way to fix it is to re-plumb it.  If you are handy, it is certainly doable.

If the slope isn't the issue then you have to start looking elsewhere.  It is probably worth confirming that the trap is clear of obstructions. Remove the trap below the sink and clean it out.

If that fails then while it could still be a clog, its more likely a venting issue as BMitch suggested.

This isn't likely to be a big job for a plumber, so it might be most cost effective just to have one come out and do it right versus buying all the tools and parts needed.


GFCI outlet has power and works, but the test button is not working...assuming that means no fault protection

Just get a GFCI tester for $8. It allows you to quickly test outlets to see if they’re properly wired and allow you to test the GFCI itself through the test button.  Inexpensive insurance for the whole house.


Should I use a GFCI breaker or receptacles for my shed run?

Because if an appliance trips the GFCI breaker, there go the lights
The issue with having your whole shed on a GFCI consists of two parts:

some things (power tools, hot things) can pose a stored-energy hazard after shutdown for a little while
tripping the GFCI breaker will plunge you into the dark as the lights will have to be on it as well

Being in the dark around a stored energy hazard, such as a spinning saw blade, is bad, so we don't want the lights to go out if that device malfunctions and trips the GFCI.  Furthermore, with the GFCI tucked inside the shed, that keeps it reasonably protected from the weather; this isn't an issue for most folks, but can be if your breaker panel is outside (say, on a meter-pole).
Besides, the difference between 12" and 18" burial depth isn't significant in terms of trenching costs as far as I know; if you really care that much about trench depth, you're better off using RMC and matching non-threaded fittings, as that gets you down to 6" of cover anyway.


Is USE-2 or RHW-2 individual wire fit for direct burial or open-joist use?

USE-2/RHH-2/RHW-2 can be direct buried, but otherwise requires a raceway

The rules for USE-2 wire and cable can be found in NEC 338.12(B):

  (B) Underground Service-Entrance Cable. Underground
  service-entrance cable (USE) shall not be used under the
  following conditions or in the following locations:

  (1) For interior wiring

  (2) For aboveground installations except where USE cable
  emerges from the ground and is terminated in an enclosure at an outdoor location and the cable is protected in
  accordance with 300.5(D)

  (3) As aerial cable unless it is a multiconductor cable identified for use aboveground and installed as messenger-
  supported wiring in accordance with 225.10 and Part II of
  Article 396

This, practically, limits single-rated USE-2 wires and cables to direct burial applications, or use as a multiplex cable-in-conduit outdoors.  (You can't use it indoors or for general aboveground work, even when in a raceway!)

However, when the wire has a RHH-2/RHW-2 rating as well, that changes the picture.  Now, the wire is rated for use in raceway, as the table 310.104(A) entry for this type of conductor specifies a flame-retardant insulating material.  However, it still cannot be used strapped to joists bared, as this violates NEC 300.3(A):

  (A) Single Conductors. Single conductors specified in Table
  310.104(A) shall only be installed where part of a recognized
  wiring method of Chapter 3.

  Exception: Individual conductors shall be permitted where installed as
  separate overhead conductors in accordance with 225.6.

and NEC 398.10 only permits the use of open wiring on insulators in industrial and agricultural occupancies:

  398.10 Uses Permitted. Open wiring on insulators shall be
  permitted only for industrial or agricultural establishments on
  systems of 1000 volts, nominal, or less, as follows:

  (1) Indoors or outdoors

  (2) In wet or dry locations

  (3) Where subject to corrosive vapors

  (4) For services

while NEC 394.10 only permits limited use of knob-and-tube to extend wiring in existing buildings, and 394.12 point 5 also prohibits the use of K&T within insulation:

  (5) Hollow spaces of walls, ceilings, and attics where such
  spaces are insulated by loose, rolled, or foamed-in-place
  insulating material that envelops the conductors

Even though you can use it in conduit, you probably shouldn't

Even though tri-rated USE-2/RHH-2/RHW-2 can be legally used in conduit jobs, it's probably a bad idea to use it.  Why? It has a thicker insulation than THHN or XHHW-2, which uses up more precious conduit fill area than necessary and makes the wire stiffer and harder to pull as well.  It's also slightly more expensive than XHHW-2, making it a rather pointless choice to make.


Proper way to modernize 1940's cabin sub-panels

This really needs to start with a conversation with your AHJ.   What you need to know is if your legacy setup is grandfathered.   And then you can have a talk about your options about modernizing it.
That knife switch, which I see high on the wall above a walkway, is not a player.  Simple as that.  It's not in a legal location for any service equipment to be.  You can't need a ladder to access any service equipment with controls - not a knife switch, panel nor GFCI.
So I would get a sign-off that your existing setup is grandfathered, and then, upgrade your meter to a "Meter-main".  Which includes the meter and a main disconnect+main breaker combo device.  The outside disconnect is a 2020 NEC requirement anyway.
Now you're in a position to do what you were hoping to do with the disconnect switch; make upgrades without involving PG&E.   By the way, we're not even sure the disconnect actually disconnects everything!
I take it this will deprecate the truly awful plumbing pipe misused as Rigid conduit.  I don't care if you use plumbing pipe, but you must use LL, LR or LB conduit bodies for your corners.  It's perfectly clear the piping was assembled around the wires. You can't ever do that!  Must complete the entire conduit path (empty) then pull the wires in.
Find a proper location for the new panel
This panel needs a working space 30" wide (including the panel but not centered on it), 36" deep, and 78" (6'6") tall. The space must remain clear at all times and cannot be crowded in with tables, shelves or benches, and cannot be used to store anything.
As such, the best place for it is a pathway.  I see a place on the wall directly below the soon to be retired disconnect.  Nobody will put stuff in the working area because it's a pathway.
There, you slap a 40- or 42-space panel of your choice.  If you foresee installing a generator, let us know as that'll focus your choices.  The panel can be main-lug if you really want it to be.
Replace the mini-panels
All of the mini-panels high on the wall get replaced by large junction boxes, such as a 6x6 or 4-11/16 square if they'll fit the wires.   I personally would run about six EMT conduits straight up out of the panel to a large at least 10x10" junction box "up there" above the panel.  Then, I'd run lateral conduits to the sites of the other four remaining panels, and install 6x6 or 4-11/16" square boxes there.  All in EMT or Rigid conduit.  That takes care of all grounding.  PVC can't say the same.
Take the time to learn metal conduit, even if PVC seems momentarily easier.  You'll thank me when you're running ground wires, or to be more precise, when you are not.
Now, each of the cables now coming into the four service panels, go ahead and bring them into those boxes obviously, with normal and proper cable clamps.  Then, using THHN/THWN wire, extend the wires via the conduits into the main panel.  No more than four circuits per conduit (unless the conduit is <2' long)... and respect conduit fill rules.
Common wire nuts will suffice for splices, though for #8 and larger consider MAC Block connectors.
AFCI/GFCI
Any circuit that requires AFCI, use an AFCI breaker.  AFCI receptacles are a joke, and do not do what they need to do.  If circuits need GFCI protection, you can use GFCI receps at the first outlet position in the part of the circuit where GFCI is required.
Make every effort to keep safety systems such as refrigerators, radon pumps, fire alarms, smoke detectors etc. entirely off GFCI/AFCI. While that protection is nice, it can't be allowed to compromise the safety function.  If you must put a fridge on GFCI, make sure it's a dedicated circuit.  That way, you don't have it tripping, having food spoil, then resetting it because you wanted something else to work all the time unawares that the fridge was on the circuit also and the food is now spoilt.  Relying on the chef or eater to detect spoiled food is a loser's game, as it breaks utterly for children, seniors, sickly, etc.


Is there a technique to make a shower mirror fog-free?

Yes, install heating cable behind the mirror - it will heat the mirror and water will not condense on the mirror. Heating cable manufacturers even offer some special kits for that - like this one from DEVI.


When concrete is mixed it has air trapped in the mix. When pouring walls we use vibrators to get the air out. With smaller pours hitting the forms with a hammer helps.


Is it possible to sanitize leather without damaging it?

Soap and water are even more effective than alcohol on covid-19, per a number of sources. Here's one.
Saddle soap is literally soap made for use on leather.

Enjoy.


How can I supply 240v power to my home with 120v generators?

Two identical 12V car batteries could deliver 24V, and two identical  120V~ transformers at the same net could deliver 240V~.
But two 120V~  generators can not simply be connected in series to get 240V~.
They must have a special interface/circuit to offer that option, because both generators must be locked to exactly the same frequency and must be locked to a constant phase difference of exactly Pi, e.g. by a phase locked loop circuit.
In case of the car batteries and the 2 transformers, this condition is automatically ensured without special circuits. Both car batteries deliver exactly the same frequency (0.000000 Hertz) and can simply be connected with exactly Pi difference ( + pole connected to -).
Both transformers are fed by exactly the same frequency (from the grid) and can also be simply connected with Pi difference.


cleats vs. staples for hardwood flooring

Yes! Cleats are pretty much the standard in hardwood flooring. Typically, hardwood floors have 'tongue & groove' joints that interlock. First, some definitions of terms that I've used in my answer:

Tongue: the part that sticks out of the hardwood piece is called the 'tongue'.

Groove: the slot it fits into is the 'groove'.

Face: the part of the piece that will eventually be the floor is called the 'face'.

Floor joists: these are horizontal panels that run from one end of the room to the other and rest on beams under them. These provide support and you'll install the flooring on the joists, perpendicular to the direction in which they run.

CLEATS

With cleats, you drive the nail through the tongue onto the floor joists at a 45 degree angle. The cleats (which need to be set in) get hidden by the next piece that overlaps the previous one. The advantage is that all except the last piece in the room will have no nail markings on the surface.

The only con is that you'll need a specialized hardwood floor nailer, that can be pretty expensive to buy ($400-500 for a pneumatic one and $200-300 for a manual one). Needless to say, the pneumatic one is less work (but then again, you'll need to get a compressor for it) than the manual (you'll need a 5lbs mallet to drive a 1.5"-2" cleat in fully). However, these tools are easily available for hire at your local HomeDepot/Lowes (assuming you're in the US).

STAPLES

Now, I've never heard of anyone using staples for hardwood floors. It's more a carpet layer's tool. With staples, you'll also have to nail in through the face, thereby leaving marks all over the floor and ruining the appearance. You can probably use staples to lay down the backer board under the hardwood floor (if you're in a cold weather/windy area, this will help insulate the house by preventing airflow through the slots in the floorboard). Using them on hardwood floors is a terrible idea, and wouldn't recommend it under any circumstances.


This is a job for a programmable thermostat, not a timer switch

The heater in question, a Cadet RM162, is a 240VAC unit, hence the two pole switch (which was inadvertently disassembled by the OP).  The timer switch the OP has, unfortunately, is a single pole, 120VAC unit.  While a relay could be used to get around this limitation, it's cheaper and easier to use a line-voltage programmable thermostat instead, such as the Honeywell TL8230A1003.


Is this enough room for undercabinet sink plus disposal?

Your math looks good, but you haven't accounted for the tail-piece from the disposal into the trap. The 7 3/16" you calculated is to the center line of the disposal's outlet, and there's a piece attached that fits into the trap. In the linked diagram, that tail piece is shown as 4" high, so in the worst case, measuring from the bottom of the countertop down, you'd need 9" for the sink + 7 3/16" sink to outlet + 4" tailpiece = 20 3/16". So that wouldn't work. But on the shallow bowl of the sink, you're just under 18" and should be OK.

You do have some additional wiggle room in two possible areas:

The tailpiece doesn't need to fully extend down. Your trap can come right up to the part where it curves to join the disposal. This can probably reduce its height from 4" to 3" or maybe even 1.5 to 2".
Hard to tell from the diagram, but the height of the disposal plus drain flange should be measured from the top of the flange not the underside of your sink. The flange drops into your sink from above and is clamped on from below, so whether your sink's made of very thin material or very thick stuff only affects the position of the clamp, not the height of the final assembly. (Unless you use an extra-long flange, which might be necessary in e.g. a thick stone sink.)

You will also need a bit of extra height to allow for proper sloping of the drain lines. 1/4" or 1/2" could be fine. I'm also assuming your 18" is measured to the center of the wall drain.

So in short, I think you will be fine if you're willing to put the disposal on the shallower end of the sink, and you have a chance of making it work on the deeper end too. Good luck!


What do I do with two prong plugs in my house, when my fuse box is grounded?

It may already be grounded.  Back in the day, it was common to use either metal conduit or metal-armored cable, which provides a ground path.
If you only need human-safety protection and not equipment protection (e.g. from ESD), then you can convert 2-prong receptacles to 3-prong by providing GFCI protection.  You must add a sticker "No Equipment Ground", and if the GFCI device is somewhere else, also "GFCI Protected".
If one is clever, and if one is poor it pays to be clever, then one can get by with a single GFCI device per circuit.  The labeling is still required.
Lastly, it is legal to retrofit just a ground wire to a box that has no ground.  The ground wire must be the proper size for the circuit, and must go back to either a) the panel, b) a junction box with metal conduit going back to the panel, c) a junction box with a big enough ground wire going back to the panel, or d) the bare copper Grounding Electrode System wires.


How to remove dryer from top of stacked washer/dryer in small closet?

Looks to me like there is enough room in there to tilt the whole set over.  Which is likely how the installers did it.  Place some thick blankets/moving pads on your floor.  Make sure you put all the screws back so it is secured and tilt the whole unit over out and out the doorway.  You should then be able to maneuver it enough to get all the attachment screws out and separate the two then til the units back upright.  I strongly recommend getting a second set of hands to do this though.


With the listing on the pump for 15 amp circuit this should be your max.

There are several ways to monitor if there is power at the outlet. The easiest way would be to install a neon or led indicator light; very low current draw on both with long life spans. There are modules you can put on the hot wire and they activate a switch when the motor is running that could turn on a second neon or led indicator lamp. I have similar setups on some motor controls so I can see at a glance if the breaker is on and if the motor is running. Both could be added to a single gang box attached to your existing outlet box.

The quick Google search I found cr2550 remote current indicator. Pull the black wire through the center of the core and when your pump is running the led will light. Its all wired for 11.85$ max continuous load 20 amps.  (I use accuamp but they cost about 75$  and can handle up to 175 amps with adjustable turn on point). a simple ideal indicator part # 777121 attached to the connections of the outlet black & white will show when there is power (120v) indicator.  If the LED is not lit you know the pump is not running either not enough water or pump has failed if the other indicator is on.

Hope this helps.


Do I really have to fasten interior-wall electrical wire to a stud to keep it from moving?

If you continue reading NEC 334.30 you'll come to subsection (B)...

  334.30 Securing and Supporting Nonmetallic-sheathed cable shall be supported and secured by staples, cable ties, straps, hangers, or
  similar ﬁttings designed and installed so as not to damage the cable,
  at intervals not exceeding 1.4 m (4 1⁄2 ft) and within 300 mm (12 in.)
  of every outlet box. junction box, cabinet, or ﬁtting. Flat cables
  shall not be stapled on edge. Sections of cable protected from
  physical damage by raceway shall not be required to be secured within
  the raceway.

  (A) Horizontal Runs Through Holes and Notches. In other than
  vertical runs, cables  installed in accordance with 300.4 shall be
  considered to be supported and secured where such support does not
  exceed 1.4-m (4 1⁄2-ft) intervals and the nonmetallic-sheathed cable
  is securely fastened in place by an approved means within 300 mm (12
  in.) of each box, cabinet, conduit body, or other nonmetallicsheathed
  cable termination.

  FPN: See 314.17(C) for support where nonmetallic boxes are used

  (B) Unsupported Cables. Nonmetallic-sheathed cable shall be permitted to be unsupported where the cable:

  (1) Is ﬁshed between access points through concealed spaces in ﬁnished
  buildings or structures and supporting is impracticable.

  (2) Is not more than 1.4 m (4 1 ⁄2 ft) from the last point of cable
  support to the point of connection to a luminaire or other piece of
  electrical equipment and the cable and point of connection are within
  an accessible ceiling

So if the structure is accessible, you must secure the cable. If you are fishing cable, you do not have to secure the cable. No trained mice with staplers required.


Should I suspend a shelf from the ceiling?

You COULD do that, [the adjusters-things you want are called turnbuckles] but it might be a lot simpler (no holes in the ceiling) to use better and larger shelf brackets. Better, in having a brace that makes them a triangle. Larger, making a larger, more stable triangle. A pair of good heavy duty brackets in a large size will make a shelf that you can sit on and not deflect - much less a measly projector. I had a clothes dryer mounted on this sort of bracket for years.


Bad split but great situation, in being a cabinet & not a bank of drawers. However, I can't see fresh wood, which is quite odd. It's best to do this with the piece laying face-up on the floor.

You need to wood glue that. Open & prop up the split to then squirt, popsicle stick or brush a thin layer of glue on the bottom of the split. Just get as much of the split as you can manage, remove your prop & let gravity close it.

It shouldn't slide around & should align perfectly on its own, but help it if needed. Wipe any glue off that squeezes out with a rung-out paper towel, rag or sponge. Keep the door open & stack as much weight (up to 100-lbs) as you can within the cabinet door zone.

Start stacking with something long & fairly thin to span the cabinet opening, so you can wipe off any additional glue squeeze out on both sides. And, let it sit for 27-hours. You should be good to go from there, but you can also install a small (1/2-inch x 1 1/2-inch) flat drilled piece of metal (at any hardware store) to bridge & brace the old split, just under the drawer so it's not visible.


How would I connect several speakers to an amplifier for multi room sound?

You start by having all wires run directly to where the amplifier is. If each room is going to have an impedence-matching volume control knob then you run your speakers to that knob and then from that to the amp.

Do not chain or parallel wire you speakers in wall. Even though 8 Ohm speakers might be ok in parallel for your 4 Ohm amplifier you should make that circuitry outside of the wall at the amp location.

You can't just combine left and right outputs and form mono sound. You'll need a device which can mix the stereo inputs into a mono output. If you want to do this it is likely you will need to have pre-outs on your receiver, and a second amplifier stage for rooms C and D.

My suggestion would be not to bother with mono in rooms C and D. Buy single-location speakers that have dipole coils in them so that you can run stereo sound (four conductors) to the one speaker.

In this configuration, you have four stereo requirements.

I suggest you get a switching splitter designed for this, or a power amp stage designed to power eight channels.


You may want to consider just applying some of that opaquing film to the window glass that just goes part way up. You wouldn't get your plant shelf but this would be an easy solution to the people looking in.

Since you live in an apartment your range of options of that you can do are limited unless this is a unit that you actually own. And even in the case that you do own you would not want to go so far as modifying things in a way that they are not reversible without damage.

One scheme that should work would be to look into using a sheet of the dense pink or blue rigid foam insulating material that is cut to length so that it fits across the window opening with a push-in friction fit. This material comes in large panel sizes (in USA ~4 feet by ~8 feet) so you could achieve the size of covering that you need.

For the shelf it may very well be possible to cut a narrow strip of the same material that fits into the opening and sits flat on the upper edge of the material that covers the window from below. It could bonded or pinned to the lower panel as well.

To improve the look you can try spray painting the foam to a color that coordinates with your room.

Do note that I am not suggesting that you use the lower cost white crumbly foam panels.


It looks like your door is warping. There's probably no way to fix the door itself, but there are a couple of things to do that can help.

apply or move the weatherstripping so that there's no air passing through
re-hang the door to split the difference of the warp between the top and bottom. This will never be a perfect solution, but it's done pretty regularly.

You should ensure that the door has been painted on the top and bottom edges, as this is one cause of warping. Also, you should make sure that moisture isn't being dumped onto the top of the door from the outside.

There's also the question of what warranty obligations the builder has to you. You'll need to consult locally, but they might be legally required to fix this. (And, in my opinion, a fix would be a new door. However, standards of what is acceptable vary from place to place.)


What is this end part called? What adapter do I need to attach a tank?

That is called a flare fitting. It mates to a roughly cone shaped fitting (usually on a valve) which makes a metal on metal seal with pressure when the nut is screwed down on threads on the fitting. No tape or pipe dope needed or would do any good. The flared tubing is soft copper.

The size would be the OD of the copper tubing which looks like 1/2 inch or 3/8 inch.


What caulk to use for basement leaks at cove joint where floor meets the wall? Polyurethane, silicone, or latex-based Drylok?

Water should never come up from below the slab.  If water is coming up then your sump pump is undersized and not handling either the influx of ground water or the rain and influx of ground water.  The sump pump should have a high level alarm.  If the water ever gets anywhere near the bottom of the slab the alarm should be going off.
You aren't going to be able to turn your basement slab into a boat bottom if water is that high in the water table then water will wick up through the porous concrete slab or through any number of penetrations or cracks.  You might want to seal the crack to prevent radon / water moisture from entering your basement in that case I'd go for the quikrete product.


I see in your picture that there is a wooden shim between the door frame and the jack stud.  Typically the frame should be screwed into the jack stud separately from the door hinge.  The small door hinge screws should only have to hold onto the frame of the door and usually don't need to be driven into the wall stud.

A fire door can be quite heavy though and might need a bit more.

You can see here that they make door hinge hardware that comes with at least one extra long wood screw that will anchor your door hinge to both the door frame and the jack stud.  This will also further strengthen the door frame itself.

Go to the door accessory section of your local hardware store and find where they keep plastic packs of door hinge hardware.  Each hinge typically comes with short screws and one long screw.  Each pack is cheap, usually under $4, you will need three.  Make sure you match the shape and hole pattern of the existing door hinge.


Can I lay down solid wood planks on top of my basement concrete floor?

Yes, but.

There are so many issues with putting wood flooring at or below grade that I never like to see it done. The main issues are that wood swells with humidity, and humidity varies with seasons and other situations like rainfall. Most people think that their foundations are moisture-proof, but that is absolutely untrue with any masonry product, especially concrete. So the first thing you're going to need to do is a moisture content test on your concrete. These can be purchased at a hardware or flooring supply store, and you can send the test off for $10 US or so to a lab.

The next thing you have to determine is how to affix it. Around here in Texas, with slab-on-grade construction being most common and cellars being relatively uncommon, it's most likely to be affixed with construction or flooring adhesive. The main problem with affixing it this way is that it does not allow the wood to flex, expand, or contract without breaking loose from the adhesive or potentially cracking boards. I have seen some flooring installers in the Great White North (as we refer to the land you come from) who put down several inches of rigid foam insulation covered with a tongue and groove plywood product and affix the wood flooring to that. I would research that option -- I have no idea what it takes and if it's practical for your home, but I know that it would remove some of the height from your basement. With a father who's 6'4", and a best friend who's 6'7", that would be of concern to me.

The last and final thing you need to consider is what you're going to do if your basement ever floods. Wood floors are ruined by flooding. Rooms that are below grade are prone to flooding either due to rising water tables or infiltration from above, including from inside the home.

Instead of hardwood, I would strongly recommend that you look at ceramic tile that is designed to emulate hardwood flooring. It will provide the look that you're seeking without all of the problems. With an in-floor heating system, it could also provide the feel that you're going for at a lower end-cost than wood flooring.


What type of bolt is only threaded at the tip

It is called a shoulder bolt. You will probably need to try a specialized hardware supplier. In the US, Fastenal or McMaster-Carr come to mind as far as national outfits.
With this type of hardware, it is sometimes so specialized to the item it came off of, it could be easier to just locate the manufacturer and model of the scooter. You could then first search online for parts diagrams and part numbers for that, or call their support number.


Where can I find estimates for BTU , EER or COP of very old air conditioners? (from the 1990's)

The 10 SEER minimum was right around that time period so it would most likely be 8 or 10 SEER. Window air conditioners at that time were listed as appliances and were not subject to testing so manufacturers could make up any numbers they wanted to. The BTU ratings would be all over the place in those days. You could take two 12000 btu air conditioners and one would cool considerably better than the other. And since EER is basically BTU/Watts then a change in the BTU would be a change in the EER. Air conditioners also loose their efficiency over time since it is a function of how it can transfer heat and the heat exchanging coils will delaminate over time. Not usually fully but there will be oxidation forming between the copper tubes and the aluminum fins.


Can I install a floor length window on the second floor?

It used to be that such a window had to have tempered safety glass, now:

2006 IRC:

R613.2 Window Sills. In dwelling units, where the opening of an operable window is located more than 72 inches above the finished grade or surface below, the lowest part of the clear opening of the window shall be a minimum of 24 inches above the finished floor of the room in which the window is located. Glazing between the floor and 24 inches shall be fixed or have openings through which a 4-inch-diameter sphere cannot pass.

So, no part of the window that actually opens can be lower than 24" unless barricaded similar to balcony railings (4" dia. ball test). Fixed glazing is allowed but must be tempered safety glass if extending below 18" height on the wall. It is easy to order your windows with tempered glass, it just costs a bit more. Check with your window supplier as they will be familiar with the code requirements and any additional restrictions in your area.


Manufactured home wiring of hot water tank

The proper breaker would be a 2-pole common trip breaker and not two 1-pole breakers. Buy a proper breaker in the correct current level (amps rating) for the wiring you have and install it. Usually the heater wiring would be #10 copper protected by a 30-A 2-pole breaker. What size wiring do you have? What is the current rating of the present breakers?

Flip the new breaker on and if it stays on, then you have fixed the problem. The tripped 1-pole breaker was bad.

If the new breaker trips, then the fault is in the water heater. Switch the new 2-pole breaker to off and disconnect the wires at the water heater.

Test the heating element of the water heater to see if it is shorted out. If it is, then you will have to replace the element or replace the entire heater if it is too old or shows signs of impending failure.


For a temporary cord cap you are probably going to have to use an industrial grade cord cap. Leviton -  black & white lists #10 AWG with cord sizes up to .700" (strain relief insert removed for the larger size). Part #'s 5269-C & 5266-C. This is not an endorsement I just happen to have some on the shelf. Be prepared for a bit of sticker shock compared to non Specification / industrial grade cord caps. Hubble also makes one almost exactly the same. These are the 2 brands I normally use.


Tongue groove wood flooring - oops, I cut them both off

The risk is that the boards will become unflush during seasonal expansion and contraction. Even if they look fine going in; tripping hazards will appear at these seams once everything settles (and then unsettles... and back again).

I use a table saw with three blades sandwiched together to cut grooves back into my useless cut-offs. Tongues aren't fun to make, so just use tongueless ones against the wall, cut again to fit.

You can start each row from either side, so long as the cut end goes (spaced, for expansion) against the wall, and you have at least one tongue or one grove.


Get some hydrogen peroxide, dilute to 7% with water and spray or roll it on the blocks. Within 24 hours the mold is gone any that is still left reapply and that usually takes care of mold on concrete block sometimes a 3rd round then an occasional treatment keeps the concrete bright.
No chemical residue to worry about the hydrogen peroxide breaks back down into water and oxygen.
If you get strong hydrogen peroxide on your hair it will bleach it, gloves and glasses should be worn.
I purchase my hydrogen peroxide online at ?30% in gallons but I live in Oregon and some places have year round mold problems I kill mold prior to working with it because I don’t want to breathe it.
Just a note I am not sure how long it lasts but if not kept in a dark cool area it turns back to water after a few years so far mine gets used before that long as it is a great sanitizer with no bleach stink (learned that working in a hospital years back).


How to maintain a pool without eventually having to replace water?

You don't say much about the type of pool (in-ground,above ground, lined, concrete, etc) or the environment (is freezing an issue) but our in-ground vinyl lined pool in the southern United States uses a salt water chlorinator and the water has not been replaced (aside form evaporative losses) in the 5 years since the pool was installed.  It doesn't get much safer (just add salt) or easier.  We get the water tested at the pool supply store and have to add a bit of this or that from time to time, but overall it is hassle-free.


That is a joist centered fan rated ceiling box. I installed one of these during my remodel 2 years ago. It is a standard mount, so I'm not sure what you mean by the mounting doesn't fit. Show picture of the fan mounting plate. The box should have 2 holes on each side. Looks like one is partially covered by ceiling texture. Your mounting bracket should have elongated holes also, to help center the bracket over the holes.


How do I stop my driveway from flooding?

You have two ways to get rid of it.

Pump the water away.

This will allow you to move the water to a higher elevation where it can drain away naturally. See sump pumps.

Create a drain for the water.

You'll need to determine the best place for water to go. This depends on what is even further from your house. It looks like in the pictures that the driveway goes slightly uphill away from where the water is pooling and towards the road. If that is the case, trying to get the water to go that way will be hard.
Seemingly more likely, you could have it drain through the back yard. In order to do that, you'll either need to grade the dirt, or add another path for water to flow.
Grading the dirt:
Since you have a low spot next to the drive way, you'll need to pull some from where you intend water to flow into the lower area. Water will flow down hill, and you'll need to make that hill for it to flow down, even if the hill is barely noticeable.
Adding another path:
In this case, you'll dig a trench from the lowest point next to the drive way to either the edge of your property or a point where it will run off easily. You can use field tile (corrugated pipe) to run it in. If you use perforated pipe, you can put some rock on top and around it to let water in. You'll need a path for the water that's sitting to get into the pipe. Also, you'll want to run any downspouts in the area into that pipe to have them drain off too.
Here is a description of how to install corrugated pipe.


Is a 20A switch needed for a bathroom fan/heat/light combo unit?

Yes, if you have a 20A circuit for a 20A load, then you need a 20A switch.  You can't put a 15A switch in there for the same reason you can't use 14 gauge wire - the conductor is to small, leading to a fire hazard.


Alright - this installed and working.

It took a little bit of time to figure out what was going on with that crazy wiring without the benefit of a wiring diagram. We reverse engineered the wires based on where they were on the old thermostat.

The thermostat came with a c-wire adapter which basically allowed be to wire the unit using the existing 4-wire cord. I'm pulling the 24v from the transformer and, so far it's not running under-voltage. If that changes then I guess we'll have to install another transformer. So far so good though. Thanks for the comments!


Is it safe to mount a pull-up bar on an exterior stucco wall?

The bracket bolts would need to penetrate the stucco and then embed nicely centered into the studs directly behind the brackets. There will be no safe mounting trying to use plastic anchors, lead expansion anchors or toggle bolts that just deal with the stucco alone.

This pullup bar with its 32" extension out from the wall will place tremendous pullout force on the anchor bolts, especially the upper ones, when an person applies all their weight on the pullup bar. The forces would be even more if there are impulse loads such as occur if the exercise activity involves any motions other than slow steady load in the downward direction. Expansion anchors mounted right in the stucco will surely work loose and pull out. Toggle type anchors that would just bear against the inside of the stucco wall would likely crack the stucco around the mount points.

If you do mount over studs using proper lag bolts with correct pilot hole into the wood can have the actual holes in the stucco sealed with good quality caulk or silicone. Just make sure to blow out all the stucco debris. I would fill the hole with the sealing agent before pushing the lag bolts through the bracket and screwing into the studs.


Do we need to rewire our house after a major power surge?

Your local, on site electrician will best assess this, but in all likelihood, yes, you need to replace all the wiring (and your insurance company or the utility company should be footing the bill - your insurance company will probably turn around and get the money from the utility company, it's truly their fault.)

Why? When you have had an overvoltage condition of such magnitude that:

  It caught the breaker panel on fire, some outlets, switches and light socket on fire too.

The problem is not resolved when the overvoltage goes away and the fire is put out, because every place that arced now has a lovely "carbon track" where it's supposed to have insulation - and carbon is a conductor - a lousy one, but plenty to cause problems. Once a carbon track forms, it's very easy to have repeated arcs at much lower voltages.

Typical household wiring is 600V insulation - yours was exposed to likely 1100-2400V depending on the local system.

In addition, you may well have damage at places you cannot see inside the walls. You're lucky the house did not burn down.

So - not only the wiring, but also the receptacles, switches, and pretty much everything that was connected to them is now highly suspect and should be replaced.


How to run a cable raceway by doorway with raised floor?

Just to update with an answer: at the end only one cable was necessary, which helps. Solution still applicable if two cables were necessary (as originally stated): a plastic raceway of the right size is best in this case. I checked dimensions of all raceways I could find, and chose the one right the size I needed. That avoid extra wasted space and a tripping hazard. The photo might not tell that, but even with two cables it would not be a problem, it wouldn't be projected too far from the door to be unsafe.

The result is nice:


3-Way Light Switch, two blacks and a red?

It sounds like your wiring is like this:

I believe the switch you took a picture of is the one on the left. If so, it looks like it's wired correctly: the black screw is usually common, and it seems to be coming from the red wire nut, which is the power source (am I seeing that correctly?)

If the other switch is turning on/off the light, regardless of which position this switch is in, then it is very likely this is a defective switch.

However, if it is only happening when this switch is in one particular position, then it's highly likely one of the two switches has the common wire connected to one of the traveller terminals. It could be either one.

If you can determine which wire goes where (the biggest hint is that the traveller wire is 14-3 while the others usually aren't), then you should be able to match it up to the wiring diagram here.


Ways to mitigate safety risks with double cylinder deadbolts on enterance/exit doors?

The way to mitigate the safety risks is to not use a key inside.  It doesn't provide any protection, anyway, so there is no good reason to use that type of lock; it is inherently unsafe even if locally allowed.

The vast majority of break-ins don't involve picking locks, sawing through deadbolts, cutting arm holes in the door, or using other fancy, slow methods.  The goal is to get in and out as fast as possible, and burglars look for easy opportunities.  Your real protection comes from encouraging the burglar to look somewhere else.

Doors that are not security doors, that have locks with short deadbolts, and don't have any reinforcement at the weak points, take only seconds to simply break the door open, deadbolt and all.  That's what burglars look for and try; an inside key is irrelevant.

If you make that difficult, your typical burglar will look for another house that's an easier target after a couple of unsuccessful tries.  If they've specifically targeted your house, the door isn't the only, or necessarily easiest, route in.  For example, they can bust out a window.  Focusing on an inside key is looking in the wrong place for security.

There are lots of ways to make a door more difficult to break open.  There's tons of advice online on simple things you can do.
There's only one type of door where an inside key might even be a consideration -- a door with decorative glass within easy reach of the lock mechanism.  That invites breaking the glass to reach the lock inside as an easy first step.  If they find no lever on the inside, step 2 is the brute force option they would have tried anyway.

If that's the type of door you have, and why an inside key seems relevant, the better solution is to get a different door.  The appearance of a potentially easy way in might be what makes your house an attractive target in the first place.

Keep in mind that your property is insured against theft, and burglars rarely break in when someone is at home.  So an inside key jeopardizes your own safety, doesn't offer real protection against break-in, and would be there to protect property that's insured.


Assuming this actually is dirt and not bleaching by the sun and some confusion on which boards faced which way...

Go to Home Depot and rent a pressure washer.

Test the pressure washer on a scrap piece of fencing before you use it on the real deal - if you get too close you could blast a hole in the vinyl - but it will remove the dirt.  Quite amazingly so.  I've seen dirty old grey decking look like brand spanking new after a good pressure wash.


Do I need to install carbon monoxide detectors to be up to code?

You should install a carbon monoxide detector regardless of what the code says!

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

  Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas, but, being colorless, odorless, tasteless, and initially non-irritating, it is very difficult for people to detect.

  The initial symptoms of acute carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, nausea, malaise, and fatigue. These symptoms are often mistaken for a virus such as influenza or other illnesses such as food poisoning or gastroenteritis. ... Increasing exposure produces cardiac abnormalities including fast heart rate, low blood pressure, and cardiac arrhythmia; central nervous system symptoms include delirium, hallucinations, dizziness, unsteady gait, confusion, seizures, central nervous system depression, unconsciousness, respiratory arrest, and death.

Detectors are cheap ($15-$60) and readily available. They come as battery-operated, plug-in, and as combination smoke/CO detectors. I recently replaced the smoke detectors in my house (which were 10 years old and thus at end-of-life) with these combo hardwired units: they are linked, so if one goes off, they all do, and announce "Fire" or "Carbon monoxide".

Bottom line: If you have a fuel-burning appliance (furnace, stove, etc), fireplace, or attached garage, you should have at least one CO detector.

As far as current compliance, the IRC and local building codes typically only apply to new construction or renovation. For example, if you are doing an addition to your house or other type of permit-requiring renovation, you'll have to comply with the building codes for at least that portion. This may vary by jurisdiction, and there may be other specific laws or regulations that require retroactively complying with the codes. I am just a random person on the internet; you should consult with your local permit office and/or building inspector to know for sure.

Your insurance or mortgage company may also have other requirements, on top of local building codes and law.

Law in US

Since July 1, 2009, Colorado requires CO detectors in all new homes and any re-sold homes.

Since Feb 22, 2010, New York state requires at least one CO detector on the lowest story having a sleeping area. Homes built after Jan 1, 2008 must have a hardwired CO alarm.

Since Jan 1, 2011, California requires CO alarms for new homes, and since July 1, 2011 for existing homes.

Law in Canada

In Ontario, homes built after Aug 6, 2011 must have hardwired CO detectors installed. Legislation was passed in Nov 2013 to require CO detectors in all homes with fuel-burning appliances.


Why did inspector ask to move P-trap above floor?

All traps must be installed on the same floor as the fixture served with the exception of tubs and showers.

You can probably find that code bit in the DWV section, not necessarily under washing machines. In any case putting it below the floor would violate the maximum length of the stand pipe code which is 30"

The Need for a P-trap

If you create a waste pipe for any fixture that needs draining, including a washing machine, and the drain doesn't have a properly installed P-trap, you're creating a dangerous situation. The pool of water in the bottom of the trap effectively seals sewer gases inside the pipes, and if you omit the trap, the gases have a direct route into your house. Besides being laden with harmful organisms that you can inhale, some sewer gases, such as methane, are flammable. If the washer is in an enclosed area, you could actually create a fire hazard by omitting the trap or from improper installation.


Should Door Trim/Jamb be flush cut with bottom of base for carpet install?

I always hold casing to the same height as the base trim (3/8" or 7/16" is enough--1/2" risks showing a gap with thinner carpets). However, if the casing is already installed, don't bother making cuts now. Carpet layers can easily deal with that situation by tucking against it. It shouldn't be a visual concern.


Assuming that the framing around the post socket is solid, this is what I'd do for a rock-solid result:

Procure some items:

Heavy-duty construction adhesive--the kind that comes in a caulking gun tube. Liquid Nails in blue/gold is what I have in mind.
Wood shims. 6" are ok. 8" are better.
A bubble level in the 2-4' range
Utility knife with a fresh blade
Masking tape and plastic or paper
Vacuum cleaner

Protect the carpeting and post with masking tape, plastic, or whatever. Once solvent-based adhesive goes on, it doesn't come off without effort.
Clean all loose material out of the gap. Use tools to eliminate old shims, dust, etc. Use a vacuum to clean it out well.
Squeeze that gap as full as you can with construction adhesive. Obviously you don't want it dripping out the bottom onto something important, so check that.
Start gently tapping shims into the gap in reversed pairs, seeking to coat them with adhesive. Pre-apply adhesive if you like. The idea here is to create support not just at the top of the gap, but 4 inches or more down the post. If the shims are too thick, cut the lower one in half and use the thin part.
Check plumb with the level. Adjust shims as needed, and continue to tap them in. Be sure that shims or glue or (ideally) both are snugging up down in the gap.
Once you have most of the gap filled with shims, do a final check for plumb, then slice the shims off flush with the hard floor. Scrape off any adhesive that remains outside the gap.
Protect the post from force for 48 hours.

The combination of adhesive and wood shims will leave a solid, well-bonded base for your post. The adhesive will continue to harden over the following weeks.


Washer and dryer in a recessed nook - how do I support a countertop above?

The countertop guys will laugh at you if you want to span quartz over a 5' span.  Basically quartz and granite can barely span a dishwasher width - meaning we get buy with not having plywood over the counters.  And that is given nothing heavy is stored on it on that section.  Given you will have a washer and dryer below it, I would protect it.  Since if a washer or dryer was jerked out of position it could nick or crack the slab.

So I would basically frame out the area.  Cleat on each side - 2x4, then 3 2x4s going the width with one in the middle.  Then a think piece of plywood on top (3/8").  You can then install decorative trim on the front panel and since you used a 2x4, the big box stores will have lots of choices.  Total cost is about $25.  *You can also just face it with a nice wood veneer.

When the installers come they can just glue it to the plywood - they don't have to overdo this as a couple of dabs will do.  The same principle should be used for the 2x4 framing under.  Meaning if you need to move the quartz up or down or where ever later it should just take a few minutes with a putty knife.  I am sure there is plumbing in that wall and you don't want a shelf you can never move.

Also a couple of notes here:

stone hardly ever looks good floating.  It would look tacky just stuck on top of cleats.  First it isn't thick enough for the floating look and second the underside is hardly ever polished and thinking that would be pretty apparent in its location.
You could also put some drawers below this but this may take some custom cabinetry.


How do I make a bulk holding tank for fire trucks to fill, using 3 different tanks of different sizes and different elevations?

You appear to be setting this up to fail. Don't do that.
If you have three tanks at different elevations, your fire truck fill point is the bottom of the lowest one.
Your system fill point and vent is the top of the top one.
If the two lower tanks won't hold pressure (typical concrete tank that does not really have a tight seal at the top) you'll need float valves on the pipes that fill them from the higher tank so the water does not just leak out the top.


Drain pipe at wrong angle. What are the consequences?

The low point is where semi-solid materials (sludge, in our vernacular) will collect and ultimately clog the sink. If your friend is willing to clean the pipe out regularly, then it's probably okay.

As you probably know, the solution is to fix the plumbing and let water run downhill.

(Edited to respond to the comment/question about possible leakage.)

I'd say that the quality of the connection and the likelihood of it leaking is a different matter. A little bit of backed up water won't create a leak. However, if the plumbing was done poorly in the first place (and it looks like it was), then it might leak. While water is running, try to gently move some of the parts and see if there's a leak. If there is, the system needs to be repaired.


Why would a sump pump cycle when pumping large amounts of water?

When you hear the motor running, do you get a discharge? If not, it's the pump. If so, it's the motor.


Three way switch with common terminal hard-wired to traveller

We're going to need a picture of the other switch but my guess is that the top hallway auto timer needed an always hot line and that box had the fixture load wire so someone jumped the bottom switch hot to a traveler. This isn't a common wiring practice for three way switched and should be corrected. They used the backstabs which we don't like but made a real nice jumper.


Losing ceiling fans after the lightest thunderstorms. How to ascertain the cause?

It's an open secret, that No standards are followed in India, and none of the electrical or any other work is up to code.

I too had a similar problem in the apartment that I was renting in Bangalore. Every-time there was lighting and thunder, first the power used to fail, and some of the lights used to flicker, and couple of times the winding of my ceiling fans got burned, and had to be replaced.

I had a couple of electricians look at it, but they were of no help. That's when I decided to take things in my own hands, and investigate. What I found was horrible.

In several places, the switch was not on the live, but on the neutral. This meant that often the appliances were live, (had a potential of 220v) just the circuit was not complete.
The circuitry of the building was such, that there was a return current on the neutral, even when there was no electricity. This was probably due to wiring of two apartments sharing a neutral, and they having an inverter, or something.
The earthing was probably just the neutral, or the earthing plate was not properly installed.

I had to take the following steps:

Get a proper earthing plate installed, and connected.
Install a high quality electronic circuit-braker. I forget the exact details, but I think, it was dual pole & checked for the leakage current in the earthing.
Fix the wiring, to make sure all switches were on Live, and no appliance/connection was ever live with the switch turned off.
Have new wiring run to the fans, which included an Earth, which was connected to the hook that the fan was on, as well as the rod of the Fan.

After this, I never had any issues.


Installing a switch for a water heater's lower element

I really question the wisdom of switching just the lower heating element.  Doing so is going to overwork the upper element. I assume you are trying to conserve electricity, but this tactic is not going to be a great benefit to you. The upper element is used as the "quick recovery" unit that gives the cooling water from the lower part of the tank a boost as cold water is added as the hot water is used.  If the water cools too much in the tank and you call for hot water, the upper element will not be able to keep up until the temp of the majority of the water warms up.  I would suggest an inline switch or timer controlling both elements to help conserve energy and insulate the tank as much as you can.  If you are looking for short, small quantities of hot water , you may consider a 1 or 2 gal point of use electric tank, in line at the specific appliance. There are several models to choose from at the box stores for under $300.00
I might add, if you do try this switch idea, you will need to switch both 120VAC lines with a DPST,(double pole, single throw) 30amp switch wired with 10AWG copper. When you open the thermostat cover, you will find the lines are connected to screw terminals on the thermostat switches.


I have to stop you.

You're making a huge assumption that the dead outlets and the live ones must be "part of the same circuit", and that there's a wire in the wall between them, and that the wire is broken.  That's not what's happening at all.

First, wires breaking in walls is rare.  And second, a house - especially a 20-year-old house - is a multitude of circuits, 20, 30 or even 40.   It's almost certainly true that the "live" circuit you're splicing from, and the "dead" circuit you're splicing to, are totally different circuits.

  Ran scenarios inside black and outside white connected to panel - 0 V at the other end. Outside black and inside white 120V. Outside and outside 120V of course.

Wait.  If this was one circuit, how is the "inside" (you say the fed,  downline) neutral able to return power back to the panel????  It's disconnected, right?  No, if it gave the 120V reading, it must be connected back to the panel.  The answer is, it does go back to the main panel because it's a separate circuit with its own homerun back to the panel.  Then you say

  So, twisted the Jump wire to the panel/working side and connected to the next outlet. Lights and outlets worked throughout the circuit.

Yeah, because you were backfeeding.

You said it yourself: about half your house is dead.  About half your house.   And your house is many circuits.  What causes that, I wonder?  Read here about houses have 2 poles of power.

Yeah.  All the circuits on one pole are dead.

What's actually happening here is your red pole is dead from the power company. You had no idea what you were doing.  What you actually did was connect a hot from a "black" circuit to a hot from a "red" circuit -backfeeding not just that circuit, but the whole "red" bus! Making all of them hot (but in-phase when they're supposed to be out-of-phase, 120V loads don't care).  So that dead half of your house lit back up again.

This would fail once you drew more than 15-20A on the red side, because you're backfeeding through 15-20A breakers and they'll trip.

If the power company restored your power, your jumper would be connecting opposite poles, and KABOOM! Dead short, and breakers would trip.

You have too little knowledge.  If you want to learn the art, then borrow a book from the library and start reading about home electrical, and then get another, and then hang out here for awhile and read and ask questions.  You'll eventually get up to speed.  In the meantime, no more playing with electricity, K?

As for half your house being dead, call the power company and report an outage because that's what you have.  They'll fix it for free in a few hours typically (or tell you it ain't them, at which point it's electrician time).   Remember to roll back all these temporary connections before the power company lights you back up.


How do I prevent mold in drywall mud pail?

Once you have mold in the bucket, the compound is no good.  After using some compound from a bucket, I found that if I cover the unused compound with cellophane it helps to extend the life of the bucket.  Take a bucket scoop to push all the unused compound into the bottom of the bucket, then cover it with the plastic.  Even though the compound may last a little longer, it won't last forever.


proper grounding at main service drop panel

If the concrete encased electrode is of at least 20' of bare solid copper wire buried within 2" of the ground in the concrete footing/foundation or is connected to a galvanized pipe of the same length, it is considered a sufficient grounding electrode.  As a side the code allows the re-bar that is encased in the foundation/footing if it is all tied together with standard steel tie wire to serve as the electrode. No additional ground is required.  This is how I read the code. It is always wise to check with your local inspector.


1 and 2, Lower is always OK, higher is not, unless the FIXTURE it is going into is rated for the higher wattage. it's the fixture that matters, they are rated for wattage based on the heat involved and the way the fixture can deal with that heat. EFFICACY of a lower wattage lamp is another issue, based on what you are trying to accomplish with it. "Wasting" energy is a function of the task vs the output of the device. Any energy above what you need becomes waste, but determining what you actually NEED is a scinece in and of itself.

Probably not. Again, FIXTURES are rated for a maximum wattage, based on incandescent lamps because those are typical. So if a fixture is rated for 100W maximum, it will not really matter if it is a 100W lamp or heat lamp, unless the heat lamp PROJECTS the heat to a sensitive area, like a lamp shade. Fixutre are also going to be based on the base of the lamp being up or down, so if a fixture is designed for base down, like on a table lamp, you probably cannot use that fixture for a heat lamp over food where the base of the bulb will be pointing up.

Ceramic heat fixtures give off radiant heat, heat lamps usually are for infra-red heat. Infrared penetrates deeper into soft tissue, like skin or food, but has less of an effect in heating the air around it. Radiant heat is basically exactly the opposite; heating the AIR, but not penetrating into soft tissue as much.


Is there an approximate substitute for a Torx T40 bit?

Depending on how many you have and what is at risk ... could fit the T40 screw head socket with the largest possible hex/allen bit, spray the T40 recess with silicone, clean the hex bit, dab some quick curing epoxy or liquid metal into the recess, immediately followed by inserting the bit (only) until cured.


Wiring for grounds wire in light fixture

That's a strange ground clip on the electrical box. The box doesn't appear to be metal and that clip will interfere with your fixture bracket. I would remove that clip from the box and pigtail those two grounds to a 6" piece of bare copper wire. Install your bracket. Wrap your extended ground wire around the green screw on the bracket. Connect the end of the extended ground wire to the ground wire from the fixture with a small wire nut.


What are some easy non-expensive ways to clean a toilet?

Put 1/3 vinegar, 2/3 water in a reusable spray container (you can buy unused ones at many hardware stores and gardening supply stores).

Spray the exterior of the toilet, then wipe with whatever you want to use. You could use a couple of hand towels, cloth diapers, whatever.

The vinegar is a good disinfectant and is very eco-friendly. Toss the cloths into the laundry and wash normally. The vinegar should prevent any nasties from growing for a day or so. If no one is making a huge mess around the toilet (like a potty-training child), you only need to clean it once a week, so just plan to clean it the day before you usually do laundry.


Best way to run electrical wire behind built-in shelves, with the least patching afterwards?

You might consider using a surface-mount raceway.

You could use something like this to run the wires along the inside corners of your shelving up to the bumped out wall above the fireplace, then punch through into that cavity.

If you want to run HDMI (and maybe something like Ethernet), keep in mind that you cannot run line power and low-voltage cables together in the same conduit.

If you aren't going to run between three and five individual HDMI cables, also consider picking up an HDMI switch (with remote) so that you can plug all your devices into the switch, presumably sitting in the shelving, and run just one HDMI cable to feed the TV.

Having said all that, I tend to agree with the comment cautioning against putting the TV on the wall over a fireplace. The heat won't be friendly to the TV, and you might find that you don't like straining your neck to watch it.

In fact, you might consider mounting the TV up there temporarily and using extension cords for a week or two just to be sure you don't hate it. It would be a bummer to do all the work to permanently mount it there just to discover that you don't like it there.

Good luck!


Is a reciprocating saw the right tool to saw 2cm/0.8" hardened steel?

For cutting locks, nothing beats an angle grinder.  Good locks are all made with hardened steel that should be as hard as any metal cutting blade for a saw.  The reciprocating saw will be able to make a little progress into the shackle, but its speed will dull the blade quickly, and once it's even a little dull, it will stop cutting and melt/grind the teeth completely off.

A grinder on the other hand works by heating the metal, softening it and scraping away particles.  The grinding disk is meant to be consumable, so rather than getting dull, it just wears away as it does the job.

Of course, you should also consider that a lot of locks are very easy to pick open.  While you are trying to get access to a grinder, spend a few minutes to research picking and determine the type of lock you have.  It's unfortunate, but many locks claiming to be "high security" can be picked in minutes or seconds using improvised tools.


Is a corner roller or corner pad a good tool to use to cut into corners when painting?

I've tried a bunch of tools for cutting in corners/edges (the worst part of the job, IMO), and always end up going back to using a paintbrush.  There's not enough of a texture difference to notice it unless you have your face ON the wall (once it's dry), and it's much easier to deal with.

My family helps each other with painting, and my sister has textured walls. In that case we did use foam rollers to cut in, just for the better coverage in the texture. As long as you have plain, flat, drywall, brushes are the way to go IMO.


Potbelly stove standing on hardwood floor directly

There are code requirements on this. NFPA 211 is the code section you probably are looking for. The stove will either be UL listed and certified and have specific clearance and hearth requirements mentioned in its installation manual or be unlisted. So when we consult the manual for the Vogelzang Cast Iron Pot Belly Stove, Model# PB65XL, this kind of leaps out at you.

THIS STOVE IS NOT A UL LISTED STOVE

Unlisted stoves start having all sorts of requirements like having a fire resistant hearth underneath that extends 18" out in all directions from the stove perimeter, 36" clearance from the wall unless heat shielding is installed.

Sheet metal below the stove is not sufficient.

The hearth has to be a material that can give you protection from the floor and underlying structure igniting, usually sheet metal over the top of masonry and the stove must be constructed such that the firebox is 6" or more above the surface.

So, returning to the manual for this stove, we find:

  The stove must be placed on solid concrete, solid masonry, or when
  installed on a combustible floor a solid surface floor protector
  listed to UL1618 Type 2 with a minimum of 1" thick and a R-value of
  3.0 or greater, such as Hy-C or Imperial Model UL 5463BK must be used.

  (NOTE: To calculate R-values of equivalent alternative materials, see page 15).

  The base must extend at least 18" beyond the front, rear and sides of
  the stove, and must extend underneath and 2" beyond each side of
  horizontal connector pipe if it is elbowed towards a wall (see figure
  5 and consult local building codes and fire protection ordinances.

One such item that may fill the bill is the HY-C Floor Protector/Wall Board.

HY-C Floor Protector Manual for installation.

If you decide to DIY your floor protector, it basically has to be usable as an open hearth (resist 2 hour burn) and consists of a 2" thick firebrick platform overlaid with 24ga. min thickness sheet steel that extends out 18" from all sides of the stove. It also has to extend under the pipe to the wall.

Note: Depending on where you live, not properly installing a wood stove or not getting installation permits where required will void your home-owner's insurance where loss by fire started by the installation occurs.


Filter bags

One of the cleanest way to empty a shopvac is with a filter bag.  Most dust will be caught in your bag and not in the shopvac tank.  You just have to remove the bag and replace with a new one.  If you use your shopvac a lot, it can become expensive on the long run.
Cyclone Collector

Another solution is to add a separation stage to your shopvac.  That's usually done by adding a cyclone collector.  The idea is pretty simple, it's to collect bigger chips and dust particles in a regular trashcan or bucket and then send the rest in your shopvac. That way, you won't have to empty or clean your shopvac as often.  It can also be combined with the filter bags to reduce the amount of bags you use.
Extra reading on dust collecting and cyclones

Bill Pentz has done some extensive research and work on this subject.  Keep in mind when reading his site that he has developed some allergies to saw dust.
Phil Thien also has a separator lid.
You can also most likely buy a pre-made one online or at a local retailer.


I need a switch, 1 receptacle and 1 dual outlet receptacle on 1 circuit

In the future, pay more attention to how the old lamp was wired.  In electrical, key information is in the position of wires - wires are not color coded by function.  If you mix up wires, that information is gone, and must be reconstructed by an expert.

The solitary white connected to one or more blacks is the hallmark of a switch loop.  This bundle will be always-hot wires.  This bundle is of no use to a light, so you should leave them alone, just as you found them.

The aforementioned oddball white.  Follow it back to the cable where it enters the box.  In that cable will be a partner black.  That is probably a solitary wire.  That is switched-hot, and  you want it for the lamps.

With all others accounted for, the remaining bundle of all white wires is assuredly neutral.  This bundle needs to stay together but neutral from the lamp will be added to it also.


Is it reasonable to convert a general purpose motor and pump for a sump pump?

Pumps where the pump mechanism (the impeller) is above the water line must be primed. So there is water in the impeller and no big airbubbles in the inlet pipe. If this is not the case then you can damage the pump.

You'll need a non-return valve at the inlet to prime it but if it leaks then you cannot keep the pump primed for any extended amount of time.

You could create a prime-on-demand mechanism where when you need to pump first a few gallons of water is used to prime the pump after which the pump can activate.

The cheaper solution is to run a shaft from the motor to the impeller (like a pedestal pump) or submerge the entire motor/pump. Only after taking precautions for waterproofing the wiring and ensuring adequate cooling.


Insulating a post and beam construction roof/cathedral ceiling

The tongue-and-groove wood planks conceal insulation above them, probably fiberglass batts between the rafters. As you've observed, they are clearly insufficient, because the room is too hot. There are two safe ways to improve the situation:

Add more insulation underneath the existing ceiling wood, then install a vapor retarder (retarder, not barrier. A smart membrane, not poly sheeting), then cover that up with drywall.
Remove the roofing materials and install 4-8 inches of rigid foam insulation board above the roof decking, then new roof sheathing over that, then new roofing materials.
Build a metal roof (white or bare metal) over the existing shingle roof, using eave-to-ridge 2x4s to build ventilation channels under the new roofing. Such a roof will reject the vast majority of the sun's rays, which is the primary driver of heat gain.

Since you don't want to mess with the roofing, that leaves option 1. If you don't want to ruin the look of the ceiling with the tongue-and-groove boards, you're out of options and will have to live with the situation.


Questions about DIY on cedar siding and maybe new windows

I REALLY don't like doing things twice ...

This might indicate it is not a DIY project for you.  However, if you are willing to do a few bits and pieces twice, you might be able to master the work well enough for a permanent result.

  I also hate paying 3-4x more for someone else to do it.

This is often the best motivator, and hopefully provides some perspective.  If you end up spending 20% more than a perfectly executed DIY, you are still way ahead.

  1, should I do it (hardy) or the cedar

Dunno without seeing it.  My house is brick on one face (the north side, oddly) and cedar shingles on the other sides.  As long as the finished product looks like it is supposed to be that way, it should be fine.  Have you thought about planting shade trees on the south side?

As far as redoing the siding's cladding/sheathing, you probably won't know until after tearing off the siding.  It could be that part was well done.  I don't think it needs exterior rating because it should be well protected and never in contact with moisture.  1/2 inch plywood or chipboard is standard, but thicker won't hurt and will help a bit with sound insulation and overall durability.

As far as house wrap, brace yourself:  it is surprisingly expensive (maybe $100 for one side).  If airflow through the wall is a significant factor, like all the other walls are tight and this wall is the big leaker, then it is worth it.  If all the other walls and windows leak significantly, then don't bother unless you plan to eventually seal them all.

You might also consider adding additional insulation while that is open, both inside the wall cavity and perhaps as another layer on the outside.  This might cost thousands, but given the high price of electricity there and typical air conditioning use, it probably will pay for itself in 8–15 years, as well as being a big improvement in comfort.

If you are going to replace windows, it will be way easier with the siding off than at any other time.  The flanges are screwed into the cladding from outside.  14 years isn't all that old of a window, and a straight replacement isn't likely to save much.  However, an upgraded replacement could well save on energy costs.  Again the pay-for-itself period is probably in the 8–15 year range.  Get an energy audit from your local utility (usually free) to learn more.


New light switch causing other switches to not work

While looking at your picture makes it difficult to tell how you wire nutted the wires in for your new switch (those neutrals are in the way - if only they were pulled out so we could follow the wiring back to each connection). That said I will take two stabs at the issue here and the problem is most likely one or the other.

Your Z-Wave should be configured like this:

Line In : Bottom Left.
Neutral : Bottom Right.
Load : Upper Left.
And if it has 3-Way traveler : Upper Right.

The most likely scenario I suspect is:

  Perhaps when you added in that Neutral Line for your Z-Wave you did
  not get all of those neutrals together in the wire nut very well - I
  have known this to happen to people not just on the neutral but the
  hot side as well - the line in side just did not get wrapped up with
  all of the other wires , because the installer simply added one wire and tried > to use the same wire nut, which was fine before but a tad too small now and the
  wire slipped down a bit and did not make connections with all wires.

Another possibility is:

  Perhaps you disconnected the line in that would be considered the
  power distribution line serving all 3 of those switches and then you
  attached it to the load side of your Z-Wave?


Is there a downside to leaving cavity in wall behind mirror?

If the cavity is not insulated, your mirror will be cold and fog-up more when you take a shower.  Also, if your mirror is not sealed to the wall, water vapor may enter the cavity and cause condensation and mold.  If there is insulation and is sealed from water vapor, you will have no problems.


Water main entry change from1/2" to bigger to change pressure

There is a difference between pressure and flow rate.

Pressure is the power with which the water presses against valves; this won't change with the diameter of the pipes.

Flow rate is how much water comes out at a time, this will get better depending on the smallest diameter along the run and which other taps are open (in other words the smallest choke point). So if the entry is large up until the first branch at least then it will increase flow rate when both sides are being used but not for an individual tap.


Removing Pin Holding Planetary Kitchen Aid Classic Mixer

I spoke to Dan my neighbor on the other side of the fence. Told him my planetary woes and he offered up his heat gun, which he swore by for getting troublesome pins out.
I had whacked at the pin with a pin punch and tried WD-40 with no luck. I set the Kitchenaid on its side outside on concrete and heated the pin area for a couple of minutes. Result: The pin popped outed with a few hits on the pin punch just like the the YouTube videos show.
BTW the Kitchenaid chat line folks won't tell you this. They apparently want you to spend more money than a replacement would cost to ship the mixer to them for repairs. If Dan doesn't live close to you, it appears that you can get a heat gun delivered by the Amazon devils for about $15. Case closed.
I hope this works for you and save a perfectly good mixer.


brand new oven heat element gone bad. my fault or faulty oven?

You mention 3 pole 4 conductor so you have peaked my interest.

Further these ovens do not just work from a temperature sensor to say the oven is this hot turn it off now - there is also a safety thermostat - no logic just hard wired - it would turn off the oven. So you would need two separate systems to fail.

This leads me to conclude that something was not quite right in your connection, or you had a real catastrophic issue with the oven (1 in 100 million type event) - the thermal cutoff sensor had to fail, the controller itself for temperature control had to fail - two entirely separate systems.

You do not show the oven model number or how you connected those wires (picture of oven connection) - this would help that we could know for sure how you connected it. If you were to post a picture of your connection and provide the model of your oven it would be helpful.

People make mistakes when hooking these ranges up because L1,L2, N and Ground are hooked up and also the link bar between N and Ground on a range needs to be removed or installed depending on the outlet configuration (not the socket - just because it has 4 poles does not mean it is connected that way - check it to know for sure) - it is possible for people to not remove the link bar when hooking up a 4 wire cable.

You should not assume that the outlet itself is wired correctly, check the outlet first make sure it is a 4 wire and also that L1,L2,N , G exist to the proper prong connections correctly.

Of course with out checking all of this - the possibility is you might burn up the new one that is coming..


As-wired, the three wires are Hot, Hot and Neutral. You do not have a ground wire, (unless this run is in metal conduit, in which case the metal conduit is the ground path.)

A 120V receptacle has 3 wires: Hot, Neutral and Ground. Your conceptual problem is you are trying to match 3 wires to 3 wires. And that will never work because those 3 wires have different functions.

First, sort out the Ground question.

Look closely at the conduit carrying the wires. I assume it is conduit because I see 3 loose wires same color.  If indeed the conduit is all-metal, and continuous, and joints in good condition, then you have a ground *in the conduit" which should be accessible at the metal box attached to the conduit. It should have a hole tapped 10-32 that you can put a grounding screw into.

You might have an electrician test this believed-to-be-ground path to see if it can really carry a strong current flow. To be actually useful, it must be able to flow enough current to assure the circuit breaker trips.

If you do not have a viable ground path, or if you want "belt and suspenders", you can retrofit a ground: route a copper ground wire from the shed back to the house, via any legal method.  If it is indeed in conduit, you might be able to just fish (or even push!) the ground wire through.

The last option is to simply leave it ungrounded.  Toss out those NEMA 5 (3-prong) receptacles and buy NEMA 1 (2-prong) receptacles.  This will be allowed if the wiring is old enough to be grandfathered (i.e. was installed before grounds became law).  If you do this, I strongly recommend you replace the circuit breaker with a GFCI type.

Here's what you can't do: Grab some green tape and mark one of the hot wires as a ground. It is now illegal to remark a black wire (of this size) as a ground.  A ground must be green, green/yellow stripe, or bare.

A local grounding rod is no substitute

If this were any more sophisticated, you would need a local grounding system (rods) at the shed.  You don't because this is a single (multi-wire) circuit into a single breaker.  Here's the point: Do not use a grounding rod as a substitute for a ground wire.  You need a ground wire back to the panel so that ground faults will trip the breaker.  A ground rod won't do that because dirt is just dirt, it is not a magical superconductor.  Dirt conducts electricity about as well as you'd expect, and it won't flow enough current (if it flows any at all) to give you a reliable breaker trip.

So don't even think about using a local grounding rod at the shed as a substitute for running a proper ground.  It is a nice add-on, though: what it does is give a very direct path for Mother Earth's electricity - lightning and static electricity - to get back to its source.

Then sort out the Neutral

I see in the service panel where one of the black wires has white tape on it.  Similar to green tape, it is now illegal to re-mark a black wire (of this size) to be a neutral.  If the installation is old enough it may be grandfathered, and I would take the assumption that it is.   In that case, it's OK to use new tape to freshen the mark, as that one is falling off.

It's important the mark be intact on the other end of the wire too.  Freshen it there too.  It's vital not to get the wires mixed up.

You have Hot-Hot-Neutral.  Use it that way.

What you have is called an Edison circuit or a multi-wire branch circuit.  This can give you 240V (hot-hot) or 120V (hot-neutral) or 120+240 (hot-neutral-hot) for dryers or subpanels which use both.

If you want a 240V circuit, use the two hot wires.  This could go into a NEMA 2 receptacle (or if you have a good ground you can wire, use NEMA 6).

If you want a 120V circuit, use one of the hot wires and the neutral.  Do not use the other hot wire.  Without a ground use a NEMA 1 receptacle, with ground use a NEMA 5 as in your picture.

If you want a 120+240V circuit, use both hots, and neutral, and ground.  If you have ground, use a NEMA 14 receptacle.  If you do not have ground, do not install it. 120+240 without ground kills people.


Automated/Controlled Lighting - Options?

See my answer here: What are some scalable, affordable home automation options? for a comparison of different consumer products.

You're probably going to have to do a mix of things to get your first goal. LED lighting is relatively new and immature -- the controllers for it vary from being IR remotes, to physical dials, and so it will be harder to interface with, let alone integrate it into a single system.

For the other goals, you can use something like UBP switches and interfaces. There are (expensive) commercial controllers/interfaces, and there are also cheap computer interfaces that make it easy to control/monitor from a computer. If you know how to program, you should be able to basically anything from there.

I would probably find some LED controller that can be controlled from a computer (or home automation controller) and then interface it together myself, using the commercial UBP stuff for regular lighting and controls.


What are these toilet washers/retainers for?

If not to hold the white cap in place as Robert suggested, I would say they are used to hold the bolts upright while placing the toilet. There would need to be a void under the toliet of course.


Why are some light bulbs labeled “Not For Sale in the United States"?

Chances are that those bulbs were produced during the U.S. incandescent ban (2007-2019). I'd look for LED bulbs instead, for both cost and environmental reasons.

In 2014, the Department of Energy issued regulations that would extend the efficiency standards of the 2007 EISA law to some specialty bulbs, effective January 2020.[91] The new standards would apply to Edison, globe, and candelabra bulbs among others. In February 2019, the Department of Energy announced a proposal to withdraw this change. In September 2019 the Trump administration rolled-back these energy efficiency standards for lightbulbs with the Energy Department's publication of regulations in the Federal Register.[92][93] The Energy Department announced the reversal of the 2014 regulation that would have taken effect on January 1, 2020 and implemented the last round of energy-saving light bulb regulations outlined by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.[94]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase-out_of_incandescent_light_bulbs#United_States


Why are my stove's burners releasing gas and sparking but not igniting?

Clean all the tubes in your gas burners. You might have baked on gunk blocking an opening, or even a spider egg case. Spider nests are a huge problem in outside BBQ gas grills.
It's one reason why I no longer use gas BBQ grills.


Is using a 4 inch - 5/8 hinge where a 4 inch 1/4 hinge used to go... doable?

Hinges all used to have square corners,  the rounded corners are to allow machines to cut the recess for the hinge more easily.  the corners are not structural.

If you are confident using a chisel replacing your rounded hinges with square ones may be another option.


I'd add a knee brace that matches your post size. Install (2) Simpson Strong Tie KBS1Z at the base of each brace and provide a single thru bolt at the top of the brace, centered at the mid depth of the beam. The thru bolt should be similar to those used at the top of the posts, just make sure you penetrate all 3 members and it's at least 1/4" in diameter. Make sure the brace is angled somewhere between 30 and 60 degrees and you're in the clear.

 http://embed.widencdn.net/pdf/plus/ssttoolbox/qyjicced3n/C-C-2019-p296.pdf


The answer is yes you can use a 15 amp switch on a 20 amp circuit but the total load needs to be less than the switch rating.


Filling up toilet bowl after flush to save water

This is a trial and error adjustment. Less water flow means less washing of the bowl for any residue. But bowls vary greatly in shape and volume that also affect their washing characteristics.

Start with extreme limiting and see how it works. Then increase flow if needed. You may want to change only one at a time


What kind of electrical projects are safe for DIY in the US?

It all depends on how much you are willing to learn. If you are confident in your ability to do it safely, go for it. If not, do more research until you are or hire an electrician.

Personally I am confident doing anything up to replacing a main electrical panel. That is something I would have to hire an electrician for, even though I could in theory do it, because you need permits and the hydro company's involvement and such.

Replacing outlets and light fixtures is pretty easy once you know how to work around electrical safely.  One small tip though - when you pull them out, but before you disconect anything - take lots of photos of how all the wires were hooked up.  Just having those photos would prevent tons of the electrical questions we get here.


Durable top coat for MDF worktop / workbench

Honestly, the best option for a bench that expects hard use is a sheet of 1/8" "tempered hardboard" - I don't know if that's one of those places where we are separated by a common language or not. Masonite® is the best known brand name, though they make multiple products so that may not be definitive. You put a trim board sticking up 1/8" (or the thickness of the hardboard you can get, which might be in mm, of course) all around the edges of the benchtop, and the hardboard just drops into the recess (it lays flat very nicely, so it will stay put until you pry it out of there.)
When it's been scarred, burnt or otherwise damaged to the point that it offends, you flip it over for a whole new surface, and when that one offends, you replace the whole thing - the stuff is relatively inexpensive.
You can get it with one side melamine white - otherwise the color is a moderate dark brown, and for most workbench purposes I'd find the melamine a bit hard/slippery.


What degree do I make bevel cut to form a 28ft ring with 2x4s

You can't figure this out without knowing how many boards your circle will have; once you choose the number of boards, just divide 360 by the number of bevels (one for each end of each board) and that's how far from 90° each end should be.

So, if you have 4 boards (a square):

4 * 2 = 8 bevelled ends
360° / 8 = 45°
each end should have a 45° bevel on it:

If you have 20 boards:

20 * 2 = 40 bevelled ends
360° / 40 = 9°
each end should have a 9° bevel on it, so each end should be cut 9° from perpendicular:

A couple of possible optimizations:

When you're cutting a board to length with a (say) 9° bevel, you automatically create a second end with a 9° bevel in the opposite direction. So, flip the board over and then cut THAT board to length with the 9° bevel. Bingo: half as many cuts.
Another alternative would be to leave one end of each board square (what I'm calling a 0° bevel), and then cut the other ends at twice the angle calculated above. Depending on the situation, this may mean less work.

(Just to be clear: what I'm calling a 9° bevel will result in a board whose end is cut almost perpendicular to the sides, not a board with an extremely sharp point on the end. Here's a page with more math for your calculations.)


Trying to replace the adjuster screw on a screen door -- low-profile threaded screw insert and bolt (identification needed)

They are most often called a "binding post", at least that is what the fastener suppliers in the U.S. generally sell them as. I have heard people call them "Chicago nuts" but not often.

As a side note, those adjustable sliding screen doors are difficult to make work properly and of poor quality. Do yourself a favor and get a custom made heavy duty door, with a frame made of extruded aluminum. They are worth the investment over the long haul, provided they are sized correctly and installed and maintained properly. At least that has been my experience.


What size beam to I need for a 14ft sliding door opening in an exterior wall?

An exterior wall is almost certainly load bearing in any standard-design home structure. So yes, you will need to compensate for that if you are opening up a section of the wall.  Considering that you intend to have an opening (14') in a 17' wall, which comes to more than 80% of the wall's length, the beam is going to have to carry nearly the entire load, which makes it imperative that you get it sized and installed right.

As far as beam sizes...you really need to consult a structural engineer as there are many factors to consider and the last thing you want is for your changes to compromise the integrity of your structure.


Is my bedroom wired as a multi-wire branch circuit or in tandem?

To make it a little clearer tandem breakers are on the same leg. MWBC are on opposite legs. Voltage measurements on tandem hot to hot the voltage is 0. The voltage on MWBC hot to hot is 240v.


Do two layers of 1/2" drywall provide a fire rating equivalent to one layer of 5/8" drywall?

Just to shed common sense on this.  Almost in all cases is it cheaper and less of a hassle to demo the 1/2" and install 5/8" than to install 1/2" over 1/2".   So to answer the question, just install the 5/8" so you aren't having a philosophical debate on fire rating with a local inspector.


That's just.... nasty. The spout looks fine but the faucet is both too far out and not square. There's a large gap at the base that looks like it can leak water into the wall space.

The "plumber" was either drunk, half-asleep or incompetent. There is no excuse for work that sloppy.