Deck beam recomendations for coastal climate

Would it be legal, on the west coast it would be.
I would reconsider and at least get a paint on wood preservative and put a coat on it prior to building the deck. Moisture is not the only issue with wood outside.
I live in Oregon and have lived in California and Washington state. I have built many decks and replaced quite a few. Some of the issues with decking is the dampness.
your torch sealed coating will do a good job for the top deck wood if it has enough slope to drain. That should last a long time.
the framework not being protected from rot or wood loving fungi and wood chewing insects may end up shortening the life of the deck.
At a minimum coat the top of the joists and the bottom foot or more of the posts then you can keep an eye on the rest.
The top between the boards is usually where I find rot and the bottom few inches of the posts above the ground level on top of the pier blocks or if you pour pads. Concrete helps but the chemicals keeps the critters from attacking the wood.
The stuff with arsenic was the best but I don’t think it’s legal anywhere, a good preservative will help extend the life with a minimal amount and check it every now and then to see if it needs more.


The minimum for any 115V outlet should be 15A.  But you should be able check that by finding the circuit breaker for that circuit at the panel and checking its current rating.
The problem you'll possibly run into is if there are OTHER high-current devices on that same circuit.  If both that and the AC run at the same time you may get a breaker trip.


Adding sink fixture to waste stack with existing sink fixture

I believe that you are correct. Here is an article that discuss notching and drilling of studs: http://www.familyhandyman.com/walls/drilling-holes-notching-and-boring-holes-in-wood-studs/view-all

  Load Bearing Walls:

  Holes may not exceed 40 percent of the stud’s width (1-3/8 in. maximum in 2x4s; 2-1/4 in. maximum in 2x6s). The exception: Holes up to 60 percent of the stud’s width may be drilled through no more than two consecutive “doubled-up” studs.

While this article is not specific to BC, I believe that it is the same.

Note the limitation of only passing through two doubled-up studs. In you case, to get the new sink to about 2' over from the existing sanitary, you will have to pass through two studs. The first stud is already doubled-up but the second one is not and will need to be doubled-up. That will be as far as you can go.

Yes, can connect the drain of the bar sink into the vertical drain with the top portion acting as a vent for both sinks. The connection can be either above or below the existing as required to fit your new sink.
Most inspectors accept removable p-traps in lieu of cleanouts and is a common practice.


Painter here.  If paint doesn't want to leave the surface, I generally don't ask it to.  I just paint over it.

Deep colors are a PiTA to paint over if your ultimate destination is an off-white (like most all housepaint). The key is to use a primer with high opacity and hit it with several coats until it is covered and the surface looks uniform.  Primer is cheaper than paint and is better suited to coverup surfaces of differing colors and textures.

The biggest problem you get laying it down uniform is that the roller doesn't put it down evenly.  That will be disturbingly apparent on the first coat, but don't give up.  The second coat will be much better, as the color will only punch through where both coats happen to be thin. Coat #3 will be vastly better still.  Somewhere around 3 or 4 you will reach "good enough".


How to fix frayed carpet at tile transition

I installed carpet with a professional for two years right out of college.  I don't think you need to buy anything.  You need to pry the lip of that transition piece up so you can get the carpet loose along the entire length, then stretch the carpet forward more with a knee kicker.  You can hold the carpet in place with the kicker while you use a rubber mallet to hammer down and lock the carpet under the transition again.  If the carpet is frayed bad, you can trim a little to give the tabs more meat to grab onto.  Most guys could do this in 5 minutes.  If you call a local installer and ask him to swing by one day when they are in the area, they may do it for $50 cash.


How to secure toilet fill valve hose to canister

Assuming you're talking about something like this:

Source: plumbingsupply.com
and that the tube is connected to the protrusion at the top, I would suggest a simple hose clamp to hold it in place.
Source: hcl-clamping.com
They come in a wide variety of sizes and one small enough to fit that would be pretty cheap. Just don't over tighten and crush the input fitting.
A zip tie might work, as well, and they are as cheap as can be, and when you're using one small enough for that fitting, it's hard to pull on it hard enough to do damage.
If the larger portion of the fitting is still in place, push the tubing on far enough to reach the top of the canister itself and a very small amount of pressure around the smaller diameter portion (from either the zip-tie or the hose clamp) will be enough to squeeze the tube so that it can't slip up over the larger diameter.


Temporarily marking up a polished concrete floor

G tape

  Nichigo G-Tape 3040BK/WH is a high performance self-adhering flashing tape used for sealing around openings and penetrations in exterior walls. G-Tape 3040 is constructed with a unique combination of high density polyethylene cloth (HDPE) is laminated with low density polyethylene (LDPE) and proprietary acrylic adhesive. The functional PE cloth provides easy handling features such as, dimensional stability, high tensile strength, and high weather resistance. The acrylic adhesive sticks well to rough surfaces at both low and high temperatures (-4 ~ 190 degree F).

It's amazing stuff, I used it to tape a tear in my fabric tonneau cover right on a spot where it folds. After 3 years I pulled it off and replaced it just because I thought I should.


My housing association said they are responsible for structure but not decorating so they said they're sending a plasterer to do the walls.

Then you do nothing except more your stuff out of the way, if even that.


That is a shaded pole motor there is no fixing them if they spin easily, usually the bearings dry out and the motor won't spin a few drops of light oil in each end may fix it but if not, it's time for a new one. These motors rarely burn up it is usually the bearings being dry that causes them to fail. So try and and add oil to the bearings by putting a few drops on the shaft and spinning to help the oil work into it. Do this on both sides and the motor may come back to life.


Why don't segmental retaining walls need any piers or anchoring below grade?

The soil below the wall is only supporting the weight of the wall. The segmental block will have layers of geo fabric every 8" or so. Basically there is not lateral force on the wall. Since no lateral the foundation is simple, and the weight of the those big blocks is nearly the same of the soil that used to be there, bad soil has some 1000-1500 psf capacity.

You have an engineering firm, talk to them. They will talk to you about these forces for free, we actually get excited to!


Lath and Plaster Framing: a Floating 2x4?

If there is a wall directly below it is most likely the "top plate" that the walls studs are nailed to. If there are no studs attached it then is most likely a "stiffener" for the wood lath underneath it. In this case it would be keeping the lath strips in-line and level in order to prevent bouncing or flex. It has been installed there with a purpose unless you can install a substitute piece to replace the board leave it until you verify what purpose it serves.


How can I reduce the force required to operate double-hung windows?

The wooden framed double hung sash design dates from a time when no elderly person was ever left alone long enough to open or close a window. Families were large and any oldster who wanted a window operated would simply whack the nearest youngster with a cane and croak out the appropriate orders.

Today the demographic age curve is quite different and there are not enough window operators to go around. I expect sash window easy-open aftermarket add-on devices to appear on the market any day now, as soon as us boomers form a significant market.

Meanwhile, I have two recalcitrant windows in my kitchen which are not only stiff but awkwardly placed above counters. Here is what I installed to operate them.

For each window, I used four pulleys (about 1.25"), two anchors (I used screw eyes), and a long cord. I attached one pulley and one anchor to the window frame top, one pulley to the inner sash top, one pulley to the inner sash bottom, and one pulley and one anchor to the window frame bottom. I rigged the long cord according to this schematic diagram:

Pulling down on the green section of the cord raises the window. Pulling down on the blue section, or up on the green section, lowers the window. The force advantage is 2 to 1.

The pulleys are actually on the center line; they are offset in the diagram to show the rigging. Pulleys 3 and 5 are turned, and pulley 4 is shimmed out, to bring the blue and green cords out away from the sash frame. The red cords are almost touching the frames.

(The cords are red, blue, and green only in the diagram. My actual cords are ecru.)

You cannot use small pulleys for this project because moving the window involves turning all four of them.

My wife and kids ridiculed this lashup when they first saw it, so I invited them to take up a collection and shop for other solutions. No takers so far.


How do I add a switch/closet light to the existing end line light switch?

If the wall switch only has 2 wires, it is called a switch loop. The closet light and switch cannot be extended from the current switch. The closet switch and light need a neutral, and that seems to end at the lighting fixture.

If you can run a two wire cable from the fixture to the closet switch and then to the closet fixture, the setup is simple:

Connect the neutral in the new cable to the neutral in the old fixture box. Connect the hot in the new cable to the hot in the fixture box. This is also connected to the hot going to the old switch loop.

In the new switch box, connect the neutral to the neutral in a new cable going to the new closet fixture. Connect the hot to one side of the switch. Connect the hot going to the new closet fixture to the other side of the switch.


What mortar should be used for flagstone?

First of all, a caveat:

  We only use this dry grouting method with freshly buttered joints, where find that there is sufficient moisture from the 'proper' mortar to initiate setting of the dry mix. Dry mix into dry joints rarely, if ever, produces a good joint

From http://www.pavingexpert.com/pointing.htm#dry

A basic dry mix is 4:1 sand to cement.  That's by volume, not weight.  I'd try to find a fine sand, and preferably sharp cornered.

You may be able to find a premix at your patio/garden center.

The problem here is that all cement compounds require a significant amount of water to cure, and your joints will need water from the bottom as well as the top.  You might be better off using a wet mix and just taking the time to apply it carefully.


The only issue I can see is that the scuffs lack the sheen of the original finish. I'd try a wax or other polish to try and get some of that shine back. That might be all it takes.


Enable switch with two pair of black and red wires

That looks like a very dodgy bit of wiring to me. I would strongly suggest you get a professional in to sort it out.
Having said that I can make a guess at how it's connected, and how you can get it working, but you should check my assumptions for yourself.
The first thing you must do is find out which cable is power in to the system (probably one of the two in the first rose, should be connected to N and Loop), then work out where the other cables run. My guess is that of the two cables in the switch back box, one runs to each rose.
If you don't know how to do that or my guesses are wrong, STOP and call a professional.
If I'm right, then connecting the loose red wire into the bottom terminal of the switch will re-enable the lights, but they may behave oddly as it looks like they're wired in series and so each bulb will only get 120V instead of the expected 240V.
The correct wiring should be from the second rose to the first with red and black in the L and N terminals, and only one cable to the switch from the first rose, with red and black in Loop and L respectively, (the black should have a red band applied)
Again this looks like whoever wired it in the first place did not understand what they were doing, and should be fixed by a professional.


Choosing an appropriate general purpose HVLP gun for a 5.5 CFM @ 40 PSI Compressor

If your spraygun is too large for your compressor

If you selected a gun that draws more air than your compressor is capable of outputting then you'll be waiting for your compressor to catch up and you will be running your compressor more.

General things to keep in mind

The type of coatings you will be spraying: Different HVLP guns are designed for different types of coatings.
Nozzle/Tip size: The nozzle is one factor in controlling the spray pattern.  Different size nozzles are used for primers, clear-coats and stains.
Adjustability:  Controls for fan size, fan shape, air volume and material volume.
Setup and configuration: At minimum, you will need a regulator at your spray gun for fine tuning.  Moisture and other contaminants are also concern, so proper routing and filtration of the compressed air will help to reduce contaminants like oil and excess moisture.


Should I have paid attention to polarity when installing a new light fixture?

Yes, you should fix it. If nothing else, if you crossed the wires, the threads of the socket would be hot, even with the switch off. This would give a good chance of shock when changing the bulb if you’re not careful.


Retrofit motion sensor to multiple switch, multiple fixture floodlights

Yes.  Wire the circuit with /3 cable and assign values as follows:

Black: always-hot
Red: switched-hot
White: neutral

Connect each lamp between switched-hot and neutral.

The switch goes between black and red.  Keep in mind a 3 and 4 way switch complex basically equates to a single switch, provided it is a spur.

Everywhere you site a motion sensor, it connects to all always-hot, neutral and switched-hot.

Do not allow power to be severed from the motion sensors.  They need power 24x7 to retain their memory of day-night light changes.

If you're trying to do this with combo sensor-lamps, they're not made to do that. You'll need to "hack" them to do that, and that's electronics.se's bailiwick.  Also it violates Code, which makes it off-topic here, and we see nothink.  Keep in mind many combo sensor-lamps create 12V internally to power sensor and lamp(s), as 12V sensors are much cheaper than 120V sensors.


What kinds of gloves should be used for working with mortar?

Considering how little exposure you will get to the mortar for your small project, you're probably fine with just your work gloves. Wearing latex gloves under your work gloves will provide additional protection. I would suggest that for the people who will be working directly with the mortar.

Big picture, more important than gloves is breathing protection. Inhaling dry mortar powder can be very dangerous, even in small quantities. Different people have different reactions: while one person could spend years breathing the stuff and never have any problems, another could experience severe respiratory distress on their first exposure. Whoever is opening bags and mixing should be wearing a respirator. The disposable kind is fine, if rated for mortar exposure.


What should be the better layout of hardwood floor on my hallway?

I would divide the hallways into 3 areas and keep the areas approximately the same size.  Put the direction of the wood with the longest wall to keep cuts to a minimum.  In my mind this has the middle hallway start (reading left to right) with the angle change and end at the far side of bedroom C.
The change in direction from the hallway to the room would be transitioned at the door ways to make it as inconspicuous as possible.
Bedroom A should be fine.  The hardwood manufacturers typically specify the maximum dimensions and that room doesn't look like it would exceed the standard recommendation but check the install specifications.


What is this metal pipe between the motor and tank on my upright air compressor, and why is it HOT?

Compressing gas makes it hotter.  This is the principle exploited by fire pistons to set fire to things. It is also used in a Diesel engine to ignite the fuel.

CCASA 3.0 Chocolateoak

For an ideal gas P V ∝ T. As you increase pressure (P) the volume (V) reduces, however air is not perfectly compressible, so when you double the pressure, the volume is reduced by less than half, therefore temperature (T) must increase.

Another way to look at this is that your compressor is doing work on the air. Work is energy, some of that energy ends up in the form of heat.

Also, any kind of motor (electric or other) produces heat.

Pipes made of metal are good at conducting heat into adjacent hoses and fingers.

The opposite is also true, the reason that CO2 fire extinguishers have a plastic guard or handle on the nozzle is to prevent your hands freezing onto the outlet pipe as you discharge the gas - allowing it's pressure to decrease as it leaves the container.


Should I put some glue in the pre drilled hole before installing an eye screw?

Are you using an eye bolt or an eye screw?
 OR

For an eye screw, glue won't do much and is not needed. (Although some glues may act as a lubricant when you first screw-in the eye-screw.)  Use bar soap or beeswax as a lubricant.

For an eye bolt, especially if you want it to be able to pivot, use appropriate washers, plus two nuts with a lock-washer in between.  For extra reliability use Loctite, not glue, where the nuts and eye-bolt meet.

If you don't need/want pivoting action, then one nut may suffice, but Loctite is even more important because such eye-bolts always loosen their compressive grip on the wood over time.


Thanks all. This did turn out to be an issue with some of the connections. I pulled the cans out of the ceiling (no attic access) and checked the wiring. On both of the troubled cans, the connection between the socket wires and the 12v lines coming out of the transformer looked burned out. These were factory connections, not wire nuts. I cut those out, reconnected the lines and all was good.  Thanks again.


Yes, that is your ground wire.
That second "black" wire actually isn't a black-insulated wire at all; it's bare copper that's badly tarnished. You can see that it's a slightly different color than the other black wire, and also a little thinner (because it is not insulated). If you scrape it a little bit, you should see shiny copper.  Bare copper always indicates a ground.
I would recommend taking a bit of sand paper and cleaning the oxidation off before you attach it to anything else -- it'll make a much better electrical connection that way.


Is there any advantage to using larger stones in a free-standing dry stack wall?

There are two reasons for using various size stones in the wall: 1) strength, and 2) appearance.

1) The strength of a dry-set stone wall is largely determined by the placement of the rocks within the wall.  Stone walls are stronger when the stones (rocks) “fit together” and are of various sizes. If all the stones are the same size, they tend to “roll” and act like marbles.

If you’ve ever walked on a gravel road where the rocks are all about the same size, you’ll notice that it’s like walking on marbles.

Yes, the larger rocks are more difficult to “slide” and excellent in a retaining wall, but they work well to stabilize a non-retaining wall too. If all the larger rocks are placed at the bottom with smaller rocks on top, the top rocks will tend to be unstable. Various size rocks will help “bind” everything together, but they need to have the correct gradation.

We call using various size rocks “gradation”. This gradation is very important in gravel roads, concrete mixes, etc. so that the rocks bind together.

2) If you’ve ever seen a really good mason work on a wall, you’ll notice that he’s half artist and half laborer. I don’t know how they do it, but when they’re done you’ll notice the rocks are all blended together and none of the rocks “stand-out”. That is to say, they all seem to blend together...not all the large ones are on the bottom, etc.

I think the key to a good wall is taking the time to “fit” all the rocks together. Sometimes that means chipping the rocks so there are various sizes and various shapes that fit into those small little spaces.


What does it mean if there are 2 different figures for a dimension on a blueprint?

The two numbers represent the minimum and maximum range for the dimensions shown.

The dimension units would normally be specified on a drawing like this. In this case you can make two inferences that the dimensions are in inches as follows:

The stud/thread size is shown as 1/4-20 which is a standard inch size fastener.
The dimensions of the head size for a 1/4-20 fastener fall in line with what you would expect for such a fastener. For example a head diameter in the range of 0.443 to 0.472 inches is logical for a 1/4 inch diameter fastener.

As the OP has noted the reference to the ASME B18.6.3 document is one that specifies dimensions for standardized fasteners. Taking a quick look at this document is problematic because it is a controlled distribution document that requires a sizeable fee just to acquire a license to see it for just personal use. After quite a search I located a web page that showed a snapshot of one page of this document as shown below:

(image from: https://www.coursehero.com/file/24235851/ANSI-B1863-Machinery-Handbookpdf/)

Dimensions are in inches as one would expect for an ASME standard.

A screw head size chart from another vendor is shown below which some of the dimensions on the OP's PDF picture from Fastenal as min and max values.

(image from: http://homepages.cae.wisc.edu/~me231/online_notes/dimensoning/fastener_handout.pdf)


Adjustable door threshold bottomed out and grouted in place

So this is what happened. First I bought a handheld grout scraper, but it was way too wide; I wanted a thin cut if possible. Then I bought and used a 1/16" wide mason cutting wheel on my cheap harbor freight 4" angle grinder, you can see results in pics. It did the job, but the grout crumbled and collapsed. Finally, I used an old flathead screwdriver and hammer to chip grout from screws until I could raise the threshold.
Lessons Learned:

Good: Goal was to raise the threshold and stop bug traffic. Goal accomplished.
Bad: I should have started inside kitchen rather than outside in garage. I think I could have kept a straighter line and not damaged the threshold so much. I didn't realize the threshold damage until I moved inside.
Bad: I should have tried using a Dremel cutting wheel cutting wheel first. The wheel width would only been 1/64" thinner, and maybe the grout would still have collapsed, but I would have had better control with a Dremmel than the heavy angle grinder. Also in hindsight probably wiser to start with smallest cutting tool and move up if the situation allows.
Bad: I ended up trashing the threshold.
Good & Bad: My mistakes in this project force me to learn how to remove and reinstall a wood threshold and grouting. Acquiring new skills is never bad, but now I have to pay extra money and have two more chores to finish it.


Can I add a socket to my boiler power circuit?

The wording of your question is very confusing. If there is a wall receptacle near where she wants to charge her stuff, just buy an adapter that plugs into a wall socket. If the socket is too far away for her charge cords, go to a store and buy a longer charge cord. I have charge cords 10 feet long just for that purpose. If this does not solve your problem try to give a better explanation of what you want to do. Hope this helps.


Suggestions for preventing water from building on a shower window that is below shoulder level?

If you've got water collecting there, I think your best bet would be to prevent it from getting there in the first place.  A curtain over the window well would probably be best as that would allow you access to the window if you need it for ventilation.

I also thought about the thermal or decorative window films, cutting a piece to cover the bottom of the window and extending down over the frame and sill onto the bathroom wall.  Don't know how well it would work or if it would look OK, though.


Can I install wood stair treads over old Linoleum

Yes this is no big deal.  Given that you might want to glue them anyway to reduce squeaking.  If you have big glue pieces hit it with a putty knife but don't need to spend a ton of time on it.


How do I safely install a weight bearing fitness equipment system in an apartment?

I felt like using SketchUp, but you can easier secure it to the ceiling or wall.

I roughly used the dimensions on the Impex Marcy SM2805 Suspension Rack

The drawing is based off of a few 2x6's and only 1 cable support is shown but there should be 4.
This would run roughly $100:

10x 2x6x8 (some cut to length either at home or in store) ~$5.70 each
31ft of cable or chain (chain ~1.60/ft)
Screws

DO NOT GET PRESSURE TREATED LUMBER

You should never used pressure treated lumber for indoor uses.


Self-adhesive foam tape and bristle-type weather sealing options (including sweeps) abound at your local hardware store or big box retailer. What makes a particular product "for external doors"? Seems like that's exactly what you need.

I'd opt for the softest foam available or a felt or bristle product to minimize impact noise and closing effort.


Extending an outlet in the middle of a run

The main problem with this approach is that if you simply cut the cable in half, there won't be enough slack in the wires to get sufficient length-in-the-box (6" per NEC) for wiring the intermediate splice.  Oops!  I would extend from the garage outlet instead -- you can simply tap off its LOAD terminals and have GFCI protection for the outdoor outlet without putting another GFCI in.


Alternatives to pig-tailing ground wires in outlet box?

I would use a crimp sleeve to save space.  Hold the ends of the ground wires together side by side so that one's about an inch longer than the other and crimp the sleeve on at the end of the shorter wire.  Loop the end, land it on the ground terminal, and you're all set.

Follow the instructions on the package of the crimp sleeves.  Most people use linemans pliers with a crimp lug to crimp sleeves.


Controling of bathroom light by using Magnetic Switch (Sensor)

As mentioned, constructing something from loose parts is often a local code violation. The common solution to this issue now is easier to implement, it's called an "occupancy sensor" that is built into the switch. it uses Passive Infra-Red (PIR) sensors that detect if a human (or animal) is in the room giving off heat and moving. They will have a timer built-in as well so that if you don't move for a few minutes, it doesn't go dark on you. Search for a "PIR occupancy sensor" that is available wherever you are located.


There are several issues: 1) location of crack, 2) horizontal crack and small vertical crack, 3) seismic zone where you live, 4) form ties

1) The crack appears in the top portion of your foundation. This means it’s probably from freeze-thaw issues. (If the crack was in the lower half of the wall, it could indicate a weak foundation wall that could be leaning and getting pushed in.)

Do you get water seeping in the crack? If so, it would be an indication that water is penetrating the wall and then freezing, which causes expansion and then cracks.

If so, you’ll need to dig up the area outside the cracks, apply a foundation sealer and then install a drainline to carry water away from the foundation.

2) A horizontal crack indicates freeze / thaw issues rather than settlement issues. That’s good for you.

3) You live in a high seismic zone. Concrete walls require additional reinforcement in your zone. I suspect that reinforcement has been installed, because there are no other horizontal cracks in the wall.

4) It seems unusual that the horizontal cracks go directly across where the form ties are located. Perhaps when the forms were removed a slight crack developed which now allows water to penetrate the wall and then freeze.

In summary: If it’s leaking, I’d do the outside repair (sealer and drainline) and if it’s not, you could monitor it and see if it gets worse. (Btw, I’d make sure downspouts are connected and drain away from the wall and make sure the ground slopes away from the house.)


How can I find where the dryer vent is broken or clogged?

You would need to run an inspection camera through it in order to identify exactly where the break or clog is.  Though, as the comments suggest, often it's easier and cheaper to just run a cleaning tool through to unclog it versus first running an inspection camera through.

I would probably only resort to an inspection camera if it became a chronic problem, which would suggest an issue in the pipe (sharp bend, collapse, etc.).  If it has only clogged once, and you've never cleaned it before, its quite possible it just clogged from normal use over a long time.


Do I need joist hangers for deck frame on gravel pad? What is the nail size?

You don't need joist hangers.  Joist hangers are for use in spots where you're unable to put the nails directly through the frame into the joist already.

I built a shed with much the same construction, only my base frame sits on 2 6xx treated railroad ties embedded in the gravel bed, and I haven't had any problems.


Help determine current usage of my electrical panel and available capacity to add new equipments

Don't get electrical advice from plumbers.

Quite possibly

When you calculate the burden the loads place on the panel, that is called provisioning. You don't provision every circuit for its breaker trip value, but rather for a lower number that reflects the probability of it being active at the same time as other loads.

A typically reasonably-electric home with a 100A main can have a 30A air conditioner, a 30A dryer, and a 30A water heater, and even a 40A range with no trouble.

I see a 30A air conditioner and a 30A ??? that ends with "r". Not water heater, clearly, and 30A is too small for a range, so it must be a dryer.

The rest of the breakers (even the other 2-pole breaker) look like lighting and receptacle loads. Those provision very lightly, since it's assumed you're not heavily loading them all at the same time.  Also they are 120V loads so they only are half the apparent burden.

You have to crunch the numbers according to NEC's procedure (here's a worksheet the City of Carmel uses), but I see lots of headroom in this panel, ampwise.  Spacewise is another thing; this is extremely overstuffed (which is trouble if you want to add anything), and every breaker is the wrong kind.

That panel is OK, the breakers gotta go.

This is a Challenger type C panel.  The panel is perfectly fine. However the breakers are known firestarters just like Zinsco and FPE, except those panels are bad too. Your panel is perfectly fine, but the breakers all need replacing. Fortunately this isn't prohibitive.

Further, the lower left is a Square D breaker which is an alien breaker - a breaker not made for this panel, and a physical misfit.  The problem is where the clip grabs onto the bus stab - they are mismatched, and make point contact instead of surface contact. They can arc and burn the bus bars.

The fool may have installed a Square D breaker on the logic that Challenger Type C breakers are unobtanium.  Untrue.  By happy accident, the Eaton BR line is cross-listed Type C (because BRyant bought Challenger and fixed their breakers, then Eaton bought Bryant.)  This is possibly the most common breaker in the US.

Sold at any hardware store for $5.  $10 for the double-stuff breakers you need.

For that split 15/20A double-stuff breaker, look for an Eaton BR1520. It's a bit hard to find.  For the GFCI or AFCI or whatever breaker, just get both protections in one breaker, it's not much more money.  Get something like a BRAFGF115CS which is a dual-function AFCI+GFCI breaker for $50.  This has indicator lights to tell you why it tripped, unlike the annoying Square D.

Heat pump

I hear you talking about a heat pump, but presumably that will replace the A/C.  So that is already factored into the system, and you don't need to provision any more power for it than you already have for the A/C.

Now, heat pumps often have "emergency heat" for when the ambient air is simply too cold for the heat pump to work, and these can pull as much as baseboard electric heat.  However, presuming you are located in metro California, you don't encounter anything below 25F.  It's pretty easy finding heat pumps capable of working that low.   Alternately if you can get by with only 30A of emergency heat, it can share the breaker because it doesn't run at the same time as the heat pump.

Given that you're in PG&E territory, I strongly recommend you install an "emergency heat" in the form of an Empire style gas furnace - either floor or wall.  These units do not need electricity. So you're not stuck like the poor shlups in the Northeast, having to fetch fuel for a generator simply to get their furnace's electronics and fluid handler to power up.  With an Empire furnace and gas water heat, making your home perfectly livable becomes within easy reach of a homebrew or commercial PowerWall type solution.


Wiring Fresh Air Damper to New Ecobee Thermostat

Your damper is a 1 wire setup

Basically, your damper is set up as a "1 wire" setup, as that nomenclature assumes that the C wire is returning directly to the air handler transformer, whereas in your configuration, the C wire is returning back to the thermostat first, and then going from there to the air handler transformer.  So, simply proceed using the "1 wire" instructions, making sure that both C wires land on the C terminal of the Ecobee.


If you see that the treads are what is giving and not the blocks supporting the treads, as isherwood says, there is no need for a center support, precisely for the reason he stated. Many stairs are built without center supports.

When I have my preference as to how I want to build stairs, this sketch illustrates my joining method.

All tongues and grooves are 3/8"X3/8" The groove under the tread since it is thicker 1 1/8", will leave plenty of mass to keep the nose intact. In your old tread, it looked as though the treads were glued up, but that glue joint failed, unless all are made that way... The idea is the groove will allow the treads to be better supported by the risers and when glued will prevent squeaking. The groove under the tread will allow a little give and take in the differences of the some of the risers, treads too, which will typically happen in hand made construction, if not by the differential shrinking of the support members.

If you have access to a table saw, I make the dadoes (grooves) by getting 4 or more blades the same diameter and stack them up on the saw arbor, if the saw has a cast iron arbor, until I get the width of cut I need. This is limited by the size of the cutout in the throat plate, but 3/8" should be attainable. Do not do this with a light weight portable saw.
Clean the original supports so the adhesive can be applied there to so nails will hold everything together until the glue set up. Stay off the stair system if possible until the glue sets go the glue tightens up all the joints. If the joints are moving before the glue sets, it will be a weak joint and may move again.


New CO/ALR vs AlumiConn connectors for outdoor outlet

Alumiconns wether screw type or wire nut will be safer, and better than going to a non co/alr fixture.
The fixture would need to be a GFCI fixture or protected by a GFCI device upstream
note not to be a pain but this fixture would normally require tamper resistant features most internet electricians don’t keep up on that. There are many listed alumacons most are purple and wire nut or screw type they both do the job converting to copper for a non listed co/alr device.


How to manually control HVAC without thermostat?

Yes, that's all any thermostat does.  It connects the red wire to one or more of the others to turn on fan, heat, cooling.

The old mechanical thermostats did this with a simple glass bulb full of mercury fastened to a coiled spring.  The temperature  would make the spring length change slightly which would change the angle of the bulb, which would make the mercury run down to the end with the contacts...connecting Red to green (fan) and yellow (in your case, heat pump).

And yes, for your example, most simple thermostats have a way to make the fan run manually...that's all they do.  Hook red to green with a simple switch.  Fan stays on.


Should I make my two steps have the same rise or keep one closer to a typical height?

Steps should always have uniform rise. In fact, codes require it (to within 3/8" maximum total variance per IIRC). Our brains expect that the step following the first will be about the same, and it's guaranteed to cause stumbling and worse if you do it lop-sided.
Splitting the height puts you square in the range given by accessibility guidelines. Be sure to account for differing tread/flooring thicknesses when you plan your stringers.
In this case, two 5-1/4" rises seems just fine. Three shorter rises would feel odd (and would be annoying for most users--we don't like to take many short steps as it feels like we're being made to dance our way up).


Why is the recommended pressure for a bladder tank 2 psi less that well pump activation pressure

Because the pump does not start instantly. The 2-3 PSI below cut-in is to provide water while the pump is starting - without it, pressure will drop to zero (or very nearly) every time when water runs out but the pump is still spinning up. Indeed, you can evaluate actual adequacy of pressure (in case your tire gauge and water gauge might disagree) by observing behavior as water runs and the pump cycles on - if it does not dip below the tank setting, you can try adding a bit more air, until it does, and then you can let a bit out until it does not. But most gauges are adequately precise that this is rarely needed.
If you want the pump to start less frequently, add more pressure tank volume (either a single larger tank, or additional tanks) and consider running at a lower pressure (look at a tank chart for volume from 20-40 .vs. 30-50 or 40-60 - the tank holds more water at the lower pressure, due to physics.)
Of course, you appear to have 4 psi differential, not 2-3. You may also have a failed bladder/diaphragm if the pump is operating very frequently, but if you are measuring the tank pressure with the water pressure at 0 and a drain valve open, as you should, and it is holding at 28, then you should either add a pound or two, or adjust your pressure switch down a pound or two.
But if everything is otherwise correct and the pump starts after a gallon or two, you probably need more tank volume.


What can I do to transition between concrete and drywall?

In my last house a daylight basement the original sheetrock was glued to the cement walls with liquid nails that worked very well. I did pull it all out and add furring for electrical spaces. (I don't like exposed conduit and surface boxes in a room that became my man land). If you are worried about cracking at the sill add a accent trim over the gap.


How to connect the wires when changing from standard to electronic ballasts?

You follow the directions on the new ballast. Exclusively, and in detail. Most (but not all) modern ballasts ignore bi-pin tubes with heaters, so you (following the diagram) connect to both pins (at one end of the tube) with one color wire. But if the diagram shows otherwise, you follow it.

In any case, you follow, exactly, the diagram on the new ballast. What the old ballast did is irrelevant and often different.


How to handle ground and neutral in multi gang box containing both branch and traveler further down on same branch?

I'm guessing your wiring looks something like this.

So if you also draw the grounded (neutral) conductors, it looks something like this.

Drawing it like this you can clearly see, if you connect the grounded (neutral) conductors in box 5 (B5) to the grounded (neutral) in box 1 (B1), you'll have a giant loop.

It shouldn't cause any problems, electrically speaking. Your electrons will just be able to take different routes back home. However, as ThreePhaseEel points out, paralleling conductors in  this way would be a code violation.  To avoid paralleled conductors, you should wire the circuit as shown in the second image above. Notice that the grounded (neutral) conductors are kept separate from box B3 on.


A swivel or "rotary union" (but there are many things under the same names that don't look like that, or in some cases work like that. It's imprecise, but does cover what you have, as well as some other things.)
Specifically one with one side "garden hose thread" and the other appears likely to be pipe thread in a smaller size.


Drilling/screwing into exterior metal door?

I would look in to magnets. I recently purchased a magnet and hook to hang a Christmas wreath. It was about $5. It is strong enough that the easiest way to remove it is to slide it off the edge. I checked Amazon has them rated for 8 lbs.


LED bulbs failing alongside fluorescent tubes

Are the GU10 lights embedded in the ceiling as downlights? Most downlights haven't been redesigned to use LED's vs halogens and therefore have no air circulation since the hot bit (LED and driver electronics) are withing the ceiling cavity. This trapped heat wasn't a problem for halogens but are a massive issue for solid state electronics with high temperatures causing premature death. The reason why the fluorescent  tubes haven't failed is because of their higher surface area and the fact they are surface mounted on the wall rather than in the wall and therefore stay cooler.
This problem is compounded by manufacturers using the same heatsink for the their entire range of GU10's regardless of wattage. 2W to 6.5W all have the same heatsink area since it's cheaper for the manufacturer to bulk order one part rather than 3 to 5 different sizes. Therefore the 6.5W GU10 bulbs often fail much sooner as they get much hotter.
My suggestion would be to buy bulbs with a long warranty (some have 5 yrs like the Philips LEDspot ExpertColor GU10) and just ask for replacements when they inevitably go bang. Other options are installing more downlights and using 2W bulbs rather than 5W bulbs which should last longer and produce the same amount of light or using downlights designed for LED's with a greater heatsink area on the hot end - these are sadly rare.
EDIT: Pendant fittings also have a similar issue to downlights if there is no air circulation. Here is an engineering approach to the problem but I doubt it would please any any interior designers. The principle is the same though - heat is the enemy (Although massively simplified you can blame Arrhenius for this fact).
Ensure your pendant has adequate air circulation.


Sewer line repair - most cost effective method?

Pipe replacement is the most costly, but it's also the most permanent. There are (at least) two ways to replace the pipe, and you may not have considered the second method I'll mention.

The traditional method is an open trench stretching the full length from the house to the sewer main, probably somewhere in the middle of the street. This is both slow and high-impact to the surrounding landscape.

An alternative method, less commonly known to homeowners, is pipe bursting. This often requires access holes be dug only at the two ends of the pipe. A steel cable is fed through the pipe. A splitting wedge and replacement pipe, often semi-flexible HDPE tube, are attached to one end of the steel cable. A hydraulic machine pulls the other end of the cable. The splitting wedge breaks the original pipe into pieces, forcing them outward and reaming the space large enough for the new HDPE pipe to follow through. The replacement pipe can even have larger diameter than the original if needed.

Pipe bursting gets the job done with much less impact to the surroundings and often in less time. Cost compared to the other options will vary by market, but it's worth at least evaluating as one of your options.


You could probably rent a saw like this from your local hardware store.

They will usually have a diamond tipped masonry blade. You'll also want to make sure it's a wet saw or you keep the stones wet as you cut, as the dust from cutting concrete can make a real mess and be harmful to your health.

You may also be able to find a splitter like this.

The splitters produce far less dust and noise, and can usually be found cheaper than a saw (I found a couple on-line for a few hundred dollars).  However, splitters may not produce a perfectly clean cut. Splitters also come in pneumatic and hydraulic varieties, purchasing those might be out of the budget ($1000.00 and up) but might be available for rent at a reasonable price.


Can I use a jumper from existing light switch to get power to 5 new lights?

Most likely you can pull power from an existing work box that has a switch, as long as you don't overload the circuit.  This is a pretty common wiring task, but if you provide details or a photo of the wiring in the source box we can provide a wiring diagram.

If you are adding a switch where you have an existing single-pole switch that has both a hot and neutral conductor, then yes, you can "jump" from the hot wire that serves that switch to a second single-pole switch.  But you still need to make sure your additional lights won't overload the circuit: don't depend on the circuit breaker to determine what the peak load on the circuit serving that switch is!


Is this small slope a problem installing vinyl plank?

Yes, this will be a problem if done as is.

If you don't stabilize that flooring by leveling the floor beneath, you will find the floor will sink under your feet as you step on it in that point, and since there's a fixed threshold, you'll create a tripping hazard in the process.

The product you show - that's a bullnose.  It's used on steps.  It's not suited for your intended use and it won't work anyway because you're on concrete.  They're meant to be nailed in place.

I suggest you get some patch leveling compound.  It's a concrete product that's fairly thick.  You apply it to the uneven areas of your floor with a nice wide trowel and use a long straight board to basically boost up the sinking area of the floor to create a nice level surface.  That will keep the boards from sinking when stepped on and keep the top of the floor close to level with the marble threshold for a nice safe walking surface.

Get pre-mixed leveler.  One container should be enough:


How to flush all the water lines in your house

You could just run the water for as long as you think it would take. Probably would have to run the hot until the water runs cold, then a little longer. This would basically ensure the water heater is cleared and the piping before it. The cold wouldn't have to be ran as long, but your goal is to still clear the pipes out.

The best way to know that you've got all new water, and flush the house; is to shut off the main valve and then go to the lowest operable plumbing point in your house.

Like my water heater is in my basement and it's drain valve at the bottom is the lowest point in the house as the main water line comes in above this. So, because of gravity, most of the water in the house would drain out of this. If your heater isn't the lowest though, just search for the lowest drainage point.

Again just shut off the main valve so no new water will enter the system yet. If you go the route of through the heater, make sure to flip it's breaker. Go turn on all sink handles too, both hot and cold, so that air can be brought into the piping and released when the water comes back on.

Once it stops draining, your house is now 90+% empty. Close the valve back, (flip the heater's power back on), and turn back on the main water. You'll hear rumbling and such from the sinks that you opened as the air clears the lines. Once the water starts flowing from them like normal and there are no more sounds coming from the pipe, you're clear. You could run them for another minute or two (take a cold shower) for that last little bit of water that could have been left in the pipes.

This doesn't work any better than just running the water for an hour or however long as far as cleaning the system, but it could save you some water and you'll know when it's done.

Last, if the home or plumbing supplies are older, you might have flakes of rust and such from your pipes show up in the aerators or the sinks. Might not, but just remember this in the possibility that you're getting low pressure afterwards.


How thick should plywood be when building a desk?

Close to what you need, here's a shelf sag calculator. if you imagine each end is supported, a 4' shelf of 0.6" thick ply will hold 30 lbs without issue.

If you spent a couple more bucks and added a 2x2 frame around the underside of the plywood, it would be dramatically stronger. Here's a pretty simple example video (larger but you get the idea).


Can someone explain if this wiring is correct

The details of this answer assume you are in North America. If you are elsewhere, you should add that information to your question.
Assuming you are correct in the wiring, then no, it is neither legal nor safe currently, though if the wiring is old enough, it may have been "normal" at the time.
The problem is that the switch is interrupting the neutral wire to the light while the hot wire goes directly to the light. The problem is that if you turn off the switch and go to work on the light without flipping the breaker (a bad idea but some people just depend on the switch), you can get shocked as the red wire to the light is still hot.
It should be very little effort to change the wiring so that the switch interrupts the hot instead. Also, on the white wire coming back from the switch, you should add a wrap of black tape or paint at each end to mark it as (switched) hot.


Should I bypass a thermal cut-off switch on my oil furnace?

I would really want to know why the switch failed twice, and running the unit without all safety devices seems like a bad plan.  I'd find a new tech (don't use the other guy again) to diagnose the actual problem and install a new switch correctly.

The tech may have never seen a thermal cut-off switch do anything and decided it wasn't needed, but that's not really something that should be done.  Your neighbor is right - get it fixed properly.


Sounds like a workable way to make a repair, but the circle is going to be visible for sure, and is that really better than having the divot to begin with?  That's up to you...  Assuming this is what you want to do:

  Do the plugs and drill holes match?

A plug cutter labeled 1/2" will cut a hole that fits into the hole that a 1/2" drill bit creates.  A plug cutter is measured by the outside diameter of the plug, and a drill bit is measured by the inside diameter of the hole.  The caveat is that your drill bit may wobble and not make a great, tight hole.

  Will the plug sit flush...

Laminate flooring typically has some type of pad or underlayment or something between it and the subfloor.  So, you'll need to match the thickness of this underlayment (assuming you also tear out a hole of the underlayment when you drill) so the plug doesn't sit too low.  You can use this to your advantage and use layers of paper or something to make it sit exactly as high as you want.

  Will the edge chip

I don't think it will, but depends on the floor.  Some have a more vinyl-like top, and some have a more brittle wood-feeling texture. Put a flat object bigger than the diameter of the hole on top of the plug and hit that to press in the plug rather than hitting the plug directly.  This will drive it in as evenly as possible.

  Glue cause swelling

Don't use a polyurethane glue like "Gorilla glue" that expands as it drys and there shouldn't be an issue.  Wood glue is probably best - PVC glue is going to be super messy and will eat/discolor the surface layer almost immediately.

  will the drill skitter...

I like the plan of using the scrap plank.  Make sure it has a good tight hole in it.

  What drill bit

A hole saw in 1/2" might be hard to find, and probably wouldn't make a clean cut.  A brad point or Forstner is good but still might be hard depending on the underlayment and if there's a concrete subfloor.

  What could go wrong?

The hole you drill in the existing floor could be sloppy.  Then your only choice is to make a bigger hole and try to do it better.  Practice on scrap before hand.


2-pole 30 amp breaker into two individual 120 receptacles?

The lack of a separate safety ground is a show-stopper.  In fact, this circuit is unsafe, obsolete, and has been illegal in new construction for over 20  years - it is legal because it is grandfathered.

Regardless of whether you ever power something else here, the best thing you can do is search for an existing ground, and if absent, retrofit a #10 ground wire to this receptacle and change it to a NEMA 14-30 type recep (and the dryer to a NEMA 14-30 cord, while removing the onboard neutral-ground strap on the dryer).

Full stop.

You should do that, seriously.  And then let 24 hours go by.

Once that is done and in your rear-view mirror...

Then, since there's already a ground here (it's not like you're adding the ground today), you can go three different ways to power your NEMA 5-15 plug-in loads.

You can fit a "Subpanel" here.  Powered off that nice 4-wire feed, it can then have a subsidiary 30A breaker for the dryer as well as 15/20A breakers for your various 120V loads.  That would be four breakers to get the most out of your 30A feed.
You can get a PDU (Power Distribution Unit) with a NEMA 14-30 cord.  The PDU acts like a subpanel in terms of breakering.
You can remove that fat receptacle from the wall, and replace it with two normal NEMA 5-15 or 5-20 dual receptacles, with appropriate cover plate.  But then, you will need to change the circuit breaker to 20A.  Now, to wire the receptacles, you split with pigtails the grounds to both receptacles.  You split with pigtails the netural to both receptacles. Black goes to one recep hot, red to the other.

Can't I just both retrofit the ground and convert the receptacles in one day?   No. Since these new receps are effectively new work, it would need to be done to new-work standard with new cable homeruns, and you wouldn't be allowed to retrofit ground.  You would only be able to exploit a retrofit-grounded dryer circuit if it was already like that.


The white marks are joint compound (aka "drywall mud") - kind of like plaster. The stripes are where separate sheets of drywall are joined with tape and mud and the little splotches are where screw holes have been covered over with mud.

Those actually are good places to install your storage rack because they indicate the locations of the lumber framing that the drywall is hung on. Basically the garage structure is a framework of wooden 2x4 wall studs and 2x6 or larger ceiling joists spaced 16" apart. That gives the garage it's shape and rigidity. The drywall is the finished interior surface that you see, and it's screwed or nailed into the studs.

If you're installing a storage rack, it's really important that you fasten it to the studs, because the drywall itself is only about 1/2" thick and has relatively little strength to hold any heavy load. In a painted wall, it's common to locate studs by knocking to feel solid spots, or using a stud finder tool. In your case though it's easy, because you can see the stud locations by where the drywall is fastened.

There is a stud or joist running behind each seam between drywall panels (long white stripes) and behind each of the parallel lines of screws (little white splotches).

As pointed out in the comments below, the actual studs are only 1 1/2" wide (45mm in metric), and the splotches are a bit wider than that, but you can find the exact location of the studs by looking for little circle marks where the head of the drywall screws are buried. Trace a line through these to find the rough center of the stud. Just center your fasteners for the lumber rack on these lines and you should be good to go.

If you're in doubt about whether you're lined up over a stud, drill a small pilot hole - either you'll break through the drywall into a cavity, or you'll continue drilling into the stud. If you hit a stud, you'll feel continued resistance on the drill and you'll see bits of wood and sawdust come out on the drill bit.

That said, there are exceptions. In my house (1950s era) the ceiling drywall is installed over relatively thin strapping that runs perpendicular to the joists, and it would be unwise to try and support a heavy weight from those straps. If you're hanging something heavy, take precautions to check that the fasteners are secure and the brackets can support the weight. Also, in North America a wooden structure is typical, but in other places the studs might be steel. If anything seems weird, take a pause until you can figure out how the structure works and how to safely fasten to it.


Cut off the tip of the conical stub. Doesn't much matter how large the opening ends up being, but don't go past the tapered part. There's no reason to do so.

Then, start with the smallest opening on the nozzle that you think will do the job. Less caulk is better, and you can always open it further.

To seal it, I typically wrap tape around the end of the nozzle in a cylinder, pinch the end closed, and squeeze caulk into it. This creates a self-sealing plug that can be easily pulled off later.


Is it a residential building requirement to caulk between a bathroom tile floor and a wood base?

No, the code does not specifically require caulking between anything in a bathroom. However, it does require, “a non-absorbent floor and walls up a minimum of 6’ for tubs and showers”. (See IRC R307.2)

However, as we all know, that wood you’re concerned about will absorb moisture on the “end-grain” very easily. You should protect it with a few coats of sealer or paint to protect it...especially in a moist environment like your bathroom.


Will my wooden bridge withstand the weight of my small truck?

From conventional Hemlock Span tables it seems your 4x6s are only good for about 10' span at 40LBS live load.  Your load is much higher when the trucks out in the middle of the bridge.

I think this is what you've got:

Can you get 2x12s? or better, get an engineer to run the numbers.  You will need to calculate the actual load and deflection and not just rely on flooring span tables since your load is very specific and not distributed over the entire span.


How should gaps at edge of an asphalt driveway be filled?

First vacuum or blow out the leaves.

You can get "asphalt repair caulk" or "crack filler" in standard caulk gun tubes, which will work for the purpose as well as anything will.

If you are trying to level the offset (rather than just fill the crack at the joint) in the first two pictures, you'll need to move to "cold patch" to build the asphalt up to the level of the concrete.


I have had trouble with both arc fault and GFCI breakers (and receptacles) with motor loads especially Refrigerators and front load washing machines. The big issue I believe that is causing the failures was high efficiency motors the variable speed controls. arc faults can’t tell the difference between arcs and a short pulse used for speed control. The early arc fault breakers also had trouble with lighting dimmers when the circuit had a fair sized load (10-12 amps).
I would check your state codes and see if the dedicated circuit even requires arc fault protection. In my state devices known to have problems like the above are exempted from gfci or arc fault protection when on a dedicated circuit.
Things that can cause arc faults to trip.
Capacitors especially electrolytes as the age.
SCR & TRIAC’s these are the solid state switches that control the wave form to the motor or device.
Pitted contacts on “start relays” or contactors.
Inductive kick back from the motor itself
And what they are designed to trip , arcing from damage to insulation by a staple, screw or metal box.


How does a water pump know when it needs to turn on?

"what's its trigger" it depends on the pump. It can start when it detects a change in pressure when you turn on a faucet or flush the toilet, a sensor will detect this drop in pressure. (look up the Bernoulli's principle) It can also start when it detects water flow. In this case, it is usually not a sensor but a vane that moves from the flowing water.


What are some strategies for achieving a 2' eave overhang?

Double the second rafter in (first one in is the one over the wall) and instead of blocks supporting an overhang, run 2X from the doubled rafter over the sloped wall and connect to the  overhanging rafter. Fill in with blocks between the cantilevered 2X to close those areas in.

Another way is a take on the same thing, but using 2X4 set flat into notches (lookouts) in the top of the rafter set over the sloped wall. The under side can be filled in with short blocks to carry  finish material under the soffit if you choose.


What kinds of wood are suitable for laser cutting?

Wood can be one of the most challenging materials to laser engrave. This is mainly due to the inconsistencies in wood. As you can see in the above video and images the engraving results can vary even with similar color wood types. Here are a list of qualities to look for in selecting wood for laser photo engraving. Ideally the wood will have a high resin content, be light in color, and will not have a coarse or heavy grain.

Laser Engraving Wood Comparison Video

Laser engravers work by burning into the wood; as the link notes, you'll want a wood with a high resin content so that the laser has something to "color". A soft wood such as Cedar, Pine or Spruce would be a good choice also as their "softer" and can be burned easily.


Alternating breakers have power and no power

It is clear that you have lost a phase or a neutral. The reason you are getting strange readings is when you experience a phase or neutral loss it can turn some circuits into series circuits. This causes all kinds of weird things and readings to happen.

Start by turning all of the branch circuit and feeder breakers off. Then check the voltages just below the main breaker. You should read approximately 120V to the ground bar on both phase A & B, and 240V across A & B. If you are reading anything other than that. You have lost a phase. Then you can do the same thing to the incoming lugs above the main breaker. If you get different results than what you just read below the main, then you have a bad Main breaker. If you get the same result your problem is either the utility power or at the meter.

If you get the same results above and below the Main, then disconnect the ground wire from the neutral bus and take the same readings both to the neutral and to the ground. If you are getting voltage to the ground and not to the neutral then you have lost a the neutral, and it is usually between the panel and the utility power. Do you have an overhead drop? I have frequently found a break in the drop neutral (the bare wire).

Use extreme caution when taking these readings because you have no real overcurrent protection if you foul up. If you feel uncomfortable then you should bring in professional help.

The bad news is that if it is a main or the meter installation, you will need a professional to do the repair. I would never recommend that a DIYselfer try to make the repair, since it requires a trained person in safety and procedure to perform such a replacement.

The good news is if it's a break in the utility drop. Then they will make the repair.

Stay safe and good luck.


Sounds like you have an improperly bonded neutral somewhere. If it isn't easily identified at the main service panel, you'll want to do a couple of things:

Call your electrical company and request (or if necessary demand) that they check to make sure the incoming neutral wire is grounded correctly on their side of the service.
Make sure that the water service to the house has a grounding connection to the ground bus of the panel within 5 feet of entering the house and before the meter.
Install new grounding rods to ensure that they are providing an adequate ground.
Install jumpers around any dielectric connections in the plumbing.

If none of these steps solves the issue, I'd start opening things up and make sure that you don't have a crossed neutral and ground somewhere in the house.


Is polyurethane too slippery to use as a protective layer on a deck?

What you're looking for is Spar Urethane. Polyurethane is not good for outdoor use. Spar urethane will hold up the UV rays better.


Some Tips On How To Hang Almost Anything.

Suspend your slate  from the top of the door frame and avoid making unsightly holes. Cut a 3-inch-wide satin or grosgrain ribbon long enough, when doubled, to hang slate at the desired height.  Join ends, and fold them over 1/2 inch.

Sight Line

Hang it using invisible mono filament or fishing line instead of ribbon -- 5- to 10-pound test line should suffice, depending on the  weight. Tie or wrap the line around a flat-head nail on top of the door before hammering the nail down.Use a couple of flat-head tacks or a nail to attach the ribbon ends to the door top.

Up and Over

As the name suggests, an over-the-door  hanger simply hooks in place over the door. The hanger may not bring the decoration low enough, however, on a very tall door. If a long, sturdy hanger designed for large decorations doesn't bring it to eye level, use wide ribbon as an extension. Alternatively, make your own custom-sized over-the-door hanger using sheet metal, if you're metal-work savvy. File and sand the edges smooth, so they're hand and door safe. Use metal crimps to form the basic square folds for over the door, and the hook-like folds to hold the decoration.

How to Hang Heavy Items Without a Stud

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SSJaO3gVPE

USING A DISC HANGER

Disc hangers are my go to for many items.  They were originally designed for plates, but I have been attaching them to assortment of things for years – most specifically my trays in my dining room.

They can be used on plates, trays, wood, any quirky item – you just need a clean smooth surface.  There are different sizes for different weights.

Start with a clean surface, then wet the back of the disc, wait about a minute (instructions are on the back).  Apply to your item, paying attention to where the hook is going to be – make sure it is not sticking out the top.  Here is the hard part – you really do need to wait over night for it to dry, or at least several hours(not my strong suit) for it to have a good hold.  Then, just use the same principals as hanging a framed picture and you are done.  The best part, if you change your mind and no longer want to hang it on the wall – you simply wet it again to remove it.

The disc hangers can be found at craft stores.

HEAVY HITTER – FRENCH CLEATS

When I have something heavy to hang – my go to is always a pair of French cleats.  These can be found big box hardware stores where you find picture hanging hardware

Each set has two pieces – one for the wall, one for the item – follow the diagrams on the package!  I used these to hang my daughter’s headboard, heavier artwork – and in this case – the tray being used as shelf.  I wanted to be able to put whatever I wanted in and on top of the tray – and not have to worry about weight and stability – especially since there is a glass table below it.

The cleats can be a bit pricey – but I think worth the investment of the peace of mind of not worrying about your item falling to the ground.

Step 1 – Start on the wall and find at least one stud that lines up with where you want your item to be.  If you can find two – that is even better.  The stud almost never ends up centered on the item.  If it did, you could use one and call it a day.  But to make sure it is balanced – I use two making sure at least one screw is in a stud.  For this shelf, I hit two studs, but not centered on the item.  Do some math.  Figure out placement so that you maximize the studs and then distribute the two out over the width of the item.

Step 2: Since the cleat is wider than the stud – you will need to use wall anchors for the second screw.  Drill pilot holes for the screw and wall anchor, insert your anchor and use a drill to attach the screws.  There is a level included in the cleat that guides you to keep it level (the wall anchors are usually included with the cleat).  There is also a level in the part that goes on the wall to ensure that you hang each one straight.

Step 3: Use a level between the two cleats to make sure that they are level with each other.  Repeat step 2 for the second cleat.

Step 4: Measure the distance between your cleats on the wall, and work in replica to attach the other half to your item with the included screws (drill a pilot hole first so you do not split the wood).

Step 5: Hang your item on the cleats.  The best part is you have some flexibility of moving the item left to right without compromising the ability to hold too much.

3M COMMAND ADHESIVE, HOOKS AND PICTURE HANGERS

There are a ton of3M Command products out there not that not only allow you hang things without putting a whole in the wall, but provide solutions for items that are challenging to hang.  This is one of my favorite and most sought out solutions.

In this case, I used single, two sided ones to attach a wood paddle to my wall in the kitchen.  But there are ones that you attach to the wall and to the item – and then they attach with Velcro.  The Velcro also allows you to re position things slightly as well.  I have used this on trays, small canvases and small frames.  They are definitely suited for lighter items.

RIBBON

Sometimes, it can just be simple.   I threaded a ribbon in the same color, for camouflage and hang it on a nail – done!

HOOKS

Sometimes the hanging method can actually be part of the display.  In these there cases I had heavy items that needed something substantial.  I decided to embrace that and use a vintage decorative hook to hang them.   I spaced things so that they one screw is in a stud.  For keys, I use wall anchors to screw into.

PICTURE WIRE

Sometimes, something that is not a picture frame, can be treated like one. When want to screw anything larger than an eye hole screw into it – one because it might  come through, two because  it could split the wood and three because you wont  be able to change your mind and take it out later if you choose to.

3M Command would not be strong enough if it is a heavy  item.

For this case, You should add the eye hole screws and run picture wire between.  Using the same principals of step 1.
NAILS

Sometimes it is as easy as a simple nail.  Position, the item – tap in a nail, hang it – done!

This is my own idea ,but I was thinking you could use a glue gun and on the back of your slate attach a few hanging loops,the more you put on the back of the slate the more it will distribute the weight and then you could glue a hook on your front door and attach it that way..The glue used in a glue gun is very strong and it is easily removed.I have never tried this but it might work for you.


That is a Kohler "canister style" flush valve.

First, carefully remove the "rim-clean/bowl-fill" water supply hose (the little black hose that runs from your fill valve to the flush valve. Also, remove the chain that attaches the trip lever to the flush valve.

To get at the gasket in question (which is very likely, but not 100% certainly, your problem) you need to carefully twist the "small part above the white ring" counter-clockwise 1/4 turn. This will release the entire canister assembly from the base. It will look like this (note chain still attached in my pic):

The pink washer on the bottom just stretches and pulls on/off. Reverse previous step to reinstall...

NOTE- I have performed this job without removing the hose and chain, but it is easier with them removed.

screen-shot courtesy of REVIEWS@ca.rr.com


How long should I wait before painting a concrete patch?

According to the datasheet (PDF), it reaches foot traffic compressive strength within one day and you can drive vehicles over it within three days, but doens't reach full compressive strength until 28 days. The PROPER answer here is probably 28 days, which is pretty consistent for any concrete products.

You can probably safely paint it within three days, but I'd be worried that concrete wouldn't reach full compressive strength or that the bond with the underlying concrete would be affected by moisture not having any path out.


best choice of material for exterior window casing

Your best choice would be something made from PVC sold in the trim section of any usual big box home improvement store.  Or you could use a heavily treated wood like "Armour" wood that has a higher resistance to rot which is also sold in most stores.  Also make sure to use proper flashing behind the trim.☺


Using 10 1/4 inch fiberglass insulation in a 6 inch space?

Yes, and no. This table shows you some idea, although it doesn't appear to show an actual number for 10 1/4 compressed to 5 1/2. Extrapolating, I'd guess you'll end up somewhere around R-22, which is still higher than R-21 for typical 5 1/2" batts.


Tyler, This can be tough to give based on area. Where I live 3" is a huge storm but we have constant rain at small amounts for months. The first system I built was a 500 cubic foot catch basin the house was under 1800 sf. the system filled at almost 2x the rate I had expected (full in February). The next year I added a 2nd cistern now watering my plants with fresh water was getting expensive. Both cisterns were completely full by March the 3rd year. There was not that much rain. what I missed in the winter the water table in my area jumps close to 6' so the over flow drains were actually back backfilling the tanks with water. My 2 over flow drains were basically shallow (2-3’) French drains 8” wide both 75’ long that drained into a seasonal creek at the bottom of the property. Depending on the water table in your area a drain field may be all you can do.  I have belt rock basins (large pits to catch run off filled with rock) to catch the water and allow it to filter back into the ground instead of being run off into storm sewers. This would not work at the home in Oregon. This was meant to be a comment but is too long.  I wanted to explain that it can be difficult for a DIY because there are factors we don’t think about. Good Luck.


What size of posts do I need for an 8' by 10' woodshed?

Either will work. They'll both hold up a conventional roof of that size without issue. Your concern is more a matter of diagonal bracing, especially if the posts won't be in the ground.


One does not use toggle bolts in studs. They're for hollow-wall applications and would require you to drill very large hole through the stud flange, which isn't a great idea.

It's also fairly difficult to drill the cabinet for toggle bolts, transfer the locations to the wall, drill larger holes for the togglers, insert the togglers in the cabinet, then get all the togglers into their respective holes in the wall. It's a real hullabaloo and a thing to be avoided.

Use three or four screws with sheet-metal (fine) threads in each of the available studs and you'll be fine. Since most of the pull-out force is at the top of the cabinet, you might use two screws near the top.

To answer your actual question, though, toggle bolts should usually be just long enough that, when the wings are folded back and the bolt is inserted, they can open up behind the wallboard. Whether they can be longer depends on clearance, of course.


Is there a tool I can use to cut out the templates for door hardware?

A router (along with a special guide) can be used to cut part of the inset you need, but is not the easiest tool to use if you are not experienced, and it does not cut square corners, which still require a chisel to finish.

Using a chisel does take care and practice, but it is not beyond the reach of even an amateur if you are willing to do a test piece first and then go very slowly.

You need to draw the opening with a sharp pencil (or and awl).  Many people use a utility knife to cut the outline to slightly deeper than needed, then use a small, sharp chisel, following the grain of the wood (in this case toward the top and bottom, not across the door) taking very thin layers out until you are deep enough.

It does not need to be perfectly flat at the bottom of the channel, just the right depth at the ends with no high spots in between.

If you practice on a scrap of wood first, you may be surprised that you can do it.


Grounding subpanel to box - 'tap threads'

"tap threads", likely means to use a tap to make threads in the hole.


How to clean hair and junk off an auger?

I always let mine dry and then take it out back and put the torch to it. It does leave some residue, which is very easily and quickly removed with a wire brush.


Should range hood ducting be installed before cabinetry?

I suppose you could do things in either order but make things easier on yourself and prepare the ducting and needed cutouts before hanging the cabinets.


How to remove wasp nest and let them leave

As Ed B. commented,  by knocking down the nest, you'll convince the wasps to leave and build a new nest elsewhere.  It's not necessary to spray -- at least from the point of view of getting them to leave! -- as they'll abandon a fallen nest.  The difficulty comes in whacking the nest without getting a swarm attacking you.  If you're fast :-) you can wait for a very cool night, hit the nest with a long pole, and run inside.

Otherwise, some spray to at least kill the exterior wasps and dissuade insiders from coming out a poisoned entrance should precede the knocking-down step.


Water from refrigerator tastes bad after 5 day power outage

I am guessing that the rest of the house has no issues with smell or taste of the water. My first step would be to empty the ice tray and wash it really well with a mix of baking soda and water mixed into a paste. While the ice tray is out carefully check the ice unit for any evidence of mold or odors. Change the filter. Purge the system by making and throwing out a couple of trays of ice. Fill and dispose of a couple of gallons of water out of the dipenser.


Breaker trips when light is switched on in one room

If I am reading the question right:

You tapped the switched supply of a half-switched receptacle to power a ceiling fan.
When your turned the breaker back on and turned the on the switch, the breaker tripped.  (There had not been any such problem before you started.)
You then tried to put the wiring back the way it was before you started - as you put it, "reversed" your work - but the breaker still trips when you turn on the switch.

Obviously, you didn't put the wiring back quite the way it was before you started;  something changed.  These are just guesses.

Since the breaker trips when you close the switch, it's likely the problem is with the red wire, the switched hot.

You may have put the box together so that a ground wire is touching a switched hot terminal - the one with the red wire on it.  Try wrapping the receptacle with tape so the terminals are not exposed, and carefully fold the bare ground wires to the back of the box.
There may be a nick in the insulation of the red wire that's coming in contact with a ground somewhere - inspect the red wire carefully.
Maybe you miswired the receptacle with the red wire on the neutral side, so when switched on, it makes a dead short.  (Presumes the tab on the neutral side of the receptacles is not removed.)


Solar water heater vs Heat pump for heating water?

I see 5 questions:

1) Solar hot water in the morning and on cloudy days.  Your usage pattern is worst-case since maximum solar energy availability is soon after your usage.  So you will need a storage tank that can keep the water hot until you need it.  Lots of variables here so your best bet is to consult an insulated tank supplier in your area.  As far as cloudy days, you're either going to have to upsize the tank considerably (probably not feasible) or plan on installing a backup hot water heater.

2) Power consumption of heat pump based hot water heaters.  These can be 2-3 times more efficient that a standard resistance heating water heater.  The formulas for calculating energy to raise a liter of water 1 degree are straightforward and you can do that yourself.  But keep in mind that most of these units also have resistance backups when demand exceeds capacity of the heat pump and that can reduce your savings.  Also remember that these effectively cool the room they are in and that can impact your heating costs.

3) Reliability.  Heat pump units are more complex that solar units and it's likely will require more maintenance and not last as long.  But depending on the solar unit you choose, there may be reliability and longevity issues with that as well.  Check with your supplier for their warranties.  Also keep in mind that you will have a pump with the solar unit that may need maintenance.

4) Maintenance costs.  See above but it's difficult to say without specifics and even then it's a lot of guesswork.  You need to rely on the data provided by the supplier of your specific equipment and, as you know, your experience may vary.

5) Insulated pipes.  In either case YES, you will want to insulate the hot water pipes to conserve as much of the heat energy as possible.


How do I use an air speed meter to measure air flow volume?

Damnit ... the one formula that we had to use for every problem in fluid dynamics, and our professor made us derive everything from it ...

  sum of ( area * flow rate in  * density )
- sum of ( area * flow rate out * density )
= change in mass

Effectively, for your problem, volume of air flow is going to be

sum of ( wind speed * area of the opening )

I say 'sum of', but it's really an integral as the speed's not going to be constant across the whole opening.  The cone just forces the air to a smaller area so there's not as much variance, and it's of a fixed area to make the calculations easier.

I'd estimate it by looking at the opening as a 4x4 grid, and taking 16 air speeds, one for each grid cell, average them, then multiply by the opening size, and converting to dm^3/s  (as a liter is a cube 0.1m per side).  Or convert to m^3/s, then multiply by 1000.


Do not force the drill any further

There is a reason you can't drill any further into the wall, and you need to be sure what that reason is before you continue drilling. Some possibilities include:

If there is electrical or water piping behind the drywall, plates are sometimes placed over the stud to prevent people from drilling through and hitting the cable or pipe. These plates are not always installed if the cable / pipe is run through the middle of the stud, but should be if it's run closer to one side. If you hit one of these plates, they did their job; you'll need to change where you're drilling. Patch the hole you've already made.
You may have hit a metal water or sewer pipe that was not protected by a plate. If you stopped drilling soon enough, no damage may have been done. Do not continue drilling in this case; patch the hole and move to a new location.
You may have brick or concrete behind the drywall. Typically there'd be furring strips (1x2" strips of wood, just to serve as a place to attach screws for the drywall) between the drywall and brick. In this case, you could get a different drill and/or bit and attach a masonry screw; plastic wall anchors or toggle bolts could also work depending on what you're hanging. Or you could move so that you're drilling into one of those furring strips.
You may be drilling into a stud. Normally, I wouldn't suggest this as a potential cause, but you mentioned you're new to DIY, so you may not realize that's what it is. Your drill should be able to handle drilling into studs with no problems, so I doubt this is the case, but I'm not familiar with IKEA drills. Did you use a stud finder before drilling?

Figuring out which of these options it may be can be difficult, but look at where your bathrooms and sinks are; where your outlets are (upstairs and down, too); what materials your house is made of and when it was built. Those can all be clues as to what's behind the walls.


How can I repair or remove my bathroom sink's tailpiece?

The typical setup here is you have

The top collar
A rubber gasket or sealant (i.e. plumber's putty or silicone)
The sink holes
A rubber gasket
A compression collar

The rubber gasket can be a fiddly thing, where you need to seat and re-seat it to get a positive seal. If you're having trouble with it (and based on the pictures I'd say that's likely) try coating it in petroleum jelly. It should help if you have any odd spots in the sink hole that the rubber can't fill


How do I knock out only the correct sized knock-out with Carlon A238 ENT boxes?

They're not concentric so this might be easier than you think. I would take two flat-head screwdrivers to do this. Hold the box with one flat head against the back so that the head is supporting the 3/4" and 1" knockouts. Use the other flat head to pry the 1/2" out.


How can I get my fluorescent light fixtures to work with an occupancy sensor?

The basic problem is that the occupancy switch that you chose to purchase is one designed to be able to work in series with the load attached to it. If the attached load is too small (too low of wattage) the switch assembly does not get enough power to operate correctly. For the particular model you have this is on the order of 40 to 50 watts of minimum load. From a technical standpoint it kind of sucks that they work this way BUT they are designed to work in place of a simple light switch that is in in series with its load.

Your Radio Shack relay does not come close to representing a 40-50W load on the switch so the only other way is to add some additional load in series with the switch (i.e. equivalently in parallel with the relay coil). As you have come to see this is not a very satisfactory solution and some other scheme needs to be found.

The best situation in this case is to acquire the alternate type of occupancy switch as mentioned in that thread that you linked. That type of switch has a live AC lead and neutral AC lead connected to it to power the switch unit irrespective of the size of the load. A separate output connection goes off to the load you are trying to switch. This type of switch may take a little re-wiring in your garage but that should be easier than trying to wire in the kludged extra load that the current switch requires. If you choose to deploy this improved version of the switch you will be able to remove the Radio Shack relay from the installation.

To make yourself feel better about the fact that you now have an extra occupancy switch you could pick a room in your house that has a tendency to get its light left on accidentally and install the extra unit in place of its light switch. Maybe this is a bathroom the kids use or a far closet that does not get used often.

BTW

It looks like Leviton now has a whole slew of different model occupancy switches that are also designed for single pole switch replacement but have removed the minimum load requirements. These do not require a neutral wire connection but do require a GND wire connection.


Would using a Y hose connector to join rain barrel water with tap water be a good idea to boost the water pressure?

I wouldn't risk connecting the rain barrel to your house's plumbing because you don't want to risk getting non-potable water into your pipes.  This sort of arrangement might even be illegal where you live.

What if, instead, you just use a garden hose to add more water to the barrel as needed?  Then you don't need to worry about running out.  Or, use a quick connect fitting to make it really easy to disconnect your watering hose from barrel and connect it to another source.


How can I repair damage to the corner of a 4x4 post?

Any repair as you describe will look like a patch and will make the situation much more conspicuous than it is now. The only fix, aside from replacement, would be to wrap the posts with something new. You could box them with 1x6 ripped to 4-1/4", for example, but obviously that defeats the point of reuse.
I would probably add a few finish nails to secure the loose bit, then run a sander over it and call it a day.
UPDATE: I totally missed that you were painting. In that case, I'd probably run some screws into the loose area (or remove it), then skim with a good wood filler like Rock Hard Water Putty. Sand and prime, then paint.  I would not install a filler block. That's a lot of putzy work for little gain.


How to repair garage slab after plumbing brought in

Pour in concrete after the base is known to have been fully compacted and settled. But do not make it a foot thick. If you ever have to work on this plumbing later you would highly regret having to break apart that block.

There should be no reason to have the patch portion be any thicker than the original slab. Also it appears that the original slab was not tied into the main foundation under the walls so you should maintain that with the patch. I see no special reason to chisel out an undercut of the slab. Just make sure that the edges of the slab are clean and free of loose particulate so that the new cement has the ability make somewhat of a bond to the existing slab. Adhesive on the slab edges would be a waste of time/money because the wet cement you pour into there would not stick to it.

If you want to work at it you could bore some holes into the edges of the existing slab and bond some short pieces of small diameter rebar that sticks out into the patch region. That would do more good to keep the patch edges lined up with the slab over time. If you so this however do it carefully so you don't end up just crumbling more of the existing slab in the process.


Appropriate fixing to lay joists on top of binders

Toenailing into the top of the beam would probably be adequate, if you use slight care until you get the floor fastened to the top of the joists. For a more robust attachement, a 2x6 or even a 1x6 attached to the ends of the joists (nailed into the ends) such that it overlaps the side of the binders with the extra inch will be quite robust. Serves the function of a "rim-joist." Some blocking between the joists at mid-span or third-points would likely be overkill, but is another approach to resist overturning.

I would recommend the above approach.

"hurricane ties" are a metal bracket that may be handier (and may cost less) than the two you mention. They nail to the face of the joist and the face of the binder. But probably overkill for an interior light storage floor. You should be able to install the shortest version of them by simply pushing the insulation down while you nail, and letting it spring back up once installed.


Best way to stop boiler steam from entering attic

My old physics teacher would give you an 'A' for simply creating this question.

It is important to remember that whatever solution you choose must fix the problem, and not just move the problem to a different place - AKA: the Wack-A-Mole paradox.

I think the first step is to get an infrared thermometer,I chose this one,but pick your own vendor and price point

http://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lasergrip-Digital-Infrared-Thermometer/dp/B00DMI632G/

This will allow you to identify the source of the heat leaks, and locate the problem areas.

After you know what problem you are trying to fix, we can move forward from there.


Precaution before getting a whiteboard: carpet stains?

If this is for adults only I wouldn't be worried about it.  I have a large dry-erase board in my office that my family uses and light tan carpet and we have never had an issue.  The key is making sure you whiteboard has a tray to put the markers in and not to leave markers open (which dries them out).

If for kids I would say you run the same risk as them coloring with markers at a table.  Certainly they will destroy things and make a mess.  I specifically left certain things off my house to-do list until my kids got older.

Either way if you want piece of mind I would scotch guard the entire area.  I would use interior automotive spray which I use in all my cars and did my kids carpets with them.  A couple of layers and basically you can spill anything within reason on the floor.


The set point or thermostat is just a switch it has nothing to do with the heat in the system unless a high end one. With that said there are possible multiple speed taps on your blower motor and depending on the setup it could be in a higher speed than needed for heat. Normally we run AC at a higher speed than heating but not always. Some systems are dual stage but a 2-degree difference would not be enough to trigger that if you had it.
Providing the model and type of heater you have might give enough information to create a better answer like if it is a heat pump (outside compressor) the air handler inside moves the air a very cold day outside with emergency heat turned off it may not heat as well compared to a gas fired or all electric heater with an air handler. But it is heating, moving air even when warmer than ambient may feel cooler so a thermometer in the duct may show it is a few degrees warmer even though it feels cool. So there can be multiple reasons for your observations both working fine and possibly needing some work depending on the type.


Permanently marking a table after finishing

Nail polish. Waterproof, durable, comes in a wide variety of colors, and it already includes a small brush.


lay out common rafters with combination square

As  Aloysius Defenestrate commented I realized it can be done with any piece of flat wood that has a right angle and straight sides.

Pitch is a ratio between rise and run, it doesn't even matter in wich units you mark it. For example: 6:12 ( or 1:2 ). Mark 6 cm (or inches) on one side of the right angle, mark 12 on the other side. Now use that as a framing square, marking the plumb lines and bidsmouth the same way as you would with a real square.

Thanks


Fireplace cleaning (UK 1930s Terraced House)

It's a cast iron fireplace, very common in Victorian times. First you'll need to find out if it's been painted or polished. Usually you can see just by looking at it, if you see brush marks or flaking areas it's been painted. A smooth finish which shows the metal finish probably means it's polished (my gut instinct, looking at the patina on yours is that it is polished).

Restoration depends on the level of unsightly areas. A painted fireplace can always be cleaned up and re-painted. Be careful if you suspect the original paint is old as it may contain lead (don't sandpaper it etc.). Use a heat resistant paint if you intend to use the fireplace (assuming the original paint is also heat resistant, which may be difficult to determine...).

A polished fireplace can be cleaned up with a stiff brush or wire wool and re-polished with a special black compound for cast iron grates/firebacks. We call it 'black lead' around here, but that is probably a throw back to earlier times as modern compounds do not contain lead. Modern names include 'grate polish' or 'graphite polish' or 'black polish' etc.


NO! This is not a bad breaker.

NO! DO NOT replace the breaker with a larger one.

YES, please call an electrician. This situation needs to be troubleshooted by someone with the knowledge to do so properly.

The "faint crackling noise" is wires arcing, and possibly burning. This is a BAD thing. PLEASE, leave the circuit OFF and call someone.


What wires do you splice in a 3-way switch?

There are several ways to wire this circuit, but this is the one that will be least confusing to any future maintainers (which might even be you, two or three years from now).

I have put a "C" next to the common terminal on each switch.
Note that the white wires running to the remote 3-ways are marked with black paint or tape at both ends to indicate that they carry constant-hot and not neutral.


The main water valve won't open fully after I closed it. How do I shut off the water to replace it?

Call the local water municipality, they will be able to shut the water off either at the meter or before it. This is something that should not be done by a homeowner.

While you may find that you can access the main supply shut off you should not use it, as you could end up being fined by the city/town/county.  Also if you damage the shutoff or city/town/county water line, you could find yourself having to pay for the repair.


What causes a glass block to crack? Does it cause any structural damage?

It's glass...it's a fairly rigid material and will not flex like other potential building materials such as wood, mortar, etc. So, if the house settled, the block may simply have been under enough stress to crack it.

Or, maybe someone shot it with a BB gun.


What cause the Garbage disposal wire damage showed in the picture?

That does look like heat damage. It's possible that if the disposal jammed and the cord was pressed against something that the current draw heated the wiring enough to melt the housing like that.
UNPLUG THE DISPOSAL AND DON'T USE IT UNTIL THE CORD HAS BEEN REPLACED
Under your sink, in a wet location, having exposed wires is very dangerous. Your disposal may have a replaceable cord-set, which means that you can unscrew this old one from the disposal and install a new one by screwing it in, or, if it doesn't you might get away with cutting off the damaged piece and installing a replacement plug. Worst case, you may have to replace the whole disposal.