All Questions
5
votes
4answers
599 views
How can I tell if a circuit breaker is worn out?
I was installing a light and tripped the breaker (in retrospect, should have turned the breaker off before starting). When I finished installing it I reset the breaker and tried the light switch. ...
6
votes
1answer
804 views
Insufficient voltage to dryer receptacle; what next?
I just moved into a home and I am hooking up a used dryer (which I'm told works). The dryer spins, but I get no heat.
I bought a multimeter, and it tells me that the receptacle provides insufficient ...
3
votes
3answers
415 views
Crawlspace Drainage
I am beginning the installation of a Crawlspace Perimeter drain. I discovered that the concrete footing extends about 12" into the crawlspace. As I was going to place the NDS EZ drain pipe down ...
5
votes
1answer
321 views
Are ultrasonic ant repellents effective?
I'm considering an ultrasonic ant repellent for the kitchen (where I'd rather not use a chemical pesticide).
Do these things work?
5
votes
1answer
1k views
Can I convert ceiling mounted octagon box to electrical receptacle?
I've installed a number of strip lights in my garage to replace the single incandescent fixture on the ceiling. They all use a 3-prong plug, not hardwired. I want to replace the incandescent fixture ...
4
votes
2answers
996 views
Mounting shower curtain rod to tile
In my new place my shower is tile and has a spring loaded shower curtain rod. I have my curved rod from a previous residence and would like to mount it. I can operate a drill, but I have never gone ...
3
votes
2answers
503 views
Remove the smell of cigarette smoke from upholstery
I purchased a upholstered chair from a garage sale for cheap, and cleaned all the dog fur and other debris from it, however there is now a lingering smell of smoke from the chair. It has been ...
5
votes
1answer
447 views
Dishwasher air gap problem
Problem: When dishwasher drains it dumps water to the sink through the air gap. Problem started accuring 6 month after kitchen/sink/dishwasher was installed and used.
What I tried:
Opened the ...
3
votes
3answers
5k views
How do I make a deck glossy?
I went to Home Depot and Sherwin Williams and I was unable to find a deck stain that looked like the shiny blondish color of the following image:
At Sherwin Williams they said that their stains ...
5
votes
2answers
2k views
HVAC vents - does wall or ceiling mount matter?
I'm going to add some crown moulding to some bedrooms. I've got HVAC vents mounted near the top of the wall and the moulding will cover part of the vent.
I want to move the vents out of the way. I ...
2
votes
4answers
145 views
Guidance needed for cutting rabbet
As in this question about making box shelves, I am looking at making some shelves and need some help. I've found this site describing how to make the shelves but need some pointers on what tools I ...
16
votes
4answers
12k views
What actually happens if I vary proportions of cement and sand in mortar?
When preparing cement mortar proportions of sand and cement can AFAIK be varied. I've always been using the "default recommended" 1-to-3 (one volume of cement for every three volumes of sand) ...
6
votes
2answers
2k views
Why are my downlights constantly blowing?
I have a strip of 3 downlights in my living room, and I am constantly changing globes.
Usually two of the globes blow in the first day or two of use, but the third globe will last much longer (at ...
4
votes
1answer
389 views
A/C escaping down the staircase
I live on the second floor of a century-old house that doesn't have central air. We have a large window A/C unit in the main hall but our front door is at the bottom of the stairs rather than the top. ...
1
vote
3answers
2k views
How can I keep my doors from expanding in the heat?
During the summer months, some of the doors in my house become difficult to open and close. I can get them to shut by either slamming the door or by pulling upwards on the doorknob before opening or ...
5
votes
1answer
618 views
Why is my (white) painted plaster going brown on the borders of the underlying plasterboard?
We've recently had our spare bedroom ceiling plastered, and there was a loosish bit of plasterboard that was secured by the plasterer before skimming the entire ceiling.
After painting it I observed ...
4
votes
2answers
700 views
Driveway Gutter / Rain Guide?
Our house was built a little over 20 years ago. The person who paved the asphalt driveway didn't grade it right, so in addition to the slight downward slope towards the road, it has alternating ...
4
votes
1answer
353 views
Why am I having trouble starting my gas hedge trimmer?
I was running the trimmer I had just bought 2nd hand. I ran it great for about 10 minutes when it suddenly throttled high. I released the gas right away and it died and hasn't started again since ...
1
vote
1answer
248 views
Fix intermittent connection problem in a monorail low voltage light fixture
I have a WAC low-voltage monorail (probably a SOLORAIL model) that is about 7 years old. The rail is about 12 ft long and has four fixtures attached.
For the past 2 years, one of the fixtures has ...
2
votes
2answers
347 views
How do I replace ceiling drywall over cabinets?
I recently had some water damage to my ceiling after a storm. For the most part, it's a simple cut out and replace procedure, but I'm stuck wondering what to do in the kitchen. There's about 1'x2' ...
3
votes
2answers
2k views
Gap in sealant round edge of bath, mould underneath, what to replace with
For the past couple of months I noticed a gap developing between the sealant (caulk) round the edge of the bath-shower (behind the taps) and the tiles. I'd been meaning to do something about it for a ...
2
votes
1answer
436 views
Why does water come from toilet supply when water to house is shut off?
I turned off the water to the house to change the valve on a toilet supply line. All of the faucets and the tub were cut off but water kept coming out of the toilet line when I removed the valve. It ...
1
vote
3answers
113 views
Safest weed killers?
Are there any weed killers that aren't endocrine disruptors or carcinogens?
I'm at war with dandelions, but prefer a few dandelions to cancer or reproductive damage, most days.
9
votes
4answers
5k views
Can someone explain to me how this hot water recirculating system works?
How is my hot water recirculating system installed?
... and why is it not working like it should?
Moved into a house recently that was built in 2006. There is a hot water recirculating pump ...
1
vote
1answer
407 views
Shower gets colder during use, already replaced cartridge, what else could it be?
Recently purchased a house built in 2006. The shower gets colder as time passes and requires constant adjustment of the valve in order to maintain temperature. I replaced the cartridge in the valve ...
2
votes
2answers
189 views
How to remove trim caulk orange peeled wall
We're replacing the trim in our room, but the trim that is there is taller than the trim that we want to replace it with. So after removing the old trim, there's a caulk line for the original.
The ...
6
votes
5answers
2k views
Do I need a wood hardener for worn door hinge screw holes?
My house had a door removed by previous owners. The recesses in the jambs for hinges and catch were filled in with pieces of board (I don't know exactly what, but not solid timber), and painted over.
...
0
votes
2answers
374 views
Is is possible to retrofit a wood-burning stove into an existing gas central heating system?
Our house has gas-fired central heating, but fuel costs in the winter are very high (it get's very cold here!). I've been toying with the idea of a wood burning stove.
I'm wondering whether, rather ...
4
votes
3answers
197 views
Septic Replacement: Can I Do it Myself?
I am looking at a property with a serious fixer-upper on it. I want to place a mobile home on the property while gutting out existing building to see if it can be renovated. My question is about the ...
7
votes
1answer
372 views
What should I look for when buying a frameless mirror?
What should I look for when buying a frameless, full length mirror to mount on a bedroom wall? It will be mounted close to a light switch (not that I think that matters). I understand that mirrors ...
2
votes
1answer
63 views
Mixed Shade/Light Grass issues
I like in Northeastern PA and just bought a new home. It has about a half acre to it. Last year they dug a new well and the ruts the truck left planted new grass. It looks horrible. The new grass ...
2
votes
1answer
356 views
painting a cork floor (previously coated with polyurethane varnish)
Our cork kitchen floor has a white stain and coated with 3 coats of polyurethane varnish two years ago. But the varnish has begun to wear through and the cork colour is visible.
We were never happy ...
8
votes
2answers
412 views
Large voltage swing on incoming main hot line- definitely outside?
So for much of last fall, I had an issue of flickering lights in my house (half of the house seemed to flicker in unison). Back in December, I called the electric company, who came out, and claimed ...
2
votes
1answer
208 views
insulating exterior walls
I have an old house with no insulation. The walls are 2x4 with plaster and lath. The outside is aluminum siding, in good shape. I would like to blow cellulose insulation inside the wall cavities from ...
4
votes
4answers
10k views
Why is it bad to flush baby wipes?
I've always heard that you shouldn't flush baby wipes because
They don't dissolve in your septic system
They can clog old pipes.
I currently live in a modern, multi-story apartment building. There ...
4
votes
1answer
794 views
AC in the attic affects downstairs but not upstairs
We have one AC unit (roughly 1 year old) connected to two zones: Zone 1 is upstairs and Zone 2 is downstairs.
Yesterday, our AC seemed to completely stop working for the upstairs but continue to work ...
5
votes
1answer
149 views
Is it important to use special fasteners in treated wood for non-structural applications?
I'm getting ready to install under-floor insulation in my yurt platform. These are 2" x 4' x 8' foam panels under a 1 1/8" plywood floor, between 4" x 6" 0.40 ACQ pressure treated joists. The foam ...
2
votes
1answer
438 views
How can one test a sewage ejector pump?
I have a sewer ejector pump in my basement but it's in a sealed well. There are two electric cords running into it. How does one test it? For maintenance reasons. Can this only be done by a plumber?
...
3
votes
1answer
383 views
Shower head washer woes
I was installing a new shower head (Brand: Niagara Earth), and apparently overtightened it, cracking the washer in the process. Unfortunately, it seems to be a specialty type of washer that has an ...
3
votes
3answers
242 views
Why is my tall fescue wilting?
I currently live in North Carolina and this past fall I had tall fescue sod and an irrigation system put in my backyard. This spring I used Scotts fertilizer (in March). Since then I have been ...
1
vote
5answers
294 views
Light fixture inside knee-wall storage
We framed knee walls in our attic and want to use the areas behind them for storage. These areas are triangular in cross-section, about 3' high at the knee wall, and of course the ceiling hits the ...
3
votes
1answer
273 views
My deck dies in a funny pattern — does that mean this board is upside-down?
My deck looks like this after it rains.
One board and parts of others are damp for a long time after everything else has dried. What could cause this and is it hard to fix?
My only guess is ...
2
votes
2answers
358 views
What extra conduit should I include in a utility trench?
I'm putting in a trench with electricity + water + phone from the street to a future house site. The trench will be around 150' long. The electricity and phone will each be in their own conduit, ...
12
votes
10answers
4k views
What is the easiest way to remove a large root in a post hole I'm digging?
I'm digging a 36" deep post hole for a fence I'm putting up, and about 15" down I ran into a very large root. Since the root seems to be running almost directly in line with the fence, and there isn't ...
2
votes
1answer
161 views
Should my boiler be serviced annually?
I have a oil-fueled boiler that provides steam heat in the winter and hot water all year. Should I have it inspected and serviced annually? If so, what should such a service entail?
3
votes
4answers
3k views
What is the cheapest way to add texture to a wall
The previous home owners used a perforating tool to remove wallpaper, and just painted over all the holes and lines. I am in desperate need of some texture with no budget. I need to put a new baby ...
4
votes
3answers
550 views
How to tidily integrate power into an island
I'm currently running the ducts for wiring into my gutted kitchen and was wondering how best to integrate power into my island.
I've seen pop-up products like this and this that fit nicely into the ...
2
votes
2answers
261 views
Where should I place a stove master switch on an island?
We're having our kitchen redone and I would like to integrate our free-standing stove into the island unit.
Where would be decent place to put the stove master switch within this island as there are ...
2
votes
1answer
193 views
How to mitigate and/or repair concrete frets (slab edge wetting)
A building engineer made a report of problems with our property. One issue raised was "slab edge wetting" by which the building engineer meant that the concrete slab on which the house is built is ...
6
votes
1answer
114 views
Selecting a sliding patio door
I live in the Boulder Colorado area where we have hot intense sunny summer days, and below zero freezing winter nights. We are planning to install a sliding patio door in a south facing full sun area. ...
