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| bio | website | karlkatzke.com |
|---|---|---|
| location | College Station, TX | |
| age | 33 | |
| visits | member for | 1 year, 9 months |
| seen | yesterday | |
| stats | profile views | 162 |
I'm a sysadmin for Sentry Data Systems. I do linux and clustering and networking, and enjoy instigating a good STONITH deathmatch when I get bored.
Work-wise, I'm a giant fan of the k.I.s.s. principle - keep I.T. simple, stupid. Don't make things any more complex than the features you need.
In my spare time, I renovate houses and ride herd on a pack of dogs with extreme mental issues. My background and career are both in systems. I look at systems, analyze them, and use them or make them better. I like DIY home stuff because the systems are simple and it's rewarding to figure 'em out and use them. How do I know the things I do? We have this saying in my group of friends-who-renovate-houses: "Ask me how I know." I have probably been there, broken that, ruined the other thing, and had to figure out how to fix all of them.
On my own blog, see my:
"It’s not enough to be aware of the domain you’re working in, you need to understand it. Noticing things and being curious about how they work is the single most common trait I see in creative people. Once you can break the components down, you can put them back together into something brand new." - Seth Godin
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Nov 20 |
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What model circuit breaker is this? @TheEvilGreebo - Yeah. But that didn't look like a 220v circuit to me, especially not on 12 ga al. |
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Nov 16 |
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What model circuit breaker is this? I didn't even catch that, bcworkz... thanks! I was too busy wincing at the rest of the panel. |
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Nov 15 |
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What is the proper procedure to apply multiple coats of Polyurethane? I have a Binks gun, can't remember which one and pretty sure it's discontinued. Briefly had an AOC (italian) gun before I returned it. Thanks to a few neighbors who have really cheap tools but are willing to help on projects, I've found that for just blowing a couple coats of polyurethane or oil paint (NOT Latex) over something, a $29 Kobalt or Husky gun works just as well as long as you have a viscosity cup and know how to use it. |
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Nov 15 |
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How can I add insulation to this roof? I rarely agree with spray foam ... but in this case it's an excellent idea. |
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Nov 15 |
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What type of wall construction is shown in these pictures? That only provides a path for moisture to leave, it doesn't do anything about providing enough air movement to pick up the moisture given your climate's average relative humidity. And since there are holes on the inside as well -- that means heating this structure is about as efficient as an outdoor firepit. |
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Nov 15 |
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What type of wall construction is shown in these pictures? Penguin: Condensation between the warmer inside surface of the house and the colder outside surface of the house. Concrete's a very porous surface and the bad kinds of mold really love this kind of construction... and are impossible to eradicate without a bulldozer. This is probably why the holes are there; to try to provide some amount of air movement inside the walls. I don't have any good, creative ways to rectify that without tearing the layer of wall that has plaster on it completely down... although that should be safe to do if I'm right about how it's constructed. |
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Nov 8 |
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How can I remove hair dye stains from a porcelain sink? bczwork's comment should actually be an answer. |
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Oct 31 |
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What are the implications of driving a drywall screw too far into the sheet? Ever seen when a molly/drywall anchor pulls out? You're usually left with a giant crater. The same thing happens when you puncture the paper, but in reverse. To keep from puncturing the paper, I usually use these: amazon.com/Improvement-Phillips-Drywall-Screw-Setter/dp/… |
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Oct 31 |
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How can I repair leaky windows/doors? What kind of window is it? Is it single pane glass or dual pane glass? Is the frame aluminum, vinyl, or wood? |
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Oct 18 |
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Should I use glue even if I've prepped floor by sanding & cleaning with amonia & water to put down vinyl tiles over old ones? You said that you sanded and washed it -- is this to achieve a bond with new glue? What new material are you putting down? |
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Oct 15 |
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How do I add veneer stone to an exterior painted wall? Before you can tell if you need to put something up over it, we really need to know what the wall's made out of. There's a chance you need to completely remove what's there now if it's something like EIFS or T-111, because no wire mesh will support a stone veneer applied to an inadequate substrate. |
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Oct 12 |
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What thinset should I use? Flexbond and Fortified are the same thing. They're polymer-modified thinsets, generally referred to as "modified" thinsets as opposed to "unmodified" cementitious thinsets. You generally want to use modified unless you have a specific reason not to, like DITRA or KERDI or large-format tiles. For the mosiac, which is usually thinner than body tile, you'll want to tile above and below the area where you're using the mosaic and use thinset to "build up" a little bit, let it harden, and then apply the mosaic to the built up area with the same thinset. |
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Oct 5 |
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I modified a nail-in electrical box to use screws instead of nails. Is there some code that prevents that? I agree, Tester, there's a risk of the box not meeting either 314.23(B)(1) -or- 314.43. Which is too bad. That's much nicer than the adjustable depth boxes that I've been using. |
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Oct 3 |
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How do I wire this kitchen fluorescent ceiling fixture? Actually, most brand new fluorescent fixtures won't even light up without a ground attached to the body of the fixture. Found that out last weekend the hard way -- someone had cut the ground that ran to the fixture at the other end of the line in the box with the switch. |
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Oct 3 |
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Does water dripping through my soffit indicate a problem? Yeah, the roof at the place we are renting in Houston looks just as bad -- which is how I learned about how much is wrong with the pictures you posted. We have three layers of shingles over dry-rotted cedar shingles and no decking; I would not suggest walking on the roof that's installed in our rental. :-P Not much you can do in a rental unless it damages your stuff. And not renew the lease. |
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Oct 2 |
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What cement product should I use to fix a hole in my slab? Cory, I definitely agree. One sec and I'll post the solution I came up with. |
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Oct 1 |
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What cement product should I use to fix a hole in my slab? If I need one, I've got no problem with using a bonding agent... I'm just not sure if it's the right approach. I'm trying to figure out if I should fill the entire hole with a latex/portland cement product without aggregate (which I know I'll need for the crack repair); or use a bonding agent and quickrete, or something in between. |
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Oct 1 |
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What cement product should I use to fix a hole in my slab? Actually, I'll be laying a layer of DITRA and then tiling with a medium-bed mortar and a lot of care. I don't think Cement board is rated for the kind of application you suggest by the NTCA; you need to affix cement board to the slab somehow (screws or another cement product) and you'll typically end up with cracks where the pieces of cement-board meet due to the differential expansion and contraction. |
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Oct 1 |
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What cement product should I use to fix a hole in my slab? The red marked area is the hollow sounding area; I should note that the hole is now large enough to encompass the hollow sounding area. This picture was taken a few hours ago. |
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Sep 30 |
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What should I use to transition from tiles to hard wood floor? I wouldn't use sanded latex caulk; it collects dirt way too easily. I would use silicone. I personally prefer Latasil, which is made for flooring and shower applications and acts as a movement joint as well. |
