Questions tagged [old-house]
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2
votes
1answer
58 views
Is it okay to reuse Alumiconn connectors?
After having redone the aluminum-to-copper pigtails in my house's electrical outlets using AlumiConn connectors, I subsequently had to undo a few to debug a wiring problem. All I did is unscrew the ...
0
votes
0answers
23 views
Adding dedicate circuit to old panel
I want to add a dedicated circuit for a wall heater in the bathroom. Attached is a picture of my power panel. How do I tell if I have enough room to add to my existing panel? Housing is currently knob ...
5
votes
3answers
163 views
Mystery current on neutral wires coming into outlet box
In reworking outlets and switches in our 1960's California home to use AlumiConn connectors + copper pigtails where needed (instead of older wire nuts + Noalox), I came across a duplex wall box in the ...
0
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0answers
47 views
Can I use old cloth-jacketed wiring to power a new light?
I removed some wood paneling in a hallway closet and found this wire bundle between the studs. Is this electrical wires? Can I reuse this to install a light source for the closet?
4
votes
2answers
89 views
Two way door lock for thin door
I'm converting one of the rooms in my 1840 house into an office. The thing is I have 5 kids and need to be able to lock the door so I can have some level of quiet. I also don't want the kids tinkering ...
1
vote
0answers
32 views
Reusing old electric sheath [closed]
I need to replace a wire for a lamp in my very old house.
I would like to re-use the original sheath, which is very old and authentic.
I have tried pulling on the wires to take them out, but they ...
2
votes
1answer
163 views
Passing wire down through Exterior Wall
Replacing some old wiring with crumbling insulation. One of the wires passes down through an exterior wall from the attic, to an outlet on the second floor, and continues down to the first floor.
I ...
1
vote
2answers
69 views
Hardware for a barn/sliding door that cantilevers into free space when open
I've salvaged an old door from a neighbor's demolition to upgrade the door of my small laundry closet.
I thought it would be interesting to mount the door as a sliding barn door, both as a visual ...
0
votes
1answer
66 views
my house has old warped joists. Is joist blocking safe?
I purchased a house built in 1960 and like other people have mentioned the terrible bounce, I got the same exact situation.
I'm thinking of installing blocking to strengthen the floor.
The 7 joists ...
0
votes
1answer
66 views
Is joist blocking safe on these old warped joists?
I purchased a house built in 1960 and like other people have mentioned the terrible bounce, I got the same exact situation.
I'm thinking of installing blocking to strengthen the floor.
The 7 joists ...
1
vote
1answer
72 views
How old is my house?
Have purchased an older home in Corinth, MS (No. Mississippi) and found that ALL the walls are T&G on the inside with shiplap on the exterior (the exterior has been resided with vinyl which will ...
0
votes
1answer
46 views
No grounding wire in an old house?
My new house was built in 1966 and I've been told by the inspector and the electrician that put in the GFCI outlets that the meter and box are grounded but that no third wire was run through the house....
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0answers
31 views
Old house bathtub drain plumbing
I have been looking to replace my bathtub with a shower and I have run into this when I finally took apart my bathtub. I have tried to include as many pictures as I could. I simply don't know why ...
0
votes
2answers
41 views
Remove old light box with a stud and nut anchor
I read a post asking this question, but there is no answer for actually removing the box. I do want to remove the box to install a retrofit recessed LED light. My bungalow was built in 1952. All ...
1
vote
1answer
52 views
Trying to change out a ceiling fan need help… 5 wires
I'm in an old house. I removed and replaced 2 out of 3 with no problem. I get to the third and there are 5 wires: 2 black, 2 white/cream, and one bare copper wire. I think I have it hooked up right ...
0
votes
1answer
61 views
Is is okay to run 4" PVC drain pipe on the outside of a house?
I have to run 4" drain pipe for the washer that is on the second floor, but, the building being old and all, I wouldn't want to rip the floors, instead, I was thinking of running the drain on the ...
0
votes
1answer
57 views
Hanging heavy things on old walls. Running out of options. What would you do
Just moved in to an old victorian home and the wife wants shelves in the mud room. Now I know what you are thinking "Shelves?! Seriously?!", Just hear me out.
These are 6 foot shelves with 4 steel ...
1
vote
1answer
245 views
Old structure: 2X4 studs at 24'' on center
I have an old freestanding 2-car garage on my property that needs a lot of work. There are some major rot issues where the sills were sitting in water for a long time. Which brings me to the issue: ...
1
vote
0answers
45 views
Air brick in old Toronto home?
We have a house that was built in 1937 in Toronto. It is a double brick design. On one of the outside walls, I can see what appears to be a single-brick-sized vent and I don't know what its function ...
3
votes
1answer
65 views
New plaster over top of exposed horsehair plaster in Bathroom
I've taken wainscoting off of my bathroom wall that seems to have been around since the house was built (1900). Under one of the walls is an exposed horsehair plaster that was done right up against ...
0
votes
0answers
565 views
Electric shock at light switch
USA. House built in 1934. Older circuits have no ground. An older circuit was extended by unknown persons with new wire(with ground) to two ceiling lights and a switch. The switch gives a shock. ...
19
votes
1answer
3k views
What is this balloon with “eyes” printed on it, hanging from the eave on this house?
I have seen this, or something very similar on various houses in the city I live in. It is rare enough to be remarkable, but common enough to make me think it is a "thing". Any ideas?
4
votes
2answers
118 views
Minimum ampacity for circuits in a home from 1964
I’m attempting to fact-check a seemingly very dubious claim from my landlord, but I’m having a great deal of trouble finding useful information on older electrical codes, especially in a form that I ...
1
vote
1answer
104 views
What kind of appliance(s) used to be here? [closed]
I'm remodeling a room in a fairly old house (~100 yrs), and I discovered a capped-off gas pipe behind some framing+drywall that had been hastily installed whenever this room had been converted into a ...
0
votes
0answers
36 views
Connecting 100amp to a 200amp [duplicate]
Planning on switching the existing 100 amp panel to 200amp and reusing the 100amp box in a garage about 75' from the house 200amp. Can I just put in a 100amp breaker in the 200amp panel and run what ...
0
votes
2answers
167 views
Adapting 3/4 gas outlet to 1/2" appliance?
One of these things is not like the other. That's a 3/4 gas outlet and a gas dryer with a 1/2" fitting. What's the best approach to making them connect? The dryer is old so I'm a bit leery of trying ...
1
vote
3answers
506 views
What hard material is behind the plaster on interior walls in my 1920s apartment?
I moved into an old (c. 1920s) rental apartment building in the northeastern US (Philadelphia) and would like to hang pictures and secure some furniture.
I tried putting nails in several places ...
1
vote
0answers
98 views
bleeding radiator without access to the bleeder valve
I've got a cast iron radiator where the end with the bleeder valve is shoved up against a wall. Is there any other way to bleed a radiator? Supply and return pipes are at top and bottom of the ...
0
votes
2answers
94 views
If I want to expose the beams of my ceiling, is it sufficient to just install roofing insulation?
I own a house built in the 1930s. I live in San Francisco in the Bayview district where it’s fairly sunny similarly to the Mission District. This house is all lath and plaster and because of which I ...
1
vote
1answer
193 views
I need to know how to replace a water damaged wood rotten stud in a wall
I just bought a house built in 1930. The previous owners had a crack in the shower. I need to know how to replace the stud that holds up that wall as it is now rotten from water damage. The drywall is ...
0
votes
3answers
76 views
Dog-friendly mouse hunting strategies after a year of using standard products?
TL;DR: When commercial products have been ineffective or proven dog-unfriendly, what are some other mouse-catching strategies when the mice hide in baseboard heaters and have learned to avoid most ...
0
votes
1answer
76 views
Sagging Floors and loose floorboards
My house is about 118 years old and I can tell from all around the house that there seems to be a sagging on my floors in one specific area. This sagging is obvious in the first and second floor. Now ...
1
vote
0answers
255 views
Can I ground a new light to an old metal box via a switch yoke?
All of my switches are installed in old metal boxes with no threaded ground screw holes. The boxes are wired using old cloth BX with no ground wire(grounded via casing). Some of the BX wire ...
1
vote
1answer
223 views
How do I fix metal clad wood casement windows that won't close?
I recently purchased a house that built in 1937. I believe the windows are original, and they are all casement windows. I'm not sure of the correct term, but the windows are clad in metal with a slot, ...
1
vote
2answers
116 views
metal looking ball dust in attic, dangerous?
I was installing insulation in our attic. On the beams, there was this metal looking ball dust. Any clue what it is? Was exposed to by breathing it breifly, then skin contact for a few hours. I have ...
3
votes
1answer
589 views
Removing old electrical box in ceiling
I have hit an obstacle in my quest to replace my light fixture. The current electrical box in the ceiling is a very old type as shown in the picture I attached.
How does one go about removing this? ...
2
votes
1answer
64 views
1
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2answers
254 views
Leveling a sinking 1st floor addition that is about 4' off the ground [closed]
First time home buyer looking for good advice about possibly raising a sunken 2 room addition ourselves. Wood frame, the sill is in good shape no rotting.
No warping or "cupping" of the rooms. The ...
2
votes
1answer
2k views
How to get rid of old house smell?
Our house is pretty old.
It had an old house smell when we bought it.
It's not a mold smell, not a sewer, not cat urine.
It's a smell of old wooden furniture or books.
The house has hardwood floors ...
5
votes
2answers
2k views
What is this metal bar in my 1950s electrical box?
I recently bought a house and am in the process of replacing all the ungrounded outlets with GFCI outlets. I was able to install one correctly in a bedroom, but there are two others that I wasn't able ...
2
votes
1answer
139 views
How to repair integrated window screens from a 1930s house?
I'm purchasing a house built in 1937. All the windows and fixtures are original.
A fair number of the windows have an integrated screen that pulls down from the top of the window. The tracks are ...
0
votes
0answers
746 views
Ceiling fan wiring help, 1960's house wiring, possible power through to second fixture
Long time lurker, first time poster. Thanks in advance for any tips or suggestions for my issue.
I just took down an existing light fixture to install a fan+light. Mistake number one was to not ...
25
votes
5answers
9k views
What should be done before using a fireplace that has not been used in decades?
We are moving into a house with a fire-place.
The current tenants (friends of ours),
have been living there just short of 2 decades, and have never used it once.
The house is about 90 years old, so it ...
1
vote
3answers
68 views
toilet troubles
I have a brass tube for water coming into a toilet in my very old farmhouse. The shut off valve failed and I had to cut the tube and am now trying to fix it... to no avail. We are three days without ...
1
vote
5answers
117 views
Natural ant/insect repellent [closed]
Please suggest some natural ant/insect repellent that I can use to get rid of the ants/ticks/insects.
I started using clorox but I would prefer something natural.
Thank you so much
0
votes
1answer
442 views
How to install ceiling lights in old houses
My house is quite old and I'm having trouble installing ceiling lights. Due to the age of the building, proper light fittings (e.g. where I can screw in a light bracket) were never installed. Instead, ...
1
vote
1answer
482 views
What can I use to back a door jamb strike plate with no framing behind?
So I'm trying to replace the original entrance handleset door lock from my almost 100 year old house and after removing the old lock and patching up the holes. I looked inside the door jamb and ...
3
votes
2answers
3k views
Is it OK if the house's roof makes noise
I moved from Europe to the USA(OH). I noticed a couple of things that worry me. Every house in the US that I entered makes cracking or squeaking noise. I never experienced this in Europe buildings.
I ...
4
votes
3answers
710 views
Reasons why a recepticle would fail
A friend has asked for my help to replace a wall recepticle that has stopped working. I asked if it was loose-fitting or otherwise physically worn out. She said that plugs fit tightly and it generally ...
1
vote
2answers
95 views
Is this mold in my bathroom?
Moved into a new house and the bathroom has a foul odour and i suspect it has something to do with he black stuff all over the place. Could it be mold?
