21
That looks like heating tape.
You wrap it round water pipes in the garage or somewhere else cold. It provides just enough heat to stop the pipes freezing.
I've used this in the past on outside taps. It is available at most big DIY shops. It doesn't use much power.
20
You'd do this like you would add any other new window. Find the studs, choose a location, cut square holes in the drywall on both sides, cut sections out of the intervening studs to make room for the new window, and frame the new window properly like this:
Then you would flash the rough opening's sill with self-adhering membrane and install the window just ...
20
TLDR: The spring failed naturally due to old age or manufacturing defect. Not your fault. As an aside, learn to properly grease garage doors.
Oh boy. The bull-oney here is thick. Let's start with Springs vs Door Motion.
The Spring is a counterweight. THAT IS ALL.
We're not even talking about lifters yet. Just the door, with no external forces to move ...
16
Rooms above garages are often done improperly. It's amazing, because it really isn't all that difficult, but a lot of people seem to mess it up.
Unfortunately, there's no "easy" way: You're going to have to remove some drywall to inspect and see how the insulation in the ceiling is done. There may or may not be a gap in the space, depending on how the ...
16
You can't do that
You cannot come off a 30A breaker with #10 wire (so far so good) and then terminate it at 15-20A receptacles. (nope, nope, nope!)
Unfortunately people sometimes become aware of the rule that allows 15 or 20A receptacles on 20A circuits, and they falsely generalize that to "Any receptacle <= circuit capacity". Nope. The receptacle ...
14
It sounds like the controller needs to be reset and the remotes reprogrammed. Usually this requires physical access to the opener, but if you have a hardwired remote it might be possible to pair it via the keypad. Check the manual for your opener.
But back to the problem of how to open it. If the garage does not have an alternative access there should be a ...
14
Oh, yes
It's a cornerstone of passive solar design.
We spent $2.4M on a large building we intend to never heat. We insulated it to the nines. Here's what that does.
Extremes of temperature are moderated by building's thermal mass*, which (with the insulation) helps it resist changes in temperature. This affects
Condensation, which is significantly ...
13
Yes, a switch that shuts off power to the garage door opener would make it unresponsive to commands from a remote (or anything else, such as a hardwired button). In some models, it may be possible to wire a separate switch to disable only the remote receiver while maintaining the functionality of wired buttons.
You may also look into setting a new code for ...
13
With the epoxies I have used minor imperfections like small divots from a heavy object chipping the floor are usually filled in. The epoxy can make a very slick surface. For instance, I coated one bay of my shop that I do automotive work in and wanted it like glass so oil spills were easier to clean. This worked great until I spilled some antifreeze. The ...
12
You don't really need an "air compressor" in the sense that you don't need something that has a tank and is designed for use with tools. All you really need is sometimes called a "tire inflator", obviously it is actually an air compressor but it is very different from those listed by Jeff's answer.
I have seen two basic types.
There are 12V versions that ...
12
Looks badly done - grass should have been removed before paving, grade fixed if needed so water won't run from driveway into garage.
For a crude fix, place a slot drain right up against the garage to divert water, and infill with lots of "cold patch" to make the slope inbetween as smooth as possible, rather than this huge drop at the end of the pavement.
...
12
It is almost certainly drywall (also called wallboard or plasterboard), which usually consists of a gypsum based core with paper faces on each side.
The damage looks only cosmetic. You could cut out the damaged section and replace it with a patch and then tape and mud it. However, it looks shallow and intact enough to just fill in over it.
You need drywall ...
11
My answer is almost always the same when talking about garage subpanels.
60 ampere double pole breaker in the main panel.
6 AWG copper wire (x4) for a run less than 75ft., 4 AWG copper wire (x4) for runs less than 150ft.
60 ampere panel with 60 ampere main breaker.
Unless you're running a whole bunch of stuff at once, a 60 amp panel should serve you well.
...
10
The answer is a semi-useless "It depends." Tank size, oil vs. oil-free, CFM, etc. Most compressors will come with a little kit (usually sells for ~$20) that has a length of hose, an air chuck, and some air tool fittings.
CFM Rating
I think the most important thing to pay attention to is CFM. This tells you how much total flow the compressor can provide on ...
10
(mild) Soap and water, sure.
Don't use WD-40. It isn't a lubricant. Instead, look for white lithium grease. You can get it in a spray can with one of those small straw like things to put it exactly where you want it.
10
A few things come into play. One is heat transfer from your home (or to it, in your case). If you keep your garage more comfortable, you improve the efficiency of the home's HVAC system. In my case, the uninsulated garage stays 20-30 degrees warmer than outside, mostly due to solar gain and heat loss from my home's conditioned space. This means my home loses ...
9
I have to ask, who gave you permission to drill into the wall? If you say your spouse, then maybe you need to take some home improvement classes at the adult education night school at your local high school! Just joking.....
But seriously, if you have run into the concrete blocks, you need to use masonry bits with a hammer drill to bore the holes, and ...
9
Pull 4 conductors (2 ungrounded (hot), 1 grounded (neutral), 1 grounding) (250.32(B)(1)).
Grounded (neutral) and grounding bus must be separate at sub-panel (250.32(B)(1)).
No need for a GFCI breaker in the main panel, unless your local code requires it.
A grounding electrode system is required at the second structure (250.32(A)).
9
You may be able to rig up something whether the compressor-side air intake and exhaust are piped outside, but the efficiency will be low and you may risk burning out the compressor by working it too hard.
If you want something you can install in a small opening, you might consider wheeled portable AC units which come with a flexible duct.
If you're still ...
9
Since the transformer says "Gaslight Conversions", that's a pretty strong clue that it's part of a lighting system from Gaslight Conversions, located in St Paul MN, which also matches what's written on the transformer.
If you've ruled out all of your exterior lighting, it may be leftover from a low voltage lighting system that was replaced but never fully ...
9
Looks to me like a doorbell transformer.
8
Your local fire department should take them off your hands and dispose of them properly (in an environmentally safe manner) and safely.
I say the above, as I recently wanted to dispose of some old engine coolant in a responsible manner and didn't know where I could take it for disposal, so I went to our local fire station to ask them, they pointed me in the ...
8
You just need bigger anchors ;-) The largest of these is 60" long with a 7" diameter.
8
Turning a cold space into a warm space is absolutely doable, but the trick is doing it the right way to avoid creating longer term health or structural problems later.
The proper way to create a warm space is to create two different kinds of protections against the elements - a thermal break to hold in heat, and a moisture barrier to hold in water.
The ...
8
The most important question here is, 'do you have a building plan?" Building a structure with 13 to 14 foot walls and a 12 foot door is quite a reach for an inexperienced DIYer. You should start by selecting a set of building plans at your local lumber yard or maybe online. There are a lot more considerations than what size studs you should be using. You are ...
8
Wrap the edges of the tarp around a 1x2 and then screw through the 1x2 and into the garage frame. The more times you can wrap, the better.
EDIT - just saw the last photo. You could screw a 1x2 against the side of the stud that the tarp is currently wrapping around.
8
If the canoe is getting in the way, can you not put a second pulley wheel with the cord over it off to the side so you can pull the cord from the ground? Then you can just use a standard cleat.
8
Your plumber seems to be poorly educated if you are left without the following solutions having been mentioned.
This is pretty standard problem for folks with a boiler AND a woodstove - the woodstove keeps the house warm and the boiler pipes are subject to freezing off in the corners of the house. Not that this is your situation, but a "standard" solution ...
8
Torsion springs have a finite lifespan. They break. I seriously doubt that a little grease was a factor. Replace them both and move on with life.
After you've done so, disconnect the opener (if present) and lift the door to mid-height. Does it balance there? Does it move freely throughout the range of travel? If not, deal with that. If so, you're done.
...
7
A garage will frequently have fire rated drywall, a vapor barrier, and insulation. The fire rated drywall prevents fires in the garage from roasting your home before the fire dept can get there (1 hour). The vapor barrier prevents exhaust fumes (CO) from getting into your home from any cars. And the insulation is because the garage is an unheated space. I'm ...
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