14
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What type of screw is the most resistant to rust: galvanized, stainless steel, or deck screws?
The stainless steel screw will absolutely be the best screw to resist rust. Stainless steel screws are rust-resistant throughout the entire screw, not just on the surface.
The other screws are ...
- 1,484
14
votes
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Looking for a non-stick space-filling foam
Fill a plastic bag with the polyurethane spray foam. The stuff expands a ton, so be careful not to burst the bag.
- 10.6k
11
votes
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two-part fastener for right-angle wood connections
Good question! These aree common on DIY furniture.
It's a cross-dowel and bolt. One commercial name is a Veritas Knock-Down Fastener. A similar device, with a head to keep it level with a surface, is ...
- 9,007
11
votes
Accepted
Is acrylic / Perspex a suitable material for a replacement fridge shelf?
It's Polystyrene, according to the label (like all fridge shelves).
Is there a difference between cast acrylic, Perspex, and Plexiglass?
Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) belongs to a group of ...
- 10.5k
9
votes
Is acrylic / Perspex a suitable material for a replacement fridge shelf?
Been there, done that.
About 10 years ago I had 2 broken shelves when my wife placed a too heavy casserole dish (cast iron skillet) on the top shelf and it crashed through that shelf and the one below....
- 755
8
votes
Need to stop sound of rain hitting top of window AC
How about a synthetic door mat? They're heavy, waterproof, and some even have bristles on the top which would soften the impact of rain.
- 6,309
7
votes
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Making a temporary walkway
Your local home center(Lowes/HomeDepot) should have 12inch x 12inch concrete patio blocks for about $2 each, even less if you find some with chipped corners. Since it is a short term project I would ...
- 11.5k
7
votes
Is acrylic / Perspex a suitable material for a replacement fridge shelf?
Polystyrene, and similar acrylic (Perspex and Plexiglass are brand names) are quickly attacked by solvents such as acetone and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), found in nail-polish remover. Put a little ...
- 9,007
6
votes
Accepted
Why is a screen used to sand drywall, but paper used to sand wood?
Gypsum drywall and it's paper covering, spackle and joint compound are much softer than wood (except perhaps balsa) and produce a lot of dust that clumps together and sticks to sandpaper, rather than ...
- 9,007
6
votes
Accepted
What material is this in my 1950s home's walls? Is it dangerous?
This looks "Sauerkrautplatte", aka Holzwolle-Leichtbauplatte. It's made from wood shavings and cement, but no asbestos (AFAIK). They used to be common as a form of drywall and insulation (but are not ...
- 336
6
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What are these very heavy blocks found on my family's property?
They are iron ( unlikely steel at that age ) identified by the density match to iron. The reddish color that looks like granite is rust on a pitted surface. Pig iron ( high carbon and silicon ) or ...
- 8,351
6
votes
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Bright type of material for kitchen countertop
It's more likely a manmade conglomerate stone, or it could be a natural Breccia.
A very similar if not the same look is described as Breccia Aurora. Which is a type of marble. Image Source, no ...
- 226k
6
votes
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What's this material of my deck?
The material looks to be TREX. It is widely available from a number of sources.
Here is the Care and Cleaning Guide
In the event the product is not Trex, the care and cleaning for most all composite ...
- 42.8k
5
votes
What type of screw is the most resistant to rust: galvanized, stainless steel, or deck screws?
Stainless requires exposure to oxygen to avoid rusting; it's the chromium oxide layer that protects the steel. When completely buried, the chromium oxide layer breaks down and the residual oxygen ...
5
votes
The structural integrity of a backyard structure
As with any structure you need to define the loads on it (wind, snow, furniture, people etc) and from there define the structure or framing capable of supporting those loads.
There may well be local ...
- 28.7k
5
votes
Accepted
What is this soft plastic like material that has been added to the window, and how best to remove it?
Likely "removable caulk", (perhaps "temporary caulk" - been a few years since I put some on leaky windows for the winter) in which case pulling it once you get an edge lifted up should be effective at ...
- 226k
5
votes
Cedar shims disappeared because of COVID-19
This has been a well-known issue since the pandemic started. Materials have been scarce, and prices have increased dramatically.
This seems to be due to issues on both the supply and the demand sides. ...
- 5,212
4
votes
Accepted
What's this tarry sheet under the tiles?
It looks to me like roof membrane.
And I have to say I can't imagine why anyone would do the install like they did.
With a solid concrete base, the only water proofing necessary is against the ...
- 25.9k
4
votes
Pictures Covering Home Theater Speakers
Googling "acoustically transparent fabric" returns a variety of companies that provide materials that advertise the characteristics you require. For example:
https://fabricmate.com/fabric/acoustic-...
- 606
4
votes
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Deck the halls with bubble wrap?
I would select non-flammable insulating materials such as rock-wool, or fiberglass (fully puffed up; mashing it badly hurts its performance). To use these, you will need some sort of framing to hold ...
4
votes
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Cedar shims disappeared because of COVID-19
Like PhillipNagel said, the March/April red-alert for COVID caused a lot of production shutdown. Cedar shingles are not essential work. Shutdowns like this have largely stopped, even though recent ...
4
votes
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Is there a way to increase the reliability and quality of electronics by create custom electronics?
If you have to ask, the answer is that all you can do is buy commercial components designed for this environment by reputable manufacturers. You are not going to be able to do better design for the ...
- 33.2k
3
votes
What clear coat material would last as an exterior traffic surface?
Many epoxies are designed to have other ingredients mixed in. That's basically West System's hat. The garage floor epoxy paints all allow grit and chips to be mixed in too.
The problem is, epoxy ...
3
votes
What type of screw is the most resistant to rust: galvanized, stainless steel, or deck screws?
Stainless fasteners are subject to crevice corrosion where not exposed, and are not acceptable for underwater fastening by the U.S. Coastguard on inspected vessels. 316 stainless steel has the best ...
- 31
3
votes
What type of screw is the most resistant to rust: galvanized, stainless steel, or deck screws?
Steel , galvanized or coated, start failing in a deck at 10 years and all fail by 20 years. SS will last "forever". Because SS can only be cold worked. the shanks are soft ( The heads and threads are ...
- 8,351
3
votes
How to prevent mold in stored joint compound
These are good ideas, but the best thing I have done is a combination of the the following: Make sure the mud is flat and there is no dried mud on the sides of the container, I use a large piece of ...
3
votes
Accepted
What are the differences between pneumatic nail types like "smooth" and "ring" for house framing?
Definitions
Hot galvanized: Dipped in molten zinc as an anti-corrosion measure. The alternative is electro-plating, which results in a smoother but thinner coating.
Brite: Not galvanized. Usually ...
- 149k
3
votes
How can I jack a steel post out of the ground?
I would use a chain and make sure it is bolted to the post so that the link is touching the post, (both sides ) I.E. threaded bolt through the link with a nut and washer holding it tight to the post. ...
- 13.7k
3
votes
Why are "horseshoe" shims shaped the way they are?
I used these extensively in my kitchen remodel. Wood shims always seem to split on me. And, since I live in a humid area, wood shims disintegrate over time. Many of my original base cabinets have ...
- 2,244
3
votes
Accepted
what material could I use for a mirror that allows light to pass through
What you are looking for is a so-called "one-way mirror" (Wikipedia). This is actually a partly transparent mirror: if the back is dark, it looks like a mirror but if the back is lighted ...
- 13.6k
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