60
votes
Accepted
Metal spike with heavy metal cord found in front lawn
It's a grounding rod, probably 8 or 10 feet long, such as is required for any residential installation. They're usually proximal to the breaker panel or fuse box in the home or outbuilding. You may ...
- 129k
52
votes
Accepted
Why does my shed door expand/shrink?
Welcome to the joys of working with a natural product!
Before I address your construction techniques, I've got to say that is a quite handsome looking door you've made. Well done!
Wood moves. It ...
- 43.1k
39
votes
How do I run power to a treehouse if I can't bury the wire?
I think this is a missed "learning opportunity" for the kids if you have the adults try to bludgeon 120V power into the tree house. Remember, 120V is dangerous. Yes, yes, GFCI's try to ...
32
votes
How to modify a wooden fence to keep Nubian goats from extending their heads over and eating dwarf tree on the other side
Move the fence three feet toward the pasture.
- 14.2k
26
votes
Accepted
What is this stake in my yard and can I remove it?
Looks like a run-of-the-mill landscape stake to me. They're used for securing plastic edging, fabric, etc. Could also be a tent peg. It's a horse apiece.
I'd give it a few taps with a hammer to ...
- 129k
22
votes
Accepted
Why not use a plastic receptacle box for an outdoor outlet?
The problems are not specific to an outdoor location. They are for any use.
Top 10 reasons metal boxes are better than plastic boxes:
Metal completes a circuit. So if a hot wire comes loose, it will ...
21
votes
Accepted
How do I run power to a treehouse if I can't bury the wire?
For the distance and the little amount of power wanted, I would go with a battery and inverter.
A couple of LED lights and a charger, you don't really have enough to get expensive.
A 75 to 100 foot ...
- 22.8k
20
votes
Feasibility of using corn seed as a sandbox
So you want to spread a viable, sprouting, organic product several inches deep in a container exposed to the environment?
Hope you like birds, 'cause every flying creature for kilometers will be ...
- 201
19
votes
Hang 20lb projector screen on Hardieplank
Mount a board on the wall and then mount the screen on the board.
Get an 8 foot cedar or pressure treated 2x6, you can then use timber screws to mount it to the wall insuring you hit the studs. You ...
- 13.5k
17
votes
Accepted
What is this cable hanging against the outer wall?
Looks like Landscape wire.
It's low voltage cable (150 volts), so there's likely a transformer and/or control box at the other end. Though the previous owners may have taken all the landscape ...
- 131k
17
votes
Why does my shed door expand/shrink?
In addition to the accepted answer, it would help to add some weather protection. A small rain shield or canopy will help divert weather from the upper part of the door.
Essentially a small verandah ...
- 10k
17
votes
Accepted
Is this hinged collapsible clothesline design stable enough?
Suggested construction:
This spreads the torsional load over the entire banister railing instead of stressing only the cap or top rail.
If there's any bending at the hinge, or other distortion, it ...
- 14.2k
17
votes
White stuff growing in an outside electrical outlet
It's mold, or fungus, or slime-mold. Exactly what doesn't matter.
It's an indication that the outlet is getting wet. You need to solve that.
An "In-use" cover is one way to help that along, ...
- 201k
16
votes
Accepted
How to cover old Red Dot outdoor outlet for constant use?
I think mark f has already answered your question well. I just wanted to add some photos from a similar project I did last year in case these are helpful to you.
I installed a weatherproof cover and ...
- 3,393
16
votes
How do I run power to a treehouse if I can't bury the wire?
I'd suggest a small solar panel system. There are relatively inexpensive kits for sheds that will do 150-200 watts at 12v. This should run some LED lights, and some kits include USB outputs for mobile ...
- 1,770
15
votes
What is this stake in my yard and can I remove it?
Most municipalities and counties maintain a central resource of buried utility line locations. Here in New England it's telephone 888-DIG-SAFE. In most of the U.S. you can start with telephone 811.
...
- 14.2k
14
votes
What do you mount an outdoor electric box to when it's not near your house?
My 240v stuff is all nailed to a flammable box, which I live in. - A 4"x4" should be fine. Use any visually acceptable piece of painted wood, vinyl, or painted metal; you don't need a ...
- 14.2k
14
votes
Clothesline sagging even though it was properly tightened
They always sag , even steel . The only difference is the amount . For steel cables you would need instruments to measure the few thousandths of an inch of sag. The shape of the sag is called a "...
- 8,271
13
votes
What do you mount an outdoor electric box to when it's not near your house?
They make a special box for RV stands. It has that NEMA 14-50, an optional TT30 for travel trailers/small RVs, and most importantly a normal GFCI outlet. That way if someone shows up with a camper or ...
13
votes
Rusted screws in outdoor outlet box
Hacksaw?
If you saw thru the rusty plate (twice, one for left slot and one for right) and remove it by pulling it out from under the screw, the remaining screw will be sticking up enough for you to ...
- 6,593
13
votes
How to modify a wooden fence to keep Nubian goats from extending their heads over and eating dwarf tree on the other side
If the grandchildren are not going to go in the pasture, then it would be cost-effective to use pigtails (that's what they are called down under) and put an electric fence inside the current fence, ...
- 5,090
12
votes
Accepted
HPS lamp goes on and off all night long
This looks suspiciously like the documented cycling behavior of a HPS lamp that is near its end of life. The HPS lamp is similar to a fluorescent, but instead of using a surface-coated phosphor to ...
- 81.7k
12
votes
Accepted
Do I need to worry about rain water getting into the open ground socket?
You would do well to pull some slack to that extension cord and arrange the plugs so that they at least face down. It is not just the GND terminal of the extension cord that is of concern. You also ...
- 64.1k
11
votes
How to cover old Red Dot outdoor outlet for constant use?
I would suggest an update to a extra duty double gang cover.
Extra duty or “in use” covers are made to be used while something is plugged in.
Taymac mx6200 is a cover that has 55 configurations made ...
- 102k
11
votes
Need advice on how to install 240V outlet for greenhouse heater
First, you need to use a heater that is UL Listed (or CSA or ETL are acceptable). The heater will have instructions which are also approved by UL.
The instructions will specify the ampacity of ...
11
votes
How do I run power to a treehouse if I can't bury the wire?
I couldn't speak for your local regulations, but the traditional way to do this is with a catenary wire (source):
A steel wire is hung from one building to another under tension. An armoured ...
- 1,212
10
votes
Why does my shed door expand/shrink?
Both answers are great, but I wanted to note that you really should be adding a water-proofing solution to the door on a regular basis. As Criggie noted, covering the door would naturally limit how ...
- 24.2k
10
votes
Accepted
Does the quality of fill dirt matter?
If you were pouring a slab over this -- and required decades of stability -- you might need to worry about your fill. Organic matter and other debris that will break down over time is appropriate for ...
- 3,393
10
votes
Clothesline sagging even though it was properly tightened
As has been pointed out by blacksmith37 every rope stretches and snags a bit. That said, there is some possible solutions to your problem
Take a low stretch material. There is cordelettes with a ...
- 201
10
votes
What is this cable popping out of my lawn?
It appears to be COAX cable and it's almost certainly your (or your neighbors) CATV (i.e. Cable TV) line. These are often placed near trees and they get pushed up as the tree grows. That one is very ...
- 23.1k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible