Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

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1500 questions
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votes
4 answers

What do I do if there are only two wires coming from my ceiling electrical box?

I'm about to install several Hunter ceiling fans. The instructions that came with the fan show three wires coming from the ceiling box for a single switch light. When I remove the light, there are only two wires leading to it. And the wires are…
user13891
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How do I build a French drain?

There's a shed near the side of the house with a roof that's pitched to shoot water at the house's foundation. That side of the house also has no gutters. There's a very slight grade to send water towards the front of the house. House is brick…
Steve Jackson
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6 answers

Why do instruction manuals specify, "Do not use extension cord and provide a separate circuit"?

Could someone shed some light on the "do not use extension cord" and "provide a separate circuit" instructions that come with every single refrigerator and freezer? Context: I own this mini freezer and this refrigerator. I'd like to plug them both…
Yuri Niyazov
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3 answers

What kind of mortar should I use to point a fieldstone foundation?

What kind of mortar should I use to point a fieldstone foundation? The old mortar is crumbling, and sandy mortar is falling out onto the basement floor. I plan to remove the crumbling mortar (see related question on how to remove), then point the…
Vebjorn Ljosa
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16
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5 answers

How good do I need to make my primer coat?

When doing a primer coat do I need to get everything or can I pretty much fly through it leaving it kinda blochy?
Mike
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16
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8 answers

How can I hang a shelf with no visible fasteners?

I just built a shelf for a bedroom based on instructions found at Happy at Home. Problem is: the blog doesn't explain how to hang it! Can someone help me figure out a clean way to hang this shelf that doesn't involve screws on the exterior of the…
Neal Kruis
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16
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4 answers

Permanently disable security system

We moved house about a year ago. The previous owner had an alarm system, which we assumed was inactive, but whenever we lose/regain power, the panels beep intermittently. We've somehow armed the system though, and now the alarm goes off whenever we…
user123965
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1 answer

A plastic tab/tag stuck out of the GE dryer drum gap. Does anyone know what it is, if it is a part of the dryer, and if so how I can fix it?

I have owned a GE dryer for about 5 years, and just last week this tab/tag stuck out of the gap near the dryer door and is starting to snag on clothing. I tried pushing it back in but it just came back out again. Does anyone know what it is/how I…
Eluchel
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3 answers

Can I use two wire nuts instead of one to connect 6 wires inside a 3-gang box?

Is it considered acceptable practice to use two wirenuts in a situation where it is possible to use only one but may be easier to use two? I have a three-gang box with six cables coming into it. The person who wired it previously (homeowner, I…
susie derkins
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1 answer

Do GFI/GFCI outlets have a potential to damage Nespresso machines (and coffee machines?)

I had a Nespresso Vertuo Next machine. It stopped working properly and during the troubleshooting video call, the Nespresso support agent said that the machines should not be connected to a GFCI outlet because they can potentially damage the…
Steve V
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4 answers

What does the colour of drill bits mean?

I bought this set of drill bits. The set came with 3 colours of drill bits: Silver Gold and Black I do not know. What does each one of these bit colours mean?
asmgx
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16
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6 answers

Old ceiling light fixture with 9 wires (5 black/4 white)-how to install a new fixture?

I am trying to install a new light fixture, but there are 9 wires--I wasn't able to see how it was connected and I'm pretty sure it was wrong to begin with because bulbs kept burning out right away. Initially the whites were together, 3 of the black…
Rachel H
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4 answers

How can I refill the toilet after the water has evaporated from disuse?

My toilet bowl and tank water appear to have evaporated after several weeks of disuse. How should I go about getting water in them again? I haven't tried anything yet because I didn't want to do the wrong thing.
Jason
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16
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4 answers

Can I cut the small tab off of these rafters to make drywalling easier

I am finishing my garage and I have come to the point I need to start drywalling. I ran into a roadblock and would like to get opinions on how to proceed. The roof is a pyramid shaped hip roof and each rafter has a small "notch" where it meets the…
Yamaha32088
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3 answers

How to (safely) permanently turn off natural gas?

We're switching out the natural gas oven for a new model, and we opted for electric. We already have the 240v supply in place and ready to go. The oven is the last piece of natural gas equipment in our home. We still have pipes running about for the…
Tyler M
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