Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

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1500 questions
16
votes
5 answers

How much water do water softeners waste?

I'm considering buying a water softener, but I heard that they waste a lot of water, and I don't really want my water bill to skyrocket. I haven't been able to find any clear indication of how much water water softeners waste. They generally have…
Eric
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6 answers

Why energy saving bulb flashes when the switch is off?

I have a energy saving spiral light bulb in my kitchen. In exactly every 27 seconds, the first segment of the bulb faintly flashes when the switch is off. And not once, repeatedly every 27 seconds. This weird situation occurs for more than half and…
sevenkul
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3 answers

What's the minimum depth that an electrical box can recess into a finished wall? Does it have to be flush?

Do electrical boxes have to be flush to the finished surface? Can they recess any depth into the wall by as much as 1/8" or 1/4"? Edit: I appreciate everyone offering alternative solutions to making a non-flush, already-installed box flush to the…
oscilatingcretin
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3 answers

What is this metal rail in the basement ceiling

What is this metal rail in my basement and can I hang my 80 lbs punching bag on it? Thank you.
mishap
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2 answers

How do I use an extension ladder to get onto my roof?

I have a two storey house and need to get onto the roof to apply some heat paint on my furnace exhaust pipe before winter. It looks about 20-22' from the ground to the edge my eaves, so to be safe I figure I need a 28' extension ladder. The ground…
shufler
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5 answers

What kind of gloves should I wear during electrical work?

What kind of gloves should I wear during electrical work? I need to know which glove material is most suitable for this kind of work, as I wish to purchase the proper gloves.
J. Seal
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7 answers

What open source home automation software exists? What are the differences between them?

I just bought my first apartment and I am now looking to setup a cheap home automation system. I would like to control : light electric shutter heater thermostat other stuff in the future I am looking to an open source software that I could…
benjisail
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5 answers

What is the recommended home design software?

I am going to be finishing my basement. I would like to design the new basement myself using design software. What is the recommended home design software?
SchwartzE
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3 answers

How can I remove a plank from the middle of the field?

My attic has tongue and groove planking down as the floor, and I need to do some work up there. I'd like to only remove a couple planks in the middle of the field, rather than pulling up half the floor to get to the point where I need access. The…
Tester101
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4 answers

What is this mysterious pipe in my back yard?

There's a plastic pipe with a vent cover in my back yard that runs to a green cap in the middle of the yard. What is this for? I don't have a septic tank. Update: this picture shows the entire length of the pipe that I'm aware of. The green cap…
Dennis
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15
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6 answers

What is involved in DIY swimming pool maintenance?

We moved into a new house last year and when cleaning out the pool shed last weekend I stumbled across a report that was done by a business that handles swimming pool maintenance. It checked different chemical levels and recommended adding certain…
going
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15
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1 answer

Is this a fire hazard?

I was going to change a light switch and repair some wall damage. When I started opening up the wall above the switch, I saw the electrical wire clamped to the stud. I noticed black marks around it. Does this look like it might be a fire hazard and…
B. Stewart
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15
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7 answers

Why is my hot water running out quickly regardless of other household water usage?

I've noticed that my shower, which used to run hot water for what seemed like forever, now can only produce about 15 minutes of hot water. This doesn't appear to be related to other water usage in the house. What are the possible causes of this?…
Madey Jay
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2 answers

What can a Dremel tool do that a drill cannot?

I'd like to understand: what is the point of a Dremel tool? I know that there are many Dremel accessories that are indeed useful, but why should I have to get the tool itself? Couldn't the whole system be implemented using an adapter for an ordinary…
200_success
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Why do many construction projects leave so many nails behind?

I just had a significant amount of work done on my house and the contractors left lots of nails scattered around my yard. I have a two-part question: Is this typical? If it's typical, why is it the case? Is it just the cost of doing business? Or…
Jim G.
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