Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

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1500 questions
14
votes
4 answers

Why is this box constantly tripping?

After some heavy rain in Cornwall electricity does not work in the barns. This trip box seems at fault, though it costs 100+GBP to replace it I'm told. Can anyone give me more information on what this is?
Kai Hendry
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Is plunging a toilet without a plunger a good tip or a horrible idea?

Read this elsewhere and personally, I thought it was a bad bad bad idea, but I wanted to put this out there to see if I might be mistaken: I learned a quick tip from a handyman on how to create a plunger without using a plunger. take a bucket of…
The Evil Greebo
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2 answers

Are these sloppy cuts and gaps normal around roof vents?

Got a new roof last fall in southeastern Idaho. I didn't notice until this week that the shingles are cut sloppily around most of the vents (see pictures). Should I coat the bad seams with a can of roof repair/black pitch, or are they normal and I…
Stay-at-home-dad
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2 answers

How many power cables can a coaxial cable cross?

I am running coax RG6Q to my FiOS box. I know to cross electrical cables perpendicular, but is there a limit to how many wires I can cross in a short area? See my picture: the coax is the black line going horizontally to the vertical power wires. Is…
Nathan DeWitt
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4 answers

why is a service neutral grounded but not the subpanel-neutral?

I know it's code (refer to NEC 250.24(A)5 and 250.32), but I don't understand why you can't use a bonding jumper to connect the ground bus and neutral bus in the subpanel? I've been told it's because then you'd have current on the grounding…
Ben Welborn
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14
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3 answers

How do I install this lamp on my ceiling?

I'm a big time novice but determined not to hire an electrician for what is probably a simple job. This is embarrassing, I think. Here is an exposed light fixture that I have in my attic I want to install this simple Ikea lamp, but I'm dumbfounded…
Teusz
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4 answers

How can I get a smoother finish when painting trim?

I'm reinstalling some crown molding and decided to do some touching up while it's down. I had previously done some touch-ups on the same style in another room, and never quite got it perfectly smooth. How can I prevent brush strokes from showing on…
Doresoom
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14
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4 answers

Why mate two boards instead of using one thicker board?

I need to build a footbridge across a creek and, due to soft and low land around it, will need a long span crossing the creek. I found this tutorial by Ron Hazelton where he makes a bridge with a 12' span with two beams supporting it, with supports…
Tango
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14
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9 answers

How can I prevent or remedy "bio slime" accumulation in a sink drain?

The drain in the sink which we use for mouthwash consistently gets clogged by a very repugnant slime. I've tried all the common drain unclogging products (Drano, Liquid Plumber) as well as some non-standard remedies (e.g., boiling water, vinegar +…
kmote
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2 answers

Low-cost hardwood flooring... what's the catch?

Genuine hardwood flooring is generally quite expensive... but a few local stores have glue-down hardwood planks that are actually cheaper than mid-priced laminate (~$1.80/sf). What's the catch? The cheap hardwood looks nice, and aside from taking a…
Bitbang3r
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14
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8 answers

Can I put an outlet inside of a wall?

I want to mount a tablet to a wall with a charger but I don't want the charger to be visible. Can I put a normal wall outlet in the INSIDE of the wall and just plug in the charger inside the wall? Location is Wisconsin, USA.
Programmer
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2 answers

How do I join two cables outside so that they're safe and kept dry?

I have a new pond with a pump but the cable on the pump is far too short. I have some similar cable which will do the job to extend the length. My only concern is the junction outside. I need to make it dry and safe. What recommendations do people…
Dean
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14
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4 answers

How do you stop the floor from squeaking?

I have a home built in the 1940's. The main floor creaks a lot and more squeaking and creaks seem to spring up in new places all the time. Is there an easy way to stop the squeaking and creaking? I don't necessarily need to prevent future…
chadgh
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14
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7 answers

How do I stop a bed frame from squeaking?

I recently bought a second hand wooden bed frame. All is good except it squeaks quite a lot when I move around on it (ahem). Any advice on fixing the annoying squeak? EDIT :: photo of the joint
Tom Squires
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5 answers

Can I start and stop a tile floor job?

I am tiling my bathroom floor and don't soon have a full day to dedicate to the job. Is it ok to lay down a few tiles each day and come back to the job when I have time? I would only lay mortar for the tiles I have time to lay each day. My concern…
dpollitt
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