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1500 questions
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5 answers

Are tin roofs "permanent"?

My house has a tin roof over a porch. The house is about one hundred years old, and the tin porch roof is original, as far as I know. My question is whether the tin roof (which is currently in good shape -- no rusting or leaks) will last…
painter48179
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Knowing where to drill holes in steel plate?

I have a concrete floor and I made two holes to bolt a 1/4"-thick steel plate. The problem is that the steel plates haven't been drilled yet. How can I determine where the holes will be drilled in the steel plates so they match the holes in the…
rbhat
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How do I measure the thickness of something with a lip or frame?

I'm looking for a device like vernier calipers (ie 0.1mm resolution or thereabouts is fine), but in more of a C-clamp configuration which allows me to measure the thickness of some object's face where there is a thicker frame, lip or ridge around…
pcdev
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How do I shift a door's latch hole and strike plate up or down half an inch?

I have a few interior doors that do not latch closed because the bolting mechanism and latch hole are vertically misaligned. If I remove the strike plate I can extend the size of the latch hole, but then one of the screw holes of the strike plate…
Henry
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How should I clean and repaint a painted wooden deck?

My deck appears to have been painted with just a single layer of paint, which is now peeling off. I like the look of the paint (when it's in better condition, of course), and am uninterested in staining, especially because I'll be adding some new…
Kevin L.
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What kind of tool can I use to tighten a faucet bolt in a tight place?

I am trying to tighten a kitchen faucet bolt (7/16 inch) in a very tight spot. Please refer to the picture. Standard size wrenches don't fit well enough for me to turn it. I've used a stubby wrench but I can't get any leverage because of the tight…
DIY Newbie
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7 answers

Breakers loose in main panel, does whole panel need to be replaced?

I went on a breaker flipping binge the other day because the panel at my house wasn't labeled and I had a doorbell transformer to replace. After I got the doorbell finished I realized the fridge wasn't running. Investigated and found that the issue…
Hart CO
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How much weight can a light bulb socket hold?

I'm working on a thing in which I mount a few pounds of weight to one of those light-bulb-to-wall-socket adapters and I'm curious if there's a posted weight limit on hanging something from just the light bulb socket itself. This is not really for a…
Nic Redfield
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How should I fill a hole in an exterior wall?

I noticed a good sized hole in an exterior wall that allows wires and things to go from my AC unit into my basement. The problem is that the hole is a good deal larger than it needs to be and there is nothing sealing the hole, so I can see sunlight…
Brendan Enrick
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Is there an NEC-compliant method of repairing minor damage to electrical wire insulation without a junction box?

While trying to pry loose a stubborn cable staple that fastens a 14-gauge electrical cable to a stud, I accidentally tore a very small hole through both the outer jacket and the insulation around the neutral wire, exposing the bare conductor inside.…
oscilatingcretin
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How can I get a shock from a circuit when the breaker is off?

While I was replacing an old outlet, I received a shock from something in the box. I think it was the metal box itself. Before I started, I performed the following to ensure the power was out: Plugged a lamp into the outlet and turned it on Flipped…
kmm
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5 answers

Why would a switch be wired with its neutral connected to ground?

I'm rewiring a few bedrooms in my house and came across some interesting wiring on both of them: The wire at the bottom is the power source and the wire at the top goes up to the light/fan. Why would they pigtail the hot off the connected…
jjj
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I tripped a 20amp breaker but didn't feel a shock - why?

I was stripping a hot ungrounded conductor while a 20A breaker was on by accident. When my wire strippers pierced the sheathing, a large spark blew out and tripped a breaker, but yet I felt nothing. There's a possibility that somehow that the hot…
Tony DiNitto
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1 answer

Can't find a garden hose that fits

Just moved into a new house and the spigot the in backyard is too big for the hose I bought. Is there an adapter or a special hose that can fit this?
Mishelle
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What is the purpose of a bathroom exhaust fan?

Okay I actually do understand the purpose of the bathroom fan; it gets the steam out of the bathroom after a super hot shower, right? Well turns out I never turn it on. I suppose I don't shower in sauna temperatures. Also we tend to shower with…
Trout
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