Home Improvement Stack Exchange
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1500 questions
13
votes
1 answer

What is this odd looking tool?

Neither myself nor a large group of people on a community chat can figure out what this tool is called or used for. It’s triangular with a thick solid 3 legged base, multiple flat wired blades (possibly blades), has a handle, and the rear legs are…
JamG4
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3 answers

Why were the screws set in pairs in my drywall?

I'm currently removing a wall that separates my kitchen and living room. 1/2" drywall on 16" o.c. studs, typical. What I found to be strange was that the drywall was fastened with 2 drywall screws placed 2 inches apart, in pairs about every 18" up a…
BigLake
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7 answers

Outdoor burst pipe best practice for the winter

We had an outdoor tap (faucet) fitted in the summer last year here in Edinburgh UK. The temperature here often dips to just below freezing over the winter. Outside, at least. The plumber suggested we should turn off the water under the kitchen sink…
paul_h
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9 answers

How safe is it to mount a TV tight to the wall with steel studs?

I have a 55" TV that weighs about 37 lbs and I want to hang it on the wall. But I discovered that instead of wood studs, I have metal studs and can't drill into them. Is it safe to mount the TV to the drywall alone, using 1/4" toggle bolts…
KingsInnerSoul
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5 answers

To rake or not to rake snow off of roof

First time owning a house with a roof that can be raked, It is a shingled roof. The question is - Should I be doing it? We live in Northeast (it's snowing as we speak) and icicles do form on the roof in several places. I assumed I need to rake the…
user129995
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13
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11 answers

How can I cut this recessed PVC pipe?

The top of this pipe is gouged where it needs to seal with the new shower base. I need to trim off a few inches from this pipe so I can glue on a clean piece. the hole is 10" square. The pipe diameter is 2 3/8". What's the best tool I can use that…
Platinum Goose
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13
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7 answers

How do I seal the sink basin opening?

I purchased a new bathroom sink and faucet and set everything up according to instructions. The faucet instructions told me to use silicone for the drain lip (the border thing around the stopper in the bottom of the inside of the sink,…
deltaray
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13
votes
6 answers

Wiring a reliable temperature switched outlet

I have an electrical wiring question. Background: I'm building my house by contracting out the daunting parts. Through a lack of good communication with the plumber, my plumber ran most of my PEX pipes through the crawlspace under my house instead…
Patrick
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13
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2 answers

Can anyone tell me what kind of drain this is?

I found this drain in my basement in the middle of a raised rectangle of concrete. Its supposed to be for a shower the previous owner installed. I have never seen this drain type. Looking for answers for what kind of drain it is and why it would…
Eugenio Coronado
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13
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4 answers

Should an optical cable inside a house be run in conduit?

I am hoping to run a fibre optic cable from the office/study to the "server" room where I'll have my NAS. The idea is to use a 10 Gbit/s connection. We are building and are currently framing. Should I run conduit and put the fibre in it, or is it…
pookieman
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13
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3 answers

Running Service to Outbuilding

We just built a house and wanted to run 400 amp service to the house to keep options open down the road, but I fear my contractor didn't account for my future plans and did what easiest vs what I wanted. Part of our basement is finished, and the…
cvgnew
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13
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4 answers

Is this cord bend ok on electric range?

Will this be okay for a 40 amp range? The box was set a little too low. I wasn't sure if they bend what cause any issues.
Mstar
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13
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4 answers

GFCI Breaker - Good or Bad?

I have a GFCI circuit (GFCI breaker in the breaker box). If I attempt to test this circuit by plugging in my GFI Tester into a standard outlet that is on this GFCI circuit, the GFI Tester lights illuminates showing the proper wiring, however, it…
LAW
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13
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2 answers

What is this silver plate beside by tub and what is it for? Why is it leaking? What to do?

So I was draining the tub in my 1920's era condominium a moment ago when I noticed a substantial amount of water pooling on the floor next to my tub. I soaked it up in a hurry but then I noticed a little more bubbling coming up from under this…
OldCondo
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13
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4 answers

What should I do about mold in a new build?

I bought my first place in December, five months ago. It's a new 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom condominium in San Francisco CA, and they finished construction in October 2019. Over the last few days, other residents have been complaining about mold in the…
Ollie
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