Home Improvement Stack Exchange
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1500 questions
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4 answers

Toilet does full-blast, one-second refill every hour or so

I wouldn't lose sleep over this, except the unexpected and fierce sound startles my girlfriend and cat every time. So I just replaced the refill valve on our toilet (using a kit, so everything from the lock nut to the overflow spout, but not the…
Anthony
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Do I need a box-spring for my bed?

I've moved into a smaller room and would like to maximize my space. I've decided to build a new bed frame, but for that to work how I would like I would need to eliminate my box-spring as it would make the bed too high. I currently have a standard…
NoBox-spring
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Is there a good way to test water quality in your house?

What are the best ways to test for water quality in your house? The water is from a well, not town water. Are there any products that can continuously test the water coming in (versus manually sampling the water every so often)?
caseyboardman
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5 answers

Can paint/hardware stores match stain like they do paint?

I know you can take a color sample to a paint store (or some hardware stores) and get them to match it and mix you up a custom batch. Is a similar service provided anywhere for stain? The color charts from the stain manufacturers sometimes help,…
JohnFx
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3 answers

Why is there 4 inches of metal at on each side of this column?

I have a column in my kitchen. As far as I can tell this is a decorative column, and doesn't contain anything structural -- I live in a high rise, it really cannot contain anything structural. Yet, according to my fancy stud detector, it has metal…
Sargun Dhillon
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5 answers

How do I drill a hole in a shelf without going all the way through?

I need to drill a hole in a shelf that's half an inch deep but I don't want to drill a hole through the shelf. What's the best way of doing that? I have a drill and i was thinking of showing just a half an inch of the drip bit. This way, I can force…
burnt1ce
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5 answers

Why do my new dimmable CFL bulbs hum?

I just spent $100 upgrading our dining room lighting from regular incandescent bulbs with a dimmer switch to a CFL friendly dimmer switch with specifically marked dimming capable CFL bulbs. At full power, they work fine. 5 x 60W equivalent bulbs…
The Evil Greebo
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5 answers

How to fix cracks in lath and plaster?

I have an old house with lath and plaster walls. When I moved in a year ago I fixed dozens of cracks in the plaster with spackling, but many of them have opened back up again. What is the best way to solve this with a more permanent solution?
jdickson
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5 answers

Downsides of Linoleum (in kitchen specifically)

I am thinking of replacing tiled floor in my kitchen with linoleum (in Canada). I see a few benefits to it, 1) easy to wash 2) fallen glassware doesn't always break. However, there seems to be unexplained negative attitude towards linoleums. (At…
pitr
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4 answers

Is it safe to touch the ground contact?

When plugging in a device in the dark, or behind furniture, it's hard to get the contacts aligned. It's tempting to put a finger on the end of a contact, use that finger to find the slot in the recep, and guide the plug in. However, that seems like…
Jay Bazuzi
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8 answers

How can I dog-proof a chain link fence?

I have a dog who has recently discovered that she can squeeze under a portion of the chain-link fence we installed in order to keep her on our property. Is there any effective, but reasonably attractive way I can reinforce the bottom of the fence? …
mootinator
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2 answers

Can disconnected knob-and-tube wiring be left in place?

The house I recently bought (over 100 years old) has had almost all of its wiring replaced with a new elctrical board. However, in two cases the new wiring has been connected to existing knob-and-tube wiring in a junction box, with the ground wire…
Nicholaas de Bruyn
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3 answers

Does a 2100W angle grinder need an earth pin?

I have recently purchased a Makita 2100W angle grinder. It has just the live (L) and neutral (N) connectors unlike the one I previously used, which had a third protected earth (PE) connection. Would it be better if I changed the connections to a 3…
Emmanuel Sillah
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5 answers

Can different gauges of wire be used on the same circuit?

My father-in-law is a builder. He has put in 20 amp and 15 amp breakers, and ran 12-2 as the home runs to the switches and the first plug to make them hot. He then ran 14-2 to feed the rest of the plugs, lights, and ceiling fans. Is it okay that he…
Mikey
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5 answers

How can I calculate how large an airconditioner my house needs?

I know there are a lot of possible factors that go into determining the size of the air-conditioning system a house needs. Is there a standard way of calculating what is needed, or do A/C companies each devise their own method? Is there a guide…
retracile
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