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1500 questions
28
votes
4 answers
Why do I have voltage on a plumbing ground strap, and is it dangerous?
We have been having problems with the lights in our basement for awhile now (few weeks), sometimes they will work, other times they just won't turn on.
Today I noticed a thin metal piece in the basement closet and I accidentally broke it off. I am…
Samantha
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28
votes
5 answers
What actually happens if I vary proportions of cement and sand in mortar?
When preparing cement mortar proportions of sand and cement can AFAIK be varied. I've always been using the "default recommended" 1-to-3 (one volume of cement for every three volumes of sand) proportion.
What actually happens if I alter the…
sharptooth
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28
votes
7 answers
How to separate superglued fingers
I glued 2 of my fingers together with Rapid Fuse superglue.
I have tried rubbing alcohol, butter, and warm soapy water.
fixit7
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28
votes
6 answers
What are the pros and cons of a whole house humidifier?
In the winter, my house (~2500 sqft) becomes unbearably dry. Last winter, my wife and I used a tiny humidifier for the master bedroom to keep us from completely drying out, but since then I have been exploring a whole-house solution, complete with…
Nate
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28
votes
4 answers
Why is there a jumper between these circuit breakers?
I was replacing defective/broken outlets in my folks' house this week, in preparation to sell it. So I went to the power panel and hit the appropriate breaker for the area I was working in. No problem until I got to the laundry room receptacles.…
William Brown
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28
votes
1 answer
Can you identify this tool that looks like a pyramidal rake with an integrated sliding plate to compress the tines?
Found when cleaning out the garage. It slides to open up as shown in the photos.
Jason
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28
votes
8 answers
Why do British houses have "indoors" windows in some rooms?
Example:
I've seen this many times. Apparently, it's a thing that in the UK, they have rooms with windows that lead to other indoors areas, located high near the ceiling.
What is the purpose and history of this practice? What is the point to have…
H T
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28
votes
3 answers
I ran a nail through a wire at home, should I worry?
I was trying to fix a nail on my wall and it seems that I may have ran the nail into a wire. Pulling the nail back causes the lights in my room to go dark. I pushed it back in and my room seems fine, and, I plan on getting it fixed soon.
However,…
user135685
28
votes
1 answer
How do I remove this wall plate with no visible screws?
I'm amazed how complicated this wall plate is to remove. It is made of plastic and accommodates a phone jack and a coaxial cable. Please see the images that accompany this question.
I've searched it thoroughly and there are no tabs anywhere on the…
Mark
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28
votes
7 answers
How do I find studs when stud finders won't work?
I was trying to hang my TV at my new place, on an interior wall (between living room and a bathroom). Using the stud finder on other walls worked fine, but on this wall I got some very strange readings. An area of about 5 feet by 4 feet was setting…
Steve Armstrong
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28
votes
4 answers
How can I get roof rain runoff into pond with an aboveground wall?
I'd like to collect rain water and have it run through a filter and then into a pond.
The problem is, I can't simply run a pipe underground.
\\
|\\ <-- house roof
| \\
|
| pond
| <--house …
Village
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28
votes
5 answers
Is this 230V steampunk metal robot lamp safe?
I bough a steampunk robot lamp from ebay. It is made out of (painted) metal fittings. After receiving it, I was a little concerned regarding safety and disassembled it. The plug suggests that this is a class II appliance, but the individual wires…
someonr
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28
votes
1 answer
Seemingly overbuilt basement wall - load bearing?
I'm doing some prep/exploratory work before I begin finishing my basement. Home was built in 1980 and has a cement block foundation. There is a seemingly random wall framed in the otherwise unfinished basement. I pulled one side of the sheetrock - I…
cxd213
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28
votes
6 answers
Is it normal to use a grinder to finish a new driveway?
Yesterday we had new concrete pads poured. We expected pour-day to be the last day. I saw them out there finishing, but when we went out that evening after everyone had left, it looked half done. There were unfinished areas, dips in the concrete,…
Nicholas
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28
votes
5 answers
Marijuana smoke migrating to my condo!
I just bought a condo which is a three-level townhouse and was built in 1980.
I am adjacent to my neighbor and share a common wall. My neighbor, an older couple, smoke weed frequently and do not air their home.
The smoke gets to my side and it is…
Na Sim
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