Home Improvement Stack Exchange
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1500 questions
21
votes
4 answers

How should I deal with a cable found underground on my property?

I was digging in my garden and I found a wire coming through my garden underground. It looks old and dead, and I would like to take it off the ground, but the problem is that both ends lead somewhere outside my garden, so I don't really know where…
ivanko
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Setting cut depth on a circular saw

When using a circular saw to cut through panels or dimensional lumber or whatever, the DIY folk on YouTube always set the cut depth to “a hair beyond what you’re cutting”. I’ve been blindly doing the same, but realized the other day I have no idea…
Rob de Jonge
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1 answer

What's the difference between "Framing Lumber" and "Framing Studs"?

The Home Depot website has these two as categories under Dimensional Lumber. Why would one want to exclude items from one category during a search for wood to use in a project? What is the difference?
brentonstrine
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9 answers

What is this pipe coming out of the basement floor?

I’m finishing an old (1930) empty basement and have a random pipe coming out of the floor. ⁠I have no clue what it is or what it went to as it sits alone in the space. ⁠It is metallic (tested with a magnet). ⁠It’s currently capped off and did have…
Aaron
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11 answers

My room lights' brightness pulses when I turn on my toaster oven

I have a house with old 2-prong wiring in most of my bedrooms. My toaster oven is plugged in on the kitchen countertop. Whenever I turn it on, the brightness of the lights in 3 (out of 4) of my bedrooms starts pulsing. I measured the voltage from…
breezymri
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21
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4 answers

Should lintels above wall portals be considered for smoke alarm placement?

I need to place a smoke alarm on my first floor (no sleeping areas). There is a wall portal with a 15" lintel (see image) between the living room and the dining room. I am unsure whether one alarm is adequate for both of these areas. My…
Darryl
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21
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5 answers

What bit should I use to drill a two inch hole in a solid concrete wall?

I am planning to install a 1.5-inch conduit through a poured concrete wall. I am planning on drilling a two-inch hole to accommodate the size of the conduit body. I have been searching up and down, but I don't know what drill bit to use. Bi-metal?…
Henrik VT
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6 answers

How can I calculate my anticipated peak current load?

Preamble This question takes place in Japan. In Japan, domestic electrical service is metered, but there is also a monthly fee that increases with larger service capacity. Units are wired for (typically) up to a 60 A service, but the installed…
steros
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21
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4 answers

How can I unscrew the faucet nuts in the tight space behind my sink basin?

My bathroom faucet is dripping, and I would like to change the washers in it. The problem I am running into is the placement of the nuts holding the faucet valves in place: This is the underside of the sink, the hot and cold valves are on either…
Joel Croteau
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21
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2 answers

How does a ball bearing door hinge work?

I've been unable to find a clear explanation of the design principle behind a ball bearing door hinge. In the image below, the casing for a ball bearing assembly is highlighted. One description states: Ball bearings are engineered to throw the…
Brybeck
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21
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9 answers

Can I cause damage to electrical appliances by unplugging them when they are turned on?

I don't mean damage caused to the socket and prongs, but only to the appliance itself.
OMGsh
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21
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4 answers

What is a GFI outlet used for, and where should I install them?

What purpose does a GFI serve? Where should they be used?
Chris Cudmore
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21
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3 answers

Should I sand each layer of mud when joining drywall?

I'm plastering my first drywall and have been given advice from a friend who as done it a few times before. He believes I should not sand down the mud (a.k.a. jointing compound) between coats, but I think I should. I don't think the first layer is…
Craig
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21
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7 answers

Where could all these flies be coming from?

Now is the transition from spring to summer. The house I am now living has some strange things happening. In the daytime of one day last week, I found many flies gather on the inside face of the window in the front living room. I then opened the…
Tim
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2 answers

Is flushing a water heater a good idea?

I've been told that water heaters build up sediment at the bottom over time, and should be flushed out (i.e. drained, then allowed to refill). Is there value in this exercise? Does that value exceed the cost of the hot water lost in the process?
retracile
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