Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Most Popular

more tags
1500 questions
14
votes
7 answers

How do I reinforce these pantry shelves?

I have this well stocked pantry and have noticed a little bowing toward the center of the shelves. I’m worried that they may eventually collapse. Is this something to be worried about, or is this fine? If they need to be reinforced, what would be…
Colin
  • 243
  • 1
  • 5
14
votes
6 answers

Are uncovered cord plugs safe to use in the snow?

I was recently given some christmas outdoor decorations that have piggyback plugs (prongs on one end, socket on the other - not sure if this is the right term). They're all two-prong so plugging them all together into an extension cord looks like…
K.N.
  • 143
  • 1
  • 6
14
votes
3 answers

What is the ideal distance between supports of a shelf?

I've got 122x25x1cm and 61x25x1cm plywood boards that I want to use to make shelves for books and tools. I'll use 2 supports for each size of board and I'd like to know how far apart they should be. Perhaps someone has developed a program that tells…
WaterBearer
  • 241
  • 1
  • 2
  • 6
14
votes
1 answer

Is oil normally this dirty after a 5-hour break-in period of a small inverter generator?

I bought a small inverter generator, filled it with SAE10-30 oil that shipped with it, taking care to check with the dipstick several times so as not to overfill it (though it did take the full bottle), and then ran it for 5 hours, varying the load,…
mr blint
  • 2,091
  • 6
  • 29
  • 57
14
votes
1 answer

Why were the cold and hot water lines tee’d in this shower rough valve?

I am replacing the shower rough valve for my tub/shower and the inlet lines were tee’d with a vertical section of pipe and capped off. Why was this done and do I need to do the same thing when I go to install my new one? I’m using PEX for the new…
Niko
  • 441
  • 3
  • 16
14
votes
1 answer

Will adding another layer of plywood improve shed floor bouncing?

I have shed floor that appears to be a sheet of 3/4 inch pressure treated plywood nailed to the joists. While the floor is "sturdy" in that it's holding up fine and shows no sign of rot, it feels extremely soft. My steps feel springy and even my…
SBT23434
  • 149
  • 2
  • 9
14
votes
6 answers

How do I add more circuit breakers once the breaker box is full?

My house was completely rewired by the previous owner. They tore out all the old knob-and-tube and replaced it with modern wiring. I definitely appreciate this, but unfortunately they left absolutely no extra space on the new breaker box. Every…
bengineerd
  • 491
  • 3
  • 8
  • 15
14
votes
8 answers

Are loose-stacked bricks a suitable base for concrete steps?

We have a contractor building a set of concrete steps outside of our house (will be leading to a new French door whenever we get the door). They are using a bunch of left over bricks as filler they told us, and will rebar between them. They said…
Th3sandm4n
  • 243
  • 1
  • 2
  • 5
14
votes
9 answers

What can I do about a toilet flange that is 1/4" below the finished floor?

I used two wax seals to set my toilet since the flange is 1/4" below the new tile. At first it seemed to be water tight but after a few flushes I noticed water seeping and pulled it out. As can be seen in the photo, the wax ring slid off center. I…
Andrew
  • 1,443
  • 19
  • 35
  • 45
14
votes
6 answers

What is the point of this double-ended spanner?

QUESTION: Just, why ? I was exploring a local swap meet and found this. For the life of me I cannot figure out why one would need an adjustable spanner at each end. I mean it's ADJUSTABLE and having two on the same handle means you can't tighten a…
Criggie
  • 11,950
  • 2
  • 26
  • 79
14
votes
3 answers

What kind of screw is this from a bar stool?

I have a barstool that has lost several examples of the screw pictured below, and I do not have calipers to measure it precisely. The screw is pictured atop a U.S. quarter coin. Since the condition of the screw is imperfect, I should mention that I…
Joe Mack
  • 243
  • 2
  • 7
14
votes
2 answers

Can I remove a wall stud to install a pet door?

We only have one option for a wall that the pet door would go in. After measuring we found that the door would have to go right in the middle of a stud. Is it safe to cut through the stud?
Mary mcintire
  • 141
  • 1
  • 1
  • 3
14
votes
1 answer

Is this subpanel installation up to code?

I've just added a 100A subpanel to a house with a 200A main panel, and would like to know if I did everything correctly and up to code before getting it inspected (I'm in WA state USA -- 2020 NEC). What I installed It's a Square D HOM2448L125PQGC…
peter
  • 1,662
  • 12
  • 30
14
votes
1 answer

How do I remove a Kwikset deadbolt with no screws on the inside plate?

My exterior door deadbolt has gotten stuck - it'll open with the lever but not the key. By spraying WD-40 inside the lock, I've been able to get it to work but it's very stiff. I'd like to remove the lock and inspect the inside, either to clean/lube…
Goodbye Stack Exchange
  • 459
  • 2
  • 7
  • 15
14
votes
3 answers

Should I be concerned about the structural integrity of this 100-year-old garage?

I had an aunt who lived in a house that was built in 1923 and its detached garage was also built in 1923. I am in the process of fixing up both this house and the garage before the house is put for sale on the housing market. All the outer walls of…
user169255
1 2 3
…
99 100