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1500 questions
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2 answers

How should I clean and repaint a painted wooden deck?

My deck appears to have been painted with just a single layer of paint, which is now peeling off. I like the look of the paint (when it's in better condition, of course), and am uninterested in staining, especially because I'll be adding some new…
Kevin L.
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What kind of tool can I use to tighten a faucet bolt in a tight place?

I am trying to tighten a kitchen faucet bolt (7/16 inch) in a very tight spot. Please refer to the picture. Standard size wrenches don't fit well enough for me to turn it. I've used a stubby wrench but I can't get any leverage because of the tight…
DIY Newbie
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9 answers

How tight should threaded brass pipe fittings be?

I'm working with 3/4" brass fittings, which seem pretty robust. Some plumbing fittings should be only finger-tight. My friend said I should use 2 wrenches to make these as tight as I can, and then some. How tight should I make them? EDIT: I am…
Jay Bazuzi
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Why is there no neutral in a switch box?

I'm a bit confused about the wiring in a light switch that I changed. I am accustomed to seeing black (hot), white (neutral) and green/bare (ground). This box has TWO black, a red, and a green. No white! So, I connected the two black together in a…
Ryan
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4 answers

How do you secure wood framing to a concrete basement floor?

I'm using Pressure treated lumber for the bottom plate in a basement finishing project. What should I use to seperate the wood from the concrete? What are ways to secure the bottom plate to the floor?
Randyaa
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7 answers

Breakers loose in main panel, does whole panel need to be replaced?

I went on a breaker flipping binge the other day because the panel at my house wasn't labeled and I had a doorbell transformer to replace. After I got the doorbell finished I realized the fridge wasn't running. Investigated and found that the issue…
Hart CO
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4 answers

How much weight can a light bulb socket hold?

I'm working on a thing in which I mount a few pounds of weight to one of those light-bulb-to-wall-socket adapters and I'm curious if there's a posted weight limit on hanging something from just the light bulb socket itself. This is not really for a…
Nic Redfield
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How should I fill a hole in an exterior wall?

I noticed a good sized hole in an exterior wall that allows wires and things to go from my AC unit into my basement. The problem is that the hole is a good deal larger than it needs to be and there is nothing sealing the hole, so I can see sunlight…
Brendan Enrick
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How can I get a shock from a circuit when the breaker is off?

While I was replacing an old outlet, I received a shock from something in the box. I think it was the metal box itself. Before I started, I performed the following to ensure the power was out: Plugged a lamp into the outlet and turned it on Flipped…
kmm
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5 answers

Why would a switch be wired with its neutral connected to ground?

I'm rewiring a few bedrooms in my house and came across some interesting wiring on both of them: The wire at the bottom is the power source and the wire at the top goes up to the light/fan. Why would they pigtail the hot off the connected…
jjj
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Choosing the right machine screw for a threaded hole in a computer monitor mount

The SENSE M2488C computer monitor pictured here has 4 machine screw holes at standard spacing around the label on the back of the monitor. I plan to mount it from a ceiling mount, not on my desk. I have a ceiling mount bracket with holes of exactly…
talkaboutquality
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5 answers

I tripped a 20amp breaker but didn't feel a shock - why?

I was stripping a hot ungrounded conductor while a 20A breaker was on by accident. When my wire strippers pierced the sheathing, a large spark blew out and tripped a breaker, but yet I felt nothing. There's a possibility that somehow that the hot…
Tony DiNitto
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1 answer

Can't find a garden hose that fits

Just moved into a new house and the spigot the in backyard is too big for the hose I bought. Is there an adapter or a special hose that can fit this?
Mishelle
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6 answers

What is the purpose of a bathroom exhaust fan?

Okay I actually do understand the purpose of the bathroom fan; it gets the steam out of the bathroom after a super hot shower, right? Well turns out I never turn it on. I suppose I don't shower in sauna temperatures. Also we tend to shower with…
Trout
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Best way to keep a PEX run in an attic (above a foyer) from freezing?

I plan on running PEX pipes both hot and cold across 16 feet of unheated attic space above a foyer. The foyer is 16' long and is off the kitchen, it isn't heated directly but is part of the house; it is usually colder than the rest of the house,…
Jeremy
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