Home Improvement Stack Exchange
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1500 questions
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votes
2 answers

What is this silver plate beside by tub and what is it for? Why is it leaking? What to do?

So I was draining the tub in my 1920's era condominium a moment ago when I noticed a substantial amount of water pooling on the floor next to my tub. I soaked it up in a hurry but then I noticed a little more bubbling coming up from under this…
OldCondo
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4 answers

What should I do about mold in a new build?

I bought my first place in December, five months ago. It's a new 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom condominium in San Francisco CA, and they finished construction in October 2019. Over the last few days, other residents have been complaining about mold in the…
Ollie
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5 answers

Will it cause problems to shower without the exhaust fan and only turn it on afterwards?

If the exhaust fan was not turned on until after the shower is complete (say, 30 min. after the water is first turned on), is that enough to cause mold/mildew/paint issues? The mirror is foggy during these 30 minutes. Or is 30 minutes of humidity…
kostmo
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4 answers

Is standing water at bottom of dishwasher normal?

Is standing water at the bottom of dishwasher normal? Is this to keep up seal pressure? I want to make sure this is not unsafe.
Matt
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13
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8 answers

How do I use existing cat5e wiring to distribute internet in my house?

Description My current setup is I have a single router/modem combo in my living room connected through DSL. Internet is distributed through the house via WiFi. The upstairs rooms have all been run with Cat5e cable from the cable box and terminated…
Nate4436271
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13
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4 answers

How important is Tyvek/house wrap for a house with metal siding?

I'm building a tiny house and it will have metal siding. My dad has worked a lot of construction and says he's never installed a house wrap for a metal building in his life. Most info I can find online says if it's climate controlled it needs…
Mark
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13
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3 answers

How do I lay "click system" laminate flooring across an opening?

I want to lay laminate flooring throughout my apartment as one big continuous floor. Normally you start laying a row against a wall and then create a new row and click it into the previous row. This click mechanism only works correctly in one…
olle
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13
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2 answers

How do I locate where bed bugs hide?

Location: Hong Kong Recently I have had a problem with bed bugs in my house. I've seen them and confirmed they are bed bugs. I've googled for a way to kill bed bugs. A most accepted solution is to call Pest Control Operator several times. However,…
lamwaiman1988
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6 answers

Why aren't AFCI breakers required for bathrooms/lavatories?

Why doesn't NEC require AFCI breakers for bathrooms/lavatories? Is there a good reason NOT to install AFCI protection on a 15A/20A 120V bathroom outlet? (I.e., use GFCI only.)
RJ539
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13
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7 answers

Rotating a concrete slab?

Is it possible to use a hydraulic bottle jack or similar to rotate a 10 x 12' x 6" a few degrees or about 5 inches? I have a recent pour not quite in position. 3/8" rebar throughout in a 6 x 6 grid formation (6 pieces at 9ft, 6 pieces at 11ft, 6"…
Merkd
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13
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7 answers

Why does my old table saw power switch cut both hot and neutral?

I am refurbishing an old Craftsman 10" table saw that has been collecting dust in the back of my shop for years. I don't remember exactly how I acquired it, but to my recollection the one time I tried to start it sparks flew from the on/off switch.…
Jimmy Fix-it
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13
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6 answers

Identifying Wires behind Light Switch

I am trying to upgrade my rocker switches to Smart Switches and ran into a problem identifying wires behind the old switches. It seems that the old switch is connected with a ground and 2 white wires. There is a bundle of black wires capped and…
Tony
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13
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2 answers

What range of heights are allowed for wall receptacles?

I need to mount a receptacle on a basement wall. If I can mount it high enough, it can go on the wood cripple wall instead of having to drill into the concrete and risk the excellent watertightness of the basement. How high can the receptacle be…
Harper - Reinstate Monica
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13
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7 answers

Is it worth having two locks in exterior doors?

I've noticed that some places have a lock in the knob and a deadbolt in the exterior doors, and some places have a knob without a lock and just a deadbolt. Is there a benefit to having a lock in the knob I'm missing?
Joseph
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13
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3 answers

Can ground attached to neutral fool a receptacle tester?

I'm using a basic outlet tester like the one from picture below. Let's say someone wired the ground to the neutral in some outlet, to provide a fake ground. What would the tester report? Would it be "CORRECT" or would it be something else? In case…
fernacolo
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