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1500 questions
20
votes
17 answers
What is an affordable 2D drafting software for amateurs?
Background: We have about 1500 feet of unfinished basement that I am contemplating finishing off into a "grandma suite". Before getting serious about the project, however, I would like to play around with some layouts.
My first thought was to…
Portman
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How to calculate the maximum safe load on a horizontal wooden beam?
I am thinking of constructing a wooden bed/desk/roof/shed/ship/bridge/rocket
How can I calculate the maximum load a rectangular horizontal wooden beam of dimensions L x H x W can safely support if the beam is adequately supported at both…
RedGrittyBrick
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8 answers
What are the black spots on my bathroom ceiling? Are they mold?
My bathroom above my tub is getting some black spots on it that seems to be growing. I assume it's mold. I am wondering how should I deal with this? What should I expect it to cost?
Jon
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What are the rules for unplugging a refrigerator?
I'd like to unplug my fridge for a few hours each evening to have silence in my small studio while I fall asleep. It is on a timer, so it happens at random times through the cooling cycle. I was warned that this could be a problem if I unplug the…
mankoff
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4 answers
How much weight can you mount to a wall?
I would like to mount a fairly heavy shelving unit (~150lbs) to a wall with a number of L-brackets. It being a shelving unit, I would be putting all kinds of books and random stuff on it, thus increasing the weight.
This seems like a bad idea to…
YuKagi
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3 answers
What is the right way to connect 7 conductors in an electrical box?
What is the "right" way to join 7 different wires in a single electrical box?
Here's the situation. I opened up a four-gang light switch. There were four switches controlling five lights.
As expected, the four switches were interrupting the hot…
Joel Spolsky
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20
votes
10 answers
Why would a GFCI trip on refrigerator circuit?
My refrigerator is tripping the GFCI on the socket into which it is plugged. Searching about this topic seems to indicate that this is a reasonably common complaint. However, I can't find any concrete information about general causes or potential…
hoc_age
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10 answers
How do I calculate the length of a ladder I need to reach a certain height?
My roof-line is 24' from the ground. What length ladder should I purchase to ensure I can reach the this height safely?
I'm guessing there is a "safe" angle (a) for a ladder, regardless of the height (h). So more generally what is an easy way to…
shufler
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10 answers
Is it more economical to use hot water before boiling or to bring cold water to a boil?
Since the arrival of our newborn, we have been using the stove to boil water in order to sterilize the nipples, bottles and rings.
Which got me thinking, is it more economical to start off using hot water to help accelerate the boil or are we better…
Handy Man
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6 answers
What is the best way to cut receptacle holes when hanging drywall?
I will be installing drywall in a 10x10 room this weekend, walls only. I'm planning to use the longer sheets so there is only a single horizontal seam on each wall and install the top sheet first, flush against the existing ceiling.
My question is,…
dslake
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4 answers
Must I remove all mortar between tiles before grouting?
I'm just getting ready to lay down the grout after successfully tiling our master bathroom. I've been told in no uncertain terms that I must remove the spacers between tiles (or else grouting over them can result in cracking of the grout). That…
Andrew Flanagan
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8 answers
What's the best/easiest way to paint edges?
Been doing a lot of interior painting lately and I always find the edges — by the ceiling, windows, baseboards, etc. — the most tedious.
What's the best way to paint the edges — old fashioned cut brush? Some of these special edging tools they…
brendan
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votes
9 answers
How big a hole in drywall can be fixed by spackle alone?
How big of a hole in drywall can be fixed by spackle alone?
The previous owners left numerous holes in the drywall. Each hole is the diameter of a coaxial cable, which I want to patch up. Can I use spackle to bridge the gap? Or can I press fit a…
pkumar
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7 answers
What is the right way to strip power wires?
I've been working with electrical circuits as a DIYer for years, including electronics and powerline work. But one thing I always feel like I do a terrible job at is stripping wires: both the outside jacket and the insulators from the…
Sean Reifschneider
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10 answers
Do thermostat-controlled, auto-adjust HVAC vents exist?
The residential forced-air HVAC systems I have seen are controlled by a single thermostat in one room. One has to manually adjust the vents in order to adjust the temperature in other rooms. Is there such a think as thermostat-controlled,…
Vebjorn Ljosa
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