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1500 questions
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5 answers

Should my toilet flange sit on top of the backer board or the tile of the floor?

The bathroom model saga continues. The old toilet flange was rusting, and the subfloor was rotting, so I pulled up the subfloor around the toilet, and replaced the drain pipe with ABS, and an elbow. The plan is to tile this bathroom. So my…
MarkD
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Disable the LG washer/dryer melody at end of the cycle?

Title is the question, the loud melody is obnoxious. This is a last ditch effort, the manual doesn't provide any information, surprisingly this fairly comprehensive machine doesn't seem to be designed to disable a sound? Is there a cord to cut or…
user289394
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Can you identify this receptacle?

I was walking through a house during the middle of construction and came across what appears to be a recpticle attached to a pvc pipe that seems to pass a low voltage wire. Also connected to the receptacle was a 14 gauge wire.
bigmike7801
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Is there supposed to be a gap between the wall and the roof?

We bought a new house last year. Going up to the loft we noticed there is a considerable gap (5-6 cm) between the roof and the wall, like this: Is it supposed to be like that? It's freezing up there but I'm more concerned about animals entering the…
algiogia
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6 answers

How do I remove these Ikea screws? (studs inside holes)

I bought and assembled an Ikea sofa bed (asssembly instructions here). I'm moving soon and want to take apart the couch to make it easier to lift. Some of the screws needed for the assembly come in 2 parts: the head and the threads. You screw the…
J. Yee
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5 answers

How do I adjust a door so it doesn't swing on its own?

I have a normal door, and left to its own devices it will simply rest about 20-30 degrees. It won't swing shut on its own, nor stay open on its own. It hangs a bit in the middle. Convenient enough to catch you elbow when you're not looking. I'd like…
Will Hartung
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3 answers

One circuit on two 20 amp breakers

Can I put one circuit on two 20-amp breakers? I'm drawing too much power on just one breaker and I'm not able to run a whole new circuit right now.
Thomas Sedwick
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How do I choose between ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms?

I need to change my smoke detectors but I don't know how to choose between ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms. I guess that there are pros and cons to choose one or the other. Should I buy a combination detector that uses both methods?
Alexandre Jobin
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6 answers

Wind from kitchen sink drainage pipe

We live on a windy coast of North Sea. High wind is a norm here. One of the problems I face with the wind: it comes out from kitchen sink drainage pipe. If it is blowy outside, you can feel a draft coming from the drainage pipe. I think the problem…
trailmax
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How to cut drywall over stud?

Let's say I have a hole like this (not my actual hole just one that I found for my situation) As you can see the existing drywall is flush with the 2x4. What I want to do is cleanly cut away enough of the existing drywall (about an inch) on both…
Dean MacGregor
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7 answers

How to cut a rectangle out of a STEEL ruler?

Does anyone know how to cut a hollow rectangle out of a steel ruler? By that I mean cutting a small part out of the standard steel ruler while having the outside part still in tact. So a band saw is out the ballpark. Its for a home project and any…
Joe
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Is it better to waterproof a basement from the outside or the inside?

Is it better to waterproof a basement from the outside or the inside? I've heard different things about this. We have a home built in the 40's on a cinder-block foundation. One side of the house is inaccessible without removing our driveway.
Kyle
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4 answers

When drywalling, do the pros cover electrical boxes, or work around them?

This may be a bit of a subjective question, but I was just thinking about it. I've seen many electrical boxes that are full of drywall compound, often to the point of having to dig the wires out of it so you can use it. To prevent this, should the…
gregmac
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Why won't a LED bulb work in a standard light fixture?

I have a wall fixture in my Brooklyn apartment's bathroom that is my only source of light. A sticker on the fixture says that it is Max 75W. The other day, the 14W / 60W equivalent CFL that was in it since I moved in burned out and I had to replace…
Colin
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What are the differences between these two receptacles?

Residential duplex outlets come in a variety of styles. The two most common seem to be: and Does it matter? Is the difference purely aesthetics, or is there any technical difference?
abelenky
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