Any alternative to tar paper for roof damage from hurricane? As a result of Hurricane Matthew, a roughly 12'x4' area on my roof had the shingles blown off. I found the matching shingles today and bought (2) bundles which should be plenty to cover the area.

In the damaged area, 98% is still covered in the original tar paper and intact. However a small about 6"x8" section ripped up and is exposing the wood. It appears at the big box hardware stores, the only way to get tar paper is in massive rolls (most likely for doing an entire roof). I was wondering if there is any alternative I could use for that very small exposed area like a heavy plastic sheet or something else I can get in a smaller quantity. If tar paper is the only thing I can use than that's fine I'll figure it out, but I figure I'd ask the experts here on the best way to cover the exposed wood and repair these shingles. I work on computers for a living, so extra details in this area as I'm just a weekend handyman for my house is much appreciated.

a product named tyvec woven paper and plastic sometimes used prior to shingles and siding. works well and not to expensive find at most lumber yards, the tar paper is mainly a vapor barrier as far as a small repair as yours i see no reason that a small plastic tarp wouldnt work as long as it is seal to the existing tarp using calking or liquid nails


Is it wrong to connect multiple J-bends (traps) together? My tenants recently told me that they have constant clogging problems with their bathroom sink and had me come take a look at it. I found the following 3-trap configuration:

This was done because the sink is too far to the right for it to mate with the drain in the wall via a standard p-trap configuration. This seems like the wrong solution to me (it was done by a (non-plumber) contractor when I was living out of state). A guy in the plumbing section at Home Depot didn't like it either and suspected that it would lead to clogs.

I replaced two of the traps with one of those flexible pipes and was able to make the connection with the remaining trap being rotated slightly - not ideal, but I'd suppose that two (roughly) 45˚ bends are better than what was there previously. There seemed to be no alternative way to connect the sink to the drain given the 1-1/4" pipes and fittings available at HD.

My Questions:

Is it fair to say what was there before was incorrect and was contributing to the frequent clogging problem?
What is the "right" way to solve this plumbing problem?

Much too much up and down! You want a P trap with an additional angled connector toward the wall.

The first down and up from the sink drain is correct. That is the P trap. It should end with a horizontal leg pointing toward the wall (an L shaped piece).

This will not line up with the opening in the wall because the drain is offset.  Therefor that leg will run a distance and then will use an angle to bend it back toward the wall.

You could use a right angled slip joint connector (running horizontally).

A 45 degree angle would be better (the less sharp the bend, the less likely to stop up).  However it may be hard to fine a 45 degree slip joint elbow. You could use standard pipes and elbows, but these would require glued joints rather than slip joints.

Finally there should be a straight run from the angled connector to the wall connection.

You can rotate the P part of the trap so the L leg coming off the P is parallel to the wall (assuming you are using the 90 degree elbow; if not, adjust accordingly).  Then the elbow turns the drain toward the wall.  Another horizontal run carries the drain back to the wall.

You need to measure the length of the horizontal leg of the P and the length of the connecting run to the wall; be sure to allow for the sections embedded in the elbow and trim each accordingly. Assemble.

It is easier done than described.

first to many pipe lines your flow will not work , all you need is a j-bend flexible pipe set then your flow will be right.


How should I position a motion sensor? When planning motion sensor placement for a security system, is it preferable to install it facing windows, or not?

IR motion sensors can be thought of as a low quality camera with only one color, IR. They are constantly comparing the IR levels across a grid to see when there is a quick change in IR levels. When you look at the housing of a sensor, you can see this grid, and unlike that of a digital camera with mega-pixels, these sensors only have a dozen or so measurement points.

Motion directly towards or away from a sensor will show only a small change in IR at the same point. Therefore, you typically want the sensor position to detect motion from side to side. Locate them in places you need higher levels of security, like your home office, or in places a burglar would have to pass, like a stairway or central hallway. You also want them positioned that a pet could not accidentally trigger it, either by aiming high or by placing them in parts of the home that would be closed off.

Also, since these sensors are detecting a change in heat, avoid pointing them towards HVAC vents or other sources of quick temperature change. And avoid pointing them towards windows since IR can pass through glass (though various coating on newer windows should reduce this problem).

You want to point it at the area that you predict an intruder would be most likely to move/travel.  Windows and doorways would be among the prime locations for that.


Can I connect the exhaust vent from my range hood to the existing ceiling exhaust fan vent? I recently bought a condo that I discovered after the fact to have a "Recirculating Range Hood" over my gas stove. My smoke alarm consistently sounds off when I cook.

My HOA has denied multiple requests to install a exhaust system that will vent to my patio because I can't make a new hole in the stucco wall inside my partially enclosed patio.

I have a small room connected to my kitchen that has a ceiling exhaust fan that expels onto the patio. The gas dryer also has an independent exhaust line that vents to the patio as well.

Is there anything wrong with taking the ceiling exhaust in my laundry room and rerouting it about 10 feet to my kitchen to use as a range hood exhaust?

Your condo violates Code and is unsafe, and your HOA consists of idiots

First off -- your condo's existing setup, with a recirculating hood over a domestic gas appliance, is quite clearly a Code violation and a flagrant safety hazard, as IFGC 503.3 strictly prohibits the recirculation of gas appliance exhaust due to the unacceptable CO buildup that would otherwise occur:

  503.3 Design and construction Venting systems shall be designed and constructed so as to convey all flue and vent gases to the outdoors.

Second, that ceiling exhaust in the laundry room likely was installed to service the dwelling unit -- you'd need to replace that ventilation system in order to reuse the existing exterior penetration for the range hood duct, and that leaves you back where you started.

However, if you can have an engineer analyze your ventilation situation as per Chapter 4 of the IMC and determine that the vent fan in the laundry room is indeed not necessary to provide Code-compliant ventilation to the dwelling unit as a whole, then you can disconnect the ductwork from the laundry room vent fan and reuse that penetration for the range hood, provided that the duct meets the conditions given in IMC 505.1 for domestic range hood ducts:

  505.1 Domestic systems Where domestic range hoods and domestic appliances equipped with downdraft exhaust are located within dwelling units, such hoods and appliances shall discharge to the outdoors through sheet metal ducts constructed of galvanized steel, stainless steel, aluminum or copper.  Such ducts shall have smooth inner walls, shall be air tight, shall be equipped with a backdraft damper, and shall be independent of all other exhaust systems.

Maybe his range hood is not even recirculating. The first house I bought had a range hood. I thought it would be nice to duct it outside, but when I started to take it apart I found that it had already been configured that way, so it was actually doing nothing at all. After contemplating the project for a while, I just configured it for recirculation, and that turned out to be enough.


Can I connect a portable generator to a subpanel to backfeed my house? I have a portable 6500 W generator. I have a main house electrical panel and a subpanel in my garage, which are on opposite sides of the house.  My subpanel is on the outside wall of my garage.  The main panel feeds the subpanel.

I would like to connect the generator to the subpanel which would then feed the main panel
and then I can decide which breaker (main breaker-OFF) to shut off and which to keep on.

Can this be done? What do I need and how do I do it?

NO.
You'll likely end up backfeeding the grid, which can easily lead to linemen being injured or killed.  A generator should never be connected to the electrical system without a proper transfer switch being installed.

If the main 200 amp from street is turned off to prevent back flow, why couldn't one wire a 240/120 generator receptacle below a sub panel?
 When AC is restored, I unplug the generator. Shut off dedicated double pull 50 amp breaker in garage sub, and turn on the 200 amp mains to street.
Works for me......


How to install wall mount corner sink? I'm installing a sink in a 3x4 powder room. There's no room for pedestal or legs, so it must be a wall mount. The chosen sink has no overflow. I'm in Toronto, Canada.

How would I install the sink? What type of bracket? hinges? And plumbing pipe?

The arched notches in the rear skirt are intended to accept heavy bolts with rubber pads and washers.

Be sure that you have solid backing where the bolts will need to go. Install two-by lumber, wide face forward, between studs where needed. Be sure they're well anchored.
Finish your room. Paint should be complete and well cured.
Install the sink by carefully locating the bolts to align with the sink notches. I'd put rubber or plastic sleeves over 7/16" bolts, and use neoprene rubber and stainless steel fender washers to secure to the inside face of the sink skirt. Leave the bolts about 1/4" loose when hanging the sink, the snug them slightly against the skirt. The bolts should be piloted properly and extend at least 2" into the wall.
Optionally caulk along the wall. Use the smallest bead necessary to create a good seal and nice appearance. An acrylic with silicone should last well and is paintable.
If the drain assembly that comes with your faucet doesn't work out, look for a standard 1-1/4" assembly with full-length threads. Otherwise it's a typical P-trap installation. That's well covered in other questions on SE and throughout the internet.

Product brochure

fix a bracket to wall and anchor the sink to it


Why is there no water after replacing the filter in a Samsung refrigerator? I just replaced my refrigerator (RFG297HDBP) water filter with a genuine Samsung replacement filter. However, with the new filter in, I get a short burst of water, then no more water. I can pull out the filter and reinstall it and the same thing happens ( I have pulled it out and screwed it back in about 20 times so far). I put the old filter back in and now it is has the same problem. My guess from the sound of it is that the filter is filling up with water during the turning process, but once it gets to the lock, no more water is able to pass into the filter. Has anyone else experienced this? How should I fix it?

We had the same problem as everyone else. Installed a new filter (not a Samsung filter). After we installed the new filter there was no water. Tried the old one again and same thing, no water. We tried everything and could not figure what the problem was. Finally we unplugged the refrigerator and waited a few minutes. Plugged it back in and voila, we had water! Evidently something needed to reset itself.

The answers is to wait about 10 to 20 minutes and water will start to flow. That is it.

I tried this after uninstalling and reinstalling the filter many times, finally I waited 20 mins after installing before trying to dispense water and it worked perfectly.


How do I fix a crooked inside corner drywall line? I recently removed a fireplace and added new drywalls to open areas that were behind the fireplace.
I also added drywall tape to the inside corners, and metal corner beads to the outside corner. Only the new drywall areas (and a couple of inches above them) have the new corner bead and tape. I tried my best to make sure the new drywalls and tapes are installed correctly and are even all around... same with the mud work. But, I've noticed an issue with the inside corner on the right side. As you can see in the pictures the bottom side of the corner is not aligned with the top part.
What are my options at this point? Which compound would be best to fix the unevenness and the corner line?
Should I continue on and prime it and see how it turns out? Should I apply some mud to make the line more straight? Should I remove the drywall tape and try again, or add another tape to fix the line?
I'm a beginner to taping and this is really my first project, I've got the necessary tools including a 45min quickset, a different CGS sheetrock pre-mix compounds: multi-purpose, light-weight, and dust control types. I also have some sparkle but I don't think that is helpful here.
And I have the 2", 4", 6" and 12" knives. I've also got the inside and outside corner knives in case they are needed.

Before:

No need to mess with the tape job. It's just a matter of filling the depressions on each wall that create that wiggle. The easiest way is to completely repair one wall, then the other. It can get frustrating to try and do both at once, but it's possible. Your 12" knife isn't quite ideal, but it'll do. A 16" or wider knife or trowel would be great.
If you slide your knife against the adjacent wall into the corner you'll see that its edge creates a bridge over the recess. That's the level to which you want to fill. Lay some all-purpose or topping joint compound into the area. Press it in well, then work it out from the corner. Pull your knife out along the wall and scrape the mud flat. Use firm pressure but keep your knife no closer to the wall than about 60 degrees. You don't want it to flex into the trough you're trying to fill.
Always apply too little mud as opposed to too much. It's way easier to apply more later than to sand a mound down and deal with the mess. A fan makes drying times quick. Keep checking the level using your knife as a straightedge across the depression. At the end, give the whole area a thin skim to flatten any lingering divots.
When it comes time to sand, use a screen on a large pad. Don't use small sanding blocks.  They tend to dig into some areas more than others, degrading your flat surface. Use long, light strokes across the depression just until all imperfections are gone.

If you don't already have one get this drywall tool:
To use it: apply as much of an even coat of compound along both side of the corner (top to bottom). Press tool into corner at a slight angle and run it so as to spread and level the compound.
You may have to feather the compound with your 10-12 inch Spackle tool horizontally, but the corner tool will give you sharp and even corner lines.


Does replacing an electrical junction box require the wiring to be brought up to code? I live in Sparks, Nevada and the 2011 National Electrical Code applies to me.

I am installing a new bathroom fan on a separate circuit from the existing bathroom circuit. I want to change the existing light switch's 1-gang junction box to 2-gang to accommodate the new fan switch. However, the existing wiring on the old switch is not up to code (the wires are not long enough to extend 3" outside the box and the sheathing does not extend 1/4" into the box).

Will the inspector require me to bring the existing wiring (which I am not modifying, just putting in a new box in the same place) up to code to add my new switch?

Anything you arent modifing falls under the grandfather act. You will need to rerun or make a splice in a box in the attic (where ever it is being fed from) to extend the wire to the switch and fan to bring it up to code. You shouldnt need a permit to install a fan. If you do, it just a waste of 300 bucks


How can I fix a door that is leaning into my bathroom? My bathroom door is leaning into the bathroom. The bottom of the door will touch the frame before the top does. Not sure what is causing it.  It looks like a 2-3 degree tilt into the bathroom from the bottom to the top of the door.

If it's a wooden door, the door leaf could have warped/twisted. Quite often you can (if you have the space e.g. a workbench) cramp the door up so that it is twisted the opposite way, leave it for a few days and then when you release the cramps the door will spring back to a position where it is (substantially) flat.

If the door is already flat, then it may be that it has been hung incorrectly and you would need to recut the hinges most likely.

If you want a quick/easy fix, just reset the door jamb.  The jamb is the 1 x 1/4 moulding that the door hits when it is closed.  This can be removed and a new one added where the door actually closes.  As long as the door isn't too far out of line, no one will ever notice.


How can I stop this drain pipe from backing up? In my basement laundry room is (to my knowledge) the only drain pipe in the whole basement, which hooks into the end of the main line as it exits the house and heads to the septic tank. When we moved in a year ago the drain was loosely plugged by an expanding ring cap. Never having owned a house before I didn't think much of it, but soon enough I learned what it was and why it was there, when a liter or so of black sludge backed up and forced the cap off and nearly ruined the carpet outside the room. Needless to say the smell was horrid. We cleaned it up as best we could and I snaked it five times (and two more from a toilet downstream [installed right onto the main drain line]), but nothing was draining, so we called a plumber.

The plumber took a much larger snake to it and eventually got it flowing again (after ripping out the toilet and snaking it from both directions) but couldn't identify the source of the clog. Meanwhile all the material that was coming up looked like mostly-decomposed food (though nothing we actually eat strangely enough) mixed with the sludge. We also noticed that running any water in the house except the aforementioned toilet caused the sludge level to rise in the drain.

Now the kicker - despite flushing the drain out with buckets of water every few days, a year later it has happened again. We took the same actions to clear it up, but still have no idea what the source is or how to fix it.

The drain itself smells awful, and has since day one (they had it masked with an air freshener when we moved in) so I'm sure it's an ongoing problem, but I'm clueless how to fix it without literally ripping up the basement to replace the pipe.

Can anyone offer advice on how to solve this issue or at least theorize on what the cause is?

The plumber you had out kind of left you hanging.  He should have put a camera down there to give you more details on what is going on.

Basically your septic tank is backing up or you have an issue with the main line.  It could be slight collapsed or pinched or have roots growing in it or whatever.

So your first step is to have someone come out with a camera to tell you what the issue is.  For something ongoing though like this I am guessing you have a pretty big job so brace for the worst.  From your symptoms I am going to guess you have an old clay main line that is broken/collapsed.  To replace this it involved a lot of jackhammering, digging and moving concrete.


How do I measure a standard sliding glass door? We are going to hire somebody to replace our sliding glass patio door. Its a standard sliding glass patio door, similar looking to this:

I am going to buy the replacement door at auction, but first I need to know exactly what size door I need. I searched how to measure this online, but there appears to be contradictory advice on what the proper way to measure a patio door is.

Is there a proper way to measure the size door I need without removing the existing door first? Please include pictures if possible and define your terms if they are not terms a layman could understand.

What you need to know is the rough opening size. This is the dimensions between the vertical studs and the horizontal dimension from the floor to the bottom of the header. You may have to remove some trim to see these components. If you are going to have a contractor install the new door, have that person give you the proper measurements for the replacement door. You can always go slightly smaller, but not larger.

Most 6'8 doors are 79 1/2 tall by 59 1/2 wide or 71 1/2 wide.


How can I reduce the humidity in my home? Moisture inside my home fills up moisture bucket within a month, and the furniture and anything on the ground has green mildew/mold growing.

When the humidity is high the tile floors on the screened porch are completely water logged (I mean not just a little condensation, the floor looks like it is flooded).

Black mold is growing on the ceiling of the bathroom despite the window being open for ventilation.

If your house is too humid, it's because too much moisture is entering it. To fix that, you need to find the source of the moisture and reduce or eliminate it.

There are lots of places the moisture could be coming from. Humid air might entering your house from your crawlspace or basement (especially if you get water pooling after heavy rains), leaks in your roof, or leaky pipes are all common causes.

Jesus, don't breath too deep, LOL.

The problem is your house is too cold, so it is causing excessive condensation.

So, your choices are either to turn the heat up and make the house a lot warmer, like 80-degrees +...

Or you can get an industrial strength, whole-house dehumidifier, and I can tell you that thing will suck down electricity like nobody's business. You will have the Feds raiding you because they think are running a grow house if you install one of those things.

Another strategy would be to use better air management. The idea is to restrict the flow of air into the house. For this to work you have to have a really tightly sealed house, so if it is not new construction you can forget this. If it IS new construction, try to find out where air is infiltrating and carefully control it and dehumidify it.


Do you know any switches which turns on/off based on day light? I am looking for having some sensor based switches which will turn on/off the lights based on the light conditions during the day (i.e. turn on when there is less light and turn off when there is more light)

Also, is there a way to connect this switch with multiple light source?

Please let me know.

I was just looking at light switches last night at Home Depot.  There's enough options to make your head spin.

Photosensitive light switches are mainly used for outdoor applications, but some look like they should do fine indoors if oriented properly.

Automatic Dusk to Dawn Light Control - Screws into a light socket

Photocell Light Control Indoor Plug-in - Plugs into an outlet

By using light dependent resistor & Triac circuit, you can Turn on/Off appliances depending on intensity of light.


Ryobi snowblower stalls seconds after starting So I've had a small Ryobi snowblower (40v, 20 in brushless model).
Been working fine for a few years now .. but just today I took it out, started it up .. and it immediately stalled. I hadn't yet started hitting snow ... just start it ... wait 2 s, stalls.
The "scoops' or whatever you call them are spinning .. (confirmed by having a 2nd person watching from in front) .. both batteries are showing full charged and I've tried both batteries.

I'm not sure what else to check or try ... hoping I don't need a trip to repair shop :)

Ok so I was unable to troubleshoot this on my own, and I checked the batteries out a few times, they seemed perfectly fine.  So took it into the shop, turns out the problem was a burned out motherboard.  Fixed under warranty, so that's good.

Just wanted to post the update here for anyone else encountering similar symptom.

Batteries are fine, no issues with them.

Cheers!

I would try brand new batteries.  When Lithium batteries fail they act like this.  The on-board electronics that indicate status are not that reliable.


Grounding Rod for Residential application I currently live in Florida, where the soil is basically sand and clay. My question is: how should my grounding rod for my house be installed?
I've managed to dig up the grounding rod that was installed by the builders, and it looks suspicious. It is a corroded (I believe copper) rod that is jetting out of the foundation of the house horizontally, and buried about 4 inches deep. The main copper wire (ground wire) from the house is loosely wrapped around the corroded rod. Something tells me this is not the correct way to install a grounding rod. Can anyone tell me if this is normal, or just a case of the builders not knowing what they are doing?

This is a ufer ground or a concrete encased electrode. There should be a listed connector that connects to the rebar. To repair this wire brush the rebar and get the correct size clamp for the rebar size, tighten the clamp to the rebar then attach the copper to the clamp at the screw. These clamps are usually brass with a stainless screw, the rebar will get rusty but a ufer ground is the best method for grounding due to the large foundation area that is in contact with earth. If you want you can add a driven rod right next to the rebar it sounds like the wire may be long enough but a clamp to the rod will also be needed. Even though the rebar is rusty this is a superior grounding method so clean it up and use it even if you decide to add a driven rod.

I would certainly replace it with a new 8 foot ground rod with a proper clamp or better yet have it CAD welded.
......
Florida requires a minimum of a 8 foot ground rod and #6 solid copper ground wire.
......
Ground rods are copper plated steel so yes, they will corrode over time.


Proper header size for a 10 foot span, non load-bearing wall I am wanting to add a divider wall in my garage to separate a work space from the parking area. I got a great deal on a 10 foot wide by 7 foot tall roll-up door. I framed my basement when finishing it, but nothing this wide. All documentation I have found on header sizing refers to load-bearing walls. This one will be self-sufficient and attached to existing walls and the existing ceiling. Any advice on how large the header need to be and how many jack studs?

You don't need a header, except to provide a "space" for your new overhead door to roll-up into. A header is to hold something "up". This is non-bearing, so you could use studs to create the space down from the roof (or ceiling) for the roll-up door to roll-up into. The load that you need to resist is the horizontal force on the "wall" above the new door. I'd use a double 2x6 laid flat at the head of the opening. (The door is not supported by the "header" either.)

I'd use 2-2x4 "jack studs"...just for stiffness on each side of the opening. (Technically, I guess they're not "jack studs".)

Doubled 2x10s, either sandwiched or in a U configuration, and with a bottom plate to match the wall thickness (2x4 or 2x6). Even though it's not carrying a roof load, anything with less height is likely to sag.

If you wanted to go cheap you could use a single 2x10 and notch your pin studs down to the plate. It would still be stiff enough vertically, though it may want to bounce a bit more horizontally.


What are the small raised bumps on exterior painting? I just had my house repainted. I hired the highest rated contractor on google in this area and paid more than regular.
Today when I had a close look at the wall, I noticed quite a few small dots.

There are less dots on most of area but it is a common problem can be seen on many places.
The wall was pressure washed. Looks like they are not dirt particles.
Is it normal on exterior painting? I need to make sure this is a failure or not before I communicate to contractor....

First, you made a big mistake.  You relied on Google reviews.  It's known by everyone that the reviews are completely unreliable.  Google is one of the worst rating systems.  Yelp is much more accurate but you also have to be careful.  Currently, no rating system is even close to perfect so you have to look at several rating systems and read them to find out if they are fake.  For example, if you find tons of 5-star reviews in the same month, it's obvious that the company paid a company in China to write the reviews or they are even writing the reviews themselves!
This even occurs on Amazon.  You would think it's harder because you have to be a registered buyer with a credit card.  Not so.  Amazon is trying but not very hard to figure out a way to stop it but with the number of products out there, it's a losing battle.  You'll notice a lot of relatively new Amazon product releases with 5 star reviews in the 1st year.  If you are sharp enough, you'll notice that sometimes many of the names are foreign sounding.  Then, after you purchase the product and after one year of use, it doesn't turn out as you expected, you'll notice that the Amazon rating for that producted has plummetted to 3 or 4 stars as the recent 1 or 2 star start to average out the ratings.  It's a scam.  Companies will pay like $5 a review to people to write reviews because it creates a lot of money for them.
Now, Google doesn't even filter out the reviewers so the reviews are even more manipulated.  The company can write the reviews themselves!  As I said before, if you are sharp enough, you'll even notice that many of the reviews occur in spurts.  Just don't use Google as a method to find contractors.
The dots are not normal and you should say something.  There are a ton of reasons why the dots appeared.  It could be the humidity, quality of the paint, how they painted it on, etc.  They are air bubbles that haven't popped.  It may or may not be their fault.  For example, if the material is porous, it has more of a tendency to do that.  One brand of paint might cause it and another might not with that type of substrate.  Nevertheless, you need to tell the painter to go back and sand it out and paint it again.  In painting contracts, there is an expectation of a certain level of finish.  In the tier of finish wasn't stated, then it's expected that the finish is relatively smooth.  And, when I say finish, I don't mean gloss, semi-gloss, etc.  I am referring to something like this.  This refers to drywall but you can probably find the exterior paint version of it.  You have to pay a lot to get a level 5 finish.  This means it's absolutely smooth with no sign that skim coating was done.  But, it's reasonable to expect a level 3 finish which is a relatively smooth finish.
Did you put use a high gloss finish?  After they sand it, don't just allow them to paint over it and just feather the edges.  It'll flash.  This means that due to the component in the paint that makes it shiny, you can tell where they painted another layer.  On the other hand, you can cut them a break and don't require them to repaint an entirely new coat since it's outside.  It's up to you to decide to make a big deal of it.  I'm kinda' anal so I would make them paint that entire side of the wall again.
Just to let you know, I stay away from high gloss.  You really can't paint over it again.  Why?  Because it doesn't come off and when you paint over it, it starts to look globby.  Yes, it lasts longer but the next time you paint it, it looks not so good.  By the third layer, it looks terrible.  Yes, it looks great the first time, especially on trim but you need to think about the long-term that no one does.  If you don't know what I mean, go to any old house and look at the paint job.  You will almost definitely see places where they used hi gloss paint.  You'll see that those areas look so globby.  It's because age and weather will not remove that gloss paint although it will dirty it.  When you then put another layer to it, it builds up and up and up.  If you use something that is more matte, yes you will have to paint it earlier but that is the cost of keeping it beautiful for the long-term.
And, please leave a honest review about them on Google, Yelp, and others.  If they do a horrible job, please post that this did so and mention that the other reviews are probably fake.  As long as you are honest, they can't sue you.  I have been threatened with lawsuits and I laugh at the lawyers.  Some actually sue me and I countersue for a frivilous lawsuit and they lose big time.  They can't threaten you for speaking out.  That's one of the biggest protections in the Constitution.  Just report honestly.
Unfortunately, I admit that many times, my honest review of their poor performance sometimes does not have any effect.  But, you try your best to make the world a better place.  Do what's right.


How can I mount a television with wiring in the wall behind? My husband and I are mounting a tv. The stud finder shows some type of electrical wires by the stud we need to drill into. How can we safely drill into this stud without nicking any wires? Or should we just avoid the area in general?

The only way to be absolutely sure is to cut an access hole and get a visual on it. If you hit a wire, it will need to be opened up anyway. If you have access to a small inspection camera, you could get away with drilling a much smaller hole.

It's always better to drill into a stud without any wires in the immediate area. If you can move over another 16" to the next stud. Or use one of the many reliable heavy duty hollow wall anchors for one anchor point and use a non-wired stud for the other you should be alright. There are hollow wall anchors that will support 75 lbs and up.  In other words, generally, all of the anchors for a wall mounted tv do not have to necessarily be in studs.

However, if that won't work for you you can drill into the wired stud with caution. Sometimes wiring will be stapled to the side of the stud (However, see my comment below on wiring that runs through studs). With the stud finder you should be able to identify the side of the stud that the wire is on.  So when going into the stud you will want to make sure you hit center and not the edge so it's good to invest in a reliable stud finder. A single stud will be 1.5 inches wide. As long as you're careful in identifying the stud edges you should be okay.

Importantly, you'll want to turn off the power to the house before you drill.

*Bad oops on my part. I rushed this answer and neglected to address wires running horizontally through studs in walls. They are not always shielded by metal plates on the face of the stud and this area should be avoided. If you have to drill into the stud be sure to go at least six inches above or below the wire pass-through. Current must be off when drilling near any concealed wiring. Thanks to all of you astute StackExchangers for correcting me on this. *


Is painting rough cut wood a reasonable way to smooth it a little? I have some rough cut wood, I don't have a plane, I want to turn them into some crates for storing beer.

Could I just paint them?

Painting rough cut lumber will only smooth out the irregularities a very marginal amount. It will take many coats to smooth it out any significant amount. Plus, depending on how rough your rough cut lumber is, you may have trouble with adhesion.

I'd at least hit your wood with a 60 or 80 grit sandpaper to remove the roughest parts.

No. Sanding with progressively rough to medium to fine sand paper. Wipe down dry to remove all dust before applying polyurethane, paint, etc.


How to dig a trench for a cable for a garden office I'm trying to dig a trench for the electrical cable for a shed/office I'm building in my back garden. This is about 7 m long and should be 0.5 m deep. My soil seems to be about 5 cm of soil/turf and then soil which is full of gravel, stones and building waste like bricks, etc. What is the best way to approach this?

I tried first just making cuts into the soil using a spade to make a narrow slot. That didn't work once I got to the stones.

I also tried using an SDS drill with a 600 mm long chisel bit, but that tends to jam in between the stones and gravel, so I spent a lot of time trying to dislodge it from the ground.

The third technique was with the pressure washer and wet vac, to blast away the soil and suck up the water and smaller stones. This seems to be doing something, but it is painstakingly slow. Since the slot is quite narrow it's pretty difficult to pull up the stones and gravel.

Is there some other piece of equipment I should consider using, or some other technique?

You got a bad roll of the dice. Very good ideas and attempts that would work in more normal soil conditions. The problem is, if you continue then you will likely undermine the soil because that small rock will fall into the hole from the sides. That will be very difficult to back fill properly and over time it will settle and form a slight ditch / depression.

At this point I think I would call it on the attempt to minimize the work and / effect on the yard and just dig a proper ditch. It could still be narrow-ish, the width of a shovel. This will give you the space you need to backfill in layers compacting as you go and in the end (years from now) it will pay off in spades.

Why on Earth are you going to bury this cable? There are some disadvantages:

Do you think it will be safe? Not in, let's say, next 30 years. And even after 3 years you won't be able to find it unless you make a thorough photosession of your work
You won't be able to examine the cable condition in case when something will go wrong. To do this you'll just have to "unbury" the whole cable.

Why not just go by air? The cable can follow the perimiter of your area. For example near the top of your fence? Or just go high over the area, connecting the spire on the shed/office with the main line.

Personally I'd say the 0.5 meter deep is not quite enough to walk barefooted on it in the next 30 years :)


Why does a steel door frame for drywall have a double return/backend Title pretty much says it all, but here is a picture just in case:

I think it has to do with the wall achors but I can't find a definitive answer.

Just to clarify: steel frames for masonry walls only have a single return/backend.

Stiffness is one reason, but not exactly in the way that was mentioned above. That return will prevent waviness as viewed from the room.

Also, raw edges are ugly, even if they return into the wall. They're difficult to caulk, too, as there's no real bond surface--the caulk just falls behind if there's a gap.

The returns add stiffness/rigidity which reduces the chances for oil canning and frame bending when anchoring the frame (I added a small detail below to get this idea across). The added surface area of the return allows for a contact point for inserting backer-rod if necessary. If you have ever tried to caulk a gap that is just completely hollow underneath, you typically end up wasting caulk.


Partially frozen sewer line I think the line running from my house to the municipal sewer system has partially frozen. It's been below freezing here for weeks on end, with no end in sight. I hadn't noticed any problems until I ran a load of laundry today. After the washing machine drained, I found the bathtub was full of sudsy water that had obviously come from the washing machine. Eventually the water drained out, so I'm assuming the ice plug is only partially blocking the line. Should I try running hot water for a while?

I would start with boiling water - a couple of very large pots.  Dump.  If you get any kickback or notice that your water levels stay high repeat a few times.  If you have ice or a blocked line, really hot water helps both.

Normally you would check your water levels in a cleanout or basement drain - from the sounds of it you have a bathtub at your low point or maybe it is at the same level.  Usually I tell people to have one person look with flashlight on drain.  If you see the water levels rise, even a little temporarily then usually there is some sort of blockage - I know that it may be ice in your case.

If the water isn't backing up into tub move on...

Then I would fill showers/sinks/tubs - anything that holds hot/scalding water and fill them until you run out - except for said tub that got the backwash.  Again good to have another person at tub/drain.  Dump everything at once.  If it starts backwashing to tub then stop.  You have to think just after a few times doing this that ice would be thoroughly melted and then you need to troubleshoot like your main line is clogged.

Hot water doesn't work.   It doesn't melt as much ice as the ice can cool the water.   Then there's cold water atop the ice preventing the hot from getting through.

Only works if there is movement in the line.  But then again any temperature of moving water will clear ice.

Use the cleanout to determine where the blockage is.   Apply heat.


Squeaking Shower Pan I decided a few months back to remodel a guest bathroom, and went with a fiberglass/acrylic shower pan.  The pan was put in place on top of a mortar base, and then sealed to it with liquid nails.  At this stage there is now tile on top of shower pan as well, so removing the shower pan would require taking out that row of tile, and likely cutting it out.  The rest of the bathroom however is unfinished.

Unfortunately the pan creaks, and I know if that isn't fixed it will drive me crazy.  It's a brand new bathroom, the tiled wall looks beautiful, and everything else will look like a million dollars, but a creaking acrylic shower pan is going to ruin it aesthetically for me.

What are my options at this point?  Try to salvage the pan with techniques to stop it from creaking (I've read about foam, etc.) or just take it on the chin and rip it out and go with a tiled base?  It'll definitely add to the cost of the project and time, but if I'm not going to enjoy the end product, the money is beside the point.

Thoughts and advice are welcome.

I have never set a shower pan in a mud base, in glue, yes. Whirlpool tubs go in a mud base with building paper first, reinforcing wire on top of that, nailed or stapled in place, then a stiff layer of high strength sand mix cement or mortar piled high and the tub  "settled into" the mud so the bottom of the tub carries the weight, not the edges.

If you did all that with your shower pan so the mud base did not crack, it would not need glue under it. Typically shower pans do not have that much room under them to allow enough mud under them to keep it from dying out too quickly and therefore weakening the mix, that is why glue has been the only thing used that I know of.

In my opinion, without knowing more of the situation, as in not able to hear the type of sound it is making, you will need to pop the pan and reset it. I think the mud base may have been your own idea?


Does the arrangement of breakers within a panel matter or follow any rules? When somebody is installing breakers initially or doing a major remodel, are there rules or restrictions that must be followed in regard to which breaker goes where in the panel spaces?
Obviously dual-pole breakers need to be installed into a spot where they can reach both phases, and any other instructions on the panel labeling must be adhered to. But beyond that, I'm curious if any of these considerations matter or are stipulated in code:

Locate largest rated breakers closest to the main, and 15A circuits farthest away.
Balance (within some threshold) the total breaker ratings on one phase with the other one.
Balance the expected real-life load on each phase. (Is there even a way to calculate that?)
In specific locations (e.g. the two separate kitchen countertop receptacle circuits) put these two circuits on different phases -- if the circuits are not wired as an MWBC.
Group standard, AFCI, and DFCI breakers together.
Group breakers by the rooms they serve, or by circuit type, or by 120/240V, or...

Put another way, if somebody were to pop all of the breakers out of their panel (without unscrewing any of the wire terminals!) and shuffle them all randomly, would they need to apply any sort of code interpretation or common sense to reinstall them correctly?

While we're discussing bad technique, let me hit the awful practice of "Mister Snippy", snipping the wires short so they can only reach the breaker they're on right now (or the neutral bar).  Mr. Snippy thinks he's impressing the inspector with wild overinterpretation of NEC 110.12.  Actually they're dooming the panel to a bad hair day of wire nut extensions, when changes inevitably need to be made later.

Locate largest rated breakers closest to the main, and 15A circuits farthest away.

This is a very bad idea for two reasons. First, as Jeff Wheeler discusses, you're dancing with the devil on Stab Limits. I recently saw a panel with a 40/40 quadplex across from a 30... and the OP wanted to change the 30 to a 30/50.  If you don't see a problem there, read Jeff Wheeler's answer.
So the idea of crowding the biggest up top, abeam of each other, is a terrible idea.
Second, about three 2-pole double-spaces should be "reserved" if you will, for things that actually have a need to be there -- generator interlocks (particularly "across" interlocks such as Siemens ECSBPK01), surge suppressors, solar, that kind of thing.   I'm not saying "don't use them", but anything you put there should be easily moved.  A second warning to Mr. Snippy.

Balance (within some threshold) the total breaker ratings on one phase with the other one.

The trip value?  Pointless.  No gain to it. Prioritize other things.

Balance the expected real-life load on each phase. (Is there even a way to calculate that?)

That makes a lot more sense.  You just have to think about how houses are being used.  You don't run the dishwasher while you're preparing a meal for instance.

In specific locations (e.g. the two separate kitchen countertop receptacle circuits) put these two circuits on different phases -- if the circuits are not wired as an MWBC.

Yup, or "saw and dust collector".

Group standard, AFCI, and DFCI breakers together.

Unconstructive and useless.  I see it sometimes, but that's just pandering to 110.12, trying to make a panel that looks neat for no good reason.

Group breakers by the rooms they serve, or by circuit type, or by 120/240V, or...

I think the best question to be asking is, "how do I best facilitate people finding a breaker they're in a hurry to turn off?"  That being the reason they have switch throws instead of just reset buttons.

There really isn't a code issue on where to install various breakers, but most of what you said is a preference.  Best practice is to install the highest rated breakers as close to the main as possible. Other than that, its mostly a preference.
On your 4th bullet point, regarding putting kitchen circuits on different phases is a good idea, "unless a MWBC".  Given your obvious knowledge expressed in the rest of your post, I'm thinking that's a typo.   A MWBC MUST  be wired to opposite phases.
One more thing:  bear in mind that each phase in a 200 amp panel can supply 200 amps. (edited from previous error).  So even if all kitchen circuits were on the same phase and you were running a toaster, waffle maker and coffee pot at the same time, you'd only be drawing about 30 amps. Sure, it's a good idea to put the kitchen circuits on separate phases, but don't worry too much about it or over think it.


Why are “Wire Nuts” not used in the UK? I have never seen a wire nut used in the UK, but they seem to be very common in the USA, why?

In Brief

Twist-on connectors have a bad history in the UK.
The UK traditionally relies on screw-terminal connectors.
UK Electricians are conservative.
UK junction boxes, switches, ceiling-roses etc contain enough built-in connectors that additional loose connectors are not normally needed.
Newer types of lever-action, squeeze-to-open or stab connector blocks are possibly more popular alternatives.

Twist-on connectors

The Wikipedia article on twist-on connectors suggests they were outlawed in the UK 50 years ago. No references are given. It is suggested that 50 years ago the ("Scruit" brand) twist-on connectors were made of ceramic and were liable to crack and expose the wires.

UK Electricians are a conservative group. Vendors of novel products have to go to considerable length to persuade them that their products meet the relevant legislation.

An Ideal Industries Inc. catalogue says

  Conforming to BS EN 60998 Twister® wire connectors fully
  comply with BS 7671:2008 (17th Edition Wiring Regulations).

However, it isn't uncommon to see strenuous efforts on the part of manufacturers to persuade UK electricians that novel products meet regulations. E.g. Wagobox and Ezybond earth fasteners Some of these novel products more or less disappear from the market within a few years, others succeed.

Screw-terminal-blocks

In the UK, electricians almost invariably use screw-terminals.

ruler is marked in cm with mm subdivisions

The white translucent screw-connector block in the foreground is a typical example. This one is rated for 5A. Other sizes are available for different current ratings.

An electrician left behind the other connectors in this picture. I suspect they were used for temporary connections during installation. I've not seen any in a completed installation (but I'm only a householder not an electrician, so have very limited experience)

The "Marr No.1" connectors at back right  look superficially similar to US wire-nuts but are very different. The metal insert is removed and a grub nut is used to clamp the wires, then the plastic insulator is screwed over the connection.

The "Legrand 10mm2" connectors at top left may be for higher current ratings. Note that the plate that presses on the wires is arranged so as not to exert any twisting force on the conductors. Perhaps this avoids damaging stranded conductors. It certainly prevents the conductors being pressed to one side of the screw and therefore not being securely clamped in place.

An obvious advantage of these connectors is that the wires can be removed intact and should usually not need trimming before reconnection. I have the impression that in the US, wire-nut connections are often removed by cutting the wires, which may leave progressively less and less wire available in the junction-box or back-box for remaking connections.

When more than two wires are to be joined, a slightly different type of screw-connector is used:

Switches, junction boxes and ceiling roses often contain sufficient bult in capacity that you don't need additional connectors:

Newer connectors

Easier-to-use connectors are becoming more common:

Some of these are "lighting connectors" used to join solid-core wires to stranded wires. They are all rated at 20A and at least 300V. They all incorporate a test-port and wire-trimming guide.

It may be that UK electricians looking for novel connectors prefer these to twist-on connectors.

240 Volts everywhere has something to do with it - not a good idea to have wires twisted together. Can't have receptacles or wall switches in bathrooms either.


Using drywall screws for electrical boxes? I am installing the following items:

and I am using regular 1 1/4" drywall screws to secure them.

Is there any concern in regards to shear strength or rot that would make me regret using drywall screws?

I am fully aware of the adage "Drywall screws are for drywall; it's in their name." but it seems like they are more than sufficient for my application.  Especially with the single-gang box because the head will lay flatter making sheetrock easier.

I used drywall screws in the past for electrical boxes and stopped using them when I found that they snap off too easy when using a powered driver to insert the screws. They can also snap if there is any reason that the electrical box can flex. This is all due to the hard tempered nature of drywall screws.

Now I use #8 or #10 pan head stainless steel screws. If possible, when using the #10 size, I will even drill a pilot hole for the screw.

This is the way I see it, I am a flooring installer by trade and I always use premium products that I know I can rely on. I follow the manufacturer's installation procedure and I charge the customer for that. I charge more than most installers out there but you get what you pay for if your lucky. With how much an electrician will charge a customer you are nothing more than a hack if you use inferior supplies and charge a professional wage. That gang box will not last very long if it's in a young boys room who always runs into their room and slaps the switch. That's because the screws are cheap that's why you get so many for such a low price.  If I ever had a electrician who used one sheetrock screw in my house, he wouldn't have time to use a second screw.


Is it better to use two nuts, rather than a single long nut on the bolt? Working on the roof, several J-bolts appeared to have been fastened with more than a single nut. Without exception each such bolt was almost flush to the cement sheet.

I saw this done on a car wheel aeons ago; the original nuts holding the wheel were almost thrice as long as the four nuts.

Is a bolt fastened to more than a single nut less likely to pop open?
Is it better to use two nuts, rather than a single long nut on the bolt?

Two nuts can be tightened against each other so that they won't come loose. A single nut can be tightened against whatever it's holding, and if that's wood, the nut can loosen as the wood changes size with changes in humidity.

Loctite liquid hardener works wonders in most applications, they have a web site for picking the right one for your job


How can I completely remove all traces of mastic from old concrete? My original aim was to end up with a, possibly stained, clear-coated cement floor. After removing old floor tiles, I rented a floor grinder which took care of most of the old mastic. There were still thin spots that remained, so I bought some product at HD that softened the spots for removal, but as others have said, made a friggin' nightmarish mess of it! Will the residue prevent sealers or other coatings from absorbing into the concrete floor? If so, would thinset even stick to these areas? I don't want the expense of tile, but I've about had it trying to clean up this tar-like mastic to clean and clear-coat this floor! Any suggestions? Thanks, Bill

I had an entry way floor some 30 years ago that had old hard vinyl tile glued down in it with the blackish-brown type of adhesive. I wanted to replace that tile with a ceramic floor tile so I peeled out all of the old tile. I then used a wide razor scraper to get most of the old adhesive scraped off.

After that I purchased a few gallons of aggressive paint stripper, opened every window in the house, shut off all gas appliances and pilot lights and poured out a layer of the stripper across the whole floor.

I let it sit for a suitable time (may have been about a half hour or so). Then working some with a wire brush and metal dust pan as a scoop I took up all the goop off the floor.

Finally using a bucket and a large sponge I washed up the whole area with a copious amount of hot water to remove all the stripper residue.

After the floor fully dried the surface was the nicest clean concrete surface you could wish for. I was able to put down the tile setting cement and had no problems with it adhering to the concrete.

clearing a concrete slab is an entirely different process than using it as a base for some other flooring  the key is homogeneity.

to achieve that, on a previously adhered to floor, is to coat it with a layer of new cementious material.  just trowel on 1/4" or so of a good high polymer modified levelling compound (not a self levelling compound) or a tile mortar (flextile 56 or dyna ceraflex 620 works great for this).  let cure and then put down your stain/stains/topcoat.  try to get a topcoat that has the aluminum oxide in it - they wear far better, but they are more money and harder to apply.

you can skip this step if the old flooring was tile or something un-adhered to the concrete, but if what was there previously used any kind of adhesive (as opposed to a mortar), you will get terrible results.  the surface pores of the concrete will be irregularly sealed with the adhesive, even if you use an acid etch or a chemical stripper to remove it.  thats going to give you a very blotchy and heterogeneous finish on the final coating.  and if you use a topcoating paint instead of a stain, it will adhere poorly where those same residues are and wear through differently over time.

this is all assuming you want a clearcoat on top, and not just a paint.  if you want just a painted floor, then just strip and paint - just use a good two component epoxy for best results.


What exactly is a PAR type LED lamp, how does it differ from R/BR type LED & CFL lamps? I am in the process of replacing my incandescent bulbs with more efficient alternatives. My home is about 14 years old, I've owned it for a little over three years. It seems most of the bulbs that it "came with" are original, and since I purchased the house almost every tungsten bulb in a built-in fixture ended up burning out. In particular were the R40 ceiling floods, of which I have 16 in total in the interior. I'd ignored many of them, as I rarely turned most of them on, however when three in my kitchen burned out within a weeks period, I up and replaced the whole lot with EcoSmart (made by Lighting Science) R30 CFL's that offer around 800 lumens.

The initial difference was HUGE. The 14 year old bulbs were extremely dim and VERY orange in color. The CFLs, when fully warmed up, are very nice and bright. I chose cooler colors (3500k and 5000k) which light the place much more naturally (at least to my eyes). The caveat with CFL, as I am learning, is they do not perform well in cooler temperatures. I try to use my heater as little as possible in the winter, generally only heating when the interior temperature drops below 60-64 degrees. All of the CFL R30s I purchased have a common problem, which seems to be common across brands as I've tried TCP, Phillips, and others: Very long warmup time, very low lumens during warmup, and an extreme magenta hue during warmup. The bulbs also do not seem to reach full brightness, and the way the reflectors are designed, the shape of the spiral inside the R30 "can" is clearly visible and appears rather dark.

I've decided to switch to LED, despite the cost. In trying out a few from the local store, they seem far superior to CFL. They start instantly, always produce the same color, are fully dimmable (and seem to dim smoothly unlike CFL), and don't seem to be affected by temperature. I've only ever used R or BR type, however all of the ones at the local store in the color temperatures I prefer are PAR type. The BR type LED floods seem to produce similar quality and diffused light to the CFL's, but the only color I can find are 2700K. What exactly is the difference between an R/BR type flood and a PAR type flood? Additionally, what are the differences between PAR30, PAR38, etc? Are PAR type good for indoor use (in the past, I'd only ever seen a few mentions that PAR type were required for outdoor scenarios, indicating they were better sealed against weather)?

Due to the lack of adequate answers, I decided to research the differences myself and provide an answer to the benefit of the community.

PAR Type Lamps

From a build quality and light control standpoint, PAR type lamps are generally considered superior. The explicit parabolic nature of the reflector means light is more precisely reflected directly out of the bulb cavity, with less dispersion, than an R or BR type lens. PAR type lamps, thanks to the design of the lens in front of the actual light emitting element (which is usually a given with home lighting...PAR in general can referr to a very wide variety of lighting which may or may not have a front lens, including high powered stage lighting). The lens is often fresnel in nature, are often additionally capable of focusing the more accurately reflected light into a brighter, narrower spot. The fact that they have a more precisely crafted lens means they are capable of being designed to emit beams of varying angular degrees wide (anywhere from 12° to 70°), with high intensity narrow beams or more diffuse wider beams, makes them highly flexible.

PAR type lamps are also frequently designed in such a way that makes them viable for outdoor use. Not all PAR type lamps are properly sealed for use in humid climates or areas where rain or other water could intrude upon the bulb, but many PAR type lamps are. This is a key difference between PAR and R or BR type lamps.

In terms of nomenclature, PAR lamps are usually designated with a number. The number of a PAR lamp, such as PAR38, gives the diameter of the lamp in inches. In the case of a PAR38, the diameter would be 4.75" (4 3/4"), or "thirty eight eighths of an inch." Common PAR lamp sizes for home are PAR20, PAR30, PAR38, with the latter being most common.

R Type Lamps

One of the more common types of flood light lamps for use indoors, the R-type lamp is a more cheaply constructed "reflector" type lamp. They are not particularly efficient in any key respect, their design is roughly defined and there are no strict rules or guidelines regarding the reflector. As such, R-type lamps generally produce a highly diffuse light with a broad angle.

They use a similar nomenclature as PAR type bulbs. For example, an R40 is a bulb 40/8ths of an inch in diameter, or 5". The two most common R-type lamp sizes are R40 and R30.

BR Type Lamps

Preceding the CFL and LED age of high efficiency lighting, the BR-type lamp was an attempt to produce a more efficient indoor-use only replacement for R-type lamps. Standing for "bulbous reflector", the design of a BR-type lamp is more strict. The reflector is designed in such a way as to more efficiently reflect light. They still produce fairly soft, diffuse light, however it is reflected in a narrower beam, thus more efficiently utilizing light produced by the internal emitter (filament, LED, or CFL spiral.)

They too use the same eighth-inch nomenclature as PAR and R type lamps. The most common sizes are BR40 and BR30.

CFL and LED R, BR, and PAR type lamps

While the core design of these types of lamps was implemented in the days of tungsten-filament (incandescent and halogen) bulbs, the design is still used for CFL and LED lamps. In the case of CFLs, the actual reflector efficiency is likely suspect (at least in the case of a PAR type lamp), as the design of a PAR lamp, and thus it's efficiency in utilizing light, is dependent on the size and location of the internal emitters. CFL spirals are usually used in CFL-based flood lamps, and CFL spirals are a very different kind of emitter than a filament or LED. LED based flood lamps probably resemble classic filament based flood lamps better than CFLs do.

LED and CFL Light Quality

In some experimentation of my own, LED-based PAR type lamps definitely seem to direct a far greater quantity of their light downward, where as CFL spiral-based lamps still generally produce a more diffused output. Depending on the type of lens in front of the emitter, the quality and shape of the projected light for both CFL and LED PAR type lamps can vary greatly, from caustic refraction to fairly diffuse. CFL R/BR type lamps nicely simulate their incandescent predecessors. LED R/BR type lamps do not seem to diffuse quite as well as CFLs, so if you are looking for diffuse flood lighting, CFL generally has a more pleasing diffusion.

LED PAR lamps definitely produce a greater amount of directed illumination, so if you need to brightly light anything, LED is probably the best choice. LED flood lamps are also usually fully dimmable, "instant" on (sometimes "instant" really means up to a half-second delay before light is actually emitted), and produce far greater consistency of color (CFL color consistency is often rather poor, and during cooler or cold days, CFL floods will frequently brighten, dim to a deep magenta, then slowly normalize as they warm). LED lamps, of all designs, are usually fully dimmable these days as well. Dimmable LED flood lamps are usually dimmable down to 10% illumination, with some from the better manufacturers (such as Lighting Science) often dimmable down to 5%. Dimming quality, smoothness, minimum output and consistency is vastly superior on LED compared to CFL, with no flicker, popping, blinking, or inconsistent dropout as is frequent with dimmable CFL lamps.

In terms of the quality of projected light, BR-type CFL lamps definitely produce a smoothly diffuse light with little visible pattern directly underneath each bulb. PAR type lamps, either CFL or LED, but more so in the case of LED, produce visible refraction patterns under each bulb. I believe this has a lot to do with the design of the lens, and when multiple flood lamps are used along a hall or in a kitchen, diffusion improves. LED PAR type lamps can be very bright, which is nice when you need light.

My Choice and Recommendation

I have chosen to refurnish my kitchen, and eventually my hallways, with Lighting Science 5000k and 3000k (or possibly 4000k) Dimmable PAR38 LED lamps. These puppies are about $34 each, however they have twice the lifetime rating of comparable lamps from all other manufacturers (50,000 hours @ 6hrs per day vs. 25,000 hours @3-6hrs per day). The light is not as diffuse as your standard R-type incandescent, but the color quality is far superior for those who have never much liked the deep orange color of a classic incandescent (the 3000k versions are closer to a halogen in color, and the 5000k produce a nice, clean, crisp neutral white.)

For the highest quality, I recommend the following. Since LED lamps are dimmable, it is recommended to use a dimming switch wherever you use high lumen LED PAR lamps (i.e. 800 lumen or brighter). Personally I use Lutron HED-certified digital dimmers with dimming setting memory. One push of the button and the lights fade up over about a 1.5 seconds to your pre-set brightness level. Another push of the button, and the lights fade to minimum brightness then off over several seconds. With 800 lumen bulbs, setting a Lutron digital dimmer one or two notches down from maximum brightness produces very pleasing illumination, with the added bonus that if you need more light, or wish to add light during the daytime to fully illuminate areas that might generally be in shadow, you have the ability to crank up the illumination beyond that pleasing level.

If anyone came upon this page looking for stage/studio/video lighting PAR can info, the answers here will be equally helpful to you. So, yes you can interchange some bulbs depending on what the wattage min/max are, especially in home lighting.

But when it comes to stage/studio applications, the best thing to know is that you can dim incandescent, halogen, and LED lamps, but you CANNOT do so with fluorescent lamps/bulbs. (You can also run halogen utility light trees with dimmers too.) That is important to know in stage/studio situations. So, CFL's are a no-no with dimmers. Besides, they lack color consistency and control. Small rooms used for video production benefit the most with being able to dim your PAR can lighting, if that's what you're running.

As always, watch your building's amperage and what rooms and receptacles carry in max power. Don't blow your circuits!


Why did my electrician put metal plates wherever the stud is drilled through? My electrician put the metal plates pictured below wherever he drilled through a stud. My guess is that this strengthens the stud, because it was weakened by the holes he drilled.

Studs with metal plates added:

What are these metal plates?
Why are they used?
Is this good practice?
What are the alternatives?

This is excellent practice. These plates help guard against someone accidentally drilling into the wire when mounting things on the wall.

Nothing to do with strength of the stud. Everything to do with protecting the wire.

A necessary safeguard in this case because the wires come too close to the edge of the stud - vulnerable to drills, screws, and nails.

Not normally required if the wire is in the center of a regular 2x4 (should never need to drive a nail or screw that deep).


Do vertical cracks in old plaster wall along studs indicate a structural problem My house was built in 1908 and still has its original plaster walls. One of the upstairs bedroom's wall has vertical cracks from floor to ceiling along the studs-3 studs in a row in the center of the room and another two studs from the corner. I had some plaster work done downstairs last summer and the plasterers were awesome-they showed me how to re anchor loose plaster so that's what I was going to do here. However, most of the other cracks I've had were diagonal and not so extensive. It makes me wonder what's going on behind the plaster to make cracks like these. I don't want to bother fixing them if there's a larger problem that should be addressed.

I'll add that our central air conditioner air handler is directly above this wall. Perhaps it's too heavy and is putting stress on the wall?

So, are the vertical cracks along the studs signs of a major problem or is it just a coincidence?

The pocket door that is dragging the floor is the best indicator perhaps of what is going on. If it is original to the house means one thing, if it is a newer install as in not original means something different.

If painting the wall covers the crack you are asking about, tells me they are very small and there is most likely no concern. Old houses move, Plaster walls don't like to move and when they do, you will get settlement cracks, which it sounds like what you have here. The again if the pocket door is an add on or part of a remodel, that will affect the wall. Still no concern. The door that is dragging the can be from a few possibilities. The header supporting the track failed. I don't think so, your wall you asked about would have worse cracks. The track may have become detached from the header and the door dropped. (poor workmanship)

It may be good to post another question with pictures about the pocket door. That appears to me to be more of an issue than the cracks in the wall.

Sometimes the cracks can be a indication of termites or carpenter ants damaging a small section. It can also be an indication of a leak in the wall. I would start by inspecting the exterior footings looking for critter damage. If there is no evidence of critters or leaks, and no change in the exterior siding (cracking or bowing) is this above the area that was repaired? It could be some settling.


What is the proper way to run ethernet cable along walls and doors I'm living in a two bedroom apartment. The cabling from the ISP enters the house in the living room and this is where my modem/router hookup is.

The problem is that I have trouble getting decent internet speeds in one of the bedrooms. I'm not sure if this is due to the router I'm using (this one) or the layout of the house, but I've decided to try to run an ethernet hookup from the living room to the bedroom. The problem is that I'm renting the apartment and my landlord wouldn't be too keen on me doing anything to the walls or floors to run the cable discretely.

The only other option I can think of is to run the cable exposed along the walls and floors. However, I need some way to protect the cable from being stepped on, chewed by the dog, etc. The section of exposed cable would probably only be around 15ft. I'm thinking about using some cord covers like these to cover the cable up. Has anyone had experience with these? How are they?

I have used those cord covers.  They are pretty easy to use and fairly stiff so they protect the cable.  The adhesive they come with sticks pretty well.  I'd try to keep them on the baseboards and moldings rather than the drywall so you can clean up any adhesive residue when you remove them.

I don't think they have the fittings you need for corners, angles, etc.  They don't help at all if you have to cross a floor.  For your application you'd be just as well tucking them in by the baseboard as suggested.

It's really unusual that you can't cover an apartment with one wireless router.  It may be as simple as repositioning the router up high on the wall.  I'd see if you can fix the wireless before bothering with the raceway and all.

If you're renting, I would assume the solution is temporary and you want to leave no lasting marks when you leave. An easy way to do this (if your apartment is laid out where this works) is to just go out and back in through windows.

Another trick is to re-use the holes in the floors/walls made for ventilation. Again, only works if the layout supports it. I've seen ethernet cables run THRU the vents.


How do I float 3/4" plywood sheets over above grade concrete without nailing, screwing or gluing to the slab? I have solid 3/4" oak hardwood strip that I am looking to nail into the 3/4" plywood that I bought for subflooring. I made this purchase over the pre-made systems because this is the greenest plywood I could find and I am very sensitive to some of the adhesives (VOCs, Urea-Formaldehyde etc...) used in lower grade products. The problem is these are plain old 4x8 sheets that do not have and sort of mechanism to fit together. I cannot nail or glue to the concrete since it is a condo. I was hoping a good underlayment will sort of hold things in place (Wishful thinking I know). I need a scheme to get the plywood down so I can finish my floor.

The concrete is lightweight concrete. I also do not want to pursue a staggered and stacked plywood scheme since I am already adding 1.5" of height to the floor.

Can I just lay the plywood down? Also how big an expansion gap do I need for the plywood subfloor? Is it possible to cut my own groves into the side? Could I maybe staple them together? In the videos I have seen to just tap the boards together.

you can just rabbet each sheet with a halflap type edge (i would make it about 2 inches wide), then glue and screw through both to attach the system together.  a little more work than usual, but relatively simple once you get going. you can build a simple jig for your circular saw out of plywood to ensure it all lines up properly.  if you drill the upper lip on the edge, the screw will suck the joint up and tight.

FYI, if you are going to float ply over a slab, lay down and tape seal a poly vapour (6mil or heavier) barrier before you put down the ply.  this will prevent moisture from being absorbed by the subfloor and oak and avoid rot and warpage.

What about screws?plywood subfloor on concrete


Why Do 240V Circuits Not Require Neutral? Someone told me that a 240V circuit does not require a neutral wire in the cable.  Can anyone explain this phenomenon from the electricity perspective and generally explain why circuits do and do not need a neutral wire?

In a 120/240V single split phase system, the two ungrounded (hot) legs are actually connected to the secondary winding of the distribution transformer. The transformer actually steps down the voltage to 240 volts, so the two legs are a complete 240 volt circuit.

The grounded (neutral) conductor is connected to the center of the coil (center tap), which is why it provides half the voltage.

Therefore, if a device requires only 240V, only two ungrounded (hot) conductors are required to supply the device.  If a device runs on 120V, one ungrounded (hot) conductor and one grounded (neutral) conductor are needed. If a device needs both 120V and 240V, then two ungrounded (hot) conductors and one grounded (neutral) conductor must be used.

If you connect a load between the two ungrounded legs of the circuit, you can see how you have a complete circuit through the coil.

If you connect a load between one of the ungrounded conductors, and the grounded (neutral) conductor. You can also get a complete circuit, though it's only through half of the coil.

Since these circuits only include half the coil, the voltage is also half (Es = EpNs/Np).

All electric circuits require 2 "sides" or "legs" of power regardless of voltage or polarity be it a 12 v DC circuit in a car or a 120 v AC wall outlet or a 220 v dryer outlet.
1 hot leg is 120 volts, 2 hot legs is 240 volts across both legs
with a 120 volt circuit we only use 1 hot leg,  so  what is the 2nd leg going to be if not the other side of power , it being a hot leg?
We use the "neutral"  a neutral  is earth,  earth is ground literally the dirt of the planet
earth is earth. There are only 3 legs or wires entering your home and 2 of them are hot legs,
120 volts each or 230 volts across both.
The reason we cannot merge ground and neutral  after the  service drop is because  ground is supposed to  be an alternative path not a concurrent path to  earth.
It negates its purpose to  merge them after the service drop.
So  basically we need 2 sides or legs of power in any circuit so  if you don't need both hot legs than neutral is your only option.
Grounds were never around in homes outlets until  after the 1950's

ground is an escape ramp  for errant voltage to use rather than use our bodies! should we get in a circuit.

All electric circuits require 2 sides of power,let's call them L 1 and L 2
It can be 2 hot legs of 120 volts as in a 230 volt circuit or 1 hot leg of 120 volts and a neutral leg for the opposite side of power. Earth is Ground and it is also Neutral, in Europe they refer to Earth as Ground. Either way all electric circuits require 2 sides or legs of power be it 1 hot leg or 2, if one that requires the Neutral leg to  complete the circuit.  Ground and Neutral are  Earth,  Earth is what it sounds like it is the soil/dirt of our planet. Older systems had no grounds , grounds are for safety only and as a result is not to be merged with the Neutral beyond the service drop as it is to be an alternative path to Earth/ Ground, if they are merged ground is no longer an alternative path just a concurrent path to  earth.
Earthing- Assuring the voltage between equipment and EARTH will remain non-lethal even during non-typical conditions such as faults or lightening.

Ground- [Assuming you meant ground CONDUCTOR.] The conductor intended to accomplish the earthing of a piece of equipment. Usually done via a bare conductor. It is done because the earth has an inconsistent and often high impedance. I.e. it's a poor conductor.

Neutral- Conductor designed to carry current during normal and abnormal operation. Is usually connected to local power system's ground at the point of supply only, no where else. Thus, is "typically" at a low potential and safe to touch.

During NORMAL operation these can APPEAR quite similar. But the differences are quite significant and should not be trivialized.


Kitchen Cabinets And Dry Wall Screws I've got some kitchen cabinets that were hung using 4", course threaded, dry wall screwed.  At every stud there is a screw at the top and bottom of the cabinet.  Additionally, each cabinet is joined to the one on either side 3-6 3", dry-wall screws.  I hope I'm explaining that correctly.

Anyway, after having/using the cabinets for years, without any problems, I read an article about how bad it is to use drywall screws for anything other than drywall.  I was told by the guy at the Home Depot that my family is seconds away from death because it's a miracle they held at all; and that I need to replace them ASAP, with these 4" 'Gold Screws' he sold me.

I've replaced all of the 4" drywall screws with the gold screws.  My question is about the drywall screws used to keep the face of the cabinets flush....they are only 3" drywall screws; but they've been covered with wood putty and sanded.  The color isn't a perfect match, so I know where they are.  Also, the 4" screws I bought are too long, so I'd have to head back to the store and buy more.  Is this necessary?  Do I risk life and limb by not removing those screws and replacing them with the gold ones?

II would say you are fine (and you may have been fine before, who knows). You have replaced the screws that hold the cabinets to the studs, and those are the ones that hold the cabinets up. The ones in the face just keep the faces flush, so if one ever breaks, do the repair then.
Hope this helps.

You can use drywall anchors like this:

https://youtu.be/kFLxQ9aNlrY?t=76
or the toggle anchor, they are very strong and if installed currectly, 4 of them will probably allow you to sit on that cabinet


Can I install a 220V chandelier from Turkey on a Canadian 110V circuit? I got a 70 years old chandelier from Turkey that is wired in 220V. The seller told me that the electric cable has been recently changed and that it will work in 110 or 220V.

I'm in Canada where the cabling is all 110V. The wiring of the chandelier is different from here and I was wondering if it's safe to use here... And if so, how to install it? My father is working in the home improvement industry and is able to install anything electric related but I want to make checks before.

There are a few things that would make me nervous about doing this:

For a given wattage, bulbs rated for 110 V will draw over twice as much current as those rated for 240 V.  For example, 60 W @ 240 V is 250 mA; 60 W @ 110 V is 550 mA.  Are the supply wires going to be able to carry enough current for as many bulbs and at the wattage you want?  The extra live wire is probably to allow independent control of parts of the chandelier from two light switches, so the limiting factor will be the neutral.
In any light fixture that you could buy in the US or Canada, any exposed metal parts that could be energized in a fault would be grounded.  Your photos don't show a ground lead -- is there one, and is it hooked up correctly?

My advice would be to talk to an antique dealer that specializes in lighting.  I imagine that there's a market for importing and/or updating fixtures to current standards, and they would probably be able to put you in touch with someone who could do any work that's required.

Installation should be easy once it's ready.  US wiring has color coded wires for live and neutral; if Canada is the same, you'd probably need to tag the neutral wire to indicate that it is neutral.

A 220 circuit in a residential application consists of two 110V lines with their AC voltage out of phase with each other.  In your breaker panel you can see this as a double breaker with two hot lines going to the same outlet.  So each of the two wires in your chandelier marked "electric", back in Turkey, would have been connected to one of the two 110V hot wires.

In your house in Canada, you'll use a single wire nut to connect both of those wires to the single black (hot) wire going into your ceiling box.  Each of the two separate 110V "circuits" within the fixture will still be being driven by 110V, and you should have no issue with wiring ampacity within the fixture.  The overall fixture's current draw on your home wiring will be doubled, but as long as your breaker doesn't trip when you turn on the light you're fine.  If it does trip, just switch to lower-wattage bulbs.

As Niall C. indicated, do try to locate a ground wire, and if one's not provided use a piece of bare copper wire to connect the metal frame of the fixture to the ground wire in your ceilling box.

EDIT: Just noticed Niall's commend about the shared neutral, and he's right, the neutral will be carrying double the current if you use bulbs of rated wattage.  I'd recommend halving the rated bulb wattage so you don't overcurrent that neutral wire.


How do I remove white residue on bathroom floor tiling? There is white residue on my bathroom floor tiles in areas where water regularly leaks. It looks like limescale but will not budge when I try to remove it with vinegar. How can I remove it?

That does not look like residue.
1.) if you get it wet, does it fade or change in color?
2.) if you scrape at one spot wiht your fingernail, does it come up?

Looking at the photos you've posted, I think that is both mold (in a few areas - showing that the area does indeed stay wet often as you imply), and damaged flooring.

I suspect the material of that flooring is porous and the water has actually damaged the "cheap" surface.

Also, it looks like you may have used a scrub tool on it, which has scored the surface further (the scratches and lines), and the condition will continue to get worse.

My recommendation at this point is to keep it clean and dry, solve the issue that introduces the water/dampness. you will have to replace the damaged areas to return it to like new condition.

If that is real wood, and it has a finished surface, you can probably use a buffer on it, but it does not look like real wood.


How to properly fix these cracks in exterior window sill The inspector suggested that these are easy fixes but most of the searches for repairing window sills brings up rotten wood and that's not what I've got here.

and also this one

I find that a urethane caulk works wonders in cases like this. It bonds like no other caulk I've used, can be had in a huge variety of custom colors, doesn't shrink much, remains very flexible, and is paintable. I'm most familiar with OSI Quad.

Be warned, it's extremely sticky--you won't get it off your clothes, and you'll have to wear it off your skin. It cures very slowly, so don't expect it to be skinned over after a few minutes like silicone or latex.

Cut a small opening on the tube and press firmly to inject the caulk deeply into the crack. Use cardboard or a plastic scraper to remove any excess, pressing very firmly to slice the extra caulk off the surface rather than smearing it wide. Ideally you'll be able to apply and tool the caulk in one pass with the tube nozzle, though.

Polyurethane caulking works but you will find that sometimes you see that through paint.


Is it enough to apply just one coat of Killz2 primer on drywall? I have heard conflicting instructions regarding primer on drywall, some saying one and some saying two coats.  The bucket of Killz2 itself says reapply after 1 hr, implying two coats are needed (I am sure they want to sell more product).  I have also heard varying customer feedback regarding Killz2.

Is it enough to apply just one coat of Killz2 primer on drywall or should I go with two?  I have already done some painting with just a single coat and it turned out fine.

Well it isn't about how many coats it is about coverage.  If all that you see is your white Killz then that is enough for all dry walls.

It is very hard to say 1 vs 2 coats.  I paint heavy.  One of my coats my be 1.5-2 of another person's.  Your paint benefits from primer not the primer that is under the primer.

Now for wet applications (bathrooms mainly) I might put on 2 thick coats of something like killz to act as a greater barrier not to help the painting process.

Note - I have a paint crew that used to work for me.  Their paint jobs looks perfect.  They used two coats.  But their first primer coat was thin (half mine) and there were definitely coverage issues.  They were efficient vs my heavy style of just get it over with.  They probably got their two coats on faster than my one but they did have to wait for drying time in between... and without the heavy hand theirs looked smoother.

On my bathroom that had stains I used two coats... on my other bathrooms that has no stains, I will use two coats - because simply put, bathrooms are things you want to have the safest possible result and that implies all possible barriers between water, steam and drywall ... or they become wetwalls and that ain't no good.
On top of that.... you are already up to the neck on the job, might as well go  above and beyond to save future trouble.
I's say two on bathroms; one very well done in other rooms.


Painting kitchen cabinets I am getting ready to paint my kitchen cabinets and need some advice on best way to go about it.  what is the best way to prep kitchen cabinets for painting and what is the best way to paint them, brush, roller, spray painter?

Also any special type of paint I should use?

Thank you

This can be complicated. It depends on what finish is on there now. Paint; latex or oil. Clear, varnish or lacquer. Not all paint will stick to all of these. I would recommend that the end result will be dependent on how much work you put into it. So this is what I would do if I was looking for a quality job. # and remove doors & drawers. Patch any dings with wood putty, sand imperfections smooth, wipe down with tsp for better paint adhesion, wipe down with clean damp rag, let dry, use shellac based primer. (only finish that will stick to all other finishes) use a sanding sponge to make smooth. Brush on new paint, oil or latex.

When I stared painting I was given one by a professional painting friend to wise up out of the buying cheap idea, and I have never looked back. They feature long, fine tightly packed bristle that glides , holds paint in measure and controls beautifully making it the best paint brush according to reviews. You can always use a roller for fast coverage but have a brush nearby. To me brush looks the best and I like the slight paint lines it leaves as if it is grain strokes.


What is the purpose of these holes on my wire stripper? I have been using this wire stripper for a while, but I have always wondered what was the purpose of those holes in the center and above LOOP, and those teeth on the handles.

PLIERS
Used as pliers.
Stripper
80 - 22/20
Strip 22-20 AWG (.8 mm) wire.
1.0 - 18
Strip 18 AWG (1.0 mm) wire.
1.3 - 16
Strip 16 AWG (1.3 mm) wire.
1.6 - 14
Strip 14 AWG (1.6 mm) wire.
2.0 - 12
Strip 12 AWG (2.0 mm) wire.
1.6 - 10
Strip 10 AWG (2.6 mm) wire.
CUT
Used to cut wires and cables.
LOOP
The loop hole is used to bend hooks in wires, so that the wire can be attached to screw terminals.  Place the tip of a stripped wire into the hole, and bend the wire around the body of the tool.
Screw/Bolt Shearing Holes
The other holes in the middle of the body, are screw/bolt shearing holes. They are used to cut small screws/bolts to length. To use them, simply thread the screw/bolt into the proper sized hole to the desired length, then squeeze the handles together. The screw/bolt will be trimmed, without damaging the threads.
CRIMP
INSUL AND NON-INSUL
This means that you can crimp insulated and non-insulated crimp terminals
16 - 10
This means the tool can crimp insulated and non-insulated 16-10 gauge crimp terminals. The colors below represent the color of the insulated crimp terminals, for quick reference.

Blue = 16-14 Gauge

Yellow = 12-10 Gauge

22-18
This means the tool can crimp insulated and non-insulated 22-18 gauge crimp terminals. The colors below represent the color of the insulated crimp terminals, for quick reference.

Red = 22-18 Gauge

INSULATION ONLY 7 - 8MM AUTO
This means the tool can crimp insulated 7-8mm auto ignition wires (spark plug wires).

The holes in the center are bolt cutters for metric bolts, the loop hole is to help you make loops in wire, see this link for an example of loop usage.


How do I remove dried latex paint from carpet? I dropped a brush while painting my office. We have brand new carpet and of course, I dropped the paint brush in a spot where there was no drop cloth >:(

I thought since it's latex based paint I could let it dry and then peel it off but it doesn't seem that I can do that.

I was thinking about a solvent but I don't know what I can use and if it will affect the carpet fibers. I read that certain solvents will eat away the latex backing on the carpet causing the fibers to release from the mesh. I read that there is a product called "Goof off 2" that isn't a solvent that will harm the carpet. But I have no idea.

What I can use to remove the paint?

The carpet is brand new. I'm not sure what kind of fibers they are.

Depending on when this happened you might be able to just use water, or soap and water. Before it cures, latex paint is water soluble (so the absolute best time to clean it up is before it dries at all). I've had good luck using a couple of sponges and warm water - one to apply fresh clean water to the paint, and the other to blot up dissolved paint/water. You can continue this until the spot is gone.

If the paint is cured (i.e. the water isn't breaking it down) then there is a cleaner called "Oops!" that works well on paint, ink, tar etc on carpets. I would try some of that as I've heard it works wonders. It should be available at your local hardware store.

Use dry towels and put vinegar on them and then use soap and water to clean it up


What should I look for in a roof dryer vent? I'm in the process of installing an upstairs laundry room, and I'm looking to vent the dryer to the roof.  The route to an outside wall is almost 25 feet, with a few turns, whereas the route to the roof is roughly 8 feet from the dryer - so I think the roof is the best option.

My question is, what should I look for in a roof vent? I'm in an area that gets a fair amount of snow in the winter (a few snowfalls over 1ft each year). I'm planning on using all solid pipe, and insulating the pipe in the attic all the way to the vent, and keeping the vent higher up on the roof to prevent ice damming.

What should I look for in the roof vent itself?

No mesh that would collect lint
Low back pressure
Metal or plastic?
High or low profile?
Anything else I'm missing?

If you truly have significant snow accumulation then you need the following: Start with the thinnest walled 4" diameter PVC pipe you can get your hands.  Check the irrigation supply companies; Class 100, & Class 125.  Terminate it about waist high directly behind where the dryer will sit, against the wall. Use 4" flexible vent material to go from the dryer to this PVC pipe.  Extend the PVC pipe through the ceiling of the laundry room and then on through the attic and through the roof line, securing along the way as necessary.  Avoid any unnecessary bends.  Using 22*bends or at the most 45*bends, off-set as necessary in the attic to avoid framing members.  I would extend through the roof about 2-feet.  Flash the pipe at the roof line with a standard 4" plumber's type rubber boot roof flashing.  Make sure it goes under the shingles. On the top of this vent pipe install a rain cap or is sometimes called a china cap. Select a cap with lots of venting space.  Eliminate any and all screen material. I like a product made by Award Metals.  They call it their 'Type B' china cap.


2 White Neutral Wires But Need Only One I'm trying to install this new Smart Switch I purchased from Amazon.

According to the instructions, I need a neutral connection.
A short white neutral wire is included in a box as well.

The next photo shows the current configuration with my old switch.
As you can see, there are

2 black hot wires
1 copper ground wire

AND

2 unused white neutral wires.

I'm wondering if I can just randomly pick one of the two neutrals and directly connect it to the new switch.

OR

Do I need to use the short neutral that came with the new switch and do something with it (if so, specific instructions are appreciated)

Do I need to use the short neutral that came with the new switch

Yes.

(if so, specific instructions are appreciated)

The best instructions you should follow are those of the manufacturor of that switch.
But generally here's what you do.

Remove the orange wire cap and add one end of the short neutral that came with the switch you bought.  (It's called a pigtail btw)
Connect the other end of that pigtail to the neutral terminal of the smart switch.
Take the two black wires out of the old switch, and use a volt meter to determine which one is live when the breaker is on.
Label it line, or 'from panel' if you want to be extra nice.
Connect tha live black wire to the 'line' side of the smart switch.
Connect the dead black one to the 'load' side of the smart switch.

This diagram shows the general idea.  Ignore the shape of the hole in the wall.  Also your switch doesn't have wires coming out of it it sounds, or you'd probably have a red one for the switched load.

Simple answer:

turn off breaker to the switch
connect the short white "pigtail" wire to the neutral terminal
connect all the white wires together with a new wire nut
connect the bare copper (or green) wire to ground terminal
connect the black wires to the line and load terminals
turn the breaker on
try the switch  (50/50 chance of working)
if it did not work...
turn breaker off
switch the line and load wires
turn breaker on
now it should work