Plymouth County MA Home and Property Masters

How to Shape Crown Molding with a Table Saw

Fine Homebuilding — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 11:57:57 -0400

Building Science, Tools, and the Future of Walls | FHB Podcast LIVE from the 2025 FHB Summit

Fine Homebuilding — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 10:41:46 -0400

Below ground CMU blocks have disintegrated in two corners of my house

PaulP — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 13:59:17 -0400

I own a bilevel home with no basement that I recently purchased in NJ. Property is on a flat lot. The house is 50-60 years old. I recently discovered that at two corners of the home, some below ground CMU blocks have disintegrated, some completely, some partially. Both areas have downspouts above them. One corner also has a deep hole (2ft+), which at first glance looked like a rodent hole. It turned out to be a hole in the wall of a CMU wall, into which surrounding soil fell into. Is it possible that water from the gutters eroded those blocks? How to repair?

The house has a CMU foundation wall that goes up about 3 feet of the wall.

Can it wait? Need advice on dealing with mold alongside difficult family situation

user590307 — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 13:22:05 -0400

I would greatly appreciate some advice on timing here. My parents are recovering from multiple major health issues. I live far away so I've flown in to help out but I leave this weekend. Unfortunately I discovered mold in the ceiling of their second floor closet. The mold is caused by a leaking air conditioner in the crawl space.

Im honestly not sure they could take this right now. Money, health, mental health, so much going on that I thinks this will absolutely crush them. Im not even sure they can resolve it feasibly without injuring themselves. What should I do? How urgent is this?

Context:

I am leaving in a few days
My brother lives in town, but the relationship is very toxic. If he comes to help my parents will 100% scream and yell and insist he pays for repairs, despite him having three kids to raise.
My parents are nicer to me because Im not around, but if I get involved then Ill likely become financially entangled and Im avoiding that and also dont have the money either.
They are both stubborn and insist on doing more than theyre capable of, leading to continuing injuries.
My dad only just became able to walk again after 5 major surgeries and yet he was already up on the roof doing work last month. He will absolutely get on the roof or crawl space when we're not home if I tell him. He is extremely handy and builds, so he will want to do this himself. If he ends up breaking his back again it will ruin their lives. His mind is not right at the moment.
My mom is on a knee scooter for the next month, yet insist on getting in and out of the house (without a ramp, which Ive since purchased for them) constantly. She will try to climb the stairs as soon as I leave if I tell her.
The relationships all around are toxic but, the kind where we pretend it isnt...
This is Florida. It is HUMID everywhere. But the upstairs is like a wet blanket right now. A wicker basket in the closet is growing spores.
They do not have money, and when they do they spend it irresponsibly. They just had the whole upstairs redecorated even though no one stays up here except the occasional guest. They decided to do this while undergoing major surgeries despite our pleading to put it off. They've started going to food pantries.
I showed my brother and his immediate reaction was to panic because he knows my parents will pressure him to do and pay for it. We dont know what to do.

My thought is to not mention it now, and have my brother come check on it every week (which is already a lot to ask of him emotionally). Then at Christmas time when Im back Ill "discover" the mold. Hopefully then one of them or their money will be in better shape.

Is this ok? Is it too urgent to wait 3 months? Is there anything I could subtly do to slow it down in the meantime?

Im not sure how to attach images but I will try to add in the comments.

Advice on remediating mold/moisture in crawl space (and related issues)

aknodt — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 12:25:59 -0400

We are replacing the floors in our house in NC, so pulled up the old ones two days ago, which revealed a problem with moisture intrusion by the back door that leaked into the crawl space below. the subfloor in the area is very solid but damp, and some of the joists in the area below are worse off, with some rot setting in and some mold (there is clear evidence that a bandaid was put on this issue and not disclosed when we purchased the home). The rest of the crawlspace has elevated humidity levels. We have called in 5 different companies (2 mold/water/remediation specialists, one GC, one foundation/crawlspace specialist, and 1 handyman) to help us decide on a solution. We do not have expertise in structure, carpentry, or mold and of course don't want to rely solely on the advice of people trying to sell us their services so came here for help. Of course we have gotten fairly wildly different advice from the different individuals, roughly (from least to most extreme):

handyman: fix the door installation, repair the joists, call it a day 
GC: more extensive fix to door installation & joist repair, clean and treat the visible mold on the interior (some on subfloor and some on cabinet kickplate under the sink), call it a day 
mold/water specialist #1: clean and treat the visible mold on the interior and in the crawlspace, inc removing and replacing all insulation bc the growth is fairly extensive. not worth doing too much more unless you want a 100% full solution and will be keeping the house for >10 more years  
mold/remediation specialist #2: full blown remediation, inc removal of all affected subfloor, replacement of kitchen cabinets adjacent to door where some mold growth had started (all now completely dry, no visible external damage), remove and replace all insulation in crawlspace, maybe more depending on what we find 
foundation/crawlspace specialist: remove all insulation in crawlspace, treat all mold, encapsulate crawl space and install a water draining system which includes a perimeter drain and a sump pump

It feels to me like the combination of 1&2 is most reasonable since this is not our forever home and at this point we just want to sell it and be done with it. But we want to sell it in good faith and not create a massive problem for the next owner.  

MY MAIN REMAINING QUESTION/CONCERN is that person #5 reported high levels of moisture in the crawlspace that he said are mostly caused by water seeping in through the cinderblock foundation walls rather than from the water intrusion caused by the faulty door installation. He is of course trying to sell me his water draining system, but I do know that the humidity levels need to be addressed, and i wonder if this is the only thing that will be effective. When we purchased 3 years ago, the inspector reported slightly elevated humidity levels and recommended the installation of the vapor barrier to treat it, but with the water intrusion it seems this has not been effective.

How to upgrade a dimmable incandescent fan light fixture to LED

Kyle Herkenhoff — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 12:02:15 -0400

I have two dimmable fan fixtures that are controlled via a wireless remote. These fixtures only accept 40 watt bulbs and they aren’t bright enough to adequately light up the room. Even at night they are a bit dark. I would like to replace these with LED bulbs that are also dimmable, however, the dimmer is inside the fan as far as I can tell (no dimmer switch in the wall and wireless remote). Is it possible to convert the fixture to accept dimmable LEDs without replacing the entire fan fixture.

Edit: I purchased LEDs to put in the fixture and test. I did confirm it is not compatible with LEDs as after 2 days the bulbs started to flicker. I hoped I could just leave them at max brightness and not use the dimmer, however the lights do not just turn off and on. They go through a dimming process each time you turn them off or on (slowly brighten to max for on, slowly dim for off).

These fixtures should be 10 years old (age of the house I have rented). The LEDs I tested were 100 watt equivalent and were perfect at max brightness during the day but may need to be dimmed a little at night.

I appreciate everyone’s comments and advice.

How to design cupboards allowing cable replacement

Chris Hayes — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 11:52:02 -0400

Best way to design cupboards allowing cable replacement

So one wall of (small) living room is going to be storage. Something like the IKEA Besta system or B&Q Atomia (we are in the UK).

The skirting board has to remain in place, so the units will sit on a slightly raised platform so we aren't having to fiddle about with French cleats and similar.

Roughly centre of the array is the TV unit with a TV and other electronics on it and in it. The power sockets, external arial, LAN socket etc. is to the right of the units in the gap that has to be left to get to the window and open it for cleaning.

So question is, assuming this solid set of cupboards sits on a platform which has a small gap allowing cables in and out to go into the small void and up into the TV unit, how to design it so cables can be added or replaced as needed? While a hole can be left into the platform it doesn't make getting a power cord a metre+ through a void easy and it still then has to go straight up into the tv unit for the terms that want power and connections.

The alternative is to use French cleats/support system and hang on wall, though the potential weights of some of the large cupboards and their contents worries me. Here though the cables have an 8cm gap at the bottom (the height of the skirting) to be pulled out and replaced from the central TV units.

Also any suggestion for ways to build this wall of cupboards that isn't Besta or Atomia? (Cheaper/better.)

How can I fix drywall around an electric panel?

zhanxw — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 11:36:40 -0400

I just upgraded our electric panel, but there are quite a few holes around the new panel. How can I fix the upper and lower holes around the panel?

How do I fix a gap between our outdoor metal balcony railing and the wall?

CatAttacksATack — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 08:20:52 -0400

I noticed recently that that there is a small gap between one end of our long metal outdoor balcony railing and the brick facade it is affixed to. The railing itself is just ever so slightly shorter than the distance between the facade it is supposed to cover so a metal spacer was originally put in by the builders to cover that gap (which I assume is pretty common). Probably due to movement of the home over time that gap has widened slightly and now that spacer is just hanging loose not doing anything and you can see a visible space in the bolt between the end of the railing and the facade.

There's two questions I'm trying to figure out:

Is this gap a problem? The bolt itself doesn't seem too loose yet, though I can get the end of the railing to wiggle very slightly if I try shaking it. The railing is solidly affixed at the other end and to the bottom of the balcony at multiple points.
If it is an issue - what is necessary to secure it better now? Does the bolt need to be re-affixed with a thicker spacer? Are there better alternatives?

Any thoughts would be appreciated - thanks!

roof attached messenger wire hanger name

gene jude — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 07:57:05 -0400

What is the name of this hanger that holds the messenger wire from the electrical drop to the roof? This setup where the messenger wire is connecting to roof and not the electrical mast is relatively common in my area and I have no clue what that hanger plate is called. It does have 4 threaded rods that goes into the attic and ties into a rafter with metal plate on the bottom so the plywood doesn't see any load from the service drop.

I've been searching online for about a month and I'm no closer finding out what's it called. Thanks

How to remove old peephole with no notches?

Danny Kellard — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 05:10:30 -0400

Locksmith had to smash the glass in our peephole to get through our door when we locked ourselves out. He left the peephole with no glass in it and told us to order the same one again, and that it would be very easy for us to remove and replace it, just unscrew old one and screw in new one.

Every peephole I can see online has 2 notches in it to be unscrewed with a flathead or with a coin or something. This peephole is much wider diameter than all those and with no notches. The whole peephole is still in the door, just with no glass, so I don't even know if the painted white outer ring even needs to be removed, or if just the peephole tube inside it needs to be pulled out with pliers or something.

There's NOTHING online about these, I don't know the manufacturer and the doors/flat are 30+ years old. What do I do to replace it? Besides calling the locksmith out again.

I will try to attach photos of both the current peephole in the door and the new ones we have ordered, but as I'm writing this its not letting me attach anything.

Warm water outdoor Dog wash

Candi — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 04:06:20 -0400

Can you run the hot water from the washing machine faucet through a regular garden hose ? And then use a y connector to control the temperature through the flow control valves ?

Refinishing Exterior Stain for Strength and Style

Fine Homebuilding — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 04:05:20 -0400

Reproducing Historic Crown Molding

Fine Homebuilding — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 03:32:34 -0400

How can I repair water damage to finished hardwood flooring? [duplicate]

Bryan — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 22:03:24 -0400

Trying to figure out my options and if DIY is even possible. The floor is probably 15-20 years old if I had to guess.

The damaged spot is about 2x2 feet. The whole apartment is the same flooring throughout. The kitchen portion is about 5x10.

Is this something that might be DIY sanded and refinished?
What tool(s) would I need to do it? (hand sander, orbit sander, shop vacuum, etc)
Are there any online resources or books you'd recommend?

I'm thinking of testing a small patch to see what happen if I sand it by hand with sandpaper.

Why this is not a duplicate:

This is finished wood
This is not a "stain", it is water damage. Methods like heat will not work and will further damage the wood in this case.
This is larger than most damage posted from other questions

What model is my Challenger panel and what breakers are compatible? [duplicate]

Jay — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 19:24:54 -0400

My house in San Diego was built in 1993. After much difficulty, I was able to identify the electrical panel as Challenger brand, but no model number. The panelboard label with wiring diagram is missing and there is no stamped/printed information on the panel sheet metal. There is sticker that says “UL Class-CTL; Enclosed Panel; No. Ex 647.” The panel has 12 single column spaces with the main 125A breaker (Challenger C2125) located in the middle of the breakers. The panel door measures 20.5" X 7", is hinged at the top, and opens vertically. Installed circuit breakers are:

Challenger 2020
Challenger 2030
Challenger C2125
Challenger C240
Eaton BR2020
Siemens Q1515U
Siemens Q220

What is the model number of the panel? Are the existing circuit breakers safe/compatible? What are the UL Classified replacement circuit breakers?

Is there some kind of wireless light switch that can link multiple LED light strips to a single wall-type light switch? [closed]

oryza — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 17:39:08 -0400

I want to have multiple LED light strips in my kitchen that would be spatially separated by quite a bit (above and below cabinets and below countertops for two separate counters, and around the island) and more importantly would all need to be plugged in or hardwired to completely different circuits.

Is there a wireless light switch I can use that can control all 4 light strips?

Bridge a 1/4" height misalignment between 2 gypcrete slabs for hardwood

Carey Kloss — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 17:03:20 -0400

I'm about to install hardwood into my basement over a gypcrete floor.

The original build had a temporary wall between two rooms, which are now combined into one space.

Unfortunately, the gypcrete pour on one side of where the temp wall was is ~1/4 lower than the other side. It's a straight line, maybe 15' long, and will be about 1/3 of the way into the final combined space, so I don't want to use a hardwood reducer.

What's the best way to make this appear level once the floor is done w/o adding floor leveler or gypcrete to the whole space?

I've never used floor leveler - can I apply floor leveler for just a couple feet past the gap and shape it into a gentle angle? Or it will always be level, with no way to shape it?

Maybe do the same thing with thinset instead of floor leveler since it's thick enough to shape?

Any other products I should look at? I don't think I can shim evenly enough with 1/16" furring strips, or even get them to stick to the dusty gypcrete, but hypothetically, I could add a few rows of 3/16", a few rows of 1/8", and a final few rows of 1/16" furring strips to fake a gentle angle, assuming I can get them to stay in place under a floating subfloor. Maybe stick them down into some thin glue or something

For a 1/4" difference, would 2 feet of slope be enough to seem (mostly) undetectable?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions! Don't worry about the hardwood-in-the-basement problem, the house is new, the concrete is waterproof, and the wood and underlayment system is rated for basement installs.

--Carey

Why is a MERV-16 filter not recommended for residential furnace use? Urban myth?

KJ7LNW — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 16:20:24 -0400

Someone from an HVAC duct cleaning company told me today that MERV-16 charcoal filters are harder on the furnace and that the charcoal is a gimmick that just costs more. He said he went to a class and everything, making it sound like MERV-16 was a bad idea. He said that air flow will suffer and threfore heating/cooling efficiency will to.

Ultimately he recommended MERV-13 because it will put less pressure on the blower motor.

Since my sensitive nose does notice the difference, I did some digging on the Lennox filters we have been using and found this pdf where, on page 5, Lennox provides the specs for a MERV-13 and the actual MERV-16 model we have been using (Lennox X6672).

Our filter is the 16x25x5" model, which is the center column on the two spec sheet images below. Note that the CFM rating for both MERV-13 and MERV-16 are the same. There is a small difference in "Initial" pressure drop but the final pressure drop for both is 0.40 in. w.c. as you can see below.

According to our furnace's installation document, "This furnace is not certified for operation [...] with an external static pressure which exceeds 0.8 inches w.c." and both filters shown below max out at 0.40 in. w.c. and page 42 of the furnace install document (page 48 of the PDF) indicates that CFM maxes out at about 1365 @ 0.50 in. w.c. (I think, don't actually know our blower size). So if I understand correctly the filters below should work fine since they spec a CFM of 800-1600.

In case you it matters: this furnace serves 8 vents upstairs with 2 returns, and downstairs there are 2 vents with 2 returns with a total space of ~2200 sqft and 8' ceilings.

Questions:

Given the two filters shown below, is there really a difference between the two that would affect furnace performance?
Other considerations?

MERV 13 Specs

MERV 16 Specs

Securing 9mm plywood underlay to fibre cement subfloor

NerdyCat — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 15:05:20 -0400

I'm preparing to install 9mm flooring-grade plywood sheet on top of my fibre cement subfloor (thickness unknown), as I'm nailing down solid wood flooring afterwards. Here's the ply I'm using: https://flooringking.co.uk/product/sp101-plywood-9mm-large-sheet-2-44m-x-1-22m-8ft-x-4ft/

So here are my questions:

What kind of nail/staple should I use? SurePly on YouTube used staples, but a lot of people seem to prefer nails or 1 1/4" ring shank nails.
Should I get an electric or pneumatic staple gun? I'm most worried about noise of air compressor, the quietest one I can find is the SGS 6L Silent Oil Free Air Compressor - 3.6CFM/110L/Min, 1450 RPM, 8 Bar/115 PSI. Would this be sufficient for a staple/nail gun for flooring?

Ok for electrical wires to be touching gas lines?

Frank TheTank — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 14:57:45 -0400

We just had our gas lines above our kitchen re-piped. The pictures show the gas lines are touching electrical wires. Anyone know if this is safe and up to code standards (please provide code number if possible)? We are concerned for our safety!

Mounting baby gate at drywall corner

Jason — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 14:04:55 -0400

Need to install a baby gate here but the steps start right at the corner. I know that on corners there will be a stud about 3/4 inch in (like where the railing is mounted) but mounting the hinges there would leave a large gap between the floor and the gate.

If I wanted to mount the hinges basically flush with the corner, how do I mount it securely? If I just drill in I'll hit the bead and then just drywall. Should I mount a 2x4 or 1x4 plank to the stud and then mount the hinges to the plank? Will that be secure enough? Should the screws mounting the hinges go through the plank into the wall/bead? Or is it enough to just use shorter screws and not go through the plank?

https://imgur.com/a/JeWn9LQ

What is this style of lock called?

gatorback — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 12:34:54 -0400

I would like to know the proper name / nomenclature so that I can Google it.

Key indicates it is a Schlage product
bolt is annotated in red square
round keyway is silver

Old Mortise Lockset - Help with latch

biostat — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 12:31:09 -0400

Could someone please let me know if the below latch (marked by red arrow) is a functional one or a decorative piece? I recently purchased this property and the latch does not work when I rotate the knob. Deadbolt works just fine. I am not certain if latch should work or not. I did not muster courage to open the lockset.

Any suggestions?

How can I support and secure single-hung windows with broken parts?

DiyBob — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 12:26:14 -0400

These windows are installed in an early '80s brickhouse in the south. The windows will not go up and hold in place. Lock latch broken. Can't lock them.

A decent handyman researched it. Windows were cheap and manufactured for 2 yrs. Back in the day no replacement parts were available. What can be done to make window operable, lockable and useable, without possibly doing a window replacement on approx. 8 windows?

How can I get my security door to stay shut in place as to not obstruct the deadbolt?

Rivjot Gill — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 12:23:13 -0400

I have a metal security door that I just recently installed a Bluetooth deadbolt onto but the deadbolt isn’t able to latch unless you pull the door first to hold it in place. How can I get the door to stay in place on its own?

How to remove many wallpaper scraps under paint

IzzyDitz — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 09:50:00 -0400

My landlord painted over scraps of wallpaper and now I want to repaint and not see the wallpaper underneath. There are about fifteen 12" triangles of wallpaper under the paint throughout the room, plus wallpaper seams and several pinholes. What is the fastest way I can address them all that each piece won't take forever?

VOC increase when were lowering humidity!

Foxtonian — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 08:59:00 -0400

UK house owner here.

One of our ground floor rooms has a damp issue from below, due to poor damp proofing. We can't fix the problem immediately until we have finance.

Apart from a musty smell and around 75% humidity it's not an unsightly room. We thought reducing the humidity levels would be a good interim step.

Bought an air quality monitor that measures temp, humidity, PM, CO & VOCs.

Bought a MeacoDryArite One 25L dehumidifier, and set it to a 45% target.

Before turning it on all indicators on the monitor were around zero, except temp (67c) & humidity (70-75%). The monitor itself had had about 48hrs to acclimatise.

Within around 2-3hrs the Meaco had done a great job. Temp was stable & Humidity went to around 50%. However to my alarm the VOC Index went crazy.

It jumped up to 48/100...declined to about 10/100 after 1hr, and went up again to about 35/100 after around a total of 6 hours.

So here's my question - why would VOCs increase if humidity is decreasing, and should we terminate the dehumidifying altogether? I'm concerned it could affect our health?

P.s. we've not opened any paint or new furniture etc. Nothing has changed except running the dehumidifier.

How to repair an GFCI outlet with a loose ground (green) screw?

some user — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 08:08:21 -0400

I have a contractor come in to do some tile work and he had taken out some GFCI outlets. I think he must have used a power drill to loosen the screws and one of the green, ground screw fell off. It would not go back in. Now I have 2 GFCI outlets with no ground.

It seems the screw is supposed to screw in a small plate inside the outlet, like a screw into a nut. As the screw is completely off, it is not connected to anything. Is there a way to fix that?

Adding second Ground Bus to Square D Sub Panel - Grounded via wire or just the screws?

GBJohns — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 08:08:02 -0400

I have added a sub panel next to my main panel. It is fed from a 100A breaker using 3-3-3-5 CU Service wire. I removed the ground screw to isolate the Neutral and I installed the ground bus that came with it on the left side. It is attached with 2 screws directly to the panel. I connected the #5 ground wire to this ground bus.

The question: The ground bus is SHORT with only 8-10 usable positions so I have added an additional ground bus on the right side of the panel. It is made specifically for the panel, Square D and attaches with 1 screw, centered over 2 nubs that lock it in place. Is the screw enough to ground this additional bar or do I need to interconnect it to the first ground bus with wire. If so, what size?

Thanks VERY much in advance for your assistance!

Follow up:

INSTRUCTIONS!! Those would VERY handy indeed. The problem is that they SUCK. Number 4 gives all the info about how to wire it, but I found it less than useful. Here is the entire text of the instructions:

1) Turn off all power to the enclosure

2) Mount grounding bar to the back of enclosure:

if one mounting hole and two nubs are provided, mount with outer holes over nubs and mounting screw through center hole.
if two mounting holes are provided, mount with two mounting screws.

NOTE: If no mounting holes are provided, use #26 drill bit to drill two 0.147 in diameter mounting holes using grounding bar as a template.

3) Apply equipment grounding label to enclosure beside grounding bar.

4) Install wiring to grounding bar. See equipment grounding label for binding screw torque.

So are they assuming this is the ONLY grounding bar and therefore the #5 ground feed from the main panel will get attached to it? Or is the lack of instruction to jumper it to an existing main ground bar an indication that the screws are enough and that it grounds through the body of the enclosure to the original ground bar? I sure can't tell from what little info they provided.

How to reattach the "head" of a ground wire?

werner_b — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 08:06:45 -0400

I just bought a new turntable and receiver

When I began using it, I noticed there was a loud buzzing sound coming from it.

Looking at the turntable's cables, there are the two Left and Right RCA cables as well as another cable with a missing head (not sure what the proper word is).

I realized this must be the ground cable and it just has uninsulated wire coming out of it.

Can I buy a new ground "head" and reattach it? How do I do this? Thanks

Elegant solution to pipe connections [closed]

Rado — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 08:06:36 -0400

Here is the diagram of the place in the basement where I will be connecting the pipes (here only the cold pipe). PEX Pipe from mains was clamped up to point A in the diagram, under a joist that borders basement staircase. That pipe (that extends as much as 6ft or so beyond point A) needs to be connected to a coper pipe going to the second floor and to another PEX going to the first floor (kitchen). The latter are around point B in the diagram. I am not worrying about hot water at this point. In that 5ft space between the two joists I need to connect the pipes and I want to put one shut off to shut off things on the second floor, not on the first (since this is next to basement staircase, I can just turn it off/on from the staircase).. What is the most elegant, efficient, catering appropriately for both the first and the second floors? An error occurred submitting the question.

GFCI not triggered after installing AFCI / GFCI breaker

some user — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 08:06:23 -0400

I have replaced a traditional breaker with dual function AFCI / GFCI breaker hoping to make the outlets up to code (3 prongs with no ground). However, when testing with GFCI tester, outlets with no ground do not trip the breaker (not expected). There is 1 outlet which has its ground connected to water pipe would trip during test (expected). All outlets source from the same breaker.

Any ideas?

Unable to remove tub faucet

pheonix — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 08:03:40 -0400

I'm trying to replace my old tub faucet w/diverter that's original to the house. It has a screw on the bottom that I've tried for over 30 minutes to loosen with an allen wrench in the right size, ccw. The diverter is completely stuck up, I physically cannot press it down.

How to Find the Right Sheathing For Your Needs | FHB Podcast Episode 705

Fine Homebuilding — Sat, 04 Oct 2025 03:51:21 -0400

Heating and Cooling System for a 16,000 Sq. Ft. Building

Fine Homebuilding — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 03:07:26 -0400

The Important Role of a Water-Resistive Barrier

Fine Homebuilding — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 04:03:53 -0400

Improving the Performance of a 100+ Year-Old Farmhouse | FHB Podcast Episode 704

Fine Homebuilding — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 18:40:20 -0400

What Will Framing Lumber Look Like in the Future? | FHB Podcast 702

Fine Homebuilding — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 16:05:02 -0400

How to Find the Right Heat=Pump Water Heater for Your Home | FHB Podcast Episode 703

Fine Homebuilding — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 15:01:19 -0400

Inside the U.S.’s First PHIUS-Certified Industrial Building

Fine Homebuilding — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 08:11:05 -0400

Deck Framing Tip: Installing Blocking the Right Way

Fine Homebuilding — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 03:17:38 -0400

Workstation Sinks: The Multitasking Kitchen Upgrade

Fine Homebuilding — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 01:53:31 -0400

Precut Bottom Plates in Doorways

Fine Homebuilding — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:26:34 -0400

Meet Code Requirements and Prevent Flame Spread with Fireblock Foam

Fine Homebuilding — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 02:40:25 -0400

Paver locking sand a good idea to fill gaps in concrete driveway?

/u/BIGREDDMACH1NE — Sun, 11 Jun 2023 23:16:04 -0400

Want to prevent weeds and ant hills between the stress gaps in the concrete. Is stuff like this the better way to go about it or is there a "best" way to do it time and cost wise?

Example product: https://www.menards.com/main/building-materials/landscaping-materials/landscape-rock/northrock-reg-weed-blocker-polymeric-paver-locking-sand-50-lb/1891155/p-1444445320224-c-5784.htm?tid=64158e34-b3d2-44f2-b320-7129015df9f7&ipos=11&exp=false

submitted by /u/BIGREDDMACH1NE
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Window ac leaking through window frame?

/u/rianjames11 — Sun, 11 Jun 2023 23:13:19 -0400

https://imgur.com/a/IHfXZ7B

Backstory- I'm 99.9% sure this is from last summer, as I haven't run the ac much this year yet except a few hours here and there and a heat wave over Memorial Day weekend. There was also some there when i first moved in, and i pointed it out to my uncle and grandfather who were helping me paint, and they said it was probably the AC window, but not much else. This unit was also in another room while someone was temporarily staying with me, and that window has it as well. We put her larger unit in this window for that time, then put this one back once she moved out. Windows are vinyl, don't leak otherwise, and recaulking is on my project list for this summer once I get my hands on a tall enough ladder. My question is- how do I prevent this from continuing to happen? It is currently tipped back with a towel under (probably wrong but that was a quick install because I stupidly didn't check the weather and that's how I've always seen it done when I was young). Its a small unit, not sure how old since I got it secondhand.

submitted by /u/rianjames11
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Anyone know how to secure this vanity to the floor? Our drain and supply also go through the floor.

/u/rich22201 — Sun, 11 Jun 2023 22:59:17 -0400

https://jamesmartinfurniture.com/collections/quebec/products/quebec-17-5-solid-surface-pedestal-sink-bright-white-1

submitted by /u/rich22201
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First time drywall repair fail. What did I do wrong?

/u/patrone84 — Sun, 11 Jun 2023 22:49:13 -0400

First time using tape and mud. This was a significant project for me. 8’ vertical crack on a 30 year old home. These are cathedral ceilings so aprox 16’ at the top.

I removed all the old mud that I could and then filled the crack with mud. I let it dry. Next I put down adhesive mesh tape and mudded over it. Let it dry and then did several more coats over the next several days.

Once I was satisfied I’d fully covered the tape I sanded it smooth. Let it sit for a few days while I repaired a few other issues and to make sure there wern’t any issues with the repair.

Everything looked good this morning so I spent a few hours taping and painting the wall. Initially looked great. When it dried however I have this line that is forming from the top about half way down the repair. It has a little give to it…I can push it down but it comes right back up.

Where did I go wrong? Doubt this will be my last repair…I’d like to do it right. Is it fixable? Or do I just rip out the repair and start from scratch? Thanks!

https://imgur.com/gallery/vH3S3ot

submitted by /u/patrone84
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What to expect for repiping?

/u/CPT_Fucknuts — Sun, 11 Jun 2023 22:11:51 -0400

SFH 1300 sq ft. built in the 1940s with galvanized piping. There's at least one small section that was remodeled with copper without a dielectric coupling. The faucets regularly get clogged with what I believe is sediment from the pipe corroding with one bathtub essentially unusable.

My impression is the old galvanized pipe is the issue, could it be something else? If I repipe, is PEX or copper or something else better? What approximate costs am I looking at? Is there an alternative that can buy us time? Located in Los Angeles. Thank you.

submitted by /u/CPT_Fucknuts
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