Can I frame basement walls over slab cracks?

I recently bought a home with an unfinished basement and would like to start finishing it to add onto the livable space our of house. Do I need to repair cracks in my slab before I start framing walls? Can I frame walls directly over these cracks and put down a subfloor? If I nail into the slab do I risk creating more cracks and an unstable wall? FWIW, in my year and a half of being at the house, I have not seen any water rise up from the cracks. Question from user diylearner44 at stackexchange Answer: It appears that the floor w . . . [More]

Can I frame basement walls over slab cracks?

I recently bought a home with an unfinished basement and would like to start finishing it to add onto the livable space our of house. Do I need to repair cracks in my slab before I start framing walls? Can I frame walls directly over these cracks and put down a subfloor? If I nail into the slab do I risk creating more cracks and an unstable wall? FWIW, in my year and a half of being at the house, I have not seen any water rise up from the cracks. Question from user diylearner44 at stackexchange Answer: It appears that the floor w . . . [More]

What is this copper ring insert in my sharkbite supply valve?

I'm about to connect my new faucet supply lines to this new SharkBite™ valve. The valves came with these copper rings and I am wondering what they are and should I leave them in when connecting the supply lines? Also, do I need to use plumber's tape for this connection? Question from user 0pt1m1z3 at stackexchange Answer: I think there may be some misunderstandings here. "Sharkbite" is both a brand name AND a trademark for a type of solderless fitting-to-pipe connection. The connection type came first a . . . [More]

What is this copper ring insert in my sharkbite supply valve?

I'm about to connect my new faucet supply lines to this new SharkBite™ valve. The valves came with these copper rings and I am wondering what they are and should I leave them in when connecting the supply lines? Also, do I need to use plumber's tape for this connection? Question from user 0pt1m1z3 at stackexchange Answer: I think there may be some misunderstandings here. "Sharkbite" is both a brand name AND a trademark for a type of solderless fitting-to-pipe connection. The connection type came first a . . . [More]

How can I remove this concrete wall anchor?

The anchor pictured was holding a hose reel, which has been removed. When I twist the part sticking out it just spins infinitely in either direction. I think it is something like a toggle or a molly anchor. How can anchors of this type be removed with as little damage as possible to the wall? Question from user Luke at stackexchange Answer: These don't come out easily, sometimes they can be pushed back into the wall and dissappear, this is often the case if the person installing it was thinking ahead and drilled the hole deeper tha . . . [More]

How can I remove this concrete wall anchor?

The anchor pictured was holding a hose reel, which has been removed. When I twist the part sticking out it just spins infinitely in either direction. I think it is something like a toggle or a molly anchor. How can anchors of this type be removed with as little damage as possible to the wall? Question from user Luke at stackexchange Answer: These don't come out easily, sometimes they can be pushed back into the wall and dissappear, this is often the case if the person installing it was thinking ahead and drilled the hole deeper tha . . . [More]

Can I vent a bathroom fan through the eaves?

I want to fit a fan in our bathroom. The easiest way to do this seems to be to drill down from the loft and put it in directly above the shower. I'm then considering running the vent (flex pipe) through the loft and tape it to the vents (already in the eaves). Can anyone say whether this is acceptable, or is it likely to create damp in the eaves? Question from user Paul Michaels at stackexchange Answer: You should use a separate outlet for the pipe as the existing vents won't be able to cope with the volume of air and you . . . [More]

Can I vent a bathroom fan through the eaves?

I want to fit a fan in our bathroom. The easiest way to do this seems to be to drill down from the loft and put it in directly above the shower. I'm then considering running the vent (flex pipe) through the loft and tape it to the vents (already in the eaves). Can anyone say whether this is acceptable, or is it likely to create damp in the eaves? Question from user Paul Michaels at stackexchange Answer: You should use a separate outlet for the pipe as the existing vents won't be able to cope with the volume of air and you . . . [More]

What is this tube sticking out of my roof?

I'm not sure what kind of vent this is for, but I'm wondering if its supposed to have a cap to protect from rain. Sorry for lack of description. I'm completely ignorant to whatever this is. If it helps at all, I have two turbines on my house plus this pipe. So I know it's not for venting the attic. My guess is its for the bathroom vents maybe? Question from user hack3rfx at stackexchange Answer: Almost certainly a vent for plumbing. It connects to the sewer, so it doesn't need a cap. It's highly likely the . . . [More]

What is this tube sticking out of my roof?

I'm not sure what kind of vent this is for, but I'm wondering if its supposed to have a cap to protect from rain. Sorry for lack of description. I'm completely ignorant to whatever this is. If it helps at all, I have two turbines on my house plus this pipe. So I know it's not for venting the attic. My guess is its for the bathroom vents maybe? Question from user hack3rfx at stackexchange Answer: Almost certainly a vent for plumbing. It connects to the sewer, so it doesn't need a cap. It's highly likely the . . . [More]

Very low pressure at the end of natural gas pipe

In our new house, I found a 1/2 inch natural gas copper pipe that runs all the way from the basement to the second floor, into a small room that used to be a kitchen years ago. . The line is around 80 feet and runs OUTSIDE the house, on the wall. On the second floor kitchen, at the end of the line, all the fittings are in place to hook up a gas range, including a very large, and heavy, old school looking Fischer regulator. In the basement, the line terminates into a disconnected flare fitting, and it's right next to the more recent . . . [More]

Very low pressure at the end of natural gas pipe

In our new house, I found a 1/2 inch natural gas copper pipe that runs all the way from the basement to the second floor, into a small room that used to be a kitchen years ago. . The line is around 80 feet and runs OUTSIDE the house, on the wall. On the second floor kitchen, at the end of the line, all the fittings are in place to hook up a gas range, including a very large, and heavy, old school looking Fischer regulator. In the basement, the line terminates into a disconnected flare fitting, and it's right next to the more recent . . . [More]

What could be seeping from my basement wall?

Someone put joint compound over the poured concrete basement wall and then painted over it. This seepage isn't water--it's a little sticky where it hasn't dried, and it appears in a few other spots in the basement. I want to just paint over this but I was going to use a nicer latex and I'm concerned it'll bubble. but I don't even know how this paint hasn't been ruined. Any ideas on what it is, and how to not have a latex paint get ruined by it? Question from user zudebluvstein at stackexchange Answer: Thi . . . [More]

What could be seeping from my basement wall?

Someone put joint compound over the poured concrete basement wall and then painted over it. This seepage isn't water--it's a little sticky where it hasn't dried, and it appears in a few other spots in the basement. I want to just paint over this but I was going to use a nicer latex and I'm concerned it'll bubble. but I don't even know how this paint hasn't been ruined. Any ideas on what it is, and how to not have a latex paint get ruined by it? Question from user zudebluvstein at stackexchange Answer: Thi . . . [More]

What is the purpose of this indoor crawlspace grate vent?

This crawlspace floor grate/vent is located in the furnace/water heater closet of my rambler house outside of Seattle, WA, built  around 1959. The closet is covered by two bifold doors, so not airtight, there is also a vent in the ceiling of the closet that leads to the roof. My neighbor has the same setup, so I know this is intentional and original to the house design. My neighbor claims it is for ventilation, drawing 'fresh' air in from the outside. I can confirm I occasionally feel airflow coming into the house. However all my g . . . [More]

What is the purpose of this indoor crawlspace grate vent?

This crawlspace floor grate/vent is located in the furnace/water heater closet of my rambler house outside of Seattle, WA, built  around 1959. The closet is covered by two bifold doors, so not airtight, there is also a vent in the ceiling of the closet that leads to the roof. My neighbor has the same setup, so I know this is intentional and original to the house design. My neighbor claims it is for ventilation, drawing 'fresh' air in from the outside. I can confirm I occasionally feel airflow coming into the house. However all my g . . . [More]

Water meter leak indicator moves once in a while

What is driving me a bit not sure recently is that the water meter leak indicator sometimes can move a bit over a long period (say an hour or a few hours). My water meter is a Procoder meter same as below. I guess the smallest interval for the red leak indicator is 0.0001 cf which is about 0.1 oz or 2.8ml. Not sure if my reading is correct. The red indicator sometimes can move a few intervals (~10ml) over a period of a few hours. But sometimes it just makes no movement over a period of a few hours. I wonder whether this is acceptable? . . . [More]

Water meter leak indicator moves once in a while

What is driving me a bit not sure recently is that the water meter leak indicator sometimes can move a bit over a long period (say an hour or a few hours). My water meter is a Procoder meter same as below. I guess the smallest interval for the red leak indicator is 0.0001 cf which is about 0.1 oz or 2.8ml. Not sure if my reading is correct. The red indicator sometimes can move a few intervals (~10ml) over a period of a few hours. But sometimes it just makes no movement over a period of a few hours. I wonder whether this is acceptable? . . . [More]

How to remove one piece of a pelmet

I need to remove the side portion of a pelmet above a kitchen cupboard. The problem is that I cannot find how it is secured. It is fixed solidly, I cannot move it with moderate hand pressure. The picture from inside the cabinet shows no screws into this piece. A screw is visible into the front pelmet, which should to be left in place. The dark spot midway along the side is a hole – I can insert a small screwdriver blade about 30mm into it. I have tried from above. After scraping off years’ of grime, I cannot see or feel any . . . [More]

How to remove one piece of a pelmet

I need to remove the side portion of a pelmet above a kitchen cupboard. The problem is that I cannot find how it is secured. It is fixed solidly, I cannot move it with moderate hand pressure. The picture from inside the cabinet shows no screws into this piece. A screw is visible into the front pelmet, which should to be left in place. The dark spot midway along the side is a hole – I can insert a small screwdriver blade about 30mm into it. I have tried from above. After scraping off years’ of grime, I cannot see or feel any . . . [More]