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hey folks, thanks for the replies. I had the intention of using a switch with 4 contacts, so I would be switching all wires in the circuit. When one circuit is in use (i.e., in the 'on' position) the other circuit would just be open, as if no thermostat was installed. My furnace is...

I have a gas fireplace and an oil furnace that I would like the ability to switch on or off as my heat source. I would like to use one thermostat and have a switch that would either point to fireplace or furnace as the source. Can I just run the current wires from the thermostat into a...

my house is actually a brick structure (not wood with brick facade), and there a 3 layers of brick, with a small gap in between them. I redid my shower (well, I made a shower) last summer and had to drill thru the brick and boy was it tough, mind you I was on the top rung of a 15' ladder...

thanks for all the replies folks! pretty much what I thought, just wanted to know for sure. I'll be shelving this project for a little while then. I don't have a drill for the 4" hole so I need to rent one, but I also need to do 2 other holes (for a bathroom and the kitchen), so I'll be...

Today is an exciting day for me as I look out my window and see a crew of guys hooking up Natural Gas to my house. I can now finally hook up my gas stove, fireplace and dryer :) and on that note, has anything improved in the area of not having to vent the gas dryer directly outdoors? I...

Glenn, that's exactly what I do in my new house, great point

every case is different, but I thought my house needed more insulation in the attic also, until I did a home energy audit. the inspector said, 'sure, you could add more insulation, but for the same money you can improve other areas and get better bang for the buck' just something to mull over

oh, I forgot to mention... I'm not sure if your Hydro company has as many hidden costs as mine does (debt reduction??), but it may be a higher operating cost once everything else is factored in. my delivery charge is often higher than my consumption

In my previous house I left my blower on ALL the time, for the sole purpose of moving the air around. The house was in a subdivision and as such, opening the windows did not move the air around too much. My Hydro Company has an appliance calculator with a list of the common appliances. It has...

fantastic job! sure beats my wine rack in the basement ;) you obviously love wine, sounds like red is the main one. Which brands are you most proud of owning? Which wines do you recommend? Do you have a house wine? I love the wines from Chile (mostly merlot), my house wine is "Monte Velho"...

my main floor is painted wood, about 750 sq ft of it. I looked into removing the paint and was quickly discouraged due to the price (quoted $5.50 to $6/sq ft). however, I have been told a heat gun may work also. I have far too much floor to do that way, but smaller areas may clean up easily...

perhaps it's not spam. no that he has 20/20 vision he can tackle his home improvement projects with much more confidence and attention to detail!

I'm looking into this also, and here's some advice I got (but it seems you already know it) on older homes, do not add insulation to the basement walls from the inside of the house, it should all be done outside (digging up the dirt around the foundation as needed). the reason for this is...

when I was kid I had all sorts of inventions, not many worked (most involved magnets, lol). It wasn't until later in life that I learned the laws of physics and realized why my inventions didn't work. What do you consider an invention? If you're looking for a patent the idea cannot already...

Hi fultonfederal! Are you asking if you can? or are you offering this as a suggestion? You should be able to use a HDMI splitter, but make sure it still carries audio. My Pioneer 1016 amp had HDMI, but does not carry audio on it, strickly video. so I'd have to add the splitter before the...

I am doing my best to cut my bottom line costs to 'run' my house. The fact that Mother Nature benefits is a bonus (sure, I'm selfish :)) I've replaced my 300 watt lights with CFLs, looking into wood as a heat source (instead of my current oil), sealed all my windows with removable caulk for...

I too have a small bathroom that I'll be redoing in the spring. It's roughly 20sq ft, and I'm looking for design ideas to maximize space. Huge bathrooms can handle anything thrown at them, whereas the smaller bathrooms require better planning and selection.

I don't think I have bad water to begin with, so I don't think I am suffering from build up. My hot water heater is electric, which I will be changing once the gas company hooks up my house (we just got gas in the area)

I had to wait for my hot water heater to clear out first, then I'll do the tests.

HGTV has many shows that discuss how to spruce up a house with minimal budget. I am always amazed at the transformations they can do on a house with very little money (with a LOT of labour). It may be worthwhile watching a few (my parents house, curb appeal, sell this house, etc) for not...