Recent content by CallMeVilla

Code requires lighting and receptacles to be on separate circuits. That way a load (iron) on a receptacle does not draw from your lights. Your house might not have that split. Older houses do have dimming problems because of the load sharing. First, check the connections and breakers...

Check thickness of your flooring. It might not match the plywood and create a tripping hazard. If so, try Home Depot for a broken box of laminate you can get for cheap. Throw that down as Snoonyb suggests

Have seen downstairs water stain from drippage at the angle stop. Check your toilet supply line and shut off. If the house was very old, rusted or loosened plumbing under the toilet would be a source too. Start with the simple and work to the complex.

No question too silly or too difficult. Pictures are really helpful or else Bud gets mad. He is old and grumpy too. :)

Ice maker filters typically have limited gallons which are less than what you would expect from a cold water tap, somewhere in the 200-300 gallons before replacement.

Replacing all outlets and switches in a 2 story major remodel. Coordinating with tile guy and cabinet guy on their problems. Knocked off at 3:00 because its freakin' hot in Southern California

Tile is easy. Assuming it was latex paint, use a single edged razor blade and pour small amounts of acetone on the spots. The paint will dissolve and come up. However, acetone is a strong solvent, so use gloves unless you want your skin to absorb it into your body (NO). The cabinets are a...

Drywall is not structural. Too much weight on the anchors and they will pull out. SUCKS, right? The brackets shot into the studs probably did not pull out. You're facing a complete removal, wall patch/repaint, then going for it again. First, pick up as many studs as you can. Second, use at...

That is most probably FRP (fiberglass reinforced plastic). It is an inexpensive, water proof sheet which is glued to the wall. The edges are capped with specialized trim. It is commonly found in commercial applications such as restaurants. Rare in residential. If you remove it, the wall...

You can "wrap" the posts with 1'x6' wood to conceal the checking. It will look a lot better! Safety is no concern.

I work with disabled veterans, some of whom are not mentally balanced. One guy was mad as hell because his toilet would not flush. Go the plumber snake guy on the roof and did the water jet thing .... no help. Resorted to the auger, which hit a weird obstruction about 20 feet along the line...

Get a portable table saw. A used on is inexpensive and will do the job. Build an outfeed table or roller setup. It will surprise you with accuracy and capacity. Just make sure your rip fence is carefully aligned.

Start with an inexpensive water pressure gauge. Attach it to your exterior hose bib (faucet) which is typically direct water from the main. Leave it there and note the pressure. Next, the Pressure Regulator valve can be adjusted to increase (possibly) the flow into your house. Locate the...

If you insist on protecting the conductors, use MC. It is flexible, meets code, much faster than conduit, can be installed neatly. The conductor clamps are comparably priced to EMT clamps. MAKE SURE you use anti-short inserts ("red heads") in the connectors to protect the conductors from the...