Homeowner Forum / Repair / July 2009

The old flex copper pipe coming out of the bathroom floor under the
toilet is partly clogged.  It's the last piece of original flex copper
in the house since I replaced all the old pipe with rigid copper pipe
over the years.  However, last year we had a hot tub installed by a

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Steve
I have an aluminum through the table umbrella with a round aluminum pole
with a typical push button but have lost/misplaced the bottom aluminum

I noticed that within the past month or so I have a lot of air when I
turn on the hot water.  As the water gets warmer the air gets worse.
Since it's only the hot water I assume it's a problem in my house, but
just to be sure I checked with my neighbors and the do not have any

Planning to build a 10' X 12' storage shed and have some questions....Right
now just want to work out plan for foundation...I want to construct this
thing so that the floor sits about 1 foot above the ground level. Do not
want to pour a concrete slab, and want a solid quality job. ...

All my po' life I've been dealing with threaded caps on containers of
everything from medicine to mayonnaise.
They come off easily enough for the most part. Not so for
replacement: they often cross-thread. Damn near requires a

I think I know the answers to this, but I am not sure.
I have a building that already has 3 interconnected 120-volt smoke
detectors.  I want to add two more to the system.  I want them to all be
interconnected so that if one goes off, they all go off.  This is just a 120

I've signed a contract with Home Depot for them to install a new
Quartz countertop to replace the nearly 50-year old formica one I now
have.  I think the sales lady at HD told me if I removed the old sink
& countertop myself I wouldn't have to pay an extra removal/disposal

I have a home office, which I want to re-floor with floating laminate
(Pergo, locking glueless).  I pulled up the old carpet and
pad, and discovered (instead of the nice neat concrete I
was hoping for) two problems:

There are GFI outlets and there are GFI breakers.
I happen not to like the way GFi outlets look and GFI breakers are
sometimes just too far away (4 flights of stairs). Is there an in-
between solution to GFI protect the circuit? For example, it would be

I need to build a staircase from treated lumber and I would like to use
Liquid Nail along with the screws.  Would I really have to let the lumber
totally dry first? If not, would it just be a waste of glue?

I'm looking for a cheap 120 volt relay to use with my stereo system.
I've got a receiver that has pre in/main out jumpers and so I've added a
second power amp to it which is a lot more powerful that what's already
built into the receiver.  I'm actually powering three rooms of ...

I know that the cable modem must have a pretty strong signal so it can
be downstream from a few splitters.
But I need to put in at least one or two. Where the cable comes in (A)
I have a single TV. The modem is in the next room (B) where there is

We're redoing the bathroom and will probably install new countertop.  We are
leaning towards granite, but haven't made any decisions.
Countertop is 8 ft long, about 2.5 ft wide.  Currently have marble with 2
sinks as part of the countertop.  It is about 35 years old.

This is in a shower constructed with a cultured marble-like substance called
Granitex. The joints are sealed with a clear silicone sealant. Some area
have blackened.
I've read that mildew resistant or free silicone sealants are available, but

RACCOONS: dig up the old lady's annual flower garden, sh.t all over
the decks, and tear up the cushions on deck furniture.  Why?  On three
sides of this property, there are woods, farmland, ponds, and streams
.... a wildlife paradise; yet they sometimes get on the roof and try