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Official Pit Home Improvement/DIY thread

I got myself elected President of our HOA for 2 years, during which time I approved all of my own desired variances and then declined to run for any additional terms. Local politics at its finest. That said, it was a huge pain in the ass. Everybody just bitches about everything, but nobody is willing to take the time to try to fix anything. They are good for some things, but I don't really think that keeping up appearances is one of them. If somebody is going to have a shitty yard, they are going to have a shitty yard even if an HOA is telling them not too.
 
electrical question:

In my garage, I have a single bulb light fixture. I'd like to replace it with two fluorescent light fixtures. Can I swap the bulb with an outlet and just plug two lights into that?
 
ImTheCaptain said:
electrical question:

In my garage, I have a single bulb light fixture. I'd like to replace it with two fluorescent light fixtures. Can I swap the bulb with an outlet and just plug two lights into that?
Click to expand...

I'd put in a junction box in place of the lightbulb and wire both fixtures into it.
 
I just replaced an old rusted outdoor lamp post. I'm using the old fixture, old wiring, etc... just replacing the post. The wiring coming from the home, which connects to the fixture, includes ground wire. But the old socket that I'm wiring it to does not have a ground wire. (See the photo.) I figured I'd get a new socket, but it doesn't look most sockets do have a ground wire? So what am I supposed to do with the ground wire coming from the home? Is it meant to ground the socket or ground the lamp post, which I think is aluminum?

11kyy3b.jpg
 
The ground should be connected to what ever is holding the socket and the post. Somewhere on the lamp there should be a screw to attach the ground. This should also ground the post.



If I were you, I would replace the socket as well. Lot of rust in what I see in the photo.
 
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another electrical question for which the internet is not being helpful..

i'm replacing a ceiling light with a fan. i'm wondering if i need to fish a different wire to the wall switch to use a fan-switch instead of the regular on/off
 
ImTheCaptain said:
another electrical question for which the internet is not being helpful..

i'm replacing a ceiling light with a fan. i'm wondering if i need to fish a different wire to the wall switch to use a fan-switch instead of the regular on/off
Click to expand...
Only if you want a separate switch for the fan. Otherwise you can just turn the light or fan off/on with the pull cords.
 
we inherited this thing when we bought the house; it works off a (now lost) remote control. i dont mind using a remote for the separate functions but it's kind of tacky.
 
ImTheCaptain said:
another electrical question for which the internet is not being helpful..

i'm replacing a ceiling light with a fan. i'm wondering if i need to fish a different wire to the wall switch to use a fan-switch instead of the regular on/off
Click to expand...

tsywake said:
Only if you want a separate switch for the fan. Otherwise you can just turn the light or fan off/on with the pull cords.
Click to expand...

ImTheCaptain said:
we inherited this thing when we bought the house; it works off a (now lost) remote control. i dont mind using a remote for the separate functions but it's kind of tacky.
Click to expand...

The wiring for the light in the ceiling gives you the ability to turn on and off everything in the ceiling box. If it is a light, then the light is either on or off. When you replace the light with a ceiling fan, many times (but not always) there is a light or lights on the fan. If you stick with the existing wiring, you can have the wall switch only will turn everything on/off. Everything else, as tsy noted, is the done with the pull cords. If you want the fan and the light on the fan on separate wall switches, you need to run additional wire. That is why some people go with the remote for the fan. Turn on the fan and light separately. Depending on the brand of the fan, you may be able to get a replacement remote (if you want to).

If you will have only a fan in the ceiling (no light) you can replace the on/off switch with either a three position switch or a totally variable switch. Leave the fan pull chain on "high" and control the rest from the wall. Note of caution: some of the infinitely variable switches and some three position switches can cause the fan to generate a noticeable humming noise. If you run a separate line, you can then have the light with an on/off switch (or dimmer, if your light bulbs will handle that) and the fan on a three speed wall switch. That's how I did mine.

As always, when playing with electric circuits, make sure everything is dead before you take it apart.
 
Looking to mount a TV to the living room wall above our wood-burning fireplace. Not a particularly big room, so above the fireplace is about the only good place to put it. There isn't any outlet or cable hookup there, and I'd like to install one (or, most likely, have one installed). Any recommendations on having that done in Winston?

Also, any experience with the Dynamic Mounting system? Looks like they're based in Charlotte, a little pricey but pretty badass.
 
smallbigtall said:
Looking to mount a TV to the living room wall above our wood-burning fireplace. Not a particularly big room, so above the fireplace is about the only good place to put it. There isn't any outlet or cable hookup there, and I'd like to install one (or, most likely, have one installed). Any recommendations on having that done in Winston?

Also, any experience with the Dynamic Mounting system? Looks like they're based in Charlotte, a little pricey but pretty badass.
Click to expand...



Mounting a TV directly above a fireplace may not be the best idea if you use the fireplace much. Soot from the fireplace escapes and tends to go up the wall directly over the fireplace. Also, the heat from the fireplace chimney behind the TV isn't the best thing for electronic components.
 
Installed a new outdoor sink complete with cutoffs today. It was my first time working quite a bit with pex and a crimper. Much easier and quicker than brass.
 
And I thought I was hot shit for replacing some of my kitchen sink plumbing today. $4.20 home repairs FTW.
 
1) Front porch posts and railings: Difficult to replace oneself or no?
2) Related: My lot slopes downhill from left to right if you're looking at the house. I would like to create flowerbeds in front of the porch but am concerned that the slope will make any brick/paver walls or borders I create look ridiculous. Ideas?
 
tsywake said:
Installed a new outdoor sink complete with cutoffs today. It was my first time working quite a bit with pex and a crimper. Much easier and quicker than brass.
Click to expand...

I put in an outdoor shower a few weeks back with pex from the hot water heater to 50 feet away at the back corner of the house. I used like 10 pieces of pex for the whole thing. It is so easy to work with.
 
VaDeac said:
1) Front porch posts and railings: Difficult to replace oneself or no?

Depends upon whether the posts are actually supporting the porch. If so, then you will need to install temporary supports to hold the porch while you replace the posts. The temporary supports are usually jackposts that can be lengthened as necessary to fit your existing porch floor to ceiling height. You will need at least one temporary support for each existing post.

Railings are usually not too hard to do. What material do you want to put in? Wood, metal, plastic or???

2) Related: My lot slopes downhill from left to right if you're looking at the house. I would like to create flowerbeds in front of the porch but am concerned that the slope will make any brick/paver walls or borders I create look ridiculous. Ideas?
Click to expand...

Two ways to do this one is to create a wall that follows the contour of the slope, that is, stays the same height above the ground all the way across. Another way is to make the top of the wall level all the way across and simply have more courses of brick showing as the slope goes down.
 
VaDeac said:
1) Front porch posts and railings: Difficult to replace oneself or no?
Click to expand...

replacing the posts is not a one man job. it can be very difficult and you really need to know what you are doing. the above post is correct, you need temp posts and a way to raise the porch roof (slightly). if you are not experienced, i would not take this on.

railings are quite easy to remove and replace.

VaDeac said:
2) Related: My lot slopes downhill from left to right if you're looking at the house. I would like to create flowerbeds in front of the porch but am concerned that the slope will make any brick/paver walls or borders I create look ridiculous. Ideas?
Click to expand...

again, the above post is correct. i would see if having the wall level all the way across looks odd (because of the slope), take a few wood markers and tie a string across the length of the expected paver wall. sometimes being level in an unlevel area can be distracting or visually "off". just FYI, while doing this wall...if you get any water in your basement or crawlspace you might want to take this opportunity to put in a french drain to move the water away from this corner of the house. it most likely takes all ground water run-off pressure and could cause damage to your foundation, over time.
 
warak said:
replacing the posts is not a one man job. it can be very difficult and you really need to know what you are doing. the above post is correct, you need temp posts and a way to raise the porch roof (slightly). if you are not experienced, i would not take this on.
Click to expand...

Eh, I've done it with a 6x6 on top of a 5-ton hydraulic truck floor jack and it is easy enough for one person to do it. Definitely have your procedure planned out first and all supplies on hand because once you start it there isn't much going back, but I wouldn't be too worried about it solo.
 
My tub is way beyond dripping, just badly leaking hot water all day long. I haven't been able to find any way to turn the water off (like I can't find the cut-off to the shower and also apparently don't even know where the cut-off to all the water in my house is) so this is a big pain, a waste of water, and a lot of extra work for my water heater.

I really need to figure out how to turn the water off and try to fix this. Plus it would be a good thing to know how to turn off the water anyway. I'm nervous to take apart the knobs without knowing if I can fix it, but I can't buy anything to fix it without taking the knobs off and bringing the knob guts to the hardware store to find a matching repair piece. Argh.
 
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