Question 1

Digging out crawl space - Power tools?

Accepted Answer

The crawl space in my 80 year old house has about a foot of space in it. I need to dig it out so I can get in there and do some work.Are there any power tools or equipment which I can rent which will make this easier?I suppose I could find a conveyor belt for dirt removal. But what about the digging part?

Question 2

Is there a way to cut through concrete slab without making a mess?

Accepted Answer

I am exploring cutting a 36"x36" hole through the 8" concrete slab in mykitchen to access a sewer line for repair.Called a few concrete contractors and one told me he will use a jackhammerto punch the hole (cost $300) and the other told me he will use a saw (cost$500).  The jackhammer will probably spray dust in all directions and shakeloose some copper pipes in walls.  The saw will make a clean cut accordingto the contractor but he told me "imagine starting a motor cycle immersed ina mud puddle"...this does not sound promising.  Is there a way to do this tominimize dust and mess?  I am willing to pay a bit more for a cleanerprocedure.Also, if they use a saw, does it mean it is a big mean machine they willmove from my door to the kitchen and along the way it may scratch the tilesalong it's path?Thanks,MC

Question 3

What causes air in water pipes?

Accepted Answer

I've already posted this, but I screwed up the Subject line.  Myhusband passed away recently and my brain is only on half power.Also, he used to take care of these kind of issues.  Sorry about themultiple postingsQuestion:I noticed that within the past month or so I have a lot of air when Iturn 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, butjust to be sure I checked with my neighbors and the do not have anyproblems.  We have town water.What could be causing this?  The air comes out in strong burstssometimes and it makes the pipes vibrate.thanks.Jane

Question 4

little black dots

Accepted Answer

Hello,I hope you can help me solve this mystery.Over the last two weeks, black dots have appeared on many surfaces inmy apartment: in the sink, counters, on some walls, and heavily on thekitchen and bathroom floors, which are linoleum and tile respectively.When I've swept the floor, half of what I pick up are these dots,there will be hundreds. the rest of the apartment is hardwood, so theymay be there and I just don't see them. I've wiped them off and theykeep coming back.They are all the same size (about a mm in diameter) and are perfectlyround. They don't appear to dissolve in water, and are very flat, andvery black. They will adhere to the surface, but will come off in onepiece with scrubbing. They are not evenly distributed, they willappear in clumps. I assumed they were insect related, and from readingother posts, it could be left by flies, but I'm puzzled in that Ihaven't seen any evidence of flies, moths, or any other pest. Andthere are so many dots, seems that I have an...

Question 5

Silverfish in bathroom - any advice

Accepted Answer

Hi there,In summary - what is the best way of getting rid of silver fish. Any over the counter solutions?Since having a new bathroom fitted which is tiled, I have noticed there are always about 4 silverfish crawling around when I enter the bathroom in the evening.The bathroom was carpeted before as it was when I moved in so I am not sure if they were there before and I just did not notice. As part of the changes, we did remove the panelling covering up the shared stack pipe (I'm in a flat on the second / top floor).Now there is a small access hole to where the shared stack pipe is that I don't think I would have had before. Maybe this is where they are now coming in from.ThanksDavid

Question 6

Workshop task lighting

Accepted Answer

Although my workshop is not badly lit (couple of 8' tubes, and a pair of  5' ones in a 12'x17' space) - it still has dark corners or places where  you end up working in your own shadow. Any good suggestions for task  lighting?

Question 7

Replacing fuse box with consumer unit

Accepted Answer

There is a fault in the neutral of one of the cables going to my six way  fuse box.  To find this fault I am likely to have to remove the fuse box  so that I can inspect the incoming cables and maybe replace one of them. This makes me wonder whether I should replace the fuse box with a modern  consumer unit, probably 8 way. Can anyone recommend a suitable unit. One of the problems that will  inevitably occur is that the house wiring cables will be to short. So  ideally I would like a unit that has all the terminals close to the  cable entry point would be a bonus.

Question 8

Garlic and Heirloom Tomato Plants.

Accepted Answer

A long time ago, in a land my parents owned, my dad showed me the benefitsof planting some plants with others. It's one of the few lessons that Ididn't blow off during my rebellious teenage angst. Unfortunately, due toaging and non-use of such a wealth of free knowledge, I no longer rememberwhether planting garlic with tomatoes is beneficial or disastrous. If Iplanted some cloves of garlic with my new batch of heirlooms (five beefsteak and three Brandywine), will the tomatoes pick up and be dominated bythe garlic? Is it even worth planting garlic with the plants to preventinsect predation?Many thanks.The Ranger

Question 9

How to drill a hole in a noggin half way down a stud partition wall?

Accepted Answer

Right, I need to drop some networking and coaxial cables down from the loft into a bedroom.Drilling a hole in the ceiling wall plate is easy from the loft side to pass said cables through.half way down the wall is a noggin.I wish to mount the wall socket lower down than this noggin and run the cables to the wall socket.I dont really want to cut a hole in the PB to access said noggin to drill a through hole.Is there such a thing as a 1.5m m long drill bit extender I can place between my wood boring bit and the electric drill?being able to do this would be a time and a making good time saver!S.

Question 10

Cleaning kitchen extractor filter

Accepted Answer

We had tenants in our house for 6 months, and they obviously did a lot of frying.  The metal mesh filters in the oven extractor hood are very clogged up with grease.  I know from experience that these are hard to clean - there must be a good way to do it.  Any suggestions?

Question 11

How does "salvage title" work anyway?

Accepted Answer

How does "salvage title" work anyway?A neighbor got rear ended such that her five thousand dollar 2000 modelyear vehicle was "totaled" and yet still driveable such that she's keepingit.The insurance company gave her two choices:1. They pay her five thousand and they keep the car2. They pay her four thousand and she keeps the carThe caveat is she has to switch her title to "salvage".What does that even mean in terms of practicality?She called the DMV and they said she needs to get inspected by the CHP forbrakes and lights and change the title within a few days of cashing thecheck so she asked me what she needs to do.Heck if I knowHer own insurance company says it's not their problem.The insurance company which is paying tells her to talk to the DMV.The DMV says to talk to CHP.Has anyone here experience with this salvage stuff so I can advise her?

Question 12

Telescopic ladders?

Accepted Answer

I would like to be able to get up to the gutters / soffits on this twostory Victorian cottage and don't currently have a suitable ladder.This wouldn't be for any extended work, just replacing a floodlight orremoving debris from the gutters etc.I like the idea of the telescopic ladders from a storage / portabilityPOV but I have only ever footed a 3.2m one but I'm assuming I'd belooking at something quite a bit longer to reach such heights(probably 5+m)?It looks like I can do those sorts of things I need from the guidancehere: and I would be able to secure the ladder appropriately so thequestion is really around the feasibility of telescopic ladders ofthat sort of length? I'm guessing they wouldn't make them if no onebought them and from the specs I've seen they could easily support myweight etc (ladder max 150kg etc).I really wouldn't be using such regularly but would just like to beable to myself if required (or set tree climbing daughter up therewhilst I foot it etc). ;-)What does the...

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