Home and garden projects
Jan 18th 2016, 10:21 am
#274
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2015
Location: Near Lynchburg Tennessee, home of Jack Daniels
Posts: 1,381
Re: Home and garden projects
Thanks Pulaski
RE: thermostat - i was told that if there were more than 3-4 deg between room temp and set temp, the aux heating would come on and as this is by heated wire, you would lose any savings made due to lowering the temp. i think i will use the timer to drop it by a couple of degs when no-one is in the house but leave it running the whole time.
RE: microwave - it is plugged into the mains circuit in the kitchen, so that means that the whole circuit must be shared with the lighting circuit. I assume they ran out of breakers but i will check. Also will check upgrading to a 20A breaker - i hadn't thought of that
RE: thermostat - i was told that if there were more than 3-4 deg between room temp and set temp, the aux heating would come on and as this is by heated wire, you would lose any savings made due to lowering the temp. i think i will use the timer to drop it by a couple of degs when no-one is in the house but leave it running the whole time.
RE: microwave - it is plugged into the mains circuit in the kitchen, so that means that the whole circuit must be shared with the lighting circuit. I assume they ran out of breakers but i will check. Also will check upgrading to a 20A breaker - i hadn't thought of that
Jan 18th 2016, 8:57 pm
#275
BE Practitioner (Level 2)
Joined: Aug 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 1,403
Re: Home and garden projects
So I decided a couple of weeks ago to slap a bit of lipstick on the pig that is my kitchen.
Biggest change is the countertops, getting rid of the cr@p laminate and replacing with a decent butchers block.
As always, nothing seems to go to plan - came to remove the countertop expecting it to be screwed/brackets... nope, just a sh!te load of construction glue. Same for the backsplash, which caused a couple of smaller holes in the dry wall... not to worry, I'm planning on tiling over that, anyway!
So I bought a reciprocating saw and sawed the edges off the laminate and have screwed the new countertop on top, looks great. Bit of moulding to hide any blemishes, and the previous counter was too low so it all worked out.
I've gone to look at the tiling and just realized that there are a couple of plug sockets (switch plates removed). So how on earth does one 'bring forward' the socket so that it sits flush with the tiles once they're on there? Any ideas fellow BE'ers?
Biggest change is the countertops, getting rid of the cr@p laminate and replacing with a decent butchers block.
As always, nothing seems to go to plan - came to remove the countertop expecting it to be screwed/brackets... nope, just a sh!te load of construction glue. Same for the backsplash, which caused a couple of smaller holes in the dry wall... not to worry, I'm planning on tiling over that, anyway!
So I bought a reciprocating saw and sawed the edges off the laminate and have screwed the new countertop on top, looks great. Bit of moulding to hide any blemishes, and the previous counter was too low so it all worked out.
I've gone to look at the tiling and just realized that there are a couple of plug sockets (switch plates removed). So how on earth does one 'bring forward' the socket so that it sits flush with the tiles once they're on there? Any ideas fellow BE'ers?
Last edited by username.exe; Jan 18th 2016 at 8:58 pm. Reason: Broken picture link
Jan 18th 2016, 9:20 pm
#277
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 8,106
Re: Home and garden projects
I can't remember the name either "extender" maybe? Loiter in the electrical aisle of HomeDepot until someone helps you. Only trick will be making sure they are properly grounded once moved out as they might get their grounding from being screwed to the original metal box.
Jan 18th 2016, 9:24 pm
#278
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,448
Re: Home and garden projects
Disconnect the power, unscrew the sockets top and bottom - you can remove them entirely if you're going to replace them, otherwise just tuck them end-in to the back box. Then tile around the hole, making sure that the tile is very close to the edge of the box and the screw holes, then screw the sockets back in place using the longer screws.
I have never seen any for sale, and I have certainly never seen any installed, though I have seen many "sunken" boxes behind tile or additional drywall layers.
Last edited by Pulaski; Jan 18th 2016 at 9:34 pm.
Jan 18th 2016, 9:31 pm
#279
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 8,106
Re: Home and garden projects
Longer screws, that's all.
Disconnect the power, unscrew the sockets top and bottom - you can remove them entirely if you're going to replace them, otherwise just tuck them end-in to the back box. Then tile around the hole, making sure that the tile is very close to the edge of the box and the screw holes, then screw the sockets back in place using the longer screws.
Disconnect the power, unscrew the sockets top and bottom - you can remove them entirely if you're going to replace them, otherwise just tuck them end-in to the back box. Then tile around the hole, making sure that the tile is very close to the edge of the box and the screw holes, then screw the sockets back in place using the longer screws.
Jan 18th 2016, 9:34 pm
#280
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,448
Jan 18th 2016, 9:42 pm
#282
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 8,106
Re: Home and garden projects
Raco Add-a-Depth Switch Box Ring-976 - The Home Depot
I used a couple a while back when I added some beadboard/wainscotting which is quite obviously combustible and must be protected. In the above example it isn't clear what material the exposed wall opening is made of. To be safe it should be protected.
Jan 18th 2016, 9:47 pm
#283
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,448
Re: Home and garden projects
Interesting. You are correct. I will make sure to find some for when I next need them. ..... Most of not all the time I have seen sunken boxes it is behind drywall and tile, thankfully.
Jan 18th 2016, 10:38 pm
#284
BE Practitioner (Level 2)
Joined: Aug 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 1,403
Re: Home and garden projects
You don't look very hard do you.
Raco Add-a-Depth Switch Box Ring-976 - The Home Depot
I used a couple a while back when I added some beadboard/wainscotting which is quite obviously combustible and must be protected. In the above example it isn't clear what material the exposed wall opening is made of. To be safe it should be protected.
Raco Add-a-Depth Switch Box Ring-976 - The Home Depot
I used a couple a while back when I added some beadboard/wainscotting which is quite obviously combustible and must be protected. In the above example it isn't clear what material the exposed wall opening is made of. To be safe it should be protected.
Jan 23rd 2016, 9:42 pm
#285
Austin. TX.
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 5,930
Re: Home and garden projects
Ok Guys..... I am incredibly pleased with myself right now...
I have just added some kerfed weather sealing to the outside of my back door!!! No more cold draughts, yay!!
I had to figure out what I could do to seal the gaps up. I'd never heard of this procedure called weather stripping so I went and bought some new stick on insulation stuff. This wasn't wide enough for the gaps, so then I bought some of those sticky things you put on the corners but all that did was create gaps where they ended...
So then, I started googling and realised that my old door didn't have this stuff around the frame called kerfed weather stripping so I investigated that. Managed to buy some white aluminium strips to match the door. I've just spent 2 hours, measuring, cutting (needed to buy a hacksaw - do you have any idea how many different ones of those there are??) and then drilling (with an electric drill no less) the screw holes to get everything in place.
No more light shining through, no more draughts. This woman who has done very, very little diy is very proud of herself.
Next project is wiring up a timer to the garage light since we all seem to leave the lights on in there.
I have just added some kerfed weather sealing to the outside of my back door!!! No more cold draughts, yay!!
I had to figure out what I could do to seal the gaps up. I'd never heard of this procedure called weather stripping so I went and bought some new stick on insulation stuff. This wasn't wide enough for the gaps, so then I bought some of those sticky things you put on the corners but all that did was create gaps where they ended...
So then, I started googling and realised that my old door didn't have this stuff around the frame called kerfed weather stripping so I investigated that. Managed to buy some white aluminium strips to match the door. I've just spent 2 hours, measuring, cutting (needed to buy a hacksaw - do you have any idea how many different ones of those there are??) and then drilling (with an electric drill no less) the screw holes to get everything in place.
No more light shining through, no more draughts. This woman who has done very, very little diy is very proud of herself.
Next project is wiring up a timer to the garage light since we all seem to leave the lights on in there.