The Home Improvement Thread

[Bonded]

Got a weird one.

I have lightswitch in my hallway that controls two lights. I changed bulbs yesterday and now when I have it automode the lights flicker but if the switch is just in the on mode then lights are normal.



Is there anything that it could be outside of the sensor?

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Ya, what you see is the plywood with zero vents. Over that was perforated aluminum that I removed for one section. I've already cut in 3 8"x12" vents spaced ~6ft apart, the house is about 45 feet long.


Sorry, are you suggesting just pull the plywood out completely, and just use the standard perforated aluminum? I hadn't considered that, but they'd probably pop right out. I suppose they have no purpose now. I'd then have much easier access to get some cardboard up there. The gap between the wall and the roof sheathing is under 2". Super tight. Maybe when it gets cooler this weekend I'll look in the attic. It's probably hotter than Death Valley right now.

I see, so you removed the aluminum to get access to cut holes in the plywood and were planning to put the aluminum back. It amazes me that people never cut in vents at minimum before putting the aluminum up when it became all the style rage.

I guess your preferred method of clearing the insulation determines your next step, whether you get up into the attic to clear the airspace or you pull down some or all of the plywood soffit. 6’ apart at your 8x12 size is probably a good start. Most take a 3” round hole saw to it and that’s probably not good enough when they’re far apart.

[Fuzz]

Now that you have mentioned it, I'm tempted just to pull the wood soffits down. Quicker than cutting holes, way better ventilation, and then I can get my hands in there without mangling them to push the insulation back and find a way to secure it. Is there any good reason not to tear the plywood out? It's just got small nails holding it, so easy to remove.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Now that you have mentioned it, I'm tempted just to pull the wood soffits down. Quicker than cutting holes, way better ventilation, and then I can get my hands in there without mangling them to push the insulation back and find a way to secure it. Is there any good reason not to tear the plywood out? It's just got small nails holding it, so easy to remove.

As long as you do it section by section after you’ve figured out a way to baffle the insulation immediately each time so you don’t lose it all I don’t see why you couldn’t. It’s providing a bit of strapping/bracing to the rafters but if your roof sheathing and sub fascia is secured well to the rafters you should be ok. On new roofs it’s just a tail to a 2x6 fascia and then the aluminum sits flat below it. So I can’t think of a reason you couldn’t clear the ply soffit all the way around. I wouldn’t bother though if you couldn’t stop a significant amount from the outside so try a small section first. If you have to change course and clear the insulation from inside you might as well just keep cutting holes.

[Fuzz]

Cool, thanks. Ya, I did my garage with the same style roof, so I'm aware of the new way. I'll make sure the sub facia is OK, as I hadn't considered the extra bracing the wood soffit might provide. I'll take some pictures once one piece is off. I think the rafters are 2x4's, but the sub facia must be 2x6.

[jwslam]

Originally Posted by Bonded

Got a weird one.

I have lightswitch in my hallway that controls two lights. I changed bulbs yesterday and now when I have it automode the lights flicker but if the switch is just in the on mode then lights are normal.



Is there anything that it could be outside of the sensor?

I had a Lutron brand motion sensor that was VERY not friendly with LED bulbs compared to incandescent.
I was keen on the LED's so I replaced the switch.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by jwslam

I had a Lutron brand motion sensor that was VERY not friendly with LED bulbs compared to incandescent.
I was keen on the LED's so I replaced the switch.

That could definitely be it. They are all LEDs now.

[speede5]

Originally Posted by Bonded

That could definitely be it. They are all LEDs now.

I had the same issue when I switched to LED, changed to a standard switch and just got rid of the motion feature.

Dimmers need to be LED friendly as well.

Another funny thing that happened to me when i converted to LED, the previous owner/amatuer electrician had wired and the light fixtures hot with the neutral on the switch and when off the lights would still glow just a bit. They would never go fully off. I had to spend a few hours rewiring all my light fixtures and switches.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by Bonded

That could definitely be it. They are all LEDs now.

That's 100% the issue, the switch will have to be rated for LED usage

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by speede5

I had the same issue when I switched to LED, changed to a standard switch and just got rid of the motion feature.

Dimmers need to be LED friendly as well.

Another funny thing that happened to me when i converted to LED, the previous owner/amatuer electrician had wired and the light fixtures hot with the neutral on the switch and when off the lights would still glow just a bit. They would never go fully off. I had to spend a few hours rewiring all my light fixtures and switches.

Sounds like you fixed it, but this is generally due to how some "smart" switches (or even some non-smart ones) operate. Rather than having a dedicated neutral to the switch, the switches are hot-only, and in order to be powered 24/7 (for smart functions, and sometimes even just to power a nightlight, status LED, or otherwise on non-smart switches) they pass very little current constantly through the load. Normally a non-issue for incandescents since it doesnst get them to fire, but for circuits where the load is a few low-power LEDs, it is indeed enough to have them remain dimly lit 24/7

[speede5]

Interesting. These were all single pole switches with no added features. Power at the fixture with just single loomex to the switch. I have no smart features in my house yet.

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by speede5

Interesting. These were all single pole switches with no added features. Power at the fixture with just single loomex to the switch. I have no smart features in my house yet.

Ya, doesn't necessarily need to be "smart" switches. Could just be a "dumb" switch with a status LED, a night light, locator light or something similar built in or somewhere in the circuit.

[Nyah]

Does anyone have a recommendation for an exterior painter? We need some columns and trim painted on the front of our house. What's the price range for some exterior paint touchups?

[Calgary14]

Maybe a dumb question but I'm wondering how to fix a leaky faucet when the set screw to remove the top is missing. I've even ordered a new set screw but its the wrong size. I think it's fairly straight forward once the top is off but with no set screw I dont know how to get that off. Any suggestions?

[YYC in LAX]

Can anyone recommend a well-priced supplier for road crush? I need a cubic yard delivered in bag form and Burnco seems to be on the higher end. Any hidden gems out there? I don't have a pickup truck or trailer so the convenience of pickup outweighs the logistics required to go pick up from a site. Thank you.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by YYC in LAX

Can anyone recommend a well-priced supplier for road crush? I need a cubic yard delivered in bag form and Burnco seems to be on the higher end. Any hidden gems out there? I don't have a pickup truck or trailer so the convenience of pickup outweighs the logistics required to go pick up from a site. Thank you.

Check Kijiji. I've found better deals, but it won't come in a bag. Lay out a tarp, and they dump it.

[I_H8_Crawford]

Anyone use a water softener? Is it worth the money in Calgary? Is it as miraculous as they make it sound?

[ah123]

Originally Posted by I_H8_Crawford

Anyone use a water softener? Is it worth the money in Calgary? Is it as miraculous as they make it sound?

We had one installed six years ago, absolutely worth it. Don’t know if it is miracle cure for anything, but definitely notice my skin is not as dry. I think it has prolonged the life of our hot water tank as well, if I believe the guys who service our furnace

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by YYC in LAX

Can anyone recommend a well-priced supplier for road crush? I need a cubic yard delivered in bag form and Burnco seems to be on the higher end. Any hidden gems out there? I don't have a pickup truck or trailer so the convenience of pickup outweighs the logistics required to go pick up from a site. Thank you.

I got a bunch of stuff from CLS landscape supply delivered in bags recently. They had a picker truck and so could put in my yard from the alley, which was pretty helpful for my purposes. What I bought was cheaper than burnco. IIRC delivery was flat rate though, so bigger orders were a better savings.

[I_H8_Crawford]

Originally Posted by ah123

We had one installed six years ago, absolutely worth it. Don’t know if it is miracle cure for anything, but definitely notice my skin is not as dry. I think it has prolonged the life of our hot water tank as well, if I believe the guys who service our furnace

What about cleaning and such? does it prevent those hard white calcium build ups around your shower heads, sinks, etc?