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Practical Home Projects
United States
Приєднався 21 кві 2021
Hi there! I’m an avid DIYer and want to share my experiences and learnings with home projects. Together, we’ll take an engineering approach to fixing household problems, designing & building furniture, and upgrading your living space.
Please click the "Subscribe" button if you like our videos!
Please click the "Subscribe" button if you like our videos!
Why is My Shower Not Hot Enough?
Many modern showers feature a "Rotational Limit Stop" (RLS), a safety clip inside the faucet handle that prevents scalding by limiting how far the handle can turn toward the hot side. While it’s designed to keep water temperatures safe (typically around 120°F), adjusting it might help you enjoy warmer showers. In this video, we’ll explain how the RLS works, how to safely adjust it, and why it’s essential to check your water heater settings before making changes. Stay warm and safe!
See the article we wrote on the topic here: practicalhomeprojects.com/?p=175
See the article we wrote on the topic here: practicalhomeprojects.com/?p=175
Переглядів: 350
Відео
Essential Tips for Sliding Shower Door Installation!
Переглядів 7133 місяці тому
In this video, we go through the entire installation process for a sliding shower door and highlight a few of the key points such as getting the door perfectly level, cutting it cleanly, and preventing water leaks. We purchased the MAAX Aura Brushed Nickel Semi-frameless Bypass Sliding Shower Door. Most sliding doors have similar installation instructions, but be sure to follow along in your ow...
Getting a Watertight Seal on the Sink Drain Assembly
Переглядів 6 тис.5 місяців тому
Even after tightening all of the nuts and caulking up the flange, you may still see a trickle of water on the outside of the drain pipe of your sink. This could be caused by a leak through the overflow holes in the pipe even if your sink doesn't have an overflow drain hole. These ports are designed for sinks with drains near the top of the basin to prevent overflowing and onto the floor. Unfort...
These Shelves are Awesome! Corner Shelves for Tile Showers
Переглядів 2,6 тис.6 місяців тому
These stainless steel corner shelving units match any décor and add great amount of shelf space in your shower. You can easily add them during the shower installation if you have tile walls, and they can even be added to an existing shower if you remove the grout. The most important part of making the finished product look good is a clean caulk application. We taped all of the caulk joints and ...
Drilling Through Porcelain: The Crucial Tools and Techniques for Precise Holes
Переглядів 6806 місяців тому
Drilling through porcelain tile can be challenging due to its hardness compared to ceramic, brick, or concrete. In this video, we guide you through the process step-by-step to ensure success without damaging your tiles. Porcelain tile requires specialized tools and techniques. Using a standard masonry or carbide-tipped bit can quickly become ineffective, barely making a dent in the tile while d...
Our Experience with Mapei Ultracolor Plus FA: Dos and Don'ts
Переглядів 16 тис.6 місяців тому
Using Mapei Ultracolor Plus FA (Fine Aggregate) is a little trickier than other grouts, but we think that it is viable for beginners as long as directions are closely followed. We used this grout for the shower walls, shower floor, and bathroom floor. We like that the fine aggregate fills in between the tiles without leaving a gritty texture. Mapei sells a variety of color grouts as well as mat...
Avoid These Two Pitfalls When Applying RedGard
Переглядів 44 тис.8 місяців тому
After reviewing all of the waterproofing options for our shower including liquid applied membranes, sheet membranes, and waterproof panels; we went with the RedGard liquid applied membrane. In this video, we'll go over the application process as well as a few tips for getting the best results. RedGard is cheap, easily available, and has a proven track record for a variety of applications, espec...
XPS Foam Shower Curb Install With Full Waterproofing
Переглядів 1,1 тис.9 місяців тому
The shower curb performs an important functional role in your shower by keeping the water in. It is also the number one failure point if waterproofing isn't done correctly. If you are tiling the base of your shower, the curb can be made from concrete, wood with cement board, or a prefabricated foam block. We used an XPS or Expanded Polystyrene Foam curb because it is not susceptible to water da...
How To Cut Thick Porcelain Tile Without A Tile Saw
Переглядів 18 тис.10 місяців тому
Porcelain tiles are much stronger than ceramic tiles which makes them great products for flooring. However, the same scratch and crack resistance that makes them good for flooring makes them difficult to cut. Professional tile workers will use either a wet or dry tile saw to make their straight cuts. Wet saws are usually messy and require disposal of the sludge after cutting. Dry tile saws are ...
Step-by-Step Flood Testing a Shower Pan
Переглядів 3,6 тис.Рік тому
A flood test is the crucial step to confirm that your waterproofing membrane has been installed properly before installing tile. This test may be required as part of your remodel inspection, but even if it isn't, it is a free and simple way to gain peace of mind. Doing a touch up to the waterproofing membrane is still possible at this stage if your pan leaks. The flood test is required if your ...
Review and Installation of Schlage Keypad Deadbolt
Переглядів 995Рік тому
We've used the Schlage Camelot BE365 keypad deadbolt lock for about six years now, and have been pleased with the product. To replace your existing deadbolt, you'll only need a Philips-Head screwdriver. It's fine to leave the strike plate from a previous lock as long as it is still in good condition, but change out the deadbolt itself as well as the interior and exterior latch components. Schla...
Top 16 Grout Tips for Kitchen Backsplash
Переглядів 7 тис.Рік тому
As with many projects, preparation is key when it comes to grouting tiles. Using the right grout, with the right caulk, and the right tools will help you to achieve a long lasting and low-maintenance result. There are several grout options available. Some tiling projects require use of standard dry grout which uses a portland cement, some work better with epoxy grout, and you can also buy a hyb...
Diagnose and Fix Your Electric Water Heater
Переглядів 8 тис.Рік тому
An electric tank style water heater is by far the most common style in the USA. These water tanks are powered with a 208 - 240 volt circuit due to their increased electric demand. When the water is too cold or too hot, it is most likely due to a malfunctioning thermostat or heating element. These are both relatively easy to replace by a homeowner. Watch the video to see how to diagnose and repl...
How to Upgrade a Main Electrical Panel
Переглядів 13 тис.Рік тому
Before performing any electrical work: please take safety precautions, consult a licensed electrician, and review your local codes and regulations. In today's video we are swapping out a GE Goldmark 200 amp main panel, also called a load center or circuit breaker box, for a similar panel with double the capacity for breakers. The basic concept should apply whether you have a GE, Square-D by Sch...
Using a Rope Saw to Trim Tree Branches
Переглядів 48 тис.Рік тому
We used a rope chain saw this winter to trim a few trees around the yard and would like to share our tips with you. A rope saw works really well for easily accessible branches, but for larger or more challenging jobs, I recommend calling in a professional. We'll go over the most annoying part of using a rope saw: when the saw blade binds or gets pinched under the weight of the branch. Link to t...
10 Tips For Your Kitchen Cabinet Installation
Переглядів 348Рік тому
10 Tips For Your Kitchen Cabinet Installation
Redirect Vents Under Cabinet Using Toe Ductor Kit
Переглядів 48 тис.Рік тому
Redirect Vents Under Cabinet Using Toe Ductor Kit
Protection From Electrical Fires with AFCI Breakers
Переглядів 943Рік тому
Protection From Electrical Fires with AFCI Breakers
Fixing a Frozen Heat Pump: Troubleshooting and Replacing your Defrost Control Panel
Переглядів 17 тис.2 роки тому
Fixing a Frozen Heat Pump: Troubleshooting and Replacing your Defrost Control Panel
Complete Dishwasher Installation Guide
Переглядів 8 тис.2 роки тому
Complete Dishwasher Installation Guide
Electrical Conduit vs. Cable: Which is best for your project?
Переглядів 50 тис.2 роки тому
Electrical Conduit vs. Cable: Which is best for your project?
19 Tips for Installing your Tile Backsplash
Переглядів 144 тис.2 роки тому
19 Tips for Installing your Tile Backsplash
The Code Approved Fix for Sunken Outlets
Переглядів 1,9 тис.2 роки тому
The Code Approved Fix for Sunken Outlets
How to Install a Transition for LVP Flooring
Переглядів 11 тис.2 роки тому
How to Install a Transition for LVP Flooring
Installation Guide for Waterdrop Under Sink Filter
Переглядів 53 тис.2 роки тому
Installation Guide for Waterdrop Under Sink Filter
How to Diagnose and Replace a Bathroom Vent Fan
Переглядів 10 тис.2 роки тому
How to Diagnose and Replace a Bathroom Vent Fan
Critical Subfloor Prep: Eliminating Dips, Bumps, Squeaks, and Damage
Переглядів 3,3 тис.3 роки тому
Critical Subfloor Prep: Eliminating Dips, Bumps, Squeaks, and Damage
Why do I never see anyone taping their concrete joints
Those are some fuggin sweet chops my guy
I have a similar problem and 2 questions. My outdoor unit is freezing up. Defrost tstat is closed and when the jumper is put into test mode, the unit goes into defrost until tstat opens. However when jumper is installed in normal op ,30/60/90, the defrost cycle does not run, (tstat is closed at this point) Is it possible that the defost timer on the pcb is bad ? I ordered a new defrost pcb. Is it ok to heat the house on Emergency Heat mode until pcb arrives ? Thanks
Hello. If the system begins defrost while in test mode, then I would expect that everything is functioning. The 30/60/90min timer only runs while the system is heating, so "30"min of system time could still be a few hours of real time. If your defrost is still never coming on, then yes maybe the timer is bad, or the temperature bulb is bad and it is unable to detect a frozen system. There is nothing wrong from a mechanical perspective running the Emergency Heat, but it uses about 4x as much electricity as the nominal heat pump process, so it will run up the bill. Best of luck!
@practicalhomeprojects Thanks for your response. It is much appreciated.
Cant trust a guy who cant shave his nasty sideburns
excellent video myfriend, i will practicing on a mockup drywall soon.
Cheapest .223 ammo you can find 🙂
Thank you
You're welcome!
another thing you can do is take a spade shovel and dig about 4 or 5 foot down then hit the rod in once you get rod where you want it fill dirt back in
Thanks I’m about to do the dive .
Best of luck with your project!
I really learned a lot from this video thank you !
Thanks for your comment, glad it was helpful!
This guy loves using that word 😂
hard as hell to pull wire in ribbed liquidtite. Even 6 feet is hard. Man PVC should have been cheaper and easier.
It was a bit difficult. I went with flexible piping because of some gradual curves and odd angles, but would probably go with rigid PVC in the future.
They sell one that has 3 filter tubes instead of 1. Is that necessary?
I like the double alpine knot tip! When I used the rope saw, I secured a second rope on a branch higher than the branch I was cutting. Then, after I had cut the branch about 1/2 way, I could pull on the other rope, and control the direction of the fall. This strategy also helped with the problem of the chain binding.
Good idea. Glad you found it helpful!
Excellent video, concise and informative!
Genuine intelligence
What about sinks with a separate tube for hot and cold water? My faucet exclusively mixes them
You could either splice the filter in your cold water line, so all "cold" water is also filtered. Or you could put a T in the cold water inlet and set up a second filtered water tap. Best of luck.
Use a grounding plate on difficult soil. Less painful
I have a grout business, no new installs. Just grout. Cutouts/regrouts, deep steaming etc. I exclusively use mapei fa. There were some great points in this vid, just thought I'd add some thoughts. -The hotter anything is, the less working time you will have. You can put your gallon of distilled water and even the powder itself in the fridge overnight. Even the temp of the tile itself makes a difference, though it's not usually worth focusing that unless it's really hot climate with no AC. -A lot of us mix at a higher ratio than 3:1. Mixes and colors vary, but I'm usually in the 4.5:1 to 5:1 ratio. -A food scale is key for small batches. If you aren't sure what ratio to use, try one in a very small batch, see if that's optimal, and then throw it away and mix at that ratio. -Dry blend all powder together in a 5 gallon bucket before starting. If you think you'll need two bags, blend those together then pull from that when weighing batches. Even just one bag, dry stirring first works far better than just shaking the bag to ensure color consistency. -Do not use tap water if distilled is an option. -Mix by hand. I use a hard silicone kitchen tool that's kind of like a spatula but it's hard and wide, but most pros I know just use their margin trowel. -The working time of 50+ minutes mentioned in this video is pretty optimistic. Great if it happens, but prepare for as little as a 20-25 minute working time window. -Water entering the equation after the mix is the reason for 90% of the issues commonly seen. This could be adding water later, or more commonly using too wet of a sponge - often in a panic as the grout is setting up faster than expected. The grout float or a silicone wiping tool should be getting nearly all the grout off the wall before sponging - the sponge step should be able to be done with very little pressure and a barely wet VERY wrung out sponge in a pass or two. Just enough to get the grout out of any texture and to shape the lines a bit. If your grout is crumbly, dry, transferring color, or is able to be scraped with a fingernail this is almost certainly the reason. -A solvent based sealer is ideal for this stuff. It may advertise no sealer required, but it absolutely benefits from it. A water base sealer will have trouble penetrating the grout if it was sponged correctly, but a solvent base (like miracle 511) works wonders. -Grout float types make a difference. Superiorbilt platinum is my daily driver for non textured tile. It's uncomfortably heavy, but retains enough pressure on the edges without squishing to basically blade off the grout. Softer floats squish just a little too much on the edges for my taste. The cleaner the tile is pre-sponge, the easier that step will be. G'luck out there
Thank you for the extra information!
Do you have a website. I’d like to touch base
You could have at least used a real hammer, not a claw hammer designed to drive nails!
Thats Ben Franklin not Edison
very informative video. However, at timestamp 1:52 the cable you're showing has 4 wires and that's not comparable apples-to-apples to the cable you're showing at timestamp 0:45, which has only 3 wires. Most outdoor use cases only nee 3 wires, unlike indoor use cases, like 3-way circuits, which require 4 wires.
Hello, The number of wires would depend on what kind of circuit you are setting up. You should be able to find 3 or 4 wire cables meeting either indoor or outdoor conditions.
@practcalhomeprojects. Why the need for 2 grounding rods? I never heard of anyone doing that.
Is this a sand grout?
It is advertised as an "unsanded grout" however it can be used in joints from 1/16" to 3/4" according to the label. You would typically use unsanded for thin joints and sanded for wider joints.
For electric fence application you could do a test first by just doing one rod a foot or two in the ground and see how many volts are getting. Before you go to the store and buy 36 foot grounding rods
Have you installed these on a concrete floor where it is over the slope of the floor
Hello. I've only used them in this application over a wooden subfloor. I believe that you would be using thinset over your concrete floor and could accommodate for slight slope.
Luckily I watched a few videos like yours before I used this grout on our shower floor and had no problems. It's also the only grout I've ever used that does not stain and has stayed consistent over the years, Mapei does need to be more clear with the directions, especially about using cool water and hand mixing or using a very slow drill speed
If my grout doesn't quite fill up the cracks between the tiles (I'm doing a mosaic), can you go back over the tiles with a new layer of grout after the first layer has hardened?
Hello, Usually after the grout has hardened, there may be a visible transition to new grout. If you can add a touch up coat of grout while the original is still wet, it should blend fine.
Always wet ur rod
@practicalhomeprojects, why do you have two grounding rods installed?
Hello, I believe in the NEC code 205.52, it says that one rod is sufficient if you can prove a minimum resistance to earth of 25ohms. If two are installed, then you don't need to measure the resistance, so it's easier for everyone.
My husband and I just used this and loved it, but a couple weeks after letting it dry, if we rub our fingers on it, we come up with a significant amount of color transfer to our hands. Is this normal?
Hi Danielle. That hasn't been my experience. During the initial wipe down as it's still drying, we get a little color, but it should be locked in after everything cures. There may not have been good color dispersion in your mixture. Best of luck!
I am using this in a few days and this video is tremendously helpful. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
How’d it go?
I have a slightly easier technique. Get 2 pairs of Vise-Grips. Put one on each side of the ground rod. Those are your handles. Now use about a third of a cup of water as you work the rod up and down with a little twist. So easy when you have the "grab handles" on the rod via the Vise-Grips.
Great video full of practical tips!
Thank you!
Great magic super
Thank you for an excellent tutorial. I'm glad I watched this video before applying RedGard. I was going to go straight to the one-coat method. I think some people might call priming overkill, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.
I use a dog toy called a Kong ball to throw a weight. It is rubber like and has a hole through the middle for rope.
NEC calls for 25 OHMS of resistance. What is the number ?
Sorry but I have to say it.... Diez nuts!
On all your joints On Hardiboard or Durarock you should be using the grey (alkaloid resistant) fiber tape you said not to use and fortified (polymer added for flexibility) thin-set to feather them closed before you even touch the wall with Redguard. Never ever use Redguard as part of your support structure for your joints.
Hi there. I use the thinset for all structural elements of the shower build. I consider the gaps and corners to be part of the waterproofing system, and Redgard explicitly says to use the fabric mesh instead of the metal mesh. Redgard can soak into the fabric and maintain flexbility for better waterproofing rather than being painted over thinset. Enjoy!
@@practicalhomeprojects I never said metal mesh. I said all joints to have alkaloid resistant mesh tape with a modified thinset before applying redguard. It is just the way you do it.
I watched an old electrician put one with with bare hands without water.....seems water would be the way to go for sure
I went to check the upper thermostat with the breaker turned off and it sparked a lot. It sounded like water was still filling up, but after it sparked it stopped. The end of the red part of the multimeter is burned. Why would that happen if I turned off at the breaker? I don't know if it is even safe to turn the breaker back on.
Hello, I would not turn the breaker on if you see sparks. If the sparks are coming from the connection of the wire to the thermostat, then maybe just double check that there is a good connection. If the sparks are still happening it might be best to replace the thermostat.
I just used this on a floor and everything was great except the color looks a little too light. Can I use a colorant on this stuff to darken it?
Hello, I've never worked with a colorant, but I would be skeptical because the base color is impregnated in the grout itself. You might find that sealing it makes it a bit darker though; it almost looks like it's perpetually wet. Best of luck!
very good 👍
Thank you!
Excellent video! So glad to see him wearing the air mask that's recommended in the directions. They clearly state there are SERIOUS haszords to your lungs if not wearing protection. Thanks again!
Thanks for watching!
I bought a 12 oz. 'throw bag' (that's what arborists use). It works well. Also, I made a 15' pole, such as what you show in the video, by bolting two 8' pieces that I bought at Home Depot. Instead of a hook at end (the throw bag gets stuck and does not come off easily), I cut 60% off of the hook so that a piece sticks up at a 45 degree angle (just enough to hold the throw bag by its ring). I put the throw bag on the hook and carefully go up ladder with the hook facing up. When I see the branch I want, I carefully put the throw bag over it, rotate and shake the pole.The throw bag drops off. I usually use this technique to put a rope on a branch to help control where it falls when I cut it with a rope saw. Its a little time consuming but it's taken the uncertainty out of cutting high branches, especially near a house.
pros say not to use dry wall mud unless you seal it........
If you re mix it regularly itll keep its woriing consistency as it prevents the chemical reaction from setting.
For a weight, I've had luck with a soda bottle (16 oz) half filled with water. If it accidently hits something like a car, it doesn't do much damage like a bag of rocks might. Then again, if you pay attention to your surroundings (unlike me) this might not be an issue. Hahaha! Edit: Great video... sorry, I should have lead with that.
Thanks for the idea, and glad you liked the video!
My question is this; I used the standard Mapei grout that didn't have all the chemicals added and therefore didn't have to worry about any hardening up while using it. But seems all the DIY stores have gone to the Mapei Ultracolor Plus FA. And so the typical DIYer has to do things quicker. Why did the DIY stores move to a more professional type grout since such stores mainly see typical DIYers for weekend projects... IDK!
I think the Ultracolor Plus FA is more popular because of the finer aggregate. My local store still sells Keracolor which I believe has a longer cure time. There's no shortage of economy grouts at the local box store either.