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Yearly Home Inspection Checklist Electrical Check trees around the house to be sure they’re not threatening wires. Open the panel and look for new scorch marks around breakers or fuses. Also check outlets for scorch marks, which could be a sign of loose and sparking wires. Look for loose outlet covers, receptacles, and loose boxes, which may have to be refastened to the studs while the power is turned off. Test all GFCI outlets by plugging in a lamp and then hitting the test and reset buttons to see if it turns the light off and then on again....

What is Pegboard? Using a 1/4 inch masonite board with either 1/4 inch or 1/8 inch holes; these boards can be found at most home centers. Tom shows it can be as easy as mounting it up on an open stud bay. This will give the space needed to put peg hooks in without hitting the wall. If no open stud bay is available, mount scrap wood on top of existing studs to make room for the hooks....

Steps for Installing a Range Vent Hood Tools:

What to Do If Your Basement Floods First, water conducts electricity, so do not take even one step into a flooded basement unless the electricity is turned off at its source. If you are fortunate, your circuit breaker panel will be on the first floor, and you can cut the power for the basement while retaining electricity upstairs that you can use to power a pump. (Remember to keep the extension cord and the pump’s power cord out of the water....

At the stately 1930s-something home shown here, we installed 12 Intermatic fixtures in three different areas. Alongside the walkway leading to the entryway are six decorative aluminum fixtures that have a curved shepherd’s hook profile. Two 20-watt wall-wash fixtures are used to illuminate the white-painted lattice fence on either side of the walkway. At the base of each of the four evergreen shrubs growing against the house is a 20-watt shrub uplight....

Clean. Vacuum between passes, then wipe down the treads with a tack cloth. This step will ensure that dust and foreign debris like dirt won’t get trapped between the sand paper and treads. Sanding over dust and dirt can create tiny scratches that will show through once the final finish is added. A belt sander is not recommended here; it is too aggressive for this work. A ½ sheet or ¼ sheet finish sander can be used in lieu of a random orbital, but it is important to move the sander along the grain and not across it....

How to Remove Paint from Concrete using Acetone One way to remove paint from concrete is to use acetone, which works well for oil-based, acrylic, and enamel paints. Acetone’s available in quart and gallon sizes; you’ll need enough for a few applications for each job. You’ll also need: Bucket or hose Respirator mask Gloves Eye protection Acetone Stiff-bristled or wire brush Steps: How to Remove Paint from Concrete Using a Pressure Washer Pressure washers can be very helpful for removing stains from concrete....

Steps for repairing a sewer pipe

Just so you know, having a receptacle on a kitchen island is not optional; it’s actually required by the National Electrical Code on any island with a countertop bigger than 12-by-24 inches. Your wish is their command. Running electricity to your island shouldn’t be too difficult, especially if you’re taking out the existing cabinets. And it will only require removing a strip or two of flooring. If you have scraps left over from when the floor was installed, I doubt you’ll be able to tell that any work has been done....

What You Need to Strip Wire A true multi-tool, wire strippers are essentially spring-loaded pliers that have different-sized notches cut into their jaws. Their main function is to cut and remove the plastic insulation from solid or stranded copper electrical wire without cutting the wire itself, so that the wire can be attached to a terminal or wire-nutted to another wire. They can also be used to cut, bend, and pull wire....

The minute she set foot on the old farmstead in Afton, Minnesota, Amy Matthews says she “felt something magical about this place.” Located in the greater St. Paul area, just 35 minutes from her current home in downtown Minneapolis, the site is surrounded by wooded slopes and sheltered in a hollow carved long ago by retreating glaciers, screened from any neighbors. Amy envisioned a rural farm compound that would serve as a private refuge for her and her 9-year-old son, Eli, but also offer an experience for guests....

Water View Sited about 22 feet above the road, the house takes advantage of its unimpeded view of Long Island Sound with a balcony off the second floor and three triple 8-ft. window units on the south wall of the barn-like great room. The center unit contains a patio door. Entry Courtyard The last of the prefinished Western Red Cedar siding goes up on the barn wing, which projects just enough to form an entry courtyard on the side of the house....

That was the challenge put to Studio Dearborn designer Sarah Robertson by the longtime owners of this 1929 Tudor Revival in Larchmont, New York. “They wanted a kitchen that brought in the home’s period details, but in a way that felt cleaner, not heavy and traditional,” she says. After: Expanding the footprint and adding new, larger windows opened up a space now washed in warm whites. Touches of oak and brass echo the Tudor Revival style and add rich contrast, but in a way that feels clean and fresh....

In this episode: Plumbing and heating expert, Richard Trethewey, travels to Salt Lake City to replace a shower valve he has never seen before in his career with a conventional pressure-balanced one. Painter Mauro Henrique assists a homeowner that needs help painting her radiator cover that is suspected to have lead paint. The house was built in the 1950s and lead paint was being used in houses until it was banned in 1978, that’s the indicator Mauro and other contractors use to determine whether or not to test for lead....

In this episode: There is something tranquil about a water feature in a natural landscape. It adds a beautiful visual element to the yard and the sound of running water creates a sense of peace and serenity. In this special episode, we’ll share some of the features we’ve added to homeowners’ houses over the years and we’ll break down the process of adding one of these to your own backyard....

In this episode: Plumbing and Heating Expert Richard Trethewey tells all about how his career as a plumber started. As a 4th generation owner of a successful plumbing and heating company, Richard knew what he would do for a career very early on. He would draw pictures of himself fixing sinks and making plumbing repairs in school. While working for his father’s business, Richard explains the company received a call from a public television channel asking if they’d be interested in appearing on the show....

In this episode: Master electrician Heath Eastman explains the hand tools every homeowner should have in their DIY electrical kit. Heath shows us the voltage testers, special screwdrivers, pliers, and wire strippers that most homeowners should keep on hand, and even shows us how to use them on a basic home electrical repair. Next, we join home technology expert Ross Trethewey on a house call to help a homeowner figure out their energy loss....

In this episode: Several Ask This Old House crew members give us an inside look at the roles their fathers played as mentors, inspiring them to pursue the trades. Tom, Nathan, Mauro, Richard, Heath, and Ross explain how their fathers were their biggest mentors, fostering their respective loves for building and fixing things and helping them become the people they are today. Next, general contractor Tom Silva takes us on a house call....

In this episode: Master electrician Heath Eastman takes us on a house call to solve a homeowner’s doorbell problem. After moving in, the homeowner attempted to fix an old doorbell, only to have it crumble into pieces. Heath uses his expertise to track down the existing wiring and transformer first before running new wiring and installing a new doorbell, chime, and transformer—a process that might be more involved than it seems....