Add Some Recessed Lights Over the Bar

As I started rebuilding the wall between the kitchen and dining room that would transform into a half-wall topped with a wood counter, I had to consider the lighting that would illuminate the custom maple counter. This is especially important at this stage because the homeowner wanted me to install small recessed lighting.

This wall is completely non-load bearing and consists of studs placed 24" apart. Since it's not load bearing I won't need to install a large header across the opening. Instead, I'm thinking of it like a large soffit that will mainly hold drywall and contain the recessed lighting.

By the way, the kitchen side of this wall is covered in wallpaper. This means that I'll do all my work to the wall from the other side in the dining room and try to preserve the wallpaper as much as possible. I'd prefer to not hang wallpaper, and my client's would agree I'm sure.. :)

The fixtures that I'm installing are 3" recessed cans that are widely available. They can be used in new construction and hung with joist hangers or installed as part of a remodel where you only need to make a hole and then mount the fixture with the drywall clips.

To start, I measured my opening and marked the location for the lights so they would be spread evenly across the opening. I cut these holes out of the 2x4 bottom plate before I even installed it. Then, I went ahead and ripped a long piece of poplar 1x6 to the width of the wall (4.5") and cut openings out of that for the lights. This would go along the bottom of the opening and finish it off well.

The electrical connections are fairly basic if you know how to wire any light fixture. Thankfully, I had easy access to the attic to run a wire across the room to the switch, which was to be a dimmer switch, giving the homeowners more control of how bright the lights are.

By the way, recessed lighting is also much less expensive the most fixtures. For example, these 3" fixtures are around $10-15 each, while pendant lights would likely run $40-50 or more.

At 50 watts each, these lights will really help to show off the new Maple countertop that's coming soon.

Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

The Mystery of the Flickering Porch Lights

After installing the patio door (see this post) I got to add a couple porch lights to this East Nashville home. Adding wiring in an older home like this has a tendency to be a nightmare at times, because the wires are inaccessible and the walls are plaster. I didn't run into these problems on this project, but I did have a mystery to unravel at the end.

THE SETTING

The homeowner wanted me to add a couple wall mounted porch lights to add more light to his porch. He had showed me a light switch at the front door that he wanted me to use because it didn't seem to do anything.

After a little research I figured that there must have been a ceiling fan in the front room at one time, and the switch controlled the fan. This was a great find, because I could use the switch and junction the wires in the attic without running any new wires to the switch.

I ran new wires from the attic down to the location of the new wall-mounted porch lights. Thankfully, there weren't any studs in my way and this process went smoothly. Whenever mounting exterior lights on clapboard siding I like to first cut out a place to add some kind of mounting board, usually some sort of 1x8. Otherwise, the fixture won't sit flat against the wall and instead lean in or out at an angle.

THE MYSTERY

After running the wires and installing the fixtures it was time to turn on the breaker and give it a try.

Yea! The lights came on and the switch worked.

Wait... the lights went off... one came back on... now they're both on...

What!???

This continued for several minutes. The lights were coming on and off independently of the switch. Sometimes together, sometimes not.

Usually, there's a logical explanation for these types of things. In this case, I retraced my steps in my mind. My first thought was to check the switch. It was the same old switch that had previously not been used. Perhaps it was faulty. I replaced it with a new one.

Same problems.

Hmmm... all the wires from the switch and the attic come together in a junction box in the attic. Perhaps one of the wires is not making a good connection. So, off to the attic I went to check the junction box. I took it apart and put it back together. Let's check it again.

Lights still flickering! Oh my!

At this point, I was starting to feel quite befuddled. I checked the connections at the fixtures. Thinking that a wire might be broken or had a nail in it, I went into the attic and wiggled wires while the homeowner watched below to see if that changed anything. No luck.

At this point, it was time to pull out the box and find the instructions.

I started looking over the first page and read the words "Motion-Activated..."

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Mystery solved.

It turns out that the lights were a gift to the homeowner and he didn't realize they were motion-activated. I installed them without looking much at the box or instructions. The sensors were very small and matched the finish of the fixture and the adjustment knobs were hidden at the bottom where I didn't see them.

I was so glad to find the answer to this one. You know the old saying, "If at first you don't succeed, try reading the instructions." I'll take that to heart.

I guess it at least makes for a good story...

:)

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Lead Drum Trap Leaking Into Light Fixture?

We're on the edge of finishing our apartment conversion project. One last detail was to replace the light fixture in the tile shower. Sounds easy enough, right?  One problem,  I started to remove the globe and realized that it was full of water!???

That was the first clue.

So, I quickly made sure that the electricity was off to the light and pryed the fixture off the ceiling.  (The screws were completely rusted.)  Surprisingly, the ceiling was not damp, but I needed to make a hole and see where the water was coming from.

Soon I saw it.  The large lead drum trap under the upstairs bathtub.  The bottom was covered with corrosion that screamed, "Replace me!"

Apparantly, it was just dripping enough that the water would make its way down the drywall to the light fixture without pooling and breaking through the ceiling. 

I made a large enough hole to access the drain above.  Thankfully, it was fairly easy to reach with no framing in the way as long as I could get through the ceiling.

Lead is an interesting character.  They pretty much custom fit these old traps on site by soldering them.  I wanted to cut out as much of it as possible, so I cut it close to the 2" cast iron hub leaving enough that I could join the new pipe on to it.  I used the reciprical saw with an abrasive blade that I also use for cast iron.

Once the old trap was cut out, I assembled a new 2" trap that would join to the 1 1/2" tub drain that was still in good shape.  I connected it to the old pipes using a 2" neoprene Fernco coupler.

Now with all of that back together, it's time to think about that light fixture again...  and a little drywall repair...

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Play it Safe With Outlet Extensions

Whenever you build out a wall by adding a layer of drywall, wainscoating, or ceramic tile, your electrical boxes will no longer be flush with the finished surface. This problem can be fixed with a simple outlet extension.

In addition to giving you a place to mount a receptacle and make connections, the electrical box is useful in protecting your home from any sparks that might come from faulty wiring within the box. This works as long as the box has a cover, or in our case, is flush with the wall where the receptacle covers it.

We've added 1/4" of cementboard, thinset and thick travertine subway tiles to our backsplash which means that the outlets are set back nearly an inch from the newly finished surface of the wall. We need to close this gap.

No problem.

These particular boxes where the smaller electrical single receptacle boxes that are common in older homes. I found an extension that fit the box perfectly and made for an easy fix. After turning off the circuit and checking the outlets to confirm that they're off, I just loosened the screws and slid the extension over the outlet and screwed it back on.

Now it's flush with the tile. Safe and sound.

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Install a Garbage Disposal from Scratch

Replacing a garbage disposal is a pretty simple process, however it can get more complicated if you're installing a garbage disposal where there was none as was this case for this project.

There are two main parts to this project: First, getting power to the disposal with a switch so that the homeowner has a way to control it, and then reconfiguring the trap to hook it up.

It's best if the disposal can be on it's own dedicated circuit. This was not practical for this project, so the next best thing is to add it to the dishwasher circuit. This circuit should be 20 amps with 12/2 wire with only the dishwasher and disposal on it.

This worked well for this project because I would have to pull the dishwasher out anyway to have access to the wall and run the wires to a switch above the countertop. I used a junction box below in the basement to make all the connections and ran new wiring from there.

To put in the switch, I enlarged the opening next to a single switch box and replaced it with a new 'remodeling' double switch box. The 'remodeling' boxes have little flaps that go out when you screw them down and secure the box to the drywall. Fishing the wires through the wall went well once the dishwasher was out of the way and I could make a couple small holes in the wall behind it.

Under the sink I ran the disposal's wire into a small plastic junction box with a cover. From here I was able to hardwire the disposal into the junction box.

NOTE: Many garbage disposals come with a 'power cord' connector with a plug on the end. In this case, I would install a 20 amp plug in the junction box and just plug the disposal into it.

Now for the plumbing part... I started by removing all the trap fittings under the sink because they needed to be replaced anyway. The tube that comes out of the disposal joins up with the pipe from the other sink and then goes down into the P-trap and out. It's always a puzzle to find the right combination of pieces, but it helped to get the disposal in place first and then see how it would lay out.

It took an afternoon, but now this homeowner has a monster under the sink waiting for leftovers.

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Keep the Birds Out of Your House!

Birds live in nests, right?

Well, not always...

At today's project, the birds had made their way into the walls of a client's sunroom. They seemed to have moved on for now, so it was time to do some repairs.

The exterior walls of the sunroom were covered in 8" cedar bevelled lap siding. It's just like the wood siding that you find on older homes, except that it's cedar and doesn't have to be painted. One drawback with cedar is that the boards can be somewhat brittle, meaning that they may split over time, and birds can dig their way through knot holes and make a home in the walls.

I started loosening the nails and removing siding when I saw into one of the nests and found that the animals had worn much of the insulation off of an electrical wire that supplies the outlets in the sunroom. There were bare wires showing! It's amazing that no birds got killed and the wire didn't short out... or worse!

Now my day of siding repair included some electrical repairs as I fished a new wire through the walls to replace the damaged one.

This is a prime example of why birds should stick to nests... :)

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Installing A Bathroom Exhaust Fan

Whenever I'm renovating a bath, I recommend installing a bathroom exhaust fan if there isn't one already. It's a fairly simple installation, depending on where you can vent the fan to.

The fan itself will range from $12, for the most basic unit, up to $160 or so for one that's quiet with a light. In addition to the fan, you'll need a venting kit to actually get the humid air outside. The roof venting kit is around $20 and the wall venting kit is closer to $15.

For the Inglewood bathroom I've been working on, the roof above was a very flat rubber roof. It was in great condition and I wanted to avoid punching any holes in it that might develop into a leak later. For this reason, we decided to mount the fan on the outside wall. This proved to be much easier. Here's the process:

1. Decide where you want the vent (roof or wall), and cut the hole. (Always think this through first!) Usually a jig saw or reciprocal saw will do the trick, depending how much access you have to the space. The fan kit includes a template so you can make sure the hole is the right size.

2. Next, trim the sheet metal that will be the tube that will attach to the flexible duct and the outside vent. For my installation, I only needed a few inches. This is similar to a dryer vent installation.

3. The sheet metal tube will 'snap' onto the exterior vent. With this in place you can slide it through the hole from the outside and the screw the vent to the exterior wall. It's a good idea to caulk around this with some silicone caulk to avoid any water entry at this point.

4. Attach the flexible duct to the vent with the plastic cinch clamps that are included in the kit. These will make sure the flexible duct is tight.

5. Depending on how accessible it is, you can hang the fan first, but I did it after the vent was installed so I could get to everything. Make sure to hang the box so that it will end up flush with the drywall. They usually have fold over tabs that are the right depth for 1/2" drywall. The fan itself will come out of the box, giving you access to the wiring panel. After making the electrical connections you can put the fan back in place.

6. That's it! After drywalling and paint you can put the fan cover in place and try it out!

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Adding a Simple Recessed Light

Whenever I'm doing a renovation I like to consider adding more outlets and more lights. It's so much easier when the walls are open and you can run wiring, but you don't always have that luxury. Recessed lights, one of my favorite fixtures, can actually be quite simple to install, even if the ceiling isn't opened up. For our current project, I wanted to add a couple recessed lights to the kitchen.

I like to use a 5" recessed fixture. They sell one at Home Depot for under $10 and that includes the trim, can, and everything you need to install it. Plus, it will work with an ordinary 60-watt bulb. They're very compact and can be installed in a drywall ceiling without tearing out extra drywall that will need to be patched.

Sometimes the hardest part is deciding where to put them. It's always good to try for symmetrical placement centered along doorways or windows, etc. Aside from that, you want to figure out where the ceiling joists are and try to center the light between them.

With that decided, mark the locations. The manufacturer provides a template to trace around so that you can cut a hole that is the exact size needed. Try not to make it any larger than the paper template. I usually start the hole with a spade bit and then finish it with a jig saw. Try not to cut very deep to stay away from any hidden wires or pipes. (Think before you cut... :)

One way or another you'll need to get a wire through the ceiling and to the hole. This is simple if you have an attic. In our case, we were only two joists from a larger hole so we bought a long drill bit with an extension that made it around 20" long. We drilled the hole and were able to fish the wire to where the lights would be.


All the wiring happens in a small box on top of the light can. First, punch out the metal tab and put in a 3/8" Romex connector. (This is a metal clamp that will keep the wire from moving from it's position.) The wire goes through this connector then you can tighten it down.

The connections are just like any basic light fixture. The wires all fit in the small metal box which is screwed down and attached to the top.

Now, you can put the metal "feet" on the can that will slide out once it's in the ceiling and press against the drywall. Small metal tabs attach the the front lip of the can. These will keep the edge flush with the drywall and form a "sandwhich" with the feet making it stay in place. The trim is attached by hooking the springs in the can.

Add a bulb and you're done. It's cheap and easy and very effective when you want to add some light to a room.

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Camera Phone is Handy When Wiring

This week I was reinstalling a ceiling fan for a client after repairing some drywall. When I took the fan down I noticed that there were several electrical connections and I didn't want to forget how to hook it up.

Then I remembered that I was armed with a camera phone.

For years, I never really used my phone to take pictures, but lately I've discovered how handy it is to always have a camera around. I took a quick picture of the wires before disconnecting them and stored it in my phone for later. When it was time to remount it I could reference that photo to remember how it was done.

Thankfully, it worked the first time.

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

No Shocking Light Fixtures!

In prepping a room for painting this week, I loosened a light fixture so I could paint under it. As I got a look at the wires to this light, I saw that a couple of them were badly damaged and it appeared that bare wire was actually touching the light fixture!

This is bad, especially since the light was not grounded either. Here's a couple pictures:

We replaced the light with a newer, identical fixture that had sleeves to protect the wire as it went through the metal base. Something that this older fixture sorely missed...

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Installing a Simple Light Fixture

The other day I was installing some light fixtures for the studio I was working on in Brentwood. Installing a light fixture is not (usually) a difficult project, but can be one of the most rewarding and effective ways of updating a room's decor.

The first step is always to locate the correct circuit breaker and make sure the power is off to this circuit. I like to double check this with my tester as well as making sure the switch is off.

With the power off, I stripped the wires back (FIG. 1) and unpacked the light. They will usually come with all the hardware and screws that you will need for a typical installation, that is, except easy-to-understand instructions. :)

The next step was to install the mounting bar (FIG. 2) that screws into the electrical box. There is a threaded post in the center that will slide through the light's back plate and then get a nut to hold the light in place.

With the mounting bar ready, it's time to make the electrical connections (FIG. 3). For a basic installation, this is pretty simple. There are three wires in both the box and light fixture: black (or hot), white (or neutral), and the copper wire which is the ground.

I like to connect the ground wire first. On the mounting bar is a small green screw. This is where you attach both of the ground wires. I like to twist them together first and then tighten them around the screw.

Next, I connect the white wires together with a wire nut. (These are often provided, if not, they are available at any hardware store.) Then, I do the black wires. That's it for the connections. You want them to be good and tight so that they won't come loose.

At this point, I gently push the wire connections further into the box and slide the light fixtures base over the mounting post. This is threaded so that you can adjust it to make the fixture tight to the wall. Put the nut on to hold it there.

Next, all I needed was a light bulb and then I could finish the installation. This was a wall light so the shade just hung from the light's base. With ceiling fixtures there are often small screws to hold things together.

These particular fixtures were handmade out of cherry wood in Montana by a company called Cherry Tree Design. They look great!

Different installations may include variations on this basic process, but it's not usually much more difficult than that.

-Peter

http://www.carpentryguy.com/

Electrical Mystery Solved!

Today I was working at a friends home who is getting ready to sell her home in Lockeland Springs (East Nashville). I was working on a short list of repairs fixing some rotted wood, painting doors and working on an electrical mystery.

The mystery was to figure out why a countertop GFCI outlet in the kitchen wasn't working at all. In fact, it hadn't worked since it was installed. I took the cover off and tested the wires and found that they were connected properly. This meant that I had to go searching in the attic.

In the attic I found the junction box for these counter outlets and made sure the connections were tight. The wire was hot coming into the box, but the outlet below was still dead. This meant that there was a problem in the wire between the two or there was more happening in the wall that was unseen. It was still very much a mystery!

I got some new 12/2 wire and fished it through the wall into the attic. As I was pulling the 'bad' wire out of the junction box I found the problem.

When the box was installed it was placed directly over a nail that was sticking through the wall from the wood siding outside. The nail was in the perfect place to pierce the wires that were pulled into the box!

If you look closely in the picture you can see the nail in the hole at the bottom of the box where the wires came through.

When I checked the other wires I found another one that was also damaged. The nail had hit two wires and probably caused some heat from the looks of the charred wire sheathing.


I clipped the ends and got rid of the offending nail and put the junction box back together. After some testing, everything was now working correctly.

I love it when mysteries get solved and I get to be a part of it. It was a good day.

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com