Recent content by mkbrower

Good point. I was referring from the corner of the bird mouth cut to the fascia plumb cut. Soffit would be slightly less than 12".

If you have a span of 14 feet, you have a run of 7 feet. If your pitch is 4/12 then you have a rise of 28 inches (4X7). your point of reference will be 1/2 the width of the diagonal board. if you use a 2x6 for your diagonal board, mark a line at half the width, (2.75") the length of your board...

I think pricing buildings is a lot like pricing cars. It depends on your options. My two biggest expenses when building mine were garage doors and concrete. My shop is 40x40x12 and total cost excluding electrical was 24 thousand and that was building 90% myself. Doors and concrete was about 10...

I used 6X6 post 10' on center. My building is a 40X40X12'. Mark

When replacing head gaskets on performance engines with aluminum heads, I like to use fel-pro MLS (Multi layered steel) gaskets. I also use ARP studs.

When I built mine, the building code specified a 36" X 18" hole, 12" footing. The building inspector said pour a 80lb bag of concrete in the hole, place the pole in the hole and pour another 80lb bag around the post. He told me to pour it in dry and the concrete would absorb the moisture from...

I built my 40X40 using the steel trusses from armour metals. Trusses are designed for 10' on center spacing. You may be able to go with a 12' spacing but I would ask them. I built the shop myself without any help and I believe a 20X20 carport is very do-able even without help with minimum...

Hi all! When I built my shop I tapped into the meter base to power my shop. I installed a disconnect panel at the meter base and ran 4 wires to the sub panel inside the shop. I had to install a new meter base that does not allow a tap so I am feeding my shop via the house main service panel. My...

Thanks to all who responded, I'm going to call the inspector tomorrow to re-schedule. I will also ask him/her the prefered method for my county. They charge here if they have to re-inspect so I want it to pass the first time around. Mark

Inspector is coming tommorow and I need help. I stripped a lug in my meter base and had to replace it when I was replacing my siding. The old meter and wiring was circa 1950 and this new one needs to be inspected to get power turned back on. My question is the ground. The old meter base had the...

You may have burned a wire in two. If the battery shorted to the frame and a fuse did not break the circuit, than most likely a burnt wire broke the circuit or you would have come home to a burned up mower. They usually burn in two near a terminal lug but not always. I would check continuity of...

It sounds like its legal! Thanks, that was what I was looking for. Mark

I have only one subpanel (disconnect) feeding off the meter base before going to the shop. The house main panel is also being fed from the meter with no disconnect. Local code does require disconnects for AC/shop etc but I was told the disconnects MUST be fed from the Main panel. Mark

A few co-workers who has done electrical DIY work. No code recited but was told I could not find a meter base now that would allow multiple feeds without an attached sub panel. Mark

Is there a NEC rule that states you can only have one panel fed off the load side of the meter base. It was my understanding you could have multiple panels off the meter base as long as the total load amps does not exceed the supply amps. When I wired my shop, I have a 200 amp service (meter...