Electrical & Lighting

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It's so fun to do electrical and lighting projects! Just kidding! We know that electrical and lighting projects are tricky, and that .0001 percent of the population actually knows how to do them. That's OK, because on Hometalk, you can talk about electrical & lighting projects with people who have done them before, and can tell you what works - and what doesn't. Or, browse photos of electrical and lighting projects for inspiration. Electrical and lighting projects are easier when you have Hometalk on your side.

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Remodeling: Cobb county residentual permits and inspections

I purchased a home with an unfinished basement. It has framing/installation/some electrical and roughed in plumbing. So I spoke with an Licensed electrician about wiring it out to code ...»

Jeanette S 11 hours ago

Permits! UGH! But keep in mind that you do not just get a permit--you have to get it signed ...»
off on, or you may run into trouble down the road trying to sell the house. And if you put in something that is not legal, i.e., a staircase to steep and not to code, that will haunt you! It is best to play by the rules. But you can use some reclaimed materials that can keep your cost down. You certainly do not want to put in extra fancy stuff and then not expect your assessment to go way up! TIP: For all DIY projects, know that we have "Habitat for the Humanities Resell" stores in the Atlanta area. Worth checking them out!

Outdoor Living: Outdoor Chandelier

I am looking for an outdoor chandelier that has a UL Damp rating. I really want something feminine that looks 'indoors'-- and can stand the moisture of being outdoors. My husband wants it to be a bit rustic too. Any ideas? I don't want a lantern-style light fixture. I need to keep the price under $400. Everything I have seen that I like is not UL Damp, so it is pretty for photos but not actually practical for being on a patio. Thank you!

Em Hooper Yesterday

I googled 'rusting chandelier' and came up with a whole lot of sources where you might find ...»
one that suits both of you.
Ask an electrician about damp-proofing the one you like. Or go to http://inmyownstyle.com/2010/11/dining-room-... to see how to age your own.
I'm using the Modern Masters verdigris paint process to age my brass-look, now copper, chandy. It was $25 from ReStore. A bit more than that to turn it verdigris copper.

Electrical & Lighting: Antique glass milk jug lamp.

I found this nice gallon sized glass milk jug at my fave junk store for a few bucks. Bought the bottle lamp kit at Lowes. The stopper part, or part that fits inside the mouth of the jug was too small so I fixed it up with some weather strip tape. I bought a shade at the thrift store for less than a buck, but its too small. Id love some ideas on a suitable shade! Im planning on selling it. Im not even sure what to charge! Ive got about 16 dollars into it with the lamp kit. Id love input! Thank you!!!

KMS Woodworks 5 days ago

You could put some "white" sand in the jug to give it a little ballast and "appear" a bit like ...»
milk. I have also seen these clear glass containers filled with colored glass beads and such.

Home Maintenance & Repairs: rope lights burn out in the middle of string

Is there any way to fix rope lights when the lights stop working in some sections?

Brandon Lord 6 days ago

Actually, it is possible to replace sections of rope light. It's not going to easy, ...»
necessarily, and probably not really worth it, as you can buy rope light (incandescent) pretty cheap these days.
The process is simple: Rope light can be cut in sections (there is usually a line or indicator showing where to cut it - it MUST be cut at that point); Cut out the bad sections and either reduce the size of the overall length of rope, or add a new section to make up for the old piece; you will need the rope light couplers now to join the pieces together, here is the problem - finding a coupler and a new piece of rope light that exactly matches and works with your rope could be a nightmare (also, if this is outdoors, be sure to use a coupler rated for outdoor use); join the pieces or add the new pieces according to the couplers instructions (it usually just requires that all pins inside touch the rope light wiring correctly)
If all goes well, you will have rope lights that work again. The other problem you will probably have is that any new lighting will look brighter and whiter than old lighting, especially with incandescent lights. I still highly recommend replacing the entire string (with LED rope, it's much nicer and last much longer)
Good luck!

Electrical & Lighting: Identify Lamp

This is a lamp I bought yesterday. I would like to get some info on it. Any help is appreciated. Don't see any identifying marks.

Tammie S on May 06, 2013

Any ideas on how to find out the maker and or time period?

DIY Projects: Need Advice - Making Outdoor Bright Solar Lights Hanging Containers

I need advice on how to make homemade outdoor bright solar lights to insert into a hanging light holder. This hanging lantern/container will hang off of a planter hook from a deck post. I ...»

Littlefield Landscaping, ... on May 05, 2013

Hi, Angela-I totally agree with LandlightS on this one. Solar lights simply don't perform well ...»
and low-voltage LED lights are DIY friendly. LED is the wave of the future and you can do some very creative things with them.

Cleaning & Organization: How do I clean a very old, solid brass lamp that is absolutely filthy?

There are so many different opinions on the net! I wondered if any of our trusted talkers have done this and with what result? The lamp is actually a standing chandelier and is very ...»

John Reling on May 03, 2013

Cut the sandpaper into 4 pieces to fit my sander, clip it on the sander.

Electrical & Lighting: Need help with lamp restoration project

Would anyone be familiar with this fixture? Know where replacement blue shades can be purchased? We have 20 of these we need to restore. Am open to DIY suggestions. Remodelers, Commercial ...»

Midlantic Contracting LLC... on May 02, 2013

Try looking at colored lens replacements for those 2x4 ceiling fixtures you see in every ...»
office building. They are very flexible and should be able to be formed into the shape you need. You may even find them in the big box stores.

Electrical & Lighting: beer bottle chandelier

I am looking for a beer bottle chandelier form do you know where I can get one?

Electrical & Lighting: have box style speakers from the 70's, the kind where the connections

were to split speaker wire and wrap around knobs in back of speaker.Same thing on back of amp/receiver(split wire and insert to "push in" on back) All connections now are plug in. Is there any way to use speakers with new tv?

Leslie D on Apr 23, 2013

Some televisions have spring loaded "speaker-out" connections. If yours does not have that, ...»
you will have to run it through an amp, then to speakers.

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