|
Final Blog Entry posted:Thanks, that was pretty much my thought process and electricity is not something that I'm ok with gray areas. Nowadays you can get LEDs in a pretty wide range of color temperatures. You probably won't be able to match an incandescent bulb exactly, but you might be surprised at the warmer color temps that are now available at big box stores.
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2020 17:36
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 28, 2024 10:22 |
|
|
I know this is city-specific, but does it seem strange that my city would need to do an inspection of my newly installed water heater, but not on my newly installed A/C or furnace? The little card mentions the following that need inspections in the mail bathroom fixtures kitchen fixtures water piping laundry tub/floor drain gas range gas dryer water heater gas meter move
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2020 23:36
|
|
|
NoSpoon posted:What about a 4x4 stick of timber. A dressed one should be close on 3.5” and after you sit a washer on it it shouldn’t go anywhere. TooMuchAbstraction posted:That would be my suggestion as well. Ideally pressure-treated since it's in direct contact with concrete, though since this is a readily-accessible area, and you're not putting structural load on the wood, I don't think it's a big deal. Thanks guys, this looks like just the thing!
|
|
#
?
Nov 26, 2020 00:35
|
|
|
actionjackson posted:I know this is city-specific, but does it seem strange that my city would need to do an inspection of my newly installed water heater, but not on my newly installed A/C or furnace? The little card mentions the following that need inspections in the mail That's somewhat consistent with my city. Water heater is plumbing so gets inspected. Here a furnace gets inspected but I think even that may be new. No A/C inspection.
|
|
#
?
Nov 26, 2020 00:50
|
|
|
I guess I don't know for sure, but a poorly installed AC system probably just means you're too hot. lovely install jobs on water heaters can make big holes in houses. lovely installs of furnaces can cause there to be holes in the ground, where dead people get put. Ninja edit: I guess they don't inspect the furnace. Maybe they should.
|
|
#
?
Nov 26, 2020 02:34
|
|
|
I just patched some drywall in a bathroom. Is there any reason, e.g. moisture issues, that would necessitate priming it? I'd rather not have to paint/prime as we're prepping a larger scale job in there for later.
|
|
#
?
Nov 26, 2020 02:46
|
|
|
Slugworth posted:The factory edge is meant to be butted up to other factory edges to present a shallow area for your tape and mud to even out. In your spot, I suspect it won't make much difference, but I'd put it towards the angled piece. Thank you for the input! I'll be covering it with FlexStone, so we'll see. Another question: can I put an exhaust fan meant for the ceiling into a wall?
|
|
#
?
Nov 26, 2020 02:51
|
|
|
Jenkl posted:I just patched some drywall in a bathroom. Is there any reason, e.g. moisture issues, that would necessitate priming it? I'd rather not have to paint/prime as we're prepping a larger scale job in there for later. I would prime it for exactly that reason.
|
|
#
?
Nov 26, 2020 03:14
|
|
|
Elviscat posted:I would prime it for exactly that reason. Yeah eh? It's basically just three coats of mud, no exposed paper... but I guess it's pretty porous and can get to that organic goodness anyway. Shoot. Thanks Elvis.
|
|
#
?
Nov 26, 2020 04:18
|
|
|
Jenkl posted:I just patched some drywall in a bathroom. Is there any reason, e.g. moisture issues, that would necessitate priming it? I'd rather not have to paint/prime as we're prepping a larger scale job in there for later. This is why I own a pack of $10 for 10 or whatever lovely brushes. Use it to put on 2 coats of primer and just throw it away. 0 clean up.
|
|
#
?
Nov 26, 2020 04:36
|
|
|
floWenoL posted:So after moving into this house a few months ago, we're finally thinking of buying a washer/dryer (we've been holding off b/c of the pandemic, and a laundry pickup/delivery service was working well enough). However, after making measurements of the place in the garage where the laundry is supposed to go, we've run into a problem: Why not just extend the concrete slab? Would be easy peasy. Just form up where you want the extension to be with some 2x4, get a bottle of concrete bonding agent, a few bags of quikrete, mix it all up, slather on the bonding agent, and pour. Skim and finish, and boom, now you’ve got a solid and appropriately sized concrete pad for ~30$ in material
|
|
#
?
Nov 26, 2020 07:05
|
|
|
You should sand with the grain right? How do you sand a floor with this pattern? I wanted to get one of those floor sanders but is that a bad idea?
|
|
#
?
Nov 27, 2020 22:21
|
|
|
Big Dick Cheney posted:You should sand with the grain right? How do you sand a floor with this pattern? You can still sand, but you want to pick the direction you would lay single-direction hardwood to sand in. So for example, it would be longways down a hallway, perpendicular to the main windows or entrance (focal point) in a room, etc.
|
|
#
?
Nov 27, 2020 22:31
|
|
|
Motronic posted:You can still sand, but you want to pick the direction you would lay single-direction hardwood to sand in. So for example, it would be longways down a hallway, perpendicular to the main windows or entrance (focal point) in a room, etc. So I can use a floor sander as long as I go perpendicular to the bay windows?
|
|
#
?
Nov 27, 2020 22:50
|
|
|
Big Dick Cheney posted:So I can use a floor sander as long as I go perpendicular to the bay windows? Yeah, that's the direction I'd choose if you've got bay windows in the room. It doesn't mean that's the ONLY direction you sand it, but it's what I'd finish in. In fact, I'd be likely to sand that at a 45 degree angle if heavier grits are required and go with my lightest grit perpendicular to the windows. Or you could skip the perpendicular sanding and use a floor buffer (rotary) for the lightest sanding to get rid of any marks you make have. It really depends on how the floor looks/feels when you start sanding. If it's digging in a lot you need to be super careful about sanding across the grain and rent the buffer, but if all is going well you can likely get it all done with the one machine.
|
|
#
?
Nov 27, 2020 22:58
|
|
|
I should probably change my under sink shutoff valves. What’s the recommendation for reliability here? I’ve heard quarter turn instead of the annoying ones I have with a thin oval stamped metal handle? Sharkbite on the supply side?
|
|
#
?
Nov 27, 2020 23:50
|
|
|
yippee cahier posted:I should probably change my under sink shutoff valves. What’s the recommendation for reliability here? I’ve heard quarter turn instead of the annoying ones I have with a thin oval stamped metal handle? Sharkbite on the supply side? Quarter turn. Soldered. Shark bites are for temporary work (fight me!)
|
|
#
?
Nov 28, 2020 00:01
|
|
|
What's the proper way to secure a 1x4 I'm cutting with a jigsaw?
|
|
#
?
Nov 28, 2020 00:26
|
|
|
Toebone posted:What's the proper way to secure a 1x4 I'm cutting with a jigsaw? The default answer is "clamp the end you aren't cutting to your work surface". Or just hold it there with your off hand. But I'm not sure why you're cutting framing lumber with a jigsaw so maybe your question might be different.
|
|
#
?
Nov 28, 2020 00:30
|
|
|
I have a lawn that is a mix of Bermuda and St. Augustine, and different areas of the lawn are dominated by different grasses. Do I just need to pick one or the other and encourage growth that way? I'm having trouble finding weed and feeds that cater to both. For reference, I live in Texas.
|
|
#
?
Nov 28, 2020 00:33
|
|
|
Motronic posted:The default answer is "clamp the end you aren't cutting to your work surface". Or just hold it there with your off hand. Cause I want to! Serious edit: I'm replacing some of the balusters on my porch railing. My basement work bench seems to be home-made (came with the house) and is too thick (~12") to affix the clamps I have to; as long as I'm spending money I'm wondering if I just need a bigger clamp or if a carpentry vise or something is the way to go. 
Toebone fucked around with this message at 01:15 on Nov 28, 2020 |
|
#
?
Nov 28, 2020 00:48
|
|
|
Motronic posted:Quarter turn. Soldered. Hey I'm only using them where easily accessed! Why are you attacking me?! 
|
|
#
?
Nov 28, 2020 00:55
|
|
|
Toebone posted:Cause I want to! Well, I mean if it's that simple and you're just doing a cross cut yeah.....if you're right handed hold the thing down with your left hand. Use your right hand to run the saw. Reverse if you are left handed. Any table will do for this work surface. A jigsaw isn't the kind of thing you need to solidly clamp down for to be safe. Hand holding should be more than sufficient.
|
|
#
?
Nov 28, 2020 01:07
|
|
|
The thing with a jig or reciprocating saw is that if you don't hold it firmly and close to the cut it can start vibrating the piece instead of cutting it. Should be achievable with a little common sense though.
|
|
#
?
Nov 28, 2020 01:35
|
|
|
Toebone posted:Cause I want to! The correct answer is to buy all the clamps  Serious answer, a couple of these Bessey clamps will be infinitely useful. Also, if you can, a miter saw (even a handheld one) will produce much better cuts than a jigsaw for this sort of thing E: Also, a couple of plastic sawhorses and a trimmed sheet of 3/4” plywood with construction lumber reinforcing makes a really great and portable bench to do your business outside 
Catatron Prime fucked around with this message at 07:01 on Nov 28, 2020 |
|
#
?
Nov 28, 2020 06:56
|
|
|
OSU_Matthew posted:
How big a hole should be cut in to it, and what sort of bucket do you recommend for under the hole? 5 gallon ok?
|
|
#
?
Nov 28, 2020 17:14
|
|
|
Bioshuffle posted:I have a lawn that is a mix of Bermuda and St. Augustine, and different areas of the lawn are dominated by different grasses. Do I just need to pick one or the other and encourage growth that way? They are probably going to mix. My yard is a mix of centipede, bermuda, st. augustine and weeds and it's fine. The st. augustine probably prefers the shadier, wetter areas and the bermuda will likely do better in the sunnier parts. As long as it is all green, who cares? St. Augustine is very sensitive to herbicides than most grasses, so you have to be careful with which weedkillers you use to make sure you don't also damage the st. augustine.
|
|
#
?
Nov 28, 2020 17:31
|
|
|
wesleywillis posted:How big a hole should be cut in to it, and what sort of bucket do you recommend for under the hole? 5 gallon ok?
|
|
#
?
Nov 28, 2020 20:09
|
|
|
 I never paid any mind to these pipes next to my water heater in the garage until I got to looking at them today. Is this supposed to be for installing a water softener by any chance? If not what the heck is it there for?
|
|
#
?
Nov 28, 2020 23:26
|
|
|
Chin-up bar for toddlers
|
|
#
?
Nov 29, 2020 00:09
|
|
|
Final Blog Entry posted:
Recirculator? Natural gas hookup? Evil spirits?
|
|
#
?
Nov 29, 2020 00:23
|
|
|
Toebone posted:Chin-up bar for toddlers drat, a bit too low! 
|
|
#
?
Nov 29, 2020 00:52
|
|
|
We had Home Depot deliver a whole bunch of paver bricks. We used an online tool to estimate the amount for the pattern and square footage, and then I added 10% for waste and broken bricks. Somehow that ended up with a lot more than 10% extra. Will Home Depot come pick up a pallet of bricks to return? I can't seem to find and answer online and I'd rather make a post than call them. I'd have to make a couple of trips to return them myself, which sounds like a pain in the rear end after spending the last two days laying pavers.
|
|
#
?
Nov 29, 2020 01:48
|
|
|
FogHelmut posted:We had Home Depot deliver a whole bunch of paver bricks. We used an online tool to estimate the amount for the pattern and square footage, and then I added 10% for waste and broken bricks. I would be shocked if they would come and pick up anything for return that wasn't their fault. You ordered 500 bricks and you got 500ish bricks. Lowes is crazy in that they will take individual tiles for return, no clue if home depot does the same with bricks. You can probably get rid of them pretty back pain efficiently by advertising them on facebook marketplace or similar for 50%+ off "you come get it" and be ready to cut a deal for anyone who wants the whole lot. How many bricks are we talking here?
|
|
#
?
Nov 29, 2020 02:32
|
|
|
OSU_Matthew posted:Why not just extend the concrete slab? Would be easy peasy. Just form up where you want the extension to be with some 2x4, get a bottle of concrete bonding agent, a few bags of quikrete, mix it all up, slather on the bonding agent, and pour. Skim and finish, and boom, now you’ve got a solid and appropriately sized concrete pad for ~30$ in material Hunh, that does sound pretty easy. I might have to undo that, though, if the GF decides to sell (since the extension would butt into the car bay), and that would be somewhat difficult to do cleanly, right?
|
|
#
?
Nov 29, 2020 03:41
|
|
|
I need to replace my window-winder (and, yes, clean my window) I've seen winders for sale which have two chains that connect to the window, instead of just the one. I'd like to get one of those because the single chain ones always seem to have trouble sealing the window properly. Do I just buy a drill and drill into the window, to attach the new pair of screws for the second chain? Is there anything I need to be aware of there, or can I just go for it?
|
|
#
?
Nov 29, 2020 07:46
|
|
|
Not really a "fix it question" but a question on indoor air quality. Starting about a month ago my girlfriend developed a chronic cough, I went over to her place for dinner around then, and was coughing so hard I was gagging, trouble breathing etc. I chalked it up to my nasty home. Also during this time one of her two cats developed a respiratory infection, has to go on meds, but still has a little trouble wheezing and panting. Tonight I was over there, I haven't had an trouble at my own place, despite still being an unventilated, dust filled shithole, and I slowly developed respiratory symptoms again, bad enough I had to leave at 2am, I'm home now and breathing fine. Heat is via baseboard, but there's some sort of vent in her bedroom. Apt is in the PNW so damp and cold this time of year. She's on the first floor, basically a daylight basement in a 6 unit building. Apartment is 70's vintage, but is very recently remodeled and updated. It's black mold, isn't it? Could it be anything else? How should she approach her landlords about this? She's freaked out, she's not sleeping because of this, I have a history of asthma so it makes sense that it hits me harder, but it's getting to her too. E: neither of us had an issue this time last year when she was in the same place, only difference is she basically didn't turn her heat on last year because one of her neighbors must have had theirs cranked to 11, it was always 70+ in her apartment, this year it gets chilly, probably not below 55, I'm going to tell her to turn her heat up... Elviscat fucked around with this message at 11:43 on Nov 29, 2020 |
|
#
?
Nov 29, 2020 11:39
|
|
|
Contact the landlords and tell them what you told us -- there's some kind of respiratory hazard inside the unit, you know it's there specifically and not just a coincidence, and the unit is not safe for habitation. It needs to be tested and fixed ASAP. I'm not a lawyer, this is not legal advice, but this website I found claims that landlords are legally liable for remediating all major health and safety hazards, which black mold qualifies as. You should contact your local city's building and planning department and ask them about black mold...they're probably not the right resource but they will know who is, and that group can then tell you what your rights and responsibilities are. Meanwhile, I advise inviting your GF over or at least finding a hotel.
|
|
#
?
Nov 29, 2020 16:32
|
|
|
Elviscat posted:Not really a "fix it question" but a question on indoor air quality. Have you had the Rona? I had a nasty dry cough for several months after I caught it back in early February. It’s like all those old white ladies who were complaining to Yankee Candle that their candles don’t smell like anything without any hint of realization. floWenoL posted:Hunh, that does sound pretty easy. I might have to undo that, though, if the GF decides to sell (since the extension would butt into the car bay), and that would be somewhat difficult to do cleanly, right? It’s really easy, I’ve avoided concrete projects for years, but concrete isn’t that hard to work with and makes some pretty satisfying results. If you have to undo it though, just get some construction adhesive and paver blocks and stack those in front of the lip. Those will be pretty drat permanent and stable, but then you can just take a cold chisel and engineers hammer and knock them loose. If you want to make clean cut in in concrete, you can carve a straight groove with a masonry blade with a circular saw, and chisel along that. It would probably break free of the floor underneath, but pavers would be quick, clean, and easy to remove all traces. I also wouldn’t worry too much about trying to sell it with the ledges poking out into the garage, that’s not something people notice until after they move in, like you did. Final Blog Entry posted:
The iron piping is likely either gas or old galvanized water supply lines. I would first try feeling the pipe and see if it’s cold. Open a nearby tap and see if it changes temperature or if you can feel water hammer by rapidly opening and closing the tap. If that’s inconclusive, you could take a razor blade and try scraping some paint off and see if the pipes are silver or black, that’d possibly give you some indication (though I’ve got old galvanized gas supply lines from before there was electricity in my place, so may not be helpful depending on when your house was built). If you want a final answer, you could try opening it. Turn off the main water shutoff and drain the line by opening a faucet from the lowest point in the house. I would also shut off your main gas supply with a non sparking tool first. Once you’ve done both of those, see if you can unscrew that cap. If it’s clean and dry and you smell sulphur, probably gas. If there’s a buncha rust constricting the opening and some dribbles, it’s water. I should also say this could potentially be very dangerous, so you know, if you don’t feel 100% comfortable get a professional out. I would open it but I also do a bunch of stupid stuff I probably shouldn’t do and you probably shouldn’t listen to me. I don’t want you to live up to your username by listening to me. Catatron Prime fucked around with this message at 18:00 on Nov 29, 2020 |
|
#
?
Nov 29, 2020 17:44
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 28, 2024 10:22 |
|
|
floWenoL posted:Hunh, that does sound pretty easy. I might have to undo that, though, if the GF decides to sell (since the extension would butt into the car bay), and that would be somewhat difficult to do cleanly, right? If you own the place why would you undo it when you sell? Your washer and dryer are going to be in place for showings and any viewer would probably not notice or appreciate that it works. You personally should be keeping your trap shut, not that there is anything to be ashamed of here.
|
|
#
?
Nov 29, 2020 18:42
|
|