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Yeah, now that I'm a tiling expert (I've completed exactly one project) I know from the box of grout I used that you're not supposed to grout plain changes, like the spot you've mentioned. It'll just crack again because things move. Use a high quality silicone caulk instead so the joint can flex a bit.
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Feb 5, 2021 18:19
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Yeah, it's a plain change:  The grout is a grey color, so I suspect something like this will work: https://www.lowes.com/pd/GE-Silicone-2-10-1-oz-Gray-Silicone-Caulk/3084943 ETA: I also have a cracked tile in another bathroom, same tile and grout that's in the images above. For that, I'd need to use grout, right?
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Feb 5, 2021 19:32
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Omne posted:Yeah, it's a plane change: You could also caulk to white, just match the tub/wall tile if you want. A cracked tile I'd probably do caulk too. That most likely cracked because there's movement. AFewBricksShy fucked around with this message at 19:46 on Feb 5, 2021 |
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Feb 5, 2021 19:44
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Omne posted:Yeah, it's a plain change: That's exactly that caulk I'd use. In fact, I used the white version on my kitchen backsplash yesterday. I have a cracked tile in my bathroom that I just left as is because I was worried about making the crack more noticeable by "fixing" it. I could see arguments for filling the crack with either caulk (if you think the crack is due to movement) or grout (if you think it's not), but I'd consider matching the color of whatever you use to the tile and not the existing grout. Depending on how wide the crack is, you might have to dremel the crack to make it large enough for your caulk or grout to get in there. This is sort of why I just left mine alone.
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Feb 5, 2021 21:15
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So I've never lived in a house with an attic before, but in this one that I moved into a while ago, it's likely that I'll have to in order to run some wires. I got a telescoping ladder and was able to poke my head in and take a look around, although I'm a bit apprehensive about taking a wrong step and going through the ceiling. I know I'm supposed to only step on the joists, unless there are some wood planks laid across the joists, and those I can step on. Here's a picture of one side of the attic:  Just wanted to confirm: those wooden planks are probably supported by joists, right? I suppose I'll have to move one or the other to run some wires underneath, but I should be safe as long as I stay on the supported planks? Second question, with more pics:    To my eye, that insulation looks old and grungy -- should it be taken out and replaced, or added to?
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Feb 6, 2021 12:22
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floWenoL posted:Attic stuff The more I look at your pics, the less sense they make to me. In the first picture, the boards appear to be sitting below the only joist I can see, but also, I don't know why I only see one joist. I renounce my advice. That's uh, not a lot of insulation. Are you in a pretty temperate area? It's definitely worth removing and replacing, although honestly it looks like you have so little in there that you could probably be lazy and just insulate over it if you didn't wanna bother removing the old stuff. Slugworth fucked around with this message at 13:51 on Feb 6, 2021 |
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Feb 6, 2021 13:44
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floWenoL posted:Just wanted to confirm: those wooden planks are probably supported by joists, right? I suppose I'll have to move one or the other to run some wires underneath, but I should be safe as long as I stay on the supported planks? I've labeled the joist in your picture.  You're going to have a better view of it than we do, but those planks do not look like they are being supported by the near joist. I would not try walking on them. It's hard to tell from this picture, but if I had to guess, I'd say those planks are resting on a bit of rubber edging attached to the joist. We can kind of see where the rubber edging is peeling off the near joist. If so, they won't support your weight if you step on them. There should be a similarly solid piece of wood running at right angles to the joist shown in the picture. That is safe to walk on, but it's probably hidden by the planks so you'll need to shift them around to find it. Personally, I'd move the plank and walk on the cross-joist directly, I'd be worried about the plank over the joist tipping to the side with how poorly those are supported. I don't know enough about the insulation to offer advice.
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Feb 6, 2021 16:24
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I would untangle that antenna wire, or throw it all out if you're not using the antenna. Then I would throw out those boards if you're not going to use the attic for storage space. Then I would insulate to R40 to R60 depending where you live. In several of those photos, you have what the professionals call "literally no insulation." Also I would suggest you call a professional. Installing insulation isn't complicated, but it is the most miserable job. Pay someone else to go crawling through there.
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Feb 6, 2021 16:33
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floWenoL posted:So I've never lived in a house with an attic before, but in this one that I moved into a while ago, it's likely that I'll have to in order to run some wires. The insulation is fine, that's the way blown-in looks. It may have some grunge on it due to air circulation through the space bringing in (dusty, polluted) air, which deposits crap everywhere, so there's a layer of dust on everything. As already alluded upthread: make sure you know where the ceiling/floor joists are before you set one hand or foot up there. I'm not sure if those sheets of plywood are sitting on joists - they should be, because I'm not seeing any joists marching towards the apex of the roof & floor plane. The visible framing, there, may be the stringers for a prefabbed roof section, or some other component, sitting on & perpendicular to the actual ceiling/floor joists. Example:  Plywood sheets should be resting on a bunch of these before you start rambling around up there. Also WTF with the TV antenna. They are supposed to be mounted outside. PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 17:51 on Feb 6, 2021 |
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Feb 6, 2021 17:46
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I want to hire someone to redo the shingle roof on my garage. Is there something more durable than plywood that I can ask the roofers to use? I don’t like the idea of ‘wood’ that immediately rots from water contact. Garage is very old, has 1x5 space sheething.
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Feb 6, 2021 19:26
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If the roof is installed correctly, the plywood roof deck will never come in contact with moisture. The best material is in fact plywood - NOT oriented strand-board (OSB) because, should the worst happen (heavy wind/rain event) and your roof deck does get wet, plywood can handle being soaked repeatedly. OSB will initially shed, because it's coated, but will succumb far sooner, and turn to oatmeal. Rotting takes a long time, with repeated or constant exposure to water/heavy moisture. Years. I used 3/4" plywood as my roof decking when I built my garage in 2003. I also used it for the loft floor, and that floor was exposed to at least a half-dozen heavy summer rains that year before I was able to build a roof over it. It's a little grey, but other than that, it is structurally perfect. And the roof decking, after eighteen years, is still yellow. I would ask a roofer for at least 5/8" plywood to re-deck the roof, if you are bound & determined. Typically, though, the roofer will replaced rotted sections. I wouldn't replace the entire roof deck unless it was OSB, or some dingdong built it with 3/8" ply.
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Feb 6, 2021 19:35
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floWenoL posted:To my eye, that insulation looks old and grungy -- should it be taken out and replaced, or added to? Personally, I would add to it, but there's no need to remove what's there. PainterofCrap posted:Also WTF with the TV antenna. They are supposed to be mounted outside. Attic antennas are very much a thing and are marketed as such.
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Feb 6, 2021 20:09
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street doc posted:I want to hire someone to redo the shingle roof on my garage. Is there something more durable than plywood that I can ask the roofers to use? I don’t like the idea of ‘wood’ that immediately rots from water contact. Standing seam metal. Ceramic tile.
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Feb 6, 2021 20:31
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Slugworth posted:
LLSix posted:You're going to have a better view of it than we do, but those planks do not look like they are being supported by the near joist. I would not try walking on them. It's hard to tell from this picture, but if I had to guess, I'd say those planks are resting on a bit of rubber edging attached to the joist. We can kind of see where the rubber edging is peeling off the near joist. If so, they won't support your weight if you step on them. PainterofCrap posted:As already alluded upthread: make sure you know where the ceiling/floor joists are before you set one hand or foot up there. I'm not sure if those sheets of plywood are sitting on joists - they should be, because I'm not seeing any joists marching towards the apex of the roof & floor plane. The visible framing, there, may be the stringers for a prefabbed roof section, or some other component, sitting on & perpendicular to the actual ceiling/floor joists. I see...I moved the plank near me and I'm pretty sure I saw joists, but I'll see if I can go up again and get some clearer pictures/videos (I want to clear out some of the cable as someone else suggested anyway). I definitely want to be 100% sure before I set a foot in there! Slugworth posted:That's uh, not a lot of insulation. Are you in a pretty temperate area? It's definitely worth removing and replacing, although honestly it looks like you have so little in there that you could probably be lazy and just insulate over it if you didn't wanna bother removing the old stuff. FogHelmut posted:Then I would insulate to R40 to R60 depending where you live. In several of those photos, you have what the professionals call "literally no insulation." empty baggie posted:Personally, I would add to it, but there's no need to remove what's there. PainterofCrap posted:The insulation is fine, that's the way blown-in looks. It may have some grunge on it due to air circulation through the space bringing in (dusty, polluted) air, which deposits crap everywhere, so there's a layer of dust on everything. I'm in the Dallas area, so it's relatively temperate. The energy bills haven't been too bad in the summer or now (the winter) so I guess the insulation isn't a major problem? I guess once the pandemic over I might hire some pros to add more. Thanks all, for the advice!
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Feb 6, 2021 22:05
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So if you were in an apartment, unable to drill or otherwise permanently modify the place, but needed some way to insulate a sliding glass door and a window that are both leaking ridiculous amounts of cold air even after complex maintenance comes out and seals the cracks... how would you do it? Figuring out why my "heated" air is blowing cold is their problem, but my desk is near the glass door and my bed is near the window, and both get freezing cold after sundown.
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Feb 7, 2021 06:13
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I have to stab in the dark about a cement mixer. I have this entry-level one I bought from the neighbor awhile ago and used the poo poo out of. Well, it's more like I used the hydraulic fluid out of it. I think a seal has broken and it leaks out. I'm guessing I have to separate the motor from the transmission housing, replace some gasket, add fluid, and put it all back together. I don't get any guidance about it. I don't have the model information here, but it's been irrelevant so far in googling about this. Is this even something you repair? Do I write it all off?
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Feb 7, 2021 09:14
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Rocko Bonaparte posted:I have to stab in the dark about a cement mixer. I have this entry-level one I bought from the neighbor awhile ago and used the poo poo out of. Well, it's more like I used the hydraulic fluid out of it. I think a seal has broken and it leaks out. I'm guessing I have to separate the motor from the transmission housing, replace some gasket, add fluid, and put it all back together. I don't get any guidance about it. I don't have the model information here, but it's been irrelevant so far in googling about this. Is this even something you repair? Do I write it all off? Post a few pictures, describe what it doesn't do anymore.
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Feb 7, 2021 17:12
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SkyeAuroline posted:So if you were in an apartment, unable to drill or otherwise permanently modify the place, but needed some way to insulate a sliding glass door and a window that are both leaking ridiculous amounts of cold air even after complex maintenance comes out and seals the cracks... how would you do it? If you're not using them for light then a tension rod and some heavy drapes might help keep the cold away. The house I lived in before this had a really poorly installed tiny window in the bathroom. We were on the 2nd floor and it was high up so no one could see in, but it let a whole lot of cold air in. Once we covered the window with a curtain the ambient temperature in that bathroom went up by like 10 degrees.
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Feb 7, 2021 21:14
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SkyeAuroline posted:So if you were in an apartment, unable to drill or otherwise permanently modify the place, but needed some way to insulate a sliding glass door and a window that are both leaking ridiculous amounts of cold air even after complex maintenance comes out and seals the cracks... how would you do it? this for both (assuming you don't need to access either until spring) Just be careful what you put the double sided tape on, it would be easier to remove if you can put it on metal/plastic rather then drywall. Don't skip the hair dryer step or it'll look like poo poo.
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Feb 7, 2021 21:24
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devicenull posted:this for both (assuming you don't need to access either until spring) I've got a pack of this for each one; I'd rather keep the patio access available if possible, and I'm hesitant to actually put it up with winter hopefully ending eventually, but since my concern extends into summer we'll see there. Danhenge posted:If you're not using them for light then a tension rod and some heavy drapes might help keep the cold away. The house I lived in before this had a really poorly installed tiny window in the bathroom. We were on the 2nd floor and it was high up so no one could see in, but it let a whole lot of cold air in. Once we covered the window with a curtain the ambient temperature in that bathroom went up by like 10 degrees. Yeah, I'm looking at tension rods, the big issue there is nobody wants to list how much weight their tension rods hold reliably, and the few that do are "don't hang anything more than a sheet of bloody paper off this". Any recommendation?
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Feb 7, 2021 22:14
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SkyeAuroline posted:I've got a pack of this for each one; I'd rather keep the patio access available if possible, and I'm hesitant to actually put it up with winter hopefully ending eventually, but since my concern extends into summer we'll see there. Can you tell where it's leaking from? If it's from between the joints, replacing the weatherstripping is pretty straightforward, and no one is going to notice or complain that you've done it. If it's between the glass and the frame, you can use some clear caulk (again, no one will notice). In every apartment I've been in, they say "dont put holes in the wall", but what they really mean is "don't leave any holes in the wall after you move out", so I've always just hung whatever and spackled + painted the holes. I've never gotten charged for it either.
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Feb 7, 2021 22:29
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devicenull posted:Can you tell where it's leaking from? If it's from between the joints, replacing the weatherstripping is pretty straightforward, and no one is going to notice or complain that you've done it. So that's the troublesome part. There were cracks in the door frame, which have already been taken care of. There might be a gap beneath where the carpet meets the door, but I can't tell, and "ripping up the carpet" is on the wrong side of what I'm willing to do atm. The bedroom window is a complete mystery, except what looks like a very thin crack underneath the windowsill (but can't feel any air movement from it). Beyond that I can't tell at all. I'm pretty sure a big part of the issue is just the sheer amount of glass involved in this thing. ed: did some investigating. Looks like a hosed up re-insulating job on both actually! The bottom of the door pane frame is just barely visibly bowed out with clear insulation (along with its already known gap at the side that I have temp-filled), and the cold spots on the window are strongest where there's after-the-fact insulation on the immobile pane. Also visible condensation on the latter and big ol' cracks in the pane gap. SkyeAuroline fucked around with this message at 00:05 on Feb 8, 2021 |
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Feb 7, 2021 22:52
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I'm installing a new deadbolt on an entry door. The frame is 3/4" or whatever wood frame and then there's the exterior wall which is brick or block. The bolt goes out far enough that I have to drill into the brick. What's the best way to accomplish this nicely? I have a 1" masonry bit and a hammer drill (not a big boy SDS model though). I don't have a 1" wood bit but I can get one of course. I do have a 1" forstner bit. I also have lots of smaller wood and masonry bits available. edit: I also have a core hole saw set and I am pretty sure I have a 1". It's not for masonry but I could probably get the wood out of the way with it. sleepy gary fucked around with this message at 01:46 on Feb 8, 2021 |
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Feb 8, 2021 01:22
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The hammer drill and masonry bit will probably be fine, it will just take more time. Careful not to crack the brick.
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Feb 8, 2021 01:45
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Both of the shielded 50W MR16 bulbs on my range hood burned out. I see a bunch of LED replacements on Amazon, but they all seem to require an "LED transformer." I have no idea what this is. Do I actually need this? Should I just get a traditional bulb?
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Feb 8, 2021 05:49
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KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD posted:Both of the shielded 50W MR16 bulbs on my range hood burned out. I see a bunch of LED replacements on Amazon, but they all seem to require an "LED transformer." I have no idea what this is. Do I actually need this? Should I just get a traditional bulb? These seem to be in stock at HD, no mention of any special requirements.
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Feb 8, 2021 06:09
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Elviscat posted:These seem to be in stock at HD, no mention of any special requirements.
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Feb 8, 2021 06:12
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On the topic of lighting, I have 10 sconces that I thought had LEDs in them. One burned out and it turns out they were 150w halogens (cue the realization they are likely the cause of our recent higher electrical bills). I found LED replacements, but as soon as I remove the last halogen in each of the 2 circuits, the LEDs all turn on at a very low intensity. I now have 1 halogen in each circuit to keep this from happening. The LED packaging had some broken english on it about needing LED as opposed to incandescent dimmers. Is that correct? Do I need to swap out my dimmers to finish my light bulb replacement?
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Feb 8, 2021 06:16
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KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD posted:Thanks but these aren't shielded as far as I can tell. You mean shielded as in shatter-proof for food safety applications?
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Feb 8, 2021 06:18
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Xenix posted:On the topic of lighting, I have 10 sconces that I thought had LEDs in them. One burned out and it turns out they were 150w halogens (cue the realization they are likely the cause of our recent higher electrical bills). I found LED replacements, but as soon as I remove the last halogen in each of the 2 circuits, the LEDs all turn on at a very low intensity. I now have 1 halogen in each circuit to keep this from happening. The LED packaging had some broken english on it about needing LED as opposed to incandescent dimmers. Is that correct? Do I need to swap out my dimmers to finish my light bulb replacement? Yes.
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Feb 8, 2021 06:18
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Xenix posted:On the topic of lighting, I have 10 sconces that I thought had LEDs in them. One burned out and it turns out they were 150w halogens (cue the realization they are likely the cause of our recent higher electrical bills). I found LED replacements, but as soon as I remove the last halogen in each of the 2 circuits, the LEDs all turn on at a very low intensity. I now have 1 halogen in each circuit to keep this from happening. The LED packaging had some broken english on it about needing LED as opposed to incandescent dimmers. Is that correct? Do I need to swap out my dimmers to finish my light bulb replacement? Yeah, there's probably some very low level leakage through your old dimmer. Even "old-rear end dimmer compatible" LEDs work poorly and commit suicide a lot on old style dimmers, in my experience. There's probably 1 or 2 things you can play with on the dimmer, but I'd just swap it for a new explicitly LED compatible one.
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Feb 8, 2021 06:25
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So when I moved into this house, none of the bathtub drains had any stoppers, but they had holes which seemed to indicate that there used to be one there: I bought a replacement stopper with a 3/8" pin, but the pin was too big. I assumed it was just because I had picked the wrong size, so I got this one instead, which had both a 3.8" pin and a 5/16" pin. However, even the 5/16" pin doesn't seem to fit:  Looking at the hole again, I noticed that there didn't even seem to be threads inside:  (although it's a little hard to see)So, is this some other type of shoe that doesn't take a screw pin? Or maybe the threads have worn away? I tried looking for a 1/4" pin or something, but it seems that there are only the above two common pin sizes.  I'm hoping someone here has seen this before!(Also, I know that I can also replace the shoe too, but I'm hoping to avoid that if possible, to minimize the chance of me screwing something up.)
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Feb 8, 2021 13:16
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Is there a lever up on the tub overflow? If so, that lever actuates the plate visible at the bottom of the drain, and the drain shaft just rides in that hole.
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Feb 8, 2021 15:50
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Elviscat posted:Yeah, there's probably some very low level leakage through your old dimmer. Thanks you two for the replies. Now that we know this, my partner wants us to install smart switches. Lovely. Guess I need to go do some research now.
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Feb 8, 2021 17:01
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Elviscat posted:You mean shielded as in shatter-proof for food safety applications?
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Feb 8, 2021 17:55
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KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD posted:I have no idea, the manual for this thing is just really emphatic that it be a shielded MR16 bulb max 50w, and I rent so I'm trying not to gently caress poo poo up. I think that just means it has a UV rejecting glass in front of the bulb. You can get MR16 bulbs with a bare halogen bulb or ones with a piece of glass over the bulb so you don't emit UV light, but they may also want it so if the bulb fractures you don't get poo poo in your food. Neither would be a concern with LED.
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Feb 8, 2021 17:59
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Xenix posted:On the topic of lighting, I have 10 sconces that I thought had LEDs in them. One burned out and it turns out they were 150w halogens (cue the realization they are likely the cause of our recent higher electrical bills). I found LED replacements, but as soon as I remove the last halogen in each of the 2 circuits, the LEDs all turn on at a very low intensity. I now have 1 halogen in each circuit to keep this from happening. The LED packaging had some broken english on it about needing LED as opposed to incandescent dimmers. Is that correct? Do I need to swap out my dimmers to finish my light bulb replacement? There are few fixes if you don't want the lights glowing. Installing a non-LED being one of the easier remedies.
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Feb 8, 2021 19:39
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PainterofCrap posted:Is there a lever up on the tub overflow? Nope, no lever! I took off the tub overflow plate a while ago and didn't see anything a lever would attach to, but I'll double-check. Where are you seeing a plate? It looks [edit: and feels] to me that the drain pipe just makes a sharp bend right below the hole... Edit: double-checked, there's nothing behind the overflow plate except the pipe. floWenoL fucked around with this message at 21:10 on Feb 8, 2021 |
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Feb 8, 2021 21:01
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I've got a motion-detecting light switch in my mud room, with two doors. It's about 8ft away from the second door, and triggering it from that far away is a bit of a coin flip. The device doesn't say anything about range, but it's obviously struggling. Is there anything I can do (like maybe stick something reflective on the door) to help it out?
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Feb 8, 2021 21:16
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dupersaurus posted:I've got a motion-detecting light switch in my mud room, with two doors. It's about 8ft away from the second door, and triggering it from that far away is a bit of a coin flip. The device doesn't say anything about range, but it's obviously struggling. Is there anything I can do (like maybe stick something reflective on the door) to help it out? Read your manual and see if there is a sensitivity setting to start. There might be a dip switch you can set to make it turn on for house flies and such.
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Feb 8, 2021 21:23
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