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Not sure where to post this question, but the Home Zone seems to be the thread. I've been renting my condo for a while, seemingly good relationship with my landlord. A lot of (necessary) poo poo was fixed over the years and all that. But the other day I smelled some gas coming from the dryer when it was off and called the gas utility company (smell gas, act fast). They found a small leak, turned off all the gas in the house, and locked the meter or whatever it is, turning off the heat, hot water, and cooking gas. It will be unlocked by the gas company or the city inspector once everything is checked and fixed (all the connections to the appliances, the boiler, etc.). To do this, master plumbers have to inspect and get a permit from the city to do so, costing thousands of dollars. Now, my landlord said that I should have just called him. Said that he could have had a guy fix it for a hundred dollars or whatever. Seems pretty reckless to me, as this was night time, he's handy but is not an expert in anything gas and this could have been an emergency, and the gas people got there right away. He tried to insinuate that I somehow hosed up by calling the gas company. The way I understand it, had the city known that he fixed it without a permit, this would result in big fines and would probably be illegal (the gas company guys said that "they would shut the whole building down had they found out that someone did this without a permit"). I'm assuming that the permit and shutting down all the gas is necessary out of caution and to make sure everything is proper, and not because "the city is just trying to make [the landlord] pay them." I pushed back and said that I did the right thing regardless of what the landlord has to pay. To be fair, he probably would not have called the gas company for his own house and family, as he's that type of guy, and would have just shut off the valves himself. Anything I should know about this situation? Thoughts?
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Mar 29, 2021 03:48
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You did the right thing and your landlord is frustrated. I see their side of it as well (being frustrated.) Fact of the matter is you're no gas expert and errors have a tendency to literally level buildings, killing all occupants. It's OK to commiserate with them ("I'm sorry the city is such a pain in the butt. The man amirite?") but also be clear that you're no utility expert and the gas company says to call them if you smell gas. So does the fire Marshall. It's the same thing with all utility level faults. We pipe metric gently caress tons of energy potential into our homes, it's OK to call experts immediately upon a fault state. If it's faint and localized you can try turning off the valve if it's accessible, create ventilation by opening doors and windows, that sort of thing. But only if you will recognize the signs of nose blindness. Oh right you aren't an expert. And what you did is 100% OK. Also you are probably owed alternative living arrangements until you have heat and hot water again. Oh and if the landlord cuts the red tag lock out call the utility immediately. It's a crime. H110Hawk fucked around with this message at 04:13 on Mar 29, 2021 |
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Mar 29, 2021 04:08
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Yeah, I don't know poo poo about gas, or the right way to turn a valve. Or what a valve really does. Or electricity. I have him come by for small pieces of poo poo, but not too often. Once he came by to fix my doorbell, turns out we needed new batteries, and he ran to the corner store to buy some, lol. But I'm reading online that landlords have to do gas line inspections every year and get certificates and all that. Never happened once. Not my fault that your pipes that have never been checked before are leaking gas!
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Mar 29, 2021 04:24
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anyone else have some good stories about really disgusting stuff you discovered at home, usually because it's something you forgot to maintain or clean? I just have my "let me see if my kitchen sink pipes have any stuff clogged in them" and OH GOD NO today I discovered that my vacuum hasn't been working well for a long time because I never cleaned the filter, oh and also the brush area at the bottom has a 1/2 inch thick layer of crud/dirt/dog hair stuck on it, so I had to take apart and clean my entire vacuum. That was pretty gross. But it was very satisfying to get it clean!
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Mar 29, 2021 04:32
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small butter posted:Yeah, I don't know poo poo about gas, or the right way to turn a valve. Or what a valve really does. Or electricity. I have him come by for small pieces of poo poo, but not too often. Once he came by to fix my doorbell, turns out we needed new batteries, and he ran to the corner store to buy some, lol. In a steady state they should basically never leak. The usual turn over of the appliances they are connected to will refresh fittings and dope and tape. Way to not die for your landlord's profit. They rolled the dice and snake eyes came up, wiping out their profit for the year. Caveat emptor.
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Mar 29, 2021 04:33
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shirts and skins posted:Repainting bathroom walls: is satin finish glossy enough, or do I need to go to semi-gloss? The bathroom is having a vent fan installed but there will still be plenty of showers in there. As long as it is a decent quality paint, satin should be fine.
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Mar 29, 2021 07:13
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actionjackson posted:anyone else have some good stories about really disgusting stuff you discovered at home, usually because it's something you forgot to maintain or clean? Hasn’t happened to me, but dishwasher filter is mentioned frequently.
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Mar 29, 2021 13:12
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small butter posted:But I'm reading online that landlords have to do gas line inspections every year and get certificates and all that. Never happened once. Not my fault that your pipes that have never been checked before are leaking gas! Whatever you're reading is incorrect for the vast majority of the planet, just like what you read hear about getting tagged out and locked out is incorrect for the vast majority of the planet. As with all things code and code enforcement related this is very location specific. To get red tagged and locked out here you need major damage to fixed distribution, not a leaking flexible service hose which is what this sounds like it was.
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Mar 29, 2021 13:43
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actionjackson posted:anyone else have some good stories about really disgusting stuff you discovered at home, usually because it's something you forgot to maintain or clean? About a year or so ago we were suddenly having really bad issues with carpet moths (the type that munch on fabric). We were pretty good about vacuuming and keeping things straight and we also paid my MIL come once a month to clean a bit deeper. I bought some sticky pheromone traps but only seemed to be having mild success in reducing numbers. Finally, I began to notice that a lot of the larva we were finding were concentrated near a transition piece from the wood floor to tile entryway landing. I pried up the transition and it was disgusting, just loads and loads of larva and discarded husks across this ~5' channel where the transition piece was. Best I could tell is between vacuuming and sweeping, hair and dust were getting caught under and into the channel there and wouldn't get pulled back out so it just became a breeding ground and buffet in one. Vacuumed and scraped up the whole channel, thoroughly checking in and around, bought a few more packs of traps. We have been moth free since.
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Mar 29, 2021 14:01
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The wall next to my shower was crumbly to the touch. I scraped away all the problematic area, redid the drywall and painted it and redid the caulking. I made sure to turn on the shower and ensure nothing was leaking from the inside before patching and painting. I noticed it is beginning to bubble (this did not happen last time). This time I'm going to scrape it away again and add on a coat of primer to seal it properly. We take a lot of hot showers and we did notice some water tends to run to that wall from under the doors when we're showering. It's not nearly as bad as it was initially, but it's still problematic. Which primer do I need to use? Also, this time I will do the caulking properly. https://imgur.com/a/zjDqgz8
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Mar 29, 2021 14:34
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Motronic posted:Whatever you're reading is incorrect for the vast majority of the planet, just like what you read hear about getting tagged out and locked out is incorrect for the vast majority of the planet. As with all things code and code enforcement related this is very location specific. To get red tagged and locked out here you need major damage to fixed distribution, not a leaking flexible service hose which is what this sounds like it was. It wasn't the flexible hose but the pipe that went into the wall. They said if it was the flexible hose, they'd fix it themselves. This is NYC. Regarding annual gas line and appliance inspections, I think I read that this was a 1998 federal law.
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Mar 29, 2021 15:41
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small butter posted:It wasn't the flexible hose but the pipe that went into the wall. They said if it was the flexible hose, they'd fix it themselves. This is NYC. There is no such federal law, and really couldn't be. Since you've given a location I can now say with certainty you are talking about Local Law 152, and it's most definitely not every year: it's every 5. LO/TO for a fixed piping problem is 100% reasonable and normal anywhere with actual effective code enforcement. Motronic fucked around with this message at 15:47 on Mar 29, 2021 |
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Mar 29, 2021 15:44
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couldcareless posted:About a year or so ago we were suddenly having really bad issues with carpet moths (the type that munch on fabric). omg x_____x
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Mar 29, 2021 15:49
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small butter posted:It wasn't the flexible hose but the pipe that went into the wall. They said if it was the flexible hose, they'd fix it themselves. This is NYC. Yup. This all sounds right. If your flex was broken they turn off the valve, vent it out (open it up), then sniff to make sure the valve is working. If it's 0 new gas they either fix it or tell you to call a plumber. Socal gas will fix it if the tech is feeling friendly. They probably helpfully discard the damaged flex pipe too to prevent dumb repairs. Busted pipe means that you have to cut gas one valve higher, which is your units gas. Locking it out until you can get a plumber out to cut, patch, and check for further leaks elsewhere between your valve and the outlets sounds right. Is your pipe somehow damaged or just extremely old? If it's the latter, I bet the whole building does indeed need to be repaired. It's NYC - how much profit do you think your landlord is making off you every month? Don't feel too bad.
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Mar 29, 2021 16:19
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H110Hawk posted:Yup. This all sounds right. If your flex was broken they turn off the valve, vent it out (open it up), then sniff to make sure the valve is working. If it's 0 new gas they either fix it or tell you to call a plumber. Socal gas will fix it if the tech is feeling friendly. They probably helpfully discard the damaged flex pipe too to prevent dumb repairs. yeah pretty much this. I bought a house with an old wall furnace, gas company was doing work with the lines on the street so when they came in to relight everything they also did CO tests, my furnace was trying to kill me so they removed the pipe and tagged it as unsafe saying anyone who connected the pipe was a bad person. If they locked out your meter it's a much bigger thing than 1 appliance leaking.
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Mar 29, 2021 16:25
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Motronic posted:There is no such federal law, and really couldn't be. Since you've given a location I can now say with certainty you are talking about Local Law 152, and it's most definitely not every year: it's every 5. You're right. I somehow managed to find some UK website that talks about a law passed there in 1998, assuming that it was the US. Local Law 152 does not seem to apply specifically to "tenant spaces," though, so I doubt it would apply to me. H110Hawk posted:Yup. This all sounds right. If your flex was broken they turn off the valve, vent it out (open it up), then sniff to make sure the valve is working. If it's 0 new gas they either fix it or tell you to call a plumber. Socal gas will fix it if the tech is feeling friendly. They probably helpfully discard the damaged flex pipe too to prevent dumb repairs. I don't think the pipe was extremely old, maybe 15 or so years from when this condo was built. Can't comment on the damage as I've never been back behind the dryer. I'm just curious, though -- what does it sound like would have been my landlord's plan? Was he going to get an unlicensed guy or a licensed plumber who is unscrupulous enough to simply not notify the gas company and do the repair without a permit? How dangerous would this be? There's probably good reason for shutting everything down and requiring a permit and master plumber. It sure sounds like calling the gas company was the right call regardless. But I don't know anything about gas so I don't know the level of danger that I was in.
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Mar 29, 2021 17:13
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small butter posted:You're right. I somehow managed to find some UK website that talks about a law passed there in 1998, assuming that it was the US. It's not relevant to explain how it actually does, but nobody is going to be in your space every 5 years to perform these tests and it's unlikely you'll ever notice. This is just the only reg that could apply to you that would even begin to explain your confusion. small butter posted:I'm just curious, though -- what does it sound like would have been my landlord's plan? Was he going to get an unlicensed guy or a licensed plumber who is unscrupulous enough to simply not notify the gas company and do the repair without a permit? Probably, that's what everyone else does. small butter posted:How dangerous would this be? There's probably good reason for shutting everything down and requiring a permit and master plumber. How dangerous? Not at all if the work is done properly. But this is what happens when code enforcement overreaches: people go around them. NYC has the right idea but their heavy-handed money-grabbing implementation is counter-productive.
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Mar 29, 2021 17:20
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jfc i shouldn't have asked about gross stuff thanks for the reminder about the dishwasher filter, I did just clean mine, though it's a bosch self-cleaning one so thankfully there wasn't much debris. also looking at the manual, not even I am this autistic
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Mar 29, 2021 17:21
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actionjackson posted:jfc i shouldn't have asked about gross stuff Thank god for the third rack for silverware.
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Mar 29, 2021 17:33
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small butter posted:I don't think the pipe was extremely old, maybe 15 or so years from when this condo was built. Can't comment on the damage as I've never been back behind the dryer. Your whole building is 15 years old and the pipe is already damaged enough to leak? Or your building was retrofit into condos and was actually built in 1940 or whatever? The short answer is if you don't know "how dangerous gas smell is" then you just stop and call the utility, it's probably "press 1 to report a gas leak." If you're a little more comfortable, it's generally faint, and only smelled inside the single room? You turn the valve your flex is hooked up to and open some windows. Then sniff around, and I mean get right up near it, and see if you get that lovely rotten eggs smell, no? Go to another gas appliance like your stove and turn it on a little bit but don't light it, then turn it off. Rotten eggs smell? Great you're not noseblind. Turn the problem valve back on - smell comes back? Great, turn it off and call a plumber. Licensed and bonded. Want to further troubleshoot? Got a spray bottle? Mix a lot of dishsoap with a bit of water and spray it all over the valve and whatever you can see. See bubbles growing? That's your leak. Smell doesn't go away? Can you access your next valve up? If so, go shut it off, cannot? Call the utility, press 1 to report a gas leak. NYC likely has had a big problem with slumlords ignoring problems, and now has a hugely draconian solution that even more people bypass, to motronic's point. Master plumber is nuts, it really should just be "licensed and bonded" and like-for-like repair shouldn't require a permit, or it should be cheap-and-easy without the requirement to leave it red tagged until the city gets there. City comes by a few days after the repair with a sniffer, sniffs around all your fittings, good to go. It's the same check your plumber should be doing no matter what when working on gas fittings. Plumber puts the tag number on the service order and signs it as repaired, if they gently caress around they lose their license. Open your apartment door and get a strong/choking smell of gas from the draft of opening the door? Turn right the gently caress around and leave, calling 911 or the utility. That's the odorant doing its job.
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Mar 29, 2021 17:55
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H110Hawk posted:Thank god for the third rack for silverware. yeah I have the base model, my only regret is not going one up to have the third top rack, but I don't have a ton of silverware so I always have plenty of space for it
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Mar 29, 2021 18:27
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My cutlery, which I wouldn't even class as particular fancy, don't even fit through the stupid basket lid holes.
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Mar 30, 2021 02:39
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~Coxy posted:My cutlery, which I wouldn't even class as particular fancy, don't even fit through the stupid basket lid holes. You need sharper cutlery.
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Mar 30, 2021 02:56
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So our backyard is a nightmare. We bought the house after a flip and the backyard is a wreck; the top couple inches of soil are full of buried garbage like glass shards and mattress springs, and there are a few old trash burning piles full of debris. We are trying to figure out what the gently caress to do with this to make it a usable space. So far, we've come up with two plans: 1. Get a rototiller and churn up the entire yard and then shovel the dirt through a large woodframe screen, or 2. Pay someone to do it. Plan 1 is cheap on dollar amount but wow it sounds horrible. Plan 2 is likely going to be outside of our budget for a few years. Any input here on what we can do? Sandwich Anarchist fucked around with this message at 03:41 on Mar 30, 2021 |
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Mar 30, 2021 03:38
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Option 3 is go through with trash bins and pull all the large poo poo you can see easily, and then dump a couple trucks worth of clean fill on top. Less work than option 1, but more work and cheaper than option 2.
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Mar 30, 2021 03:46
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Depending on how access is back there you may want to look into renting a track loader/Bobcat. It's not necessarily that expensive, and just about anyone can do it. That will at least make the digging process fairly labor free. If you're lucky you may even be able to rent one with a flip screening bucket which will do the whole job for you depending on how sandy your soil is.
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Mar 30, 2021 03:59
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Rent a bobcat. Buy several cases of beer. Tell your friends both of those facts.
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Mar 30, 2021 05:25
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Exciting project coming my way with the fixer-upper I bought. My wife has mapped out the interior renovations with an architect but I am laser focused on this crumbling dock sited on a small brook which leads out to the sound.    There is a ~9 foot tidal range which puts the water line just below the frame at high tide and as pictured during the comically low tide. We would likely not get approval for a replacement so I think we will have to slowly rehab the dock little by little. Yes the dock is tied to a tree, yes it has cinderblocks weighing it down. The post in the forefront of the second photo is not in contact with the ground which combined with the slant of the two rear (from the camera) or left (from above) posts is causing the undulation in the first part of the dock. I have not gone out to the end of the dock to test it's stability. What do you all think is the first step to shoring this up a bit? Is it a case of using a temporary post to support the floating/angled walkway posts while I fashion a new 4x4 post like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4L5ct9vzCU
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Mar 30, 2021 15:46
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If it’s grandfathered and you can’t get new approval for a full replacement (which would be ideal because the existing one looks completely rotten and unsafe and should really be wholly replaced) then it’s Dock of Theseus time. I don’t know all that much about building docks but I’d start with sistering the piles with new 4x4’s like in the video and probably 6x6’s at the ends/corners, and then sister joists and beams with new wood (making sure to attach new joists/beams to new piles) and replace the decking (and possibly reuse any existing decking that’s not rotten so it looks more convincingly like a repair). Once the new dock parts weather a bit and stop looking conspicuously new (or expedite by staining new wood to look aged), start pulling out the rotten old wood until you’re left with only new dock. Hopefully someone with more dock building experience comes along.
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Mar 30, 2021 18:58
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punissuer posted:There is a ~9 foot tidal range which puts the water line just below the frame at high tide and as pictured during the comically low tide. We would likely not get approval for a replacement so I think we will have to slowly rehab the dock little by little. Why do you think you wouldn't get permission to R&R it? Your neighbors all seem to have floating docks, is that what they would want you to put in? If so, why not do that? That thing isn't worth saving. I wouldn't bother trying to "shore it up" - Anything you start doing to it is going to just expose the rot. Is it safe to walk on? If not I would rip it out before someone breaks their leg on it and sues you no matter what. Is there an HOA in play? Protected wetlands? I would try calling your city and say "My dock is falling apart, is there an easy like-for-like replacement permit or repair permit for things like that?" If they say no ask why, etc. If it's dumb reasons maybe it fell down, maybe you didn't know and just rebuilt a new one right there.
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Mar 30, 2021 19:09
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I got into my 1st spat with the HOA. I installed a smart lock a few months. I got an email from the HOA said they needed authorization first and that I need to install my old lock (which I already threw away). How do you deal with this stuff? The HOA is a 3rd party, so I assume it was just a random neighbor who saw my lock and didn't like it???
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Mar 30, 2021 19:25
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MeruFM posted:I got into my 1st spat with the HOA. I installed a smart lock a few months. I got an email from the HOA said they needed authorization first and that I need to install my old lock (which I already threw away). What do the rules of your HOA, which by law were given to you during closing and you signed for to acknowledge receipt of and understanding that they are binding, say about your duty to notify or ask permission for this type of thing?
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Mar 30, 2021 19:28
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Someone gave a poo poo on your house what lock you use? What the gently caress?
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Mar 30, 2021 19:36
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Motronic posted:What do the rules of your HOA, which by law were given to you during closing and you signed for to acknowledge receipt of and understanding that they are binding, say about your duty to notify or ask permission for this type of thing? The rule I violated was broad: "authorization is required prior to making any changes to the unit exterior,". I always assumed that was just stuff like door color, paint of the exterior walls, windows, etc. Isn't it pretty standard procedure to change your door locks when you move to a new place because you have no idea how many copies of the old key were made.
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Mar 30, 2021 19:37
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MeruFM posted:I got into my 1st spat with the HOA. I installed a smart lock a few months. I got an email from the HOA said they needed authorization first and that I need to install my old lock (which I already threw away). This is hilarious. Enjoy your HOA. I would start going to meetings ASAP. Is this a detached single family home or an apartment or what? Tell them your old lock malfunctioned and so you had to replace it. You discarded the non-functioning lock as trash. MeruFM posted:The rule I violated was broad: "authorization is required prior to making any changes to the unit exterior,". I always assumed that was just stuff like door color, paint of the exterior walls, windows, etc. No. It's extremely common to re-key the existing lock. Also LOL you assumed anything about an HOA.
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Mar 30, 2021 19:38
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MeruFM posted:The rule I violated was broad: "authorization is required prior to making any changes to the unit exterior,". I always assumed that was just stuff like door color, paint of the exterior walls, windows, etc. So they're a super annoying HOA and you have busybody neighbors. Ask forgiveness because you didn't know. Or make up a story that it broke during re-keying and you had to put something there right away. MeruFM posted:Isn't it pretty standard procedure to change your door locks when you move to a new place because you have no idea how many copies of the old key were made. No. What's normal is to have your locks re-keyed. By the way: welcome to your new neighborhood where the most expensive thing you've every bought sits. gently caress HOAs.
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Mar 30, 2021 19:41
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H110Hawk posted:Is this a detached single family home or an apartment or what? It's a condo, top floor. I've had a condo before and didn't run into this issue so I was extremely surprised. Anyways, I guess end of the day, it's not that big of a deal, might cost a few hundred to rebuy the exact same lock.
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Mar 30, 2021 19:47
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alright i'm looking to buy a central air conditioning system for my house, what brands are good or should be avoided? i dont think we need a high efficiency unit because we live in the PNW and will only use it for 3-4 months of the year
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Mar 30, 2021 20:44
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H110Hawk posted:Why do you think you wouldn't get permission to R&R it? Your neighbors all seem to have floating docks, is that what they would want you to put in? If so, why not do that? That thing isn't worth saving. I wouldn't bother trying to "shore it up" - Anything you start doing to it is going to just expose the rot. Is it safe to walk on? If not I would rip it out before someone breaks their leg on it and sues you no matter what. Thanks, it's protected wetlands so repair is not subject to permitting but replacement/reconstruction is. No HOA to worry about. I think the fact that it's an eyesore and a deathtrap would help with the planning commission need case but was wondering if there was an interim repair in case reconstruction is not in the budget. Turns out our carpenter was involved in construction of the McMansion across the way and while he didn't do the dock, he did subcontract the dock construction and is checking with the dockmaker if they would take on this project. Another pic: 
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Mar 30, 2021 20:50
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punissuer posted:Thanks, it's protected wetlands so repair is not subject to permitting but replacement/reconstruction is. No HOA to worry about. I think the fact that it's an eyesore and a deathtrap would help with the planning commission need case but was wondering if there was an interim repair in case reconstruction is not in the budget. Turns out our carpenter was involved in construction of the McMansion across the way and while he didn't do the dock, he did subcontract the dock construction and is checking with the dockmaker if they would take on this project. I would take out a repair permit and when it falls down during repair ("More extensive damage discovered") then replace the whole thing. Just talk to the city. Protected wetlands aren't a thing to get on the wrong side of really, enforcement can be brutal.
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Mar 30, 2021 21:00
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