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Inner Light posted:drat that looked dope, what a shame. Can Nest work in an "offline" non cloudy mode (ie connect to wifi, control when on local wifi only)? Or is that th most hilarious thing to ask of a now-google product.
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Sep 2, 2021 18:03
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falz posted:Can Nest work in an "offline" non cloudy mode (ie connect to wifi, control when on local wifi only)? You use to be able to at least hit a local API to control it, bypassing the internet. I don't recall if you could set it up without internet access though. That's been gone for a long time. Pre-google IIRC.
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Sep 2, 2021 18:24
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Pre-covid with regular commutes, I think the jury is still out on if it's better to let A/C cool your home while you're gone vs. turning it off while you're away. Probably comes down to type of equipment and home. In my mind it all comes down to hours of use per day on days with identical temperature gradients. I think I've found my total hours of use are down when I leave the A/C on a warmer temperature while I am away, so sometimes I use that feature. But as been said I'm home the vast majority of the time now anyway! What a weird couple of years.
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Sep 2, 2021 18:30
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Does $9,500 for installing a perimeter drain and double sump pump with battery backup in an approximately 1,000 SF basement sound about right? This is in Massachusetts, so the labor costs are probably higher than some states.
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Sep 2, 2021 22:55
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The Slack Lagoon posted:Does $9,500 for installing a perimeter drain and double sump pump with battery backup in an approximately 1,000 SF basement sound about right? This is in Massachusetts, so the labor costs are probably higher than some states. Yeah sounds about right. Is that from a basement water company or just a contractor?
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Sep 2, 2021 23:11
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Queen Victorian posted:Why can't we have nice things? The app/cloud backend behind Honeywell/Resideo thermostats is absolute poo poo. Even if it had launched you still wouldn't have a "nice thing". Doesn't even include any basic logic to say "hey, the system has been running in cool mode for 12 hours straight and still hasn't hit the set temperature, maybe something's wrong".
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Sep 2, 2021 23:22
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The round smart thermostat they actually released is so buttfucking ugly.
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 I have this old cedar fence with the paint falling off. I want to paint it before the winter. I have both a solid deck stain and outdoor paint. Is stain better than paint for a fence? Or vice versa? Or does it not really matter? For prep, should I pressure wash it? Hit the gunk with outdoor cleaner? Or just get the loose stuff off with a stiff brush and then stain or prime/paint?
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Sep 2, 2021 23:45
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Definitely get all the dirt, mold, etc off, that’s pretty clear in the instructions on the can. It may not even be worth your time to do it yourself, I had a guy do my 300ft+ of fence and the playground for $300.
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Sep 3, 2021 00:03
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I just want to be able to turn my AC down or my heat up after a week+ long vacation before I leave the hotel. I don't want any other smart features. I also want it to be not ugly. If it could also not need a c-wire, that would be cool.
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Sep 3, 2021 00:22
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nm posted:I just want to be able to turn my AC down or my heat up after a week+ long vacation before I leave the hotel. I don't want any other smart features. I also want it to be not ugly. Remotely changing your temp is a smart feature though? Just buy the cheap ecobee lite.
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Sep 3, 2021 00:28
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FCKGW posted:Remotely changing your temp is a smart feature though? By not ugly I mean looks like the honeywell round or something that would fit in a house built in 1922 and not look like a spaceship. Also, why do I need a c-wire? Like even the eco bee needs me to install something on the HVAC system to make it work without a c-wire and I'd prefer not to go on my roof. Why doesn't someone just build something with a power brick or something? nm fucked around with this message at 00:35 on Sep 3, 2021 |
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Sep 3, 2021 00:32
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The Slack Lagoon posted:Does $9,500 for installing a perimeter drain and double sump pump with battery backup in an approximately 1,000 SF basement sound about right? This is in Massachusetts, so the labor costs are probably higher than some states. I want to say it cost me about $11k for the same thing only a single sump and 850sqft, pre roni.
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Sep 3, 2021 00:40
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BigFactory posted:Yeah sounds about right. Is that from a basement water company or just a contractor? From a basement waterproofing/foundation company.
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Sep 3, 2021 00:46
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nm posted:Also, why do I need a c-wire? Like even the eco bee needs me to install something on the HVAC system to make it work without a c-wire and I'd prefer not to go on my roof. Why doesn't someone just build something with a power brick or something? Depending on your system, Nest does not require a C wire. I don't have a C wire and have never had issues, used it for 5 years in my old and new place. Unfortunately it is tough to tell without a multimeter until you buy one and try it, but you can find out within a return period. However if you have a power outage, it likely won't be able to boot after, but it has a Mini USB port on the back that you hook up to any good charger (cable not included) that charges it up in like an hour. The small amount of current it needs to maintain battery voltage can usually be sucked from the other thermostat wires. Source: https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/9251212?hl=en Not sure about Ecobee but I assume it's similar. Inner Light fucked around with this message at 00:58 on Sep 3, 2021 |
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Sep 3, 2021 00:55
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nm posted:I mean like learning my schedule or adjusting hvac schedules when it thinks they should be adjusted. I just want the wifi. I don't consider that smart because it doesn't need any actual processing power. Yeah, I have the ecobee and just don't use those features. I have three schedules and just use that because I have a wife that's home all day so auto adjusting isn't going to do anything anyways. I do like the remote sensors though
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Sep 3, 2021 00:56
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The Slack Lagoon posted:From a basement waterproofing/foundation company. That’s about what those guys charge. You might be able to find an excavation contractor who would be cheaper, but this is a pretty busy time of year and if it’s a mom and pop operation you could be waiting longer than you want to. Even so you gotta figure a couple grand a day for machine time, plus another pair of hands, plus crushed stone and tile and all the other parts. Pump. It’s not a $2500 job.
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Sep 3, 2021 01:09
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My screens don't fit right and when I open up the windows my house gets swarmed with flies. The previous homeowner threw away the screens because some of them had tears in them (despite the realtor telling him not to!), and the replacement screens have plastic frames so the vertical parts bow inwards in the middle a little bit and leave a gap. The screen company does offer a brace that can go in the center (which of course they didn't tell me when I did the order, despite this probably being a predictable problem...) but that of course blocks the view. Also to make matters worse the frames are all not quite square to begin with so there's like 1/4" or 3/8" difference on some of the windows between width at the top and width at the bottom, so they would be kinda canted in the frames to begin with. my tactic this year was to try putting up removable silicone weather stripping (DAP Seal N Peel) to seal up the edges of the screens in the track and that actually works OK as long as you keep them open, but when it gets hot enough to turn on the AC, I close them and when I open back up it apparently is enough to break the seal, despite me being very careful during the application to keep it off the window panel (side to side slider). I tried this at the start of the spring, when I opened up again after a hot spell in July it cracked loose again. I sealed up both sides (inside and out) and that was doing fine, until last week when I closed up again, sunday when I opened up it broke loose again. The worst of them are the windows in my living room, because they're the tallest. There's basically two big picture windows front and back, maybe 8 feet wide and 65 inches tall or so. There's another 5 in the bedrooms (maybe 30x58), a pair of wider ones in the basement (measured 72x42 from the insides of the wood framing/outsides of the window frame), and 3 other smaller ones around the house (bathrooms, etc) plus another 30x58 in the garage. At this point I think I just want to replace them and be done with it. I know window installation is a bit of a racket, but who does the best quality windows these days in terms of the manufacturing? If I do the bedrooms I am pretty sure I want double-hung, not fully sure what I want to do with the picture windows, whether that will be double hung as well, or what (open to suggestions on style there). On installation - am I going to get dragged badly on pricing to get just those two big picture windows replaced? The next logical increment would be replacing the 5 bedroom windows as well, but 2 of them are fairly high above ground. Finally, I could just replace everything - the last 3 smaller windows, the two basement windows, and the garage window. I don't really open the basement or garage much (although I guess I could do it more with screens that didn't suck, but I like that it stays cool in summer with the windows closed). The other 3 windows are small enough that I don't think it's a super big problem with the plastic frame screens, and out of the way enough the braces wouldn't be too ugly. So I think if I do these last 6 windows it would just be so everything matches. Is it going to be a problem to replace those 72x42 windows in the basement? They're 72x42 measured on the outside of the window/on the inside of the 2x4s that frame them in, but it's concrete outside the 2x4s (except on top it's wood). Not sure how that works, if that's a standard size, or if the 2x4s give you enough flex, or if I'm just stuck with them given they're in concrete. Are the window installers going to be able to do anything to fix the crooked framing (presumably?) that is warping the windows, or is that a problem that needs to be resolved separately first? What is going to happen as far as my siding? it's T1-11 and I assume it's original (house is 24 years old) and it was a rental at one point with an absentee landlord, so it's in pretty bad shape. I would assume that in general there might be some need to re-side after installing new windows since the new windows may not be exactly the right shape, but it's also entirely possible that in this case they take it off in chunks and I end up just having to replace it with new siding. There are actually already a couple places where it's rotting and I should replace a sheet or two anyway. Should I just go for (plywood) T1-11 again, or (I'm not a huge T1-11 fan) is there some other material it's relatively straightforward to install instead? I would obviously paint everything but is it gonna look funky to have a couple new sheets with older sheets? Would it be better to like, replace a whole side of the house at once, or what? Unfortunately there's also carpenter bees that I think are under the siding... and those two windows that are up high also have a yellow jacket nest in a bathroom vent (the vent louvers fell off so they put chicken wire over the top! great little nesting spot!) that I need to resolve... so doing more than those 2 big picture windows kind of opens up pandora's box of things that need to be replaced  . But I guess it needs to happen anyway.Fortunately we're almost past the part of the year where AC is necessary, it's likely that the next time I close up it will be for the whole winter and I can address this in the spring. I guess I will look at getting braces for the sliders on the picture windows (as much as I hate it) since they're actively a problem and that's a minimum-effort solution to keeping the flies out. Then in the spring maybe get quotes for (a) the big picture windows, (b) the picture windows and the 3 bedroom windows that are not up high (since they aren't near the yellow jackets), (c) the picture windows and all 5 bedroom windows, and (d) everything? And then just plan on replacing at least some sheets in the areas where the windows would be replaced? Paul MaudDib fucked around with this message at 04:04 on Sep 3, 2021 |
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Sep 3, 2021 03:50
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Sep 3, 2021 12:15
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Thermostat chat: I already had a Z-wave network set up for Home Assistant and wanted to replace my ancient thermostat. I ended up with a Trane XR524. It is a pretty simple white rectangle with an old-school (fixed-function like a calculator or whatever) but perfectly functional LCD touchscreen. It has "smart features" in that it is completely programmable, configurable, and controllable over Z-wave with the Z-wave thermostat functionality. It has absolutely zero cloud functionality and is incapable of talking to anything that isn't your Z-wave controller. It has full functionality without Z-wave and can be fully configured, controlled, and programmed via the touchscreen. If I wanted to I could set up all the presence-sensing auto-configuration or whatever I could imagine through Home Assistant with the right setup, but I wasn't interested in that. Instead I have a pretty simple temperature-responsive time of day dependent set of events that happen to make sure the temperature fits our particular preferences in the same way I used to do manually but without having to remember to do it or walk over to the thermostat. It is perfect for me. It does require a 24 VAC common wire.
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Sep 3, 2021 14:37
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Paul MaudDib posted:My screens don't fit right and when I open up the windows my house gets swarmed with flies. Have you contacted the manufacturer of your windows to see if they can supply you with the correct screens? Because that's step 1.
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Sep 3, 2021 15:02
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Paul MaudDib posted:My screens don't fit right and when I open up the windows my house gets swarmed with flies. If the screens are bowed in the middle then it just sounds like someone had the screen pulled too tight when they splined it into the frame. Those center braces should only be needed for really large screens and even then they should be largely avoidable. Is it the window frames or the screen frames that aren't square? If it's the screen frames I'd be on the screen company to remake them properly, if it's the window frame I guess that's a different problem all together.
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Sep 3, 2021 16:14
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I live in a 5 story apartment building w/ one apartment in each floor (we own one) and we've noticed when we have very heavy rain some leaks get through our ceiling (we're on one of the middle floors). We were considering having the facade of the building looked at because there are some cracks and because we had discussed with the previously owner the possibility of moisture problems stemming from the facade. We unfortunately know no contractors who work on facades and don't know anyone who can recommend one. Our plan is to search online and ask multiple companies in the area (we live in a city there are many) to come give quotes on the work and try to figure out who would provide quality work for a good price, difficult to figure out when you're not an expert. Once we have quotes we'll provide this as input to the other owners to decide on who to work with and get our poo poo fixed. How would yall approach a situation like this? Any advice?
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Sep 3, 2021 17:04
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Blowdryer posted:I live in a 5 story apartment building w/ one apartment in each floor (we own one) and we've noticed when we have very heavy rain some leaks get through our ceiling (we're on one of the middle floors). It’s probably windows above you more than the actual facade. The flashing/damp proofing might be bad. I would call your insurance co first.
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Sep 3, 2021 17:05
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Slugworth posted:Get yourself some drop cloths and a cheap airless sprayer and save yourself a loooot of time. Looks good though. Did another panel today with a small roller and it didn’t really go any faster. So I called up a friend that did their fence recently and borrowed the sprayer they bought. This should do the trick nicely: 
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Sep 4, 2021 02:29
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nm posted:I mean like learning my schedule or adjusting hvac schedules when it thinks they should be adjusted. I just want the wifi. I don't consider that smart because it doesn't need any actual processing power. Circling back to this because I genuinely didn’t know these existed but apparently Honeywell makes a version of their basic thermostat that adds WiFi but no other smart features. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Honeywell-Home-Wi-Fi-7-Day-Programmable-Smart-Thermostat-with-Digital-Backlit-Display-RTH6580WF/203556922 Still ugly looking and needs a c-wire but pretty cool that someone is selling a basic wifi thermostat
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Sep 4, 2021 04:32
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This water damage started appearing on my ceiling wednesday after it rained, it rained again overnight and looks worse today. Fun plot twist - this is the ground floor ceiling in a two story house. This is directly in front of the chimney, which is the dark gray section. Here's some shots of the chimney from the outside:   I don't own a ladder (yet!) so these are the best I can do at the moment. There's some damaged mortar, but I'm not sure if those would be high enough or in the right spot for water to end up all the way on the other side of the chimney. The flashing looks like it might be loose at the top, but I'm not really sure what it should look like. There's no water damage as far as I can tell on the floor above this spot or the walls on the second floor in the room above this. I checked in the attic near the chimney and everything seems dry, though I didn't dig around in the insulation.   I've attempted to rule out a plumbing leak. There is a copper water line running up the wall 5 feet to the right of the first photo, and there is a bathroom on the second floor on the right of that wall. The main stack is on the far side of the bathroom from there, about 12 feet from the spot with the water damage. I would be surprised if the water traveled that far from the main stack, and if it was a leak in the supply I'd expect it to be dripping all the way down the line, which is dry in the basement. I think this is rainwater getting in, I'm just not sure exactly how. So what are my next steps from here? Cut open the ceiling and see where it's coming from? Get a ladder and inspect the chimney and roof around the chimney more carefully? At this point I'm not sure if I'd need a roofer or a mason.
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Sep 4, 2021 19:01
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A roofer. That flashing looks like a complete mess. In fact, it looks like whoever put that last roof on bent it out of their way and bent is back kinda sorta where it was supposed to go.
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Sep 4, 2021 19:10
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Cheers, much appreciated
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Sep 4, 2021 19:15
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Yeah that flashing is also supposed to bend at a 90.
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Sep 4, 2021 22:21
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The Dave posted:Yeah that flashing is also supposed to bend at a 90. I can't really tell what's going on there. It looks like there is another piece that is heading under the shingles, so maybe it's just not very far up the chimney and the bent pieces we can see would have protected the bottom piece from getting water under it. Either way, it's damaged/not installed properly and that's a very likely source of the leak.
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Sep 4, 2021 22:36
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Seems telling that exact spot has been patched before
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Sep 4, 2021 22:58
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i dont remember what its called but ive seen the plate that sits between the roof and the chimney rusted through several times
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Sep 4, 2021 23:16
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I would like to set myself up with a moisture sensor that can shut off the water to my washer if it starts leaking. Any recommendations?
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Sep 4, 2021 23:24
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QuarkJets posted:I would like to set myself up with a moisture sensor that can shut off the water to my washer if it starts leaking. Any recommendations? If you want to go big, the only ones i'm familiar with are the flo water sensors and shutoffs. The shutoff shuts your water main off and the remote sensors activate that if they detect water so you can put over under your washer.
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Sep 4, 2021 23:46
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The brick pointing's all hosed up and also cracked on the wall run. If that pointing isn't done properly, brick walls can leak like sieves
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Sep 5, 2021 04:17
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PainterofCrap posted:The brick pointing's all hosed up and also cracked on the wall run. If that pointing isn't done properly, brick walls can leak like sieves Oh boy, I didn't even look very closely at the second picture because I was so focused on the flashing. And it looks like that's part of the flashing problem: it's basically a drip line down the chimney from under the roof that's been badly patched probably over and over again.
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Sep 5, 2021 16:08
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devmd01 posted:Definitely get all the dirt, mold, etc off, that’s pretty clear in the instructions on the can. It may not even be worth your time to do it yourself, I had a guy do my 300ft+ of fence and the playground for $300. Thanks. Does anyone have an opinion on whether a solid stain is better than exterior house point or vice versa? I think I'll go with the exterior paint because I have more on hand, but if there's a reason to stain a fence instead of paint I'll do that.
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Sep 5, 2021 18:00
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Sous Videodrome posted:Thanks. It depends on what you want. Stain is cheaper and easier to apply, but has a lot fewer color options. It soaks into the wood, so if you want to preserve more of the wood's natural texture a stain is the way to go. Paint comes in more varieties, can fill in little imperfections, and is better at protecting surfaces, but good paint is expensive and takes longer to apply
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Sep 5, 2021 18:22
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Stain also doesn't actually protect wood. You need some sort of additional coat to provide protection after the stain.
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Sep 5, 2021 20:49
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Paul MaudDib posted:My screens don't fit right and when I open up the windows my house gets swarmed with flies. Have you considered hiring someone to just make screens for you that don't suck? That seems like it'll be a lot more cost effective then replacing windows just because the screens you bought don't fit. We had our windows and siding done last year, and just went with the same company for both, which made things a lot easier (for us!). I did a bunch of research and ended up going with Soft-Lite windows. They've held up ok, but it's only been about a year so far. We went with vinyl siding, so I can't really speak about any other type (if we wanted to do anything other then vinyl, we would have had to have all the asbestos containing concrete siding removed first, which is $$$)
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Sep 5, 2021 21:20
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