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Victorian England mansion?
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Jan 13, 2022 22:08
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Leperflesh posted:it's also not going to stop rabbits, because they can dig under a fence too; you gotta put some kind of tight mesh wire and run it down into the ground to deter rodent entry Yeah, after talking about it more today, it looks like we're going to do raised planters inside a hoop house. Between the sand the wildlife, it's probably the best option for this year.
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Jan 13, 2022 22:23
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mutata posted:Victorian England mansion? It’s Greek revival  Edit: to clarify, I just want another handle that’s the same style/fitting, I know I won’t find an exact replacement Toebone fucked around with this message at 00:40 on Jan 14, 2022 |
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Jan 13, 2022 22:35
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Toebone posted:It’s Greek revival Looks like brass. What are your soldering skills like? OR go to the oldest hardware store in town with the oldest most grizzled looking hardware store dude in there and show it to him. He's probably got one or two in the back. Back in the 80s or early 90s we did that with my grand dad's coleman lantern. The old grizzled hardware store dude had 3 of the parts (can't remember what) that were broken and were nowhere to be found even at the Coleman store. They even had a price tag from the 70s. so we paid like 5 bucks for all 3 of them. Paul MaudDib posted:ok, I have a decent wad of cash and it's time to get serious about fixing my washer/dryer. They're most likely original to the house (around 30 years) and just aren't getting the job done. Don't bother, just buy new ones. wesleywillis fucked around with this message at 03:16 on Jan 14, 2022 |
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Jan 14, 2022 03:09
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Appliance repair question. [nm problem solved] melon cat fucked around with this message at 06:26 on Jan 10, 2024 |
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Jan 14, 2022 03:56
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Just replaced a leaking fill valve on my Bosch dishwasher, but the elbow going into the valve is weeping ever so slightly. Can't keep tightening the elbow or it won't orient with the supply line and there's no way it's going around in another full turn. Have 3 or 4 wraps of teflon tape on the threads (wrapped in the right direction). Some quick googling says that a light smear of teflon thread compound over the tape might help, never had to do that before but easy enough to try I suppose. Any other tips or tricks on this? The connection in question is brass on brass.
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Jan 14, 2022 03:56
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Final Blog Entry posted:Just replaced a leaking fill valve on my Bosch dishwasher, but the elbow going into the valve is weeping ever so slightly. Can't keep tightening the elbow or it won't orient with the supply line and there's no way it's going around in another full turn. Have 3 or 4 wraps of teflon tape on the threads (wrapped in the right direction). Some quick googling says that a light smear of teflon thread compound over the tape might help, never had to do that before but easy enough to try I suppose. Any other tips or tricks on this? The connection in question is brass on brass. Maybe try a new elbow fitting + teflon tape.
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Jan 14, 2022 04:24
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It's a brand new elbow but yeah I suppose it might just be worth grabbing another one if I'm going back to the store either way, maybe it will seat better than this one.
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Jan 14, 2022 04:33
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Toebone posted:One of the tap handles on my basement utility sink broke, anyone recognize it / know where to find a replacement? I doubt you will find an exact match new but I would check local building supply thrift stores like Habitat for Humanity ReStore and craigslist/Facebook marketplace, garage/estate sales and see if you can find a pair that are close. I found something that looks like a perfect match on ebay but you would need to paint or replate them and you are gambling that the shaft/spline matches yours. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Br...1-127632-2357-0 There are a bunch of websites that sell refurbished or reproduction handles but the prices are nuts. https://www.periodbath.com/antique-bath-items/antique-faucets-and-parts/antique-faucet-parts/
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Jan 14, 2022 05:17
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My fiance's 83 year old mother, who we live with, has a penchant for space heaters. I know, don't use space heaters, they'll burn the house down, but that argument has come and gone. It's her house, and all we can do is mitigate the issue. And the issue is, that she leaves the drat things on and walks out of the room and forgets. We have to constantly babysit the space heaters. Yes they have built in timers, no she is not going to remember to use the timers. She is going to press the power button, which sets the heater to max, and that's it. Classically I feel like the solution to this is, I should add a timer switch, max 60min or so, and make her press that switch to turn on the outlet that the heater is plugged into. Then if she's still in the room and the heater goes off, she can just restart the timer again. But this means another switch that is new to her, and I have to put it in the wall, and gently caress with the wiring, and all that nonsense. So even though I am generally averse to Smart Home Bullshit, I am wondering if there is a Smart Plug solution to this problem. My ideal solution would be, I can set a fixed timer on the smart outlet, when she presses the power button on the heater then the timer starts, once the timer finishes the heater turns off, and she has to power it on again to restart the timer. If this doesn't exist, I would maybe be interested in something I can Control From My Phone where I can just remotely shut the thing off when I know she's not in the room anymore. Any ideas?
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Jan 15, 2022 05:49
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I got this timered outlet to solve a similar problem. It lets me leave the heater "on" all the time, but with no power (and no fire risk). When I want heat, I press a button on the outlet to give the heater power for 15 or 30 minutes or whatever. Now, this particular product has a "leave on permanently" option and also goes all the way up to 8 hours, so maybe you want a different version, but there's other timered outlet options out there.
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Jan 15, 2022 06:06
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:I got this timered outlet to solve a similar problem. It lets me leave the heater "on" all the time, but with no power (and no fire risk). When I want heat, I press a button on the outlet to give the heater power for 15 or 30 minutes or whatever. Now, this particular product has a "leave on permanently" option and also goes all the way up to 8 hours, so maybe you want a different version, but there's other timered outlet options out there. this looks perfect! "Currently unavailable. We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock." fucken amazon i will explore similar options tho thank you 
DELETE CASCADE fucked around with this message at 06:35 on Jan 15, 2022 |
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Jan 15, 2022 06:30
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I’ve got a crumbling patch of plaster wall, about 2’ by 2’, that seems mostly held together by inertia and several decades of paint. Is replastering a area that size doable by a semi-competent layman, or should I get a pro? (Read: fill the cracks with compound and ignore it another year)
Toebone fucked around with this message at 15:31 on Jan 15, 2022 |
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Jan 15, 2022 15:24
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my turn in the barrel posted:There are a bunch of websites that sell refurbished or reproduction handles but the prices are nuts. $25-40 for a genuine porcelain handle sounds reasonable to me  A basic Roman tub faucet at Home Depot is like $300
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Jan 15, 2022 16:59
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Toebone posted:I’ve got a crumbling patch of plaster wall, about 2’ by 2’, that seems mostly held together by inertia and several decades of paint. Is replastering a area that size doable by a semi-competent layman, or should I get a pro? (Read: fill the cracks with compound and ignore it another year) Post a pic, but probably.
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Jan 15, 2022 22:02
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I have a PPE question, and I thought the DIY forum might be a good place for that, so: I have a 3M 6200 half-face respirator, that I bought ages ago during the fires near Melbourne, and these days I wear because of covid. I've only ever been able to get it to seal properly by wearing it half way up my nose. However, that's a little uncomfortable and leaves a red mark.  Does this mean I'm wearing the wrong size of mask, or doing something else wrong with how tight or loose the straps are? I assume the top of the mask is meant to sit on the bridge of my nose, but if I wear it there it doesn't seal properly. I wonder if my big schnozz has anything to do with it...
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Jan 16, 2022 01:38
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Hyperlynx posted:I have a PPE question, and I thought the DIY forum might be a good place for that, so: Shaving would help.
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Jan 16, 2022 02:32
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Hyperlynx posted:I have a PPE question, and I thought the DIY forum might be a good place for that, so: Yeah if you're getting nose discomfort after extended wear, you might need a different size. The the best long-term fit rests along the fattiest areas of your face, in my experience. There's a line of softer cheek going up to the bridge of the nose I wear mine just over. Also try wearing the straps a little higher up the back of your head, this will provide more lift and keep some of the weight off your nose.
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Jan 16, 2022 03:21
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wesleywillis posted:Shaving would help. Ordinarily I'd agree, but the seal breaks at the bridge of my nose, not where my hair is. I can feel it blowing air into my eyes. At least, it feels like I can... Wasabi the J posted:Yeah if you're getting nose discomfort after extended wear, you might need a different size. Bigger, then, you reckon?... If I push it up so the top fits over the bridge of my nose, I can feel the tip of my nose getting smooshed by the flat bit in front... edit: ow. yeah, drat. I've been sitting here at the computer with it on, trying out looser neck straps and with it sitting on my bridge of my nose, and the tip of my nose has just plain got sore, in like five minutes. Worse than the bridge itself ever gets after hours. I guess I need a bigger size... Hyperlynx fucked around with this message at 03:37 on Jan 16, 2022 |
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Jan 16, 2022 03:30
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I noticed one of my floor joists has a crack in, and it is canting outward. It gradually, over about 4-5ft, "twists" back upright and then appears normal. I also noticed the adjacent joint is bending, but does not appear to be actually cracked (yet). Any suggestions for how to proceed here? Some quick googling about sistering joints, etc. shows me this is likely well outside my skill level to do myself. How much is this going to set me back to have a pro address it? The joist:   The adjacent joist: 
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Jan 16, 2022 17:03
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Not seeing a crack. It's fine structurally, though it may become a squeak factory. Judging by that hedgehog of nail misses, it already is. If you want to draw them together, use a 5/8" stove bolt and very thick fender washers (or a stack of 3 or more per side, just at least 1"); drill a hole through, run the bolt, and tighten it down. See where there are knots in your lumber? They're weak points, especially along the edges, and you may see cracks developing off of them. More of a FYI than a concern. PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 17:54 on Jan 16, 2022 |
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Jan 16, 2022 17:49
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PainterofCrap posted:Not seeing a crack. Ok, thanks - relieved that it's structurally fine, phew! But you're right, the floor above squeaks like crazy. Anything I can do about that, it drives me nuts!
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Jan 16, 2022 18:48
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Start hammering. You can hammer them in between the floor sheathing and the top of the joist, then snap them off.  My nearly 100-YO house is loaded with them.
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Jan 16, 2022 18:52
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Sounds easy enough, thanks!
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Jan 16, 2022 19:14
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My understanding of why the shims work: the squeaks you hear are wood rubbing on the nails that hold the wood down to the joists. This is possible because the nails don't hold the wood tightly any more, due most likely to natural wood movement. Shims keep the wood from being able to move; so does putting fresh nails through the floor (so long as they hit the joist). But the latter requires access to the subfloor from above. Is that basically accurate?
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Jan 16, 2022 20:07
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Seems like oiling/waxing the nails and board edges would also do the trick in that case.
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Jan 16, 2022 21:11
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Speaking of floor joists/subfloors, I've been under the house this weekend and noticed about a 4-5" part of a single board under the corner of a bathtub had completely rotted out. The surrounding joists/boards were all fine. I think this is old damage as the first thing I did was re-grout/re-seal/re-caulk the bathroom when we moved in and nothing down there looked recently damp whatsoever. What's the best approach for fixing/replacing that rotted out portion? Or would I even need to?
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Jan 16, 2022 21:41
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Confirm that the tub is sitting on the floor joists and that whatever is gone wasn't under a hard point (foot, pedestal, you should see something that looks like the tub was sitting on it). In most metal tubs (cast or stamped), the part of the tub that actually holds water is not sitting on anything. Resin/fiberglass tubs do sit on the sub If that is the case you really don't need to do anything. It's a plus to have the plumbing exposed. TooMuchAbstraction posted:My understanding of why the shims work: the squeaks you hear are wood rubbing on the nails that hold the wood down to the joists. This is possible because the nails don't hold the wood tightly any more, due most likely to natural wood movement. Shims keep the wood from being able to move; so does putting fresh nails through the floor (so long as they hit the joist). But the latter requires access to the subfloor from above. Yes, though it is also the nails moving up & down and vibrating like a violin bow. If you have direct access to the subfloor, deck screws work great for pinning down loose flooring. You can go through wall-to-wall carpet & pad so long as you bury the head good & don't mind that you holed your carpet. The nap/loop usually closes up over it so the only one who'll find it is the next guy ripping out the carpet PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 00:24 on Jan 17, 2022 |
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Jan 17, 2022 00:19
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PainterofCrap posted:Confirm that the tub is sitting on the floor joists and that whatever is gone wasn't under a hard point (foot, pedestal, you should see something that looks like the tub was sitting on it). Yeah it's an old metal tub and nothing with any weight was sitting above that point. I'll just leave it then. My favorite type of problem.
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Jan 17, 2022 01:32
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FPS_Sage posted:I noticed one of my floor joists has a crack in, and it is canting outward. Its probably just a score mark but it looks like you have a cut in that joist going from top to bottom right up near where it meets the other joist. Now for my own problems: What the poo poo is going on with my floors?  I know its water damage. A few weeks ago, my dishwasher leaked and my "hardwood floor product" floors swelled up and are now lumpy in that one spot. I pulled out the dishwasher, and soaked up the water. It was a very slow drip, but it had been dripping for a couple days, while I was away at christmas and I came home to lumpy floors. I put a fan on the spot (inside where the dishwasher lives) for a day or so, but as it was an enclosed area, I had soaked up the puddle alreadyand my floors were already hosed up it probably didn't really do that much. The dark spots showed up about a week ago and have been spreading, quickly at first, but now they're slowing down. If my "wood product" floors are just like disintegrating or otherwise saying "gently caress you we're out" thats fine since, as a result of this incident I was going to replace them anyway. I'll deal with it for a few months until I get around to replacing them. I just want to make sure its not mold or some poo poo making a formal introduction since that would make me a bit more worried and need to replace the floor sooner than I can. So is it just water staining thats not really anything to worry about?
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Jan 17, 2022 02:18
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wesleywillis posted:Its probably just a score mark but it looks like you have a cut in that joist going from top to bottom right up near where it meets the other joist. quote:Now for my own problems: I'm no expert, but I'd guess just water staining. I don't think mold can spread that quickly. But that floor is almost certainly toast. I'd bet it's some kind of MDF-like wood pulp with a veneer on it, and that stuff has a tendency to turn into oatmeal when it gets wet.
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Jan 17, 2022 02:45
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I've been offered a wood stove that used to be in a barn, but the barn burnt down. as far as i know the stove was not responsible for the fire. it was a pretty big fire, they live at the top of a difficult hill on a rutted out dirt road and i think they pretty much just had to let the barn burn all the way down. it got hot enough that it hosed up their whole house, cracked a bunch of windows and stuff. anyway the stove was sitting there in the rubble and dude said to me "yeah you can have it if you want it, all you'll have to do is replace the glass. can't really hurt one of these stoves, it's just a big hunk of iron." is that accurate? i know they're designed to have fires in them and all but is there no other kind of like insulation or refractory cement or what have you that's likely to have been destroyed? like am i foolish for getting my hopes up here or is this actually a pretty easy thing to rehab and get running?
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Jan 17, 2022 03:36
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wesleywillis posted:What the poo poo is going on with my floors? It's water. Not mold. It's the wild, wonderful world of capillary action! I see this several times a month. The great thing about snaplock laminate flooring is they really let you know when they're wet. That's all the water from the dishwasher, sucking its way along underneath. It's slowing & stopping because the water is drying out as the compressed wood powder is absorbing it. It's taken this long because it can't evaporate due to being trapped. That is a covered insurance claim, if you wish to make one. Kudoes for wanting to just replace it yourself/on your own dime. Where you might want to consider making a claim for it is: - if the laminate runs underneath all of your base cabinets; - if it is also continuous to other larger areas of your home (adjacent nook, family room, dining room, etc) and can't be matched/is no longer made; - if your subfloor is OSB. The water trapped under there will gently caress it up in ways easily tolerated by plywood. - if the cabinets adjacent to the dishwasher were also damaged where they contact the floor (cabinets are also typically pressboard laminate/photo-finish, so they get wet & blow up). Don't put snaplock laminate or engineered hardwood in wet rooms, boys & girls. Especially if you have OSB subfloors. Stalizard posted:I've been offered a wood stove that used to be in a barn, but the barn burnt down. ... You need to know what kind / make of stove it is in order to look up a manual, and research how it's made, how far it can be disassembled, and if the parts are available. I have an iron Franklin stove built in the 1970s. It'll survive the heat of the holocaust because it's just screwed together wrought-iron plates. My neighbor, on the other hand, has a Jotul with a fancy door gasket & beautiful tempered glass and bricks and probably vermiculite/equivalent insulation here & there. Now, the insulating material may survive just fine, but if the thing reeks like the ninth circle of hell because it got smoked out in a barn fire, it'd suck to find out you can't replace the insulating material or eliminate the odor of the End Times every time you try for a cheerful warm.. PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 03:49 on Jan 17, 2022 |
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Jan 17, 2022 03:38
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:I suspect that when the house was built, they lined those two joists up, and then used a circular saw to cut the one in the foreground, lightly scoring the one in the background. The end of the foreground joist that was cut off snapped off from the weight, which is why you see a splinter of uncut wood. I figured as much. This is like the cheapest of cheap condos in my building so I figure its whatever was on sale at the ultra mega cheap rejected cheap flooring store. PainterofCrap posted:It's water. Not mold. The affected area shown is my dining/living room but in total its not that big sq footage wise. I think my whole place is only 500 sqft. Under the cabinets is tile from the kitchen, the bottoms of them *seem* to be unaffected, or they were when I finally got the new part for the dishwasher and the floor-floor is concrete of some sort as I'm in an apartment/condo building. I never even thought about it being an insurance job. I guess thats exactly what insurance is for innit? Thus far, the swelling has stopped but the staining continues though its now slower than initially. Outside of the picture, on the right hand side, there is another foot or two of swelling in a few of the boards going on but its not significant, nor is the staining. The place is supposed to have been built in 2009 or so, so most likely I won't bother trying to replace just a few boards, but rather the whole thing I can't imagine I'd be able to find something that matches close enough for it to not be noticeable. I didn't really want to, but I guess this gives me an excuse to "renovate", as I want to paint and put on new cupboard doors/drawer faces in the kitchen so I guess now I have to do the floors too. At least I'm not broke, and it probably gives me an excuse to buy some sweet new tools.
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Jan 17, 2022 04:26
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PainterofCrap posted:Don't put snaplock laminate or engineered hardwood in wet rooms, boys & girls. Especially if you have OSB subfloors.  Relative humidity in the basement gets pretty high in the summer- up to about 60% RH. Basement isn't currently "wet" but has had a history of being pretty wet up until I put in a sump pump. I just want to rip out this dumb, cheap engineered particle wood poo poo since it has mold beneath it and put in something durable that can stand up to humidity and the occasional abuse from a home gym and is easily replaceable if I need to rip out a section to install a second sump pump. I don't care how ugly the new replacement flooring looks as I view my basement as more of a utility than a "room". I'd like to get this flooring replacement over with so I can finally add put in new, proper baseboard trim and keep the bugs out. melon cat fucked around with this message at 05:49 on Jan 17, 2022 |
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Jan 17, 2022 05:44
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melon cat posted:While we're sort of on this topic (and not to take away from wesleywillis' flooring discussion) what kind of flooring would be best for a humid basement like in a century home? Here's what I have currently: Assuming that you have a nice slab: Vinyl sheet or vinyl plank over vapor barrier. Permanent: Ceramic tile. If it's a play/family room, throw down area rugs.
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Jan 17, 2022 05:55
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(edit: missed a page of responses, nevermind)
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Jan 17, 2022 06:03
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after reading these threads for a long time, I feel like painterofcrap should be running a home inspection or consulting or GC business at this point
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Jan 17, 2022 15:03
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melon cat posted:While we're sort of on this topic (and not to take away from wesleywillis' flooring discussion) what kind of flooring would be best for a humid basement like in a century home? Here's what I have currently: You should caulk/foam openings before you put up baseboard trim if your goal is to keep the bugs out!
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Jan 17, 2022 16:30
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The PO's of my house put glue-down vinyl "planks" over the existing polished concrete floor on the ground floor of my place and I'm honestly impressed with how well it has held up.
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Jan 17, 2022 23:06
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