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slidebite posted:The one I bought is an Airthings too. I had a local place that does mitigation come in and install a system. They put a cap over the sump crock, then in the opposite corner drilled a hole in the slab, shoved some gravel around to make a bit of a hole, then installed a pvc pipe up and out to a blower with a positive pressure flange/valve thing that vents up to about the roofline.  You can see when they installed it (october, give or take) Pretty much every house in this neighborhood has active mitigation, and this region has pretty high radon concentrations.
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May 28, 2022 16:13
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i wanna say it was around 1100-1200 for the install, maybe 1400? (upstate ny)
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May 28, 2022 16:16
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Harriet Carker posted:On a scale of 1 to do not attempt, how tough is installing a new toilet and flange? I just moved to my very first house and this would be my first home improvement project of any sort whatsoever. I watched some YouTube videos and it seemed mostly straightforward, but if I screw it up I don’t have a toilet which seems sort of like high stakes. I did it on the first try for the first time last weekend. If you're handy at all, it's pretty much a non-issue. Remove old toilet, unscrew flange, screw in new flange, wax ring + bolts, set new toilet on and torque it down.
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May 28, 2022 16:32
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I can recommend one of those rubber rings instead of a wax ring. It's a bit more forgiving, unless your new toilet already comes with the wax ring applied, in which case use that.
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May 28, 2022 16:37
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Tezer posted:I like stainless countertops. Put them in my own kitchen. Easy to clean, heat resistant, stain resistant. What's not to love. any issue w denting?
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May 28, 2022 19:40
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Not that I've found. The commercial tops are pretty thick, the residential ones usually get a plywood backer that keeps everything pretty rigid. It's also hard to drop something from a height onto a countertop as opposed to a floor. I've dented a wood floor a dozen times (most of those were a pine floor, easy to dent), never dented a stainless countertop. Stainless sinks though, that's a place where I've seen denting in cheap units. Still not very common though.
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May 28, 2022 20:32
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peanut posted:Stainless countertops around the sink and stove are default in Japan. The alternative is usually "synthetic marble" which is vulnerable to staining. His Divine Shadow posted:Since writing about scandi interior/exterior design stuff seemed to be appreciated. I thought I'd write about benches, namely these. I think these are a classic scandinavian feature, maybe I am wrong, but I can't recall having seen them elsewhere. Really cool to see different perspectives on kitchens and home design. The space utilization and layout looks well done where in my area it seems it's all BIG kitchens with BIG layouts, and BIG distances. Or it's lovely little kitchens that try to behave like big kitchens. So please, keep posting euro and Japanese home design / kitchens.
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May 28, 2022 20:49
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https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/27/realestate/home-makeover-renovation-lawsuit.html i can't stop laughing
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May 29, 2022 01:22
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Yooper posted:So please, keep posting euro and Japanese home design / kitchens. MCM inspired new builds https://collabohouse.info/gallery/ Traditional carpentry inspired new builds https://www.sciencehome.jp/case/ Nice remodels of narrow urban houses https://www.sokkuri3.com/kodate2/case_search/search_condition/128/
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May 29, 2022 07:02
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Rexxed posted:Yeah I'd start with pest control companies, but definitely ask if they'll try to patch the entryways. Usually they'll do some small stuff like jamming exclusion material into holes, but they don't typically do repairs to the structure and will tell you to get a contractor for that. It may also be a process of them working to trap and then exclude, depending on what's up there. Mice are different than raccoons or squirrels for example. Thanks. I've been concerned about that specific spot on the roof for a few years, but I never knew who to contact or how to go about getting it fixed. I didn't have much hope with a contractor because it's nearly impossibly to locate one in Austin willing to take on a small job like this. I'll try and contact a few pest control companies and see which, if any of them will perform the sealing and repairs or can at least refer me to someone that does do that.
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May 29, 2022 08:31
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Tezer posted:Not that I've found. The commercial tops are pretty thick, the residential ones usually get a plywood backer that keeps everything pretty rigid. It's also hard to drop something from a height onto a countertop as opposed to a floor. I've dented a wood floor a dozen times (most of those were a pine floor, easy to dent), never dented a stainless countertop. cool, i've seen the odd dent in sinks too hence my concern. looked them up and saw the counters are $$ but some day perhaps ~~
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May 29, 2022 13:33
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peanut posted:MCM inspired new builds This is great, thanks!
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May 29, 2022 16:00
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BIG-DICK-BUTT-gently caress posted:cool, i've seen the odd dent in sinks too hence my concern. looked them up and saw the counters are $$ but some day perhaps ~~ Over here you find them 2nd hand for anywhere 20-200 depending on if the seller knows stainless is worth money or not.
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May 29, 2022 16:58
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Slow drip (1 drop every 7 sec) inside my washing machine drum, where the water normally fills from. It's a Kenmore, probably 20 years old. Water inlet valve is my primary suspect, any way to verify or should I just order one, swap and see if it solves the problem?
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May 30, 2022 00:18
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Not specifically home zone but I want a wall mount for my 65” tv. Anything to look out for or are they all the same?
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May 30, 2022 00:30
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nwin posted:Not specifically home zone but I want a wall mount for my 65” tv. Anything to look out for or are they all the same?
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May 30, 2022 00:46
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nwin posted:Not specifically home zone but I want a wall mount for my 65” tv. Anything to look out for or are they all the same? Monoprice.com Buy the one with the features you need and be happy it's that cheap. They don't sell junk. It's all exactly as described. Just "basic", which is all most people actually need.
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May 30, 2022 00:57
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I mean you need to know if you need to articulate the TV from the wall. My living room TV has to come out from wall af a 30deg angle or whatever for visibility, but I can push it all the way to be flat on wall if I want. Also surprisingly the ones in store at Harbor Freight tools are cheap and solid if you must have one immediately.
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May 30, 2022 01:38
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Tyro posted:Slow drip (1 drop every 7 sec) inside my washing machine drum, where the water normally fills from. Inlet valve is the only thing on the intake. You can turn the supply off at the wall and see if the drops stop after the pressure is gone.
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May 30, 2022 03:13
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nwin posted:Not specifically home zone but I want a wall mount for my 65” tv. Anything to look out for or are they all the same? I've got three of the Motion Pro ones for various TVs, and they've been inexpensive and solid. I've got the double-arm mount for a 55" and 40", and a single arm mount that I just put up for a 43". If you're mounting them in a stud-framed wall, the dual arm mounts tend to be wider, with more flexibility as far as getting it closer to centered where you'd like. My single arm mount is nowhere near centered, but the TV is mounted in a corner, and it has enough articulation to put the TV where I want, but it won't sit flat and centered on the wall that the mount is attached to, if that makes sense.
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May 30, 2022 20:25
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MetaJew posted:Thanks. I've been concerned about that specific spot on the roof for a few years, but I never knew who to contact or how to go about getting it fixed. I didn't have much hope with a contractor because it's nearly impossibly to locate one in Austin willing to take on a small job like this. I'll try and contact a few pest control companies and see which, if any of them will perform the sealing and repairs or can at least refer me to someone that does do that. I contacted one place for a quote or price breakdown of their services. Does this sound reasonable? I'm in Austin, TX. What sort of services should I look for to find a place that does sealing/exlusion? I also have some plans of having my insulation vacuumed out and probably have all the penetrations to the living space air sealed and have fresh insulation blown in-- and maybe getting the ducting replaced or repaired some because there is a kink in the main duct running to the back of the house that results in lovely airflow. "" posted:Hello, I've also got a 1.5 year old golden retriever-- I really really don't want him to get ahold of a poisoned rat. I honestly have no idea if he would try to eat one-- I don't think he would, but I hate the idea of potentially killing wildlife in the woods around my house if something eats a poisoned rat. Should I look for services that only use traps instead of bait?
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May 30, 2022 21:31
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How do folks feel about the Airthings accuracy? I'm looking at getting one of the homekits for just general monitoring (I have two young kids so my anxiety levels are always high). View Plus + Mini (since mini does detects favorable mold environments and the View Plus does everything but)
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May 30, 2022 22:10
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BonoMan posted:How do folks feel about the Airthings accuracy? Also extremely interested in this
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May 30, 2022 22:30
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I have this one: https://www.airthings.com/home and the readings are pretty much identical to the short-term charcoal-based tests I've seen to a lab in the mail 2x thus far. Obv this is very anecdotal but I feel pretty confident in their readings.
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May 30, 2022 23:28
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Can anyone recommend baby's first cordless drill? I have no idea what I need. I want to drill some holes to put things like this up. I have never drilled a hole in my life. Do I need screw bits or drill bits or both?
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May 31, 2022 04:34
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Harriet Carker posted:Can anyone recommend baby's first cordless drill? I have no idea what I need. I want to drill some holes to put things like this up. I have never drilled a hole in my life. Do I need screw bits or drill bits or both? You could install that with just a screwdriver if you have one. e: (but if you want to get a drill I don't think the brand matters, but at least get something with an adjustable chuck. I've always found the rule of "get the cheapest one available, if you use it until it breaks, then it's probably worth it to get a real tool.) El Mero Mero fucked around with this message at 05:55 on May 31, 2022 |
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May 31, 2022 05:49
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Ymmv but as a dumb baby I'm very happy with the Black & Decker Matrix system. You start off using it just as a drill, then a couple years later you need to put holes in masonry so you get the impact driver attachment, then awhile later you get the saw attachment, etc. as needed and obviously way cheaper than buying a whole separate tool for each. I have the plug-in so I don't have to gently caress around with batteries, works great.
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May 31, 2022 06:13
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i like nice words
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Harriet Carker posted:Can anyone recommend baby's first cordless drill? I have no idea what I need. I want to drill some holes to put things like this up. I have never drilled a hole in my life. Do I need screw bits or drill bits or both? First cordless drill? If you want small & good get the milwaukee 12v. e: yeah, get the cheaper set posted by fellatio del toro below Changed link: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwauk...-4024/312778631 You'll want both a drill bit set and at least a screw bit that matches the screws you'll be using. If you're going to be putting in a lot of screws get an impact driver as well. If you want more powerful but heavier get a 20v from milwaukee, ryobi, dewalt, bosch, porter cable, or makita. Doesn't really matter which but when you go to buy more you'll likely want to get the same brand so you're kinda locked in. Vim Fuego fucked around with this message at 18:07 on May 31, 2022 |
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May 31, 2022 06:18
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Harriet Carker posted:Can anyone recommend baby's first cordless drill? I have no idea what I need. I want to drill some holes to put things like this up. I have never drilled a hole in my life. Do I need screw bits or drill bits or both? Highly recommend this Dewalt 20v Max drill set. I have it plus some other dewalt stuff and I'm very happy with all of it. I've worked construction for years in my past and this drill feels as good as anything I ever handled on a job site or in the shop. It has a clutch feature which is handy for quickly getting fasteners seated and ready for torquing down, has good LED coverage where you're drilling, just nice product for absurdly cheap. e: don't forget that you'll also want a little set of bits as well as probably a matching bit holder and matching screwdriver bit set and this and this and this. VelociBacon fucked around with this message at 07:05 on May 31, 2022 |
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May 31, 2022 06:59
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Forgetting the more important tool for something like that - a stud finder.
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May 31, 2022 10:08
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VelociBacon posted:Highly recommend this Dewalt 20v Max drill set. Yeah this is the drill I have. I love it.
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May 31, 2022 12:45
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I love my Bosch 12V system, I think their tools are fantastic and just the right size. But if I had to start over again I'd probably go Milwaukee M12. It's just a great ecosystem and the M12 has tons of options.
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May 31, 2022 14:56
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Vim Fuego posted:First cordless drill? If you want small & good get the milwaukee 12v. fyi if youre thinking of going with this you can get the same drill + impact driver + a set of bits that will cover pretty much all your basic home drilling and screwing needs for less: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwauk...-4024/312778631
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May 31, 2022 15:07
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El Mero Mero posted:You could install that with just a screwdriver if you have one. How? I can screw the screw into the drywall no problem, but I can't make a hole big enough for the anchor. Thanks to all for the drill recommendations!
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May 31, 2022 15:25
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MetaJew posted:I contacted one place for a quote or price breakdown of their services. Does this sound reasonable? I'm in Austin, TX. What sort of services should I look for to find a place that does sealing/exlusion? I can't speak to their rates, but I personally would never pay someone to encourage animals to die and rot in my walls in any climate, let alone humid Austin, especially if they're not going to prevent the drat things getting in. Trapping has its controversies but it's not going to remotely be effective if you don't close the holes. Might be time to get on the ol' YouTube and start looking up pest control accounts to get some tips on finding and sealing entrances. Even if you truly have rats and not mice, the holes will be smaller than you expect (mice are like ghosts, so you have to look for their poop). Even my fat rear end 650gm pet rats could get under a door gap of about an inch. If it were me, to minimize the carcasses in my house, I would first trap and then seal the holes, because if you seal up the place with them inside, they're probably still going to die in there. Wild rodents are rude as hell and spread disease so you have to do what you have to do, but that's a smell you just don't forget and it's not fun to have in your house. "Only a few days" is a bald-faced lie, and EPA mandates that bromadiolone be used in tamper proof/resistant bait stations in just about every application except putting it next to a rat burrow, so idk why they're suggesting they might not need them. I'm obviously biased against poisons, but I really could not find any literature that suggests bromadiolone (second gen anticoagulant) is any better than the first gen poisons containing warfarin and the like (d-con before they changed the formula around 2015), and if anything it might be worse for local wildlife and pets. Compared to warfarin, the one he wants to use has a fatal dose 2.5 to 200 times smaller, still takes 3 to 7 days for the target animals to die, and the toxic pet dose is around 10% of that dose. I don't know what he means by organic poison alternatives, but first and second gen anticoagulant poisons have the same antidote, which is daily vitamin K by mouth or injection for at least a month but up to six weeks, and about the same amount of time to catch signs of poisoning, which is about 3 to 7 days. It also keeps showing up in wildlife poisoning, so his 'very low chance of secondary poisoning' sounds like bullshit to me. Thank you for allowing me to venture down this
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May 31, 2022 15:58
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I just learned about smart water shutoff valves. I like the idea of something that will shut off water to the house in case of a leak. But I don't want it connected to the internet. I don't want an app, and I don't want to have to pay for a subscription. Is there such a thing? Are they called something besides "smart water shutoff"?
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May 31, 2022 18:04
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BonerGhost posted:I can't speak to their rates, but I personally would never pay someone to encourage animals to die and rot in my walls in any climate, let alone humid Austin, especially if they're not going to prevent the drat things getting in. Trapping has its controversies but it's not going to remotely be effective if you don't close the holes. Might be time to get on the ol' YouTube and start looking up pest control accounts to get some tips on finding and sealing entrances. Even if you truly have rats and not mice, the holes will be smaller than you expect (mice are like ghosts, so you have to look for their poop). Even my fat rear end 650gm pet rats could get under a door gap of about an inch. If it were me, to minimize the carcasses in my house, I would first trap and then seal the holes, because if you seal up the place with them inside, they're probably still going to die in there. Wild rodents are rude as hell and spread disease so you have to do what you have to do, but that's a smell you just don't forget and it's not fun to have in your house. "Only a few days" is a bald-faced lie, and EPA mandates that bromadiolone be used in tamper proof/resistant bait stations in just about every application except putting it next to a rat burrow, so idk why they're suggesting they might not need them.
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May 31, 2022 18:15
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MetaJew posted:I contacted one place for a quote or price breakdown of their services. Does this sound reasonable? I'm in Austin, TX. What sort of services should I look for to find a place that does sealing/exlusion? If you are planning on removing all the insulation and do other repairs, I would do that first. The noise and activity is going to spook them out of there, at least temporarily. It will also make it easier to see where they're coming in from and give you access to those areas for repair/exclusion. The exclusion is absolutely something you can do yourself with minimal materials/labor once you've got a clear working space. Mice vs rats: mouse poo poo is about the size of a caraway seed. Rat poo poo is about the size of a grain of orzo. If you've got mice, there are other things to consider like is hantavirus a thing in your area? If it is then you've moved from "remove icky insulation" to "remove a biohazard." The insulation should be dampened with a bleach/water solution before it gets sucked up so it doesn't disperse aerosolized virus all through your house and whoever is working up there needs to wear an N95 respirator. You don't have to get the stuff sopping, but damp enough that it suppresses dust. A yard sprayer will work fine for this. Once the area is cleaned out you can do exclusion. You want to block any holes completely and seal up cracks. A small square of regular window screen or the mesh you use for mudding attached firmly with staples or tacks glooped over with expanding foam makes for a good barrier. If they've somehow managed to chew a huge hole, patch it with a piece of plywood or sheet metal on both the inside and outside of the house that's an inch or so larger than the diameter. If you aren't able to get your insulation replaced any time soon and need to take care of the problem immediately I personally would never use poison bait. But especially in a home with pets or small children. If you're a softy or the squeamish type who doesn't want to resort to murder, you can get live traps that are meant for small critters, like Havahart. Maybe at the local IFA or feed store if those are around or somewhere on the internet. If you don't mind going  on rodent rear end then get the old fashioned spring snapper types. Glue traps are horrible and inhumane, plus then you have to dispose of them with a most-likely-still-alive rodent attached. I'd take care of the problem myself if it were me, but if you want to hire someone find a place that uses traps. Comedy option: go catch some rat snakes and let them loose in the attic.
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May 31, 2022 20:40
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Is there anything difficult about choosing a type of carpet or installer? When I’ve rented, my landlord just went with the cheapest carpet at Home Depot or lowes, but my new house needs new carpet in three bedrooms and I’d like to not cheap out on it because I’d like it to last 10+ years. Home Depot has some decent stuff (lifeproof) with a 15 year warranty but it’s $4 / square foot and I don’t know if that’s reasonable or not.
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May 31, 2022 20:55
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My kitchen has some crummy old fluorescent light panels in the drop ceiling (2’ x 2’) that I’d like to replace with LED panels. Any brands / retailers I should look into?
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May 31, 2022 21:02
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