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BaseballPCHiker posted:OK, my thought was it was due to fire resistance and they had to get some sort of variance in order to get the garage built there. I'm a nobody with little experience, but it seems to me that leaving it open to be able to dry out would be more beneficial than trying to seal it?
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Jun 21, 2022 18:08
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BaseballPCHiker posted:First on my list is that there is no bathroom vent. I'm hesitant to drill a hole in the side of my stucco house or into the roof. I have easy access to the bathroom ceiling from the attic and would be OK installing it and wiring it I think, but going to try and get someone out here to do that. Or am I being to wimpy about drilling out a vent hole? I'm a moderate DIYer, and use to do a lot of low voltage coax and ethernet work but that was 10+ years ago. I'll be honest I don't know much about stucco but I just completed a bathroom exhaust fan install myself and while it was a pain in the rear end in terms of the effort needed to get into the attic space, drilling the hole in the side of the house (aluminum siding over wood sheeting) was NBD, took me longer to get the ladder set up and to crawl back into the attic than it did to drill the hole. Ideally you want it to go out the side of the house and not through the roof. You'll probably just need a masonry hole saw to get through the stucco. Very DIYable imho. Highly recommend the Panasonic FV-0511VF1 WhisperFit DC, in conjunction with a Lutron Maestro Countdown Timer Switch.
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Jun 21, 2022 18:14
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mutata posted:I'm a nobody with little experience, but it seems to me that leaving it open to be able to dry out would be more beneficial than trying to seal it? I'd paint that lower edge if it's not too hard to get at, will help protect from minor splashes. Pro move would be adding a drip edge so water running down the siding doesn't roll back under.
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Jun 21, 2022 18:18
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Sirotan posted:I'll be honest I don't know much about stucco but I just completed a bathroom exhaust fan install myself and while it was a pain in the rear end in terms of the effort needed to get into the attic space, drilling the hole in the side of the house (aluminum siding over wood sheeting) was NBD, took me longer to get the ladder set up and to crawl back into the attic than it did to drill the hole. Ideally you want it to go out the side of the house and not through the roof. You'll probably just need a masonry hole saw to get through the stucco. Very DIYable imho.
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Jun 21, 2022 18:44
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NomNomNom posted:That siding looks like a composite product which doesn't require sheathing. It's weird that the drywall is on the outside though. Aren’t you going to get insects and stuff going straight through the uneven gaps between the foundation and drywall? I don’t know how buildings are built to be clear but I noticed those gaps.
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Jun 21, 2022 20:15
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BaseballPCHiker posted:OK, my thought was it was due to fire resistance and they had to get some sort of variance in order to get the garage built there. 1/2 gypsum sheeting is IRC code approved for wall bracing. I’ve never used it before but I know there’s an “exterior” gypsum board intended for use under siding. Dunno if that’s what you got but ostensibly it should be fine. Plywood/OSB has been insanely expensive for the past two years so if that’s newly built, that’s why. E: ok so the other walls are fully sheathed? Lol the budget way to do it is just sheath the corners w 4’ wide plywood/osb running the full length of the wall, so long as they are not more than 25’ apart it’s code compliant. Maybe they ran out of sheeting and it was a supply shortage thing at time, who knows. Anyways if you’re worried about lateral strength you can just do the two ends of the wall w 1/2 plywood or OSB. Use screws so you can remove it to check on the drywall. Other option is metal strapping run diagonally, but I think that has to be engineered to be code compliant (If you give a poo poo) BIG-DICK-BUTT-FUCK fucked around with this message at 00:59 on Jun 22, 2022 |
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Jun 22, 2022 00:48
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If that's 2 years old and it has gotten an average amount of precipitation in those two years and it still looks showroom new I would ignore it and wait for it to be a problem. Unless you are going to make those walls 100% invisible nothing screams "do something" right now. Caulk gaps or slather some paint along the bottom if you want but it seems fine?
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Jun 22, 2022 03:08
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BIG-DICK-BUTT-gently caress posted:just use bx cable, even if its not to code in your area who cares. if you've swapped an outlet box out you can totally install anew one *sigh* yeah, quotes are coming in and I think I've discovered a hidden well of motivation I didn't realize I had! ($700, $1200, $1000)
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Jun 22, 2022 07:32
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H110Hawk posted:If that's 2 years old and it has gotten an average amount of precipitation in those two years and it still looks showroom new I would ignore it and wait for it to be a problem. Unless you are going to make those walls 100% invisible nothing screams "do something" right now. Caulk gaps or slather some paint along the bottom if you want but it seems fine? So, I had a real, real bad experience with wet gypsum once I agree with this, but I think it is probably a good idea to test for moisture before sealing it up, definitely seal it, and then continue to test moisture levels in the drywall regularly afterwards because wet gypsum is what makes black mold and you don't have to see it for it to get you really really sick
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Jun 22, 2022 14:00
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Welp A wasp stung me on the foot today A big black wasp/hornet got inside my house through my plywood window, saw my foot, and stung it I took one step into my bedroom and a bug stung my loving foot It burns and my foot hurts and I am officially over this missing window bullshit Someone from the window place is on their way to our house to caulk the plywood from the outside. I am nicely giving these people until the end of the week to at least give me an ETA on our replacement window before I take a bitch to court EDIT:  IT ALREADY HAD CAULK ON IT
I. M. Gei fucked around with this message at 20:22 on Jun 22, 2022 |
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Jun 22, 2022 20:15
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I have a concrete balcony and I want to put artificial turf over it. I'm looking at one of the rugs from PetGrow: http://www.petgrows.com/?page_id=12134, however I'm wondering if I need to be concerned about drainage. The balcony is completely covered and I'm in SoCal, so I assume it's okay, but I've never used turf before. Would some other option also work, like the little tiles, or maybe some sort of padding underneath?
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Jun 25, 2022 04:07
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I've seen a lot of busted out rebar in concrete balconies because people put carpet on it and it holds in moisture. I don't know if there's a right way to do it with a membrane or something but do your research.
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Jun 25, 2022 04:40
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nwin posted:I know very little about plumbing but the previous owner redid the downstairs half bath. To me this looks janky as poo poo, but maybe because I’ve never seen it before (flex pipe, using some kind of thread pvc instead of pvc cement). Because this is in a bathroom the Flexi is not quite the crime it would be on a kitcheb sink. That said, what you want is a bottle trap, and potentially an extension above it to bring the outlet down to the right height. Easy to fit your self, but a plumber will do it in less than 10 mins.
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Jun 25, 2022 12:47
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Ugh. Our new (last August) York air conditioner unit still won't loving overcool to dehumidify. I think I'm going to have to pull in a new HVAC guy, my usual dude just is dragging his feet on actually attacking the problem. We paid for a two-stage but because the distributor gave our unit away they upgraded us to a fully-variable setup, and I think my dude is just poo poo with newer tech. Jumpers on the air handler all look like they're set correctly, Hx thermostat looks like it's set correctly, but once it hits the target temperature the whole thing shuts down like it's a single-stage setup.
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Jun 26, 2022 18:22
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I made the decision to buy an ac unit this spring in preparation for the summer heat. Seattle hit 90 this weekend and I was happy to have already had this sitting in my garage. The instructions were far more complicated than they needed to be. It's a sliding window specific model so it installed slightly different than the traditional window units I've installed before. Not to mention my window track and sill was different than the instructions referred to. Regardless I made it work and my bedroom is a cool 68°. I also got all my foundation vents re framed and screened with new mesh and wells installed. We also had two painters come by to take a look at the house for bids. I'm genuinely curious to see how high they are and if I bite the bullet and do it myself. The first two weeks of nice weather and my house list is getting checked off quickly.
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Jun 27, 2022 07:17
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Verman posted:I also got all my foundation vents re framed and screened with new mesh and wells installed. Did you do this yourself? I need to as well - any recommend tutorials? I suppose it’s probably pretty easy but not sure where to start.
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Jun 27, 2022 15:50
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Anyone have a favorite vinyl siding cleaner for use with a pressure washer? Got a mix of crud I need to clean off various places....general dirt, mildew in a few spots, and the biggest spot is a swath of sooth from a pellet stove chimney. Went at it with just the pressure washer with no soap/detergent, and it barely made a dent. I'm sure if I went real slow with a narrow nozzle I could blast it off, but I would prefer a more gentle and quicker approach, and one less likely to accidentally punch a hole in the siding.
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Jun 27, 2022 16:47
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I bought some Simple Green siding cleaner to wash my aluminum siding prior to putting on a fresh coat of paint. I did not use it in a pressure washer but I thought it did a fine enough job spraying it on with a sprayer and gently scrubbing it with a pole brush. If it dries on anything it'll leave some residue though, fyi.
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Jun 27, 2022 17:01
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Harriet Carker posted:Did you do this yourself? I need to as well - any recommend tutorials? I suppose it’s probably pretty easy but not sure where to start. Not really. Mine are just square holes in the concrete foundation, internally framed with wood, and covered in steel mesh. My wood was rotting so I removed it with a pry bar. It's easiest to remove the sides first, then the top and bottom. Once the wood was out, I had to cut the nails that were used to hold the original wood in place since it would block the new pieces from getting into place. I replaced it with 5/8 cedar board which seems to be the same as what was in there originally. IIRC my vents are 5-1/2" deep but I could be wrong. Measure the width of the opening and cut it so it fits slightly snug in the hole but not super tight. You should only have to slightly tap it into place. Cut the top and bottoms first and put them in place. Now measure the height for your side boards. The side pieces will wedge in between the top and bottom boards, supporting the top piece. You still likely need to tap these in as well. They should also be snug and the whole thing will stay pressure fit together. Once in, you can toenail some small nails to ensure the boards stay together. Then measure the mesh to match the outside dimensions of the frame, cut and staple it to the wood frame. I didn't have vent wells and the PO brought the soil level right up to the vents (which is why my vents were rotted). I dug about a foot down, (height of the wells), placed some landscaping fabric down to keep weeds out, and dropped the wells into place. They were pretty easy to install. Thankfully my DeWalt drill has a hammer setting and I have masonry bits. When in place, mark the spots to drill the holes to secure the well to the foundation. I drilled them at a slightly upwards angle so water wouldn't collect inside the drill hole for any reason but I doubt it will make a difference. Secure with masonry screws. Put some rocks in the bottom of the vent well for drainage, and keep the level lower than the vent itself. Then backfill the outside of the well to the ground level.  They look kind of ... utilitarian but we're getting the house painted soon and I might address visual appeal after that. I might paint the steel mesh (to match the house) and maybe add a small piece of molding edge around the vents. I think the metal wells will match what we're doing with the house anyway.
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Jun 27, 2022 19:37
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DrBouvenstein posted:Anyone have a favorite vinyl siding cleaner for use with a pressure washer? I've had good results with this stuff, using it with a garden sprayer, then either a deck brush or the power washer afterward. https://www.scotts.com/en-us/products/outdoor-cleaners/scotts-outdoor-cleaner-multi-purpose-formula-concentrate
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Jun 28, 2022 17:25
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Anyone have a recommendation on indoor floor grout cleaner? My PO helpfully didn’t touch the grout since 1974 and it shows. Trying to avoid the toothbrush bullshit but mopping isn’t doing it. God I can’t wait to rip these tiles out for LVP/anything else.
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Jul 4, 2022 23:34
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The best that technology has to offer is an electric toothbrush, but also, like, pointy https://www.amazon.com/Rubbermaid-2057486-Reveal-Power-Scrubber/dp/B081VQTG2Q/
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Jul 5, 2022 00:58
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i like nice words
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Anne Whateley's link looks good for mechanical scrubbing. I might get one. I also use a Bissell Steam Shot: https://www.amazon.com/Bissell-39N7V-Surface-Steam-Cleaner/dp/B07V39L623/ Basically an electric kettle with a brush on a hose. Lets you blast steam through the grout and boil it clean.
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Jul 5, 2022 01:13
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TheGreyGhost posted:Anyone have a recommendation on indoor floor grout cleaner? My PO helpfully didn’t touch the grout since 1974 and it shows. Trying to avoid the toothbrush bullshit but mopping isn’t doing it. If it’s bad just hire a company with truck mounted steam equipment to clean the grout. Zep grout cleaner is good. poo poo is strong though. You’re not going to get dirty grout clean by mopping.
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Jul 5, 2022 01:58
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TheGreyGhost posted:Anyone have a recommendation on indoor floor grout cleaner? My PO helpfully didn’t touch the grout since 1974 and it shows. Trying to avoid the toothbrush bullshit but mopping isn’t doing it. If all of the cleaning products and brushes don't do the job - and they may not, on 50+ year-old grout - then remove a layer with a grout chaser, manual or power. You may have to re-level the grout with new grout trowelled in & sponged, but it'll look brand-new when you're done.
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Jul 5, 2022 03:29
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Is there some kind of small pump or booster I can put on a shower to increase the pressure a small amount at only that fixture that probably won't electrocute me? Something like this, only not so sketchy? https://a.co/d/1QPgvGl It's not a clogged showerhead or flow restrictor, it's just old plumbing in a rental where the water pressure is terrible (and probably a shitload of sediment in the water heater but again, rental).
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Jul 5, 2022 10:29
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https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0018LGZ04 What about replacing your shower head with something that boosts water pressure? https://www.bobvila.com/articles/best-shower-head-for-low-water-pressure/ I did that at my old house where I had absolute poo poo water pressure (The water tower in my neighborhood was mostly below the level of my house) and it worked pretty well. AFewBricksShy fucked around with this message at 14:33 on Jul 5, 2022 |
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Jul 5, 2022 13:59
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Getting all in on the Ryobi line of tools and wondering if I should just bite the bullet for a drill/driver and impact set. I am not sure what the impact is for though - everything I read is it's good for large projects or stuff like a gazebo. And while I am putting up a gazebo on our deck soon wouldn't a drill be fine for that?
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Jul 5, 2022 17:03
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If you're building a gazebo and gazebos are literally in the list of things that it is good for, what's the holdup exactly? Surely the cost pales in comparison to the materials for such a project.
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Jul 5, 2022 17:24
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Vintersorg posted:Getting all in on the Ryobi line of tools and wondering if I should just bite the bullet for a drill/driver and impact set. I am not sure what the impact is for though - everything I read is it's good for large projects or stuff like a gazebo. And while I am putting up a gazebo on our deck soon wouldn't a drill be fine for that? The impact driver is great for driving screws. I used a drill for years until it wore out. Then I bought a drill & impact set. Now I use the impact driver. I think it's a bit more effective for long screws in harder wood because of its operating mechanism. Instead of smoothly applying torque it hammers the screws in bit by bit when it meets resistance. Also the impact driver in my set is smaller than the drill.
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Jul 5, 2022 17:27
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Vintersorg posted:Getting all in on the Ryobi line of tools and wondering if I should just bite the bullet for a drill/driver and impact set. I am not sure what the impact is for though - everything I read is it's good for large projects or stuff like a gazebo. And while I am putting up a gazebo on our deck soon wouldn't a drill be fine for that? After you put in one 3" screw with an impact driver you will understand exactly what it's for and wonder how you lived without one for so long. Bonus is that with a drill and driver, you can keep the drill set up for pilot holes/countersinks.
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Jul 5, 2022 17:32
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Kaiser Schnitzel posted:After you put in one 3" screw with an impact driver you will understand exactly what it's for and wonder how you lived without one for so long. Bonus is that with a drill and driver, you can keep the drill set up for pilot holes/countersinks. This. It's also great for driving lag bolts, etc. but the main reason I like having an impact driver is that it almost always has a screwdriver bit in it, so I can drill/countersink pilot holes with one tool and immediately drive screws in with another without changing bits.
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Jul 5, 2022 17:38
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Thank you!
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Jul 5, 2022 17:40
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more falafel please posted:This. It's also great for driving lag bolts That first lag bolt you just zip in and hammer snug is worth the price of admission. In my head the sound of a lag going in is actually mostly the sound of an impact driver going. More importantly, if you ever need to take one out you will be very glad you have one. Sure you can start it with a breaker bar but who has time for that if you don't need to?
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Jul 5, 2022 17:50
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I also was skeptical like is this just another gimmick tool I don't need. Holy crap that thing is so much better than the drill for driving and undriving. Not just faster and easier, but also less likely to strip.
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Jul 5, 2022 18:31
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I heard you shouldn't use it when making like furniture and stuff, true?
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Jul 5, 2022 18:32
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Vintersorg posted:I heard you shouldn't use it when making like furniture and stuff, true?
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Jul 5, 2022 18:34
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So is that just like a part of growing up? Because I too grew up thinking a drill was used for driving screws and then in my late 20s discovered a driver and have never looked back.
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Jul 5, 2022 18:55
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A driver won't stop brute-forcing to try to drive that fastener home, which means it's gonna be more likely to split wood near the end of a board, for instance. Most cordless drills have a clutch that can be set so that it won't torque more than it's set to. For instance, it's generally considered a bad idea to drive pocket screws in with a driver.
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Jul 5, 2022 19:01
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I have the Ryobi P214 which is sold as a hammer drill, but has 3 modes. It'll act as a drill, a driver, or a hammer drill. It's not better than having a real driver, but it meets what I need it to do. I'm not driving super long lag bolts or wood screws though. The most I do is a 3 1/2 wood screw into the fence once a year or so.
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Jul 5, 2022 19:15
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