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I have a transition step between two rooms with some kind of slate. In an interesting design choice they gave it a little 1/2” overhang which naturally results in chipping. I’m trying to figure out how to repair it. Someone obviously did before at some point as you can see from other spots. Anyone have any ideas?   Another repair example on a different step 
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Jul 11, 2022 14:39
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| # ? May 30, 2024 09:27 |
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devicenull posted:Thanks, yea I couldn't find anything more then that stuff either. My computer toucher skills paid off.. I took a bunch of stuff apart to test it, put it back together, and now the ice maker is afraid of me and works.
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Jul 11, 2022 23:08
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devicenull posted:My computer toucher skills paid off.. I took a bunch of stuff apart to test it, put it back together, and now the ice maker is afraid of me and works. Lol. I fixed my dishwasher once with the same technique. Opened up the front, stared at the circuit boards for a while then went “yeah idk what any of this poo poo does guess I should call a pro”. For grins I re-seated anything that looked like it could possibly get loose before closing it back up. Worked perfectly after that 
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Jul 12, 2022 01:30
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I have lost track of the number of devices I have repaired over the last 40-years using the disassembly method. 1) You take the offending thing apart. 2) put the constituent bits into a box or spread out on the workbench, etc. 3) Go have a few beers, maybe some smoke. 4) leave it disassembled for at least 24-hours. Sometimes longer; let it have a good think about disassembled life. 5) reassemble. 6) bask in the adulation of friends & family for being a mechanical genius. Once, I took my neighbor’s Waring mixer to repair it for her. While she stood there, I plugged it in, laid on hands, and gave it a good stare. It worked flawlessly after that. Mrs. Goldberg never looked at me the same way again.
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Jul 12, 2022 02:23
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In my new house we have discovered that the light switches, that we couldn’t originally figure out what they did, actually control the *bottom* sockets of each outlet group in their room. So Room A’s light switch turns all the bottom sockets on/off. Is that normal?
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Jul 12, 2022 02:48
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BonoMan posted:In my new house we have discovered that the light switches, that we couldn’t originally figure out what they did, actually control the *bottom* sockets of each outlet group in their room. Sure
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Jul 12, 2022 02:50
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Not sure how common it is in new builds, but a lot of older houses have that setup so you can control plugged in lamps from the switch.
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Jul 12, 2022 03:08
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Typically, older homes with few, if any, overhead lights. My mom’s house was built around 1950. Aside from a chandelier in the dining room, and a 2-banger fluorescent on the kitchen ceiling, there were no ceiling fixtures.
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Jul 12, 2022 03:11
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Yep, my 1996 house has that in the living room, no overhead lighting of any kind.
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Jul 12, 2022 03:12
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PainterofCrap posted:Typically, older homes with few, if any, overhead lights. You're not yanking my chain are you? Sorry, old house lighting joke
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Jul 12, 2022 03:17
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Inner Light posted:You're not yanking my chain are you?  Only in the closets
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Jul 12, 2022 03:24
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PainterofCrap posted:Typically, older homes with few, if any, overhead lights. That makes sense. This was built in 82 and there is zero overhead lighting/fans (well one in the living room but none in the rooms that have this). Thanks!
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Jul 12, 2022 03:56
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devmd01 posted:Much better. Sanded, skim coat to fill in the ripped paper, primer again, paint.
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Jul 12, 2022 05:59
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That appears to be an oiled up chunk of 1x4 with some hooks like these in it to me. Could slap your own together in an afternoon with minimal tools.
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Jul 12, 2022 09:36
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BonoMan posted:That makes sense. This was built in 82 and there is zero overhead lighting/fans (well one in the living room but none in the rooms that have this). Every room in my house has at least one outlet controlled like this. It's super easy to rewire it to not be controlled by the switch fyi, I just did it with the help of goon advice!
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Jul 12, 2022 12:16
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stabbington posted:oiled up chunk of 1x4 please cease and desist from using my copyrighted onlyfans identity without permission But yeah that looks really nice, good job! Beautifully simple. I just bought a house built in ~1970 that based on prior listing photos (and the inspection) has been used as a rental and had a hard life, so I have a sudden appreciation for this thread.
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Jul 12, 2022 14:43
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My microwave shut off while in use today. It did not trip the breaker. The outlet has power, but the microwave clock display and light are off. Is this something I can attempt to fix myself? Do I need a new microwave? Who would I even call - an electrician?
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Jul 12, 2022 20:21
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Harriet Carker posted:My microwave shut off while in use today. It did not trip the breaker. The outlet has power, but the microwave clock display and light are off. Is this something I can attempt to fix myself? Do I need a new microwave? Who would I even call - an electrician? Microwaves have some pretty big capacitors in them so they aren't an appliance that you really want to open up unless you know what you are doing. I have no particular microwave knowledge. But for appliance troubleshooting it's best to search for the manual/troubleshooting guides for the exact model number. https://www.repairclinic.com/RepairHelp/Microwave-Repair-Help See if that's a problem anyone else has had with your model. It might have it's own built in fuse or resettable breaker, which is something the manual could tell you. You can also call the manufacturer's hotline and ask them about it, if they have one. Is it a good/expensive microwave? Is it built in and does it match your cabinets? How old is it? You would call the manufacturer if it's new and under warranty. Otherwise you'd find a small appliance repair service and try to figure out how much the diagnostic/repair would cost vs. getting a new one.
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Jul 12, 2022 20:36
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You can buy an extremely good Panasonic microwave for under $150 so keep that in mind before you start putting money into an older busted one.
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Jul 12, 2022 21:21
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I didn't want to have to make this post (hah), but here we are. Four years ago when we moved in I installed these 6x6 posts to hang gates from. I'm kicking myself because when I put in the one on the right side, I didn't notice the crack in it while cementing it into place, and I ended up with the gate hardware screwing in directly into an existing split. In the intervening four years, the split has widened little by little. It's not significantly wider than it was originally, but it's enough that it's causing the far end of the gate to dip. Two or three months ago I re-attached the latch mechanism so that it closed smoothly, and today I notice that it's drooped just a little bit more than it's dragging again when I try to close it. Taking a closer look at the split, I see that it has widened just a little bit more in those two or three months. Despite having put a brace around the post last summer, it's clearly getting worse. At this rate, the post is going to end up ripping apart within a year or two. Given how much work it was to put it in place (something like 13 bags of concrete in there), "pull it out and restart" isn't a reasonable option. What's the best solution to brace this post so that it doesn't pull apart? I'm guessing it's going to involve a couple of metal bands, but I'm not sure what exactly I'd be looking for, and if it's not an out-of-the-box solution, how to apply them. I could also see using a replacement gate hinge that wraps around the post instead of screwing into the face, but I'm not a welder and I haven't found any for sale (yet). I'm reluctant to buy more of the existing band visible in the photo (labeled "odzo" I think), because it was $50 and doesn't seem to have solved the problem.  
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Jul 13, 2022 01:15
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Drill holes through from left to right with the gate in place, so you know where to drill to avoid interfering with the gate hardware. Remove the gate/hardware. install 1/2" stove bolts with fender washers at both ends. tighten them down until the crack closes./ Reinstall the gate.
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Jul 13, 2022 01:32
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Anyone here have a heat pump water heater tank? We live in Connecticut with an oil fired boiler which heats water on demand essentially. We got an efficiency test done and it’s running at 80% efficiency which is great since it’s very old but recently serviced. However the energy audit mentioned it as a possibility. Running the numbers, it makes sense. Right now I’m burning about a gallon of oil per day using water in the summer. It was $5.30 a gallon last fill up but I know that’s high. Still, figure $4 a gallon and during the summer I’m paying $120 a month for hot water which seems ridiculous. I have to think a heat pump water heater would be more efficient, even if it had to convert to standard electric rates to keep up with extra demand or in the dead of winter. We’ve got 2.5 bathrooms and a family of four. The only time we notice a decrease in hot water availability is doing laundry and taking a shower at the same time, though that may also be since we’re on a well. What am I missing? Seems a 40 -50 gallon heat pump water heater would be a no brainer.
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Jul 13, 2022 13:36
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nwin posted:Anyone here have a heat pump water heater tank? I do, I like it. We have a Rheem 50 gallon that has no issue keeping up with a family of 3. I'm not sure on exact monthly cost, but last month our electric bill for the whole house was $170, and that's at $0.22 / kwh. Subtract some AC time, dryer, stove, lighting, TV, well water pump, etc. The "Yellow Tag" said energy usage of ~$100 a year and I'd say that's probably a decent estimate. The app it comes with sucks, I disabled the wifi connectivity as the whole thing felt flaky and I was afraid some stupid update would brick my water heater. Just be aware it's taller than a standard hot water heater and the outlet location is different than a gas unit. It also has a condensate drain and you will get condensate. One added bonus is we run our forced air unit in fan mode only and it circulates the water heater chilled-dehumidified air in my basement and keeps the main system from kicking on as much.
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Jul 13, 2022 14:39
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Yooper posted:I do, I like it. We have a Rheem 50 gallon that has no issue keeping up with a family of 3. I'm not sure on exact monthly cost, but last month our electric bill for the whole house was $170, and that's at $0.22 / kwh. Subtract some AC time, dryer, stove, lighting, TV, well water pump, etc. The "Yellow Tag" said energy usage of ~$100 a year and I'd say that's probably a decent estimate. Interesting-thanks! To be honest I’m not completely sure how it all works/if it will work with my system. I’ve got a split ac unit on the first floor and a central ac unit in the attic for the second floor. I’m told they both have a heat pump and my boiler is in the basement. I scheduled an estimate for my boiler about 2 months ago and they’re coming out next week. After doing some research, I have zero plans to replace the boiler but I figured I’d bring this up to see if it’s doable.
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Jul 13, 2022 14:43
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Alright, finally getting around to painting some poo poo myself since I got ghosted by a painting company! I'm starting small and slow, with our front hallway. Skim coated and patched up what needed it, so now I'm thinking about sanding the drywall. I've got a 4' adjustable handle thing with a sandpaper attachment so I should be good to go there, but are there any tricks to try to not get everything covered in drywall powder?
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Jul 13, 2022 15:19
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nwin posted:Interesting-thanks! To be honest I’m not completely sure how it all works/if it will work with my system. I’ve got a split ac unit on the first floor and a central ac unit in the attic for the second floor. I’m told they both have a heat pump and my boiler is in the basement. Heat pump water heaters have a slow recovery time, so if you already have what is called an 'indirect tank' hooked up to your boiler (this is a large tank that stores hot water for domestic use after the boiler heats it up) and it's not too old, you can have it plumbed with the heat pump water heater for additional storage capacity. Here is a good article walking through one person's experiences: https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/living-with-a-heat-pump-water-heater
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Jul 13, 2022 15:23
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Johnny Truant posted:Alright, finally getting around to painting some poo poo myself since I got ghosted by a painting company! You can at least tarp off rooms you're working in to limit the spread. If you really want to go hog wild have someone else run a vacuum near the sander. Otherwise I think youre SOL with those manual hand style sanders.
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Jul 13, 2022 15:37
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BaseballPCHiker posted:You can at least tarp off rooms you're working in to limit the spread. If you really want to go hog wild have someone else run a vacuum near the sander. Otherwise I think youre SOL with those manual hand style sanders. Yeah, that's what I figured! Gonna go buy one or two more thin plastic sheets to try and block off the ends of the hallway, thanks for the reminder. All the sanding will be done by hand, so 
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Jul 13, 2022 15:49
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Johnny Truant posted:but are there any tricks to try to not get everything covered in drywall powder? I picked up a powered unit from Wen with a vacuum attachment. There are also non-powered drywall sanders with vacuum hookup.
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Jul 13, 2022 15:50
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Yooper posted:I picked up a powered unit from Wen with a vacuum attachment. There are also non-powered drywall sanders with vacuum hookup. I'll look into that, thanks! Since the painting place ghosted me I'm contemplating going full
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Jul 13, 2022 15:51
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Even with a shop vac attached to my powered sanders, I still make a huge mess, with added bonus that the shop vac ends up blowing it all over the place. Hand sanding makes a larger mess but assuming there is no air flow the mess stays in a more concentrated area. There is really no magic solution to this, you're going to make a mess. Just wear a good respirator while you're doing it. Sanding sucks.
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Jul 13, 2022 16:29
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Sirotan posted:Even with a shop vac attached to my powered sanders, I still make a huge mess, with added bonus that the shop vac ends up blowing it all over the place. Hand sanding makes a larger mess but assuming there is no air flow the mess stays in a more concentrated area. There is really no magic solution to this, you're going to make a mess. Just wear a good respirator while you're doing it. Sanding sucks. And how the hell do you expect to smoke while wearing a mask?!? Sheesh some people. Seriously though wear a mask when you sand. My dad was a professional drywaller for 30+ years, smoked a pack a day, and never wore a mask and has all sorts of health issues. Dont be like my father.
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Jul 13, 2022 17:03
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Oh yeah I'm going to be fully masked up, no problem. And sticking the cats in an upstairs room while doing anything involving sanding. They already contributed a bit to the structural integrity of my hot mud by adding in some hairs, but I think that's all they should do...
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Jul 13, 2022 17:12
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Cover any HVAC vents in the area too if possible.
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Jul 13, 2022 17:20
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Also also if you are going to use a shop vac to clean it up (either during or after), there are finer weave bags designed for drywall dust. The air they move exhausting will still have the potential to kick poo poo up, but in theory at least that exhaust won't have any drywall in it that made it through the vacuum. Caveat: I have no idea if those bags are actually important to use or just a trap for dopes like me.
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Jul 13, 2022 17:21
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Yooper posted:I picked up a powered unit from Wen with a vacuum attachment. There are also non-powered drywall sanders with vacuum hookup. I'm seconding this recommendation. It was the absolute best purchase I made for finishing large areas of drywall. You can get the Wen on ebay. Looks like they now make a fancier version than the one I have but I assume it works just as well. If you want the real pro version of the tool I think Festool makes it, but I assume it's way more expensive than the Wen. ABSOLUTELY buy one. Sanding blocks, sponges, and the sander on a pole still have their place but the powered sander with the built in vacuum is sooooo effective at sucking up the dust.
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Jul 13, 2022 17:22
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Blowjob Overtime posted:Also also if you are going to use a shop vac to clean it up (either during or after), there are finer weave bags designed for drywall dust. The air they move exhausting will still have the potential to kick poo poo up, but in theory at least that exhaust won't have any drywall in it that made it through the vacuum. Definitely get the HEPA filter for whatever shop vac model you have. Using a vacuum bag will also help with this. I use both at all times for every job indoors. You can clean the HEPA filter when it gets dirty just by washing it off.
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Jul 13, 2022 17:24
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I think I'll be buying, borrowing or renting a sprayer to paint my exterior. My house is only 1200 SQ foot, a single story 1955 ranch with a very mellow roof pitch. I'll only need a short ladder to reach the peak of my roof on the end of the house. I could do the two long sides completely on foot. We got two quotes for exterior paint. First was $9k saying it would take a full week. $12k if they refinish our clear cedar eaves. The other was $6k and said 3-4 days. No eaves refinished. So to save a few thousand dollars ... I'll likely paint my house. I get an employee Sherwin Williams discount from a family member so paint will likely be around $500. I over estimated square footage for coverage and I think it will take 7 gallons for paint and 2 gallons for trim, for two coats each. My cedar siding is already painted (tested and not lead) but it's in really good shape and I'll need to wash it before iscrape/prep a few small areas. I expect it to take me a few days to a week. Prep and masking is going to be a huge part of it. I'll have to mask off the entire underside of my eaves to protect the t&g cedar. I'll probably regret this decision by day 2 when I've scraped and sanded, and my masking plastic has blown into my neighbors yard and the sprayer is broken, and there's footprints all over my yard.
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Jul 13, 2022 17:40
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Ooh I totally forgot about snagging a HEPA filter and getting a coupld shop-vac bags, thanks for the reminder. Found the Wen sander at HD for like ~90 clams, which isn't too bad. I also remember that we'll be doing a lot of drywall work when we finish our basement as well, so... 
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Jul 13, 2022 17:41
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| # ? May 30, 2024 09:27 |
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Verman posted:I think I'll be buying, borrowing or renting a sprayer to paint my exterior. My house is only 1200 SQ foot, a single story 1955 ranch with a very mellow roof pitch. I'll only need a short ladder to reach the peak of my roof on the end of the house. I could do the two long sides completely on foot.
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Jul 13, 2022 17:44
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