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Dr. Lunchables posted:Get your consoles down now cause it will eat every cable Good news! None of the consoles work anyway! Well, the Dreamcast might, haven't tested that one, but all of my various Nintendos are dead. So much for the retrotink I bought. that said: thank you for the advice, will do.
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Nov 10, 2023 15:40
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Soliciting opinions on whether this decking is salvageable (repaint, sand and repaint, whatever) or needs replacing. Whatever the PO painted it with either sucks rear end or wasn't applied correctly as it's sloughing off in spots that don't stay bone dry. No sag or mush standing on these areas at least, it's just a damp corner and spreading as the paint and wood ages.  
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Nov 10, 2023 15:44
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Decking is pretty easy to replace if need be. How does the support structure underneath look?
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Nov 10, 2023 15:45
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:Decking is pretty easy to replace if need be. How does the support structure underneath look? Honestly no idea. It's only a bit off the ground and I haven't had cause to try and get a look under it / pull up a board to check. It doesn't sag or sway anywhere that I've noticed at least. It is built with treated lumber touching the ground (lol, sigh) but no sign of wood insects on it so far, thanks pest control thread. Pie in the sky goal is redo it with composite "sometime" but if I can get some more time out of it I'd be glad to put some work in y'know. the yeti fucked around with this message at 16:07 on Nov 10, 2023 |
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Nov 10, 2023 15:57
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get a screwdriver and poke the decking in various places to see if it's soft or mushy. If it's hard you can rent a drum sander, sand off the top surface, and refinish. I do see a few places where it's maybe cracking/splitting at the ends of boards, if you want to you can use a wood filler after sanding and before refinishing. That said, the life of your decking is definitely reduced from at least some damage, so a sand and refinish may give you like 10 more years? Maybe more or less depending on your weather and the exact condition of the wood. However. TMA is correct that this is pointless if the structure underneath is rotten so before you do any of the above, get access and inspect. Presumably that means pulling up a few deck planks since you said it's close to the ground.
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Nov 10, 2023 18:02
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I had a quick drywall/ceiling/roof question. I have a middle aged multi story house (late 1970s) in a condo association in the US mid Atlantic region. At the condo meeting a few weeks back the board mentioned they were seeing some issues with top floor ceilings collapsing because they were put up with nails/glue that are now failing, causing the drywall to fall. They recommended going through and using drywall screws to secure the drywall to the trusses to prevent this. So today I was doing that and noticed as I worked from the outside to the inside the drywall actually seemed to be getting further and further from the trusses above, to the point 2" drywall screws wouldn't reach when fully screwed in. The laser line I was using made the ceiling look noticeably bowed. The last two screws in the picture aren't even in the trusses.  I went into the attic above and found that the truss was easily an inch or more above the drywall by the middle of the house (the wall labelled interior wall above).  Does anyone know what's going on here? From some searching around it seems like it could be truss uplift combined with lovely nails that are coming out instead of bringing the drywall up with the truss. I don't know if truss uplift even happens on older houses but it seems like people actually complain when the drywall lifts with the trusses because that causes cracks between the walls and the ceiling. So if that's the case my situation may not be that bad. On the other hand I'd rather all that insulation not end up in my bed if the drywall falls down so I'm trying to figure out what my next step should be. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
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Nov 10, 2023 22:51
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Its most likely it was just too late to save your drywall - it's sagged and stretched at this point. But you are in the best position to answer your truss question because you have a laser: go put it on the bottom of the trusses and see if they are straight or not. How you remedy this situation depends on the answer to that. It's also the difference between a drywall problem (you) and a structural issue that damaged drywall (them).
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Nov 10, 2023 23:02
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:I have at least one mouse in my attic. I can hear them at night, and there's spoor left around the boxes of my old possessions. Said old possessions are mostly going to get tossed -- they've been sitting up there for over a decade without me using them, so clearly they aren't important. Is there anything in particular I need to watch out for while tossing them? I figured I'd mask up, wear old clothes and my gardening gloves, bag everything, and haul it to the dump, then toss the clothes in the laundry and shower. Just hantavirus. Don't breathe the poop, you'll be fine
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Nov 11, 2023 00:11
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Vim Fuego posted:Just hantavirus. Don't breathe the poop, you'll be fine dammit, now you tell me 
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Nov 11, 2023 00:19
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Vim Fuego posted:Just hantavirus. Don't breathe the poop, you'll be fine Well, there go my plans for the weekend.
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Nov 11, 2023 00:36
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:I have at least one mouse in my attic. I can hear them at night, and there's spoor left around the boxes of my old possessions. Said old possessions are mostly going to get tossed -- they've been sitting up there for over a decade without me using them, so clearly they aren't important. Is there anything in particular I need to watch out for while tossing them? I figured I'd mask up, wear old clothes and my gardening gloves, bag everything, and haul it to the dump, then toss the clothes in the laundry and shower. If you’re not already using prepared gel trap bait, get some. It’s way more effective than peanut butter or cheese or whatever.
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Nov 11, 2023 01:28
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the yeti posted:If you’re not already using prepared gel trap bait, get some. It’s way more effective than peanut butter or cheese or whatever. Previously I've had peanut butter work fine, but I switched peanut butter from Skippy to something that kinda liquefies at warm temperatures, and it's not working nearly as well. I'm gonna use up some old mozzarella next; it's not gonna get eaten otherwise, might as well get some use out of it.
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Nov 11, 2023 01:32
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7of7 posted:I had a quick drywall/ceiling/roof question. Probably poor install of drywall, not enough nails. It could also be 1/2" regular drywall used on 24" spaced trusses causing the issue. How far apart are the trusses? And you can see that back of the board or ask the people who's ceiling caved in if the drywall was 5/8" or 1/2" controlled density board. If that was a thing in your area at that time, those are what to use to keep ceilings from falling down like that. Short term solution to sleep soundly I'd sink a lot of screws in it. Push the board up and make sure 1 1/4" screws go in. Get both sides of the joints where sheets meet. The nails already in the board may be keeping you from screwing in, which is why your 2" screws won't bite. Bash with a hammer where you see nail pops, or pull them out and use screws instead.
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Nov 11, 2023 02:03
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Are bathroom faucet aerators universal or are they brand/model specific? And do they make hi-flow ones? I just installed a small tankless electric point of use water heater and apparently my bathroom faucet with aerator isn’t enough flow to trigger it on, even after adjusting the heater.  Works fine with just the aerator screen but not the other bits, but that is a little too much water and it gets splashed around.
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Nov 11, 2023 02:50
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As I understand it, a "hi-flow" aerator is an oxymoron. The point of the aerator is to reduce the amount of water going through the faucet, without reducing the amount of pressure you get.
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Nov 11, 2023 02:57
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:Previously I've had peanut butter work fine, but I switched peanut butter from Skippy to something that kinda liquefies at warm temperatures, and it's not working nearly as well. I'm gonna use up some old mozzarella next; it's not gonna get eaten otherwise, might as well get some use out of it. I had a particularly clever rat that would carefully extract all the bait from snap traps without triggering them, even licking the peanut butter clean. Some dog food attached to the trigger plate with hot glue got him right away.
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Nov 11, 2023 03:05
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Or switch to the electronic ones if they're super stubborn. The hot glue is hilarious.
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Nov 11, 2023 04:01
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I got an m18 fuel torque wrench and holy poo poo I don’t know how I worked on cars without it. It’s easily the best tool I’ve bought ever, no questions asked. The only downside is how drat big the thing is. Guess I’m gonna have to get one of those stubby ones for the tighter jobs e: oh drat, this isn’t the tool thread Dr. Lunchables fucked around with this message at 17:04 on Nov 12, 2023 |
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Nov 11, 2023 04:09
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7of7 posted:I had a quick drywall/ceiling/roof question. I really don’t think it’s truss uplift, if that was the case you’d see the joint where the wall meets the ceiling coming apart. Try to get a level on the bottom chord of your truss just to make sure it’s still level anyways. Assuming it’s just the drywall sagging, (which I think it is, you can even see it sagging on the photo) you can likely zip it back up to the roof trusses with new screws but you’ll need to push the drywall hard up against the ceiling. Don’t just rely on the screws to pull it tight, they’ll hold the drywall in place but won’t suck it back against the trusses. You might even need a second person to help out and hold the drywall tight while you screw it down. If you’re really having a hard time fastening the drywall, you can try incorporating a couple plaster washers:  But it can be tough to skim those out flush so hold off if it can be avoided. Regular ol pipe strapping works well too, but again skimming that out on a ceiling isn’t very fun.
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Nov 11, 2023 12:05
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Kaiser Schnitzel posted:Are bathroom faucet aerators universal or are they brand/model specific? And do they make hi-flow ones? I just installed a small tankless electric point of use water heater and apparently my bathroom faucet with aerator isn’t enough flow to trigger it on, even after adjusting the heater. I've seen aerators that have a little disc with a tiny hole in them thats used to restrict water flow. Take it apart and see if you've got one of those.
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Nov 11, 2023 14:58
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Agree with above, and to clarify, if you're having a hard time pushing the board tight to the truss, there's probably something between the back side of the drywall and the bottom of the truss keeping you from getting a screw to reach the truss. It could be that nail in the picture that's slipped completely out and won't go back in, but is still holding the drywall out. Your insulation has also shifted to fill the void, depending on how much it compresses you might need to scoop it away more between the drywall and truss. 90% chance it's a nail up there, 9% insulation, 1% dead mouse or other. The fact that that nails slipped out is why you're having this issue.
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Nov 11, 2023 15:20
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7of7 posted:I had a quick drywall/ceiling/roof question. What's happening is that the builder used smooth-shank nails instead of ring-shank or screws, and the framing is shrinking as it ages (which is normal); this causes the nail holes in the framing to expand, and this is the result. The glue just isn't holding, or the drywall & framing weren't wiped down before installation so were dusty which = lovely adhesion. The drywall should be fine, but you need to act quickly: get a couple of jacks & some 2x4s and jack the drywall back into place, then secure it back to the joists with screws. As it's jacked back, it'll conveniently push the nails out so you know where to put the drywall screws No glue needed. It may crack at the joints; it may not. You'll at least have to patch the screw holes. PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 04:09 on Nov 12, 2023 |
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Nov 11, 2023 17:09
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My friend's mom has a wooden deck for a front porch. Some of the screws are popping up. If it was nails I could see why it might happen, but is that a thing with screws? I doubt that the screws themselves have like turned backwards to back off, and people are walking on it, so I doubt they're actually being pulled out. And it doesn't seem like this is happening because the wood is expanding and contracting due to moisture because they are always sticking up, as opposed to say only sticking up in the middle of the summer when it hasn't rained in 2 weeks, but not sticking up when its rained for 3 days straight. Am I correct in assuming the the boards were (probably) cupped a little bit, and have now flattened out due to people coming and going for a few years? wesleywillis fucked around with this message at 18:35 on Nov 11, 2023 |
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Nov 11, 2023 18:32
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Horatius Bonar posted:Probably poor install of drywall, not enough nails. It could also be 1/2" regular drywall used on 24" spaced trusses causing the issue. How far apart are the trusses? The trusses are 24". I suspected the same as you but the drywall seems to be totally detached rather than sagging between the trusses like seems to be common when 1/2" is used on 24" trusses. The Top G posted:Assuming it’s just the drywall sagging, (which I think it is, you can even see it sagging on the photo) you can likely zip it back up to the roof trusses with new screws but you’ll need to push the drywall hard up against the ceiling. Don’t just rely on the screws to pull it tight, they’ll hold the drywall in place but won’t suck it back against the trusses. You might even need a second person to help out and hold the drywall tight while you screw it down. PainterofCrap posted:The drywall should be fine, but you need to act quickly: get a couple of jacks & some 2x4s and jack the drywall back into place, then secure it back to the joists with screws. As it's jacked back, it'll conveniently push the nails out so you know where to put the drywall screws What sort of jack should I be looking for? Something like a "jack post"? And thanks folks! Seems you're all of a similar mind that it's solvable with some work. I'll try pushing it up and screwing it back in. 7of7 fucked around with this message at 19:21 on Nov 11, 2023 |
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Nov 11, 2023 19:14
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wesleywillis posted:My friend's mom has a wooden deck for a front porch. The pressure treating process used to protect the lumber against the elements leaves the lumber full of moisture, to the point where the dimensions are 1/16” - 1/8” larger than conventional lumber. Pick up a PT board next time you’re at the home center and you’ll see - they are noticeably heavier. As the installed lumber dries out, it shrinks a bit and a previously-flush screw can become proud. 7of7 posted:The trusses are 24". I suspected the same as you but the drywall seems to be totally detached rather than sagging between the trusses like seems to be common when 1/2" is used on 24" trusses. Yes, exactly a Jack post. They can be rented for $10/day or so, you can probably get away with three. You fasten the Jack posts to a 2x on top and on bottom, set it in place, make sure it’s in plumb, and then raise the post by turning the screw. Kinda like this: 
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Nov 11, 2023 23:57
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You could use a couple of automotive trolley jacks or bottle jacks too. You're not loading that much onto them, it won't take more than 20-lbs of force to push it back up.
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Nov 12, 2023 04:11
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So tha fan in my oven (Whirlpool JT 369) from the previous post finally completley poo poo itself it seems:mobby_6kl posted:
It actually worked fine without making noise again up until a few days ago, which is why I was too lazy to fix or order a replacement fan. Then the noise came back occasionally and now the fan is barely turning. Oops. https://i.imgur.com/l3WcaJx.mp4 The fan had a little grille covering it but it was pretty easy to remove it as well as all the screws around the perimiter of the bottom cover.  However it won't budge at all when I'm trying to pull from this edge:  There's an inner wall there but it doesn't seem to be attached to the bottom (sorry a bit gross, this wasn't an accessible area)  There are some screws on the bottom that I didn't undo but there's other stuff mounted there that I don't want falling out. I don't have the new fan so there's no rush, but maybe somebody has experience with how ovens are generally put together and what would be the best way to get to the fan assembly. I did find a service manual (https://elektrotanya.com/whirlpool_jt369sl_858736915897_en.pdf/download.html#dl which seems to be a great site for service manuals and doesn't try to just scam you) but it doesn't even show the fasteners or any procedures. Though there's a "Service Bulletin" for this exact issue lol.
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Nov 12, 2023 11:32
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PainterofCrap posted:You could use a couple of automotive trolley jacks or bottle jacks too. You're not loading that much onto them, it won't take more than 20-lbs of force to push it back up. This is what I would do rather than dealing with jack posts on something non-structural like this unless you (and any friends/facebook) have nothing. You put the 2x4 (or 4x4, basically anything bigger than 1-by) lumber vertically on the jack and if you have it a little scrap of literally anything wide (ply? OSB? More dimensional lumber but broad side?) on top. Nail it on there. Then you can gently jack it up. Remember you can basically press this back into place by hand but not enough of it at once to not make things worse as you work unless you have a few friends dumb enough to help you.
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Nov 12, 2023 16:25
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That's essentially it, though it would go smoother if you had a helper to move the brace (make a "T" or at least a plywood plate). If you have enough lumber, another option is to jack it back up, tap in a brace, move on, repeat. Then screw 'em back up alll at once. Noting that you may not be able to use the original nail holes because the drywall face paper may be torn there - just move over a couple inches. Also, your entire condo probably has this ceiling sag, to varying degrees. If you're really lucky, you can get away with sucking it back up with drywall screws without having to jack & brace. You can find the original seams / nail holes using oblique light across the ceiling. PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 18:00 on Nov 12, 2023 |
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Nov 12, 2023 17:55
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Hahahhahahaa I want to die So I've been trying to figure out the source of my leaky basement laundry room for a while now. I was certain it was coming from one spot, not just general seepage, and I was right! I went ham on the finished wall, pulled out the insulation and a weird board that was right against the foundation.  That's a 6 foot crack that's been there decades. Whatever they tried to use for patching was just surface level and deteriorated pretty quick. Now that the insulation is gone, I can hear water coming in like a fountain. It's all on tile and I can shop vac it up easily but drat. ANYWAY I have an expanding resin foundation repair kit that folks seem to love. Also a contractor is going to come by, put in some carbon fiber staples and install a sump pump for good measure. It'll be so nice to enjoy the rain and not worry every time.
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Nov 12, 2023 22:48
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Inzombiac posted:Hahahhahahaa I want to die If you haven’t already might be worth takin a look in the next rain and see if water pools up against that spot or your gutter pisses water there or anything.
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Nov 12, 2023 23:03
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The Top G posted:The pressure treating process used to protect the lumber against the elements leaves the lumber full of moisture, to the point where the dimensions are 1/16” - 1/8” larger than conventional lumber. Pick up a PT board next time you’re at the home center and you’ll see - they are noticeably heavier. As the installed lumber dries out, it shrinks a bit and a previously-flush screw can become proud. PainterofCrap posted:You could use a couple of automotive trolley jacks or bottle jacks too. You're not loading that much onto them, it won't take more than 20-lbs of force to push it back up. Gotcha. I'll give that a try. Thanks again!
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Nov 12, 2023 23:42
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the yeti posted:If you haven’t already might be worth takin a look in the next rain and see if water pools up against that spot or your gutter pisses water there or anything. Oh I have. The spot is directly under a deck with a concrete slab and it stays bone dry. The water spurts out close to the bottom, so it's a soil issue.
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Nov 13, 2023 00:41
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I am repositioning my TV wall mount. All I'm doing is bringing it directly down from where it is right now, no lateral movement. Is there any risk of running into anything but the stud by doing this?
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Nov 13, 2023 01:30
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Lester Shy posted:I am repositioning my TV wall mount. All I'm doing is bringing it directly down from where it is right now, no lateral movement. Is there any risk of running into anything but the stud by doing this? About all I can think of is that theoretically there could be an electrical cable running through the stud at the height you decide to put your screws into the stud. But as long as you don't put screws at the same height as any outlets, that's really not likely.
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Nov 13, 2023 01:39
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Inzombiac posted:It'll be so nice to enjoy the rain and not worry every time. There is nothing that feels quite as good as fixing a major water issue. Also condolences on your future PTSD, because even though you fixed it that anxiety when it rains never leaves you again.
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Nov 13, 2023 15:26
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Yup. Me, in 1994, brooming water towards the most useless crock and Speed Queen pump that was older than I was. We bought a house in a reclaimed Jersey swamp; it was groundwater. By 1997, we'd scrimped & saved the $6000 necessary to have a French drain & weep pipe installed. Still worry when it starts cycling every couple minutes when conditions are right , though it's been at least 6-years since it's been called to action. PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 23:33 on Nov 13, 2023 |
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Nov 13, 2023 23:31
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Cursed photo. I've been the subject of basically this photo before.
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Nov 13, 2023 23:45
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A mixture of working flood mitigation for years and also having a basement that flooded legitimately made me hate storms for years. Rain meant 16 hour days of work while my own basement sat flooded. Even after I bought a new, non-flooding home, and switched careers, heavy rains just put me into anxiety mode for a very long time. I'd sit and listen to my sump pump, just waiting for it to fail. Now I have no basement. I've won. I've finally won.
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Nov 14, 2023 03:17
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PainterofCrap posted:Yup. All the scratches and noise and underexposure make it look like the Elephant's Foot is sitting there just out of frame.
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Nov 14, 2023 03:28
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