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actionjackson posted:apparently that top part is a "keystone" which snaps in, seems bizarre that it can't be removed in the same manner Some of those are just ridiculously tight.
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Jan 28, 2022 18:14
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actionjackson posted:when my toaster finishes and the food pops up, I notice there's a very quick flash of white light towards the bottom Dying is normal. Eventually. Real answer: possibly normal. It might be the mechanism disconnecting power when it pops, since a lot of basic toasters are purely mechanical. The act of sliding the lever down bridges contacts to power the heating coils, and of course disconnects power when it moves back up.
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Feb 1, 2022 00:36
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couldcareless posted:I have an adapter for my driver that I can put sockets on that I use for this sort of application. Works fine enough Hex driver bits are nice, though, intact they're typically shorter than an adapter + socket, for when that matters, and also often have a built-in magnet for holding screws. I have the adapter, plus hex bits for several common sizes. Of course, I have a tool set built up over 50 years in a toolbox that's 5' tall, too. I'm not a normal homeowner (I'm a car guy - we need a lot of tools.)
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Feb 11, 2022 21:58
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Looks like the doorframe might be out of square. My house likes to shift and do that (crappy soil on my region with lots of clay - amount of rainfall changes the soil a lot, despite having piers installed.) Easy to check with a square. The trim can be removed and the frame re-shimmed to square, but if the interference isn’t a lot, you can also plane down the door as long as you realize that now your *door* will be permanently out of square. I am just a hobbyist DIYer, though, so someone with more experience may have a better idea. I like doing stuff “right”, so I’d re-shim. Bit more work with removing trim, and possibly repainting/replacing same.
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Feb 20, 2022 23:41
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PainterofCrap posted:Ja whoever installed that door probably used a square & measured & used a level, etc assuming it was all plumb & square. Considering a forum name change to "creative trim cutting"... nah.
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Feb 23, 2022 21:55
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I used paving stones stacked or recessed into the ground as needed with paver sand underneath for my 10x20 shed, but it’s entirely on dirt. 2x6 PT platform, with flashing between the pavers and wood to limit insect interest. You could still use the pavers to if you need the 1” or so of lift, various steel shims if less? Like they used to adjust the piers on my house foundation. It’ll rust, of course, so be ready for that.
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Feb 27, 2022 21:49
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Oo, good call. I forgot about that.
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Feb 28, 2022 21:05
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Maigius posted:My husband keeps breaking the stone coasters. What's the best adhesive to repair them? Based on the 1977 fix it book I have super glue would be less than ideal, due to the stone and cork being porous, compared to hot melt glue or epoxy. Has that advice changed since then? e6000 multipurpose craft glue is supposed to glue stones and other jewelry together and to mountings. Maybe look into that.
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Mar 1, 2022 01:20
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PainterofCrap posted:Anyone that would hire squirrels to cut an access hole for their lovely pipe repair is, by nature, untrustworthy. This, plus also imagine all that stuff potential damp/wet/ruined. Also the mold in the carpet and drywall. Why, no, of course I've never experienced this.... I have. Edit: they were comic books. Nothing rare, but still.
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Mar 4, 2022 18:18
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Cyril Sneer posted:Soundproofing question! It probably would. Possibly to save time and effort, start with 3/4" or 1" exterior foam insulation board from a home supply (HD,/Lowes, etc.) I use a fitted chunk of the style that has aluminum radiant barrier on it as heat blocking for our master bedroom with crappy '60s single pane aluminum windows south facing in Texas. Something like this, but just a single sheet should be available in store: https://www.homedepot.com/p/SilveRboard-1-in-x-2-ft-x-48-in-R5-Radiant-Acoustic-Insulation-Kit-STC-19-12-sheets-96-sq-ft-SB12AKIT/205975329 More choices, with and without the radiant barrier: https://www.homedepot.com/b/Building-Materials-Insulation-Foam-Board-Insulation/N-5yc1vZbaxx edit: pretty sure this is what I got. It was definitely 4' x 8': https://www.homedepot.com/p/AP-Foil-3-4-in-x-48-in-x-96-in-R-5-Foil-Faced-Polyisocyanurate-Foam-Board-Insulation-90001014/320028593
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Mar 10, 2022 22:45
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Cyril Sneer posted:Thanks, interesting. You mentioned you used it for heat blocking, but did you find it helped reduce outside noise as well? Yeah, but I couldn't give you any measured numbers. In my case, it feels like quite a bit, because single pane windows block effectively nil in the way of sound, especially mine with no seals to speak of and crispy glass retaining strips... As noted by a TooMuchAbstaction, acoustical tiles are more about absorbing echoes than sound transmission. Blocking sound transmission is usually accomplished via mass. The foam will help, though, just because glass by itself is poop at blocking sound unless it's pretty thick. Double-pane glass with an air gap does a fair job because of the air gap. actionjackson posted:I have a painted, textured (popcorn, thankfully pretty mild) ceiling, and I'm in a condo with someone living above me. If I had someone take out the texture and then skim coat, repaint, etc. would this affect the amount of noise I can hear above me at all? I know textured ceilings have some acoustical properties. Not really. Like acoustical tile, the popcorn is more about controlling echoes. Arsenic Lupin posted:Does anybody know if they still make kitchen-use smoke detectors that have a pause function? Years ago, I was able to buy a kitchen smoke detector that had a button I could hit to turn off detection for 5 minutes. This meant that I had time to air out the kitchen before the smoke detector started beeping again. Right now, we're taking out batteries, then replacing them after supper, which is a much much worse decision safety-wise. The new ones I just put in have a pause, as did the 3-year-old ones they replaced. Both pairs were common brands - First Alert or Kidde, something like that. FWIW, I also ended up moving one further from the kitchen, as recommended by the instructions. It was literally above the doorway into the kitchen, and would go off even if there wasn't visible smoke, the new one slightly less so, but would still go off.
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Mar 15, 2022 18:02
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Suburban Dad posted:How do you properly clean grout in a shower? I never had much luck at my old house keeping it not moldy looking, and the new house has white grout... I found grout cleaner intended for floor grout worked fairly well, brushed on, however: PainterofCrap posted:First, get a good stiff bristle brush and/or scrubbie (green plastic foam style) my wife brought home a bathroom cleaner with bleach, whose name escapes me now - it's a common one. Scubbing Bubbles, maybe? - and it was amazing. Just letting it soak and the bleach do its thing transformed the bottom 6" of my shower - which included caulk that was clean, but had been stained from mold. I'd been trying to clean that poo poo for years with Simple Green, Purple Power, all the things. One of the home shows I used to watch, Rehab Addict, swore by a paste mixture of bleach and baking soda, spread on the grout overnight, to clean neglected grout in bathrooms where she intended to keep the existing tile. I was going to try that, but that was made unnecessary by the above. Deviant posted:Is there a good brush head for a multi-tool like above? Scrubbiing motions are difficult for me because of my wrists and because i'm lazy and hate doing it. I've got a tool that's like an oversized electric toothbrush. They were sold here in the US for a while, but I had to get a Japanese one from eBay when mine died. I'd be mildly surprised if there weren't oscillating tool grout cleaning blades. I know there are grout brushes and removal blades for reciprocating saws. fake edit: oh hey, the power scrubber I was talking about is on Amazon! Sweet! https://www.amazon.com/Reveal-Power-Scrubber-Electric-Cleaning/dp/B07JDPR6PH/ There's a bunch of versions of this thing - most look identical to it (and mine) besides various colors. For that matter, a power toothbrush would probably work, too.
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Mar 16, 2022 20:31
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DaveSauce posted:I think it is the Scubbing Bubbles brand "foaming bleach spray" or something. It works wonders compared to just diluted bleach in a spray bottle. Not sure if there's something else in it, or if it's just because the foam helps it stay in place for a longer contact time. But it's absolutely a miracle product for getting stains out. I have been informed by my wife that it is "Kaboom Mildew Remover with Bleach." http://www.kaboomkaboom.com/products/bathroom-surface-cleaner/kaboom-no-drip-foam-mold-and-mildew-stain-remover-with-bleach
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Mar 16, 2022 22:46
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Suburban Dad posted:Thanks for suggestions and solace in knowing I'm not alone for hating tile cleaning. It's not so much the tile, but the goddamned grout... DaveSauce posted:Got it, I found that this is the one we have: Oh, yeah, the Kaboom stuff is *very* bleach. Definitely window open when using. I only use it when there's a stain or something, and maybe once a month around the bottom of the shower where it likes to get weird. Eventually, I'll be installing an exhaust fan which should help. Right now the moisture just hangs around and causes problems.
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Mar 18, 2022 22:36
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I really like PB B'laster's PTFE spray for that sort of stuff.
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Jul 14, 2022 23:49
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Empty Sandwich posted:thank you! jfc, I could not find anything this straightforward online. That's because it's not straightforward. Ballasts vary a lot, so some of the "direct replacements" won't. Most reliable is ballast bypass, but of course that means you have to use LEDs unless you rewire again. I did the bypass option on some super-cheap ($7 years ago) 4' fluorescent fixtures that didn't even have proper ballasts to start with, I discovered. No wonder they sucked with the fluorescent bulbs.
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Jul 19, 2022 17:24
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PremiumSupport posted:This. Oh, absolutely! I gave up on most of the fixtures entirely (garage) and just bought 4' LED "tube" lights and daisy-chained them. I tried the replacement bulbs first, though, which of course pointed me to the way I went, since I was not married to the fixtures I was using.
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Jul 21, 2022 21:05
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poverty goat posted:if I can find some sacrificial ABS around I might try this This is essentially the same concept as Plastex, but Plastex has a more precise application method, using ABS powder and solvent applicators. Plastex is also pretty expensive for what it is. https://www.plastex.net/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HVMQG9E/ Plast-aid is pretty much the same thing without the fancy precision applicator - I've use the Plast-Aid resources with the Plastex applicator just fine. https://www.plast-aid.com/index.html https://www.amazon.com/Plast-aid-Repair-Plastic-1-5oz-80100/dp/B004DFHLUA/ The resources are literally powdered ABS and a solvent, likely acetone or a combination containing acetone.
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Aug 1, 2022 20:46
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other people posted:Okay more fun at my parents home. All their toilets fill the bowl practically to the brim. I have adjusted the floats as low as they go and things are a bit better but there is still way to much water in the bowl imho. You can always just put a brick (or other non-floating space-filling object) in the tank so that less water is used in the initial flush. This was common back in the 70s-80s when water conservation was gaining traction, but all the toilets were still full-flow 10 GPF.
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Aug 25, 2022 17:32
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BIG-DICK-BUTT-gently caress posted:humor me, please: my dad wants to install a fence and a few of the posts would run through concrete slab. Ok, no biggie, we'll just rent a concrete saw and cut a section for us to dig the holes/run the digger. no, no ... he wants to drill 2" holes w coring bit to fit aluminum poles that we'll jam through and ??? Maybe secure w epoxy Honestly, I'd probably put baseplates on the poles and bolt them down to the concrete with expansion bolts, but I'm no engineer.
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Aug 30, 2022 19:35
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The Dave posted:I need help with baby’s first faucet fix. The one handle is leaking water, where this right handed stem sits. It’s a cheap Pfister 048DKOO, seems like Home Depot Carrie’s replacement parts, I’m just not sure exactly what I have to replace or if I should swap all those parts. Nobody addressed this, so I'll take a stab. That style of faucet uses cartridges. If you turn off the water supply, you can just use a wrench on those big nuts and the entire stem and all will come out, and can be replaced. Likely the packing in one or both has gone brittle and lost chunks, causing your leaks. I just replaced both of mine in a Price-Pfister faucet. Had to go to Ace Hardware to get the parts, and pay a bit, but still less than $20-30 for the pair as I recall. If it's a builder-grade special, HD and Lowes will probably have them.
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Sep 8, 2022 00:08
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Morpheus posted:This is probably a dumb question but trying to make my condo look like not poo poo, and there's a phone jack without a cover where the wires have been pushed in: It’s supposed to have a plate over it with the jack mounted in the center and pins to hang a wall-mounted phone. Not sure if there’s anything that can be done other than to replace the front panel or the whole thing with another one, aside from removing it entirely and repairing the drywall.
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Sep 28, 2022 01:29
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Why is just cutting the pipe and putting in a T-fitting out of the question? It's literally that simple. You *might* have to shorten one side 1/4" or so.
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Dec 7, 2022 20:51
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alnilam posted:PVC cement forms an insanely strong chemical bond Or if you don’t want to glue it (maybe you want to be able to disassemble to store?) get everything how you want it, and drill a hole through the fitting into the tubing and run an appropriate sized wood screw in to secure it. I plan to do that for a temp canopy to work on my cars in the driveway. Easier and larger than an “EZ Up” style canopy.
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Dec 9, 2022 20:22
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Qwijib0 posted:Since you have a drill press, clamp two pieces of scrap with flat sides at 90 degrees to make a jig, on the constant dimension, you can place the piece to be cut right against it, and on the one that varies, leave enough room to slide in sheets of paper as a thin shim, then clamp the aluminum to be drilled to the constant dimension piece of scrap. One of those compound sliding vices could also be of help. The real answer to precision drilling, of course, is to use a cnc mill, but understandable if not an option.  Really, you just have to be super careful about marking and drilling, and then be aware that it’s probably going to wander a bit anyway due to human error and consumer level equipment tolerances, and alter your design to allow for the possibility, if possible.
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Mar 24, 2023 16:12
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charliekiwi posted:Drill your pilot hole all the way through the block Might help. It’s aluminum, though so in all honesty, a center drill to get it in the right place, and go straight to the correct size, maybe with a little lube. The larger drill *should* flex less.
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Mar 25, 2023 20:57
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wesleywillis posted:I want to remove some screws from drywall and fill them so that in 5-10 years I can paint over them. I just want to note that I like your realism. I feel this so much.
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Apr 5, 2023 23:06
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Danhenge posted:Make sure you've actually extended the handles fully. Seriously. This, very this. Specifically, the sensor appears to be on the right side on mine. that and the bag/filler sensor should be the only ones. Maybe check you actually have 40V at the main power disconnect in the battery compartment. edit: I actually have no idea how the bag sensor works - I assume magnetic, but I don't know where the magnet is, exactly.
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Jun 2, 2023 19:47
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Judgy Fucker posted:no one at Lowe’s had a clue what it was: Jesus Christ. I weep. They're on the same aisle as chain and cable, along with "S" hooks, etc. Gripweed posted:Two hidden outlets discovered LOL. IOwnCalculus posted:I'd rather hulk-smash all of the old drywall out and hand an actual drywall guy money to solve the remaining problem. This has some validity. I'd *love* to pay someone to do mine for me. Entire living room really needs to be replaced due to cracks from previous settling. Danhenge posted:Personally, I'm confident that I know exactly enough to get myself in some real trouble one day. I've proved that to myself several times.
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Jun 22, 2023 19:56
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Window AC units are built to be cheap, and generally not built to be serviced. It sucks to throw away potentially usable hardware, but good luck finding an AC tech who will mess with it, much less one who will do it for less than the cost of a newer, more efficient unit. Ran into that with a 30 year old Refrigerator a few years back (more the "not serviceable" or "won't service" thing rather than the cost in the case of the fridge, though.)
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Sep 6, 2023 21:10
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Jenkl posted:
Late to this, but I have had *unreasonable* success using Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, or generic equivalents thereof. Those things are amazing. Sometimes a bit too amazing - they can take paint off if you keep scrubbing, and will almost always end up with a matte/dull finish because of what they are. I use them to get red coolaid stains off of our ancient 1960s laminate countertop. Most of its pattern (speckles and gold flecks. Thank you, 1964) has been removed over 50 years of scrubbing, so I don't worry about that part... That was something I noticed first one of those I assembled, when my brother-in-law bought one. I thought that was brilliant. Motronic posted:You're looking for, at a minimum, an "adjustable 90", where each segment can pivot. You see where that gets you and then best case maybe you just need a short straight section. Home Depot has them. I assume Lowes as well. I put in two vents in my bathrooms (one in each, smartass) and use one on each just in case I didn't get my routing exactly correct for a straight 90. Really handy things to have. My water heater useds at least two of them for it's vent stack because 55 year old house + brand new water heater aren't necessarily compatible out of the box. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Master-Flow-4-in-90-Deg-Round-Adjustable-Elbow-B90E4/100033952 They have aluminum ones, too, BTW. tuyop posted:I started recaulking my shower because it was cracked and leaking. See, this is why I never want to fix anything, because I *know* it's going to be more than just what I see...
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Sep 28, 2023 21:09
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SouthShoreSamurai posted:Wife: "I think the living room would really look great with a change of color. What about sea foam green?!" You joke, but painting is when suddenly all the defects jump out at you.
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Oct 2, 2023 22:58
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Motronic posted:Straight and level doesn't matter for finishes/trim. The appearance of level/straight/even does. Very often, actual level/straight/even looks worse than actual, especially in older homes where none of the things you actually need to be level/straight/true are (i.e. framing, walls, floors, ceilings). Oh, I see you've met my house. You just kind of have to decide what looks best lined up with what. Opopanax posted:I'd probably drill straight through and do nut and bolt with a washer or plate there, spread that pressure out Agree.
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Oct 4, 2023 22:14
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Inzombiac posted:I am livid right now. From a number of pages back, but I sympathize with you. My 1964 cast iron waste pipes finally gave up. Under the foundation of a 1400 sq.ft. house. They literally dug tunnels under my house and replaced everything, so now I have the added bonus of worrying about the dirt they put back settling, since it's impossible to pack it back as tight as it was (the sizable pile of dirt in my back yard that isdidn't go back in proof of that.). I would really have rather bought a new car, or paid off the home loan, if I *had* to spend the money, but here I am paying off a loan for goddamned plumbing. At least I was able to borrow against my life insurance, so I'm only paying 2% for the privilege of borrowing my own money. Why no, of course my insurance didn't cover that. Under the house doesn't count as [i]part of or inside the house, you see. loving butt pirates. the yeti posted:Do we have a masonry thread? Typically you use rebar.
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Dec 8, 2023 17:09
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Cpt_Obvious posted:Applied caulk to my bathtub and it cracked almost immediately. It's an old house, so the tub moves a bit when you step into it which I assume is what's causing it to creck. Any ideas? Don’t use caulk there, use silicone. It’s a lot more flexible. I’m sure others will correct me if I’m mistaken.
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Dec 12, 2023 02:47
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Inzombiac posted:Ask me about my hoooooooole Oh, now you have somewhere to sweep all the dirt! Seriously, though: Plumbing? My condolences. Inzombiac posted:I wish, that would be dope. Ah, yes, plumbing. Milo and POTUS posted:Seems simple so I'll just ask here but I went to switch the direction of a hampton bay brand fan for winter weather. Anyway, I went looking for the little switch that newer fans tend to have in immediate view and it didn't seem to have one, rather it had this really weird brass thing that I guess was the cover for a much smaller little black plastic switch inside. So I went to mess with it but there was no real tactile feedback like you'd expect, the little black switch just kinda gets moved around and doesn't obviously "click" into place or anything satisfying like that and now also the fan doesn't work at all which was not my intention. I can't work on it tonight but I assume it's screwed since it's an old fan at my parents place and isn't in amazing shape but some of their other fans are 30 years old and working great so. I wish I didn't mess with it, it's not like it's even in a commonly used room The newer fans I have (no chains, speed and light controlled by remote) have the switch in the open, bit on top of the motor housing. The older fans I had, had it on the side of the same housing that had the pull chains. I'm not sure what you've got there, unfortunately.
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Dec 13, 2023 23:36
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Dr. Lunchables posted:It’s probably the logic board. They’re cheap(ish) and easier to replace than the whole unit. There are also standalone outboard remotes and receiver combos that you wire to the push-button terminals. I used one of those for quite a while when the receiver decided it no longer wished to do so on *my* 20-odd year old Liftmaster (it would no longer relearn remotes, and none worked. I fugure either the radio itself died, or the freq drifted enough that it wouldn't talk to the remotes any more.) I finally replaced the whole thing when it decided it couldn't sense the door moving any longer, and refused to open or close (there's a geared sensor that counts revolutions when the screw is, well, screwing. It might have been that, or it might have been the system board.) Final straw was when the case plastic started to just crumble when I was looking at the issue. Punted and got a new Genie with an app and internet connection.
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Dec 15, 2023 19:50
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canyoneer posted:Belt drive garage door openers are fantastic because they are so quiet. Every chain or screw drive one I've used has screamed like a banshee for 95% of its life. The screw drive Liftmaster that came with the house in 2000 was pretty quite, but yeah, the belt-drive Genie is a cut above. The door makes more noise. Also the newer DC motor drive can do neat tricks like go fast but then slow down at the extremes of travel so it doesn't slam into the floor. IOwnCalculus posted:I'm split between doing this or just getting a proper BT or Ethernet controller that actually wires up to my opener. I have a Genie belt-drive and added the Chamberlain MyQ gateway to it - which acts like a wireless remote when interacting with the opener. Problem is that the Genie has decided it only listens to remotes to open - MyQ, Homelink, and Genie remotes all open it 99.9% of the time. The only one that will close it is the wall button, even though the IR beam at the base of the door checks out fine. Odd. Seems more like a logic board thing than the actual radio, then, since it works to open. Nice thing with the IOT Genie is that the app always works, if a bit more slowly (it has to do the 10 seconds of flashing and beeping warning thing, for some reason. Like how is that different from using the remotes?) We apparently get some interference every now and then that keeps the HomeLink in my wife's Outback from working. Of course, that might be because the HomeLink only does the older-style remote signals. Not sure. I have a MyQ as well, for Amazon Key. I really wish that the MyQ had an option for just outputting the doorbell button, so I didn't have to train the opener to it. I mean, mine's literally mounted next to the opener.
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Dec 21, 2023 18:50
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jetz0r posted:Been using normal, cheap, LED lights in my vent hood for years with no problems. Same. I'd not do it *in* the oven, but over it, no problem.
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Jan 23, 2024 20:29
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Motronic posted:If low tack tape is taking the finish off of a tub it's got to be some sort of very specific situation........ My post is assuming things can handle painters tape, applied for an hour or so. If your caulk application is different from that you've got a whole other set of issues going on that are not likely to be solved by caulk. That, definitely. I've had good luck with one of these style tools for making nice caulk lines: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003BNLQQ0 This dingus was also handy for removing the old stuff: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07L3S6JFY Not absolutely necessary, but easier to handle than a regular razor blade scraper. The triangular blade part actually worked well for me. edit: Dr. Lunchables posted:Don’t worry, everyone sucks at caulk
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Jan 25, 2024 17:10
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