Fix It Fast: Start here for DIY help! (You'll know when it's a problem by smell.)

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Hobbies, Crafts, & Houses > Fix It Fast: Start here for DIY help! (You'll know when it's a problem by smell.)

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Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

DaveSauce posted:

McMaster-Carr is your friend, particularly for any sort of mechanical project.

They really are; lots of useful poo poo that you can't find at your local Home Despot.

# ¿ May 19, 2021 15:36

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# ¿ May 14, 2024 09:33

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

GWBBQ posted:

Also, is a light switch to power the dishwasher on and off something normal or is my place weird?

It's a regional thing. The home we had in Central Texas had a switch for the dishwasher specifically in addition to the disposal. None of our other houses in other areas did.

# ¿ Jun 7, 2021 11:51

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

As part of getting a new range for the house and discovering that the previous owner spilled all sorts of poo poo on either side of the existing range which pooled and coagulated on the floor (loving Gary) requiring me to scrape and clean the cabinet walls and floor, I discovered while getting up off the floor after completing the cleaning that the stone countertop section to the left of the range was actually not attached to a goddamn thing!

It moved when I pushed on it. I flipped it over to find this:

And here's what was under it:

Given these atrocities, I have two questions:

1. What is the best method to get that old adhesive off the bottom of the stone? I'm assuming Goo Gone and a scraper or something like that but I welcome ideas.
2. What is the best way to reattach it? I'm assuming I can use another dab of silicone adhesive but I don't want to run into this problem again if I can avoid it.

# ¿ Jun 24, 2021 14:47

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

PainterofCrap posted:

First off, it looks as though the adhesive never made contact with the framing lumber because whatever that half-wall is clad in (drywall? Wonderboard? 5/8" trim waste? All of the above?) is sitting proud of the wood surface.

So what you need to do is either trim the perimeter or shim the framing lumber. Then use adhesive caulk to secure it; something heavy on top, like an old car battery, may help promote adhesion.

If a razor knife or blade does not remove the adhesive, your best bet is an angle grinder with a 3" scrubbie wheel or wire cup wheel, to tear it off.

Thanks.

The old adhesive does come off with my 4" metal scraper but it takes forever and sucks so I was hoping for an easy button option but alas, struggle and tribulation are the way of the homeowner.

I don't feel like the wonderboard (I believe that's what that is) is sitting above the framing wood surface but I haven't checked closely enough. The evidence of the adhesive not leaving a mark on that 2x4 suggests that you're correct though, so I'll see about a shim situation as I don't have the right tools to trim that sort of material.

# ¿ Jun 25, 2021 21:10

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

The Midniter posted:

I'm having vinyl flooring installed on the concrete basement floor of the house I just bought. The previous owner had ripped up the carpeting and left the padding and tack strips, which I removed yesterday. Some bits of the padding are left over, stuck to the adhesive used to adhere the padding. What is a good solvent/solution to get rid of the adhesive, and is there a specific tool that would be best to scrape up the leftover bits of padding? I want to make sure the floor is as pristine as possible to avoid any sorts of surface abnormalities when the vinyl is laid.

I've had luck with Goo Gone and a stiff metal scraper; had to remove adhesive from granite that had become unstuck thanks to whatever loving Gary did when he installed it (photos earlier in this thread). Apply Goo Gone, let it soak for a bit, and then it's elbow grease and general effort.

# ¿ Jul 12, 2021 17:41

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

One of the fun things I've discovered as we get this house ready to move into is that the gas line for the range sticks out of the wall behind the range far enough to make it so the range can't move back fully and be flush with the wall behind it.

That's a roughly three inch gap between the back wall and the back of the range and is clearly a place waiting for poo poo to fall behind there (which has happened twice already).

The placement of the gas line doesn't facilitate moving it further back into the wall without some serious reconstruction that I have no desire to undertake, so I'm thinking that some sort of flashing that I could attach to the screws on the back of the range that would fill the gap and sit under the bottom of the countertop behind it would be a decent way to solve the problem of things falling into that gap.

Is that a reasonable plan? I'm not looking to do something janky over a real fix, but I don't know that a real fix is feasible. And if it is reasonable, how would I go about fashioning such a thing? I'm assuming a piece of aluminum or something would make sense but I have no idea how to acquire and bend such a thing. Is there a type of trade that would do something custom like that? I am at a loss. :ohdear:

# ¿ Jul 12, 2021 18:09

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

wesleywillis posted:

Is Angie's List still a thing for contractors?

I've been using Thumbtack with a roughly 80% success rate.

# ¿ Sep 28, 2021 01:04

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

H110Hawk posted:

Hot take: slap a level or eyeball that drain from your right sink to the left. Is it sloped down right-to-left? It should be sloped towards the drain.

It's most likely just gunk built up. Everything under your sink is hand tight. Turn off the water to your sink and disconnect it unto a bucket. Clean it all out. Stuff a rag into the wall to prevent sewer gas from coming into the house. Put it back together. Make sure any little gaskets are seated, if they crumble or break they are dozens of pennies at the hardware store.

Monday call a plumber because nothing went back together right and your wife is mad at you for breaking the bathroom sink. Wait what were we talking about?

I feel seen.

# ¿ Oct 24, 2021 13:22

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

Seems like a job for some staples and black poster board. Easy to replace if it gets wet or whatever, not permanent, and doesn't functionally change anything about how the house operates today.

Also I thought my house was old at 1880, but jesus.

# ¿ Nov 3, 2021 17:57

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

I. M. Gei posted:

Is installing a new ceiling fan something anyone can do with instructions online or a how-to video on Youtube? If the answer is yes, then are there any particular instruction pages or videos y'all would recommend?

I just got a new fan and the handyman we normally use for stuff like this (because he is good and cheap) is booked up for awhile and we don't have a ton of cash to hire someone pricier, so I'm hoping maybe I can just knock it all out myself now and save us a wait and some money.

Yes, it is relatively easy. The instructions that come with the fan are generally sufficient in my experience; I've installed seven or eight fans in a couple of different houses over the years, including replacing three at our new place this past summer.

I don't have any specific video links but can tell you one of the important keys is to remember that the screws holding the mounting plate to the electrical box in the ceiling do not come with the new fan so make sure to save them when you remove the old one.

Other than that, make sure the power is off (via the breaker at your electrical box, not just the wall switch) and follow the instructions with the new fan.

I have no appreciable skills and have managed basic things like this. You absolutely can do it.

# ¿ Nov 27, 2021 13:21

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

tater_salad posted:

Have a friend stand there and hand you poo poo you dropped so you don't need to climb down the ladder for the 6th time is worth 1-2 beers.

Sage advice from the wise.

# ¿ Nov 27, 2021 16:20

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

I. M. Gei posted:

Holy mother of god it worked. The #12 screws took a tiny bit of finagling, but they did screw in and they hold securely.

I did it! I finished installing this loving fan. It took like 3 or 4 days longer than it should have but I finally did it! ... and then I found the missing second screw. The one that was supposed to have come screwed into the motor for me to connect the lighting kit to before I drilled all the holes bigger because I thought it wasn't there. Turns out it came loose in the box at some point and I put it in the glass light dome with a bunch of other small parts and then totally forgot about it. So basically I spent multiple days going back and forth to Home Depot and butchering a ceiling fan for absolutely no good reason.

gently caress.

I knew you could.

And now you get to be fuckin' Gary to the next owner of your home that decides to replace the fan. So you've got that going for you, which is nice.

# ¿ Dec 12, 2021 14:26

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

FamDav posted:

I'm trying to find a replacement screw for the connection between the hinge on the cabinet door to the hinge mounted on the cabinet. the diameter is a little above 1/8 in, the length is 3/16, and there appear to be 5 threads. I've tried searching for "cabinet screws" but those are all for screws to fasten the hinge to the cabinet. what incantation do I need to find this screw?

v large thumbnailed image of said screw

McMaster Carr is your friend.

# ¿ Dec 23, 2021 11:52

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

eddiewalker posted:

Sending someone who�s quoting screw sizes as �a little bigger than 1/8� to McMaster seems like a bad idea.

Hardware is standardized. It all makes a lot of sense if you figure out a few standards, but until then, there�s probably someone at your most-local small hardware store who can help.

This is fair (other that the idea that hardware is standardized; lots of it is, sure, but some stuff is weird); I was assuming that the local hardware store was already consulted.

# ¿ Dec 23, 2021 19:27

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

Final Blog Entry posted:

If the shoe isn't caulked to the floor and there's enough of a gap see of you can slide something under the shoe like a thin piece of cardstock, posterboard, etc and just move it along as you go. Faster than taping the floor and nowhere for paint to bleed under

If the bottom is quarter round and you can remove it, I would do that because it becomes a lot easier to use the cardstock method and then replace the quarter round so it looks nice and clean.

# ¿ Jan 1, 2022 04:50

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

PainterofCrap posted:

Fuckin' autocorrect on my tablet.

I'm leaving it. Sparkle's an upgrade!

There is a segment of the population that would absolutely love spackle that sparkled.

# ¿ Jan 4, 2022 21:10

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

me your dad posted:

I have a sink disposal that started humming when turned on, and the blades aren't spinning.

I can reach in and turn the blade assembly with my hand.

I know there's a hex key socket at the bottom to allow you to force it, but I don't have the right size wrench.

Since I can move the blade assembly with my hand, is there even a point in trying to force it with a wrench from the bottom?

I'm guessing that, depending on the model, the blade might spin while the motor is jammed so finding the wrench and giving it a twirl will probably fix it.

# ¿ Jan 20, 2022 19:41

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

PainterofCrap posted:

Adhesive silicone caulk will stick like a motherfucker to anything but what you want it to.

This has been my experience.

# ¿ Feb 10, 2022 02:18

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

lol internet. posted:

So I bought a shed, approximently 4x8 base.

I plan on putting it on the side of my house on the pathway but the pathway is not level, it's angled so water doesn't sit on it (concrete slab.)

I need to build a platform so I can keep the shed level, any recommendations on adjustable feet? I plan on just building a base that is made out of 2x4s.

As a total novice, a cinder block base seems like a better choice so the lumber doesn't rot as fast.

# ¿ Feb 26, 2022 12:12

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

Motronic posted:

Yep. My first attempt was 3/4" EMT which simply wasn't strong enough. That would have been a real mess if it was concreted in. I wanted to leave some options for myself, including taking the entire thing down temporarily if necessary.

I'm planning something similar for my backyard and was inspired by what you shared last year. Rather than using PVC and concrete, I have 4x4 fence posts on both sides of the yard which are set in concrete. I was thinking about using the iron pipe and seating it in the ground until it hits the concrete that anchors the fence post and securing it to the fence post itself with conduit straps. In doing so, I'm thinking it should be secure enough but also removable if I need to take it down for whatever reason. Is my idiocy shining through like the sun or is this a reasonable plan?

# ¿ Mar 21, 2022 21:02

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

Motronic posted:

I think that will work with one exception: the conduit straps absolutely won't be strong enough. Just use big u-bolts that will fit around your fence posts. At least 2, maybe 3 per post. 4x4s are actually 3.5", so something like this should work: https://www.amazon.com/National-Har...aps%2C79&sr=8-2

Makes sense, thanks. That approach will necessitate taking off a fence plank or two in order to have access to secure the nuts on the u-bolt but, provided I don't royally gently caress up the fence plank, reattaching it (with screws instead of nails) shouldn't be a big deal.

# ¿ Mar 21, 2022 21:44

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

bobua posted:

Anyone ever seen a p-trap just sorta fail? Starting smelling just a bit sewery off and on, so slight it took a while to find.

Confirmed it by stopping the drain and letting water sit in the sink, but it's definitely not a case of just an unused sink drying out. No leaks. Only think different about it is its on the opposite side of the wall from the washing machine, so the washing machine actually drains into it. Thought maybe it was draining at a higher pressure and blowing out the p-trap, but it doesn't seem to be coincide with laundry.

Only other thing I can figure is that maybe it got something in it that reduces the amount of water it can hold, so it can dry out in hours... never seen anything like that though. Gonna run a camera down there this evening I guess.

When we replaced the vanity in the upstairs bathroom before we moved in, the contractor pulled a whole rear end toothbrush plus a Hotwheels car out of the p-trap. No telling what could be lodged in there, especially if you have kids.

# ¿ Apr 6, 2022 17:16

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

Motronic posted:

You know what else keeps your basement dry without circulating the humidity throughout your entire home and running a fan 24x7? A dehumidifier in your basement.

Exactly. I have two dehumidifiers running in our basement; one came with the house and requires manual emptying of the water reservoir and I got a newer one that automatically drains into the drain in the concrete floor. Cheaper and easier to replace than your A/C unit fan and it keeps the humidity down and not being sucked in from outside all the time in the rest of the house.

# ¿ Apr 29, 2022 16:16

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

Motronic posted:

Gary is just pissed he's not high enough on the food chain to get a no-show job and is stuck with merely a no-work job.

He was busy paving over your wellhead.

# ¿ May 6, 2022 23:12

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

Bad Munki posted:

Cross-posting from plumbing:

Any thoughts on un-stucking a water heater anode that's seized in? I can't seem to break it loose with an 18" bar, but I'm reluctant to put an impact driver on it.

Not at all a plumbing expert (or even really all that knowledgable) but I would think you'd have to chip away at all the poo poo attached to the edge in order to get it off. Needs more leverage than one point. :shrug:

# ¿ May 19, 2022 21:19

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

bobua posted:

My town has been in the top 5 fastest growing towns in the US for the past ~10+ years I think, the online permitting process seems solid on the technical side, just slow on the people side. I have to imagine the only people showing up in person are people that can't use and computer and/or think they should get to jump the line.

I'm guessing in another week they'll respond with a denial or want more info, ill just go ahead and ask what the actual set back is, wait 3 weeks for that response, then ask if a variance is even worth trying for in his opinion, wait 3 weeks for that response, then scrap the whole project and do my best to avoid anything at all requiring interacting with the local government in the future.

Hope they have a survey on file. The city didn't when I built my garage last year so that was an extra $1500 I hadn't planned on.

# ¿ Jun 1, 2022 12:10

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

The Spookmaster posted:

My house is over 100 years old and has the original wood floors and they are in need of a good refinishing. My issue is.... I have pet pigs.. five of them, and one is close to 400 lbs. What are my options as far as durability that may be able to hold up 7 sets of feet when five of them are cloven for at least for a few years?

Big baby for refrence

One of the great questions of our time.

# ¿ Jun 2, 2022 12:45

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

corgski posted:

I agree, the first thing to do to fix "this doesn't fit" for Ikea furniture is to double check all the instructions.

Have lived this. Despite being certain that all instructions were followed correctly and no, Mildred, I'm not on the sauce again, the instructions were inscrutable to the point of requiring pagan sacrifices and a windchime to decipher. Thus, I was relegated to a realization, much later and with much wailing and gnashing of teeth, that I hosed up one of the steps and had to take everything apart again. This is the way.

# ¿ Jun 18, 2022 15:40

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

Having been on a trip out of town recently, I was slightly dismayed to find the side door to my garage standing wide open upon our return. I was further disquieted to learn that someone had stolen a bunch of my poo poo from the garage (my chop saw, my tool box, our bikes, etc). Initial evidence suggested that my wife didn't close the door properly when we left. A new occurrence of finding the door standing wide open this morning after I know good and drat well I closed it has caused me to mount a new investigation.

The results are that the latch on the door lock is not seating deeply enough in the strike plate when the door is closed to remain latched if any reasonable force is applied like me pulling on the door handle (which I tested this morning) or a decent gust of wind (which is the actual culprit given our location in the upper Midwest). Initial research has shown suggestions of shimming the door hinges to decrease the distance between the edge of the door and the strike plate, thus causing the latch to seat deeper into the strike plate gap in the door jamb.

This approach makes logical sense to me, but what doesn't is the suggestion of using cardboard to serve as the shim. I get the concept of it not splintering or shattering like a wood shim would during the reattachment of the hinge screws, but cardboard? Other than apologizing to my wife, is there anything else I should be thinking of?

# ¿ Jun 29, 2022 13:51

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

Lawnie posted:

Installing a deadbolt. It�s not your fault or your wife�s you got robbed, but a good deadbolt will both give you secure peace of mind that the door is latched and locked as well as actual security, since a deadbolt can�t be defeated nearly as easily as a latch and strike plate.

This is fair, but also dramatically more invasive as the door is not cut for one and I didn't have the tools to create such a hole even before all my poo poo got jacked. Considering an internal bolt lock for when we're out of town as an additional protection measure that accomplishes a similar goal.

Any thoughts on the cardboard shim bit?

# ¿ Jun 29, 2022 14:17

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

Lawnie posted:

Cardboard is more widely available (pretty much everyone has scraps around), maybe? It�s also compressible compared to a wooden shim. Not sure what advantage that would have in this situation, though.

Your internal bolt lock sounds good, so long as there�s no safety or ease-of-access issues presented by not being able to unlock from the outside.

Makes sense, thanks.

PainterofCrap posted:

Cardboard is fine since you're using it to offset the door from the frame, and it is the screws that hold it secure.

However, if your strike plate is too far recessed, then that is what should be shimmed out, not the hinges. It's a hell of a lot easier to build it out since you don't have to wrestle with the door and change its fit in the opening.

You can use cardboard to shim out the strike plate. A hardware store also sells wood shims, or buy a couple cedar shakes and cut one down to fit. Whatever material you choose to use, I would swap up to screws that are over an inch long to be certain it's securely attached.

If the entire gap on the striker side is evenly too wide, get a piece of lath/trim, paint it, and & nail it from top to bottom, then drill a new 3/4" hole for the latch with a spade bit before installing the plate.

Also makes sense, thanks. The strike plate is properly mounted to the jamb and the jamb itself is shimmed (mostly) level so I do think this is an issue on the hinge side. I can see where the hinge indentation into the jamb is about as deep (call it 1/16") as would probably solve the issue on the other side. So given that cardboard itself is a fine material to use in this case, my guess is that one or two small sections should work fine. I'll also make sure the screws are sufficient; what's in there now looks fine but having something slightly longer to make sure things seat well makes sense to me.

# ¿ Jun 29, 2022 15:28

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

Trip report:

Took the garage side door off the jamb and fashioned double thick cardboard shims for each of the three hinges (gotta recycle that Amazon cardboard somehow). I attached them to each other with a bit of tape and then attached the set to the jamb where the hinges go with another bit of tape so they'd stay up while I was manhandling the door into place. I also discovered that the jamb was not secured to the structure of the garage without the hinge screws in place so I added a couple 2 1/2" screws to the jamb itself, making sure the screw heads were flush. I then proceeded with the aforementioned door manhandling and secured it to the jamb by replacing the 3/4" screws with 1 1/4" screws and, after slight adjustments and alignments, it worked perfectly.

No more being able to open the locked door with a strong push. :cheers:

# ¿ Jun 29, 2022 18:36

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

Danhenge posted:

This is why I've started getting email receipts, even if I'm not sure I need them, so I don't have to keep track of a tiny piece of paper.

Have you noticed a change in your advertising as a result? I am loathe to give them my actual email address and am simultaneously entirely too lazy to maintain a burner account in perpetuity.

# ¿ Jul 3, 2022 17:10

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

EPICAC posted:

I need to replace a bulb in an outdoor floodlight, but the screws are rusted to the point where there�s nothing left in the head for the screwdriver to grip. Also, is there a better solution for keeping it closed than screws that will rust out.

This is a cheap fixture that�s probably from when this place was gut remodeled in 2007, so if replacing it is less effort I�m open to that.

Vice grips and then use a stainless steel screw that won't rust to replace it. Though I'm in camp Fixture Replacement to so you can find something that you like and takes a normal bulb. The electrical work is pretty straightforward but I say that knowing that I'm comfortable with things like that and not everyone is.

# ¿ Jul 4, 2022 15:45

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

Motronic posted:

1 lol no

2 sure

3, Mini splits are absolutely not the only answer. I have an entirely different AC unit (in the attic) with it's own supplies (in the ceiling) and returns for upstairs. My house is exceptionally comfortable in every manner including consistent temperatures.

Our central AC is keeping up for now in a location that normally doesn't have AC. As climate change continues to build and get worse, I'm considering a mini split for the master bedroom upstairs over completely overhauling the central AC to support two zones.

# ¿ Jul 20, 2022 04:12

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

melon cat posted:

This is what one of my top concerns and the motivator behind considering ductless heating/cooling on top of our central AC/forced air. We've had non-stop heat alerts and we're not even in the dog days of summer, which for our region is usually August.

Yup. Forced air heating in my house during the winter is tits because of physics, but cooling in the summer is a different thing.

# ¿ Jul 21, 2022 02:39

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

I bet it's supposed to be a ground, but no telling from that picture if it actually is or not.

# ¿ Jul 21, 2022 22:40

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

Does a cartridge of some kind plug in below the switch? A battery recharger? I am made of questions.

# ¿ Aug 14, 2022 13:31

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

Admiral Joeslop posted:

The packaging didn't say one way or the other whether it was solid or stranded, are they supposed to and I just bought cheap wire, or did I just buy the wrong wire entirely?

Standard building electrical wire clearly says "solid" on it in the product descriptions in my limited experience. Without pictures, I'm leaning toward you bought the wrong type of wire completely.

# ¿ Aug 30, 2022 23:15

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# ¿ May 14, 2024 09:33

Beef Of Ages: Jan 11, 2003; Your dumb is leaking.

Admiral Joeslop posted:

I'll go back tomorrow and get solid wire, seems like a good idea. Won't be using the light anymore tonight anyway.

Yeah, you want something like this: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Southwire-50-ft-14-2-Solid-Romex-Simpull-CU-NM-B-W-G-Wire-28827422/202316377

# ¿ Aug 30, 2022 23:23

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Hobbies, Crafts, & Houses > Fix It Fast: Start here for DIY help! (You'll know when it's a problem by smell.)

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