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ThoiBoi posted:My parents have had a outstanding issue with gophers at their house. I can't testify about it personally, but the Rodenator has always looked loving awesome and I really think a goon with gopher trouble would be a trusted review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgztUzqaL3E
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Feb 28, 2012 05:03
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ThoiBoi posted:My parents have had a outstanding issue with gophers at their house. It's been ongoing for years and we have yet to find a solution. They then end up with holes all around their yards and I'm so sick of seeing mounds of dirt every time I go home. Does anyone have any actual effective way of getting rid of them for good? I've tried the ultrasonic pest control stakes: If gophers are like moles, I've had great success with scissor-style traps I got at Tractor Supply for like $20. I followed the instructions and caught the rodent that had been tearing up my lawn in less than 24 hours. I don't like the spike traps because so many moving parts are above ground where pets or children can get them, and I never had luck with poison pellets or those poison gas sticks you light in a burrow.
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Feb 28, 2012 06:13
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Halon would probably work great but I'm not sure what the dissipation rate is outdoors.
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Feb 28, 2012 14:22
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PainterofCrap posted:Cheap traveling toothbrush holder from the dollar store. CuddleChunks posted:Get a big square of cloth (about a yard) and fold it over on itself to make a rectangle. Grab some of those magnetic strips and put them in between the two pieces of cloth separated by a quarter inch or so. Sew a line up and around the magnet strip so it has a little pocket. Now, take your sawzall blades and slap them on those wussy magnets and then roll the whole drat thing up. it will be kind of lumpy because of the magnet strips and the saw blades but it will keep them all together and not cutting your hands to shreds.
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Feb 28, 2012 14:54
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Cosmik Debris posted:Bamboo is pretty much the most invasive plant you can have, with the possible exception of kudzu. Mow them back and then immediately spray round up. This will hinder their growth, not stop it. You will have to keep an eye on it constantly, it doesn't just stop growing. The only way to get rid of bamboo is digging up the roots; since you can't do that you are just going to have to deal with it. Clumping bamboo is slightly better than spreading bamboo at controlling growth.
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Feb 28, 2012 15:49
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ThoiBoi posted:My parents have had a outstanding issue with gophers at their house. It's been ongoing for years and we have yet to find a solution. They then end up with holes all around their yards and I'm so sick of seeing mounds of dirt every time I go home. Does anyone have any actual effective way of getting rid of them for good? I've tried the ultrasonic pest control stakes: GWBBQ fucked around with this message at 21:23 on Feb 28, 2012 |
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Feb 28, 2012 21:17
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GoGoGadgetChris posted:I have a windowless office and it's depressing. I want to make a fake window! go to your favorite thrift/used shop and buy some deeper wood picture frames. You can mount them on a shallow box if they are not deep enough for the strips. I had a friend do this when the remodeling blocked the window over her sink, she put in LED strips in the window frame. If you do this please post what you did, I may want to do this in my hallway or in my cube at work.
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Feb 29, 2012 23:43
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nwin posted:The ceiling fan in the living room is starting to act weird. It's been working fine, but I turned on the lights today (it has four lights that you can turn on at the base of it), and the lights seemed about 1/2 as bright as normal. I then turned on the fan, and it does have all three speed settings, but they are slower than normal. Any idea? It is a remote control operated fan. There is no pull cords or any other way to turn it on/off/adjust speed other than the remote. Have you tried plugging the fan in to another outlet? It's probably not the cause, but it's worth a shot. Given the rather simplistic design of ceiling fans, there's not a lot internally that could cause this. Since both your lights and the fan only seem to be getting half power or so, I would bet the problem is the remote control module located in the fan housing. If you take the fan down (after unplugging it), trace the path of the wires from the power cord to their next step after they enter the housing. You should have two or three wires, depending on if it has a safety ground. Two of these wires will probably enter in to a box that has some sort of antenna on it. This is your remote control module for the fan. Consult the manufactures website for replacement. It could also be the rectifier, but if you're at this point, it would probably be cheaper to buy a new fan. Bank posted:My parents have had a outstanding issue with gophers at their house. It's been ongoing for years and we have yet to find a solution. They then end up with holes all around their yards and I'm so sick of seeing mounds of dirt every time I go home. Does anyone have any actual effective way of getting rid of them for good? I've tried the ultrasonic pest control stakes: My parents tried everything to get rid of gophers, short of the Gopher Vacuum. The gophers tore through all the traps they set, and the ultrasonic things did nothing. Unfortunately, the only solution I found was the TFR route, though your country, state, local laws, and/or neighbors may put a damper on that.
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Mar 1, 2012 13:33
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nwin posted:Bamboo from my neighbors yard has started creeping into my backyard. Any tips on dealing with this? There's no way to get him to pull the bamboo up on his side as he doesn't do any maintenance back there. I've got a few shoots poking up that I've just cut back whenever they get a foot or two high but more are starting to sprout... Have you looked into acquiring a panda bear?
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Mar 1, 2012 22:33
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It doesn't seem like there's an interior design thread anywhere around here, so I'm just going to post my question here: Is there anything available that can make my television less unsightly? I try to keep my apartment mid-century modern and my hdtv is a total eyesore. I've been looking around online and pretty much all I can find are picture frames for televisions and really that's not the look I'm going for. What I've wanted is more like a facade for the front of the television that would make it match a credenza-type record player from the era, complete with wicker-stlye speaker covers. Or, remember your grandma's television that looked like furniture? Something like that. I live in an apartment with no room to get tinkering with wood (i.e. chopping my fingers off and wasting money), so what I'm wondering is if there's already an existing product? Looking at this television didn't bother me so much before I really got a unified design scheme going, but now that the apartment is coming together it's really starting to bug me. I suppose if it really came down to it, I could just put some faux-wood wallpaper on the edges or something, but that's really tacky. I don't want to mount my television on my wall as I like it to be able to pivot, so a pivoting television with a picture frame around it would just look awful to me. Has anybody else done anything to their televisions to dress them up at all? I'm open to ideas. OR Any woodworking Goons in the LA area want a project and some money? I'm willing to pay a reasonable price.
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Mar 4, 2012 00:29
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In my dining room I have a chandelier containing 12 small 2-prong halogen light bulbs. The chandelier has its own light switch with dimmer. Recently, when I flip on the switch all of the lights stay dim for 3-5 minutes then brighten fully as usual. This just started a month ago. Prior to this, the lights would turn on instantly at whatever brightness the dimmer was set to. Any ideas how to troubleshoot this?
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Mar 4, 2012 01:15
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Nvm fixed it.
Bank fucked around with this message at 17:53 on Mar 8, 2012 |
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Mar 4, 2012 01:21
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Stout Bootboy posted:credenza-type record player from the era, complete with wicker-stlye speaker covers. Or, remember your grandma's television that looked like furniture I don't have any advice other than you'll probably have to have something custom built and if you do, I hope you come back and post a pic because it sounds interesting.
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Mar 4, 2012 05:13
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Stout Bootboy posted:Is there anything available that can make my television less unsightly? I try to keep my apartment mid-century modern and my hdtv is a total eyesore. This may not be the direction you want to go, but have you thought about mounting the TV on to a motorized lift inside of a piece of furniture? Something like: http://www.ergoindemand.com/motorized-mounts.html You could buy whatever furniture matches your style, and have a carpenter or friend mount the TV lift inside of it. Here's a video of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLSfcb-hPN8 This route is expensive though, and if you like the TV always on, it probably won't do much for you. But it will certainly hide it when not in use. As wormil said, whatever you do, please post pictures of it. Edit, wrong URL.
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Mar 4, 2012 08:08
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Stout Bootboy posted:Has anybody else done anything to their televisions to dress them up at all? I'm open to ideas. If something like this exists the market for it would be tiny, so it's very unlikely it would be available for your particular make/model/size of tv so yes you're looking at making or having it made. There is a company that will take your electronics, disassemble them & professionally paint them to your spec but it's expensive & voids warranties. Could you find a picture of what you want it to look like style-wise & a pic of your tv please?
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Mar 4, 2012 11:03
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I dunno, flush-mount it to the wall with a fancy wooden frame around it and a slow slideshow of famous artwork sounds pretty good  Another fairly elegant solution is to get an entertainment center with doors covering the TV when you're not watching; done right, it looks straight out of a 19th century library. My in-laws had something like this, though I hated it because the TV hole was too small and they refused to get the giant-rear end TV they should have had. grover fucked around with this message at 16:51 on Mar 4, 2012 |
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Mar 4, 2012 16:45
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Stout Bootboy posted:Is there anything available that can make my television less unsightly? I try to keep my apartment mid-century modern and my hdtv is a total eyesore. I wanted to do the same thing for a long time. I did find this:  (click click) But I have a feeling it costs $10k+. To me, the bezel makes the TV screen seem smaller, and the TV as a whole seem bigger and bulkier. I ended up just buying a broken mid-century hi-fi ($25 on craigslist) as a TV stand. Gutted it and put front and center channel speakers, receiver, and HTPC inside it:   It's not perfect (I hosed up the speaker grilles - the outer two panels have the back side facing out), but it at least adds a bit of mid-century look without costing a god damned fortune.
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Mar 4, 2012 16:50
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dur posted:excellent relevant information You will be happy to learn that the amazing mid-century Danish TV housing you found is not 10k and is in fact downright reasonable in comparison at $3500, more than your TV is worth: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/wilkerson-furniture-at-dwell-o-53216 Thanks for the info, guys. Somebody should start an interior design thread where we break down the methods behind our decorating madness. I'll update this post or start another thread once my roommate moves out. I like the idea of using the old stereo credenza as a tv stand, I just want something else to actually put onto the television so it doesn't look so much like a floating, massive piece of plastic from the dysotopian future. If I could find one of these in non-working condition so I wouldn't feel horrible gutting it, I would: http://p1.la-img.com/196/18106/6131779_2_l.jpg it'd be perfect for housing your receiver and game console
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Mar 4, 2012 17:45
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Stout Bootboy posted:You will be happy to learn that the amazing mid-century Danish TV housing you found is not 10k and is in fact downright reasonable in comparison at $3500, more than your TV is worth: I had the same "problem" with my TV stand - all the really really good looking hi-fi units I could find were still in working condition, so I didn't want to destroy them.
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Mar 4, 2012 17:54
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Can anyone recommend a common primer? I will be painting the ceilings of a few rooms in our home that are bare drywall at the moment (popcorn was removed) as well as redoing the paint on the walls. We are going to use flat latex paints. I don't really know much about this stuff and my eyes gloss over when looking at the wall of options. The stuff I bought before was zinsser and quite expensive, if I recall.
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Mar 5, 2012 20:23
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Associate Christ
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Kaluza-Klein posted:Can anyone recommend a common primer? I will be painting the ceilings of a few rooms in our home that are bare drywall at the moment (popcorn was removed) as well as redoing the paint on the walls. We are going to use flat latex paints. I've always used KILZ. Never had a problem.
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Mar 5, 2012 20:37
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grover posted:Another fairly elegant solution is to get an entertainment center with doors covering the TV when you're not watching; done right, it looks straight out of a 19th century library. My in-laws had something like this, though I hated it because the TV hole was too small and they refused to get the giant-rear end TV they should have had. Seconding this, this is the classiest solution under a billion dollars. You don't need to have the problem Grover's in-laws did, just shop for the correct internal space. My suggestion is a simple cloth drape that conceals the TV. This also keeps dust accumulation off the screen (as will the armoire/cabinet solution, which I really personally prefer). Black Jasper posted:In my dining room I have a chandelier containing 12 small 2-prong halogen light bulbs. The chandelier has its own light switch with dimmer. Recently, when I flip on the switch all of the lights stay dim for 3-5 minutes then brighten fully as usual. This just started a month ago. Prior to this, the lights would turn on instantly at whatever brightness the dimmer was set to. Any ideas how to troubleshoot this? Has the temperature of this room changed significantly since a month ago? Halogens and fluorescents seem to light up a lot slower under about 70 degrees.
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Mar 5, 2012 22:58
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I just received this under counter RO filter system: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E77I04/ref=oh_o00_s00_i00_details The problem isn't with installation of the unit in general, but rather mounting the faucet. The apartment I am renting has 3 sinks (including the bathrooms) but all of them have granite counter tops with ports for only one faucet that is already in use. I bought this thing for filtering water that would go through misting systems for animals and plants, not so much for drinking, so I am fine with having something like just under the counter access. the problem is, I am not certain the best way to go about this. Is there a different faucet or something like a picnic tap I could get? Could I even just be super ghetto and zip-tie the faucet under the sink? Any ideas that don't involve me drilling holes through my landlord's counter tops are appreciated.
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Mar 5, 2012 23:04
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Just install a little "shelf" under the counter & mount the tap through that for under-counter tap goodness.
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Mar 6, 2012 00:04
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I disassembled the whole pump/motor/burner assembly of my oil furnace, cleaned it all, and replaced the igniter electrodes because they were abated far past the point that they could be bent back to within tolerances. The furnace ran for a couple of hurs then stopped again. I'm out of ideas.
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Mar 8, 2012 16:05
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GWBBQ posted:I disassembled the whole pump/motor/burner assembly of my oil furnace, cleaned it all, and replaced the igniter electrodes because they were abated far past the point that they could be bent back to within tolerances. The furnace ran for a couple of hurs then stopped again. I'm out of ideas. Sorry, I can't find your original problem. Did you fix the flame sensor and/or thermocouple? All that other stuff helps, but those two insignificant bits are what lets the whole apparatus know it's working.
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Mar 9, 2012 22:22
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Installing some fans in the house and I'm looking for the ground wire...this house was built in 1961, so I think that's before the code requiring them. However, when you look at the picture, there's a black wire, white wire, and just outside the white wire is some exposed copper. Is this the ground?
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Mar 10, 2012 16:39
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Yes, but the fact that it is cut off so short is odd. Make sure it is actually connected in the breaker box. Or you could check it with a meter if you have one.
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Mar 10, 2012 16:50
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nwin posted:Installing some fans in the house and I'm looking for the ground wire...this house was built in 1961, so I think that's before the code requiring them. That box isn't original, and definitely wasn't wired by a professional. An original box in a plaster ceiling would have had the plaster... plastered right up to the edge around it. Someone cut your plaster ceiling to fit that box in. Nylon locknuts and green-colored grounding screws didn't exist in 1961. Clipped off ground aside, the installer used the 1/2" knockout without a cable clamp to run wire into that box, instead entering that box thru the smaller NM entrances on the right and completely unscrewing the cable clamp there... Jackyl's right about testing it. Do you even have 3 prong outlets everywhere else, or at least on that circuit? Turn the circuit back on, then use a $2 circuit tester to test for a circuit between the black wire and the bare wire. If it lights up, then that circuit is grounded. If so, turn it back off and ever so carefully twist an extension onto that grounding wire. You might want to clip that outer insulation on the NM cable back a bit so that you have more to work with. Grounds are either bare or have green insulation. Loop it under that green screw in the box and screw it down. Also, you will want to buy some of these to insert into that knockout. The plastic clamps can go in from either direction, but you will have to pry a screwdriver into the one-way spring clamp to insert the cable the "other" way. kid sinister fucked around with this message at 18:52 on Mar 10, 2012 |
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Mar 10, 2012 18:23
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Yeah this house is definitely a piece of poo poo...I've been made aware of that multiple times...thank god I'm renting. One of the rooms has a few Outlets with no ground on them (2 prong outlets) but all the others have 3 prongs. All three rooms I've checked have the same setup like that...it doesn't make sense. They have ceiling lights and the metal box on all of them say they're ok for fans, but the ground is clipped on all of them. Where the old light fixtures have a green wire, it's just left hanging, unattached. I'll check the wire when I get home and see if it even has any power going to it. At least I've gone through trial and error to see what breakers turn on what, since of course none of them are labeled. Every time I need something fixed, the landlord always has a friend or some 'local handyman' that can't speak English come and fix things. One exception was when the disposal backed everything up and they actually got a licensed plumber. Shits scheisty, man.
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Mar 10, 2012 18:40
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nwin posted:Yeah this house is definitely a piece of poo poo...I've been made aware of that multiple times...thank god I'm renting. Remember how I said that the box is a more recent retrofit? That could mean that the cable is also newer, and that cable doesn't look 51 years old. You can't buy NM cable without ground anymore, at least not without a special order. If installers are adding to an existing nongrounded circuit, then you're supposed to clip off the ground. You don't want to give people a false sense of security. You might want to test your 3 prong outlets too to make sure that they are actually grounded. For that, use that circuit tester again to test for a circuit between the smaller blade slot and the grounding slot.
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Mar 10, 2012 19:04
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I want to replace my kitchen faucet since the current one is older and looks ugly. The bottom appears to have a U shaped bracket holding the top faucet onto the sink. It looks like if I remove the nut in the middle the whole thing will probably lift straight off the top, and the U bracket would drop down to the floor. Problem is I can't get to the nut to loosen it. I bought a basin wrench but the two copper pipes for the water are too close to the nut and even if I can get the wrench partially latched on it won't turn. Any ideas?
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Mar 10, 2012 22:46
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Anyway you can get this part unscrewed? Then you could probably get the upper nut with a deep well socket and a few extensions.
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Mar 11, 2012 00:07
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kid sinister posted:Remember how I said that the box is a more recent retrofit? That could mean that the cable is also newer, and that cable doesn't look 51 years old. You can't buy NM cable without ground anymore, at least not without a special order. If installers are adding to an existing nongrounded circuit, then you're supposed to clip off the ground. You don't want to give people a false sense of security.
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Mar 11, 2012 00:53
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nwin posted:wires and outlets have been tested...no power found in the third outlets...is this house going to burn to the ground soon? Not necessarily, but go get some renter's insurance anyway. It's ridiculously cheap, and your landlord's policy will not cover you or your stuff if anything happens.
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Mar 11, 2012 01:08
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stubblyhead posted:Not necessarily, but go get some renter's insurance anyway. It's ridiculously cheap, and your landlord's policy will not cover you or your stuff if anything happens.
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Mar 11, 2012 01:40
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para posted:Problem is I can't get to the nut to loosen it. I bought a basin wrench but the two copper pipes for the water are too close to the nut and even if I can get the wrench partially latched on it won't turn. And, yes, if you remove that nut, the water lines, and the hose, it will pull straight up and out and you drop the new one in the same way.
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Mar 11, 2012 04:09
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I'd like to be able to make calls and just talk in my living room, so I'm looking for an omnidirectional microphone that can pick up speech from all parts of a room in an apartment and somehow get that audio signal to a computer. I have absolutely no idea what kind of microphone I should be looking for, let alone brand or model, since my familiarity with computer microphones extends only to the desktop variety. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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Mar 11, 2012 05:14
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Theseus posted:I'd like to be able to make calls and just talk in my living room, so I'm looking for an omnidirectional microphone that can pick up speech from all parts of a room in an apartment and somehow get that audio signal to a computer. I have absolutely no idea what kind of microphone I should be looking for, let alone brand or model, since my familiarity with computer microphones extends only to the desktop variety.
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Mar 11, 2012 15:16
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Theseus posted:I'd like to be able to make calls and just talk in my living room, so I'm looking for an omnidirectional microphone that can pick up speech from all parts of a room in an apartment and somehow get that audio signal to a computer. I have absolutely no idea what kind of microphone I should be looking for, let alone brand or model, since my familiarity with computer microphones extends only to the desktop variety. Ask the guys at an office supply store for a teleconference mic. Be prepared to pay some money.
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Mar 11, 2012 16:59
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