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Are those "antique bronze" pieces of hardware actually bronze plated, or is it just some kind of fake coloring?
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Jul 9, 2014 15:26
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The Bunk posted:Looking for a mosquito repellant for my back porch (~15x10). I'd be ok with candles or incense sticks as long as they actually work, but are any of the gadgets a better option? 1. Spray yourself with DEET 2. Heavy sooting tiki torches that burn citronella oil and produce huge clouds of smoke, though it depends on the wind 3. A fan. My dad has an outdoor ceiling fan in his pergola which works pretty well, believe it or not. 4. Citronella candles, maybe if you have a lot of them.
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Jul 9, 2014 15:33
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FogHelmut posted:Are those "antique bronze" pieces of hardware actually bronze plated, or is it just some kind of fake coloring? That depends on how much you pay for them. The cheap ones can be as cheesy as paint with a clear coating over top.
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Jul 9, 2014 15:51
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Motronic posted:That depends on how much you pay for them. The cheap ones can be as cheesy as paint with a clear coating over top. Well the reason I ask is because I'm trying to figure out how much it's going to rust in an outdoor situation. A lot or a whole lot?
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Jul 9, 2014 16:59
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FogHelmut posted:Well the reason I ask is because I'm trying to figure out how much it's going to rust in an outdoor situation. A lot or a whole lot? If the coating is good, not at all. Once it gets scratched, maybe a lot or maybe not. It depends on what it's made out of. Some are plated on top of zinc. Just check what they're made of and choose as appropriate since you obviously know where it's going.
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Jul 9, 2014 17:07
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FogHelmut posted:4. Citronella candles, maybe if you have a lot of them. If for whatever reason you're opposed to using truly effective repellants like Allethrin and Pyrethrum, and want to burn mostly ineffective candles instead, at least get a geraniol candle and not citronella.
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Jul 9, 2014 17:09
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FogHelmut posted:Well the reason I ask is because I'm trying to figure out how much it's going to rust in an outdoor situation. A lot or a whole lot? Most but not all outdoor fixtures are usually made of materials that don't rust: brass, aluminum, plastic, etc. That being said, most finishes are just coatings. The price of the fixture should give you a clue to how long the finish will last.
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Jul 9, 2014 22:20
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Zhentar posted:I don't know about insects in general, but not really with mosquitoes. Although bats are theoretically capable of eating large numbers of mosquitoes (given a sufficiently dense swarm), mosquitoes aren't particularly nutritious (being tiny and all). Bats generally go after moths and beetles. It's actually gnats that are the problem, but you make a good point about low nutritional value, so it's probably not much different. I guess it still couldn't hurt to build a bat box even if it doesn't help a whole lot.
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Jul 10, 2014 00:16
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Motronic posted:That looks like a grading problem. So regrading would be more complicated than throwing down a window well and piling up some dirt? That's what pretty much all the google DIY results return.
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Jul 10, 2014 01:46
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Hackan Slash posted:So regrading would be more complicated than throwing down a window well and piling up some dirt? That's what pretty much all the google DIY results return. So, if you put up a window well.......exactly where is that going to drain to? The arguably correct way is to dig to the weeping tile/french drain at the footing, install the well and backfill the inside with stone so any water that ends up standing in the well has somewhere to go other than piling up against the window. Or were you going to put those horrible plastic bubbles over the wells? Which I suppose is some sort of solution.
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Jul 10, 2014 02:52
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I bought a house. Inspection was fine, no significant issues. The seller put on a 30-year roof in 2007, water heater's 2010, HVAC is 2013, 200-amp electric service is just a few years old. First time I looked at it was the day after we had inches of rain, and the basement was dry as a bone. There's a french drain and a sump pump down there but the sump wasn't running, there was no water anywhere, and there were no signs of dampness or water getting in anywhere. That said, it does have these planters up against the house:  So house was built in 1947. No sign of current moisture infiltration. But there probably was at some point in the past, because otherwise why put in a french drain and a sump pump? So bottom line: should I rip all these plants out so they're not holding moisture up against the foundation, or just leave well enough alone?
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Jul 10, 2014 14:39
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Phanatic posted:So house was built in 1947. No sign of current moisture infiltration. But there probably was at some point in the past, because otherwise why put in a french drain and a sump pump? So bottom line: should I rip all these plants out so they're not holding moisture up against the foundation, or just leave well enough alone? Plants aren't "holding moisture against your foundation" in any meaningful amount. If the weeping tile/french drain and sump were installed properly, especially if they sealed the walls and put up a dimpled membrane there is no reason to worry about it. Why would one do that? Probably because some water was getting in. The bottom 4 courses of brick were re-pointed (if not replaced) recently as well. I wouldn't be surprised to see that there was an all out foundation repair. At that point you'd be stupid NOT to put in a weeping tile, as ALL buildings with basements should have (it just wasn't typically done when your house was originally built). They also could have done that because they planned to finish the basement. Someone appears to have done the right (and likely expensive thing) before you bought your house. Be happy and leave the landscaping as it is if you like it, or tear it out if you don't. It's not going to make a difference to your drainage.
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Jul 10, 2014 15:41
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Yeah I'd be inquiring as to why the brick was replaced/possibly just repaired.
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Jul 10, 2014 15:56
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I'm replacing the steps at the front of our house leading up to the front porch and door. I've got a plan: The treads (like the highlighted blue one) are 8x1 boards. But, I've just seen a building code section: quote:101:24.2.5.7 Is the 'tread depth' the 8 inches of the width of my boards? Does this count as 'stairs'? In short, have I hosed up and need to go out and get wider boards? edit: actually, does this count as 'new construction'? It's an old building.
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Jul 10, 2014 22:12
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I'm no code expert so I don't know the answer to your actual question, but make your toes happy and do steps that are wider. It's not the tread depth, by the way, but the distance between the vertical bits of the stringer that's specified by the code. Also, I think you're gonna want a third riser in the middle.
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Jul 10, 2014 22:19
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Motronic posted:Plants aren't "holding moisture against your foundation" in any meaningful amount. If the weeping tile/french drain and sump were installed properly, especially if they sealed the walls and put up a dimpled membrane there is no reason to worry about it. Tell me more about this weeping tile business. I bought a house recently that was built in the 1950s, and I've never lived somewhere with a basement before. I'm going to assume I don't have one of these. I'm guessing putting one in after the fact is a pretty major undertaking?
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Jul 10, 2014 22:23
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stubblyhead posted:Tell me more about this weeping tile business. I bought a house recently that was built in the 1950s, and I've never lived somewhere with a basement before. I'm going to assume I don't have one of these. I'm guessing putting one in after the fact is a pretty major undertaking? Well....first of all, do you have a sump pit or pits in the basement? If not, is there anywhere out in your yard that would be below the grade of basement floor that has a pipe coming out of it? Installing weeping tile and sealing a basement is easy. Once you've excavated the trench all the way around your house down to the top of the footings 
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Jul 10, 2014 22:25
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slap me silly posted:I'm no code expert so I don't know the answer to your actual question, but make your toes happy and do steps that are wider. It's not the tread depth, by the way, but the distance between the vertical bits of the stringer that's specified by the code. Also, I think you're gonna want a third riser in the middle. The crap thing is that I went out to buy 10x1 boards but the lumber place didn't have anything wider than 8x1 so I redid the plans. I've got a load of 6x1 around though, maybe I can redo it with an 8 and a 6 for each step. Unkempt fucked around with this message at 22:47 on Jul 10, 2014 |
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Jul 10, 2014 22:45
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Unkempt posted:I'm replacing the steps at the front of our house leading up to the front porch and door. I've got a plan: It may be an old building, but (from what I know in our area) when you replace/fix something on an older building, you're usually expected to bring it up to current code. I'd use at least 2x whatever for your stairs. A 1 inch board is going to start flexing and won't feel very sturdy at all. You have plenty of room there to use 10" or 12" boards for the steps, and that will make your stairs more comfortable to USE too, especially when you're carrying things and climbing the stairs blind.
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Jul 10, 2014 22:52
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Unkempt posted:Is the 'tread depth' the 8 inches of the width of my boards? Does this count as 'stairs'? In short, have I hosed up and need to go out and get wider boards? Yes. IRC 2009 posted:R311.7.4.1 Riser height. The maximum riser height shall be 73/4 inches (196 mm). The riser shall be measured vertically The purple in your photo is the tread. It has to be at least 10 inches in depth. It must overhang the riser by 3/4" but not more than 1 1/4" past each riser unless your treads are 11" deep or more. All of the risers must be less than 7 3/4" tall, and must be within 3/8" of each other. If you are replacing the stairs rather than just fixing a tread or riser on them they must be to current code.
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Jul 10, 2014 23:14
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Motronic posted:Well....first of all, do you have a sump pit or pits in the basement? If not, is there anywhere out in your yard that would be below the grade of basement floor that has a pipe coming out of it? There's a floor drain in the laundry room, not sure if that counts as a sump pit or not. Definitely nowhere on the property that's lower than the basement floor either.
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Jul 11, 2014 03:07
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Motronic posted:Well....first of all, do you have a sump pit or pits in the basement? If not, is there anywhere out in your yard that would be below the grade of basement floor that has a pipe coming out of it? Oh, you want footings? Nineteen-thirty construction: cinderblock on sand, 6' below grade. I had a perimeter drainage system installed in 1996, which was a tense day since they had to excavate a foot or two below the level of the block. They claimed that they trenched no more than 8' at a time, to prevent the wall from kicking in; house was still standing when I got home, so it must've worked. FWIW, water runs right though the joints in the block during major rain events, so I guess that qualifies it as "weeping."
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Jul 11, 2014 05:56
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I don't know if this is a plumbing question or a general dyi question, but here goes. I recently purchased a house that has undergone significant cosmetic renovation. One of the major pieces of work was the installation of a new ensuite bathroom. Everything seems ok, and seemed okay after an inspection by two seperate building inspectors, however since moving in I have noticed that a certain amount of water is pooling in a particular spot (about 15cm in diameter) on the floor of the bathoom, right next to the shower. Basically where the shower is, theres a space between it and the vanity unit, which hangs from the wall. Water collects in very small pools on the tiles following a shower, I'm not sure if this is due to the shower seals or simply small amounts of water spraying from the shower onto the floor (there is no door on the shower) and then not draining properly. I'm going to get a plumber in to have a look at it, and some other minor issues, but my question is - how major of a concern is small amounts of water resting on a tiled floor while I wait for someone to take a look at it? It's not really enough to mop up, a couple of throws with a sponge seems to do the trick, but it's fuckin annoying.
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Jul 11, 2014 09:11
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stubblyhead posted:There's a floor drain in the laundry room, not sure if that counts as a sump pit or not. Definitely nowhere on the property that's lower than the basement floor either. Then you probably don't have a weeping tile, unless it's tied in with the the sewer system (this used to be pretty common). Typically there will be a cleanout for it (separate from the sewer cleanout). PainterofCrap posted:since they had to excavate a foot or two below the level of the block. I think you're in the wrong thread. That post belongs in the Crappy Construction Tales thread. Not because of sand footings, but because someone throught it was ever appropriate to dig below a footing that they aren't underpinning. That's reckless and unnecessary.
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Jul 11, 2014 14:49
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abigserve posted:Basically where the shower is, theres a space between it and the vanity unit, which hangs from the wall. Water collects in very small pools on the tiles following a shower, I'm not sure if this is due to the shower seals or simply small amounts of water spraying from the shower onto the floor (there is no door on the shower) and then not draining properly. Apologies if this is a dumb question, but it does pay to be thorough sometimes. Since you have no door, you do have a shower curtain, right? Also, what's the floor made out of? If you have a tile floor then a little water is no big deal; if it's hardwood, then it could be problematic.
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Jul 11, 2014 15:12
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:Apologies if this is a dumb question, but it does pay to be thorough sometimes. Since you have no door, you do have a shower curtain, right? Thanks for the response. There's no shower curtain because its one of those wet room style bathrooms, all tiled with a drain in the centre as well as one in the shower Which would be OK, but the water never seems to actually drain away from this one particular spot.
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Jul 11, 2014 16:32
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abigserve posted:Thanks for the response. There's no shower curtain because its one of those wet room style bathrooms, all tiled with a drain in the centre as well as one in the shower Recent reno + water sitting on the floor where there are drains sounds a whole lot like the tile wasn't sloped properly. I'm not quite sure what you mean by "shower seals".
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Jul 11, 2014 16:35
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Woke up to water dripping out of my ice maker this morning, and discovered that everything in the freezer had thawed/melted. The fan is still blowing cool(ish) air into the freezer portion (side by side unit). This happened last year, and I emptied it and unplugged it for a few days while I waited for the repair guy. He came, plugged it in, and it worked fine. At the time, I remember reading something about a defrost mode, but my memory is vague. Am I likely replacing something expensive here, or is it possible the fridge will magically work again tomorrow? I am at work so I don't have the model number, but it's a whirlpool from a couple years ago. Out of warranty of course.
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Jul 11, 2014 16:39
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Defrost mode in modern freezers only warms up the freezer 'coils' enough to allow any accumulated frost to melt/evaporate so you don't have to do the old school defrost chore. Your food/stuff shouldn't be defrosting at all. It may be a timer or thermostat needs to be replaced, but I don't know a great deal about freezers other than dealing with the drain tube in my old freezer staying clogged with ice because of the defrost mode.
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Jul 11, 2014 19:20
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Amykinz posted:Defrost mode in modern freezers only warms up the freezer 'coils' enough to allow any accumulated frost to melt/evaporate so you don't have to do the old school defrost chore. Your food/stuff shouldn't be defrosting at all. It may be a timer or thermostat needs to be replaced, but I don't know a great deal about freezers other than dealing with the drain tube in my old freezer staying clogged with ice because of the defrost mode.
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Jul 11, 2014 19:57
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What is a good way to clean off really ingrained shower grime if white vinegar and baking soda didn't even phase it? I'm living in Rome so very specific brand-name cleaners might not have made their way over here yet either... Are there any tricks? Like boiling water followed by white vinegar and a steel brush or something?
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Jul 12, 2014 18:12
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Sulla-Marius 88 posted:What is a good way to clean off really ingrained shower grime if white vinegar and baking soda didn't even phase it? Is it grime or is it mold/mildew? Have you tried Tilex/[Insert generic spray bleach product here]? Make sure to ventilate your bathroom/house if you're spraying a ton of bleach around.
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Jul 12, 2014 18:17
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I could have sworn I've tried bleach before but now that I think about it I'm second guessing myself. I'll give bleach another crack. I can't readily progress beyond that without risking damage to the floor, right? It's not tiles, it's the other type, uh.. the plasticy white stuff, pre-moulded. E: I assumed it was grime but I've tried the vinegar tonight in case it was mould as well. It helped a bit but I'm going to try the bleach again in 10 minutes in case I've completely forgotten trying to use it. Sulla Faex fucked around with this message at 18:42 on Jul 12, 2014 |
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Jul 12, 2014 18:36
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Soap scum needs acid. Vinegar is weak but did you let the vinegar sit for a while and then scrub it? Might have to rinse and repeat a few times. Since it's a plastic shower you have to be careful not to scratch it up though. You could also try something like Zap which is phosphoric acid and stronger than vinegar but still supposedly safe for fiberglass type showers.
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Jul 12, 2014 18:51
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Hm yeah I waited about 10-15 minutes for the vinegar and then scrubbed. It's actually making a bit of progress. The bleach didn't do a whole lot though. I've read a bit about white vinegar and washing up liquid so I'll mix some of that, layer it down, wait an hour, and scrub again. It's slowly getting there, I'm just surprised how much elbow grease I'm having to put into it for so few gains.
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Jul 12, 2014 19:17
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Now that I'm thinking about it - those magic erasers (melamine foam) work pretty well on soap scum too. They are abrasive so you have to be careful not to overdo it and dull the finish of the shower.
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Jul 12, 2014 19:29
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I have no idea where I'd buy a magic eraser over here. They have a really weird selection of stuff, if it's not something people use every day then it's bloody impossible to find. They don't have that costco/walmart culture of just stocking absolutely everything. The good news is, I tried white vinegar and washing up liquid (liquid detergent you might call it? For washing the dishes). I mixed it together a small portion, dumped it and let it soak on the floor for 10 minutes, then wiped it away like nothing. The shower is now almost entirely clean except for a couple tiny spots on a couple ridges that must have been above the soaking water line. But that's fine by me, it looks so much better. Thanks! e: I showed the girlfriend and she goes 'wow, that's amazing! now do the walls and the shower door'
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Jul 12, 2014 19:39
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Just closed on a house and I have a few yard related questions. I didn't see a general lawn care thread, so I figured I would try this thread first. Since location matters, this is in upstate South Carolina. What do you guys think of these plants?     The whole area has been neglected for years, and a bunch of this stuff is growing in the backyard. I want to start clearing it all out, but I want to make sure it isn't something harmful like any of the "poison _______" plants. After doing some research online, it actually looks most like poison sumac, but I'm not sure this is the right environment for it to grow. Here are a few more photos of the area...   Here are my questions: - Is that poison sumac or anything else harmful? - The layer of leaves on the ground is really deep, and there are vines running along the ground that need to be removed. How would you guys go about cleaning this up? - Should I look into some kind of herbicide? Should I just go back there with hand-tools and start working? I guess I'm just looking for any tips you guys have for getting the backyard in shape. The ultimate goal is to remove all these plants, get the leaves off the ground, and then evaluate the condition of the soil and figure out what is necessary to get grass growing back there.
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Jul 13, 2014 02:20
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Ehud posted:Just closed on a house and I have a few yard related questions. I didn't see a general lawn care thread, so I figured I would try this thread first. Since location matters, this is in upstate South Carolina. I have those growing all over my yard in Alabama. The only poison they are is to the sanity. Lawn mowers to the greeny vines works. I use a small axe to the larger ones. Some of my "vines" are as thick as my arms and legs. Those you might need a good axe for. Keep chopping them whenever you come across one. And then I ripped the vines out for the ones possible by gloved hands. I helped one of my friends take care of them in his yard. His solution was absolutely perfect. Lots of gasoline. That indeed burned them all off, but because of their vast root system that likes to go in the dirt, there were new ones growing just a month later. So the easiest solutions that come to mind are either a bobcat and send them to hell, or repeated dosings of gasoline. I took the cheaper and harder route of just cutting and chopping them whenever they make an appearance.
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Jul 13, 2014 02:29
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Slugworth posted:Woke up to water dripping out of my ice maker this morning, and discovered that everything in the freezer had thawed/melted. The fan is still blowing cool(ish) air into the freezer portion (side by side unit). I had this problem a few times before. It happened when the door didn't completely close, some stuff thawed, while the other froze over from the slight gap. Make sure nothing is in the way of the door closing easily, almost on it's on. Other than that, check the seal around the edge to make sure it's still flexing right and not stiffening up.
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Jul 13, 2014 02:32
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