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Mercury Ballistic posted:Fair enough. I don't know enough about this to know the difference in cost and effort from the 50 year vs 10 year. If it is that trivial, then I am all for it. It will just suck when you sell and know that the new owners will tear it out and probably take the cheap route, moreso if they intend to flip it as happens in my area. When you have a well built home that's not a mess of slapdash repairs it's not economically viable to "flip". Flip houses are shitholes that scumbags put a fresh coat of paint and new counter tops on, while masking all of the underlying problems. They get these cheap because they need so much obvious work to make right, and they just drywall/tile over the problems. And what someone does with a house you've sold shouldn't be your concern unless you've tricked them into thinking work was done properly that wasn't. If they can't identify good work or even decent work that's still performing properly that's on them. Don't discount the power of before/in progress/after photos with dates detailing work done as a way to increase the value of a home that has had proper recent work performed.
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Aug 1, 2014 01:09
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Yeah when we were buying our house we went into one and about 5 minutes into it our agent said "Guys this is a flip, let's get out of here you don't want this."
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Aug 1, 2014 01:40
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Motronic posted:I can answer this in any number of ways, beginning with the simple fact that the entire reason "bathrooms are pretty much a negative asset for a house for sale after about 10-15 years" being pretty much everything I've said about slapping tile over drywall to simple pride in workmanship and doing a job the right way in your own house or when you're taking someone else'e money. My grandfather was a construction foreman for a very long time, on everything from homes, to commercial buildings, churches, libraries, you name it. He was constantly bemoaning the decline of solid workmanship in favor of doing just enough to meet code and then moving on. My father-in-law was a tile setter for a very long time and has some similar opinions.
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Aug 1, 2014 02:36
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White subway tile (3x6 running bond) and a 1"x1" hexagon mosaic floor (white with a black dot) have been in style for about 100 years now, and pretty much are timeless. I'd say it's the only thing that has remained constant in the industry.
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Aug 1, 2014 18:18
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I always loved hexagon tiles. You're right, they're timeless.
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Aug 1, 2014 21:20
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Designers like gently caress up by using colors that quickly become dated, though. Saw a brand new reno on HGTV with lavender sinks.
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Aug 2, 2014 14:44
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There's been a small (~2" diameter trunk) dead cedar tree in my backyard for awhile now. Today I finally got around to taking it out. Is there any particular reason why I shouldn't add this to my burn pile? All of the wood's covered with lichen and so on, but it's not really rotted -- the tree was standing upright and thus wasn't in constant contact with water.
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Aug 2, 2014 21:35
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My double hung windows are about eighty years old and wildly drafty. They are wood frames with glazing on the exterior, but large chunks of glazing are missing. Obviously I am going to correct this, but was curious if anyone felt like predicting if this would improve the situation noticeably. I suspect the draftiness might be primarily between the sashes and the frames as there is a lot of wiggle when I open and close them. I guess the question is, on older drafty windows, what's the usual suspect?
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Aug 3, 2014 02:12
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Slugworth posted:My double hung windows are about eighty years old and wildly drafty. They are wood frames with glazing on the exterior, but large chunks of glazing are missing. You mean large sections of putty that is supposed to hold the panes of glass in are missing? Yes, that would be a significant path for drafts. As would worn out casings. Also, the biggest air loss with old windows is usually lovely installation. It may have been totally fine back when they were installed, but these days windows are installed with insulation around them. Low expansion spray foam is best. So if you really need to do this on the cheap for now and not replace them, a combination of puttying the panes back in, caulking the outside, and removing the interior trim and spray foaming between the window casing and rough opening would make a big difference. Follow this up with caulking the interior trim when you reinstall it. Most drafty things are a combination of issues that stack up like this.
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Aug 3, 2014 02:24
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:There's been a small (~2" diameter trunk) dead cedar tree in my backyard for awhile now. Today I finally got around to taking it out. Is there any particular reason why I shouldn't add this to my burn pile? All of the wood's covered with lichen and so on, but it's not really rotted -- the tree was standing upright and thus wasn't in constant contact with water. Slugworth posted:My double hung windows are about eighty years old and wildly drafty. They are wood frames with glazing on the exterior, but large chunks of glazing are missing.
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Aug 3, 2014 02:37
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Motronic posted:So if you really need to do this on the cheap for now and not replace them, a combination of puttying the panes back in, caulking the outside, and removing the interior trim and spray foaming between the window casing and rough opening would make a big difference. Follow this up with caulking the interior trim when you reinstall it. I hadn't considered caulking inside or out - Sounds like a plan.
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Aug 3, 2014 02:57
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Slugworth posted:Yeah, not looking to replace as I am selling in the next couple years and the ROI isn't worth it to me. I am also in the process of refinishing all of my trim, so the casing will be coming off soon. The downside is, if they are anything like the window I already refinished the casing on, there is no shim space around the window frame - Nothing visible or accessible at least. It was window frame butted up directly to stud, as though the rough opening was not so rough. Well, if there's no space it's (probably) not leaking. But putting some aluminum tape or tyvec tape on it wouldn't hurt. And then get your caulk between the wall and the trim inside. It really does make a big difference, especially when I'm assuming that you probably have other leaks in the wall from the outside with minimal insulation to stop it, and the windows would be the penetration where it will get inside. Also, it makes a nice clean finish between the trim and the wall. Just use some good latex caulk and put on as little as possible, then wipe it off/in/around with your finger (make sure it's wet and clean of too much caulk.....I do this with a bowl of warm water and a sponge at the ready and clean off every few inches depending on how much extra caulk I'm taking off).
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Aug 3, 2014 03:12
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Is this some kind of asbestos paper? Is there a way for me to test it that won't kill me? Am I already going to die from whatever exposure I've just had?  The heavily abbreviated story is that I need to get access to a cracked 4" pipe that is underneath my kitchen. There is a "crawlspace" under the kitchen that is actually just a bunch of dirt with a few inches of clearance below the joists. I started digging my way in sideways from the basement (careful not to dig out around the footers) because there is an opening there that was probably intended to be how you would get into the crawlspace. I encountered this papery stuff about 6 feet in. My house was built in 1893, and the kitchen was added on sometime a few years later. I can provide more photos of the crawlspace and what not if needed, but mostly I want to know about this papery stuff.
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Aug 3, 2014 15:07
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Asbestos is usually thicker when used as a covering/fireproofing/whatever, but you really can't rule it out without a proper sample and test. They should have kits at any big box home improvement store to take a sample and send it off to the lab. I'd suggest you don't mess with it anymore until you know to be safe. If you have no other choice you best tyvec suit up with a respirator, clear everyone else the gently caress out, and hose the poo poo out of that stuff before touching it. But really.....that's still a bad idea.
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Aug 3, 2014 15:12
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Hmm, ok. I will look into getting it tested, thanks.
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Aug 3, 2014 15:20
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Sorry to double post. Lets assume for a minute that it is some kind of asbestos tape. Given the amount of dirt that I removed before I found this piece, I find it unlikely that there is a large cache of asbestos hiding in there. It seems more like a bit of tape just ended up in the fill dirt. If I were to seal the area off with some plastic sheeting and keep digging using throw-away clothes and a p100 respirator, is there really that much risk? It's not like I am actually removing a bunch of asbestos.
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Aug 3, 2014 16:11
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armorer posted:Sorry to double post. Lets assume for a minute that it is some kind of asbestos tape. Given the amount of dirt that I removed before I found this piece, I find it unlikely that there is a large cache of asbestos hiding in there. It seems more like a bit of tape just ended up in the fill dirt. If I were to seal the area off with some plastic sheeting and keep digging using throw-away clothes and a p100 respirator, is there really that much risk? It's not like I am actually removing a bunch of asbestos. I thought you were pulling that stuff down. If it's on the ground and you don't need to disturb much of it you can get away with what you said. But wet it down before moving it, and get it into plastic bags before it dries. As long as you can keep it from dusting up it won't hurt you. That, plus extra precautions/negative air machines is the accepted way of removing asbestos. If it's just a few possible pieces you can do it yourself if you are cautious. If it turns out to be all over the place you should have it tested and call in a pro if it comes back. Because paper/tape is super friable, which is what makes it dangerous. Like pipe insulation. If it were vinyl/asbestos tiles it wouldn't be nearly as bad, because you pretty much have to cut those things to make them friable.
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Aug 3, 2014 16:15
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I have a shed that is kinda like a small house. It has a door and walls and siding and a roof and whatnot. It has power, but it is not normally heated. Is there an issue with putting a sofa or something inside there? Someone told me that this was a bad idea because mice would go live in it when the winter comes, or there would be mildew and whatever. Is this likely to be the case? Thanks.
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Aug 3, 2014 18:25
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the posted:I have a shed that is kinda like a small house. It has a door and walls and siding and a roof and whatnot. It has power, but it is not normally heated. You nailed it. If there is any place dry and not regularly inhabited by humans, then wildlife will move in sooner or later. The depends a lot on the couch you're planning on putting in there though. If this couch is a glorified bench with a 1" pad, then probably not so much. They might tear out the stuffing to go build a nest somewhere else, but they wouldn't burrow into it.
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Aug 3, 2014 19:16
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And there's no way I can like.. "wildlife proof" the shed or something?
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Aug 3, 2014 19:37
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the posted:And there's no way I can like.. "wildlife proof" the shed or something? Building it out of half-inch steel and making sure it's completely sealed is about the only way. WIldlife gets in loving EVERYWHERE. Just get plastic chairs?
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Aug 3, 2014 20:25
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thespaceinvader posted:Building it out of half-inch steel and making sure it's completely sealed is about the only way. WIldlife gets in loving EVERYWHERE. I was looking for a nice comfy thing to sit on though. Once I get a proper A/C and an HDTV in there, that will be the spot to watch games with the guys, where we can fart and drink and whatever (  )
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Aug 3, 2014 22:31
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the posted:I was looking for a nice comfy thing to sit on though. Once I get a proper A/C and an HDTV in there, that will be the spot to watch games with the guys, where we can fart and drink and whatever ( Hammock chairs, then. If rodents do get in, they might chew up the cloth for nesting material, but they won't be able to hide in the thing.
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Aug 3, 2014 22:57
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the posted:I was looking for a nice comfy thing to sit on though. These are shockingly comfortable for folding plastic chairs: http://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-Flex-One-Folding-Chair-2FF0010P/204269967 Although still probably not exactly what you're looking for.
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Aug 3, 2014 23:30
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the posted:I was looking for a nice comfy thing to sit on though. Once I get a proper A/C and an HDTV in there, that will be the spot to watch games with the guys, where we can fart and drink and whatever ( Plastic chairs, keep cushions in the house? Plastic chairs can be pretty comfy anyway. Maybe deckchairs.
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Aug 3, 2014 23:34
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Is there any circumstance under which this is acceptable? Found this today in a closet in my parents house. http://imgur.com/WfH5aSn Some lamp fixture attached to a box wired to a lamp cord, all screwed to the underside of a shelf. No one in my family would own up to it.
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Aug 4, 2014 00:56
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snickles posted:Is there any circumstance under which this is acceptable? Nope, zip cord isn't approved to be directly wired in without a ground wire, and even then only for ceiling fixtures.
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Aug 4, 2014 01:48
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I'm regrading a small area of my backyard soon. The interlocking brick there previously was pooling water near our basement window area and our drainage couldn't keep up. What is also adding to this is that my neighbor (who passed away and house is vacant while selling) has her backyard graded and the water drains over into our property. Again, i'm planning on regrading a little garden area with a few inches of slope, but my concern is getting the bulk of "her" run off.  Is there something I can put along our fence line that will direct the water to the common area (on the other side of the fence)? The pile up in the corner is just dirt and sand from me trying to dig a pit during a massive rain storm. None of what I'm trying to do would have prevented the sheer amount of rain from flooding.
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Aug 6, 2014 20:03
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In my basement, the previous homeowners had a vent cut into the AC duct. It's not a return, it's definitely a vent, and it seems like a waste of a lot of cfm just to keep the already-cool basement even cooler. Is there potential reason *not* to seal that vent up?
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Aug 7, 2014 23:20
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Phanatic posted:In my basement, the previous homeowners had a vent cut into the AC duct. It's not a return, it's definitely a vent, and it seems like a waste of a lot of cfm just to keep the already-cool basement even cooler. Is there potential reason *not* to seal that vent up?
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Aug 8, 2014 02:28
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We had someone try to kick in our door last night. I'm now looking for an alarm system that doesn't have a contract, doesn't require a land line and has an app for the iPhone. Any recommendations?
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Aug 8, 2014 14:03
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kizudarake posted:We had someone try to kick in our door last night. I'm now looking for an alarm system that doesn't have a contract, doesn't require a land line and has an app for the iPhone. Any recommendations? The contract pays for the monitoring. You can rig up an alarm system with regular home automation stuff, but you'd be limited to emails and text messages as alerts, maybe photos and video as evidence after an incident. You'd have to call the police yourself. If that's what you want, the easiest way is probably to get a controller/internet gateway like a Veralite, then connect z-wave doodads. There are z-wave switches, dimmers, deadbolts, cameras, window sensors, motion triggers, thermostats... and more. Warning, that approach is kind of a time and money sink if you go too far. eddiewalker fucked around with this message at 15:33 on Aug 8, 2014 |
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Aug 8, 2014 15:30
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kizudarake posted:We had someone try to kick in our door last night. I'm now looking for an alarm system that doesn't have a contract, doesn't require a land line and has an app for the iPhone. Any recommendations? I bought this and use their monitoring. I think I got a screaming deal by accident though, I paid $201.99 for that same package. Throw on a $75 wifi communicator and you're good to go. There's an iphone app but you have to sign up for monitoring with TotalConnect. You can get that for $10 a month if you don't want central station monitoring. I do, because I get an insurance discount. it's $20/mo with central station monitoring.
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Aug 8, 2014 15:33
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eddiewalker posted:The contract pays for the monitoring. You can rig up an alarm system with regular home automation stuff, but you'd be limited to emails and text messages as alerts, maybe photos and video as evidence after an incident. You'd have to call the police yourself. There are definitely a number of no-contract monitoring companies, but you're going to have to set up the alarm yourself. Stay away from ADT and vivint, they just sell you rebranded honeywell/DSC equipment a huge premium.
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Aug 8, 2014 15:35
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I'm ok with getting alerts as texts and phone calls. I'm going to have someone install it, but I'm looking at needing just 11 door/window contacts(including a detached garage door) and one motion sensor in my garage. I'd need three, maybe 4 key fobs(me, my wife, my folks and her folks) and the ability to set it and monitor it from my phone.
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Aug 8, 2014 16:56
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Look into glass break sensors instead of putting sensors on every single window, it should save money.
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Aug 8, 2014 16:59
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alternatively, adopt a dog
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Aug 8, 2014 16:59
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We had a home security thread, is that thing still active?
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Aug 8, 2014 17:14
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PuTTY riot posted:Look into glass break sensors instead of putting sensors on every single window, it should save money. I was only going to put them on windows you don't need a ladder to get into and 4 doors.
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Aug 8, 2014 17:35
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How hard would it be to replace my own roof on our 8x10 shed? The plywood even needs to be replaced from rot. Ideally I'd like to do something like corrugated metal instead of messing with shingles. If it is too tricky, what sort of cost range am I looking at to have this done? Like 1k or so?
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Aug 9, 2014 22:09
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