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Mercury Ballistic posted:Is the floor absolutly level? If not you can have gasket sealing issues. Moisture is from an air leak. The compressor is probably working hard to make up for it as well. It sure wasn't - I got it as level as I can, so we'll see how it goes. Does the tucking thing matter though? The moisture thing is fairly recent, since I tried to fix the door on the ice box which had a ton of air frost inside it. That's barely icing up now, so I'm assuming it kinda worked and all the moisture that's appeared was getting frozen up in the ice box before instead? The compressor is running literally non stop, I'm pretty sure. The biggest gasket issue I can see is the squashed hinge side, but I'm not sure if that's even causing a bad seal. Tucking that edge in helps plump it up though
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Mar 29, 2015 23:38
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baka kaba posted:It sure wasn't - I got it as level as I can, so we'll see how it goes. Does the tucking thing matter though? The moisture thing is fairly recent, since I tried to fix the door on the ice box which had a ton of air frost inside it. That's barely icing up now, so I'm assuming it kinda worked and all the moisture that's appeared was getting frozen up in the ice box before instead? Not sure I completely understand the gasket issue, but if it was messed up for a while it may be folded over so to speak and take some coaxing to get back to normal. I would assume if it looks different in one spot that that spoti s wrong. Very hot water may help get the rubber to go back. Another good practice it to run a vaccuum under and behind and get all the cheeto dust and cat hair off the coils. They will insulate them and make the fridge work that much harder to work.
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Mar 30, 2015 00:12
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GWBBQ posted:If you've never drilled marble before, the bottom of a countertop you don't want to destroy is pretty much the last place you want to learn. Maybe you could put a piece of wood across and attach it to the cabinets on either side with angle brackets? There really isn't room for that.   The control panel folds down with the door, meaning i can't put anything across unless it clears that -- leaving about a 1/4 inch gap to work with. Same on either side, there's cabinet doors (and a fake "drawer" under the sink) up to nearly touching the countertop. You can see the remnants of the old glue in the second picture.
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Mar 30, 2015 00:22
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Going to be pulling up my wood decking and replacing it with Trex in a few weeks while keeping the underlying structure. Will be replacing all the rails and stairs also. I have two questions: 1. Is there a better/cheaper place to acquire the raw materials than Home Depot or Lowe's? 2. Which DIY thread would future discussion on this project make the most sense? I see a woodworking thread but that doesn't feel right. Thanks!
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Mar 30, 2015 00:42
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TraderStav posted:Going to be pulling up my wood decking and replacing it with Trex in a few weeks while keeping the underlying structure. Will be replacing all the rails and stairs also. I have two questions: Look for lumberyards in your area, or general construction supplies. Failing that, see if there's a contractor store (e.g. Home Depot Pro). Probably won't be much cheaper than the normal Home Depot but the quality may be better. quote:2. Which DIY thread would future discussion on this project make the most sense? I see a woodworking thread but that doesn't feel right. Post Your Project Megathread, or maybe Crappy Construction Tales, though that one's more about lamenting jobs other people have done.
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Mar 30, 2015 00:46
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:Look for lumberyards in your area, or general construction supplies. Failing that, see if there's a contractor store (e.g. Home Depot Pro). Probably won't be much cheaper than the normal Home Depot but the quality may be better. Thanks, will do both! Have to renovate my rental first in preparation for sale. That's a sizable job and hoping to contract out as much as I can aside from demo, I can break poo poo proper. Will likely post that on the project thread first. (Complete bathroom overhaul on as little $ as possible is the biggest)
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Mar 30, 2015 00:50
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Fucknag posted:There really isn't room for that. Which is why everyone uses epoxy. It sucks because it doesn't last forever but it's easy. There are other alternatives which I've used but they include things like bar stock, threading taps, angle brackets and modified (cut down) screws.
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Mar 30, 2015 01:55
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baka kaba posted:Hey, with fridge/freezer door gaskets, when you look at the part that makes contact with the unit itself, should the inner edge be tucked under, or left flat against the door? Look and see if the fridge has an ice maker opening in back of the freezer, even if it doesn't have an ice maker, there is usually a hole that's got a piece of aluminum tape over it for the water feed line because the cabinets are all built the same and the ones with no ice maker get the piece of tape. This can leak and introduce moisture into the freezer section and ice the holy living gently caress out of your evaporator.
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Mar 30, 2015 12:10
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^^ There's definitely nothing in the back, but there is an annoying drain hole for defrosting, which has a little plug/flat bit you're meant to pop out. It doesn't exactly fit well, but there never used to be a problem at least I think there's still an issue with the freezer box door (I swapped sides, it seems a lot better) since there's air frost forming near a certain part of the door, but I can't see any way to adjust it for a closer fit. The seal isn't good at all, you can move the door up and down slightly on the hinge without any resistance, but that's not a major problem - it can get defrosted if necessary. But all the moisture getting into the fridge is not helping keep veg fresh at all Mercury Ballistic posted:Not sure I completely understand the gasket issue, but if it was messed up for a while it may be folded over so to speak and take some coaxing to get back to normal. I would assume if it looks different in one spot that that spoti s wrong. Very hot water may help get the rubber to go back. I'd take a picture but it's hard to show - basically the layered airy part that gets compressed when you close the door, on the hinge side the top bit has kinda sheared over. So instead of the layers all being squashed down together, and compressed into each other, they're offset a bit and it's left them a bit flat. Like on the right: pre:--- --- --- --- --- --- Thanks peeps! baka kaba fucked around with this message at 12:23 on Mar 30, 2015 |
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Mar 30, 2015 12:18
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Fucknag posted:There really isn't room for that. If I were you, I'd just use epoxy. That's what I'd do, and I work for a stone shop. It's possible to drill a cinch into that granite top, but it's very likely that you'll blow the top of the granite apart if you did, it's just not worth it. Edit: A job I did used something pretty close to these: http://www.amazon.com/Granite-Grabbers-Dishwasher-Mounting-Brackets/dp/B002UQ107O I never heard any complaints that they weren't working but I can't vouch for them personally. AFewBricksShy fucked around with this message at 19:20 on Mar 30, 2015 |
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Mar 30, 2015 14:49
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Deck building question: Not sure if this is the best place to ask but I don't think it's worth starting a whole thread over. I'm building a small deck in my back yard, roughly 12' x 12'. Been doing some reading since this is a first for me but I was planning on 4x4 posts in each corner cemented into the ground, with 2x8 beams, ledgers and joists. No railing, it's very low to the ground. The problem is, the ground comes right up to within a couple of inches of the deck height where it meets the house. I can dig out enough to make room for joists, but they're going to be touching the ground and I can't find any 2x8's rated for ground contact like the 4x4 I got, at least not at home depot or lowe's. Is there a way around this or am I just going to have to find the right lumber? What's the "right" way to do this when a deck is so close to ground level? (my house is on a slope, the other end of the deck will be about 2 feet off the ground)
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Mar 30, 2015 20:28
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the nicker posted:Deck building question: Can you do some dirt work so that the whole thing will be off the ground? Do you know someone with a small tractor or front end loader who could level the spot?
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Mar 30, 2015 20:38
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Atticus_1354 posted:Can you do some dirt work so that the whole thing will be off the ground? Do you know someone with a small tractor or front end loader who could level the spot? The edge against the house is at ground level, even if a dug a big "hole" for the deck to sit into (which is basically what i'll be doing to make room for the joists anyway) it's still going to be surrounded by dirt. This is right up against the slab of my house, I can't do any major excavating. edit: I could raise the height of the entire deck, but I don't want to have to step up onto the deck when I walk out the back door. I'll take a picture when I get home, the scenario is hard to describe. CheddarGoblin fucked around with this message at 20:58 on Mar 30, 2015 |
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Mar 30, 2015 20:55
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the nicker posted:The edge against the house is at ground level, even if a dug a big "hole" for the deck to sit into (which is basically what i'll be doing to make room for the joists anyway) it's still going to be surrounded by dirt. This is right up against the slab of my house, I can't do any major excavating. I think he's saying to level out the rest of the yard so it's not sloping downhill?
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Mar 30, 2015 20:59
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the nicker posted:The edge against the house is at ground level, even if a dug a big "hole" for the deck to sit into (which is basically what i'll be doing to make room for the joists anyway) it's still going to be surrounded by dirt. This is right up against the slab of my house, I can't do any major excavating. I'm almost 100% sure you don't want the joists touching the dirt because it will cause them to rot. I could be wrong though.
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Mar 30, 2015 21:01
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the nicker posted:I can't find any 2x8's rated for ground contact like the 4x4 I got, at least not at home depot or lowe's. Home Depot and Lowes have pretty crappy lumber selection. Look for a proper lumberyard or construction supply store in your area. You're asking for materials that most homeowners don't need, but pressure-treated 2x8s definitely exist. Hell, you can ask Home Depot/Lowes if they'll order in the supplies you need. I'm sure they'd be happy to sell them to you.
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Mar 30, 2015 21:02
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Bucket Joneses posted:I think he's saying to level out the rest of the yard so it's not sloping downhill? Yeah just cut off the top of the slope. Go from this. ]\ ]_\ ]__\ To this. ]__ ]___\ ]____\ Obviously not to scale. Pictures would help.
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Mar 30, 2015 21:04
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Bucket Joneses posted:I think he's saying to level out the rest of the yard so it's not sloping downhill? This isn't really an option. I can't remove that much dirt up against the slab of the house.. I mean I guess I could, but it seems like a really bad idea. Like just asking for foundation problems. No? TooMuchAbstraction posted:Home Depot and Lowes have pretty crappy lumber selection. Look for a proper lumberyard or construction supply store in your area. You're asking for materials that most homeowners don't need, but pressure-treated 2x8s definitely exist. There are different levels of pressure treated wood. Above ground, ground contact, and below ground. All of the pressure treated lumber at lowe's and home depot is "above ground" only (like this), except for the 4x4's and 6x6's. There's not even any on the site available for order.
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Mar 30, 2015 21:13
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No don't dig out your foundation. Level it by adding dirt, not taking dirt away.
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Mar 30, 2015 21:28
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Bucket Joneses posted:No don't dig out your foundation. Level it by adding dirt, not taking dirt away. Right, but that doesn't help me. My problem is the ground is too close to deck level, not too far. The slope is not the issue, the issue is that a large portion of my deck support structure will be touching/submerged into the ground which is not good in terms of wood rotting. Anyways I found a lumber place that can order what I need, just waiting on them to call me back with a price.
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Mar 30, 2015 21:35
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Plus you don't really want to level it out otherwise you risk creating drainage problems. You might have more slope than you need now, but that's way better than too little. And fyi modern pressure treat is crap and will rot sooner than you'd like , especially if it's in contact with dirt. It all went down hill when they stopped using arsenic.
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Mar 30, 2015 21:51
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Well I can't get the lumber I need in such a small quantity. I'd have to order a poo poo ton. The guy suggested I just 4x4's instead for the parts that touch the ground, which is something I thought about anyways.Flash Gordon Ramsay posted:And fyi modern pressure treat is crap and will rot sooner than you'd like , especially if it's in contact with dirt. It all went down hill when they stopped using arsenic. Yeah that's kinda the gist I got from reading online as well. Luckily this is a relatively small and cheap project as far as decks go.
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Mar 30, 2015 22:13
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Looking to use our tax refund to replace our furnace (since its older than me) and wanted opinions on two-stage vs single stage. The two furnaces I've been quoted:
Leaning toward the two-stage, but it's $1000 more than the single stage. Opinions on going two-stage? The idea of more even heating appeals to me, plus I live in a more temperate climate (Tigard, OR) so I would probably not need full capacity very often. Or is the two-stage a gimmick / not that noticeable? (I thought there was an HVAC thread but I can't seem to find it. If there is a better place to ask let me know.)
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Mar 30, 2015 22:37
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You could use smaller beams and joists. You can use the 4x4s as beams (not across full 12' spans, but you shouldn't do that with 2x8 beams either) and with 6' spans you should be able to use 2x4s 12" OC for joists (*probably won't pass code inspection because 2x4 joists aren't listed in prescriptive tables).
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Mar 30, 2015 22:40
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Zhentar posted:You could use smaller beams and joists. You can use the 4x4s as beams (not across full 12' spans, but you shouldn't do that with 2x8 beams either) and with 6' spans you should be able to use 2x4s 12" OC for joists (*probably won't pass code inspection because 2x4 joists aren't listed in prescriptive tables). That's a good idea, add a beam in the middle and use 2x4 joists. But that assumes I can find 2x4's rated for ground contact. Otherwise I'm looking at 4x4's all around. I just went out and measured it'll actually be 10 feet wide. Would I need supports in the middle of a 10' 4x4 span? I can certainly do that if needed since it's pretty much sitting on the ground anyway. Here's a pic of where it will go. I'd like the deck surface to be flush with the top of the concrete on the right, and extend out the same distance. You can see where I've already dug a post hole in the lower right. 
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Mar 31, 2015 01:02
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the nicker posted:Here's a pic of where it will go. I'd like the deck surface to be flush with the top of the concrete on the right, and extend out the same distance. You can see where I've already dug a post hole in the lower right. So, yes. You need to re-grade. Obviously it should be sloped away from the house, but that is such a small area it can be done with a shovel. No soil contact with anything other that posts is the correct way to do this. If you do it the right way you won't even know how much it counted because you won't need to replace your trampoline deck 5 years from now.....it will just be a proper deck that you long forgot about the extra few hours you spent excavating for as it lasts for 20+ years.
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Mar 31, 2015 03:43
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I'll be moving into a new house soon and I will need to buy a new lock for the door. One of my buddies has a keypad deadbolt on his front door. I think its a handy idea. Does any one have any suggestions or things to watch out for?
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Mar 31, 2015 04:21
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Sound_man posted:I'll be moving into a new house soon and I will need to buy a new lock for the door. One of my buddies has a keypad deadbolt on his front door. I think its a handy idea. Does any one have any suggestions or things to watch out for? Theoretically someone could try a few numbers every day until they find the right combination, allowing them free access to your house, belongings and sleeping body, other than that nothing 
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Mar 31, 2015 07:24
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sbyers77 posted:Looking to use our tax refund to replace our furnace (since its older than me) and wanted opinions on two-stage vs single stage. Brands? How old is the house? What's your insulation situation? Does your gas company offer rebates or free(cheap) energy audits? Get at least 3 quotes. What are the actual quoted prices? With as little as you use it 2 stage is a bit of a gimmick. It's useful in climates where the heat runs more often.
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Mar 31, 2015 13:00
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sbyers77 posted:Looking to use our tax refund to replace our furnace (since its older than me) and wanted opinions on two-stage vs single stage. The X13 will end up saving you money if you run the fan continuously to filter or keep air moving. The lower stage is actually slightly less efficient, so it'd be a comfort choice, not an efficiency choice-- but always having some air movement and a low fire mode will keep the house temperatures more even. Brand is almost the least important thing, installer is everything.
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Mar 31, 2015 16:20
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I should have been more specific. I know the efficiency difference will be pretty nominal and the higher price of the two-stage is more about features than efficiency. I was looking more for opinions like "I love our two-stage, never going back to single stage again!" Or "I never really noticed a difference when we upgraded our furnace to a two-stage." Waiting for a few more quotes to come back, but the front runner installer was able to quote me on the spot and they have a great reputation. The brand they carry is Carrier, so the quotes I am deciding between are about $4500 for Performance 95 two-stage installed or about $3500 installed for Comfort 95 single stage. (Also $5700 for Infinity 98 modulating and $2800 for Comfort 80 single stage, but I am not really interested in those.) sbyers77 fucked around with this message at 18:12 on Mar 31, 2015 |
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Mar 31, 2015 18:06
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How would you go about hanging a picture frame in the bedroom of a 7-year-old child with ADHD in a fashion such that she can't knock it onto her head while flailing around?
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Mar 31, 2015 19:51
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Phanatic posted:How would you go about hanging a picture frame in the bedroom of a 7-year-old child with ADHD in a fashion such that she can't knock it onto her head while flailing around? Use mirror mounts, or something like them? Little clips that hold onto the front of the object and hold it against the wall, basically.
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Mar 31, 2015 20:29
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sbyers77 posted:I should have been more specific. I know the efficiency difference will be pretty nominal and the higher price of the two-stage is more about features than efficiency. I was looking more for opinions like "I love our two-stage, never going back to single stage again!" Or "I never really noticed a difference when we upgraded our furnace to a two-stage." I went with a fully-variable heat pump a year and a half ago, and I know I'm never going back. I leave the fan on 24/7 as well, and the air movement helps a lot with what were cold and hot spots, even more than ceiling fans did. I don't get blasts of hot or cold air unless I manually set it to be several degrees off from the program since the thing just turns on to whatever it needs to maintain the +/- 1 degree. Low fire/variable/modulating will let you reduce the swing to almost nothing without worrying about short-cycling the equipment.
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Mar 31, 2015 20:47
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the nicker posted:I just went out and measured it'll actually be 10 feet wide. Would I need supports in the middle of a 10' 4x4 span? I can certainly do that if needed since it's pretty much sitting on the ground anyway. 4x4 shouldn't really span more than 4'. For a 5' span, you'd want 4x6, and for a full 10' you'd want 4x10.
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Mar 31, 2015 21:36
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Zhentar posted:4x4 shouldn't really span more than 4'. For a 5' span, you'd want 4x6, and for a full 10' you'd want 4x10. Thanks, I think i've got a plan ironed out. Going to use 4x6 beams and 2x6 joists mounted with hangers to keep the profile as low as possible. With the 4x6 beams I only need to dig a few inches to keep them off the ground. And near the house I don't even need posts, I can support that beam directly with something like these + cement. Or, I could just attach a ledger board directly to the house and go that route.
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Mar 31, 2015 21:59
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Phanatic posted:How would you go about hanging a picture frame in the bedroom of a 7-year-old child with ADHD in a fashion such that she can't knock it onto her head while flailing around? Because my x wife wanted to hang pictures over my son's crib I screwed the frame directly into a stud. I'm sure the same with drywall anchors would work.
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Apr 1, 2015 14:28
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I noticed that the fire extinguisher that came with the condo I rent (one of those dinky single-use jobbies) expired 13 years ago. I'd like to get a larger, nicer (i.e. rechargable) one to mount on the wall in the kitchen. Any recommendations?
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Apr 1, 2015 18:17
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Safety Dance posted:I noticed that the fire extinguisher that came with the condo I rent (one of those dinky single-use jobbies) expired 13 years ago. I'd like to get a larger, nicer (i.e. rechargable) one to mount on the wall in the kitchen. Any recommendations? Follow-on: what am I supposed to do when I "inspect" my extinguishers? Just make sure they're not rusty or damaged?
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Apr 1, 2015 19:01
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Bucket Joneses posted:Follow-on: what am I supposed to do when I "inspect" my extinguishers? Just make sure they're not rusty or damaged? On good extinguishers with gauges you should check the gauge to make sure it's charged, remove the hose to make sure it's clear and inspect the general appearance and how it's mounted. Every 5 years they need to be professionally tested (emptied, valve components inspected or replaced, gauge checked, bottle hydrotested, etc). This is the kind of thing that usually only happens in commercial settings. It's probably cheaper for your house to just buy the junk disposables at a big box store every 4 or 5 years. Safety Dance posted:I noticed that the fire extinguisher that came with the condo I rent (one of those dinky single-use jobbies) expired 13 years ago. I'd like to get a larger, nicer (i.e. rechargable) one to mount on the wall in the kitchen. Any recommendations? Go to a big box store and get the biggest "type K" you can stand mounting in an easily accessible place, preferably far enough away from the stove that you can get it if something goes wrong and closer to an exit in case things go really wrong (don't fight a fire without an exit to your back).
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Apr 1, 2015 20:40
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