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Used cat litter or fresh? I like to think that the fact that our garbage cans perpetually smell like a catbox help keep rats away.
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Jun 2, 2016 04:38
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minivanmegafun posted:Used cat litter or fresh? I like to think that the fact that our garbage cans perpetually smell like a catbox help keep rats away.
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Jun 2, 2016 05:36
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Zanthia posted:Used. Gross but effective. I'm pretty sure the smell of a catbox will keep anything away. We've had at least two mice in the house in the last month despite two cats and three litter boxes. I have no idea how they're getting in or why the cat smell isn't keeping them at bay.
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Jun 2, 2016 12:27
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mastershakeman posted:We've had at least two mice in the house in the last month despite two cats and three litter boxes. I have no idea how they're getting in or why the cat smell isn't keeping them at bay. Mice can squeeze in through some really really tiny holes. Toxoplasmosis is the usual reason rodents don't fear their predators.
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Jun 2, 2016 12:48
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In a home improvement dilemma here... We just bought a house and want to put in AC - for our comfort and for my wierdo pets. Every contractor we've had out has suggested also upgrading our furnace, which works fine, but is 16 years old and not high efficiency. They all give some kind of bullshit excuse as to why it needs to be done now when the AC is installed instead of when the furnace finally craps out. We can afford both, no problem, but didn't really want to rip out the functional furnace right now. Replacement furnace would be a 98% efficiency. Should we just do this now, or wait until our furnace dies? Help me out, homeowners!
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Jun 2, 2016 14:07
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The reason they want to match the two is the coil size calculation requires you know the airflow rate of the fan to make it work right. They have no way to properly match the new AC with your ready to fail furnace. If the air flow is wrong you won't get proper dehumidification. You will get a funky wet cold air thing going. (See mold houses) Also the labor to install the coil is the same as replacing the furnace so you realize those savings. Most modern furnaces integrate with the AC condenser for efficiency also. I don't think 98% is worth the extra bucks 96% seems to be the sweet spot with cheap natural gas. I also didn't bother with a heat pump since gas is so cheap. I paid 9k to get a new 5 ton AC and 96% furnace installed. This heats and cools a 3400 sf house in Indiana. I would spring for a pricer AC unit next time mine sounds like a jet engine. It was the best one stage compressor carrier sold. My house needs to run balls to the wall to cool the stupidly designed upstairs with a giant hole to the downstairs so a lower stage would leave me hot upstairs. My furnace guy was not the cheapest but he is competent and practical. He talked me out of more expensive options since I am a huge diaper baby about being cold or hot. He said they wouldn't help. I also bought a fancy furnace with a huge rear end filter and humidifier. It compensates for my badly designed ducts. I would get a ton of bids in person to find the right installer. Retrofitting is super hard to get just right. I think not replacing your furnace is penny wise and pound foolish. If you don't want to waste it though just get a window AC unit.
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Jun 2, 2016 15:02
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Bozart posted:So I have a groundhog. I tried to scare it away with a broom but it just lunged at me. So now I am planning on getting a trap, then getting some dry ice and then euthanizing it. Homeownership is great! You don't even need dry ice. I used baking soda and vinegar for my poor hedgehog (rip Iggy).
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Jun 2, 2016 16:41
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Hashtag Banterzone posted:You don't even need dry ice. I used baking soda and vinegar for my poor hedgehog (rip Iggy). While interesting in theory I don't want to turn my garbage can into a groundhog volcano. 
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Jun 2, 2016 17:21
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Yeah, i have no idea about actual volumes but I would imagine the amount of baking soda and vinegar it would take to make enough CO2 to euthanize a groundhog would be substantially more than a hedgehog. Not so much that it would be "a volcano" but more of a mess than it's worth. You might want to call your local game commission, I know in PA there are places that euthanize live trapped groundhogs. Or, just, shoot it.* *May or may not be legal where you live.
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Jun 2, 2016 17:44
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Set a couple #220 conibear traps near the entrances. They kill quick and guilt free. Don't use these if you have cats/dogs/kids that could get caught. Alternatively there's the thing that fills the hole with propane and oxygen. Then it ignites and kills with concussion. YouTube makes it look fun.
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Jun 2, 2016 18:02
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rdb posted:Set a couple #220 conibear traps near the entrances. They kill quick and guilt free. Don't use these if you have cats/dogs/kids that could get caught. Rodenators are pretty rad. Coworker used that to kill some gophers that weren't in a good position to shoot.
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Jun 3, 2016 16:52
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https://np.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/4m4ai8/someone_just_ripped_out_all_the_plants_in_my/ From reddit, HOA destroys ficus trees on a quadriplegic's property because they are "poorly trimmed"
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Jun 3, 2016 21:41
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canyoneer posted:https://np.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/4m4ai8/someone_just_ripped_out_all_the_plants_in_my/ I don't see proof it was the HOA. More likely the ahole neighbors reporting the violation when vigilante.
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Jun 5, 2016 23:14
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Elephanthead posted:I don't see proof it was the HOA. More likely the ahole neighbors reporting the violation when vigilante. Yeah I think it was neighbors also. Also If they are as large as he represents them how didn't he hear all that going on? Wouldn't it be at least an hour or so worth of heavy work literally right outside his home
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Jun 6, 2016 08:57
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Taste the Rainbugh posted:Yeah I think it was neighbors also. Also If they are as large as he represents them how didn't he hear all that going on? Wouldn't it be at least an hour or so worth of heavy work literally right outside his home Possibly it was done while he was literally anywhere else
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Jun 6, 2016 11:11
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I just spent 2 weeks tracing the 2 different cable networks that the PO had installed by directTV/charter/vonage. So tired of that game. Anyone ever had a low voltage guy install conduit and string pulls in addition to ethernet? I used to pull my own Cat5, but with all the other stuff I need to get done, I'm this close to just paying someone else to do it. And if I'm paying someone else to pull the cable, it sure would be nice if I could get conduit for future pulls. Obviously this is way past just fishing a couple wall drops, involving drywall work and repaint
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Jun 6, 2016 23:52
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I still need to go rip out the miles of cable choking my little Chicago 2-story cottage from all the abandoned AT&T/DirectTV/Comcast installs.
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Jun 6, 2016 23:57
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minivanmegafun posted:I still need to go rip out the miles of cable choking my little Chicago 2-story cottage from all the abandoned AT&T/DirectTV/Comcast installs.  Ask me about the three halfassed coax runs going around the exterior of the house by installers being paid $50 per installation.
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Jun 7, 2016 00:10
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gently caress rats. Is there any reason why a homeowner shouldn't just go buy some of those rat bait stations and place them in their garage/attic/crawlspace? Obviously keeping the spaces from having spots for pests to infiltrate is priority, but killing the fuckers as soon as they show up versus waiting for them to set up shop, raise families, etc. seems like a good goal? Can't wait to vacuum up a ton of rat poo poo in a 30in crawlspace before we sell this place.
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Jun 7, 2016 06:27
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Rat bait is not a good idea. They eat the bait and die in the walls/ceilings or someplace where you can't get the putrid corpse out. Use snap traps or glue traps and be sure to check them daily. Glue traps have the advantage of working on spiders and snakes as well.
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Jun 7, 2016 16:08
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My family used to put rat bait in the attic and while sometimes the rats would crawl off to die elsewhere, once in a while they would just croak in the ceiling and then there would be a slow permeation of dead rat smell until someone went up there and got rid of them or (in cases when we couldn't find them) the rat decomposed/mummified and the smell cleared. Our house also had solid walls and floors, so the only place they could die was in the attic. I imagine the smell is worse if they can manage to die inside the walls or under the floorboards or something.
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Jun 7, 2016 16:37
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Get a cat.
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Jun 7, 2016 17:00
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A basement cat, if you will.
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Jun 7, 2016 17:07
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Vaporware posted:I just spent 2 weeks tracing the 2 different cable networks that the PO had installed by directTV/charter/vonage. So tired of that game. I have dealt with a few different low voltage companies for work and home, and I think you will have a hard time finding a low voltage person to install conduit. Even if you did, it would be a huge mess and cost you many times more than just running cable. My most recent experience was hiring someone to install some PoE security cameras. Two companies wouldn't even do it unless I bought their cameras for way too much money, and the third company was actually good but they basically would not deal with conduit at all. Three (of the 10) security cameras were on a cinderblock fence pointed at my house, and I ended up installing all the stupid flexible conduit myself because I couldn't find anyone to do it and I got sick of looking. If you really want conduit, you'd probably be better off having an electrician do the work since they deal with that on a daily basis. You might end up terminating the cable yourself depending on the electrician but that's not too hard. In your situation I would probably just run some extra high quality 5e or 6, a couple pull cords, and maybe a coax or two. That should cover any internet service except fiber.
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Jun 7, 2016 17:20
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I went to grab something out of my walk-in crawlspace (I know, right?) and when I opened the door a big black snake fell from his resting place on top. I have no idea how it got up there exactly, but it fell to my feet and tried to bite me. I've never had an experience that actually made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up before this, and now I act like a tepid little girl every time I have to go down there.
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Jun 7, 2016 19:08
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Nocheez posted:walk-in crawlspace Wouldn't it just be a "walkspace" then?
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Jun 7, 2016 19:30
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FCKGW posted:Wouldn't it just be a "walkspace" then? You have to crawl towards the front of the house (enters from the back yard) so I guess walk-then-crawlspace is most accurate.
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Jun 7, 2016 19:34
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Nocheez posted:You have to crawl towards the front of the house (enters from the back yard) so I guess walk-then-crawlspace is most accurate. Are you sure it isn't a slitherspace?
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Jun 7, 2016 20:02
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I'm in contract for my first home, $152,900 for 4 beds, 2.5 bath ~1700 sqft with a decent yard and basement. Biggest red flag during the open house (it's a fast market in Columbus, no time for a second, private look around) was that the basement has two sump pumps, both in the same pit and one's connected to battery as a backup. I've never lived in a house with a sump pump before, but I watched some videos and read a bit on them and they seem not so out of the ordinary or too difficult to maintain. Anyway, the inspection's happening next week and we'll hopefully be moved in by Aug. 1. What I came here to ask (the first of many, many questions I'm sure) is what kinds of things do you wish you knew about being a homeowner when you first started. Please no "don't buy, it's a horrible idea" because I've already got plenty of stress about making sure I'm not buying a money pit, but if there's something you could go back in time and tell your younger, less experienced self about owning or maintaining a home, what would it be? I'm a firm believer in tapping the knowledge of others, but other than my mom and my in-laws I don't have a lot of other homeowners close to me to ask. More info: The contract we signed was to take the house as-is, which is why our offer was accepted over other, higher bids. The owners seem like they're being upfront about the water issue and we've got a property disclosure form that lists the basement water issue and a loose nail previously causing a leak in the roof that they've since repaired. I remember seeing some article/blog being posted on the forum about a guy who bought a house as-is and wound up having to replace almost everything since the electrical outlets were basically for show and the basement kept seeping, but it seemed like his big problem was not getting an inspection first. Sorry for rambling, it's a nerve-wracking experience and I've just barely started.
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Jun 7, 2016 21:42
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What's a reasonable rate for an electrician to charge to install a single additional receptacle to an upstairs room over a garage (where the circuit breaker panel is located)? There's only one upstairs room so it's adjacent to any attic space.
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Jun 7, 2016 22:20
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gregday posted:What's a reasonable rate for an electrician to charge to install a single additional receptacle to an upstairs room over a garage (where the circuit breaker panel is located)? There's only one upstairs room so it's adjacent to any attic space. There are at least 100 things that can make this impossible to answer. Let's start with one, is your house wired to current code standards? Anyway rate is location specific but my guys flat rate is $100 an hour. You would pay that times the hours it takes plus materials.
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Jun 7, 2016 22:30
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LawfulWaffle posted:I'm in contract for my first home, $152,900 for 4 beds, 2.5 bath ~1700 sqft with a decent yard and basement. Biggest red flag during the open house (it's a fast market in Columbus, no time for a second, private look around) was that the basement has two sump pumps, both in the same pit and one's connected to battery as a backup. I've never lived in a house with a sump pump before, but I watched some videos and read a bit on them and they seem not so out of the ordinary or too difficult to maintain. Main thing for me was, it's pretty much impossible to have too much extra money saved up. I think that goes double or triple for an as-is contract 
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Jun 7, 2016 23:07
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LawfulWaffle posted:New house stuff Hey, congrats on the first home! It's a nerve wracking experience but worth it. Whereabouts in Cbus are you? I'm out in Hilliard  A few thoughts-- Nearly all home sales are as is. Even buying a new home, the company that built it and offered the 30 year warranty is likely to dissolve and reform under a different name in five years, invalidating the warranty. A regular home warranty is a five hundred dollar scam that might just might do the least amount of work possible to fix your furnace if it really dies in your first year, or some other unlikely scenario. Not worth it. Things I wish I had known? A lot, but that'll come with experience, particularly if you're up for diy fixing stuff. Most household stuff is really easy to fix, especially with the plethora of resources online, and a little bit of experience and knowledge goes a long way. There's a lot of knowledgeable goons in the fix it fast thread, plumbing, and electric thread in creative convention--diy. BFC has another house buying thread you may already know about. I highly recommend buying a couple of books, especially Black and Deckers guidebook series (the home wiring one in particular is the best electrical resource I've found. Popular Mechanics complete home how to is a good resource to have on hand as well, and can be found cheap at thriftbooks.com. Stuff isn't so intimidating one you understand how it works, and a lot of stuff, like replacing or fixing a toilet, is actually stupidly quick and easy. The sump pump thing is completely normal, it's just a cost effective actively managed way of dealing with site drainage. The backup pump is a good idea to have because they burn out over time, make sure the backup is alarmed so you know when it kicks in. You can also buy moisture sensors with stuff like smart things and it'll notify your phone if you there's water where you place it, if you're worried. Get an inspection, but keep in mind that every house has its issues. Just know what you want to deal with and what's a deal breaker. My inspection didn't catch a lot of things, but I've come to terms with it, that's just life. Even new houses aren't perfect. Best of luck to you! If you have specific questions, someone here can certainly at least point you in the right direction I think someone asked earlier in this thread about regular house maintenance stuff, you might flip back a few pages and check that out too.
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Jun 7, 2016 23:19
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LawfulWaffle posted:Anyway, the inspection's happening next week and we'll hopefully be moved in by Aug. 1. What I came here to ask (the first of many, many questions I'm sure) is what kinds of things do you wish you knew about being a homeowner when you first started. Please no "don't buy, it's a horrible idea" because I've already got plenty of stress about making sure I'm not buying a money pit, but if there's something you could go back in time and tell your younger, less experienced self about owning or maintaining a home, what would it be? I'm a firm believer in tapping the knowledge of others, but other than my mom and my in-laws I don't have a lot of other homeowners close to me to ask. I would call the town's building office and ask if the property has any outstanding permits, do a bunch of internet detective work on the seller to figure out if they are secret drug dealers. Also see if there are any closed permits. Then during the inspection see if the inspector notices any renovations or work done at different times and see if it matches up with the permits (it won't) so you have some idea as to where there might be lovely work done. Look for the things that kill houses: bad electrical (fire), water leaks (roof, plumbing) and insects. Don't sweat superficial stuff, but sweat it when it indicates a lack of care or maintenance by the owner. I'd much rather see a well kept old kitchen than a sloppy brand new one with granite appliances and stainless steel floors. You can't see what is behind the walls but if they treat the stuff they see every day like crap, you know they didn't do better where they can't see it. If they have two sump pumps look for signs of water coming up through basement cracks or through basement wall cracks, check to see if the land is sloped towards the house (in particular, if it is sloped towards the house on a waterproof surface, like a driveway or patio). Look for water if there is a storm door or walk out basement as well. Take a look at the sink plumbing to see if there is any sign of water getting anywhere and rotting things. Check the ceiling for the same (wet spots or repaired drywall below bathrooms). Check to see if there is any sign of water in the attic, and how many years you have left on the roof (inspector should know). Check if the electrical panel is old and small and what kinds of wires go into it (knob and tube / aluminum / modern romex). Are the breakers appropriately sized? (Your inspector should know and tell you without asking anyway). If not, then you need an electrician to fix at least some stuff, and you might have overloaded circuits. If you have an outlet tester ($5 at a hardware store) and it looks like they redid the kitchen or bathroom, use the outlet tester on an outlet with a gfci and see if it is wired correctly - those are the places where electrical is most dangerous, and a reno is the most likely time for people to gently caress up the wiring. For bugs look for bugs I guess. Ask them about the owners and how long they have been there.
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Jun 8, 2016 02:03
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Get the loving sewer inspected. Just do it.
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Jun 8, 2016 07:32
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Thanks for the advice. The owners have lived there since 2001, and it looks like they've installed a newer electrical box sometime recently. My wife went to some home buying classes and they gave her a free copy of the B&D DIY guide book, which is a nice reference book to have around. I need to start working on a collection of tools, but at least now I have a place to put them all. I'll check on the permits and the advice you had to go along with the inspection.OSU_Matthew posted:Hey, congrats on the first home! It's a nerve wracking experience but worth it. Whereabouts in Cbus are you? I'm out in Hilliard Inside the 270 circle, Columbus but called Forest Park East. Close to where we live now, work and our friends, but in a few more years we might be looking at some of the towns outside the loop.
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Jun 8, 2016 13:42
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Zanthia posted:Used. Gross but effective. I'm pretty sure the smell of a catbox will keep anything away. Tell that to me dog who find try his damnedest to sneak into the basement whenever he can to eat "crunchy treats" from the catbox. 
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Jun 8, 2016 13:43
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I live in southern Arizona and my AC compressor is broke. I was quoted $2800 for the replacement, and that I probably should spend $8000 just to start out brand new everything. The unit itself is only 15 years old. Do never buy a house. I can easily tolerate living in a house at 80F, right now it's 95F inside. I think I'm gonna replace the AC, sell the house, and move up north where having a AC is optional for me. ijii fucked around with this message at 04:09 on Jun 9, 2016 |
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Jun 9, 2016 04:01
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How serious an issue are raccoons? Apparently I have at least one living under my front porch. I haven't seen any damage, nor heard any scratchings inside my walls. I'm inclined to live and let live.
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Jun 9, 2016 12:59
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Dazerbeams posted:How serious an issue are raccoons? Apparently I have at least one living under my front porch. I haven't seen any damage, nor heard any scratchings inside my walls. I'm inclined to live and let live. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DfGf4M3QZo
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Jun 9, 2016 13:17
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