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I finally broke down and bought a cordless drill and impact driver. I'd been holding on to the fantasy that my 20yr old garage sale Bosch and some extension cords could do what I needed, but man is it nice to be able to go anywhere with ease.
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# ? Oct 15, 2016 05:36 |
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# ? May 14, 2024 15:15 |
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BeastOfExmoor posted:what's the advantage of being hard wired if you still need to change a battery annually? The advantage is going to replace a smoke detector in the house you bought last year, only to discover that every single unit throughout the house is dead, even though they apparently worked fine when I moved in. Who knows how long I'd been living without protection? Bought a nest protect and hardwired it in, and it's been great. Unobtrusively checks itself monthly, tells me before it checks, tells me where it detects smoke before going off, checks for monoxide, turns off the furnace if it detects any, and the lithium backup batteries last ages. It's a little spendier, but I feel a million times better having it. BeastOfExmoor posted:I finally broke down and bought a cordless drill and impact driver. I'd been holding on to the fantasy that my 20yr old garage sale Bosch and some extension cords could do what I needed, but man is it nice to be able to go anywhere with ease. Grats! Modern battery tools are the poo poo, there's nothing they can't do just as well as if not better than corded tools.
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# ? Oct 15, 2016 13:34 |
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Yeah the lithium ion batteries in a smoke detector can last a decade before you need to replace them, which is great. All that you need to do at that point is test them monthly (which no one ever does, but that's the recommendation). But having a redundant power source just makes sense; if the house power goes off or the battery suddenly dies, you still want the smoke detectors to work
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# ? Oct 15, 2016 20:33 |
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But if the power goes out and the battery is dead then you die. What then???
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# ? Oct 15, 2016 20:36 |
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HEY NONG MAN posted:But if the power goes out and the battery is dead then you die. What then??? Doomsday prepper backup generators, you fool
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# ? Oct 15, 2016 20:37 |
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QuarkJets posted:Doomsday prepper backup generators, you fool Bingo, you set up a couple of gas generators in your basement so you can power your monoxide detector
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# ? Oct 15, 2016 23:50 |
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OSU_Matthew posted:Bingo, you set up a couple of gas generators in your basement so you can power your monoxide detector It's perfect. Like the circle of life
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# ? Oct 16, 2016 00:05 |
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We just bought a new house (yay) and with it came some new rooms with awful paint that need to be repainted. A couple of the rooms have a pretty bright yellow. I am thinking to repaint either very light gray or very light rose pink. How many coats do you think I'll need? Should I prime first? We don't need the rooms for the next 2 months or so, but I'd like to get it underway because I have some spare dollars around. How much should I anticipate paying? They are smaller-ish bedrooms both. I'm not going to paint the closets or any of the trim.
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# ? Oct 17, 2016 17:21 |
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EAT FASTER!!!!!! posted:We just bought a new house (yay) and with it came some new rooms with awful paint that need to be repainted. A couple of the rooms have a pretty bright yellow. I am thinking to repaint either very light gray or very light rose pink. How many coats do you think I'll need? Should I prime first? We don't need the rooms for the next 2 months or so, but I'd like to get it underway because I have some spare dollars around. How much should I anticipate paying? They are smaller-ish bedrooms both. I'm not going to paint the closets or any of the trim. You can get newer latex paint that doesn't require primer to be put down and should only take one good coat. Yellow is pretty easy to cover up too, it is the darker colors that are tougher.
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# ? Oct 17, 2016 18:09 |
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As a rule, plan to put on two coats. You probably don't need to prime over light colors. If you do find you need to prime over something, Kilz primer will go over just about anything. Kilz + two coats of normal interior semi-gloss or matte latex paint might cost less than two coats of really expensive "covers everything" latex, but it might not, it really depends on what you're buying.
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# ? Oct 17, 2016 18:51 |
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Buy decent paint. It goes on easier. You may want to prime, some yellows are pretty bright and peek through and will need a third coat - ask your paint shop. Sherman Williams or Miller are my go-to brands. We used Behr's top of the line no primer needed to go over a light blue and it took 4 coats. I'll never use Behr again. A contractor friend warned me, but reviews (including consumer reports) said Behr was good stuff...pass. You couldn't pay me to use it again.
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# ? Oct 17, 2016 19:13 |
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That's weird. I used it to go over a dark blue and it worked just fine.
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# ? Oct 17, 2016 19:29 |
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Ghostnuke posted:That's weird. I used it to go over a dark blue and it worked just fine. Story time. When I was touring the house I ended up buying the most shocking thing I found was in the room they were using as an office. It was empty except for a desk and office chair facing the door and the entire room was painted denim color. No I don't just mean a medium blue. I mean denim. Somebody had gone through the room, painted it blue, sponge painted some lighter blue on top of it to make it look like denim texture, and then gone around and hand painted dashed vertical lines to look like stitching every 5 feet or so. It was one of the most hideous paint jobs I've ever seen. We painted over it immediately but still call it "the denim room".
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# ? Oct 17, 2016 19:42 |
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Ghostnuke posted:That's weird. I used it to go over a dark blue and it worked just fine.
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# ? Oct 17, 2016 19:42 |
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SiGmA_X posted:Buy decent paint. It goes on easier. You may want to prime, some yellows are pretty bright and peek through and will need a third coat - ask your paint shop. Sherman Williams or Miller are my go-to brands. We used Behr's top of the line no primer needed to go over a light blue and it took 4 coats. I'll never use Behr again. A contractor friend warned me, but reviews (including consumer reports) said Behr was good stuff...pass. You couldn't pay me to use it again. Most brands have different levels. When I last bought paint I assumed that I could get by with the cheapest (going from white to gray) Sherwin Williams or whatever, but it was a terrible waste of money. The more expensive paint is so worth the additional cost. I believe some brands will sell/give you testers which might help you judge how well the paint is going to cover and how the color will look before you start buying by the gallon.
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# ? Oct 17, 2016 19:45 |
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novamute posted:Story time. When I was touring the house I ended up buying the most shocking thing I found was in the room they were using as an office. It was empty except for a desk and office chair facing the door and the entire room was painted denim color. No I don't just mean a medium blue. I mean denim. Somebody had gone through the room, painted it blue, sponge painted some lighter blue on top of it to make it look like denim texture, and then gone around and hand painted dashed vertical lines to look like stitching every 5 feet or so. It was one of the most hideous paint jobs I've ever seen. We painted over it immediately but still call it "the denim room". One of the kids rooms was like this when we bought our current house. Despite having a non-functioning A/C, I still painted it in the middle of July on the top floor of the house, sweating my dick off. Oh, and they had contact paper sports balls all around the very top of the room like a really weird wall paper border. In short, I can see and viscerally feel exactly what you are describing and I hate the people who did it.
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# ? Oct 17, 2016 19:47 |
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It could be worse. Check out this "Unique one of a kind finishing completed by a professional!" http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/24-Brentwood-Dr-Avon-CT-06001/59011376_zpid/
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# ? Oct 17, 2016 19:49 |
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King Burgundy posted:It could be worse. Do the comps listed make it look like they're asking above market value? That looks like the home of a very mentally unstable person.
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# ? Oct 17, 2016 19:51 |
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Uh just look at the price history. This is DEFINITELY the home of a very mentally unstable person.
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# ? Oct 17, 2016 20:25 |
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No Butt Stuff posted:Do the comps listed make it look like they're asking above market value? As a real estate agent I can tell you that websites like Zillow and Trulia never give an accurate representation of the value of the property or whether or not the price is at market. They go off algorithms and AFAIK there is no human back there checking those numbers against the market. Real estate agents typically do in-depth comps to determine what a fair price would be and what they think it could get at most, the least it could get, etc, compared to the features of other homes similar to it in size, square footage and year built. It can take a bit to do these comps and we frequently coach sellers (and buyers) that the numbers they see on a home's Zillow entry do not reflect what the house is worth or what they should be paying. As to the owner of that house, since absolutely no one asked: Being only advisors, we can only tell sellers what we think is a good price and it's up to them to either agree with us and set that price, or hold to their astronomical number because of a) the sentimental value they place on the house, and b) upgrades they've done they think everyone wants or needs but on which no one is actually basing their buying decisions. If we have to start out high, we just say, "Let's see if we get bites, if we don't get any offers within x days or any showings within y days, we need to reduce the price." In short, those numbers are garbage and you shouldn't go by them.
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# ? Oct 17, 2016 22:40 |
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King Burgundy posted:It could be worse. It's like they made a Saw movie inside an abandoned Cheesecake Factory.
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# ? Oct 18, 2016 09:07 |
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King Burgundy posted:It could be worse. Ugh that's so ugly, whoever did this has no taste. Every single picture is like a collage of "we wanted to make our house look as ugly and tacky as possible"
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# ? Oct 18, 2016 10:05 |
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We've done a double houses with Benjamin Moore Regal Select and Aura (for the rooms where you'll see the walls up close) and really like them. So much nicer to use than crap from Home Depot or Lowes.
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# ? Oct 18, 2016 11:58 |
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King Burgundy posted:It could be worse. Holy gently caress, this reminds me of when I worked at a library and homeless people would smear their poo poo all over the walls, only this poo poo is made out of copper gilding.
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# ? Oct 18, 2016 14:42 |
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King Burgundy posted:It could be worse. Yah sorry, it was an art project http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-viral-real-estate-ad-featuring-worlds-most-horrifying-interior-design-was-an-art-project
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# ? Oct 18, 2016 16:09 |
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One mans art is another mans smeared wall of copper feces.
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# ? Oct 18, 2016 16:34 |
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I mean it's clear that the guy is a non-linear thinker, but just because he calls it art doesn't mean it's not actually mental illness.
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# ? Oct 18, 2016 17:12 |
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Had a chimney inspection done. My damper is rusted and rotting away and a replacement is gonna run me about $600-$850. Just how badly do I need a damper anyways? The fireplace opens up into a little office space that's comfortably warm when occupied.
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# ? Oct 18, 2016 18:54 |
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Hughlander posted:Yah sorry, it was an art project http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-viral-real-estate-ad-featuring-worlds-most-horrifying-interior-design-was-an-art-project Guy's poetry is almost as bad as his metalworking.
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# ? Oct 18, 2016 19:03 |
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Hughlander posted:Yah sorry, it was an art project http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-viral-real-estate-ad-featuring-worlds-most-horrifying-interior-design-was-an-art-project That doesn't make it less ugly or less stupid
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# ? Oct 18, 2016 19:53 |
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Jealous Cow posted:We've done a double houses with Benjamin Moore Regal Select and Aura (for the rooms where you'll see the walls up close) and really like them. So much nicer to use than crap from Home Depot or Lowes. I heard good things about Benjamin Moore paint many times so I tried their stain on my deck this summer, and it is awful. It's been two months and the deck is covered in shoe prints and leaf prints that can't be washed off. I am going to have to strip it again and redo it next year. So much work down the drain. I would pay almost any money for paint/stain if I knew for sure I could trust the product, but it seems like there are bad experiences with every brand.
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# ? Oct 18, 2016 21:34 |
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Trillian posted:I heard good things about Benjamin Moore paint many times so I tried their stain on my deck this summer, and it is awful. It's been two months and the deck is covered in shoe prints and leaf prints that can't be washed off. I am going to have to strip it again and redo it next year. So much work down the drain. I had the opposite experience when I painted our deck with their poo poo. Old gross busted wood, I used the prep product and scrubbed it, one coat later it looked great. Two winters so far and no issues.
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# ? Oct 19, 2016 03:29 |
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Pffft. Get Trex proles.
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# ? Oct 19, 2016 15:41 |
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Holy Hell, my town's permitting process is insane. I'm getting as fence replaced...that's it, just a fence. I have to fill out a zoning and land use permit from the Zoning Board, part of the Department of Planning and Zoning. That requires photographs of my property and my neighbors, photos of the new fence, including descriptions of the visual style, size, material, and color. And a site plan of the subject property, that is accurate and to scale, including the following, as applicable:
Oh, and a $50 application fee. Once that's approved, then I have to fill out and apply for a construction and building permit from the Department of Public Works. Basically, the same stuff all over again. Description of the work, name of the contractor, construction plans, etc... And another fee, $8.50 per $1000 of estimated costs, $30 minimum. And THEN, once the new fence is in, I go back to the DPW to get a building inspector to come out and issue the final inspection to close out the building permit. And finally, I contact the Code Enforcement Office to get a code officer to come out and issue a Unified Certificate of Occupancy. Yes...a certificate of occupancy for a fence. Oh, and that's another $35 fee. I think those last two steps can be done at the same time, possibly the same person...I'm not entirely sure. Jealous Cow posted:I had the opposite experience when I painted our deck with their poo poo. Old gross busted wood, I used the prep product and scrubbed it, one coat later it looked great. Two winters so far and no issues. Link for the prep product and paint? I should really paint mind before winter hits...
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# ? Oct 19, 2016 19:59 |
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The level of intrusion by your city into your operation is ludicrous, reminds me of a news story I read last year wherein a city was imposing citations and fines on people for decorations INSIDE their homes that could be seen through windows like mismatched curtains or not having blinds on every window. I think it was in Missouri. A certificate of occupancy is the dumbest thing, and it makes me wonder if anyone knows what they're doing in your city's government to make you jump through that many hoops just to replace a fence. That's probably worse than your HOA, if you live in one. Jeez. Some of those are understandable, such as easements and rights-of-way. How much of that can be taken care of with a survey? Do you have one?
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# ? Oct 19, 2016 21:08 |
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life is killing me posted:That's probably worse than your HOA, if you live in one. Jeez. Thank God I don't. life is killing me posted:Some of those are understandable, such as easements and rights-of-way. How much of that can be taken care of with a survey? Do you have one? Not sure what can be done with a site survey...haven't had one done. I filled out all the stuff I need to and forwarded over to the contractor. It's really is absurd. I can't believe they haven't steamlined the zoning and building permits into one single application. In theory, I guess it's because technically not everything that needs a building permit needs a zoning permit, but the list of what doesn't need one is tiny. But that could still be incorporated into one single application. If you do need a permit, fill out the first page, if you meet the criteria for an exception, skip to page 2 or something. And BTW, the only way to have a fence be exempted is to have it be the exact size, shape, style, placement, and material as the original.
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# ? Oct 19, 2016 21:18 |
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DrBouvenstein posted:Thank God I don't. A survey would typically show easements, property dimensions/property lines, etc. I'd think it would be a lot of help, especially if it's not metes and bounds which is usually for straight-up land and acreage. In Texas, to get a mortgage, the existing survey on a house has to be acceptable to title and the mortgagor, if the seller has one. If not, it's usually out of the buyer's pocket, but a survey must either exist or be produced and an affidavit signed and notarized to state that the survey is true and correct and if anything has been added since. Only exemptions are when someone pays cash for a house. I don't know what state you're in, it might be helpful to get a survey at some point but not for this if you don't already have one.
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# ? Oct 19, 2016 21:45 |
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Could you just...not do all that and replace your fence anyway?
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# ? Oct 19, 2016 22:05 |
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Enfys posted:Could you just...not do all that and replace your fence anyway? I mean worst case his neighbor complains and they come by and make him tear it down along with some hefty fines for doing unpermitted work.
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# ? Oct 20, 2016 03:58 |
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# ? May 14, 2024 15:15 |
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EAT FASTER!!!!!! posted:I mean worst case his neighbor complains and they come by and make him tear it down along with some hefty fines for doing unpermitted work. Hopefully his neighbor isn't a bigger dick than the city is.
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# ? Oct 20, 2016 14:46 |