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uwaeve posted:You want to route wires to another room, a closet, or another floor. You'll need plenum or riser rated cables and something like this remote to control everything. The remote is RF (and IR, for the TV control), and you stick the hub with your equipment and it acts as an IR transmitter. Add some keystone panels with the connectors you need and it can look all cleaned up. I just went through this, ran conduit in the wall and stuck all the equipment in the basement, did in wall speakers etc. Let me know if you need more info or terrible ideas, some of the stuff is frustrating to find. I didn't notice it at first but are you just like stashing cell phones on top of the mantle so that they can use those USB plugs? What's going on there
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Jul 7, 2017 06:51
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PitViper posted:Maybe not the correct thread, but maybe someone has had a similar situation. Our neighbor has been having issues with property damage (dents on cars mostly to this point, but this morning his garage door was dented pretty badly on one side). It looks like someone smashed his garage door with one of the garage cans or something. He's pretty sure it's his neighbor to the other side, but nobody has been able to catch him in the act, we only know that it tends to happen when said neighbor is out in his garage. If you want a wholy contained unit, maybe look at getting a game camera. They're made to take pictures of deer but lots of people use them in sensitive areas for vandals. Battery powered, triggered by motion and record to an sd card. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01LRZ625S/
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Jul 7, 2017 07:14
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Buca di Bepis posted:I'm open to it but I've mostly seen those installed in kitchens. I'm kind of tight on space in the area so I need something that's basically just wide enough to hold a standard bathroom sink, but deeper and with a tall faucet without looking like your standard plastic mop tub. Google "utility sinks". There's a fair variety available. From stuff that looks like your standard plastic mop sink to stainless steel or ceramic ones. Example: https://www.rejuvenation.com/catalo...88-adType%5EPLA
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Jul 7, 2017 10:49
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Rocks posted:I've got a couple storage rooms in my house that are extremely musty due to basically no air flow getting there. One of them I'd like to store clothes, luggage, etc., stuff I hardly use so the door will be shut 99.99% of the time. I was thinking of adding one of these through-wall fans to the room that is installed and flows out to the exterior. Maybe on a timer so it runs during the day only. Try putting in a dehumidifier and bringing down the humidity to like 35%.
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Jul 7, 2017 13:14
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Bozart posted:Try putting in a dehumidifier and bringing down the humidity to like 35%. Is a dehumidifier a long term solution? Seems to me it's more of a band aid fix. Need proper air in/air out no?
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Jul 7, 2017 16:30
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Rocks posted:Is a dehumidifier a long term solution? Seems to me it's more of a band aid fix. Need proper air in/air out no? It will work as long as the dehumidifier is working.
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Jul 7, 2017 16:37
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Alos maybe just prop the door open?
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Jul 7, 2017 17:19
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Speaking of dehumidifiers, my basement is approximately 600 square feet, finished with carpet on one side, and unfinished with utilities, laundry and a sump pump on the other side. Inbetween is a drywall wall with a door that is always partially open to let the cats into the unifinished side where their litter is. Which side should I put the dehumidifier on, and what should I set it to?
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Jul 7, 2017 18:13
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Elysium posted:Speaking of dehumidifiers, my basement is approximately 600 square feet, finished with carpet on one side, and unfinished with utilities, laundry and a sump pump on the other side. Inbetween is a drywall wall with a door that is always partially open to let the cats into the unifinished side where their litter is. Unless there is significant airflow between the 2 sides you'll probably want 2 dehumidifiers. I keep mine set to about 55% in the basement. My old one recently died so I went looking for something more modern than the old compressor style, and exactly one company is making them. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hisense-100-Pint-3-Speed-Dehumidifier-with-Built-in-Pump/1000195229 It's expensive, but I seriously can already see a difference in my power bill. Will easily pay off the extra $150 or so it cost inside of a year.
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Jul 7, 2017 18:39
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drat I'm glad i live somewhere where people use "humidifiers" and not the other way around
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Jul 7, 2017 19:49
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Thesaurus posted:drat I'm glad i live somewhere where people use "humidifiers" and not the other way around The fun about having 4 seasons is that you very likely may need BOTH here, especially if you have forced air heat/heat pump which tends to dehumidify also. Don't need dehumidifiers in the rest of the house as the AC takes care of that just fine.
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Jul 7, 2017 20:39
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How does a dehumidifier same energy? Less water for the AC to remove?
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Jul 7, 2017 21:15
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Mercury Ballistic posted:How does a dehumidifier same energy? Less water for the AC to remove? Maybe I phrased that wrong........I only have a dehumidifier where I don't have AC (the basement). It's unnecessary in a conditioned space when you have properly sized AC. The dehumidifier I bought (they are basically modified air conditioners) is inverter based, like the newest efficient AC units. So that particular one is cheaper to run than the old one (like by 50%)
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Jul 7, 2017 21:27
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When we bought our house a little over a year ago, the inspection turned up that the sewer lateral pipe was looking pretty weak, and needed to be replaced before it collapsed. However, the problem was in a place where it was the city's responsibility to pay for it and get it done. So when we bought the house, we put our names on the list, figuring they'd get to us sooner or later. Last night or so, it apparently collapsed, and now we have a backflow of sewage in our basement. Lovely stuff, really. My wife started with a plumber today (the same ones who did the inspection, as I understand it), who confirmed that the issue is a collapsed pipe. She spent the rest of the day trying to get ahold of the public works department, and finally got ahold of someone at 4:30 who might be able to actually get ahold of the public works department. That's pm. On a Friday. Of an already short week. And we have a wedding to attend tomorrow. What is it that the home-buying thread says. "Do never buy" or something like that?
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Jul 8, 2017 04:36
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drat bro. I don't even have any advice other than hang in there and it'll be fixed soon. God bless.
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Jul 8, 2017 08:41
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AC went while we were away on vacation. And because our furnace is also on its way out, we're considering replacing both of them in one go. And everyone says that owning a home will be more affordable than renting.
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Jul 8, 2017 20:40
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Dazerbeams posted:And everyone says that owning a home will be more affordable than renting. No one says that.
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Jul 8, 2017 21:06
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Erwin posted:No one says that. You've read the BWM thread, right? Lot's of people say that.  "The mortgage would be cheaper than my rent so I should buy now and I'll save money!"
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Jul 8, 2017 21:08
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Erwin posted:No one says that. All of my dumb friends looking to buy homes say that.
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Jul 8, 2017 21:08
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Hmm, fair enough. No one continues to say that after their first repair.
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Jul 8, 2017 23:27
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Owning a home is way cheaper than renting if you are in a highly desirable metro area.
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Jul 9, 2017 00:31
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H110Hawk posted:Owning a home is way cheaper than renting if you are in a highly desirable metro area. Pretty much. Two homes here in a hugely increasing market. Renting one out that appreciated 300% since I purchased it. The rent is covering the 15 year mortgage on it and then some. The higher of the two has a mortgage for less than its current rental value and two houses sold in the development in 2017 for 140 and 160k more than what I paid last year. Same model in nearby developments are going for 350k more than I paid. Go Amazon!
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Jul 9, 2017 03:31
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Really what owning does is give you a more stable monthly cost, especially if you have a fixed-rate mortgage. Rents can swing wildly depending on what the market will bear, while mortgages are much more predictable.
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Jul 9, 2017 04:10
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:Really what owning does is give you a more stable monthly cost, especially if you have a fixed-rate mortgage. Rents can swing wildly depending on what the market will bear, while mortgages are much more predictable. What the hell? Owning is way more unpredictable. You can stumble your way into thousands or tens of thousands of dollars worth of repairs or upgrades. Renting is far more stable cost-wise, even if rent is swinging with the market. Hell, the fact that costs fluctuate with a market, and not the random forces of entropy or misfortune that lead to home maintenance, makes it slightly more predictable. Renting is "cheaper" in the short term, although if you rent for years upon years you *might* be losing out on the potential to build equity in your home. If it's such a hot market that rents are fluctuating that badly, that's a sign that property values could tank as well and you end up underwater. Hughlander posted:Pretty much. Two homes here in a hugely increasing market. Renting one out that appreciated 300% since I purchased it. The rent is covering the 15 year mortgage on it and then some. The higher of the two has a mortgage for less than its current rental value and two houses sold in the development in 2017 for 140 and 160k more than what I paid last year. Same model in nearby developments are going for 350k more than I paid. Go Amazon! Stuff like this is ultimately unsustainable, and at a certain point the price will peak and then some folks will get screwed. You had the luck/foresight to end up on the good end of the curve, but by no means is it a given that it's always good to buy rather than rent in a hot market. It's cheaper to own BEFORE the boom, of course, but if things are already screaming hot, only a fool would buy without understanding that there is a great deal of speculation involved. LogisticEarth fucked around with this message at 04:43 on Jul 9, 2017 |
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Jul 9, 2017 04:38
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Yes, when your city doesn't have rent control and your rent goes up 50% at the end of your lease it is not cool, nor good. "But you can just move". Moving is the loving worst. I have moved now 8 times in the last 11 years. The last time I moved was one month ago, into the house I am currently sitting in and own, and it is the poo poo. Also when my neighborhood becomes "cooler" and rents go up, instead of being mad I will be happy.
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Jul 9, 2017 04:39
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H110Hawk posted:Owning a home is way cheaper than renting if you are in a highly desirable metro area. This is highly YMMV; people want to move to highly desirable metro areas regardless of buying or renting, so buying and renting both tend to be expensive, and which one is more expensive depends on the local market. In metropolitan areas with a larger percentage of very young people you're more likely to run into houses that are cheaper to buy than to rent, but in other metropolitan areas you'll run into the opposite situation. When you just look at mortgage rates then owning often starts to look like a fantastic value proposition but my god home ownership is so much more expensive than just paying a mortgage e: LogisticEarth posted:What the hell? Owning is way more unpredictable. You can stumble your way into thousands or tens of thousands of dollars worth of repairs or upgrades. Yeah and HOAs/COAs can definitely just suddenly increase your dues, which is no different than a rent hike. And hell, if the water main breaks in your apartment complex then that's on your landlord to fix, but if the same thing happens in your condo complex then enjoy having to take a bite out of the community's new poo poo sandwich QuarkJets fucked around with this message at 04:48 on Jul 9, 2017 |
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Jul 9, 2017 04:41
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Not having to deal with a loving landlord is worth approximately $9,000/mo.
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Jul 9, 2017 04:47
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Buca di Bepis posted:Not having to deal with a loving landlord is worth approximately $9,000/mo. This is another YMMV thing, I've never had any bad landlord stories. When your interactions with landlords don't extend beyond "okay here's the lease" and "yes I can fix this thing that I am legally obligated to fix" then landlords are pretty great
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Jul 9, 2017 04:51
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QuarkJets posted:
gently caress an HOA to death
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Jul 9, 2017 04:54
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Well, yeah. But a quarter of all homes are HOA/COA governed and in some areas you don't have much of a choice
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Jul 9, 2017 04:56
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LogisticEarth posted:What the hell? Owning is way more unpredictable. You can stumble your way into thousands or tens of thousands of dollars worth of repairs or upgrades. Repairs are one thing, but upgrades are entirely on you for not planning properly. I would still consider repair bills to be more predictable than the rental market.
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Jul 9, 2017 05:04
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Maintenance is predictable, repairs are often just random which is why the homebuying thread always recommends a healthy emergency fund. You can't easily predict that a pipe leading to the upstairs bath has developed a big leak and is causing mold to grow behind your walls, or the formation of a crack in the foundation from less-than-perfect work performed years ago. You can make an educated guess for the replacement timing of appliances but that's not really a repair.
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Jul 9, 2017 05:12
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I don't know throwing the HOA letter in the trash is not that hard. It is rare that they will bother to sue you to enforce some rule. On the plus side I have an awesome pool.
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Jul 9, 2017 16:33
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Yeah throw those HOA letters in the trash* *unexpected $9K assessment Yes this happens surprisingly often
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Jul 9, 2017 19:12
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Elephanthead posted:It is rare that they will bother to sue you to enforce some rule. Ah yes, the "it didn't happen to me so it never happens anywhere" bias. Some HOAs are truly bitter and/or incompetent entities. E:FB like underfunded HOA CapEx
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Jul 9, 2017 19:20
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QuarkJets posted:Maintenance is predictable, repairs are often just random which is why the homebuying thread always recommends a healthy emergency fund. You can't easily predict that a pipe leading to the upstairs bath has developed a big leak and is causing mold to grow behind your walls, or the formation of a crack in the foundation from less-than-perfect work performed years ago. What kind of home insurance do you have that any of those things is anything beyond the cost of the deductible? My rental place had a flooded basement in January, 20k damages. 1k deductible. Contractor just took the itemization that the insurance put together and said, “We’ll take it.”
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Jul 9, 2017 19:39
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Elephanthead posted:I don't know throwing the HOA letter in the trash is not that hard. It is rare that they will bother to sue you to enforce some rule. On the plus side I have an awesome pool. Saving this post for a year from now when the follow up "my HOA sued me what can I do" post hits  Whether they enforce the rules often or not is one thing; people are often surprised at how much power most HOAs hold when they decide to take notice. Some are better than others sure but if you get hit with an assessment due to a violation you are in for a long afternoon. On the flip side, unless you are in a wealthy area non-HOA neighborhoods trend towards "where ELSE am I going to put my car up on blocks if not my driveway??" types.
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Jul 9, 2017 20:24
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Ixian posted:On the flip side, unless you are in a wealthy area non-HOA neighborhoods trend towards "where ELSE am I going to put my car up on blocks if not my driveway??" types. I would honestly, legitimately, rather see houses with cars up on blocks and random trash around the side, than I would the sterile cookie-cutter neighborhoods you get from HOAs.
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Jul 9, 2017 20:32
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:I would honestly, legitimately, rather see houses with cars up on blocks and random trash around the side, than I would the sterile cookie-cutter neighborhoods you get from HOAs. I'm not wholesale in favor of the ridiculous power most HOAs have over housing but come on. HOAs are a double edged sword. In order to have any authority at all they need to have the ability to enforce said authority. Yet many are run by local residents too bored to do anything else with legal input from developers who are focused on the bottom line. Which leads to sometimes ridiculous situations. The solution isn't no community authority, it's balancing said authority. Hard to do in practice which is why taking a good hard look at HOAs before you buy a house (it's legal, and not hard, to get a record of enforcement actions, assessments, and lawsuits in most states) is important. That and being at least active enough to make sure complete shitheads with power complexes don't get elected to the board.
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Jul 9, 2017 20:37
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Ixian posted:I'm not wholesale in favor of the ridiculous power most HOAs have over housing but come on. I'm talking purely in terms of aesthetics. I like having a neighborhood where people can have projects strewn around their property, while the typical HOA neighborhood feels lifeless in comparison.
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Jul 9, 2017 20:55
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