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Thanks for help on the storm windows earlier, bought some cheap acrylic and mounting materials and I'm trying some things out. Next, I'm hoping to get a head start on finishing the basement. It seemed to be dry down there when I toured the house (no mold, smelled fresh, no pooling water or stains, there seemed to be a small dehumidifier running 24/7 with the hose draining into a laundry sink however), but I still want to seal the floor and walls before I insulate them with EPS foam and put in drywall. All the online research seems to indicate that a vapor barrier is bad (it'll trap vapor and condense between it and the concrete, causing mold) but painting the walls/floor with a sealant will work (moisture will only make from the outside into the concrete which doesn't care if it is damp). I'm seeing different concrete sealers online like RadonSeal and SealKrete but they all have mixed reviews... anything anyone can recommend or is there anything more industrial like some kinda fuckoff 2-part epoxy? Doesn't matter how any of it looks as I'm putting foamboard over all of it after.
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Aug 16, 2017 21:39
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I noticed paint bubbling up on the external wall of my sunroom, and then the ceiling there sprang a leak. We had a roofer in and he found a crack in the roof and patched it, which seems to have taken care of the leak. I peeled off the loose paint and found this.   The plaster does not feel wet or crumbly. I'm hoping I can just scrub the crud off with concrobium, skimcoat, and repaint. Do I need to worry about possible contamination/rotting deeper in the wall? Obviously I'd prefer not having to open the wall if I can avoid it.
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Aug 20, 2017 14:51
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Assuming this is an exterior wall that was properly insulated the wall is now full of wet insulation. Or moldy insulation. It's a sheet of drywall and an afternoon. I'd suggest you do it right.
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Aug 20, 2017 15:17
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I want to rearrange our kitchen as per discussion in this post but one main issue I've come up against is needing to put a free standing appliance under an oven cabinet. So currently I've a 2150*600 oven cabinet with cupboards above and below, I want the oven and top cabinet, but above a 60cm front landing tumble dryer. How is this achieved? I don't want to replace it with an integrated appliance as they're generally worse than their free standing counterparts and more expensive. E: this isn't possible, the appliance is wider than the gap in the unit, I either need a custom wider unit or a different layout. Different layout it is. Back to the drawing board cakesmith handyman fucked around with this message at 13:36 on Aug 23, 2017 |
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Aug 22, 2017 22:10
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I may have found the source of my fly issue. It's the one where there's 3-4 flies every day or two days, and I haven't been able to pinpoint any particular reason they're showing up. I started to wonder whether my cat may have thrown a turd around or something and it got grody, and I went to inspect the litter box. No turds or anything, but I did see a bunch of tiny brown-black trilobite looking things crawling all over the floor near the box. I don't know what maggots look like, but might that have been them? I cleared them away (swept and flushed them down the toilet) so I hope that gets rid of the flies. The question I have here is exactly where they're coming from. I don't think they're actually spawning from anything in my bathroom, and I keep the litter clean. But there is a window right next to the litter box in my bathroom, and...well, the construction of the apartment is extremely shoddy, so I wouldn't be surprised if there's cracks in the wall or some nooks/crannies the flies are coming from. Unfortunately, there's not really a good solution to that other than put down some anti-fly pesticide and hope for the best, and eventually change apartments (cause this place is complete crap). Now if you'll excuse me, I've got the heebie jeebies. Brrr... Edit: Yup, looked it up and it looks like I swept up a bunch of bottle fly pupae.  I know the corner(s) they were congregating in - what do I do now?Goddammit, I should be better than this about keeping my place clean. Pollyanna fucked around with this message at 03:16 on Aug 23, 2017 |
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Aug 23, 2017 03:09
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I'd use some bleach in the area if nothing else. Dump the litter box and bleach it as well just in case.
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Aug 23, 2017 15:14
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I also found out that keeping my trash outside caused a bunch of flies to infest it, so there's that too Entirely different part of the apartment though. All I know is, I'm gonna be doing a hell of a deep clean tonight.
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Aug 23, 2017 15:51
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What is the best way to go about making my home more energy efficient? I have vaulted ceilings on a split level home and the living room doesn't like to dip below 80 in the Georgia Summer, even though my AC is running nearly all the time and putting me in the poorhouse with 480 dollar electric bills. I am pretty sure my windows are poo poo. My AC unit was bottom of the line when they installed it about 12 years ago. I don't have the money to replace all my windows, and get new insulation for the attic (and maybe try to insulate the vaulted part), and replace the ac unit. At least I don't have enough to do them all at once anyway. But I would like to get started on whatever will give me the most bang for my buck.
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Aug 23, 2017 22:13
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Insulation, also try covering your windows when it's sunny to stop the heat getting in.
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Aug 23, 2017 22:50
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See if your electric company will do a free energy audit on your house.
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Aug 23, 2017 22:53
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External sunshades that keep the sunlight from getting to the thin windows.
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Aug 23, 2017 23:01
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The Dregs posted:What is the best way to go about making my home more energy efficient? I have vaulted ceilings on a split level home and the living room doesn't like to dip below 80 in the Georgia Summer, even though my AC is running nearly all the time and putting me in the poorhouse with 480 dollar electric bills. I am pretty sure my windows are poo poo. My AC unit was bottom of the line when they installed it about 12 years ago. I don't have the money to replace all my windows, and get new insulation for the attic (and maybe try to insulate the vaulted part), and replace the ac unit. At least I don't have enough to do them all at once anyway. But I would like to get started on whatever will give me the most bang for my buck. See if your state will chip in any money (cash, financing, etc) to replace your windows, AC, and insulate. If your AC is at 100% duty cycle you stand to save money immediately if you can get any of those changes. Heck at $480 you could potentially pay for a 0% financed solar system if you have net metering available to you. That would immediately free up cash to replace the rest of your stuff. Note that should you need to sell your home for any reason that financing will likely become due to clear the title on your house. (You could potentially pay for it from the proceeds of sale.) Heck even if you could only pay for it with a HELOC you're looking at $25k for 10 years being under $300/month.
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Aug 24, 2017 00:14
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H110Hawk posted:Heck even if you could only pay for it with a HELOC you're looking at $25k for 10 years being under $300/month. Check and see if your attic is properly vented, some houses get crazy hot under the roof and heat the rest of the house that way. Mostly look into free audits and rebates though.
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Aug 25, 2017 03:07
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A quick question: Are "leak detection specialists" as they relate to water entering the interior of your house from a known or unknown location, a racket or are they a real thing? We have multiple leaks coming from various locations over our sliding glass doors (so that we have to put towels down every time it rains and it's already ruined an area of our wood flooring), and the handyman can't seem to find the location(s) though he's re-caulked and sealed quite a few possible avenues of entry. Our insurance deductible is $5k so we are trying to avoid that route. tl;dr: Leak detection and weatherproofing specialists -- real deal, or just a racket?
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Aug 25, 2017 14:26
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life is killing me posted:A quick question: If recaulking didn't help, your professional leak detective is most likely going to recommend one of three things: redoing the flashing around the exterior frame, removing and reinstalling the door, or replacing the door completely, How old is the sliding door? Do you know if it is framed with wood, aluminum, or vinyl? Can you take a picture of the exterior side of the door, looking down on the top edge?
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Aug 25, 2017 16:58
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The Dregs posted:What is the best way to go about making my home more energy efficient? I have vaulted ceilings on a split level home and the living room doesn't like to dip below 80 in the Georgia Summer, even though my AC is running nearly all the time and putting me in the poorhouse with 480 dollar electric bills. I am pretty sure my windows are poo poo. My AC unit was bottom of the line when they installed it about 12 years ago. I don't have the money to replace all my windows, and get new insulation for the attic (and maybe try to insulate the vaulted part), and replace the ac unit. At least I don't have enough to do them all at once anyway. But I would like to get started on whatever will give me the most bang for my buck. Sealing up any drafts with weather stripping and rope caulk is the very first thing you should do. The material is dirt cheap and insulation won't matter if heat or air conditioning can just run out your house. Next, install storm windows, you can make them from the vinyl film kits, or from acrylic sheet with magnet strips. Basically you're putting a second window in front of your single-pane glass that will make them about as efficient as double pane windows for a fraction of the cost. Blowing foam into the attic shouldn't be too expensive if you shop around, or maybe you can use cellulose, those are cheap options. Comedy option, go around collecting used styrofoam boxes and storing them all in the attic. Home Depot will let you buy an air conditioner for three months and return it if you don't like it. You should go there and buy the most efficient AC you can, along with a "Kill A Watt" meter for $20, it will show you how many watts your AC uses. Compare your new and old AC while they are both running full blast, and factor in the BTUs they are rated for. Maybe you can keep returning and trading for different models and you'd be saving a ton on your bill while doing so, without having to commit to one.
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Aug 25, 2017 17:55
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The Dregs posted:What is the best way to go about making my home more energy efficient? I have vaulted ceilings on a split level home and the living room doesn't like to dip below 80 in the Georgia Summer, even though my AC is running nearly all the time and putting me in the poorhouse with 480 dollar electric bills. I am pretty sure my windows are poo poo. My AC unit was bottom of the line when they installed it about 12 years ago. I don't have the money to replace all my windows, and get new insulation for the attic (and maybe try to insulate the vaulted part), and replace the ac unit. At least I don't have enough to do them all at once anyway. But I would like to get started on whatever will give me the most bang for my buck. Do the vaulted ceilings have ceiling fans large enough to circulate the air? Do you have windows going to the peak of the vault? And are the windows south facing? e: Is there attic space between your vault and the roof? Normally their isn't unless their is a flat ceiling like in this picture:  And while that gives you a little room for extra insulation, the roof line being right next to the living space is where the heat transfer is happening. i.e. you are probably cold in the winter and hot in the summer. And if you have charcoal/black shingles--they aren't helping your summer woes. HycoCam fucked around with this message at 19:02 on Aug 25, 2017 |
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Aug 25, 2017 18:50
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HycoCam posted:If recaulking didn't help, your professional leak detective is most likely going to recommend one of three things: redoing the flashing around the exterior frame, removing and reinstalling the door, or replacing the door completely, You'll either laugh or cry at this I imagine, but the house itself was built in 2014 and has had more leaks than just this sliding door leak. They are large, heavy doors. This house has had problems it shouldn't have and the warranty from the builder is expired as far as I can see, so we are kind of unsure how we can get this done without spending money we barely have. I can when I get back home. In San Diego for the weekend.
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Aug 26, 2017 00:25
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life is killing me posted:You'll either laugh or cry at this I imagine, but the house itself was built in 2014 and has had more leaks than just this sliding door leak. They are large, heavy doors. This house has had problems it shouldn't have and the warranty from the builder is expired as far as I can see, so we are kind of unsure how we can get this done without spending money we barely have. Shouldn't this fall under construction defect? It's a nightmare of a lawsuit, but a house shouldn't leak 3 years after it was built. Is the company that built it even still in business? Do your neighbors have these issues as well?
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Aug 26, 2017 00:47
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Oh yeah. He's still in business. He built my parents' house way way back and it is really nice. Not ours. It's nice but the quality is sorely lacking. We are one of three homes on our little street built by him and the rest are from the 1920's on. We have thought about suing him. He's unresponsive not because he wants to avoid us but because he has no office help and has poor subs I guess. Took us months to get one leak fixed as two subcontractors blamed another for it. We sent him a certified letter and he called me almost immediately upon getting it. Idk. Not sure how much money we'd get out of it if we even won. Don't know a lawyer or the rates either, but damned if I don't want to sue him.
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Aug 26, 2017 01:30
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Our fence looks like it was made with 4x4 posts (or 3.5" x 3.5") but when we went and measured they're all actually 3.25" x 3.25"  sure would have been nice if I could just go to home depot and buy some 4x4s but get hosed I guess
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Aug 27, 2017 03:35
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Eh I'd just use 4x4s. They're really 3.5" anyway.
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Aug 27, 2017 03:49
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QuarkJets posted:Our fence looks like it was made with 4x4 posts (or 3.5" x 3.5") but when we went and measured they're all actually 3.25" x 3.25" "Nominal 4x4" is 3.5"x3.5". It accounts for shrinkage during drying and flattening.
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Aug 27, 2017 13:05
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So, if I need to change the locks on my house, is it cheaper to just buy all new locks (three knob locks, 2 deadbolts), or to have a locksmith come rekey them all?
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Aug 27, 2017 13:30
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Buy new ones. You can just buy new barrels for some locks, check that out.
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Aug 27, 2017 13:32
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Huh, maybe I can replace the back door's lock that I lost the key for that way. New doorknob if I need it, even. Although I doubt my landlord would let me do that. What are my options if I lose the key for a particular lock? Can I get a replacement if my landlord somehow doesn't have a copy?
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Aug 27, 2017 17:16
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If you are renting, don't gently caress with the locks.
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Aug 27, 2017 17:27
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Pollyanna posted:Huh, maybe I can replace the back door's lock that I lost the key for that way. New doorknob if I need it, even. Although I doubt my landlord would let me do that. Just ask your landlord what to do. Ours said to just replace it and mail them a key. Call a locksmith and ask how much to key all 7 locks alike, it might be cheaper than you think and only takes them an hour or so.
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Aug 27, 2017 17:37
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Are you required to give a key to your landlord? I don't think that's the case here.
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Aug 27, 2017 17:41
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Subjunctive posted:Are you required to give a key to your landlord? I don't think that's the case here. lol I would be ripshit pissed if someone changed the locks on an apartment I own and I didn't have the key. Even if it is somehow legal which I doubt, it's not a good idea.
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Aug 27, 2017 18:17
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It depends on the situation. My super has the key to the knob lock, but not to the deadbolt I added. It's a big NYC apartment building, and I'm not giving the key to my super because he'll put it in a cabinet where five constantly-changing porters, all the meter guys, and anyone else who walks through the basement can access it. That would be a worse idea.
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Aug 27, 2017 18:38
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i like nice words
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Anne Whateley posted:My super has the key to the knob lock, but not to the deadbolt I added. Do they know you added it, and are they OK with that? I don't have any opinion on legal or not just curious about the situation, I know NYC's reputation regarding break-ins.
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Aug 27, 2017 20:05
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Yeah, it already had a space for a deadbolt with a hole and everything, and they mentioned it when they showed me the place. It's a pretty safe neighborhood, but not having a deadbolt seems unwise anywhere.
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Aug 27, 2017 20:08
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Anne Whateley posted:It depends on the situation. My super has the key to the knob lock, but not to the deadbolt I added. It's a big NYC apartment building, and I'm not giving the key to my super because he'll put it in a cabinet where five constantly-changing porters, all the meter guys, and anyone else who walks through the basement can access it. That would be a worse idea. Does your lease have a statement about the landlord being authorized to enter the apartment to address a maintenance emergency? Sounds like a good way to end up out on your rear end when the landlord has to bust down the door to fix a leaking pipe. Is renters' insurance prohibitively expensive in NYC or something?
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Aug 27, 2017 20:09
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I'm sure it has that boilerplate. The super could climb in through the window if he wanted, but worst case in an emergency I guess they would drill it out and I would pay for a replacement. The super knows he doesn't have my key and he's fine with it. I have plenty of renters' insurance, but a young woman living alone that's not my biggest concern.
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Aug 27, 2017 20:12
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Zero VGS posted:lol I would be ripshit pissed if someone changed the locks on an apartment I own and I didn't have the key. Even if it is somehow legal which I doubt, it's not a good idea. Why would you need access to a home that isn't yours? Seems f'd up and by that I mean hosed up that you'd demand access to someone's home because you owned some, I dunno, bricks.
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Aug 28, 2017 23:05
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NotJustANumber99 posted:Why would you need access to a home that isn't yours? Seems f'd up and by that I mean hosed up that you'd demand access to someone's home because you owned some, I dunno, bricks. Lots of emergencies warrant immediate entrance by maintenance. Otherwise, renters would be liable for a poo poo-ton of damages if they weren't available.
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Aug 28, 2017 23:11
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But if you own the home then...
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Aug 28, 2017 23:20
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NotJustANumber99 posted:Why would you need access to a home that isn't yours? Seems f'd up and by that I mean hosed up that you'd demand access to someone's home because you owned some, I dunno, bricks. Because the only reason it's their home is because you own those bricks? Renters have a ton of rights depending on the state but can't just do whatever they want to the house because they don't own the real estate in which they live...it isn't their investment. The only way they live there is because the owner agreed to it, and they don't get carte blanche to make decisions on someone else's investment. In some states owners can just show up whenever they want without notice to not only demand rent but to inspect the property condition or whatever else.
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Aug 28, 2017 23:36
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If you distrust people so completely that you need to disrupt their home maybe landlordism isn't for you.
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Aug 28, 2017 23:39
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