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NetGear makes a security camera brand called Arlo: https://www.arlo.com/en-us/ Seems reasonably priced, and they claim that the 7-day cloud recording plan is free forever. They even sell $80 solar panels if you want the cameras to be 100% wireless. I might check into these further myself; NetGear routers are solid so maybe these are good. Edit: Look like the cameras only record when detecting motion, so they often miss the first few seconds. I guess this is how they can get the batteries to last for months and afford to give 7 days recording for free. Still, Amazon.com mostly gives them high marks so I guess it is fine for most non-nerds. Zero VGS fucked around with this message at 21:44 on Aug 30, 2017 |
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Aug 30, 2017 19:30
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Nice, thanks folks! I'll have to do some research but that points me in the right direction.
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Aug 30, 2017 22:25
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Zero VGS posted:NetGear makes a security camera brand called Arlo: The Arlo stuff uses PIR motion detection like a floodlight. It's it's good for power consumption, but there's no way to define motion zones, and sensitivity adjustment is limited. May not be a deal breaker in all situations, but if you're facing a busy street it could be. eddiewalker fucked around with this message at 00:27 on Aug 31, 2017 |
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Aug 30, 2017 22:56
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Zero VGS posted:NetGear makes a security camera brand called Arlo: Free until they pull a Google Nest and remote brick it because they're bored of the product line.
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Aug 30, 2017 23:01
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big crush on Chad OMG posted:Eh I'd just use 4x4s. They're really 3.5" anyway. Hubis posted:"Nominal 4x4" is 3.5"x3.5". It accounts for shrinkage during drying and flattening. I know. That's why I put (3.5" x 3.5") in parens. The problem is that the posts that are currently in there are 3.25" x 3.25". So the holes are too small for nominal 4x4s, by a quarter inch on each side QuarkJets fucked around with this message at 07:51 on Aug 31, 2017 |
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Aug 31, 2017 07:48
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QuarkJets posted:I know. That's why I put (3.5" x 3.5") in parens. If they're set in concrete you need to dig up and replace the concrete footing anyway, use nominal 4x4s. If they're not in concrete what are they in?
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Aug 31, 2017 08:27
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Would be glad of some advice on a dishwasher situation from the experts in here please: I bought and installed a LG dishwasher from a local box store back in March -- as of Friday it utterly refuses to power on. It is still getting power, the door catch seems intact, and I can't identify any other problems with it. A website ticket in to LG with details and my scanned receipt earned me no calls or email responses. Am going to get on the phone with them, but seeing pages in pages of internet complaints about their customer service am a bit skeptical of getting any help, despite the warranty. What make and model of dishwasher would you all advise please, in future? I generally dislike electronic bells and whistles (which seem to make for breakage-prone equipment.) We do some serious cooking though such that I appreciate the time a good one saves me.
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Sep 4, 2017 12:49
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I bought a Miele recently and it seems to fit the bill. I don't know what you consider bells and whistles though.
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Sep 4, 2017 13:09
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Bosch 500 series is the best dishwasher I've used. Only downside is there's not really a good place to put wine glasses securely.
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Sep 4, 2017 13:52
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stupid puma posted:Bosch 500 series is the best dishwasher I've used. Only downside is there's not really a good place to put wine glasses securely. Seconding this. Bought the $800ish model with third rack for silverware. It adds a surprising amount of space and is well worth it. See if your credit card company adds a warranty or satisfaction guarantee. Same for the box store. Unlike your LG this thing won't beep at you.
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Sep 4, 2017 16:08
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I've had good luck with the mieles.
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Sep 5, 2017 04:11
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stupid puma posted:Bosch 500 series is the best dishwasher I've used. Only downside is there's not really a good place to put wine glasses securely. I've bought these little flexible straws that have a hole on one end to poke into the rack and a claw on the other to hold onto the stem. They work OK but not great. https://shop.quirky.com/products/tether What I really want is a metal cage. I've seen them in commercial kitchens and can't believe there isn't a 6 or 8 opening version for home use.
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Sep 8, 2017 08:43
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Anyone know where to find plastic ceiling fan shades with 2 1/4" fitters? I can find plastic shades with other sized fitters, but the only 2 1/4" fitters I can find are glass. I have a ceiling fan in my bathroom and knocked one off with a towel a while back. It was fun tip-toeing through the glass shards without my glasses on. Looking for one (three) of these in non-glass, doesn't have to be the same style, just the same size fitter: 
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Sep 8, 2017 14:52
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H110Hawk posted:Seconding this. Bought the $800ish model with third rack for silverware. It adds a surprising amount of space and is well worth it. I also bought an $800 ish Bosch with a 3rd rack. It has been great. Had it 2 years now without any issue at all, no need to pre rinse things at all, its baddass.
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Sep 8, 2017 17:37
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idk but omg broken glass in the bathroom. My dad said shampoo used to only come in glass bottles and Bad Things would happen. Fancy people are still trying to use glass in the bathtub.
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Sep 8, 2017 23:42
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I would appreciate some advice on setting up a smart thermostat if anyone has some experience. I want to upgrade an old Honeywell to a Nest or something similar to help in the Minnesota winter. The problem is when I open up the old thermostat it looks like there are only 2 wired connections: W and R  I think this means there's no common wire so I wouldn't be able to power a newer thermostat. I'm not really looking to run a new wire through the wall so I guess I want to see if I'm understanding this right.
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Sep 10, 2017 22:44
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Salvor_Hardin posted:I would appreciate some advice on setting up a smart thermostat if anyone has some experience. I want to upgrade an old Honeywell to a Nest or something similar to help in the Minnesota winter. You're kinda screwed there. With only two wires, I don't really see any of the smart thermostats working well. Nest may or may not be able to do some weird thing where it briefly completes the circuit to charge itself, but I heard rumors of that doing weird things to the HVAC equipment. Running a new wire is probably your best bet (get like 8 conductor thermostat wire, it's way easier to run extra now). You might be able to get away with taping the new wire to the old one, and pulling it through the wall.
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Sep 11, 2017 01:17
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If you’re feeling lazy, I think something like this should get you up and running. The Ecobee comes with its own version included, and claims that allows it to not have to power cycle the HVAC. For disclosure, I haven’t upgraded my thermostat yet so can’t vouch for its effectiveness vs running new wire, and that model was linked to from the Ecobee website for two-wire thermostats.
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Sep 11, 2017 01:42
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killa-pope posted:If you’re feeling lazy, I think something like this should get you up and running. The Ecobee comes with its own version included, and claims that allows it to not have to power cycle the HVAC. I have an ecobee3 and wired it up with its adapter, it works really well but it requires at least 3 wires. I also suggest just running write that will support as much as possible for future proofing.
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Sep 11, 2017 02:17
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Thanks for the input. My HVAC is connected to a different thermostat, this one would just run the gas boiler for heat if that makes any difference.
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Sep 11, 2017 02:38
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Salvor_Hardin posted:Thanks for the input. My HVAC is connected to a different thermostat, this one would just run the gas boiler for heat if that makes any difference. I've had no issue running my gas boiler with a two wire connection off my Nest
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Sep 11, 2017 15:42
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Is there a dedicated thread for all things home automation? Home Assistant/Wink/SmartThings type stuff?
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Sep 12, 2017 20:18
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HycoCam posted:Is there a dedicated thread for all things home automation? Home Assistant/Wink/SmartThings type stuff? https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3635963
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Sep 12, 2017 20:25
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Thank you! All sorts of good stuff in Inspector Your Gadets.
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Sep 12, 2017 20:59
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Can anybody tell me about these floors? My entire upstairs is this type of flooring except the bathrooms. The house was built in 1916 but I have no idea if they're original or not.   The gray paint is boring, and I think it's just pine underneath? The grooves in between are a huge pain to clean. The floors are very much not level, so my guess is that they might be original, or at least old. Is it worth stripping and finishing them, or tear them up and put something better down, or just put laminate or something over them, or paint them a less boring color? I can't really decide what I want to do with them, other than make them stop being gray. edit: they were this color when I moved in in October.
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Sep 13, 2017 16:05
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They are almost certainly solid wood, at least 1/2 inch thick and probably much more, so there's plenty of material to work with if you want to try re-finishing it. Rent a machine or hire someone to grind the top few millimeter off and you'll have a nice pine floor you can finish however you want. The biggest challenge might be nails, I'm not sure from your picture how it's fastened. You will also have to re-do the trim along the walls etc. Before you begin any work, make sure to check for high and low spots and whether there are squeaky boards.
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Sep 13, 2017 16:13
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Even refinished, they'll always have huge gaps between the boards. That's not flooring, it's subflooring. Or a deck that somehow snuck inside a house. Screw down the boards that are raised, screw down any squeaky boards, and install actual flooring.
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Sep 13, 2017 16:33
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Slugworth posted:Even refinished, they'll always have huge gaps between the boards. That's not flooring, it's subflooring. Or a deck that somehow snuck inside a house. Screw down the boards that are raised, screw down any squeaky boards, and install actual flooring. Interesting. I had the same thought (that it wasn't intended to be actual flooring) but thought maybe it was some chic farmhouse flooring that I'd just never heard of. To be clear, none of the boards are squeaking or sticking up, it's all pretty solid. It's just that the whole second floor slopes towards the center (the home inspector saw no issue with it and said it's normal for old houses). I don't know the entire timeline of my house, but the previous owners were here for 11 years, and before that at some point between the 70s and 90s it was a kitchen cabinet and appliance showroom, so maybe the upstairs was just rough wood for storage. I'll have to think of a way to determine just how thick the boards are. Unfortunately I don't know if there's room to put flooring over them, as I have hot water base boards and I'm not sure what the clearance at the bottom of them should be, plus the two bathrooms have tiles that are even with the current flooring.
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Sep 13, 2017 16:49
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It's tongue and groove, probably 3/4" pine and more often seen used for walls. Since it is upstairs I wouldn't be surprised if it is straight on the joist with no subfloor. All the T&G subfloor I've seen is way wider and uglier, laid at 45 degrees. Should be super easy to refinish since it looks like it hasn't been repainted a zillion times. Maybe rent a floor sander and bang it out in a day, you won't hit nails because they are toe-nailed in the tongue. A polyurethane floor finish should look pretty cool and can be painted over later if you want. I wouldn't try to fill the seams since they change shape with the wood and will spit out the filler. If the squeaking bothers you I would avoid adding screws, instead you can fill a syringe with thinned epoxy and drill 16th" holes on the joists wherever you find a squeak, put a little epoxy in each then fill with filler or epoxy mixed with sawdust. Personally I think it keeps some of the original character of the house and signals the original intent of honest middle class utility instead of faking luxury like most of the modern options available. VVVVV: Yeah, definitely rent the kind that comes with a HEPA vac. Bibendum fucked around with this message at 22:20 on Sep 14, 2017 |
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Sep 13, 2017 22:53
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Before you take a floor sander to it, consider how much you don't want to blast fine particles of lead-based paint everywhere.
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Sep 14, 2017 02:42
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Anyone have any experience with the electronic pest repellents? It really seems too good to be true, but I'd love to be able to buy one thing that last forever to keep out mice/ants/bugs.
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Sep 15, 2017 19:54
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SouthShoreSamurai posted:Anyone have any experience with the electronic pest repellents? It really seems too good to be true, but I'd love to be able to buy one thing that last forever to keep out mice/ants/bugs.
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Sep 15, 2017 20:07
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oh lord my mother-in-law lent me these curtains because we've just had mismatching lap blankets hanging on the curtain rod for a year but
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Sep 16, 2017 11:58
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Well, I'm guessing you won't wait another year to get real curtains.
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Sep 16, 2017 13:16
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peanut posted:oh lord my mother-in-law lent me these curtains because we've just had mismatching lap blankets hanging on the curtain rod for a year but I guess lending them to you was easier than taking them to the tip?
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Sep 18, 2017 11:45
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I have a mostly unfinished basement with asbestos tile flooring. For the most part it is intact, but there are a few places with cracks and gaps between the tile, and in one particular area some more severe cracking. Is this something that I can address by covering it? (e.g. floor leveling compound and epoxy paint and/or floating vinyl plank flooring?) or am I basically gonna need to have some professional abatement done?  
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Sep 19, 2017 22:55
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Steve French posted:I have a mostly unfinished basement with asbestos tile flooring. For the most part it is intact, but there are a few places with cracks and gaps between the tile, and in one particular area some more severe cracking. Asbestos dust is really, really bad for you. Gets in the lungs and doesn't leave type stuff. Those floor tiles I suspect fall into the non-friable asbestos category--meaning they are not easy to grind into dust. i.e. you can take a floor scraper to the tiles, pop them up, and safely put them in the trash. Wouldn't be a bad idea to wear a respirator with that said. What kind of floor do you want as a replacement? If you want an epoxy or vinyl floor, I'd scrape up the tiles. If you want to float a laminate or engineered wood floor you'd probably be ok with using a leveling compound on the broken tiles and putting the floor on top of the tiles. (I'm assuming there is concrete under the tiles.)
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Sep 19, 2017 23:30
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HycoCam posted:Mine will probably be the worst advice, and I look forward to hearing the correct answer. One of the few times water is not the enemy in homeownership. Hose it down.
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Sep 20, 2017 02:24
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Steve French posted:I have a mostly unfinished basement with asbestos tile flooring. For the most part it is intact, but there are a few places with cracks and gaps between the tile, and in one particular area some more severe cracking. Short answer, as I understand it: yes, sealing it under some epoxy paint is a safe and viable abatement strategy. The important thing is to make sure it maintains structural integrity and doesn't kick dust up into the air. Sealing it under anything is good, especially something like epoxy. Putting floating vinyl tile over it is also often viable, but I'm not sure about when it starts to crumble like that. Of course, someone some day May curse your name when they do demo on that floor and discover a bunch of embedded ABM that can't be removed with just some water and a prybar.
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Sep 20, 2017 02:35
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Has anybody here built a house with 2x8 exterior walls? Opinions on wether it's worth it? I'm pretty sure I will have to cut every single board to stud length but I will be able to go with 24" stud spacing to mitigate thermal transfer. I live in Michigan where we regularly see sub zero temperatures in the winter and near 100 in the summer.
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Sep 20, 2017 18:03
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