|
peanut posted:I think it depends on the type of basement. Is it a massive, damp concrete moonscape, or a cozy mother-in-law unit? It's a finished basement, with its own heating zone. The central air is only on the first floor, not in the basement. (It really doesn't need it.) glynnenstein posted:This is hard to say without seeing your place in person. Is this is a single level with a basement? You might already have a lot of air getting down there if the basement door has big gaps or if your construction isn't very tight. Or if the areas are strongly differentiated now, you could end up with a noticeable difference after opening it up. Yes, and yes to both of those (big gaps and the construction definitely isn't that tight.) I've only been here since June, so all I've noticed is on very hot days the downstairs is still cool (since the basement is below grade.) I have no idea what that means for the AC on the first floor, though. High Lord Elbow posted:Mass Saves sounds like a discount on mass graves. It's a program in Massachusetts that comes in and basically pays for your house to be more energy efficient (insulation, bulbs, thermostats, etc...) It's pretty awesome.
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2017 15:56
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 11, 2024 12:33 |
|
|
Jaded Burnout posted:Thanks. The "coding it up" part is no problem but the only consumer stuff I can find is more heavily featured and premium priced which is beyond the sort of money I want to put into this, let alone big boy office solutions. Use any available smart lock today with any smart hub and you can set up rules with "if this then that" (IFTT) to do things like unlock your door when you connect to WiFi.
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2017 16:19
|
|
|
ElCondemn posted:Use any available smart lock today with any smart hub and you can set up rules with "if this then that" (IFTT) to do things like unlock your door when you connect to WiFi. Do you know of any reasonably cheap ones? The only ones I've been able to find are either lowly rated or £200+ each.
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2017 16:56
|
|
|
Jaded Burnout posted:Any thoughts on smart locks? I don't want to use one for my main external doors but there's a lot of glass on the outside of my house now and I'd like to put some layers between it and my expensive stuff by locking some of the internal doors. I don't want to use keys or PIN pads on those doors because I'd like them to be easy to lock simultaneously when I leave the house and unlock when I get back. On my front door I put a Skybell HD doorbell and a Schlage Connect deadbolt, the skybell gets video of any people near the porch, and the Schlage lock can unlock/lock based on my presence via Smarthings. The Schlage will sound a loud alarm if it detects someone kicked the door in. I'm in a low crime area so it's probably huge overkill.
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2017 17:22
|
|
|
Jaded Burnout posted:Any thoughts on smart locks? If you want to do the hard work yourself, Arduinos plus servos plus IFTTT can probably be rigged together to lock and unlock automatically, plus that gives you the ability to hide the locks (i.e. a deadbolt at the top with the guts on the inside side of the door, etc.). Hell, you can skip the arduino if you can find a servo or something that closes when powered and opens when unpowered (or vice versa) and get a cheap wifi plug. Or just pay money because home automation isn't cheap and anything you rig up is going to be unsightly and unreliable.
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2017 17:37
|
|
|
Erwin posted:If you just throw money at the problem, ZWave locks plus a SmartThings hub will allow you to lock the doors when no one is home, and have them unlocked when any combination of people are home, all without having to mess with IFTTT. My door is unlocked by the time I walk to it when I get home, and locks when I leave. But since no one makes ZWave internal locks, yeah, you're going to have to pay. My Schlage Connect deadbolt I just brought up, is a Z-Wave Device, and there's no reason you can't use it on an internal door with a little adjustment: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MXNP584/ $170 for the deadbolt and I got a used-like-new Smartthings on Amazon for $40, so yeah you can get it done for not a crazy amount of money. If you want to go low-tech and have something that works extremely well on normal inside doors: http://www.ebay.com/itm/OpenBox-Lockey-USA-2835OIL-Mechanical-Keyless-Lever-Lock-Zinc-Steel-/162658606787 That a Lockey 2835, a mechanical punch-key lock that and is made in Glorious Nippon. They are super strong and reliable and you can set your own alphanumeric combo.
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2017 20:20
|
|
|
Zero VGS posted:My Schlage Connect deadbolt I just brought up, is a Z-Wave Device, and there's no reason you can't use it on an internal door with a little adjustment: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MXNP584/ I did look at Schlage after previous recs but they were coming up very highly priced in the UK, looks like this Connect model isn't horrendously more expensive: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00OV49YXU/?th=1 So I may give that a go in a couple of places, ta.
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2017 20:23
|
|
|
You can get smart locks for $100 to $200 a piece. Kwikset, Schlage, and Yale all offer them. Programming them to lock/unlock when you leave the house is fairly easy to do. Home Assistant running on Raspberry Pi with a Z-Wave stick would be my recommendation in combination with presence detection using your router/Find/OwnTracks. If you have smart smoke/co2 detectors it is even possible to unlock the doors in an emergency situation. But seconding the others saying adding deadbolts to internal doors is a little wonky. If you truly want to hide a room--look into a hidden door with magnetic locks. The magnetic locks are under $200 on ebay. Or if it is general purpose room add a wall or floor safe. A combination of overt and covert cameras outside the home to record motion and a good insurance policy would be my recommendation. e:fb so slow at typing.. HycoCam fucked around with this message at 22:07 on Oct 10, 2017 |
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2017 22:04
|
|
|
SouthShoreSamurai posted:It's a finished basement, with its own heating zone. The central air is only on the first floor, not in the basement. (It really doesn't need it.)
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2017 22:12
|
|
|
HycoCam posted:Is there a basement door? If so, weatherstrip the basement door, especially the bottom and you're good to go. But not necessary code-wise (in the States), since your basement space is finished. There is a basement door, yes. I'm not sure I'm following about the weatherstrip part. Why would that matter more than it does right now? Why would taking out half walls matter if the basement is finished or not?
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2017 22:44
|
|
|
Jaded Burnout posted:Do you know of any reasonably cheap ones? The only ones I've been able to find are either lowly rated or £200+ each. Keep in mind that for an interior door... the weak point is going to be the drywall next to it. The low rating doesn't really matter when a couple kicks will get you through the wall.
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2017 23:35
|
|
|
devicenull posted:Keep in mind that for an interior door... the weak point is going to be the drywall next to it. The low rating doesn't really matter when a couple kicks will get you through the wall. Whoa, when do you think someone swapped out the brick walls that were there this morning?
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2017 23:41
|
|
|
Jaded Burnout posted:Whoa, when do you think someone swapped out the brick walls that were there this morning? This is your house, isn't it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._H._Holmes
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2017 23:46
|
|
|
Did I mention it's important these locks not have a latch on the inside?
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2017 23:52
|
|
|
I had a boiler guy come by to do a non-invasive inspection of my 8-year-old hot water boiler and I asked him what I'd have to do to add a common wire to my existing 2-wire setup to get power to a smart thermostat. He poked around in the guts with a multimeter and said the transformer probably wouldn't be able to take the stress of splicing a new wire in without frying the circuit boards. Does that sound right? Are there any alternatives? I found this: https://www.amazon.com/Rheem-1000-FAST-STAT-Wire-Extender/dp/B009AXJ39C but when I read the manual it seemed like it would only work for existing 3+-wire systems. I had a brief scare with my Nest when it said its battery had run down when I first started using the heat but it's been fine for the last couple of weeks. I'm more worried about the potential for upgrades, since ecobee thermostats all seem to require a common.
|
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2017 02:14
|
|
|
devicenull posted:Keep in mind that for an interior door... the weak point is going to be the drywall next to it. The low rating doesn't really matter when a couple kicks will get you through the wall. Also typically interior doors are pretty easy to kick in. If someone is motivated enough to break in they'll be motivated enough to give your interior doors a few good kicks each.
|
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2017 02:21
|
|
|
I'm thinking I'm going to go mechanical combo lock when I have a kid, just to make it harder for my kid to get into the room I keep some of my collectible stuff in until they're older and less likely to mess the stuff up. I'm thinking of the kind where it's always unlocked from the non-combo side, though.
|
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2017 02:35
|
|
|
SouthShoreSamurai posted:There is a basement door, yes. Finished is a bit of a misnomer. Condition versus non-conditioned space is what the HVAC and inspectors are looking at. You described a semi-conditioned space--which counts as conditioned. With a conditioned space you don't need anything special door or insulation wise to meet code. With that said--the doorways between conditioned and non-conditioned spaces should be solid and sealed. Inspectors in our area want to see a draft stop on the bottom of the door--just like you have on your exterior doors. A quick lighter test on the coldest/hottest days will tell you if you'd benefit from better sealing. (Hold a lighter along the edges and watch the flame for movement caused by drafts.)
|
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2017 04:17
|
|
|
HycoCam posted:Finished is a bit of a misnomer. Condition versus non-conditioned space is what the HVAC and inspectors are looking at. You described a semi-conditioned space--which counts as conditioned. With a conditioned space you don't need anything special door or insulation wise to meet code. With that said--the doorways between conditioned and non-conditioned spaces should be solid and sealed. Inspectors in our area want to see a draft stop on the bottom of the door--just like you have on your exterior doors. A quick lighter test on the coldest/hottest days will tell you if you'd benefit from better sealing. (Hold a lighter along the edges and watch the flame for movement caused by drafts.) Weatherstripping isn't going to do a lot after he removes the walls the door is attached to.
|
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2017 12:44
|
|
|
TheGreasyStrangler posted:I had a boiler guy come by to do a non-invasive inspection of my 8-year-old hot water boiler and I asked him what I'd have to do to add a common wire to my existing 2-wire setup to get power to a smart thermostat. He poked around in the guts with a multimeter and said the transformer probably wouldn't be able to take the stress of splicing a new wire in without frying the circuit boards. Does that sound right? Are there any alternatives? I found this: https://www.amazon.com/Rheem-1000-FAST-STAT-Wire-Extender/dp/B009AXJ39C but when I read the manual it seemed like it would only work for existing 3+-wire systems. This sounds like a guy who didn't want to pull a wire. To be fair, it might be a huge pain in the rear end to do that, but "the stress"? If the transformer is maxed on amps, it could be swapped out for like $35.
|
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2017 12:53
|
|
|
How about leaving the basement door open for a while to get an idea of airflow? In the future, could you (re)move the stairs completely?
|
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2017 13:51
|
|
|
So our master tub shifts a lot. Noticed this when I saw the caulk line was like 2 inches from the tub. The problem is 1) no idea why the tub is shifting (other than getting in and out) because I'm pretty sure it shouldn't be doing that, 2) how to fix it so it doesn't slide/shift, and 3) the front of the tub is so close to the wall I am not sure how I'll get caulk in there without shifting it backward. Given where the caulk is, I'm pretty sure it shouldn't be shifted backward, and at the same time, I'm also pretty sure the front lip of the tub shouldn't be that close to the wall. Can provide pics when I get home if needed, but am I going to have to get a plumber to pull the tub just to figure out where it should be and how to stop it from shifting all over the place?
|
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2017 20:30
|
|
|
life is killing me posted:So our master tub shifts a lot. Noticed this when I saw the caulk line was like 2 inches from the tub. The problem is 1) no idea why the tub is shifting (other than getting in and out) because I'm pretty sure it shouldn't be doing that, 2) how to fix it so it doesn't slide/shift, and 3) the front of the tub is so close to the wall I am not sure how I'll get caulk in there without shifting it backward. Given where the caulk is, I'm pretty sure it shouldn't be shifted backward, and at the same time, I'm also pretty sure the front lip of the tub shouldn't be that close to the wall. It really depends on the tub, but regardless of the kind of tub, it sounds like whatever was fastening it to the tub deck/wall/floor is no longer securing it. Likely (more like definitely), you have serious water ingress behind and beneath the tub. Which means the nails or screws have corroded and broken or pulled out or the wood has rotted and isn't structurally supporting anything anymore. You can pull the tub yourself but it's not an easy job and you'll probably have to do some structural repairs after it's out.
|
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2017 20:55
|
|
|
Magnus Praeda posted:It really depends on the tub, but regardless of the kind of tub, it sounds like whatever was fastening it to the tub deck/wall/floor is no longer securing it. Likely (more like definitely), you have serious water ingress behind and beneath the tub. Which means the nails or screws have corroded and broken or pulled out or the wood has rotted and isn't structurally supporting anything anymore. I dunno sounds like the hard part is already done.
|
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2017 21:07
|
|
|
life is killing me posted:So our master tub shifts a lot. Noticed this when I saw the caulk line was like 2 inches from the tub. The problem is 1) no idea why the tub is shifting (other than getting in and out) because I'm pretty sure it shouldn't be doing that, 2) how to fix it so it doesn't slide/shift, and 3) the front of the tub is so close to the wall I am not sure how I'll get caulk in there without shifting it backward. Given where the caulk is, I'm pretty sure it shouldn't be shifted backward, and at the same time, I'm also pretty sure the front lip of the tub shouldn't be that close to the wall. At this point I would recommend taking the tub out and looking at what you are dealing with. Sounds like it would be a perfect time to replace the tub with a more modern one, perhaps a sunken one? You can easily lower the tub by removing the top of these I looking beams that go under tubs. They are big on top because most people want a regular height tub, but you can just saw zall them off for sunken tub paradise. There are some other posters that would be more than willing to help you with this modification. Some of them might even be able to get a hold of the building inspector to help schedule an inspection and draw a permit!
|
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2017 22:24
|
|
|
I would rip it out and put in a sturdy prefab unit.
|
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2017 22:42
|
|
|
life is killing me posted:So our master tub shifts a lot. Noticed this when I saw the caulk line was like 2 inches from the tub. The problem is 1) no idea why the tub is shifting (other than getting in and out) because I'm pretty sure it shouldn't be doing that, 2) how to fix it so it doesn't slide/shift, and 3) the front of the tub is so close to the wall I am not sure how I'll get caulk in there without shifting it backward. Given where the caulk is, I'm pretty sure it shouldn't be shifted backward, and at the same time, I'm also pretty sure the front lip of the tub shouldn't be that close to the wall. You should make sure the previous owner did not fatally diminish the structural integrity of your house to install an ultimately ill-conceived "boutique" bathroom upgrade.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2017 18:18
|
|
|
peanut posted:I would rip it out and put in a sturdy prefab unit. And by "I" I mean I would hire a professional because water is serious business.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2017 23:51
|
|
|
Magnus Praeda posted:It really depends on the tub, but regardless of the kind of tub, it sounds like whatever was fastening it to the tub deck/wall/floor is no longer securing it. Likely (more like definitely), you have serious water ingress behind and beneath the tub. Which means the nails or screws have corroded and broken or pulled out or the wood has rotted and isn't structurally supporting anything anymore. I'm sure there's water INgress. Probably will pull the tub or get my handyman to do it. There is no previous owner and the tub is a micro-jet whirlpool kind of deal with those tiny little holes instead of the old-style big jets. The hardware is Delta, with the black plastic water lines. I feel certain the hardware would need to be shifted and there have the be electrical lines and some wiring somewhere underneath. No way a sunken tub will ever be in my house, but since there are no previous owners, it means the sub contractors messed up by accident or on purpose depending on how much they liked working for the builder, so compounded with the other things wrong with this house built in 2014, it's a grab bag on what the hell I'd encounter when I pull the tub because obviously corners were cut.
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2017 15:11
|
|
|
Oh nuts 2014?? Do you have some kind of warranty? Our new build came with 10 year insurance for builder's fuckups.
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2017 15:31
|
|
|
peanut posted:Oh nuts 2014?? Do you have some kind of warranty? Our new build came with 10 year insurance for builder's fuckups. Assuming they are in the USA, there probably was a warranty, but as soon as the neighborhood was finished the builder declared bankruptcy and closed up shop, voiding all obligations, then formed a new company with a similar name so they can do the same thing for the next subdivision.
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2017 16:03
|
|
|
Has anyone in this thread had aluminum siding painted? My house if from the 50s and aside from the original white paint going chalky and partially washing away, the siding itself is in great shape. I would definitely be getting this done by a pro.
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2017 17:43
|
|
|
peanut posted:Oh nuts 2014?? Do you have some kind of warranty? Our new build came with 10 year insurance for builder's fuckups. It's a structural warranty only for 10 years, and the rest of the warranty is expired. The builder was unreliable and took forever to respond and his subs were worse and wouldn't take responsibility
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2017 17:51
|
|
|
Spring Heeled Jack posted:Has anyone in this thread had aluminum siding painted? My house if from the 50s and aside from the original white paint going chalky and partially washing away, the siding itself is in great shape. I would definitely be getting this done by a pro. I just had mine done. It took my guy one day, and it came out amazing. (gently caress off previous owner, and take your electric blue with you!)
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2017 20:05
|
|
|
life is killing me posted:I'm sure there's water INgress. Probably will pull the tub or get my handyman to do it. On the other side of the tub there should be a dedicated outlet with one or two items plugged in--unplug those to disconnect the jets/heater. What will suck, is if the drywaller/tile installers covered all the access points. If that is the case, grabbing a borescope camera off Amazon would be a good idea before you start making bigger holes.
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2017 20:15
|
|
|
SouthShoreSamurai posted:I just had mine done. It took my guy one day, and it came out amazing. (gently caress off previous owner, and take your electric blue with you!) If you don’t mind, what’s your house size and what did you end up paying?
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2017 22:03
|
|
|
Spring Heeled Jack posted:If you don’t mind, what’s your house size and what did you end up paying? Roughly 2k square feet. The price won't reflect anything since it was a friend that did it and he charged me significantly less. If I had to guess, I think my job would normally have been like $1k-1200
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2017 23:13
|
|
|
glynnenstein posted:This sounds like a guy who didn't want to pull a wire. To be fair, it might be a huge pain in the rear end to do that, but "the stress"? If the transformer is maxed on amps, it could be swapped out for like $35. Lame. I had already told him I was going to pull the wire myself since the boiler is like 10 feet of straight-line distance from the thermostat; maybe he was angling for something else. Maybe I'll call somebody out specifically for the wiring job instead of just an inspection. Tiny Timbs fucked around with this message at 23:26 on Oct 13, 2017 |
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2017 23:23
|
|
|
Our kitchen sink faucet needs to be replaced. The sink is perfect, we reused our 20-year-old kitchen unit in this new house, but the head of the faucet is leaking from rust spots and the hot water is weak af. I'm confident the pipes were done well when it was installed last year because our builder is an autistic perfectionist who only hires other autistic perfectionists. Our builder said it's probably a thermo? failure, which isn't uncommon in an older tap. Everything else is new and good so I want to try to avoid labor costs... any advice?! VVV The faucet is 20 years old so it's outside of his warranty. His company mostly remodels/fixes older houses so he was just like "Yeah, that's p common after 15 years or so..." His team of autistic perfectionists all have a $100/day labor charge  I will look at YouTube!! And maybe hassle the plumbing bros at the hardware store. peanut fucked around with this message at 06:02 on Oct 14, 2017 |
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2017 05:50
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 11, 2024 12:33 |
|
|
If you know an autistic perfectionist, that sounds like a dream matchup. If he installed it just a year ago he'll probably be pissed and replace it possibly for free if you listen to him jabbering about how those incompetent faucet makers disosnded the skdodoej. If you really just want to do it yourself and it's just a kitchen faucet replacement, that's the kind of thing you can definitely do after watching a short youtube video.
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2017 05:55
|
|
i like nice words