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Cheesus posted:"good stuff" Be careful with the super expanding kind. That stuff can do things like pop the drywall right off the studs with how much it expands.
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Nov 11, 2017 21:24
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OSU_Matthew posted:What's your take on skipping the fire extinguisher and relying on a fire blanket instead? Or should those be regarded as a supplement and not a substitution? That's a supplement, and not even a very good one in most cases. Would you rather use something that makes you get CLOSER to the fire or allow you to stand back? And have another try at it if the first time doesn't work?
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Nov 11, 2017 21:51
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Question! In my finished basement, I have a furnace closet. The furnace itself is bi-energy, electricity and oil. The oil burner (Beckett) has an outside air intake. The closet gets a little chilly since it's right up against the exterior of the home, and I'd like to add weatherstripping to the closet door to stop the cooler air from entering the rest of the basement. But can I do this? Currently the closet door has no ventilation openings, and I never thought to have them there since the inspector and the furnace company have never mentioned it. I'm finding conflicting information, some sources that say I need to add vents, and another that says the closet can be made airtight. Help!
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Nov 12, 2017 20:04
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Hazed_blue posted:Question! In my finished basement, I have a furnace closet. The furnace itself is bi-energy, electricity and oil. The oil burner (Beckett) has an outside air intake. The closet gets a little chilly since it's right up against the exterior of the home, and I'd like to add weatherstripping to the closet door to stop the cooler air from entering the rest of the basement. But can I do this? Currently the closet door has no ventilation openings, and I never thought to have them there since the inspector and the furnace company have never mentioned it. I'm finding conflicting information, some sources that say I need to add vents, and another that says the closet can be made airtight. Help! Does your system have return vents throughout the house or is there a big grill on for the air intake on the bottom of the furnace?
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Nov 13, 2017 00:20
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kid sinister posted:Does your system have return vents throughout the house or is there a big grill on for the air intake on the bottom of the furnace? There are multiple return vents in the house. Hazed_blue fucked around with this message at 01:59 on Nov 13, 2017 |
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Nov 13, 2017 01:54
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Hmmm I️ really wanted to get wood shutters with a really gorgeous stain on them but it seems like even cedar shutters need to be restrained every ~3? As much as I️ don’t want to the low maintenance of vinyl might be too tempting.
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Nov 13, 2017 04:11
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Hazed_blue posted:There are multiple return vents in the house. Are you sure that they aren't registers? If so, then go ahead and seal up that door. Some smaller systems only need one big air return: a big rear end vent in the bottom of the furnace where the fan is. Other systems have ductwork ran throughout the house to pull in air from everywhere.
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Nov 13, 2017 05:43
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Any tips for installing carpet runners on wooden stairs? We've had a few near-falls on ours because of how slippery the wood is (fluffy winter socks + slippery wood = bad time), and I think it's about time we added runners before a bad accident happens. I've seen a few tutorials use adhesive, while others opt entirely for a nail gun. I'm thinking of using a nail gun + carpet padding + knee kicker. Any tips as far as best carpeting material to use, best carpet rods, etc.? Here are the stairs as they are today:
melon cat fucked around with this message at 05:49 on Nov 13, 2017 |
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Nov 13, 2017 05:44
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Quick question: any recommendations for adhesives and fillers to glue up broken plates/cups/china? Had a couple items break during a move and I'd like to make them serviceable if possible until I track down replacements. Both items are patterned with a white base, one in shades of red/pink and the other in blue. Dyes/paint would be nice, but not super required assuming I can fill in the details at a later date.
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Nov 13, 2017 20:33
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cigaw posted:Quick question: any recommendations for adhesives and fillers to glue up broken plates/cups/china? ThisToThat is my go-to for figuring out how to adhere two things. For ceramic it suggests superglue.
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Nov 13, 2017 23:33
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cigaw posted:Quick question: any recommendations for adhesives and fillers to glue up broken plates/cups/china? I have had great success repairing broken ceramics using five-minute epoxy. -- Don't fit the pieces together more than absolutely necessary. Each time you do, you lose a little bit. -- if they are recently broken & clean, then you're good to glue them together. If it's been awhile, blot the broken edges with isopropyl alcohol. -- If you have more than two pieces, plan on how to assemble so that you can glue one pair & keep the edges open, then add pieces until it's assembled. Be careful not to 'lock out' your work by assembling two & then the third piece won't go in the space. Now would be the best time to figure out if you can hold the glued work stable with tape, rubber bands, clanps weights, etc. -- Keep paper towels, Q-tips and the alcohol on hand when you are ready to assemble. -- Do your best impression of a tree sloth: slow & deliberate gets it done. Mix the epoxy 1:1, and let it sit for a couple minutes. Lightly coat one break side with a toothpick , small nail or similar, and gently assemble the pieces until you are absolutely sure you have then properly seated. Be gentle. Hold them together. If you can clamp/tape/secure it somehow, without covering the crack, do it; otherwise, be patient. As the adhesive squeezes out, use towels/Q-tips dipped in alcohol to wipe off the excess. This is how you get a nice, clean repair. Avoid getting glue on your hands - wipe 'em with alcohol if you do. Do not panic if the work moves or comes apart during the clean-off. Slowly & gently re-assemble & hold it. It may be necessary to hand-hold the work until the epoxy starts to set well - 5-10 minutes (yeah, I know it says, "five minutes." They lie a little). Wipe the repairs down until there's no residue. Some cracks will nearly disappear.
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Nov 14, 2017 02:01
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How many of these adhesives that you guys are recommending are food safe?
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Nov 14, 2017 06:58
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kid sinister posted:How many of these adhesives that you guys are recommending are food safe? That's an excellent question. In all honesty, probably none of them are "food safe". And if one of my regular serving plates or cups broke to the point where I'd have to glue it together to use it again, I'd probably just as soon trash it as glue it. Now, all that being said, if it's just myself, my wife and our adult friends and family members, I'm not worried. I've probably ingested more glue/epoxy than I'd care to admit. I wouldn't want to risk it with a little kid, but I'm not particularly worried that some toxic chemicals from a hairline fracture are going to kill me or anyone else. I would, in this situation, hand wash any of these items rather than use the dishwasher.
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Nov 14, 2017 16:13
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kid sinister posted:How many of these adhesives that you guys are recommending are food safe? Just have to make sure the epoxy is certified food safe. This one is food safe, but cannot be used for cooking and is not dishwasher safe: http://a.co/f1NkVac There is no such thing as food safe superglue.
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Nov 14, 2017 16:34
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If you're already concerned with the safety of the adhesive, it's prudent to consider the safety of the materials used to create, decorate, and finish the ceramics as well.
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Nov 14, 2017 16:39
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I only eat soylent using tongs straight from my autoclave, enjoy your cross-contamination sheeple
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Nov 14, 2017 17:05
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Thanks for the responses, guys! I'll look into zap-a-gap and epoxy and take it from there. Fixed plate will be decorative only as I take most of my nourishment intravenously at a microchip manufacturer's clean room.
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Nov 14, 2017 17:51
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I've gotten a quote back. Still waiting on another. The unit they ( the first contractor ) wants to install is a Cozy/Empire model. They're offering ten years on the heater/exchanger ( the unit itself? ), 1 year on parts, 1 year on labor. There may be some need to enlarge the opening for the floor unit, which they can do, but specify I may need to get a floor guy in there to fix things up proper when they're done. I'm vaguely worried about them screwing up the carpet when they cut the hole. How's this warranty? How's the manufacturer? How do I protect my carpet? The carpet is less than a year old and I'd rather not see it screwed up too badly, but it's located in a small hallway so replacing it wouldn't be a terrible ordeal. Just annoying.
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Nov 14, 2017 19:58
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Is a white roof over my first floor going to reflect heat into the exterior wall of my second floor that it abuts against? Or will a black roof absorb all of the heat and conduct it into my first floor?
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Nov 15, 2017 02:09
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I've got the food safe way to repair broken dishes: kintsugi.
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Nov 15, 2017 10:14
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Motronic posted:That's a supplement, and not even a very good one in most cases. Would you rather use something that makes you get CLOSER to the fire or allow you to stand back? And have another try at it if the first time doesn't work? Thanks, that's good to know! I've got a fire blanket in my kitchen, but I should really check whether that Kidde extinguisher under the sink works or is in the recall. That's the main thing I'm paranoid about, the extinguisher not working, and I figure the blanket is a cheap fallback and doesn't expire. Are there any good fire extinguishers that are designed for long term storage, to work after say 10-15 years of being ignored under the sink?
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Nov 15, 2017 14:47
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OSU_Matthew posted:Are there any good fire extinguishers that are designed for long term storage, to work after say 10-15 years of being ignored under the sink? Look for ones with a twelve year warranty. After that the pressure vessel has to be hydro tested and refilled, which for small consumer units is going to be >100% of the cost of replacement. Get one size larger than you think you need. I worry our 5lber isn't enough and it's larger than I see in most people's homes. I am surprised that homeowners insurance doesn't have a program to prod homeowners into compliance on this stuff.
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Nov 15, 2017 15:19
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You may be able to give your local fire department a call and have them send someone out to give you a recommendation. I know my local department does this, they'll test your smoke alarms and let you know how big your fire extinguishers should be as well as where they should be stored. In my community its a free service available to all residents, you just need to call and schedule the appointment. My local department also collects and recycles old extinguishers, so you don't have to send them to the landfill.
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Nov 15, 2017 16:50
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H110Hawk posted:Look for ones with a twelve year warranty. After that the pressure vessel has to be hydro tested and refilled, which for small consumer units is going to be >100% of the cost of replacement. Get one size larger than you think you need. I worry our 5lber isn't enough and it's larger than I see in most people's homes. We focus on passive stuff like smoke & CO detectors. I'm a property adjuster and after 35-years of working house & commercial fires, I have the damned things all over the house; at least two on every floor, one at each stair and egress (paired with a 3-cell Maglite), because it's possibly fatal to try to get to an extinguisher then find the fire between yourself & the only way out. I have to replace all of mine next year and will go with far larger units (currently have eight of the little guys). I also have two of those monster chrome water units that you can fill yourself, then charge from a compressor; they're older than dirt - I used them years ago as the final solution in any water/super soaker fight. They probably still hold pressure, but if I do decide to set 'em up, they'll be outside somewhere...I have no idea if they can be rehabbed or not.
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Nov 16, 2017 00:24
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PainterofCrap posted:We focus on passive stuff like smoke & CO detectors. Make's sense to focus on the biggest issues (alarms get people out alive and the FD called quickly) vs firefighting (lay people are awful.) I guess I'm surprised there isn't some pamphlet they send over giving advice on how fire extinguishers can help, etc. If you have old pressure vessels, like say a water cylinder, you should get it hydro tested. In theory wherever does scuba/scba testing should be able to help you out. Date should be imprinted into the metal, but if you've had them since forever they're expired. How many psi/bar do you charge them to?
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Nov 16, 2017 00:48
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insurance company actuaries probably decided the cost from getting sued because they recommended a fire extinguisher and then the homeowner died trying to use it outweighs the cost of repairing more fire damage
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Nov 16, 2017 01:15
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H110Hawk posted:Make's sense to focus on the biggest issues (alarms get people out alive and the FD called quickly) vs firefighting (lay people are awful.) I guess I'm surprised there isn't some pamphlet they send over giving advice on how fire extinguishers can help, etc. We do offer fire safety tips including fire alarms, detectors, egress plans, keeping egress un-blocked, as well as at least one fire extinguisher on every level. We offer discounts only for alarms & detectors, though. If memory serves, they redline around 150-psi. I never put more than 60-70 on 'em because I didn't want to hurt anyone. Even then, the sound of a 1/4" stream of water at that pressure hitting someone sounded like a firehose on a flat rock. I think we once ran one of them up to 120 or so just to get a sense of the power. It was intimidating. This was also at least fifteen years ago, and they were old yard-sale scores then. PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 01:32 on Nov 16, 2017 |
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Nov 16, 2017 01:28
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PainterofCrap posted:If memory serves, they redline around 150-psi. I never put more than 60-70 on 'em because I didn't want to hurt anyone. Even then, the sound of a 1/4" stream of water at that pressure hitting someone sounded like a firehose on a flat rock. Yeah 4-8 bar is nothing to sneeze at. Sounds like fun.
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Nov 16, 2017 03:58
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So I've got my two proposals. Quote 1: 3,000 dollars. They yank out one dead furnace, open up a bigger hole in the floor, and put in a new ( Cozy/Empire ) floor furnace. If I wanted to replace the other ( dying ) floor unit, it would be an additional three thousand dollars. Quote 2: 4,100 dollars. This contractor says to hell with floor furnaces. His proposal is that we drop a traditional furnace in the basement, a ( York Latitude Series High-Efficiency 95 Single-Stage Gas Furnace ( Model TG9S ). They'll pull the dead floor unit out, and install duct work that makes use of the existing hole in the floor. While not optimal in terms of efficiency, it leaves the door open to run actual duct work further down the line and the unit can serve as a jumping off point to add central air to the house. Long term, option 2 makes sense to me, but when I called contractor number 1 to ask about contractor number 2's proposal, they acted as though it was lunacy.
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Nov 16, 2017 17:47
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NerdyMcNerdNerd posted:So I've got my two proposals. Sounds like it's time for proposal number 3. I would just tell #3 how you have two very different ways in front of you, one being straight R&R the other an anchor point for ducting the whole house and you have no idea who is right.
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Nov 16, 2017 18:06
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H110Hawk posted:Sounds like it's time for proposal number 3. I would just tell #3 how you have two very different ways in front of you, one being straight R&R the other an anchor point for ducting the whole house and you have no idea who is right. Ducting the entire house further down the line would not be absolutely insane, at least. It is a single story house with a large, mostly unused basement. Logically, option 2 makes a lot more sense for a lot of reasons, but I want a second opinion from the board 'cause I don't know poo poo about HVAC. Contractor 2 was supposed to give me a quote for a straight R&R, but gave me a proposal for a furnace instead because he didn't want to gently caress up my floors. Contractor 1 will absolutely gently caress up my floors and expects me to find another contractor to fix them. I may yet hunt down more proposals, but things are getting somewhat cold somewhat soon and many guys are booked up, or don't even deal with floor furnaces. I wouldn't mind taking another month to flesh out the best possible answer, but the family is getting impatient.
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Nov 16, 2017 18:23
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NerdyMcNerdNerd posted:Ducting the entire house further down the line would not be absolutely insane, at least. It is a single story house with a large, mostly unused basement. Logically, option 2 makes a lot more sense for a lot of reasons, but I want a second opinion from the board 'cause I don't know poo poo about HVAC. I personally would lean towards whole home forced air, but I am a giant man baby when it comes to climate control and feeling comfortable.
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Nov 16, 2017 18:35
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NerdyMcNerdNerd posted:So I've got my two proposals. A single-stage gas furnace sized properly for the whole house will absolutely short cycle in a single room and be wildly uncomfortable. Option 2 is _slightly_ more reasonable with a variable or multi-stage unit that will pretty much live at low fire until more ducting is added.
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Nov 16, 2017 22:43
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NerdyMcNerdNerd Since you live in a mild Southern climate and are used to the expense of oil heating (no natural gas or propane?), perhaps a number of ductless split-system heat pump air conditioners would be best. For $3-6g you should be able to get one or two larger systems to cover the whole house, or a multi-head system. Most of them come precharged with refrigerant, and are very easy to install if you’re comfortable wiring a home-run circuit and flaring copper tubing. They’ll provide you efficient zone heating and cooling that a central forced air system can’t. And it’ll be much easier to add additional units for your attic and basement as funds allow, rather than trying to add new ducting. How cold does it get where you are? What’s your climate zone? Many ductless heat pumps are rated down to 0-5f now, so if need be you could supplement with electric heaters or a wood stove during cold nights. EDIT: So you do have natural gas and a 96+ efficiency furnace is possible? Earlier you said the floor units were oil when you were talking about backfiring. You’ll have to ask your HVAC guys if ductless heat pumps will be as cost efficient to run in your climate. Since you have a lot more cooling days than heating days in the South, it may still be worth getting ductless systems installed now, and get a wood/pellet stove going next winter. From what my Southern relatives have told me, it’s worth having a wood stove going for when your nasty ice storms knock out power for weeks. goku chewbacca fucked around with this message at 22:54 on Nov 16, 2017 |
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Nov 16, 2017 22:44
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The temps in my part of Virginia generally hover around 10-19 at night for the colder days/nights, but the winters can get oddly cold for a few days / weeks at a time and subzero or single digit temps aren't incredibly uncommon.goku chewbacca posted:EDIT: So you do have natural gas and a 96+ efficiency furnace is possible? Earlier you said the floor units were oil when you were talking about backfiring. You’ll have to ask your HVAC guys if ductless heat pumps will be as cost efficient to run in your climate. Since you have a lot more cooling days than heating days in the South, it may still be worth getting ductless systems installed now, and get a wood/pellet stove going next winter. From what my Southern relatives have told me, it’s worth having a wood stove going for when your nasty ice storms knock out power for weeks. I believe they're gas systems, sorry. For what it is worth the house itself is somewhat small ( 1200-1400 square feet ), and like all old houses, it is compartmentalized like a loving warship. It is also made of brick.The one functioning floor unit is in the kitchen/dining/living area of the house, and the dead one is in the small hall that connects to three bedrooms and a bath. AC isn't a deal breaker but if we're going to sink a few thousand dollars into a HVAC system, sinking a little bit more into something that can do more than one thing would be cool and good.
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Nov 16, 2017 23:05
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Doesn’t sound like your winters are as mild as I assumed for “the South.” I think Virginia has more Yankees than Atlanta at this point. If you were farther south or maybe coastal Virginia, mini ductless heat pumps might work in a small house with small rooms, but I think your climate is too cold. Efficiency drops dramatically or just stops working when it’s that cold, regardless of how small or well insulated your home is. Maybe some manufacturers put supplemental resistive heating elements in the indoor head units? I’m pretty sure your HVAC guys will tell you you can’t rely on ductless systems as your only heat source. Think you can get the wood stove working and/or limp the working floor unit along another winter?
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Nov 16, 2017 23:30
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goku chewbacca posted:Think you can get the wood stove working and/or limp the working floor unit along another winter? Prolly not. I think it needs a little brickwork, a cleaning, some minor repairs to the stove/vent. It has been too long since we used it and maintaining it fell by the wayside as a result. Qwijib0 posted:A single-stage gas furnace sized properly for the whole house will absolutely short cycle in a single room and be wildly uncomfortable. Option 2 is _slightly_ more reasonable with a variable or multi-stage unit that will pretty much live at low fire until more ducting is added. I'm guessing that single-stage means that it is only ever off or on? My current floor furnace has two settings: pilot light, or burning with the furious intensity of a fresh-born sun.
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Nov 17, 2017 02:03
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Our over the range microwave (Panasonic, crappy new build appliance) broke down. Is there any point in replacing it? Because it did a poo poo job venting out cooking odours even when it did work. Are we better off just getting a proper range hood and a separate microwave? Help me with my apparent inability to make mundane life decisions.
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Nov 17, 2017 06:23
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melon cat posted:Our over the range microwave (Panasonic, crappy new build appliance) broke down. Is there any point in replacing it? Because it did a poo poo job venting out cooking odours even when it did work. Are we better off just getting a proper range hood and a separate microwave? Was the under microwave vent connected to duct work leading outside? Or was it simply recirculating the air through a filter?
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Nov 17, 2017 06:48
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HycoCam posted:Was the under microwave vent connected to duct work leading outside? Or was it simply recirculating the air through a filter? 
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Nov 17, 2017 06:53
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