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After another two hours on the phone they finally agreed to replace the dishwasher. Frame damage can be considered concealed damage so they will replace it. No more buying appliances on debit.
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Dec 23, 2017 06:16
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OSU_Matthew posted:Who needs installers? Put in the front door yourself! It's actually fairly easy... Just pop off the trim till you get to the rough opening, unscrew, pry and sawzall the old door frame out, position and put the new door in place, tack in a nail or two to hold it while you shim it into final position, then nail and screw er in! Just make sure you get non expanding foam to seal the installation, that way you don't warp the door. Mad respect to those that can manage these kinds of projects themselves, but I am not a handy person and built the install cost into my budget. The peace of mind of having someone whose done it a thousand times before and a labor guarantee are nice little insurances. I think I will stick with things like painting and changing door handles and faucet sets for now since they still are near my upper DIY talent limit. 
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Dec 26, 2017 20:58
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So my house has this stupid 4 season room that's unheated. I've mentioned the through the wall heater/air conditioner in there, which I've sealed and put plastic up over the 70 year windows. Which was fine when it was 30 out but now it's subzero at night. The interior door isn't set up to stop drafts, its just a cosmetic french door. A little space heater warms it up nicely if we're actually using it, which is rarely the case (my PC is in there, a coach/chair, not much else). So the question is: Where can I get a piece of styrofoam board to just put up as a barrier overnight when we aren't using it? Is a big box my only hope?
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Dec 26, 2017 21:49
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mastershakeman posted:So the question is: Where can I get a piece of styrofoam board to just put up as a barrier overnight when we aren't using it? Is a big box my only hope? Any building supply house will have rigid foam insulation. And it's cheap.
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Dec 26, 2017 21:52
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drat Bananas posted:Mad respect to those that can manage these kinds of projects themselves, but I am not a handy person and built the install cost into my budget. The peace of mind of having someone whose done it a thousand times before and a labor guarantee are nice little insurances. I think I will stick with things like painting and changing door handles and faucet sets for now since they still are near my upper DIY talent limit. Same man. I don't have time patience or energy for most DIY projects only to be frustrated and annoyed when I gently caress it up or can't finish it because of any number of reasons.
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Dec 27, 2017 04:09
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We now are real homeowners, per the thread title. Thanks Santa for the grill!
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Dec 27, 2017 04:27
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So I got suckered in and bought one of those stupid Dyson cordless vacuums that are all chromed out to look like some space age art piece and not a robust, utilitarian home tool like they should. It's easily the best vacuum I have ever owned. HEY NONG MAN posted:Same man. I don't have time patience or energy for most DIY projects only to be frustrated and annoyed when I gently caress it up or can't finish it because of any number of reasons. What I have found is that no matter how much research I do, I usually end up messing up my first attempt at any given DIY task the first time I do it. Not always producing a bad result, sometimes just causing me frustration, making it take 5x as long as it should, or costing me money because I ruined my first round of raw materials. The second time, I feel incredibly more competent. By the time I have to do it so third time I basically feel like an old pro. So the thing is, if you accept that as a rule of thumb, think about how many "tries" you will get for a certain skill set over your time as a homeowner (and also how tolerant you are to having one or two rough "practice" examples). Like, I have replaced enough outlets at this point that it's no big deal for me. I will probably try installing crown molding at some point. On the other hand, I am thinking about studding out and insulating the unfinished section of my basement, but (a) it's expensive if I do it wrong and (b) it's probably a one-off job.
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Dec 27, 2017 18:17
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Hubis posted:So I got suckered in and bought one of those stupid Dyson cordless vacuums that are all chromed out to look like some space age art piece and not a robust, utilitarian home tool like they should. Is that one of those stick vacuums that mounts to the wall? I want to hear more
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Dec 27, 2017 22:06
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Hubis posted:So I got suckered in and bought one of those stupid Dyson cordless vacuums that are all chromed out to look like some space age art piece and not a robust, utilitarian home tool like they should. That's a good rule of thumb, and for a lot of stuff, especially big things like a furnace, I'd certainly hire a professional, especially since they get special pricing on stuff so it's a wash to diy or hire out. I'm also starting to burn out on home projects, I'd rather spend my precious little time backpacking and doing things I love. I mentioned the door because that's just not something most people would think to diy, but honestly isn't that bad of a project, easily a weekend job when you buy a pre hung door, even for the first timer. Plus it really makes you feel like you can do anything after you rip up your home like that that and put it back together, better than before.
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Dec 27, 2017 22:18
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My typical thought process for DIY vs. hire somebody: 1) Quick Google search to see what might be wrong, how to fix it, and how much it'll cost in parts and time. 2) Do I want to spend the time necessary? 2a) If no, call someone. 2b) If yes, order parts and set time aside to do the project. There's something to say about fixing a problem in your own house with your bare hands, but I hit 2a a lot. Time is valuable, and I don't like spending it on much other than family / friends and hobbies. That being said, I have installed an IoT security system; replaced my sump pump; fixed my dryer; and sealed my driveway / garage / basement concrete by myself - which all made me feel like a "real man" and were things I'd never thought I'd do on my own.
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Dec 27, 2017 22:27
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Electricity is still my biggest fear. I would want to rewire my garage as only one wall has outlets, and realistically that's the car wall, not the work area wall. And landscaping. But that's because I don't see defined steps in the process and it's not a purely functional fix. I just see a mess on the side of the house that should be gravel but has stuff growing in it and I don't just want to fix it for this season, I want to do it the "right" way so it's fixed long term.
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Dec 27, 2017 22:47
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Sudden Loud Noise posted:And landscaping. But that's because I don't see defined steps in the process and it's not a purely functional fix. I just see a mess on the side of the house that should be gravel but has stuff growing in it and I don't just want to fix it for this season, I want to do it the "right" way so it's fixed long term. The only permanent landscaping solution is napalm, then layer of salt, then interlocking plastic plates, then decorative plastic rocks. Then more salt. gently caress plants.
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Dec 27, 2017 22:54
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baquerd posted:The only permanent landscaping solution is napalm, then layer of salt, then interlocking plastic plates, then decorative plastic rocks. Then more salt. I need a small patch of fake grass for my dog. Otherwise, your plan is perfect.
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Dec 27, 2017 23:15
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baquerd posted:The only permanent landscaping solution is napalm, then layer of salt, then interlocking plastic plates, then decorative plastic rocks. Then more salt. Ha ha ha, "permanent". Dirt will accumulate in the little crannies on your plastic rocks, and plants will grow in the dirt. Even though the dirt's only like a millimeter deep. So far as I'm aware, there is no truly permanent, as in zero-maintenance, yard solution beyond "don't have a yard".
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Dec 27, 2017 23:16
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:Ha ha ha, "permanent". Dirt will accumulate in the little crannies on your plastic rocks, and plants will grow in the dirt. Even though the dirt's only like a millimeter deep. That's what the second layer of salt is for! Though I see your point. Perhaps an underground gas line like a gas fireplace that kicks on once a week? Change out the plastic for titanium.
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Dec 27, 2017 23:49
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QuarkJets posted:Is that one of those stick vacuums that mounts to the wall? I want to hear more Yes! We've got a decent conventional corded upright+hose and a B&D Dustbuster -- right now the Dyson seems like the best of both worlds. I've owned it for all of a week so it's hardly a torture test, but: 1) It's so light compared to the upright that I'm able to use it to vacuum annoying things like our stairs, and it's easy to go grab and clip an attachment on so I find myself much more eager to quickly spot-clean some dirt. It removes a lot of friction from the cleaning 2) It's way quieter than the upright, but it's also far quieter than the dust-buster as well. I'd feel comfortable using it while our toddler was sleeping in the other room, it's that good. 3) The dirt collection and clearing method (there's a built-in bucket whose bottom flips open) is WAY more convenient to clean than the Dustbuster 4) The attachments seem really good (I got the powered roller heads on mine). The carpet roller is pretty intense, and the hardwood roller has enabled me to clean things that I wouldn't be able to with the dustbuster/hose attachment very easily. The power might not be as much as the upright, but I haven't found it lacking, and with the extension wand it is convenient to use as a replacement for either device. 5) The wall mounting system is elegant and space efficient (provided you've got a pantry/closet to throw it in) All of this combines to make it way more powerful and versatile than a dustbuster, but better than an upright by enough that there are few barriers to using it. Like I said, I can't speak for durability, but right now I'd say it has a chance of replacing both if you don't have a lot of carpeted room where the wider path of an upright would make things more efficient.
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Dec 28, 2017 00:12
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Hubis posted:Like I said, I can't speak for durability, but right now I'd say it has a chance of replacing both if you don't have a lot of carpeted room where the wider path of an upright would make things more efficient. I've had a Dyson DC58 for 3 years, and it's been great.
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Dec 28, 2017 10:15
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Sudden Loud Noise posted:Electricity is still my biggest fear. I would want to rewire my garage as only one wall has outlets, and realistically that's the car wall, not the work area wall. I don't know what crazy town you live in but in but generic fly over country a whole garage wire including an independent meter install was $1,600. Gots to have 100 amps available fer any cool tools.
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Dec 28, 2017 18:40
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Sudden Loud Noise posted:Electricity is still my biggest fear. I would want to rewire my garage as only one wall has outlets, and realistically that's the car wall, not the work area wall. Honestly, electrical is not that bad at all, it's pretty straightforward really. I'd pick up a copy of Black and Decker Complete Home Wiring guide, and that'll walk you through home electrical systems A-Z with lots of pictures and way to understand diagrams. Once you understand what's going on, everything makes sense.
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Dec 28, 2017 20:18
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Rule 1 of electricity is don't touch anything unless you are absolutely confident that it's not energized. Otherwise, most work is just a "tab A into slot B" kind of affair, and as long as you follow the rules for how to run wire and how to handle junctions, you'll be fine. (Speaking as a non-electrician who's done a lot of outlets and lights and a few new circuits, but nothing else)
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Dec 28, 2017 20:24
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I've been electrocuted 3 times in a row by trying to repair a wall outlet and barely died, not a big deal. I was a dumb teenager and didn't know I could kill power to the room from the panel.
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Dec 28, 2017 21:18
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Sepist posted:I've been electrocuted 3 times in a row by trying to repair a wall outlet and barely died New thread title.
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Dec 29, 2017 04:21
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Rule one of electricity is that the circuit is always hot. It is trying to kill you, and you should treat it with the appropriate respect.
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Dec 29, 2017 04:24
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I am not sure I understand what died means.
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Dec 29, 2017 04:51
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Sepist posted:I've been electrocuted 3 times in a row by trying to repair a wall outlet and barely died, not a big deal. I was a dumb teenager and didn't know I could kill power to the room from the panel. This is you, isn't it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-C7AAvSslk
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Dec 30, 2017 01:46
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So the HVAC guy came out to repair my gas furnace, and he suggested that at 22 years old it might be due for replacement. It's working for now, but I think it might be time to move on this in the near future. Is there anyone here who has gone through a complete furnace/AC replacement recently, who has any sage advice?
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Dec 30, 2017 03:52
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Hello, I work as an HVAC/R contractor. Entirely commercial, but I can at least help you with equipment/install/general contractor stuff. So ask away. I guess the first thing I'd ask is what kind of shape is the furnace is? Has it been giving you a lot of problems? Did the guy happen to inspect the heat exchanger and see if it's super rusty or cracked or anything? There's not much to a furnace, but if the heat exhanger is on it's last legs than I'd say it's time. Do you have A/C coils on top of it as well? As far as finding a contractor goes, just farm it out, and get a few bids. At 22 yo old, I'm assuming it's an R22 system, so they'll be changing it over to 410a. Be sure to ask if they're going to run new refrigerant lines, or at least ask if they'll do an RX11 flush. As far as equipment recommendations go my top recommendation is Trane or Lennox. Avoid Carrier. Goodman stuff is ok, and if you're not planning on living there for more than 5 years or so it will do.
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Dec 30, 2017 05:03
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I guess it's the natural progression of things, to go from the house buying thread to the house owning thread. I've got a walk-up attic that's unfinished and I think it's just big enough that it's not clearly a storage-only space, but not quite big enough that it's a definitely-finish space. There's insulation between the attic and the rest of the house, but as I'm just buying the house now and it's empty, I figure it might be easier to spray foam the roof now rather than later, if that's something I decide to do. But is it something I should do? Especially given that there's no vents up there, I'm thinking that if I ever wanted to use the space for more-than-storage, I'd have to do a bunch of stuff to make sure there's air circulating, etc. right?
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Dec 30, 2017 07:24
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ExplodingSims posted:I guess the first thing I'd ask is what kind of shape is the furnace is? Has it been giving you a lot of problems? Did the guy happen to inspect the heat exchanger and see if it's super rusty or cracked or anything? There's not much to a furnace, but if the heat exhanger is on it's last legs than I'd say it's time. Do you have A/C coils on top of it as well? The problem that I have been running into is that the limit switch gets stuck open, which means it's overheating, which could have a number of causes. He monkeyed with the gas settings, but I'm not sure about the condition of the heat exchanger. And yeah, the A/C coils are right on top of it. quote:As far as equipment recommendations go my top recommendation is Trane or Lennox. Avoid Carrier. Funny you say this, because the unit is a Goodman from when the house was built.
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Dec 30, 2017 18:59
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Skinnymansbeerbelly posted:Funny you say this, because the unit is a Goodman from when the house was built. I don't have much of a problem with Goodman stuff in general (meaning the price vs quality of the equipment), but seeing it in new construction is a huge red flag that they had a plumber install it, and it's probably all wrong. (Every other equipment company requires dealers that are "in network" with training requirements, etc. Goodman will sell to anyone.)
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Dec 30, 2017 19:31
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I'm way past red flags with this house. There were many, many questionable decisions that were made in its construction.
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Dec 30, 2017 19:42
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There nothing wrong with Goodman equipment really, it mostly come down to install. However, the reason I put the 5 year line in there mostly has to do with the rather bare bones nature of the equipment. Like they'll work just fine, but you won't really get anything extra, like higher quality insulation, better cabinet construction, better humidity control, etc. Really the biggest factor is having a good install, which is where Goodman generally suffers the most.
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Dec 30, 2017 20:17
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ExplodingSims posted:Really the biggest factor is having a good install, which is where Goodman generally suffers the most. I kinda get where they were coming from on selling to anyone - and I hope that gamble worked out financially for them, because their reputation really suffered. They should have kept the Janitrol brand around for that poo poo (and literally just badge engineer the units based on sales channel).
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Dec 30, 2017 20:32
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Motronic posted:I kinda get where they were coming from on selling to anyone - and I hope that gamble worked out financially for them, because their reputation really suffered. They should have kept the Janitrol brand around for that poo poo (and literally just badge engineer the units based on sales channel). When I recently got the HVAC replaced in my house, the guys who did it said that Goodman is coming out with some sort of white label system where HVAC companies can badge their own brand ontop of the Goodman parts. They claimed that Goodman is being selective in who they allow to do this much like how the other brands typically do-- but I have no idea how accurate that is.
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Dec 31, 2017 06:15
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my furnace and a/c unit is over 40 years old. something needs repair about once a year, but $200 a year compared to eight grand for replacement is a no-brainer. That's forty years before ROI. what makes me more likely to replace is efficiency gains, but right now my biggest efficiency gains would be from insulating the walls and the subfloor in the crawlspace, so I intend to do that some time in the next few years and then worry about the furnace and a/c later.
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Dec 31, 2017 06:35
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Leperflesh posted:my furnace and a/c unit is over 40 years old. something needs repair about once a year, but $200 a year compared to eight grand for replacement is a no-brainer. That's forty years before ROI. what makes me more likely to replace is efficiency gains, but right now my biggest efficiency gains would be from insulating the walls and the subfloor in the crawlspace, so I intend to do that some time in the next few years and then worry about the furnace and a/c later. I'm sorta-kinda in the same boat. Furnace is like 28 years old, ac is 25ish years old. I've put 2-400/year into it for the last couple years and it's been running pretty well, other than a seeming r22 freon leak. I waterproofed the basement last year so I'm hoping I can hold off another year or two before replacing the system. My biggest worry is it dying during the Cleveland winter we're having right now with 3 cats. Cross my fingers and hope nothing bad happens?
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Dec 31, 2017 06:52
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Homeownership: Cross my fingers and hope nothing bad happens?
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Dec 31, 2017 14:06
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Is winter a good time to have insulation work done? My neighbor said the owners who built our addition originally didn't have an HVAC system in the addition and were surprised when it was way too cold, so they added duct work the next year. The addition has two rooms. The great room is well insulated despite having 2 outside facing walls. The smaller playroom feels borderline uninsulated with 3 outdoor facing walls and is a good 10 degrees colder. My guess is the walls weren't insulated properly cause they are quite cool to the touch even when the air is warm. Maybe subfloor wasn't done properly, I don't know. My debate was to space heat for this winter and have it done in the spring, or have it evaluated now. Either timeline works for me, I just don't want a lovely job done or be price gouged cause it's so cold (western PA).
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Dec 31, 2017 20:49
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Leperflesh posted:my furnace and a/c unit is over 40 years old. something needs repair about once a year, but $200 a year compared to eight grand for replacement is a no-brainer. That's forty years before ROI. what makes me more likely to replace is efficiency gains, but right now my biggest efficiency gains would be from insulating the walls and the subfloor in the crawlspace, so I intend to do that some time in the next few years and then worry about the furnace and a/c later. Panthrax posted:I'm sorta-kinda in the same boat. Furnace is like 28 years old, ac is 25ish years old. I've put 2-400/year into it for the last couple years and it's been running pretty well, other than a seeming r22 freon leak. I waterproofed the basement last year so I'm hoping I can hold off another year or two before replacing the system. My biggest worry is it dying during the Cleveland winter we're having right now with 3 cats. Cross my fingers and hope nothing bad happens? It's pretty rare to see a system running, in good condition, for 30-40 years. I've seen it before, it's usually just furnaces though, since they tend to be pretty simple things. But 20 years or so would be the max life I'd expect of a unit. Of course that depends on a lot of factors, climate, run time, humidity, proximity to the ocean, etc (The ocean will gently caress your A/C unit up is real short order) I'm assuming you're not in a climate where you have to run it very often? All the coils are in good shape and not rotting away? Your summer power bill isn't getting to $300+ Efficiency would be the first reason, which you do mention, but there's a lot more to it. I admittedly don't know much about furnaces though, since winter basically doesn't exist here, but from what I've read, and seen with the few gas installs we've done, it seems like they've gotten much better at turning gas into heat. But furnaces seem to last longer in general, since they're pretty mechanically simple. Usually it's when the heat exchanger rusts through that a system is toast, since that basically involves ripping the whole thing apart. But with the A/C stuff there's a lot to consider in terms of efficiency gains from a new system. After 40 years you're going to have some significant loss, just from age, and of course this assumes there's no other things at play like plugged coils, rotting coils, etc. On top of that, you've also the refrigerant issue, (assuming it's still an R22 unit). If it leaks, you're going to either pay out the nose to refill it with R22, or you going have to have a drop in put in. (M099, 407C, 422B, etc) and those can have an efficiency loss of anywhere from 10-20%. So if anything significance breaks you're pretty much looking at pumping more money into a unit which is already operating at like half it's capacity. I mean, if you're system still works and it's not giving you a bunch of issues, then don't change it out, no need to spend money if you don't need to. But there's been some pretty big gains in efficiency, and that's not even getting into the really fun stuff like ECMs and variable speed compressors and electronic expansion valves and such. 
ExplodingSims fucked around with this message at 23:14 on Dec 31, 2017 |
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Dec 31, 2017 23:10
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howdoesishotweb posted:Is winter a good time to have insulation work done? My neighbor said the owners who built our addition originally didn't have an HVAC system in the addition and were surprised when it was way too cold, so they added duct work the next year. The addition has two rooms. The great room is well insulated despite having 2 outside facing walls. The smaller playroom feels borderline uninsulated with 3 outdoor facing walls and is a good 10 degrees colder. My guess is the walls weren't insulated properly cause they are quite cool to the touch even when the air is warm. Maybe subfloor wasn't done properly, I don't know. If you can wait until early spring or something, it'll probably be a smoother process. I imagine all the insulation companies are crazy busy with the crazy low temperatures that have been happening recently.
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