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Lyon posted:No one has actual wells here (mandated city water) You know, except for the city.......
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Feb 26, 2018 16:49
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Motronic posted:You know, except for the city....... Fair point, I thought you meant my neighbors which to me would be a much bigger issue. The well has been there for 100+ years and I'm sure it's not the only one in the area so I'm guessing the city water plants can handle it (if they are impacted at all, it really isn't that much deeper than my basement).
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Feb 26, 2018 17:37
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The Dave posted:I imagine putting some filler in there but stopping every 8-10 ft to drop in a couple of playboys for historical record. Making sure that you put newer Playboy's lower, just to gently caress with an intrepid future archaeologists.
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Feb 26, 2018 17:59
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Lyon posted:Correct, we did not fill it nor did we pull any permits. No one has actual wells here (mandated city water) so there is no worry about groundwater loving up anyone else's wells. The contractor essentially dug around the well, ran rebar, mesh, then more rebar, and then cemented over it. After that they covered the entire floor (included the section with the well) in a plastic sheeting meant to prevent moisture from getting into the house from the ground as it was just dirt underneath the joists. Structurally he likened it to building a deck over the well and it was perfectly safe to walk on. You put a flash drive with SA forums backup on it. People will want to know about zaurg.
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Feb 26, 2018 18:00
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I thought the bullshit my contractors didn't do was bad.  I take it all back.
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Feb 26, 2018 20:11
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How level do my base cabinets have to be to template for quartz countertops? Context: This is a fairly old house (1960’s) and the cabinets are from the late 90’s. The floors are certainly not level and the cabinets have settled in over the years. I would say at the worst spot we are off just over a 1/4 inch. Can I install shims at only the low spots or does it need to be around the entire perimeter?
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Feb 27, 2018 01:08
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Sock The Great posted:How level do my base cabinets have to be to template for quartz countertops? I would ask the countertop supplier. Are you installing them yourself? I think when I bought them the installation was included because they are so heavy you can't really do it without the stuff they use to move them.
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Feb 27, 2018 01:45
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Hello there, fellow goon homeowners! My fiance and I closed on our first house two weeks ago, so we are very new to this homeownership thing, and excited and terrified at the same time. The house in question is a 1910 Victorian largely in its original state, which is both good and bad - good because we're not dealing with decades of fuckups and shoddy/ugly work by previous owners and we have pretty much all the original details intact, and bad because that leaves the major updating to us. Our apartment lease goes for another few months, so we won't be moving in till late summer. This gives us some time to fix some stuff before we move in, which is nice. We're only a mile and half from it (just the next neighborhood over) so it's super easy for us to swing by after work or whenever we want/need. I'll be making a project thread in DIY & Hobbies pretty soon because this house needs its own thread - we have a huge loving to-do list. Also might post in the home buying thread about our experience looking for and purchasing an older house and what weirdos we were about our criteria (e.g. open concept floor plan = deal breaker). edit: goddamn gotta get this account an avatar
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Feb 28, 2018 04:54
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Elephanthead posted:I would ask the countertop supplier. Are you installing them yourself? I think when I bought them the installation was included because they are so heavy you can't really do it without the stuff they use to move them. The fabricator will install the countertops, but it’s on us to have the cabinets properly prepared for measuring and installation. Spoke with them and they need to be level within 1/4”. I replaced one of the base cabinets last weekend and this one is high by at least 1/4”. Raising the old base cabinets isn’t really an option since the floor was installed after the cabinets. So I’d have to remove he hard wood flooring just to get underneath them to shim. Will Dremmel the new cabinet down a bit tonight.
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Feb 28, 2018 19:37
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Any theories about what the hell warped these bars on my dormer? I just got all my exterior trim repainted and/or replaced a few months ago and it was in fine shape then. Did some kind of rodent force its way into my attic? Goddammit. 
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Mar 1, 2018 00:44
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surf rock posted:Did some kind of rodent force its way into my attic? Yes. Almost definitely.
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Mar 1, 2018 00:56
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Better a smaller rodent than a raccoon. Sorry, just being an optimist.
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Mar 1, 2018 01:06
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It is raccoons, a bunch of them and they have been pissing and shittin all over.
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Mar 1, 2018 01:44
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It’s a rare endangered squirrel, and your attic is about to be declared a protected wildlife refuge.
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Mar 1, 2018 01:59
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So the wife and I are going to look at a house this weekend that we are super interested in, and we plan on making an offer if we like what we see. However, there are some things that we would want to have upgraded. What is good way to get in touch with a contractor so we can get some ideas on how much things will end up costing? Also is there a good way to find out which walls are load bearing? Wouldn't mind taking some walls down to make some rooms bigger.
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Mar 1, 2018 03:22
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Etrips posted:So the wife and I are going to look at a house this weekend that we are super interested in, and we plan on making an offer if we like what we see. However, there are some things that we would want to have upgraded. What is good way to get in touch with a contractor so we can get some ideas on how much things will end up costing? Does your real estate agent have a recommendation?
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Mar 1, 2018 03:46
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TheManWithNoName posted:Does your real estate agent have a recommendation? I do suppose that would be a good starting point.
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Mar 1, 2018 03:57
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Only if you really trust your real estate agent and they don't do whatever they can to get their commission.
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Mar 1, 2018 04:24
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surf rock posted:Any theories about what the hell warped these bars on my dormer? I just got all my exterior trim repainted and/or replaced a few months ago and it was in fine shape then. Sorry I was cold, I only laid a few eggs though so don't worry about it
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Mar 1, 2018 09:31
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Closing on a house soon and my realtor has been a real bag of dicks throughout. Would only send two week+ old house listings, so it was pure luck the Mrs. found our house online right when it hit the market. After our bid was accepted he gave our e-mail out to about a dozen shady insurance agents, tried to personally sell me on a MLM scam. He didn’t show up when I was having the place inspected/appraised. Then whined a lot because I didn’t use the inspector he wanted for kickbacks, and that I wanted to close a town over because it’s closer to my other errands. Ready to wash my hands of this jabroni. I know they’re supposed to be ‘working for you’ but I’d be wary about the trust given. Protect ya neck.
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Mar 1, 2018 13:30
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Renovation costs, Take what you think it will cost and multiply it times 10. Removing any wall mean moving plumbing and wires. If a wall runs the whole length of the house it is probably load bearing especially if it is in the center but not always. If a wall just looks like it is separating a larger room into smaller ones it probably isn't. Load bearing walls will go all the way down to the basement or crawlspace floor. I really recommend buying a house that is already the way you want but if you are targeting a neighborhood that is probably impossible.
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Mar 1, 2018 14:08
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meat police posted:Closing on a house soon and my realtor has been a real bag of dicks throughout. Would only send two week+ old house listings, so it was pure luck the Mrs. found our house online right when it hit the market. After our bid was accepted he gave our e-mail out to about a dozen shady insurance agents, tried to personally sell me on a MLM scam. He didn’t show up when I was having the place inspected/appraised. Then whined a lot because I didn’t use the inspector he wanted for kickbacks, and that I wanted to close a town over because it’s closer to my other errands. Ready to wash my hands of this jabroni. I've seen some people in this thread recommending reporting agents like this to the local board or bureau or whatever you call it. It might be nothing comes of it, but maybe this guy has a track record full of sketchy and this is what does him in.
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Mar 1, 2018 14:24
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Elephanthead posted:Renovation costs, Essentially what we want is a) 10+ acres for horses b) broadband internet through either FIOS or cable c) not being able to hear road noises from a major road nearby and finally d) not being right next to neighbors e) less than a 1.5hr commute. So far the absolute hardest part has been finding something in our price range that fits criteria a, b, and c. For whatever reason from all the realtors we have been working with have been saying that the housing inventory has been sucking the past couple of months. We did place an asking offer on a house last week but someone else put in a cash offer within 48 hours of the house going on the market. Crazy poo poo. However, this house that fits criterias a-d just popped up and we're going to go see it tomorrow morning. Anyway... regarding the load bearing walls, it is mainly to knock down the walls between the two smaller guest rooms and the wall that separates the living room and den.  edit: After closer inspection of the basement picture, it looks like the double lines on that floor plan are the load bearing walls. Etrips fucked around with this message at 15:11 on Mar 1, 2018 |
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Mar 1, 2018 14:38
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Regarding:quote:c) not being able to hear road noises from a major road nearby and finally d) not being right next to neighbors You really don't need that much isolation to achieve this. I'm on a .6 acre lot but my house is set back from the sidewalk in a pretty typical suburban area and we really don't hear the road and it feels like a decent amount of separation from our neighbors. Granted we do have privacy fencing all along our driveway and you're probably thinking about more space than I am.
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Mar 1, 2018 14:54
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The Dave posted:Regarding: Three places where we didn't think we would hear road noises we actually heard a good amount and we were really surprised since two of them were louder compared to where we are living now in a more populated area.
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Mar 1, 2018 15:09
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Etrips posted:Three places where we didn't think we would hear road noises we actually heard a good amount and we were really surprised since two of them were louder compared to where we are living now in a more populated area. This is greatly impacted by the construction of the house and what is between you and the road. If there is no or poor insulation in the walls, single paned windows, no trees and shrubs in the way, etc more sound is going to carry into your house. Also the type of vehicle that drives by you regularly. People are also way more sensitive than others to noise. If you killed your hearing in your youth gentle noise of a regular sedan cruising by may not register at all.
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Mar 1, 2018 15:44
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Yea we an elevated highway a little ways from us and in the winter when the trees are bare and the air is really dry and cool it is amazing how much grey nose comes through in the morning (when standing outside, inside is fine) Luckily it is greatly diminished in the summer when you'd actually want to be outside Point is it isn't something we picked up when we put an offer in Crazyweasel fucked around with this message at 15:48 on Mar 1, 2018 |
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Mar 1, 2018 15:46
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H110Hawk posted:This is greatly impacted by the construction of the house and what is between you and the road. If there is no or poor insulation in the walls, single paned windows, no trees and shrubs in the way, etc more sound is going to carry into your house. Also the type of vehicle that drives by you regularly. People are also way more sensitive than others to noise. If you killed your hearing in your youth gentle noise of a regular sedan cruising by may not register at all. I'm talking about being outside and not being able to hear road noise. Significant other is from the country and I'm a city boy that is tired of the constant outdoor noise of people/vehicles/planes/sirens/etc. I want to hear nothing but the rear end in a top hat woodpecker and owl.
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Mar 1, 2018 15:49
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My house backs up to a ravine so it’s fairly quiet but there’s always some kid who just started band class and learns how to play the trumpet across the entire neighborhood using the ravine as a megaphone.
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Mar 1, 2018 16:31
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Also what travels the road. At our last house we were fairly close to the road, which was fairly well traveled but tolerable even with a lot of regular traffic. However, there was a quarry up the road so like 50 trucks a day are engine braking past the front door for the stop sign at the bottom of the hill 4 houses down. Also every Sunday for six months a year there would be these huge motorcycle groups, like 50-200, each bringing 140 dB of freedom right past the house. They’re going the OTHER way so they have to be on the throttle going UP the hill from the same stop sign. Relative peace and was a big priority when looking for our current house.
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Mar 1, 2018 16:39
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uwaeve posted:Also what travels the road. Other than the hill, I think you live in my house/on my street. Quieter location is very high on our list as we're house shopping.
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Mar 1, 2018 16:47
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Etrips posted:Anyway... regarding the load bearing walls, it is mainly to knock down the walls between the two smaller guest rooms and the wall that separates the living room and den. If by guest rooms you mean the two smaller bedrooms along the left outer wall, since their shared wall, that you'd be removing, contains closets, be aware that bedrooms are required by code to have closet space. So if you want the combined space to still legally qualify as a bedroom, you'll have to put a closet somewhere in there. I mean, you're looking at a 10'x24' room, it's not like you'll be short on space. Just keep it in mind.
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Mar 1, 2018 16:54
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:If by guest rooms you mean the two smaller bedrooms along the left outer wall, since their shared wall, that you'd be removing, contains closets, be aware that bedrooms are required by code to have closet space. So if you want the combined space to still legally qualify as a bedroom, you'll have to put a closet somewhere in there. Interesting! Is there anywhere I can look up codes that like?
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Mar 1, 2018 17:00
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Etrips posted:a) 10+ acres for horses RIP quote:Anyway... regarding the load bearing walls, it is mainly to knock down the walls between the two smaller guest rooms and the wall that separates the living room and den. If you're knocking the wall down between bedrooms, be aware that this will likely instantly devalue your house. Going from a 3br to a 2br will eliminate a lot of potential buyers. EDIT: TooMuchAbstraction posted:If by guest rooms you mean the two smaller bedrooms along the left outer wall, since their shared wall, that you'd be removing, contains closets, be aware that bedrooms are required by code to have closet space. I'm about 99% sure this isn't universal and depends on local building codes. The real universal requirements are having a window large enough for egress, and can be accessed without going through another room. In other words: call your local municipality. LogisticEarth fucked around with this message at 17:13 on Mar 1, 2018 |
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Mar 1, 2018 17:09
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Etrips posted:Interesting! Is there anywhere I can look up codes that like? Your state should have a published building code, e.g. The California Building Code (click on "Codes" to go to the page linking specific PDFs). I think building codes are mostly pretty similar across the country, aside from stuff dictated by expected weather / natural disasters in your area. So e.g. California will have stricter rules for how to secure walls to foundations because of earthquake risk, while Florida will have rules regarding hurricane safety, and Maine will have rules regarding snow shedding on roofs (and probably stricter rules on insulation and heating than either California or Florida would have). If you want to do electrical stuff, I'd just buy the Black & Decker Complete Guide to Wiring, and if it doesn't tell you how to do something, you either should hire a contractor to do it for you, or it's something that shouldn't ever be done.
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Mar 1, 2018 17:09
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Motronic posted:Other than the hill, I think you live in my house/on my street. Oh dang that’s one thing I also get a lot of in the summer because I’m near a ferry dock and tons of motorcycles unload all at once when the boat comes in. It’s the worst and you do not want to get stuck behind them.
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Mar 1, 2018 17:15
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couldcareless posted:I've seen some people in this thread recommending reporting agents like this to the local board or bureau or whatever you call it. I’ve been debating it. The only real actionable thing may be having his buddies try to solicit me. Definitely giving him a bad reference when it comes to anyone I know in the market.
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Mar 1, 2018 17:22
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Yeah, the commute sucks, but I already commute an hour each way what is another 30minutes of free highway driving? Plus I only have to commute 3 days a week so silver lining I guess.
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Mar 1, 2018 17:47
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Etrips posted:Yeah, the commute sucks, but I already commute an hour each way what is another 30minutes of free highway driving? Plus I only have to commute 3 days a week so silver lining I guess. Three days a week makes it a lot better. The comment was more about the horses though, hah. In my line of work I see a fair number of people bankrupted by their 1000lb pets. I'd make sure you know what your setup is like and what your state regulations on ag operations are before choosing a property. Are you looking at established farms or trying to get pastures and such set up from scratch?
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Mar 1, 2018 18:51
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LogisticEarth posted:Three days a week makes it a lot better. The comment was more about the horses though, hah. In my line of work I see a fair number of people bankrupted by their 1000lb pets. I'd make sure you know what your setup is like and what your state regulations on ag operations are before choosing a property. Are you looking at established farms or trying to get pastures and such set up from scratch? It’s starting from scratch, but she’s grown up with horses the most part of her life. So she knows what she is doing. I don’t know the specifics because she ends up going into a long tirade where it usually ends up with me just nodding my head. I don’t understand how they can possibly go bankrupt though unless they are improperly cared for / injured where vets bills can get high real quick.
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Mar 1, 2018 19:00
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