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H110Hawk posted:Remember that renting it to him suddenly you are responsible for all of the maintenance this person has neglected over the last 30 years. Yeah, I considered it and that's definitely something that would need to get ironed out in detail. If the place looks rough I'm sure there's even more going on there.
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May 21, 2018 14:32
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tetrapyloctomy posted:Yeah, I considered it and that's definitely something that would need to get ironed out in detail. If the place looks rough I'm sure there's even more going on there. My dad bought three tax-lien foreclosures in the methy part of town. The amount of work he dumped into them was intense. While half of it was upgrades not necessary for renting, a lot of neglect was in those houses. Even if he isn't being malicious, simple lack of money can lead to a lot of surprises. Unless you are a big DIYer I would hesitate to rent it back out directly without ever having it unoccupied for serious inspection and repair. (He took 60? 70? Year old houses and brought them to modern standards. For example he ripped out the fuse boxes and put I breakers, rewired, repiped, insulated, heating/cooling, etc. So much so that the insurance underwriter assumed it was fraud when he updated the policy and they came out to inspect it.)
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May 21, 2018 15:04
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H110Hawk posted:My dad bought three tax-lien foreclosures in the methy part of town. The amount of work he dumped into them was intense. While half of it was upgrades not necessary for renting, a lot of neglect was in those houses. Even if he isn't being malicious, simple lack of money can lead to a lot of surprises. Unless you are a big DIYer I would hesitate to rent it back out directly without ever having it unoccupied for serious inspection and repair. At that point how much are you saving vs just tearing it down and plopping down cheap new construction?
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May 21, 2018 15:08
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Twerk from Home posted:At that point how much are you saving vs just tearing it down and plopping down cheap new construction? He did almost all the work himself. Labor is the killer in most construction jobs. He told me about how much he paid including the stuff he subbed out (heating / cooling, plus a friend he paid for some general labor help) and it was probably break even or profitable given the trim level so to say. Plus it's a hobby for him, he enjoys fixing up houses. One of them was for himself so he just lived in it.
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May 21, 2018 15:34
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disregard
emotive fucked around with this message at 20:42 on May 21, 2018 |
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May 21, 2018 20:39
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So I've got some spergin' to do about restoring/refinishing wood flooring. Since we're kinda stalled out on big ticket projects (kitchen and bathroom), I figured we could at least get moving on fixing up the floors in the coming weeks while the house is still empty. Some background for folks who haven't ventured into my project thread: my fiance and I bought a 1910 Victorian that's largely in its original state in terms of interior details and layout. All the original floors remain, though some are covered by lovely carpet, and are in varying states of wear. All of them need work, some more than others. Since floor refinishing is a pretty low-skill task (if tedious), it's something that we want to DIY, and fiance's mom and stepdad are coming next month to help out, and I'm thinking having them help with the floors so we can get all the dusty sanding work out of the way before we do other poo poo like paint walls and move in furniture. I'm pretty sure that the flooring on the first and (most likely) second floors are finished with shellac. Despite my reservations, we set some slightly damp soil samples out on newspaper on the dining room floor under the huge window to dry them out for free soil testing day (results: lead contamination!), and came back to find that there was enough dampness to leave big milky white spots on the floor, which is the telltale sign of shellac. The marks went away just fine, though, and that was after having wet crap on the floor overnight. I get the sense that the floors haven't really been taken care of in decades, so good chance of shellac. I started doing research on flooring finishes, and have determined that more shellac is the best option for a number of reasons, including  historical authenticity . Basically, it's quite easy to work with, natural and non-toxic, is particularly great for spot fixing and maintenance because you can just add more shellac, which will blend with existing shellac, and it brings out all the good warm tones in your woodwork. Downsides are the white water stains (though now I've learned you can fix them with denatured alcohol), and it's not the most durable option out there. Fiance disagrees with me, saying we need to keep our options open and stuff, and is worried about the water stain issue, and seems to be leaning towards newfangled polyurethane or whatever. If I can just put denatured alcohol on the stain and then add more shellac, that's not a big deal. Honestly, I love the idea of having a floor finish that you can spot fix that easily.Do any of you guys have experience working with shellac? Is it secretly a terrible idea? Also, some pics:  Fancy parquet flooring in the foyer. You can see that the floor is kinda beat up, but otherwise in decent condition.  Closeup of flooring and baseboard on second floor. Seems to be in decent shape, just scuffed up and worn. Carpet in the bedrooms needs to go. Hopefully the floors underneath aren't too hosed up. Worried about that carpet padding adhesive residue.  Attic floor is pretty hosed, though. Looks like pine (all these old houses had pine floors upstairs). Definitely needs to be aggressively sanded down and totally refinished. In another room, the previous owners started painting the floor with what looks like wall paint. More poo poo for us to sand off.
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May 22, 2018 01:35
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Well, I found a great use for my FlirOne thermal camera! 
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May 23, 2018 17:31
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Hubis posted:Well, I found a great use for my FlirOne thermal camera!  
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May 23, 2018 17:43
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Hubis posted:Well, I found a great use for my FlirOne thermal camera! Leaks?
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May 23, 2018 17:43
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Jaded Burnout posted:Leaks? Yeah, wall seepage in the basement. It's almost never been a problem in this house because of the excellent grading and the 3' (!) eaves channeling water well away from the foundation, but we got like 8" of rain last week and I guess the 2" yesterday was the last straw. That area is on the inside corner of our "L"-shaped house, and underneath an at-grade deck (previous owner put a now defunct recessed hot tub in) so it makes sense that would be the one place things finally went sour. Of course the PO also wisely decided to put in a bunch of knotty pine paneling and wall-to-wall carpet to cover the Asbestosium tiles below so we didn't realize there was anything wrong until I happened to step down there barefoot and got a cold, wet surprise. Fortunately I was able to use the thermal cam to scan the perimeter for any other cold, wet spots and that seems to be the only one. Ripping that carpet out has been on my wish list for a while. Looks like it might have just gotten moved from the "someday" column to the "soon" one -- right after I rip out that broken hot tub, back-fill under the deck, and replace the decking... 
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May 23, 2018 20:18
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That would be super useful for checking for underfloor heating leaks, it's a shame FLIR is so expensive.
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May 23, 2018 20:23
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Jaded Burnout posted:That would be super useful for checking for underfloor heating leaks, it's a shame FLIR is so expensive. Sometimes you can rent them from a hardware store.
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May 23, 2018 20:46
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H110Hawk posted:Sometimes you can rent them from a hardware store. Yeah, I'd probably want to own one because I'd want to use it whenever I needed to quiet my anxiety.
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May 23, 2018 20:53
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Not super cheap, but another option: https://github.com/maxritter/DIY-Thermocam
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May 23, 2018 22:39
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Jaded Burnout posted:That would be super useful for checking for underfloor heating leaks, it's a shame FLIR is so expensive. The FLIR One is $200, which is expensive and I'd say the usefulness doesn't quite justify the price but is ok if you can also justify some "toy" value as well. That being said, I got one of those and found it was definitely promising but the resolution was too low for me to find it actually useful, so I resold it and bought the $400 FLIR One Pro instead, which is basically the same sensor as their (more expensive) standalone camera. It's definitely been revealing -- I did an insulation audit this winter I might have some pictures from. I was meaning to do a little review if anyone is interested.
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May 24, 2018 00:22
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Ahhhhh thermal cameras  I want to know, but I don't want to know...
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May 24, 2018 00:26
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peanut posted:Ahhhhh thermal cameras $2-400 for the camera, then $texas redoing the insulation for your whole house.
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May 24, 2018 00:29
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Hubis posted:The FLIR One is $200, which is expensive and I'd say the usefulness doesn't quite justify the price but is ok if you can also justify some "toy" value as well. After your post I looked at both models on Amazon. Of course with tech in the UK they just change the currency symbol so the Pro effectively costs $534. Lots of mixed reviews, the general vibe being (as you say) the One is too low res and the Pro is still not quite there for the money. I'd like to hear your review for sure.
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May 24, 2018 07:57
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Hey guys, another attic insulation question. This became way more wordy than I intended, sorry! House was built in 83, with insulation like you'd expect and never updated/reinforced. We just finished an interior renovation-by-force thanks to hurricane Harvey (there's not a big enough middle finger or goatse to show that fucker), and have already noticed an improvement in heat/AC usage thanks to all the new insulation and drywall. But back to the attic: The insulation sucks. We have a cathedral (?) ceiling in the living room and master bedroom. I'm considering laying batts over the living room ceiling just to help keep the temperature down this summer to livable range instead of loving Inferno from 3pm-7pm. We're for sure adding one more roof vent, and we've got a guy coming next week to get a bid on redoing our lovely AC ducts (conveniently attic-located) which will help with efficiency and hot spots. I'm going through the attic (temperature permitting) and sealing up every hole I can find, too. We'd like to blow in insulation at some point, but I don't really want to hire it out as it's relatively straightforward to do, although I reaaaaaaaaally don't want to put in soffit vents all around the roof by myself. So. Throw in some insulation batts over the cathedral ceiling to help with the heat this summer? For reference this is what our attic looks like in the areas I want to insulate (not my house, but almost identical, and better insulation than we have  ):
a mysterious cloak fucked around with this message at 00:57 on May 27, 2018 |
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May 27, 2018 00:13
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At least Amazon saves you the first trip to the hardware store when you buy the wrong thing?  In totally unrelated news our toilet seat is no longer janky and is now slow close!
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May 27, 2018 00:28
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a mysterious cloak posted:Hey guys, another attic insulation question. This became way more wordy than I intended, sorry! Attic ventilation should be balanced between intake and exhaust. Don't punch holes into your roof at random expecting positive results. Are you sure you have a ventilation problem? Proper air sealing and insulation r value will have a larger effect than decreasing the attic temperature (if that's even a problem). If you have insufficient r value, then yes increasing it is obviously a good idea, but worry about doing a good job air sealing first. I'm don't understand the connection between blowing in cellulose and soffit vents. Do you mean soffit baffles? Check with your utility companies for rebates. It might make doing it yourself way less appealing if they are available.
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May 27, 2018 02:47
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Does your living room have massive windows in the cathedral ceiling space? Covering those windows (blinds or external shades) will reduce the problem at the source.
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May 27, 2018 07:28
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lwoodio posted:Attic ventilation should be balanced between intake and exhaust. Don't punch holes into your roof at random expecting positive results. Are you sure you have a ventilation problem? Essentially there's an electric attic vent that quit working - the fan doesn't turn at all and I've checked the connections. The fan motor itself just dead. So we're going to replace that with a functional one - probably solar as it's facing due south and doesn't get shade until basically sundown. And yeah, I meant baffles, not vents. I don't particularly want to do those myself - I know the limits of my stick-to-it-iveness and I think that's over the line. Blowing insulation in we would totally do ourselves. peanut posted:Does your living room have massive windows in the cathedral ceiling space? Covering those windows (blinds or external shades) will reduce the problem at the source. We have a sizable picture window facing south, but we have some nice blinds up that really block the sun. We have the same blinds throughout the house, and we noticed a definite improvement in heat reduction from the old lovely ones.
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May 27, 2018 17:58
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a mysterious cloak posted:
Baffles were one of the worst projects I ever took on. I am fat and kinda lazy but still. Never again.
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May 28, 2018 00:09
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Anyone know much about couches? I want a couch what'll be both big and comfy and last approximately forever, or as close to it as one gets. I've done some research into construction materials and techniques and it seems like I want kiln dried hardwoods and 8 way hand tied springs. Further research shows that I am unlikely to get 8 way hand tied springs that are actually an improvement over sinuous springs in my price range (less than $1300). Just figuring out what materials and techniques a lot of couches are made with seems to be like pulling teeth with furniture stores I've visited. Meanwhile many brands online go out of their way to obfuscate less than glamorous details of their products or just flatout don't tell you anything other than "its leather!" Anyone familiar with a producer with a good product near my price range? Style wise I've a fondness for chesterfields.
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May 28, 2018 05:52
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I've never thought about springs but I dislike couches that are too deep or low (is there a clear sofa vs couch definition?) Our couch is dark so it won't show stains, and hat flat arm rests perfect for a remote, phone, or even a drink. I just wish it was longer, but we bought it for our old tiny living room.
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May 28, 2018 06:25
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Sextro posted:Anyone know much about couches? I want a couch what'll be both big and comfy and last approximately forever, or as close to it as one gets. I've done some research into construction materials and techniques and it seems like I want kiln dried hardwoods and 8 way hand tied springs. Further research shows that I am unlikely to get 8 way hand tied springs that are actually an improvement over sinuous springs in my price range (less than $1300). Just figuring out what materials and techniques a lot of couches are made with seems to be like pulling teeth with furniture stores I've visited. Meanwhile many brands online go out of their way to obfuscate less than glamorous details of their products or just flatout don't tell you anything other than "its leather!" Can you afford an actual chesterfield?
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May 28, 2018 18:24
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Sextro posted:Anyone know much about couches? I want a couch what'll be both big and comfy and last approximately forever, or as close to it as one gets. I've done some research into construction materials and techniques and it seems like I want kiln dried hardwoods and 8 way hand tied springs. Further research shows that I am unlikely to get 8 way hand tied springs that are actually an improvement over sinuous springs in my price range (less than $1300). Just figuring out what materials and techniques a lot of couches are made with seems to be like pulling teeth with furniture stores I've visited. Meanwhile many brands online go out of their way to obfuscate less than glamorous details of their products or just flatout don't tell you anything other than "its leather!" https://www.wayfair.com/furniture/pdp/willa-arlo-interiors-lennert-chesterfield-sofa-wlao2233.html?piid=22859189 Or https://www.wayfair.com/furniture/pdp/astoria-grand-boston-chesterfield-sofa-argd6692.html?piid=25521819 Latter is a little high price-wise, and neither notes kiln-dried wood or not, but both with favored spring construction. $1300 is pretty inexpensive for a good couch but still a LOT of money to waste if you're unhappy with what you get,l. You might want to go to a brick and mortar store and just pay more to find one you can confirm is cozy AND get exactly what you want. Ten bucks a month over ten years is $1200 -- if you double your price but get THE PERFECT COUCH, you'll be so much happier long after thing sting of the cost has worn off. Edit: I have no pictures of our couch without a blanket on it for dog/cat protection. But our chairs are on the low end of Good Furniture and each cost what you want to spend on your couch.  The couch is this guy in a similar seafoam green. No clue about the spring construction but it is fabulously comfortable (and about the size of a twin bed without the pillows, and is greeaaat for napping). tetrapyloctomy fucked around with this message at 19:06 on May 28, 2018 |
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May 28, 2018 18:50
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cakesmith handyman posted:Can you afford an actual chesterfield? Also looking to not have leather. Should have mentioned that. This guy caught my eye a bit ago. It seems to tick enough boxes for the price that I am suspicious. https://smallspaceseating.com/collections/full-size-sofas/products/georgetown-three-seat-full-size-sofa Sextro fucked around with this message at 18:59 on May 28, 2018 |
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May 28, 2018 18:53
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Sextro posted:Also looking to not have leather. Should have mentioned that. I'd be wary of anything you're going to assemble yourself unless it's "just screw on the legs."
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May 28, 2018 19:09
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Raised by Hamsters posted:Baffles were one of the worst projects I ever took on. I am fat and kinda lazy but still. Never again. That's what i'm thinking the more I read about it. I mean, it seems reasonably straightforward, but... no. Just no. Will probably just hire that poo poo out.
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May 28, 2018 21:06
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Is buying a couch online a common thing? I would definitely want to sit on it. On all of them. Otoh our cushions have gotten lumpy af over the years. I want to say it's from kids jumping, but I first noticed a significant rear end groove when I was pregnant...
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May 28, 2018 22:31
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I have a dandelion problem. There is not a square foot of my 25’x25’ back yard without multiple, perhaps five, dandelions. There is no way I’m digging them out by hand. What are my options?
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May 28, 2018 22:49
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Subjunctive posted:I have a dandelion problem. There is not a square foot of my 25’x25’ back yard without multiple, perhaps five, dandelions. There is no way I’m digging them out by hand. What are my options? They make a spade-on-a-stick thing that's for getting those bastards out. Our gardeners take no time at all per weed to extricate the root. What I'm saying is hire someone.
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May 28, 2018 22:50
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Borrow some rabbits.
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May 28, 2018 23:03
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Live with them. 
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May 29, 2018 00:50
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They’re so ugly and I don’t even like the taste of the greens. I’ll see if I can get someone in, I guess. Will overseeding (which I’ve been considering on its own merits) help keep them from returning?
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May 29, 2018 01:01
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By "hire someone," do you have kids in your neighborhood? Kids who'd like to make 50¢ per taproot?
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May 29, 2018 01:11
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i like nice words
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You want the Fiskars Deluxe Stand-Up Weeder  Using this is easy and surprisingly therapeutic.
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May 29, 2018 01:18
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Enos Cabell posted:You want the Fiskars Deluxe Stand-Up Weeder I can confirm this. When you nail a huge dandelion and it all comes up in one big shot, taproot and all, you'll be pumping your fist in the air.
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May 29, 2018 01:31
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