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enraged_camel posted:My patio light doesn't work and I confirmed it's not the lightbulb. Do I call an electrician? You can, or you can try to fix it yourself. As long as the light's circuit isn't energized, it can't hurt you. You should be able to flip its circuit breaker and remove the light fixture. Then the first thing I'd try is just wiring it back up again; it's possible it just had a loose connection. If that doesn't work, flip the circuit breaker again and use a multimeter to verify that the circuit is energized. Assuming it is, just replace the fixture with a new one (after flipping the breaker again). If the circuit isn't energized, that's the point where I'd call an electrician.
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Jun 18, 2018 18:49
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Our house was built in 1949, one of thousands of two-story Cape Cods that sprung up in the suburbs after the war. As far as we can tell, all the cabinetry in our kitchen is original. It's solid wood and it has a peninsula. We are thinking of doing a facelift: new paint and hardware on the cabinets, new tile, new backsplash, and new countertop, either granite or quartzite so I could put hot pots onto it. I was calling around to see if I could talk to a designer, and one of the people I talked to at a remodeler told me that if we were to put granite or quartzite on a 1949-vintage setup, which was likely pine, then I'd be encountering problems given that it's not going to support the weight. He said that the work necessary to buttress and support the cabinet to the wall with enough strength to support granite would basically come up in cost to near the cost of new cabinets. How much truth is there to this? Since it's coming from a guy who works at remodeling, I question the source. Our contractor made no mention of it when he came to take initial measurements. From what I know of modern laminates or other non-stone alternatives, they're a lot nicer than they used to be, but my concern for the long term is that they're not real stone, and that makes a difference. Granted, we don't plan on selling anytime soon, but it's still something I want to keep in mind. If laminate, bamboo, or some other non-stone countertop material has a nice look that will stand the test of time and not look "ugh, what an ugly late-2010s kitchen" I'd be open to considering it.
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Jun 18, 2018 20:07
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enraged_camel posted:My patio light doesn't work and I confirmed it's not the lightbulb. Do I call an electrician? Probably not the issue, but is there any chance it works at night? Some outdoor lights have photo-sensors that only turn on the light bulb when it's dark. I only ask because when I first moved in to my house and had this issue and it confused the gently caress out of me when I tried to replace the bulbs and they still didn't work.
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Jun 18, 2018 20:21
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MJP posted:
He's probably not exaggerating too much, though I suspect the cabinets would probably support the weight. It is stone and that's stinking heavy though, so who knows? Might collapse, might be ok...  My 40's cabinets are just 1x3 for the carcass and plywood around it, and they came apart pretty easy when I tore some out to put a dishwasher in. I wouldn't trust granite slabs on top of them. I also know concrete tops need reinforced cabinets to support the weight, so it's not 100% fabricated. The only thing I can guarantee, is that nothing stands the test of time and in ten years your granite countertops will be "ugh, what an ugly late teens kitchen". Have you looked at hardwoods or anything similar for a countertop? There's tons of cool stuff out there that's super durable, and nowhere near as expensive or horribly dated as granite. E: what the remodeler said about pine, new cabinet carcasses are made from that too 
Catatron Prime fucked around with this message at 20:43 on Jun 18, 2018 |
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Jun 18, 2018 20:40
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MJP posted:Our house was built in 1949, one of thousands of two-story Cape Cods that sprung up in the suburbs after the war. As far as we can tell, all the cabinetry in our kitchen is original. It's solid wood and it has a peninsula. Sounds a bit bullshitty and that he may want to sell you some cabinets. If your current cabinets require retrofitting to get up to snuff, then he might be correct that the cost isn't worth it. However, depending on the species of pine, it certainly is no slouch for strength. Yellow pine is in the top 20% of american hard and soft woods in terms of compressive and bending strength. And as the other poster pointed out, new cabinets are usually going to be made out of pine anyway. Of course, there are species of pine that aren't nearly as strong. Sugar Pine for instance is at the bottom end of compressive strength. If I am reading this right, even the weakest pine has a compressive strength of 4400PSI. It would take quite a thick piece of granite to hit that. I would definitely get a second opinion on it
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Jun 18, 2018 23:33
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qmark posted:If I did finish the walls, I'd want to get certain things done in the process like adding insulation (to the walls--only the ceiling has insulation), putting in a few outlets, etc. You may want to ask why your basement ceiling is insulated in the first place, if you're keeping your dogs down there at night I'm assuming that even if its not conditioned by the HVAC serving the rest of the house there's not a huge temperature difference between the basement and the rest of your house. If the basement is cold and thats seeping into the rest of your house you'd be way better off insulating the basement walls anyways and if it's not your cheapest option for what you want right now may be to just remove the insulation in the ceiling. Insulating basement or crawlspace ceilings is generally recommended against nowadays as it doesn't do nearly as much as insulating the walls and can cause other problems.
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Jun 19, 2018 04:01
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I have moths! I hate my life.
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Jun 19, 2018 05:17
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Grem posted:I have moths! I hate my life.  I had a moth while kayaking the other day... I thought it was pretty sweet though
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Jun 22, 2018 04:28
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Why are you stuck on granite anyway? There are better surfaces that won’t stain that are cheaper and lighter.
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Jun 22, 2018 05:00
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Whatever the modern generic version of Corian seems nice. You can set hot things on it and melt it.
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Jun 22, 2018 16:43
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http://solidsurface.com/sheet-material/fully-stocked-brands/samsung-staron This is what I used for my kitchen remodel. It’s great.
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Jun 22, 2018 16:57
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Quartz or Concrete are pretty stylin' IMO and have the added bonus of not off-gassing radon into your house (not that it's a real concern in most cases). Just don't be like my poor friend who bought a house with white marble counters. White? Porous? Suceptible to damage from even mildly acidic substances? Beautiful so long as you never spill anything on it ever.
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Jun 22, 2018 17:46
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I have to grade around my whole lot. Ughh. Grem posted:I have moths! I hate my life. Where? What kind? I found this sticky phermone traps to be super effective:https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Killigans...336587258&psc=1
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Jun 22, 2018 18:35
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So the previous owner built this bar in the main living area. It's pretty neat, except I'm not a drinker or a partier so I'm looking for some opinions on how the space can be re-purposed without being torn down. 
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Jun 22, 2018 22:49
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Giant aquarium. Puzzle table.
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Jun 22, 2018 22:56
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Obvious answer is to pick up drinking.
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Jun 22, 2018 23:01
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If you're super old school, a giant file cabinet. Or yeah pick up drinking. You can have a huge wine/beer collection without actually having much if you're precious about what you drink and what you're willing to open. Another option is to just install a regular fridge and a bunch of counters under there. You say you're not a partier but if you're doing meal prep and there's one to a few other people watching TV or talking, you can do your prep work while still being engaged in the conversation. I'm very jealous of the kegerator, being a drinker without space for one. My condo came with a built in under-counter wine fridge so theoretically I could put one in but I feel like a kegerator would get used twice a year max. Nail Rat fucked around with this message at 23:09 on Jun 22, 2018 |
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Jun 22, 2018 23:05
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You say that now. Wait until you install it.
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Jun 22, 2018 23:51
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HEY NONG MAN posted:You say that now. Wait until you install it. Let me rephrase that. A kegerator would be used twice a year max or cause all sorts of drama and regret.
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Jun 22, 2018 23:55
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Nail Rat posted:If you're super old school, a giant file cabinet. Or yeah pick up drinking. You can have a huge wine/beer collection without actually having much if you're precious about what you drink and what you're willing to open. That’s actually a small fridge under the bar, not a kegerator.
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Jun 23, 2018 00:06
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sex table, sink for cleanup fridge for whip cream and beverages
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Jun 23, 2018 01:09
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Lose the sink and put a couple stools on the fridge side of the counter, and use it for snacking / using a laptop or tablet while being able to look out into the living area?
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Jun 23, 2018 01:17
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Coffee bar - go buy a bunch of expensive coffee machinery and glass covered dishes for desserts!
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Jun 23, 2018 02:17
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Dustoph posted:Coffee bar - go buy a bunch of expensive coffee machinery and glass covered dishes for desserts! This but also buy a shaved ice machine and serve shaved ice.
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Jun 23, 2018 02:43
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Elephanthead posted:This but also buy a shaved ice machine and serve shaved ice.
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Jun 23, 2018 03:09
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Nail Rat posted:Let me rephrase that. A kegerator would be used twice a year max or cause all sorts of drama and regret. Nah, kegstands in your living room are pretty great... But I got rid of mine when I started digging too deep into why the beer would foam so much after awhile  Turns out cleaning between keg swaps just isn't enough Much better investment is an insulated growler, there's too much variety of great beer out there to settle for drinking the same drat thing for two months after your party
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Jun 23, 2018 03:20
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That's why you get like 3 different pony kegs.
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Jun 23, 2018 03:28
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So I got a pretty sweet letter from my homeowner's insurance company (through GEICO) only one month into my policy period saying that my insurance is cancelled in 30 days unless I put a padlock on my back fence and trim my front trees so they don't overhang my roof. Da gently caress?!!?!? How common is this poo poo? They didn't mention any of this when they did the binder. Can I expect this on a regular basis going forward?
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Jun 24, 2018 02:26
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IT BURNS posted:So I got a pretty sweet letter from my homeowner's insurance company (through GEICO) only one month into my policy period saying that my insurance is cancelled in 30 days unless I put a padlock on my back fence and trim my front trees so they don't overhang my roof. Da gently caress?!!?!? How common is this poo poo? They didn't mention any of this when they did the binder. Can I expect this on a regular basis going forward? I guess it happens when you change policies. I changed this month and got a post card in the mail from a third party saying they would stop by unannounced to see the property. I am fenced in fully from the front and no one is here during the day, so I expect them to just take a photo or two from the outside and be on their way.
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Jun 24, 2018 02:51
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IT BURNS posted:So I got a pretty sweet letter from my homeowner's insurance company (through GEICO) only one month into my policy period saying that my insurance is cancelled in 30 days unless I put a padlock on my back fence and trim my front trees so they don't overhang my roof. Da gently caress?!!?!? How common is this poo poo? They didn't mention any of this when they did the binder. Can I expect this on a regular basis going forward? I got one of these when I bought my house 5 years ago too. Except I bought a really lovely house and there was a huge list of poo poo they wanted done. Luckily I have a big extended family and most of then came over to help 3 weekends in a row. It did mean that instead of getting the place ready to move into we were dealing with a bunch of outdoor crap for the first month and it took us over 3 months to move in. Don't buy lovely run-down houses is the moral of this story. I couldn't have afforded to buy otherwise though and I bought at the bottom of the market outside of Portland, Oregon so it worked out OK.
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Jun 24, 2018 03:16
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I got homeowner's insurance through USAA and all I did was click some buttons on a web form. There's companies that send out inspectors and give you ultimatums?
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Jun 24, 2018 05:27
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gently caress Geico, they're a horrible fucker of a company. For car insurance. I didn't evne know they did homeowner's insurance, and most rating sites don't seem to even mention them. http://www.jdpower.com/ratings/study/U.S.-Home-Insurance-Study---Homeowners-Insurance/2951ENG I use Amica and they're great. Consistently at the top of surveys for customer satisfaction, including after making a claim. USAA is also always tops.
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Jun 24, 2018 06:57
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Fallom posted:I got homeowner's insurance through USAA and all I did was click some buttons on a web form. There's companies that send out inspectors and give you ultimatums? Fuckin same man. USAA is the dang poo poo.
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Jun 24, 2018 07:04
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Its very likely USAA looked at your house pictures and age and called it good - or sent someone out for a drive by. Its common practice for most carriers (I'd say all carriers except I can't back ALL up).
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Jun 24, 2018 07:11
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Ya, just bought a house and all the insurance companies I shopped said they would send someone out for a drive by within six weeks after closing and that I didn't need to be there. Oh, I'm with Geico and have been happy with them. Less than $100 a month for home and car insurance combined including 2 fully covered cars (2011 Toyota Matrix and 2012 Mazda 3). Helps that I have a family member that works there for pulling favors (like when I experimented with a salvage title car that the car company couldn't get me my title after 6 months and Geico extended the requirement by 6 months) but that doesn't affect any of my pricing or policies.
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Jun 24, 2018 08:11
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This is a good time to mention that you should always go to a broker for home and auto, even if it wind up back with Geico, Progressive or any of the other massive providers. At least have them run the numbers for you. I just saved $1,250 this year by using a broker. Their rates for auto were also less than what Geico was offering.
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Jun 24, 2018 12:08
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No one rates insurance companies by how easy it is to file and get paid for a claim but that is the only important thing.
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Jun 24, 2018 14:23
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Fallom posted:I got homeowner's insurance through USAA and all I did was click some buttons on a web form. There's companies that send out inspectors and give you ultimatums? USAA sent out an inspector for me, but my house is a hundred years old, so I'm not surprised. Basically the only thing he did was have USAA send me a tag to mark my main water shut-off in the basement. Question for you guys though... I'm paying about 800$ a year for home insurance... Is that high? Low? About right? Googling says the average for Ohio is ~600, but I don't think that's right
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Jun 24, 2018 14:35
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Ours is like 1,900/year, but if I recall we got a bit of a discount when we rolled in auto insurance. But we are insuring a huge Victorian with tons of original woodwork and poo poo, so, for example, if a drunk driver crashes his car into the front of our house, we want our fancy porch and vestibule to be rebuilt exactly as they were, not replaced with builder grade stuff.
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Jun 24, 2018 16:01
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OSU_Matthew posted:Question for you guys though... I'm paying about 800$ a year for home insurance... Is that high? Low? About right? Googling says the average for Ohio is ~600, but I don't think that's right That said, of the handful of places I’ve lived in the Midwest, $800/yr does not seem high to me for anything better than a shack with minimal coverage.
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Jun 24, 2018 16:28
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