|
Nevets posted:Are those vent pipes in the middle of the roof? Maybe the seal has broken and you're getting snowmelt from the roof running down the vent inside the wall all the way to the basement. They are, but again, both the sewer and chimney vent pipes exit further into the basement, not really near the door or wall.
|
#
?
Mar 14, 2019 20:38
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 27, 2024 21:22 |
|
|
DrBouvenstein posted:They are, but again, both the sewer and chimney vent pipes exit further into the basement, not really near the door or wall. Can you get up in the attic and see if there is a roof leak that is making it way down inside that wall from all the way up there (assuming there is a continuous wall from basement to attic)?
|
|
#
?
Mar 14, 2019 22:14
|
|
|
Motronic posted:Can you get up in the attic and see if there is a roof leak that is making it way down inside that wall from all the way up there (assuming there is a continuous wall from basement to attic)? I can't easily get up there, no. Access is in a closet and there is a very extensive shelving system in place. However, I do know that there is not a continuous wall, the attic is open, just the exterior walls and the trusses:  Sorry for tiny poo poo photos, the only ones I have are from the old inspectors report, but you get the idea.
|
|
#
?
Mar 15, 2019 00:02
|
|
|
The wall doesn't have to be in the attic. It just has to run from the basement up to the attic. So if you have a continuous wall on the basement and 1st floor that ends at the attic, the roof may be leaking into that section of attic and running down that wall to the basement and emptying onto your concrete floor. eta: If you have a sub-floor with a finished floor on top of that in your finished portion of the basement, I'd also check the entirety of the finished section. Water will run under your sub-floor and empty onto a lower section. Ask me how I know... SouthShoreSamurai fucked around with this message at 00:47 on Mar 15, 2019 |
|
#
?
Mar 15, 2019 00:45
|
|
|
My guess is: groundwater coming up through the slab.
|
|
#
?
Mar 15, 2019 02:58
|
|
|
Speaking of slab, I have a few small cracks in my basement floor, whatever, the house was built in the 90s. The problem, though, is I noticed some clever ants have made their way up through one of them into the basement. Is there an accepted means of filling in these cracks to keep these assholes out?
|
|
#
?
Mar 15, 2019 04:15
|
|
|
mutata posted:Speaking of slab, I have a few small cracks in my basement floor, whatever, the house was built in the 90s. The problem, though, is I noticed some clever ants have made their way up through one of them into the basement. Is there an accepted means of filling in these cracks to keep these assholes out? ants will happily chew threw any kind of concrete patching goo you shoot in there so make sure to put some poison down first
|
|
#
?
Mar 15, 2019 04:25
|
|
|
Fallom posted:ants will happily chew threw any kind of concrete patching goo you shoot in there so make sure to put some poison down first Oh, good call. Thankfully, they are all dead. I have murdered all that I could see with a spray that they're supposedly supposed to take back to their home and share, but I'm not sure how they're supposed to do that now that they are dead, but I don't write the labels, I guess.
|
|
#
?
Mar 15, 2019 04:34
|
|
|
Minneapolis is covered in ice, especially in the street gutters and it's causing drainage issues. The quantity of ice is such that you really can't remove it by hand. Am I crazy for thinking about getting a jackhammer or hammer drill to chip away at ice? I think a full jackhammer would be too much, I don't want to wreck the concrete, but a hammer drill wouldn't have the power to harm concrete (with the right bit) would it? Would it half enough hammering action to actually do anything to ice? Is there some other mechanical way I can break up my ice?
|
|
#
?
Mar 15, 2019 06:22
|
|
|
PainterofCrap posted:My guess is: groundwater coming up through the slab. drat!!! Yeah dude, now that he mentions it, do you have a sump pump? Has it been raining or lots of snow melt in your area?
|
|
#
?
Mar 15, 2019 11:06
|
|
|
FISHMANPET posted:Minneapolis is covered in ice, especially in the street gutters and it's causing drainage issues. The quantity of ice is such that you really can't remove it by hand. Am I crazy for thinking about getting a jackhammer or hammer drill to chip away at ice? I think a full jackhammer would be too much, I don't want to wreck the concrete, but a hammer drill wouldn't have the power to harm concrete (with the right bit) would it? Would it half enough hammering action to actually do anything to ice? https://www.amazon.com/Lincoln-Electric-KH825-01-Inferno-Torch/dp/B00BJQUUHC
|
|
#
?
Mar 15, 2019 13:43
|
|
|
wesleywillis posted:drat!!! Yeah dude, now that he mentions it, do you have a sump pump? drat, I thought I mentioned that, but yes, we already had maybe 6 to 7" of standing snow on the ground on Wednesday, plus about 2" of fresh snow wed night, then Thursday it was in the upper 40's. That's why I assume it's ground water from all the snow melt, but I'm just confused as to why/how it's coming from the middle of an internal wall. Water has never been there before. A few times, one of the exterior basement corners has had water leakage from snow melt, but oddly not this time, just the dead center of the basement. And it's not really enough water for a sump pump, but also too much for just a dehumidifier...blasted middle ground.
|
|
#
?
Mar 15, 2019 13:56
|
|
|
When I turn on the shower in my bathtub, the faucet runs (not as slow as a drip, but it's a constant run). I have one of the shower handles that has like "3 points" and you turn it to where you want it to for the temperature, and then move the little switch (that's attached to teh same shower handle, just underneath the temperature controls) from faucet-to-showerhead. I've checked to make sure the 'faucet-to-showerhead' switch is all the way, but it constantly runs at the faucet, and the showerhead pressure is kind of weak. How do I fix this/start to look at it?
|
|
#
?
Mar 15, 2019 15:53
|
|
|
That switch flips whats called a diverter (it diverts water from the tub spout to the shower head). Look up your particular fixture online and see what it would take to replace the diverter.
|
|
#
?
Mar 15, 2019 16:10
|
|
|
DrBouvenstein posted:drat, I thought I mentioned that, but yes, we already had maybe 6 to 7" of standing snow on the ground on Wednesday, plus about 2" of fresh snow wed night, then Thursday it was in the upper 40's. See that crack in the slab, at the bottom left of your picture? It’s damp. Try jumping up & down on that crack. You may be in for a moist surprise.
|
|
#
?
Mar 15, 2019 16:53
|
|
|
DrBouvenstein posted:And it's not really enough water for a sump pump, but also too much for just a dehumidifier...blasted middle ground. I'm very confused by this statement... Are you thinking of a wet/dry vac? A sump pump sits in a large hole in the slab and pumps out water before it rises to the level at which it would come up through the floor.
|
|
#
?
Mar 15, 2019 23:34
|
|
|
TheBananaKing posted:I'm very confused by this statement... Are you thinking of a wet/dry vac? A sump pump sits in a large hole in the slab and pumps out water before it rises to the level at which it would come up through the floor. Yeah, I was confused as well. This is being asked from the standpoint of a fixed building feature, not a piece of portable equipment you may happen to have on hand.
|
|
#
?
Mar 16, 2019 00:57
|
|
|
If it's not coming from the crack, is it coming from under the finished flooring on the other side of the basement? It's possible there's water all over that side of things.
|
|
#
?
Mar 16, 2019 01:40
|
|
|
glynnenstein posted:If it's not coming from the crack, is it coming from under the finished flooring on the other side of the basement? It's possible there's water all over that side of things. That's my guess as well. It's possible it's still from a crack under the finished side, but I think the water is coming from the finished side.
|
|
#
?
Mar 16, 2019 01:50
|
|
|
If the walls are the problem, the real fix is to expose your exterior basement walls, replace the exterior French drain and water seal the walls along with a drain fabric over the sealed wall.
|
|
#
?
Mar 16, 2019 01:59
|
|
|
A couple of quick questions: First off, I have a fuse panel. Can I add circuits at all or would I need to completely switch to circuit breakers? And if I replace the panel all together, all the circuits in the house have to be brought up to new/current code, correct? Way too much of the house is on only 2 circuits. If I legally can add a circuit but I can't find something (fuse or circuit breaker) can I add a breaker protected sub-panel? Nothing outrageous, just a 240v 20a) And for wired smoke detectors, does the circuit providing power have to be used for smoke detectors and smoke detectors only? United States, Michigan. Thanks
|
|
#
?
Mar 16, 2019 01:59
|
|
|
Fire Storm posted:A couple of quick questions: Talk to your city, or county if you live somewhere unincorporated. You will most likely need to switch to breakers. They would also know if you need to replace the wiring as well. Does your place have knob and tube? Yes, detectors have to be on their own dedicated circuit. That's how they talk to each other.
|
|
#
?
Mar 16, 2019 20:40
|
|
|
Is there an affordable fob system for doors that isn't just arduino diy poo poo? We're looking to add member unlockable entryways to a new makerspace I'm working on (with an access list we can easily add or remove from). The one at our current makerspace was made by an old member, undocumented, no code available, and I'm afraid of the time when it eventually fails.
|
|
#
?
Mar 16, 2019 20:59
|
|
|
moron izzard posted:Is there an affordable fob system for doors that isn't just arduino diy poo poo? We're looking to add member unlockable entryways to a new makerspace I'm working on (with an access list we can easily add or remove from). The one at our current makerspace was made by an old member, undocumented, no code available, and I'm afraid of the time when it eventually fails. Samsung is the gold standard if I recall correctly. Otherwise you're looking at a standard badge reader system which quickly gets to either money or arduino/pi crap.
|
|
#
?
Mar 16, 2019 21:08
|
|
|
kid sinister posted:Talk to your city, or county if you live somewhere unincorporated. You will most likely need to switch to breakers. They would also know if you need to replace the wiring as well. Does your place have knob and tube? Thank you. And thankfully not knob and tube, but older romex-like wire. House was built in the 1960s.
|
|
#
?
Mar 17, 2019 02:31
|
|
|
kid sinister posted:Yes, detectors have to be on their own dedicated circuit. That's how they talk to each other. Is that new? I thought there was a third wire used for communication?
|
|
#
?
Mar 17, 2019 13:53
|
|
|
Fire Storm posted:Thank you. And thankfully not knob and tube, but older romex-like wire. House was built in the 1960s. It's probably Romex then. The proper name is NM. NM originally had a braided outer sheath before manufacturers switched to a plastic one. You can probably leave your old wiring in place. Do you have 3 prong outlets? NM with ground started appearing in the 1950s.
|
|
#
?
Mar 17, 2019 18:22
|
|
|
Just bought some blinds for our Florida room - which looks like this - They're all the right size , looked super easy to install etc. However my drill cannot get more than 5mm into the lintel above the window. I got my stud/metal finder, and all above the window from side to side it goes off like crazy. Is it realistic that a 900sqft house built in 1947 would have steel plates instead of stone for the lintels? How the hell do I install these blinds? Not taken on a single DIY task in this house that hasnt ballooned from seeming kind of simple into a huge and sprawling pain in the rear end lasting weeks. it's getting real fuckin' old.
|
|
#
?
Mar 17, 2019 22:07
|
|
|
cubicle gangster posted:Just bought some blinds for our Florida room - which looks like this - Got a magnet? Should be pretty obvious if there is metal up there and not just a nail/screw.
|
|
#
?
Mar 17, 2019 22:12
|
|
|
cubicle gangster posted:Just bought some blinds for our Florida room - which looks like this - But yeah, it's very likely you've got steel lintels from that era.
|
|
#
?
Mar 17, 2019 23:00
|
|
|
The blinds could go into the wall either side of the window - but as you can see we've got old bricks there that only come out a couple inches. it's not happening. The windows are pvc impact windows, is drilling holes into them a good idea? really didnt seem like one. Would also make the blinds stick out really far as we'd have to rotate the connectors so what we're currently trying to put into the lintel now faces the window. Not at all comfortable going with that route. What tool do I need to drill into the steel lintels? it's the only option we have for this room. edit: So you're suggesting we install the brackets like this, straight into the window frame?  Totally removes any option for a valence, and makes it stick out pretty far from the window. cubicle gangster fucked around with this message at 00:04 on Mar 18, 2019 |
|
#
?
Mar 17, 2019 23:56
|
|
|
I just got home from a week vacation to find that my oven won't turn on (no clock and the buttons don't respond to anything) though the burners on the stove still light. Any quick thingsi should check before calling someone? From what I can tell there's not a fuse for just the oven based on the labels.
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2019 00:09
|
|
|
vlad3217 posted:I just got home from a week vacation to find that my oven won't turn on (no clock and the buttons don't respond to anything) though the burners on the stove still light. Any quick thingsi should check before calling someone? From what I can tell there's not a fuse for just the oven based on the labels. No one can give you any sort of real troubleshooting advice without understanding how your range works. A make and model number would be useful.
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2019 00:13
|
|
|
vlad3217 posted:I just got home from a week vacation to find that my oven won't turn on (no clock and the buttons don't respond to anything) though the burners on the stove still light. Any quick thingsi should check before calling someone? From what I can tell there's not a fuse for just the oven based on the labels. Sounds like your control board is fried if the piezo lighters still work. (Assuming you aren't pushing a button to get spark.) If you are handy you can likely replace it but it will take days longer to get the part. Make/model?
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2019 00:15
|
|
|
Motronic posted:No one can give you any sort of real troubleshooting advice without understanding how your range works. A make and model number would be useful. H110Hawk posted:Sounds like your control board is fried if the piezo lighters still work. (Assuming you aren't pushing a button to get spark.) If you are handy you can likely replace it but it will take days longer to get the part. Make/model? Sorry for leaving that out, haven't posted here before, it's a Bosch HGI8054UC/06. I've since tried the "30 minute reset" suggested by Bosch care after I figured out (and relabeled) the correct fuse. No luck.
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2019 01:10
|
|
|
cubicle gangster posted:edit:
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2019 01:17
|
|
|
vlad3217 posted:I just got home from a week vacation to find that my oven won't turn on (no clock and the buttons don't respond to anything) though the burners on the stove still light. Any quick thingsi should check before calling someone? From what I can tell there's not a fuse for just the oven based on the labels. Got a multimeter? Do what Motronic said and post a make and model. You might want to ask over at the electronics thread here in DIY. They helped me with the display on my oven having the 60 Hz flicker. I just had to swap 2 capacitors that cost maybe $1 total. Of course, that was when Radio Shack was still around. You'd pay more than $1 in shipping alone now for parts that weigh less than an ounce. kid sinister fucked around with this message at 04:41 on Mar 18, 2019 |
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2019 04:37
|
|
|
Slugworth posted:Yeah, those are a bit different from the types of brackets I'm used to. A hss drill bit should get through the lintel. Once you're through it, assuming there's masonry above it, switch over to a masonry bit and some tapcons. Thanks! Can I do this with my $50 rechargeable black and decker, or do I need a proper mains powered drill?
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2019 06:22
|
|
|
You'll be drilling up through steel and stone, it'll take a while. A cheap battery powered drill might start flagging after 10 or 20 minutes, and they tend to be heavier than a comparably powerful corded model. Weight is an issue since you are going to be holding this thing above your head in an awkward position for a long time. If you have a friend with a good drill (corded or not) that has a hammer function definitely try and borrow it. And make sure to get some good masonry bits, the cheap ones don't work. Another option (this may be a terrible idea so anybody feel free to shoot it down) is to scrape off the paint from the underside of the lintel, and use some construction adhesive to glue on a 1/2" thick board, then use some short screws to mount the blinds to that. It might make things difficult for whoever has to replace the windows in the future though.
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2019 16:05
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 27, 2024 21:22 |
|
|
cubicle gangster posted:Thanks! You can, I've drilled 1/2 inch holes in steel with my older 18v DeWalt. Depending on the power of the drill and the quality of your bits it might take a while (and several charges) though. e:fb
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2019 16:08
|
|
