|
SpartanIvy posted:How long did it take him to replace it? Got there right before 10, left at 11. Total was $600 including labor/tax.
|
#
?
Dec 12, 2019 18:52
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 8, 2024 18:20 |
|
|
Seems like a lot to me but I paid $700 for a home Depot contractor to gently caress up my water heater installation using $10 of (the wrong) parts so in comparison to that you got a great deal!
|
|
#
?
Dec 12, 2019 19:24
|
|
|
My daughter’s room is technically the bonus room above the garage. It has two access panels to the attic spaces above the garage on both sides, and they are just 1/8” plywood. I added some foam insulation on the backside of both of them, cut to fit and seal the gaps. It’s definitely helped, I measured the wall/panel difference and it’s only 2*F now. Next step is to get measurements of the roof area for that room so I can buy some roll-out insulation for on top. Our inspection report for the house noted that the insulation on top of that room wasn’t great, but otherwise the house has good insulation for the lovely windows.
|
|
#
?
Dec 12, 2019 19:26
|
|
|
MJP posted:Pulling up the thermal imaging mention - if you have forced air heating/central air, is it a good idea to insulate your ducts? During the summer when the AC is on, the ducts are really cold and condensating, with a lot of cool air going into the basement. We had someone looking at another HVAC issue and they showed us with a thermal imager how much heat was radiating from the ducts, and wanted to quote us on insulation. If you're actually feeling cool air coming out of the ducts, sealing them up would be a good idea. The good news is this is easy to DIY for everything in the basement. Get some duct mastic, a lovely $1 paintbrush and some gloves. Turn on the fan on the HVAC, and apply it nice and thick anywhere air is coming out of the ducts (exclude anything that's part of the furnace itself) and around all the joints. Ducts look pretty dramatic on thermal cameras due to the temperature differential. Sealing them up would be a good first step. Insulating them probably wouldn't pay off. If they're getting wet with condensation, it sounds like you might have a humidity problem in the basement.
|
|
#
?
Dec 13, 2019 00:16
|
|
|
Someone in the medical field questioning the markup on things. The irony. I don’t see anything wrong with that markup. It might be a touch high, if that’s your only complaint about the service I wouldn’t think twice about it.
|
|
#
?
Dec 13, 2019 02:23
|
|
|
skipdogg posted:Someone in the medical field questioning the markup on things. The irony. Took you guys a while to make this joke. 
|
|
#
?
Dec 13, 2019 02:32
|
|
|
devicenull posted:If you're actually feeling cool air coming out of the ducts, sealing them up would be a good idea. The good news is this is easy to DIY for everything in the basement. Get some duct mastic, a lovely $1 paintbrush and some gloves. Turn on the fan on the HVAC, and apply it nice and thick anywhere air is coming out of the ducts (exclude anything that's part of the furnace itself) and around all the joints. We very much do, there's a dehumidifier that kicks in basically at all hours in the summertime. The cool air is basically all around the ducts, not just at the joints or other points. The ducts are really cool to the touch. I'm guessing sealing 100% of the duct surfaces with mastic is probably not a good idea?
|
|
#
?
Dec 13, 2019 15:37
|
|
|
MJP posted:We very much do, there's a dehumidifier that kicks in basically at all hours in the summertime. Do you need another/stronger dehumidifier? I feel like if you simply remove the moisture/condensation, that would actually help a lot in terms of sucking cold out of the ducts. There's a lot of heat transfer involved in condensing water. My concern about putting insulation completely around ducts is moisture retention potentially causing issues, but I'm completely speculating and I'm sure it also depends on what kind of insulation you end up using.
|
|
#
?
Dec 13, 2019 21:51
|
|
|
totalnewbie posted:Do you need another/stronger dehumidifier? The insulation with a vapor barrier prevents condensation. You eliminate the surface below the dew point entirely.
|
|
#
?
Dec 13, 2019 22:11
|
|
|
StormDrain posted:The insulation with a vapor barrier prevents condensation. You eliminate the surface below the dew point entirely. Right. In other words, make sure to use the right kind of insulation, I guess? 
|
|
#
?
Dec 13, 2019 22:16
|
|
|
Hi everyone! Hope this is the right thread to ask this/get some advice. My wife and I recently had an offer accepted on a house. The house was listed at $395,000 (which was high) and we came in and held strong at $370,000, which was accepted. At that price we think it's a great investment in a very nice area. The house was built in the 1930s and is in excellent shape and well updated in many places. We had our inspection today and one big issue emerged -- many of the windows on the first and second floor (about 18 total throughout the house) do not open, are painted shut, and have broken counterweights. This was flagged as a material defect as a safety issue. When talking with the inspector, he commented he didn't know how much fixing this would cost -- and priced it at $1,000 or higher in the report. From talking with other people, the 'higher' is probably much higher - these are original windows from the 1930s (likely including lead paint and required abatement when repairing or replacing), and repair could be as much as $800 a window as each window needs to be individually removed, taken apart, and then any damage to the trim repaired. We are not handy people and don't want to do this ourselves. Replacing the windows would be a similar cost and would also mean losing 'historic house' status, which does help us down the line in resale. Our big concern/frustration/plan is with this: at every point our agent has pushed back trying to convince us that this is simply what you get with a historic house. I'm very tired of smug assholes acting as if having windows that open is an unreasonable expectation when buying an older house. I don't feel ok "accepting" what could potentially be a $10,000 or higher expense which must be dealt with even if it doesn't matter to us right now -- we'd like to sell this house in around 5 years, and this of course will show up again at that point. I basically see this as adding $10,000 to the sales price, and I wouldn't buy this house at $380,000. We have entertained replacing the windows at some point, but I see that as just adding value and as an option, while this is something that must be done to even return to 'functional house status quo'. My plan is to ask if we can get a few estimates of what the cost would be to repair the windows (because nobody at this point can give us a firm number) that I would use ask for a credit. I feel like it's a big gamble to even settle on a number without that information because costs could spiral as high as $20,000 depending on the situation. Does this make sense? Am I crazy? Seven Hundred Bee fucked around with this message at 23:40 on Dec 13, 2019 |
|
#
?
Dec 13, 2019 23:38
|
|
|
Probably a better ask here: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3131399
|
|
#
?
Dec 13, 2019 23:47
|
|
|
A primary residence isn't an investment, and don't buy if you only intend to stay for 5 years. Yes, this is what you get with most older homes. They're not cheap to repair, and if you want to keep them period correct with things like original windows they are also not cheap to heat and cool. And "not handy people" shouldn't be looking at homes like this. Unless you literally don't care about lighting money on fire.
|
|
#
?
Dec 13, 2019 23:54
|
|
|
Assuming you did not waive your inspection contingency, you do not need to ask for permission to bring in (several!) window repair companies to get quotes for this work during your inspection period. Which you should absolutely do. And then either ask for the sellers to pay for this work, get a credit to your closing costs, or use it to walk away without losing your earnest money.
|
|
#
?
Dec 13, 2019 23:56
|
|
|
Seven Hundred Bee posted:Hi everyone! Hope this is the right thread to ask this/get some advice. I'd replace that poo poo in a heartbeat.
|
|
#
?
Dec 13, 2019 23:57
|
|
|
Motronic posted:A primary residence isn't an investment, and don't buy if you only intend to stay for 5 years. The house is in great shape and we do want to live there. This is just a big issue that nobody else seems to recognize is a big issue which is driving us crazy. Working windows is not a luxury!
|
|
#
?
Dec 14, 2019 00:02
|
|
|
Sirotan posted:Assuming you did not waive your inspection contingency, you do not need to ask for permission to bring in (several!) window repair companies to get quotes for this work during your inspection period. Which you should absolutely do. And then either ask for the sellers to pay for this work, get a credit to your closing costs, or use it to walk away without losing your earnest money. Yes this is basically our plan — good to know that this makes sense.
|
|
#
?
Dec 14, 2019 00:06
|
|
|
Perhaps it isn't to you, but many older homes have a bunch of non-functional windows. It's extremely typical. Get a solid quote and use it to walk away - the owners aren't going to go for it.
|
|
#
?
Dec 14, 2019 00:11
|
|
|
Seven Hundred Bee posted:The house is in great shape and we do want to live there. This is just a big issue that nobody else seems to recognize is a big issue which is driving us crazy. Working windows is not a luxury! FWIW I think your planned approach sounds fine, and it's what I'd do. I've no idea how much it will cost to get the windows fixed fully and correctly, but that $1K sounds awfully low, as you said. For $1K maybe they could unstick the painted shut ones IF they don't run into lead, but I can't see them also fixing the counterweights for that money, and I'd agree that it's a safety issue. I wouldn't think that your reasonable approach would stop the deal unless this house is in the hottest of hot neighborhoods with a bevy of backup buyers waiting to pounce. And I'd be pretty put out with a real estate agent who took that kind of dismissive attitude even if technically they do technically represent the seller's interests rather than yours. tl:dr - Yes, old houses have issues, but that's why there are inspections, and safety shouldn't be negotiable.
|
|
#
?
Dec 14, 2019 00:17
|
|
|
Windows you can't even loving open is not something that you "just accept" with older homes. For a historic home it's not even that old. Your agent doesn't sound like they're really acting in your best interest because any other potential buyers of this home are going to learn about this issue through an inspection and unless your market is absolutely red hot (I assume not since you got the house for less than list) they're all going to ask the sellers to resolve this issue before the sale is finalized too. And windows have to be replaced at some point. There are plenty of options out there for replacements that will keep the character of the originals, if you had to go that route.
|
|
#
?
Dec 14, 2019 00:20
|
|
|
Here's another reason to run away: Historical homes are difficult to acquire permits for because you have to go to your city's planning department to accept before you make modifications. I would never want to buy a historical home, because the city will be able to but in and make you do things that you do not want to do. Note: historical vs built a long time ago are different classifications. The permits are a pain in the rear end, if you really want to buy it and then repair the windows. As these can possibly be structural things, depending on your jurisdiction, this might make even acquiring the permit difficult. You need to do the research on this before you accept the purchase fully. Now even beyond that, suppose you want to replace the windows. Are they standard sliders or casements? Because sliders will cost you around 400-500 per window, with casements costing you around 1000ish to replace, for each window. This is for the material cost, and excludes labor. If you are in an expensive jurisdiction, the labor is going to be equivalent to the work done, so double the number. Heaven forbid you have to make a structural modification to a header. Additionally, if you have to replace a structural header for some reason, this cost goes up faster. The permit is also going to cost money. The lead could cost you more. Now, I know folks in the construction industry who will take shortcuts and pretend the lead doesn't exist, but if you not directly connected, you're going to get hosed at every stage. ntan1 fucked around with this message at 01:28 on Dec 14, 2019 |
|
#
?
Dec 14, 2019 01:26
|
|
|
ntan1 posted:Here's another reason to run away: Actually, some good news on that front: the definition of a 'historic home' in my city is a voluntary organization that provides a plaque in exchange for $350 and adhering to some standards (original windows or reproduction windows to match original on the front of the house, not changing the front porch, adhering to traditional color schemes) and living in the right area. It is not tied to anything official. In actuality it means nothing other than a nice 'bonus' to let people crow about how they live in a historic! home! with! a! special! plaque! The home is not part of a home owners association. Like this: https://www.fanwomansclub.org/historic-plaques.html (this isn't the neighborhood we're purchasing in, but you get the idea). The windows are standard sliding windows. There are complete storm windows on all windows and -- other than not opening -- no signs of issues with insulation or outside airflow. Lead in the windows is a real concern and why we want to get repair estimates. I don't want to have to bank on someone being sketchy with remediation. Seven Hundred Bee fucked around with this message at 02:01 on Dec 14, 2019 |
|
#
?
Dec 14, 2019 01:59
|
|
|
Seven Hundred Bee posted:Yes this is basically our plan — good to know that this makes sense. OK here's more to consider. 370k is a good price but 3% more at 380k is too much? You're not going to want to spend the money that house will demand. Windows from the 1930s are going to suck, working or not. They will be drafty and offer no insulation. You didn't say what region or I missed it, it'll be fine I guess in San Diego, miserable in Missouri. If you were to live here the replacement could be worth it in utility expense and future resale value. The "right" looking replacements are going to cost a fortune, far more than you've guessed. I am dying to see a quote, I think it could be 1-2k per window. You said it's a lot of windows, 18, but not out of how many? Thats certainly more windows than most houses even have so I doubt there's another 18 that are fine, perhaps enough work that it's livable though. Thinks will break in every home but an old home will have more thinks break, and they'll be harder to replace. Things may be custom sizes or not up to modern code and require extensive repair. I turned the valve down on the radiator in my room and it fell apart, causing water damage to two floors. Also what the others said, historical designation can be a pain but it's not clear this house has it from what you said. Your realtor has an incentive to close deals fast, trust your instinct if they don't seem to have your best interests. Fire them if they are pushing you into things you're not comfortable with. Also to whoever said it's not thst old, it's 2019. The house is about 90. That's old, especially in the sense of building codes and technology. Edit:you posted while I was writing so ignore the historical bit. On the windows you say no sign of insulation issues. You mentioned weights so I have to assume they are the sash and case style. That's two 90 year old wooden frames that slide past each other. Like fun those don't leak air around every edge. I lived with that in Montana and they're not great. The custom replacements with double pane glass was night and day difference... And it was still cold by them. StormDrain fucked around with this message at 02:07 on Dec 14, 2019 |
|
#
?
Dec 14, 2019 02:01
|
|
|
StormDrain posted:OK here's more to consider. Sorry -- answered some of this above -- but 30 total windows, although one is handblown glass and probably wouldn't be replaced. Other than not opening the windows are in good condition with storm windows with no evidence of any drafts or insulation issues. One of the things that is a bummer about living in an old city on the East coast is that the area was fully developed by ~1945 so where I live unfortunately there's not a lot of ways to get around living in an older house and living in a nicer area.
|
|
#
?
Dec 14, 2019 02:03
|
|
|
Sirotan posted:Windows you can't even loving open is not something that you "just accept" with older homes. For a historic home it's not even that old. Your agent doesn't sound like they're really acting in your best interest because any other potential buyers of this home are going to learn about this issue through an inspection and unless your market is absolutely red hot (I assume not since you got the house for less than list) they're all going to ask the sellers to resolve this issue before the sale is finalized too. Real estate agents have exactly one person's interest in mind
|
|
#
?
Dec 14, 2019 03:30
|
|
|
Seven Hundred Bee posted:One of the things that is a bummer about living in an old city on the East coast is that the area was fully developed by ~1945 so where I live unfortunately there's not a lot of ways to get around living in an older house and living in a nicer area. If this is a thing you are already willing to submit to you're too far gone for meaningful help. I had choices from 1700's' houses to brand new build-to-spec in my "East coast is that the area was fully developed by ~1945". You need to just admit that you are in love with a specific house and it's irrational.
|
|
#
?
Dec 14, 2019 04:28
|
|
|
Motronic posted:If this is a thing you are already willing to submit to you're too far gone for meaningful help. I had choices from 1700's' houses to brand new build-to-spec in my "East coast is that the area was fully developed by ~1945". I think they just forgot to add the important clause: for a reasonable price. In my 'early developed' area (next door neighbor's farmhouse was built in the 1750s), new builds are available, but they're all 3K sq/ft+ at price tags of $750K+. Not a lot of builders doing homey 4/2.5 2200 sq/ft places.
|
|
#
?
Dec 14, 2019 15:41
|
|
|
Residency Evil posted:Got there right before 10, left at 11. Total was $600 including labor/tax. And he had the part on hand and ready to deploy? It sounds to me like you had a professional come directly to your house and install a piece of hardware on a day's (?) notice and he did his job as expected? The markup on the part is certainly a premium for the convenience of the work getting done ASAP but the labor seems 100% standard.
|
|
#
?
Dec 15, 2019 08:30
|
|
|
B-Nasty posted:I think they just forgot to add the important clause: for a reasonable price. Yep, this. In my east coast city, builders snag the existing houses the minute they come on market. They pay $800K+ just to tear them down and put in $2M+ houses.
|
|
#
?
Dec 15, 2019 15:51
|
|
|
We're trying to replace a recessed ceiling light with a chandelier and I'm having trouble figuring out what the piece needed is called. Basically since it was a recessed light, it's got a huge opening/space so we need to add the horizontal brace/bracket/bar thing so we can screw our chandelier onto it closer to the opening. Am I stuck buying one of these kits that has it or can I just buy the brace itself (6 inches to be specific)? https://www.homedepot.com/p/Westinghouse-Recessed-Light-Converter-for-Pendant-or-Light-Fixtures-0101100/204785596 Edit: Looking at that tutorial video, it looks like that might actually make installation easier so I'll just get the kit. hmmxkrazee fucked around with this message at 03:06 on Dec 16, 2019 |
|
#
?
Dec 16, 2019 03:01
|
|
|
I hope your chandelier is light weight.
|
|
#
?
Dec 16, 2019 06:02
|
|
|
If you really want to put it exactly where the can light was you really need to open up the ceiling a bit more and frame it up properly (you know, with wood) so you can use a standard ceiling mount box. https://www.do-it-yourself-help.com/how-to-install-ceiling-fan-support.html
|
|
#
?
Dec 16, 2019 14:02
|
|
|
StormDrain posted:I hope your chandelier is light weight. It's a smaller one, maybe 10-15lbs max. The kit is rated for 50lbs so here's hoping...
|
|
#
?
Dec 16, 2019 17:07
|
|
|
I'm doing a cash-out refi. Anyone have any recommendations for a title agency licensed for New Jersey that doesn't cost $3500 before they start adding on how much goes into the escrow account and other unavoidables?
|
|
#
?
Dec 16, 2019 18:22
|
|
|
Got a bunch of wood rot on the fascia and soffits over our garage; the gutters in that section are prone to clogging due to a nearby maple tree. So, trying to do a quick sanity check here: 1) Turns out the gutters on that run of fascia are nailed in, not screwed, so they want to replace that section of gutter completely. That's legit, right? Their logic is that it's pretty much impossible to remove without damaging it. 2) They're quoting Hardie. Also legit? Previously we used various handymen to do spot replacements around the house and they just ran to Home Depot and used wood and slapped a single coat of paint on it... Looks like in this area, there's a 3' run of PVC that the previous owner probably did. I'm not really interested in PVC, but I didn't know until now that Hardie did fasica/soffits so I would prefer that unless there's a good reason not to...? edit: my biggest concern would be attaching the gutters to the hardie in a reliable way. Don't want everything to fall apart at the next heavy rainfall... DaveSauce fucked around with this message at 14:15 on Dec 17, 2019 |
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2019 13:56
|
|
|
FWIW one of the very best things I ever did for my house was to get Gutter Helmets installed. That was a couple of decades ago and other than for an occasional inspection, I genuinely have not had to get on a ladder since. (They are always clean when I do look.) YMMV but if you have a leafy neighborhood, a covered gutter system might well be worth exploring.
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2019 15:54
|
|
|
Yeah, gutter covers are on our to-do list. Honestly though there's just 1 maple tree that only causes issues in the spring when it drops a bazillion seed helicopters. Only really affects 2 runs of gutters, both of which I can at least reach semi-easily, so it's kind of a low priority (because obviously that strategy has been working so far). I'm just horseshit at staying on top of it and keeping them clean.
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2019 16:04
|
|
|
What about gutter covers for pine needles?
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2019 16:55
|
|
|
brugroffil posted:What about gutter covers for pine needles? I have this style:  And I'm sure they would work fine. I think any of the perforated type ones would clog pretty quick with pine needles. Note, in very heavy rain they DO overflow over the lip of the gutters since they rely on surface tension to get the water into your gutter. It hasn't happened much, but it does on occasion.
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2019 17:42
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 8, 2024 18:20 |
|
|
brugroffil posted:What about gutter covers for pine needles? I used the fine mesh ones from Home Depot and they are doing well. When I was putting Christmas lights up I just swept them clean with a rough broom. Of course Costco now sells a finer mesh one that looks worlds better than what I got. The kind Motronic listed always had poor reviews for pine needles since they just float on into the gutter with the water. Also the gutter clips for lights I used to use don't work with a full guard like I put on, so I used stainless tie wire this year.
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2019 19:44
|
|