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fankey posted:What’s the general consensus on gutter guards? I have a 2 story house with an extra steep pitched roof and given the variety of trees around ( huge fir, honey locust, oak, aspen, ash... ) the gutters fill up at multiple times per year. I have to have a crew come out at least 3-4 times per year which adds up pretty quickly. Are any of them worth their cost? The last gutter crew I had tried to sell me on foam inserts which surprisingly weren’t too expensive but I can’t find conclusive info as to whether they’re any good. I’m in Colorado so lots of snow with melt through the year if that matters. YES you should
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Jan 12, 2020 02:05
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fankey posted:What’s the general consensus on gutter guards? I have a 2 story house with an extra steep pitched roof and given the variety of trees around ( huge fir, honey locust, oak, aspen, ash... ) the gutters fill up at multiple times per year. I have to have a crew come out at least 3-4 times per year which adds up pretty quickly. Are any of them worth their cost? The last gutter crew I had tried to sell me on foam inserts which surprisingly weren’t too expensive but I can’t find conclusive info as to whether they’re any good. I’m in Colorado so lots of snow with melt through the year if that matters. They only suck if you treat them as a replacement for cleaning entirely. Otherwise they're great and will reduce the number of times you need to call the cleaners
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Jan 12, 2020 02:25
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fankey posted:What’s the general consensus on gutter guards? I have a 2 story house with an extra steep pitched roof and given the variety of trees around ( huge fir, honey locust, oak, aspen, ash... ) the gutters fill up at multiple times per year. I have to have a crew come out at least 3-4 times per year which adds up pretty quickly. Are any of them worth their cost? The last gutter crew I had tried to sell me on foam inserts which surprisingly weren’t too expensive but I can’t find conclusive info as to whether they’re any good. I’m in Colorado so lots of snow with melt through the year if that matters. One thing to consider are "gutter hedgehogs" which are like long brushes that sit in the gutters. The water can still flow down the gutter but leaves sit on top and blow off. Work well in my experience and installation just needs a ladder to get them up there from what I remember.
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Jan 12, 2020 16:34
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Imho, snow melt matters and the foam inserts are the best if you have lots of snow. The foam compresses and more weight sits in the gutter than on the gutter.
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Jan 12, 2020 17:07
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I have Gutter Helmets and while I think they’re the best way to keep debris out what I’ve found in MN is that they can cause ice dams since the water has to run over the metal cover to get off the roof at which point it often refreezes depending on temperature. So, I’d prob recommend against going down the Gutter Helmet road if you have significant snowfall.
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Jan 12, 2020 17:23
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You may think to yourself "Self, I should buy a cheap paint sprayer from Harbor Freight and paint the interior of my house; the house I am currently living in, with all of my furniture and finished floors and such. This will be simple and straightforward and save me time." You would be wrong. Perhaps the smartest decision I made was trying it out in a basement room/hallway/stairs before turning it loose on my obnoxiously-shaped living room.
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Jan 12, 2020 19:30
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I was about to say I hope you covered literally everything.
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Jan 12, 2020 20:36
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In overspray
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Jan 12, 2020 20:36
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I thought I did. I mostly did. But I didn't realize just how complete I needed to be. The amount of waste I produced by the end was hilarious and sad.
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Jan 12, 2020 21:31
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mutata posted:I thought I did. I mostly did. But I didn't realize just how complete I needed to be. The amount of waste I produced by the end was hilarious and sad. Yeah, it's not a very good solution for occupied homes. That's more of a quick and dirty apartment cleanup kinda of tactic. Around here, more often than not they're spraying killz or similar to cover over walls in some place somebody's been smoking in for the last 30 years before the family unloads it from the estate.
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Jan 12, 2020 23:57
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Spraying always seems like the way to go, but then after doing all the prep, dealing with paint thickness and nozzle issues, and cleaning the gun and any overspray, and you realize you didn't actually save any time. Outside, especially for uneven surfaces (e.g. a fence) is where sprayers are amazing.
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Jan 13, 2020 01:12
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Our house has one of those corner jet tubs that I guess were a selling feature at some point but just seem like a godawful waste of space to me. Anyway, I noticed a draft in the bathroom with the recent cold weather and I found the culprit. Whoever did the install neither finished the tiling under the lip, nor sealed the gap in the framing. The crawlspace ceiling (floor?) looked sealed from below but there's enough of a leak somewhere that a pretty significant draft is coming through the gap in the tub.   Can I use a low/no-expansion foam here to fill the gap or do I need to use some kind of caulking? Or something else altogether? If/when we do a bathroom reno, the tub is coming out, but I really can't entertain anything more than stopping the draft right now. edit \/: Awesome, thank you. just another fucked around with this message at 04:10 on Jan 13, 2020 |
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Jan 13, 2020 04:05
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lol, typical builder grade bullshit. No, do not use expansion foam, yes do use a decent quality vinyl caulk like Phenoseal.
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Jan 13, 2020 04:08
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Crawling around my attic to install some lights, to make it easier to crawl around my attic to do improvements, my brother pointed out this cracked post/jack. I'm not familiar with the name in a truss framed roof/house, but this appears to support the load of the roof where a few peaks meet. Anyway, I don't think this damage has occurred recently/since I purchased the home in the last five years, but I'm not certain. Should I call a structural engineer? What might be the proposed remedy to repair this? Here are some photos:      
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Jan 14, 2020 01:57
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I'm looking for some tape a step up from painter's tape (I'm just trying to run some ethernet cable a short distance along the ceiling). Any suggestions? Painter's tape isn't really meant for long term.
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Jan 14, 2020 02:56
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totalnewbie posted:I'm looking for some tape Duct.
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Jan 14, 2020 02:57
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totalnewbie posted:I'm looking for some tape a step up from painter's tape (I'm just trying to run some ethernet cable a short distance along the ceiling). Any suggestions? Painter's tape isn't really meant for long term. There's not really any tape that's likely to hold that up other than real gaffer tape. And any tape that's going to hold it up is likely to leave a mark/pull things off. What kind of surface is this going along and why can't you use proper fasteners?
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Jan 14, 2020 03:05
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totalnewbie posted:I'm looking for some tape a step up from painter's tape (I'm just trying to run some ethernet cable a short distance along the ceiling). Any suggestions? Painter's tape isn't really meant for long term. This stuff is peel-and-stick https://www.homedepot.com/p/Wiremold-Legrand-Cordmate-II-White-Cord-Cover-Kit-C210/202264878 There’s a cheaper version at HD that’s like 1 Ethernet wide but I can’t find a link online.
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Jan 14, 2020 03:05
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I can put most of the weight up on/above the doorframe. The painter's tape actually works (it mostly just needs to hold the cable in place rather than bear any weight) but, like I said, it doesn't really work long-term. I could use fasteners but I've got textured walls so any holes I put in are going to be a pain to patch. Also, lazy as gently caress so I'm hoping for a simpler / more versatile solution.
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Jan 14, 2020 03:10
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You could nail these into the frame, and not the wall, and they'll probably do a better job than tape: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0019R6SO0/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_i_QRshEbCWJQ8BS But if you go the tape route I'll second the suggestion of gaffers tape. It'll probably do what you want, but won't look that great.
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Jan 14, 2020 03:45
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Gaffers tape it is. Thanks guys 
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Jan 14, 2020 04:04
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MetaJew posted:Crawling around my attic to install some lights, to make it easier to crawl around my attic to do improvements, my brother pointed out this cracked post/jack. I'm not familiar with the name in a truss framed roof/house, but this appears to support the load of the roof where a few peaks meet. "Checking" is normal. You can compare your post to the ones on this page here: https://inspectapedia.com/structure/Beam_Log_Checking_Cracks.php. If it's split all the way through you have a problem.
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Jan 14, 2020 04:54
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I'm building out a woodshop in my basement. I've got a wood frame house built in 1906, so the ceiling in the basement is pretty low and the floor joists/ground floor subfloor are exposed. Previous owner used the space between joists to store a few relatively light long items (tubular fluorescent bulbs, dowels, etc) with occasional pieces of wood spanning two joists for support. I'm wondering if I can expand on that and use the space between joists for lumber storage without putting significant stress on the joists/floor. I'd be able to spread it out, so it probably wouldn't be more than a couple boards per pair of joists, but does that sound reasonable? What seems like a reasonable limit, 50lbs? 100lbs?
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Jan 14, 2020 18:17
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Is that light being seen through the bottom bit of the picture? Shine a bright light through the back of it and turn off your headlamp. If you can see through it that's bad as I understand it.
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Jan 14, 2020 18:37
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more falafel please posted:I'm building out a woodshop in my basement. I've got a wood frame house built in 1906, so the ceiling in the basement is pretty low and the floor joists/ground floor subfloor are exposed. Previous owner used the space between joists to store a few relatively light long items (tubular fluorescent bulbs, dowels, etc) with occasional pieces of wood spanning two joists for support. I'm wondering if I can expand on that and use the space between joists for lumber storage without putting significant stress on the joists/floor. I'd be able to spread it out, so it probably wouldn't be more than a couple boards per pair of joists, but does that sound reasonable? What seems like a reasonable limit, 50lbs? 100lbs? It sounds reasonable to me (I am in the exact same situation). I think the key things would be to avoid weakening the joists by weakening the top/bottom quarters of the joist cross-section (where most of the load is carried). If you just use a board screwed to the underside, you are probably as limited by the holding strength of a screw into the joist as anything else. Here are some other ideas I've bookmarked:   
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Jan 14, 2020 18:47
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MetaJew posted:Crawling around my attic to install some lights, to make it easier to crawl around my attic to do improvements, my brother pointed out this cracked post/jack. My instinct there is to open the crack up a bit, fill with construction adhesive, and clamp liberally until cured. Then glue and screw a new board to the side, understanding that it's not going to pick up any load at the top or bottom (though you could probably shape the ends so it would) but will stabilize the existing support.
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Jan 14, 2020 18:48
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You can clearly see daylight through the split here.
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Jan 14, 2020 19:00
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Hubis posted:It sounds reasonable to me (I am in the exact same situation). I think the key things would be to avoid weakening the joists by weakening the top/bottom quarters of the joist cross-section (where most of the load is carried). If you just use a board screwed to the underside, you are probably as limited by the holding strength of a screw into the joist as anything else. Wow, these ideas are great. My workshop area is just a slightly oversized 1 car garage that I can't currently fit 1 car into (because of all the stuff...). Need all the storage space I can get. Thanks!
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Jan 14, 2020 19:02
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Is there any downside to installing "return" vent covers throughout my entire house, even on supply runs? I may have hosed up, in that when I bought my house and prepped to redo the floors I took off all the baseboard trim and the baseboard register covers. Ended up tossing the register covers, which I'm sure were original to the house, because they were all in pretty terrible condition. The vents are on the wall but flush with the floor, so I have to get the kind with a 3/4" or 7/8" turn back, for a 12"x4" opening. This size apparently does not exist. I HAVE found these: https://www.amazon.com/12-Baseboard-Return-Air-Grille/dp/B01HYC7C2K/ref=asc_df_B01HYC7C2K/ which are basically exactly what I need, except because they are for a return, they lack louvers. Do I care?? I don't really see any time that I'd ever want to restrict or close off a vent in the future, and I'm pretty sure this would be harmful to my furnace anyhow.
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Jan 14, 2020 19:05
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Sirotan posted:Is there any downside to installing "return" vent covers throughout my entire house, even on supply runs? I may have hosed up, in that when I bought my house and prepped to redo the floors I took off all the baseboard trim and the baseboard register covers. Ended up tossing the register covers, which I'm sure were original to the house, because they were all in pretty terrible condition. The vents are on the wall but flush with the floor, so I have to get the kind with a 3/4" or 7/8" turn back, for a 12"x4" opening. This size apparently does not exist. I HAVE found these: https://www.amazon.com/12-Baseboard-Return-Air-Grille/dp/B01HYC7C2K/ref=asc_df_B01HYC7C2K/ which are basically exactly what I need, except because they are for a return, they lack louvers. Do I care?? I don't really see any time that I'd ever want to restrict or close off a vent in the future, and I'm pretty sure this would be harmful to my furnace anyhow. There's no problems other than what you stated, losing the ability to restrict flow to certain rooms. This is particularly valuable for me in my old house where I don't need heat vents blowing in my room upstairs during the winter, but I need all the AC i can get in the summer. So if you have a newer house with a properly balanced HVAC system, maybe you'll be ok. I have 2 returns in my entire home, so I need the flexibility.
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Jan 14, 2020 19:11
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It's a house from the 40's but the furnace is about 10 years old. I had it serviced a couple weeks back and asked the tech if shutting off the vents to the upstairs (currently only being used for storage) was ok and he told me it could damage the furnace. Seems like that means shutting any of them off ever is not a great idea. I just ordered a bunch since it is probably just fine 
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Jan 14, 2020 20:39
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Sirotan posted:I had it serviced a couple weeks back and asked the tech if shutting off the vents to the upstairs (currently only being used for storage) was ok and he told me it could damage the furnace. Seems like that means shutting any of them off ever is not a great idea. No, that's not at all what it means. Completely closing half of your registers is very different from gating some of them to various degrees to balance airflow/temperature in your house.
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Jan 14, 2020 20:46
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So i bought an 80s house and the bathrooms are all original. Lots of ugly oak and pink-ish countertops. I'm going to do a quick remodel of one of them (I've done two before at previous houses). Currently doing some planning. The current vanity has a vent at the foot kick plate. This is above a basement with exposed ceilings. I explored its path and the vent comes right up in the floor, not within or along side a wall. Here's some ascii art: code: Here's what it looks like from underneath. Moving it 'back' would be moving it to the right, it looks like I could do so by about a foot or so before it hits the joist on the right. The plubming to bathroom sink is just on the other side of that joist, so going up the wall doesn't look possible:  I seem to have two options: 1) just put a cover over it, one will likely be stepping on it a bit and pubes may get in there. 2) relocate the vent to the wall with plumbing, patch the hole before redoing the flooring. Curious of experiences with either option? #1 sounds not ideal but not a showstopper. #2 could be difficult, even if everything is exposed. This vent is the 'end of the run' for the air feed for this. falz fucked around with this message at 20:52 on Jan 14, 2020 |
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Jan 14, 2020 20:49
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Motronic posted:No, that's not at all what it means. Yes, obviously, closing off one register is different than closing off the all of 2, maybe 3 that I have upstairs (it's full of a lot of boxes right now and I can't remember how many there are exactly). I still can't really see any reason that I would ever need to shut a register, or need one with louvers.
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Jan 14, 2020 21:02
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Hubis posted:It sounds reasonable to me (I am in the exact same situation). I think the key things would be to avoid weakening the joists by weakening the top/bottom quarters of the joist cross-section (where most of the load is carried). If you just use a board screwed to the underside, you are probably as limited by the holding strength of a screw into the joist as anything else. This is an amazing idea and will work wonders when I redo our laundry room, thanks!
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Jan 14, 2020 21:06
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Sirotan posted:Yes, obviously, closing off one register is different than closing off the all of 2, maybe 3 that I have upstairs (it's full of a lot of boxes right now and I can't remember how many there are exactly). I still can't really see any reason that I would ever need to shut a register, or need one with louvers. Most people find that they need to do this, potentially once for each season, to balance airflow. If your house doesn't need that then I suppose this isn't a concern for you.
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Jan 14, 2020 21:13
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Motronic posted:Most people find that they need to do this, potentially once for each season, to balance airflow. As far as I can tell I would need to either enlarge the vent opening, relocate the vent opening further up the wall above the baseboard, or order custom-fabricated registers to be able to do that, so yeah I probably will make it not my concern instead. I dunno, I've just had literal holes in the walls where the registers were ever since I moved in, and it's been fine.
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Jan 14, 2020 21:20
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Please no one blame me for when everyone gets head injuries from their joist-mounted swinging drawers falling open at inopportune times
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Jan 14, 2020 21:51
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if I've learned one thing from home inspections, it's death to anyone who does anything to a joist leave those poor things alone
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Jan 15, 2020 00:11
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pmchem posted:if I've learned one thing from home inspections, it's death to anyone who does anything to a joist I just wanted a cool tub
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Jan 15, 2020 00:36
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