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FCKGW posted:If every month I have 1/12 of my tax bill going into escrow or 1/12 budgeted into my savings what difference does it make? Why does having an escrow make someone fiscally responsible or not? A lot of people aren't.
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Sep 1, 2020 13:27
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TraderStav posted:I occasionally got a request to show an insurance declaration or proof of payment of taxes but I cannot remember actually submitting them. Must've since my house is still mine. This is the annoying part. It seems most servicers I've been wildly flung around to over the last 5 or so years use outside services to "verify" insurance docs. I've had multiple postal mail/emails from the servicer and this service, then I'll respond and keep getting crap from the servicer because they obviously haven't gotten the information from the 3rd party yet. It's amazing the mortgage system works at all, from origination all the way to payments.
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Sep 1, 2020 15:34
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kw0134 posted:For fiscally responsible people it's a nuisance. I am fiscally responsible and I find the opposite. I deeply despite non-auto-paid bills. In fact my Earthquake policy was just a day late because State Farm won't let me autopay it and I forgot to go push the "yes seriously pay this" button in their portal. They finally let me add my Personal Articles Policy to autopay without some hilarious penalty applied. Hopefully they add earthquake and umbrella to autopay in the next decade. I would pay in advance if they let me autobill it in 1/12th increments, or pay the full amount sometime a few days in advance of the due date. Once I've paid off my mortgage I will hate not having Someone Else doing the detail work on my property taxes and fire insurance.
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Sep 1, 2020 17:13
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Mice in the insulation in my basement  .I expect it will need replacing. My googling suggests that it will all need to go, or a mix of removal and sanitized? Anyone have experience with that? Also, how hosed would my heating and comfort be if we removed it all, but weren't able to replace until spring? I think I'm in zone 6 it does get cold here. It's a all-out basement with mostly r-12 or 14 on the walls.
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Sep 2, 2020 14:07
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Jenkl posted:Mice in the insulation in my basement If you don't replace it, and run the heat to compensate, it will cost more in ultilies this winter. I have to assume it's a finished basement so the issue is removing and replacing drywall to insulate, and the cost of having a professional do that? If you keep it closed off and don't heat it extra then it won't be much of an impact.
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Sep 2, 2020 16:44
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We've been demoing it - so it is a previously-finished basement. Most drywall is already off. It's more I don't have the time to refinish the place, we'd been demoing it down to the studs/insulation with intent to refinish next year. Since I'll have the big bins for disposal here, we'd ideally get all the garbage out at once, hence wanting to toss it but leave it unfinished until next year. We'd only use the space for laundry over the winter, which is in our utilities room. We would of course keep the door to the basement closed and could even temporarily weatherstrip it. The floors are not insulated (since it had been finished). But heat rises, or so they tell me, so the heat loss there should be negligible. Sounds like I could mostly get away with ripping it out now and replacing it in the spring.
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Sep 2, 2020 17:38
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Have you considered just opting out of winter this year?
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Sep 2, 2020 17:46
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Jenkl posted:We've been demoing it - so it is a previously-finished basement. Most drywall is already off. I would work to reduce airflow, leaks, and stuff like that and eat the cost for the winter. Zone 6 is cold but not bitterly so glancing at the USDA map. Keep an eye on it and caulk or spray foam at hand.
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Sep 2, 2020 17:49
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Jenkl posted:We've been demoing it - so it is a previously-finished basement. Most drywall is already off. Oh yeah I wouldn't worry about it at all then. I have an unfinished basement that is for utilities, cat boxes, and exercise. The thing about the earth is its pretty stable temperature wise, underground. It'll stay cool but even without insulation it'll be livable, and won't impact your house temp much if at all.
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Sep 2, 2020 18:13
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Jenkl posted:We've been demoing it - so it is a previously-finished basement. Most drywall is already off. How many square feet of wall is it? Kraft faced insulation is super easy to hang with a hammer tacker. I spent like a month hanging fiberglass insulation one summer break from college and nearly 20 years later I can still do it really easily. I am a slow learner so I would guess you could figure it out over the course of a single wall and be off to the races.
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Sep 2, 2020 20:58
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Moneyball posted:Have you considered just opting out of winter this year? I've put a request in with city hall. Fingers crossed. H110Hawk posted:I would work to reduce airflow, leaks, and stuff like that and eat the cost for the winter. Zone 6 is cold but not bitterly so glancing at the USDA map. Keep an eye on it and caulk or spray foam at hand. Thanks this makes sense. My only concern for this is that the builder and PO were both utter poo poo, so I may end up finding more drafty spots than I'd hope. Still, if it makes everything smoother with the demo, it's probably worth it. StormDrain posted:Oh yeah I wouldn't worry about it at all then. I have an unfinished basement that is for utilities, cat boxes, and exercise. The thing about the earth is its pretty stable temperature wise, underground. It'll stay cool but even without insulation it'll be livable, and won't impact your house temp much if at all. It's a basement walk-out would be my only concern, but still - hot air rises or whatever. So even if the one part is getting chilly I shouldn't have too much trouble. therobit posted:How many square feet of wall is it? Kraft faced insulation is super easy to hang with a hammer tacker. I spent like a month hanging fiberglass insulation one summer break from college and nearly 20 years later I can still do it really easily. I am a slow learner so I would guess you could figure it out over the course of a single wall and be off to the races. Good to know. It's the hole basement but I've been planning on going the fiberboard route. It looks fairly straightforward either way. It's more just my wife and my schedule has us working the equivalent of a full time and part time job at the same time (each). Very roughly, its 600 sqft of wall + joist bays.
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Sep 2, 2020 23:52
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Fair enough. It is probably just a weekend to do it with fiberglass. It's not rocket surgery. I never worked with fiber board but I did work with rigid foam. In either case it's more expensive, difficult, and exacting to install but does offer a higher r value for the amount of space it takes up. I question how much you need in a basement since it shouldn't get freezing. If the basement is heated don't put any into the floor joists above. If it's for sound attenuation then I get that, you won't need a vapor barrier if it's heated though so no stapling so don't get craft face for that. The trick there is instead of a ladder to put it up use a stick to push it up between the joists.
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Sep 3, 2020 03:31
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Thanks. I'm an idiot and meant to say rigid foam, so it sounds like it would be more time consuming. Maybe something we can chip away at.
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Sep 3, 2020 14:14
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This is apropos of nothing, but the insulation thing reminded me of it. The guy I'm renting from lives in same house. My floor is set up like a proper apartment. It's pretty convenient, as he responds to things pretty quickly and he's a good guy. Always working on something to improve the place. Sometime last year, he was getting some blown-in insulation in different parts of the house, including my kitchen. Well apparently, the wood framing underneath the sink was not complete and there was a hole. They were blowing it in from the other side, wherever that is. But no one must have thought to ask why it was taking so much insulation to fill the wall, and maybe go check, because we had a big pile of the stuff on the kitchen floor and all the shelves and surfaces were covered with a layer of it. Wish I still had the picture.
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Sep 3, 2020 14:28
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H110Hawk posted:I am fiscally responsible and I find the opposite. I deeply despite non-auto-paid bills. In fact my Earthquake policy was just a day late because State Farm won't let me autopay it and I forgot to go push the "yes seriously pay this" button in their portal. They finally let me add my Personal Articles Policy to autopay without some hilarious penalty applied. Hopefully they add earthquake and umbrella to autopay in the next decade.  The bill came in today for my Umbrella policy and they have added the ability to autopay it as 1/12 the cost monthly. One fewer thing to worry about now.
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Sep 3, 2020 19:42
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The contractors I hired to remove wallpaper and skimcoat over it did a real poo poo job in some parts. I was assured I wouldn't even be able to tell once I painted over it, but I could tell. Long story short, the entire master bathroom is covered in drywall powder again. The wife seems to be tolerating it. For now. I think it'll be worth it though.
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Sep 3, 2020 22:30
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Crossposting from DIY in hopes of a speedy reply: Ugh. So the PO installed a fireplace in the basement. They ran the gas line outside and it is connected directly to the meter. There is no stop valve. We want to remove said fireplace. There is another upstairs and the gas line runs RIGHT over the fireplace they decided to run outside (and then through a hole drilled into the foundation...) Any suggestions on dealing with this? Would my utility handle it or is it on me? Not familiar with who technical owns the meter. Otherwise I guess a plumber/gas specialist? Edit: ok I figured it all out phew. Jenkl fucked around with this message at 00:14 on Sep 4, 2020 |
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Sep 3, 2020 23:08
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Jenkl posted:Thanks. Have you considered rock wool instead? It's not nearly as itchy as fiberglass, and is significantly easier to cut (you cut it with a standard wood saw). I've also managed to shove packages of it into fairly small cars... so it's definitely something you'd be able to do an hour or so at a time with minimal issues.
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Sep 4, 2020 02:13
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Or denim? 
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Sep 4, 2020 02:25
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Hey, someone tell me if this is normal. I'm assuming not, but I wanted to double check. Whenever it rains somewhat heavily, a little bit of water accumulates at the bottom of the sliding patio door's frame, inside the house.  The water never makes it to the inner metal track, much less the actual hardwood floor. But it has been causing some worry. This morning I moved the furniture around and actually looked a bit more, and I found that the door mechanism isn't fully sealed:  I should mention that this only happens if I neglect to clean my gutters. They spill water over onto the concrete floor of the patio, and the water splashes onto the glass of the door and then makes it into the inner tracks. Do I need to do something about this? If so, what?
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Sep 4, 2020 17:17
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enraged_camel posted:Hey, someone tell me if this is normal. I'm assuming not, but I wanted to double check. Clean your gutters more often.
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Sep 4, 2020 23:34
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devicenull posted:Clean your gutters more often. To be honest I was looking for more serious advice.
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Sep 5, 2020 01:08
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Is that a long form dril tweet? Water management around your home is a holistic endeavor. Preventing water is better than sealing things.
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Sep 5, 2020 01:24
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I am on team clean your gutters. It sucks but you want to have your water re-routers doing their job. Install gutter guards.
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Sep 5, 2020 01:40
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enraged_camel posted:To be honest I was looking for more serious advice. Seriously, clean your gutters more often.
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Sep 5, 2020 01:43
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H110Hawk posted:Install gutter guards. Which ones? Most of our gutters are fine. But we have a Maple in the front yard and every year the gutters in the front get clogged to poo poo with helicopters. Just had to drop $800 to replace rotting fascia, sub-fascia, soffit, and 24' of gutter over the garage because it overflowed so often it rotted the wood behind it. Of note is that there was a small section of PVC that the PO must have done, so this is not a new problem. We're probably going to do a whole house job in the next few years, but we'll need to know which of the dozen gutter guard options actually work long-term.
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Sep 5, 2020 01:46
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StormDrain posted:Is that a long form dril tweet?  Username and advice combo checks outThis advice also applies to boats
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Sep 5, 2020 01:50
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H110Hawk posted:Install gutter guards. Thanks, I appreciate this. The trees in my yard shed like motherfuckers, so unless I clean my gutters every 2-3 weeks they start to overflow when it rains. Real pain in the rear end, and no I can't do it that frequently. I'll look into gutter guards -- I didn't know they were a thing.
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Sep 5, 2020 02:38
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Son of a bitch, fridge broke a few months after fixing it. gently caress.
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Sep 5, 2020 02:47
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enraged_camel posted:Thanks, I appreciate this. The trees in my yard shed like motherfuckers, so unless I clean my gutters every 2-3 weeks they start to overflow when it rains. Real pain in the rear end, and no I can't do it that frequently. I'll look into gutter guards -- I didn't know they were a thing. I know there is a specific brand the internet likes, I don't have any gutters other than where my mind is, so I will let them reply. And yes, 2-3 weeks is very frequent but not surprising for a tree that loves shedding.
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Sep 5, 2020 03:18
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I get water in the tracks of my sliding windows in heavy blowing rain. It's normal, as long as it's draining. And yeah clean your gutters. My gutters overflowed right over a door once and water got in somewhere around the door box area that wasn't sealed great, it sucked. That said having to clean them every 2-3 weeks is kind of wild.
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Sep 5, 2020 03:25
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Residency Evil posted:Son of a bitch, fridge broke a few months after fixing it. gently caress. Good thing you didn't just buy a car your wife doesn't know about.
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Sep 5, 2020 06:51
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Motronic posted:Good thing you didn't just buy a car your wife doesn't know about. lol. The car Gods heard you and made the fridge work again this morning! Although Jesus, it is surprisingly hard to get a fridge delivered quickly (ie within a week) these days. Residency Evil fucked around with this message at 11:27 on Sep 5, 2020 |
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Sep 5, 2020 11:25
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Yeah appliance factories were shut maybe for a bit and everyone doing home improvement as well as getting maybe a second fridge for more stockpiling. It took me only 3.5 months to get a chest freezer after I moved. Good times.
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Sep 5, 2020 12:48
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tater_salad posted:Yeah appliance factories were shut maybe for a bit and everyone doing home improvement as well as getting maybe a second fridge for more stockpiling. Yeah, figured that was it. Are there any practical differences between refrigerators? I don't have consumer reports access anymore, but it seems like most fridges are probably made in China and equally likely/unlikely to fail, so basically stick to GE/LG/Samsung/Bosch/anyone who has parts that should be relatively easy to get?
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Sep 5, 2020 13:17
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Samsung designs refrigerators with the two year disposable product cycle like cell phones and don’t make adequate spares LG relies on gimmickry and has major parts that fail repeatedly with design failures GE has been cutting corners for a decade to make up for failed corporate financial engineering. KitchenWhirltag has been 70s gm badge engineered Bosch/Miele is rarer so parts are hard to get outside of the coasts, European so you get the kind of quirks-therefore-superior things you’d expect from buying a saab in the 80s Its all bad
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Sep 5, 2020 14:06
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PCjr sidecar posted:Samsung designs refrigerators with the two year disposable product cycle like cell phones and don’t make adequate spares So vintage NOS refrigerators?
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Sep 5, 2020 14:12
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Motronic posted:Good thing you didn't just buy a car your wife doesn't know about. Link?
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Sep 5, 2020 14:16
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H110Hawk posted:Link? https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3703897&pagenumber=86#post507812802
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Sep 5, 2020 14:19
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Residency Evil posted:So vintage NOS refrigerators? Is it made by a tractor manufacturer? Can you hide from a nuke in it?
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Sep 5, 2020 14:25
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