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TooMuchAbstraction posted:Even if you brought the footings up, that's still ground contact. Concrete sucks up moisture from its surroundings, and that moisture is held in place next to whatever's touching it, which is why you want some means to prevent rot in the wood touching it. I live in Socal so its dry most of the time, but I've seen in wetter climates pressure treated wood that's begun to deteriorate in only a few years with direct concrete contact - not even buried. Aren't you supposed to have some kind of metal piece in between the concrete and the post for ultimate protection? brugroffil posted:Are there any good statistics or testing for how long cedar lasts versus pressure treated? It's my understanding from stories of old men on the internet that unless its old growth heartwood cedar of lore, hand hewn and rough sawn by burly men with even burlier beards, then it's just as worthless as low grade pine studs from Home Depot.
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Sep 2, 2020 18:34
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Recently moved into a new house and finally hung my string lights up over my patio area. The house I was in previously (renting) had a large deck, and I just hung these around the perimeter of the deck railing and ran outdoor extension cords over the sliding door and along the bottom of the deck and they basically stayed outside year round for the last 3 years. I just plugged them in at night and unplugged them before I went to sleep. In my new house I actually have them as they’re typically used, off the ground over top of the patio. I also ended up getting an outdoor WiFi outlet so I can just turn them on and off using my phone. Wanted to see if anyone could recommend the best way to supply power to these. The lights are around 8 feet off the ground and to get them even over the patio, the plug at the start of the lights is about 2.5 ft away from the house. I have an outdoor outlet, and the first thing that I know that I need to do is replace the cover with an “in use” cover that I’m going to pick up today. The outlet is at ground level and I need to get power to the lights 8ft up. In the picture you can see I temporarily have an extension cord plugged in just to make sure they were working after I got them all set up, but I obviously don’t want a cord hanging there. I think the two main options are 1) install an outdoor outlet up higher on the wall or 2) run a heavy duty extension cord up the wall to the right of the windows and secure it with staples or in some kind of conduit. There is an outlet in the kitchen, on the other side of the wall below the upper windows, so I could come off that to install an outlet on the outside of the house. I’m not really inclined to do this because it will look a little crazy to have an outlet right in the middle of the house, and even with the outlet there the plug on the string lights is still away from the house so it wouldn’t reach. Also we plan to re-do this patio in a couple years and at that time I would probably try to build in lighting or more electrical and not need an outlet there. The easiest thing to do is to run a heavy duty 12 gauge extension cord up the wall. Regular cable staples are not working, they just won’t go into the mortar and the nail just pops right out and bends. Ideally I could run it through a conduit or raceway, but having trouble finding what would be the best to use to attach to a brick wall. I had used some in my house that are the regular plastic ones with an adhesive back, but I’m not sure that would stick to brick and stay there. Having it enclosed would help protect it from rain, and I can also get waterproof covers for the plug connections and will be using an in-use outlet cover. I know the real answer is you can't use extension cords for permanent power supply, but is there no other option than installing a new outlet and moving the lights closer to the wall? Any other suggestions for how to get this plugged in safely and without looking too bad? 
nosleep fucked around with this message at 21:29 on Sep 2, 2020 |
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Sep 2, 2020 21:26
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uncloudy day posted:Now I have very little say in how he fixes this, but I’m curious because I’d like to own my own place someday, and I also want to judge the quality of work this guy does. I’m guessing window replacement can be a pretty difficult/technical and expensive project, especially retrofitting? Is it ever okay to just cover up exposed wood and caulk around the edges like this as a permanent fix? My instincts are telling me that water will find a way to seep in no matter what, and sealing the wood with cladding will prevent evaporation of said water, and it will just continue to rot. The wall will sponge up any leaks and the only benefit will be that water won’t stream inside the building. I just had my windows replaced - they were done from the inside, and the old wooden exterior was covered in aluminum flashing like you've pictured there. As far as I'm aware, that's the standard for replacement windows unless you want to get into a massive rennovation.
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Sep 3, 2020 01:14
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kid sinister posted:That's... strange. That is in fact aluminum wiring. That was installed from the late 1960s to the mid 1970s when aluminum was cheaper than copper, before everyone realized it was a bad idea and went back to copper. However, that's a tamper resistant outlet. Those became standard in 2006, so that definitely isn't an original outlet. However, the ground wire is looped around the ground screw in the wrong direction, so it wasn't a pro who swapped it out. I'm guessing someone popped a random new outlet in at some point for whatever reason, the whole house is full of insane decisions. Why does a new one have to be tamper resistant? No GCFIs around except for in each bathroom. Don't light switches and light fixtures and appliance hookups need to be inspected and possibly adapted as well? Fun fact, this was where the microwave and toaster oven were plugged in! Also my landlord is ignoring me.
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Sep 3, 2020 03:53
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Mercury Ballistic posted:Left my 3yo alone in the basement and now my 10 year old samsung led tv has a blue/gray haze to the screen and everything is faint. I see no signs of an impact and I expect I'll need to finally buy a new tv, but does anyone have thoughts as to what might of happened? My 3yo is not owning up to anything. Give your kid a hug and tell them that you love them. Even if you didn't show any frustration or anger the kid may feel guilty at some level. Or if none of the above, just a great time to do so for an excuse. Also great time to buy a new TV! I keep seeing very nice reasonably priced Samsung 4Ks at Costco.
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Sep 3, 2020 04:42
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Is there any sort of DIY alternative to expensive robot vacuum magnetic boundary strips? The ones made for my model of vacuum are $30/6 feet. Right now I just lie down some barstools to block off areas I want don't vacuumed, but I'd like something a bit less obtrusive.
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Sep 3, 2020 05:12
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I don't have one, but it might be worth throwing down $6 on some regular magnetic tape to see if it works the same? https://smile.amazon.com/Roll-N-Cut-Flexible-Magnetic-Tape-Refill/dp/B005HYDC68/
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Sep 3, 2020 06:05
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This might be a really dumb question: I’m building a simple platform with some 2x6s and a framing gun outside this weekend, are there any good tools to make sure the corners are square when I nail them in. Right now I was just thinking of rough cutting all the pieces, including 2-3 internal boards for support, and then the structure should move too much. But I was curious if any of the existing corner clamps work or if I should try ratchet strapping the whole perimeter of it. Probably definitely overthinking this.
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Sep 3, 2020 12:40
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How big a platform? Do you have a speed square? When I was building my garage & doing wall framing, I laid out the sill plate, nailed in the studs at each end, positioned the top plate, checked the corners with the speed square, and popped nails in. Then I'd temporarily nail or screw in a brace at an angle across the plate and the end stud, them install the rest of my studs, checking each one with the square as I went. It may help to pair up the two 2x6s that act as the long-axis perimeter, and strike off marks at 16" across both, and nail your joists to those marks...checking square as you go. PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 15:47 on Sep 3, 2020 |
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Sep 3, 2020 15:14
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It’s just around 4x8 because I need something more significant than the single step I have now that sits on concrete patio to get into my sliding door. That advice should work though. Thanks!
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Sep 3, 2020 15:45
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You making a platform/deck? poo poo, who cares if it's truly square when you're nailing decking to the top?  e: just be sure your joists are as close to vertical as is reasonably possible
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Sep 3, 2020 15:49
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The standard trick for ensuring squareness is to measure the diagonals. If opposite edges are the same length and the diagonals are equal then the rectangle must be square; there's no other option.
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Sep 3, 2020 16:35
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Curiosity posted:I'm guessing someone popped a random new outlet in at some point for whatever reason, the whole house is full of insane decisions. Why does a new one have to be tamper resistant? No GCFIs around except for in each bathroom. Don't light switches and light fixtures and appliance hookups need to be inspected and possibly adapted as well? Well, if the original outlet was installed 50 years ago, it may have just worn out and the slots wouldn't hold onto plug prongs anymore. That happens to plugs that are used a lot, like kitchen countertops. Some electricians install spec/commerical grade outlets for kitchen countertop outlets for this reason. Tamper resistant outlets must be installed in all living spaces. They prevent kids from sticking metal things in outlets and getting shocked. It's the better alternative to those plastic babyproofing outlet inserts because you don't have to pry out the plastic first to stick a plug in. Yes, you'll need to inspect those light switches and fixtures and appliances. Aluminum is still used today on occasion for big appliance circuits, like electric ovens and ranges. They're 50 amps. That's probably why that outlet go so melted. Microwaves pull a lot of juice.
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Sep 3, 2020 17:20
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devicenull posted:I just had my windows replaced - they were done from the inside, and the old wooden exterior was covered in aluminum flashing like you've pictured there. As far as I'm aware, that's the standard for replacement windows unless you want to get into a massive rennovation. Ah ok, thanks. TBH the PVC flashing my landlord added to the one window does look professional. I had seen a random photo on Instagram of someone who tore out all the surrounding wood in their own home and installed and finished new pieces, but maybe they were just being extra.
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Sep 3, 2020 20:02
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If it's actually rotted or mouldy you would want to replace it. It can be a large project depending on which wood is the issue. I had a sliding door header with a decent load on it so it was a problem.
Jenkl fucked around with this message at 00:37 on Sep 4, 2020 |
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Sep 4, 2020 00:34
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We're looking at finishing part of our basement. I'm fairly stupid, so I'm struggling with what all I need to do. Here's the insulation there now:   My (completely new to this) thinking is that I'd want to remove the blanket-style stuff and adhere rigid foam board to the walls, then frame the stud walls right up against the foam board, right? Our plan is also to leave the ceiling exposed and just paint it all white (masking off what shouldn't get paint on it) to maximize headroom and keep access to wiring, ducts, and pipes. I'm trying to think of the best way to cover the rim joist cavities. Can I just put a piece of rigid foam board in front of the batting there, and then cut drywall to extend to the subfloor? Do I need anything in between the sill plate and the drywall? I'd contract out the drywall finishing because gently caress that, but before that I have a friend to help me install outlets. No room or desire for a bathroom or wet bar down there, so no plumbing. One other question is radon — I know we have a mitigation system, and it's in an area of the basement that'll remain unfinished and behind a door. Is that going to be an issue in the habitable area? Or will the finishings serve as a mitigation in that part?
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Sep 4, 2020 03:12
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I want to build a small step in the garden, between the lawn and a cabin I'm building. It just needs to be 150mm tall, am I right in thinking from top down I'm okay with cosmetic stone top/mortar/concrete blocks/mortar/compacted hardcore? As it's a single riser code here says no need for handrail btw.
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Sep 4, 2020 11:22
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I need to cut off slighty under flush 6 x 10mm stainless diameter threaded steel rods that are epoxied (chemical anchor) into a concrete block wall. They were previously used to secure a gunsafe which has now been removed, but I'm left with the rods sticking out. The wall is concrete block with plaster board (sheetrock) ontop - so the 'below flush' would just be a little bit into the board rather than the concrete block. I just need enough to use a filler so I can sand it smooth and paint the wall. I'm guessing my options are - dremel with a few decent metal cutting disks, a proper angle grinder, or a multi-tool with a carbide tipped blade. I don't have any of them so its also which would be useful for any subsequent diy stuff as well. I'm leaning towards the dremel, but an oscillating multi-tool sounds decent but I've no idea if they could literally cut it.
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Sep 4, 2020 15:49
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My intuition is that the dremel has the broadest potential applications out of those tools, assuming you don't have hobbies/work that call for an angle grinder or OMT. I'd order them as dremel > OMT > angle grinder. That said, your best bet here is to cut out the drywall around the rods, cut the rods down as close as you can to the concrete blocks, then patch the drywall. I don't see how you could cut something under-flush. Indeed, even with cutting out the drywall, when you patch it you're probably going to need to remove some material from the back of the drywall patch, as the rods will still be a bit proud of the concrete block and might deform the front of the patch when you install it.
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Sep 4, 2020 16:08
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:My intuition is that the dremel has the broadest potential applications out of those tools, assuming you don't have hobbies/work that call for an angle grinder or OMT. I'd order them as dremel > OMT > angle grinder. An angle grinder could absolutely grind down into the concrete block a little bit to leave them under-flush. An oscillating multi-tool might work, but you'd go through a bunch of blades. A sawzall would work if you could come at it from the side, the blades flex a little bit. Personally I think an angle grinder or sawzall would be the easiest, it's like a 5 minute job, max, with either of those. I wouldn't even try with an OMT, and a dremel will work but it'll take maybe 30 minutes and you'll shatter a bunch of the cutting disks if you're not careful. I already own all of those tools, and have used all of them for cutting metal in various places many times. If I didn't own any of them and had to pick one, I agree the dremel is a pretty handy thing to have and probably sees the most use out of those for general random hacky fixes.
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Sep 4, 2020 16:17
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My sawzall gets the most use out of my sawzall, dremel, and angle grinder. I use it for anything that needs sawing. That said, Home Depot will rent you an angle grinder for $20 per day if you don't want to commit to anything. And Harbor Freight will sell you one that will work good enough for $15-20.
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Sep 4, 2020 16:26
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dakana posted:My (completely new to this) thinking is that I'd want to remove the blanket-style stuff and adhere rigid foam board to the walls, then frame the stud walls right up against the foam board, right? It's easy to mess up the wall assembly in basements. You have, luckily, picked one of the few assemblies that works. There are two areas where you may still get tripped up: (1) make sure you install foam of the right thickness; and (2) make sure you install the foam sheets tight to each other (caulk if you can) to prevent air migrating around the sheets. Your goals are: keep the dew point temperature inside your insulation, prevent the concrete from becoming a condensation surface by keeping the foam tight to the concrete, and prevent moisture-laden air from reaching the concrete in the first place. The thickness of the foam depends on your climate zone and your building code. If your locality follows IRC 2015, the most commonly accepted code in the united states in the year 2020, it's R-5 for zone 3, R-10 for zone 4, and R-15 for zones 4 marine, 5, 6, 7, 8. The 2015 IRC does allow for cavity wall insulation in basements, I bring this up because you might see if you go poking around. This is a code legal, but riskier assembly compared to spray or rigid foam. If you're thinking about using batts, please reach out so I can dissuade you. Your radon system may depressurize the fill under the slab, so it 'works' no matter how you finish the space as long as you keep the system running. If you have a system that doesn't depressurize the slab and instead just exhausts the interior basement air, I'm not sure and you'll need to ask an expert.
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Sep 4, 2020 16:30
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FogHelmut posted:And Harbor Freight will sell you one that will work good enough for $15-20. $10 with coupon, and it is well reviewed. https://www.hfqpdb.com/best_coupon/DRILLMASTER+4-1_2%22+ANGLE+GRINDER No reason not to own one (or more to avoid changing discs) at those kinds of prices.
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Sep 4, 2020 16:37
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$30 for a Skil at Home depot too, not exactly bank breaking if there's no Harbor Freight near you. I've had my Skil angle grinder for a decade, for the last two years I've been actively trying to kill it, using it to get-out concrete and using it extensively for heavy duty weld grinding. It will not die.
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Sep 4, 2020 16:46
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Before you cut the rebar: is there some way that you can use it to hang something like a cabinet or shelf ? Securing hanging stuff to concrete can be difficult, and you’ll never have a stronger anchor.FogHelmut posted:...And Harbor Freight will sell you one that will work good enough for $15-20.
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Sep 4, 2020 16:56
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PainterofCrap posted:Plus $100 in hard PPE if you don’t want to be maimed/killed All the instances I've heard or read about angle grinder accidents involve breaking one or both of the 2 cardinal rules: - Always keep the guard attached, and keep any parts of your body behind it (i.e. if you can see the disc in use from an angle tangential to the disc, it can hurt you) - Always use the side handle (i.e. keep two hands controlling the grinder at all times)
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Sep 4, 2020 17:13
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B-Nasty posted:All the instances I've heard or read about angle grinder accidents involve breaking one or both of the 2 cardinal rules: - Don't use cheap discs - Use the appropriate disc/wheel for the material you are grinding/cutting
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Sep 4, 2020 18:03
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wear all the PPE
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Sep 4, 2020 18:19
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So I just moved into a new place. I switched the utility accounts to my name, and while I was moving in, I realized I have no hot water. I went down to the basement and the pilot light on my water heater had gone out. I reset it without any hiccups and reset it to the temp that it was set to before. It’s a gas water heater with an electronic gas valve that’s upwards of 10 years old. Ever since then, the water is just not coming out that hot. I’ve incrementally increased the temp setting, and while it’s gotten better and feels warmer, I’ve maxed the setting and it’s still not that hot. Depending on which sink/shower I try, some feel hotter than others. Especially when I go to the second floor bathroom, it doesn’t feel very warm. I contacted the previous resident(who I trust not to be gas lighting me) and they said they had no issues with hot water. So I’m wondering if something could’ve happened when the accounts got switched and the company came to mess with the tanks? Especially since I had to reset the pilot while moving in, the timing seems very odd and makes me think that it’s a tank issue. Is that something anyone has experienced? I don’t hear any weird noises or smell anything strange coming from the water heater, if that means anything to anyone. Tonight when I get home, I’m gonna try draining the tank and seeing if sediment build up is the issue. I just wanted to crowd source any other possible explanations that I should explore before resorting to calling a professional.
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Sep 4, 2020 21:53
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If you have the same gas supplier all they should have done was come by and fill the tank. That tells them how much gas was left when the last guy moved out so they know how much to credit him. If they had to swap out the tanks for some reason they would have needed to come inside and bleed out any air that got in the lines during the process.
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Sep 4, 2020 22:06
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Same supplier and everything. No change in tanks. But they did have somebody come out and check out the tanks before they had anybody refill it. I only saw them when I was heading to work, so I didn’t stop and talk the the guy. That was before I was moved in and noticed any issues with the hot water heater. I just didn’t know if there’s anything I should check on the tanks themselves besides that they’re full and the valve is open.
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Sep 4, 2020 22:23
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Boliver_Shagnasty posted:Same supplier and everything. No change in tanks. But they did have somebody come out and check out the tanks before they had anybody refill it. I only saw them when I was heading to work, so I didn’t stop and talk the the guy. That was before I was moved in and noticed any issues with the hot water heater. I just didn’t know if there’s anything I should check on the tanks themselves besides that they’re full and the valve is open. This sounds like a rental. Is it a rental? Because there's a real easy answer to this if it is.
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Sep 4, 2020 22:32
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Not a rental; no landlord to call unfortunately.
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Sep 4, 2020 22:39
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Boliver_Shagnasty posted:Not a rental; no landlord to call unfortunately. Oh.....okay. So in that case......can you see the burner? Does it look like it's coming on and burning well/clean? Alternately, have you turned it off and drained the tank? I know the PO said it was fine......but maintenance is required on these things. It could have a ton of sediment in the bottom making things not work. But I'd be looking at the burner first.
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Sep 4, 2020 23:16
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Is there a mixing valve to keep the water heater at a higher temp but have the taps at something safe? If so, maybe it got adjusted back?
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Sep 5, 2020 00:36
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Alarbus posted:Is there a mixing valve to keep the water heater at a higher temp but have the taps at something safe? If so, maybe it got adjusted back? Ohhh, that's a really good idea. We need pics of the heater and the plumbing right around it.
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Sep 5, 2020 05:28
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My dad's going to be getting a wheelchair probably sometime in the next 3-6 months. I've been asked to build ramps for the house so it's wheelchair accessible. There's already a chair lift to handle the staircase inside. I know there's requirements for things like slope and handrails, but I don't know what those requirements are. Is this part of the local building code or is there a general resource I can rely on? All of the spots that will need ramps are on either concrete or mortared stone patios. I'd prefer to limit the amount of damage done to those surfaces during installation, though obviously the ramps will need to be secure and the handrails need to not be wobbly. Similar question: can anyone recommend resources for how to design and build good-quality ramps? As a final note, it's not a hard requirement that I do this; if this is a "hire a professional" kind of job then that's absolutely an option. But I'd rather do it myself if possible.
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Sep 6, 2020 01:42
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Tezer posted:It's easy to mess up the wall assembly in basements. You have, luckily, picked one of the few assemblies that works. There are two areas where you may still get tripped up: (1) make sure you install foam of the right thickness; and (2) make sure you install the foam sheets tight to each other (caulk if you can) to prevent air migrating around the sheets. Your goals are: keep the dew point temperature inside your insulation, prevent the concrete from becoming a condensation surface by keeping the foam tight to the concrete, and prevent moisture-laden air from reaching the concrete in the first place. I'm zone 5a, so it sounds like I'd need the big 3" foam boards. How does this work with the staircase? The staircase is right up against the concrete, so adding the 7-8" of insulation->framed wall->drywall would be... incompatible. I'm thinking I'll call a contractor and ask if I can pay to have them consult and tell me what I'd need to do, then either have them do the parts I don't feel competent doing or do it all.
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Sep 6, 2020 02:15
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:My dad's going to be getting a wheelchair probably sometime in the next 3-6 months. I've been asked to build ramps for the house so it's wheelchair accessible. There's already a chair lift to handle the staircase inside. Take a look at the ADA codes - there’s probably something there as a general concept. https://www.ada.gov/2010ADAstandards_index.htm
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Sep 6, 2020 02:20
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Is it safe to have a home gym on a second floor? Deadlifting and squatting can be a few hundred pounds, which could be a lot of force if dropped. Obviously the goal is to never drop it... and would have a rack / bumpers / platform. I've been to gyms where the equipment was on second (and up floors) but that was obviously in commercial spaces. America has a lot of obese people and it's not like they fall through upper floors.
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Sep 6, 2020 04:12
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