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Thank you for the info! This is a lot of help. I'm down for almost anything as long as it's somewhat intuitive and can be controlled remotely.
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Mar 26, 2021 03:51
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Motronic posted:What exactly is the use case for this (other than dimming)? I mean, "I want it because it looks cool" is a fine answer, but I'm having a hard time coming up with anything past that. I guess these are the kind of things a renter can use because they don't require anything more than changing a lightbulb, but that's not relevant here. I use them in my gaming room for mood lighting/setting the scene when I run RPGs. Can do cool things like campfire light or thunder storm too, with the right automation/apps. --- Also, just having temp control is nice depending on what you need lighting for. But like most of you, I probably won't use them outside of this room.
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Mar 26, 2021 04:35
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Yeah hue sells much much cheaper "ambient" bulbs that do the candlelight all the way up to bright surgical blueish light I've been hesitant to buy anything besides the Phillips Hue so far because I want the bulbs to last, and I don't trust third party wifi stuff not go get hacked and then compromise my home network. Having a bunch of rando Chinese bulbs on you personal wifi network* seems sketchy to me. Also third party Android apps might work now, but in three or four years who knows if it'll still be around or run on your phone. I guess that could happen too, but Philips is a ~150 year old company with a screwdriver named after then so seems like a safer bet. Ikea and a couple other people are doing zigbee bulbs that are compatible, and that other brand that guy mentioned sounds interesting, although I'd opt for the zigbee version personally On the flip side the off brand stuff is like a quarter the price of the Phillips hue stuff *A lot of internet of things only work if they're on the same wifi network as your phone/Google home devices
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Mar 26, 2021 05:09
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Looks like I just missed lighting chat here. Cross post from the buying thread if anyone has opinions:Inner Light posted:Lighting chat, here is my sad boob light in the main bedroom in my new condo, built early 2000s.
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Mar 26, 2021 05:19
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Inner Light posted:Looks like I just missed lighting chat here. Cross post from the buying thread if anyone has opinions: I've been buying fixtures lately. From what I could tell the prices range from $25 to $3,000+ with aesthetics seeming to be the primary price differentiator rather than anything having to do with features (except for smart-home stuff.). I ended up really enjoying the look of cerno stuff and got some on-sale plura fixtures to replace a similar looking boob light to yours. If it's just a single fixture and you're not trying to match other fixtures you can get massive discounts buying used fixtures. e: also, forget hue bulbs - I want the 
El Mero Mero fucked around with this message at 06:04 on Mar 26, 2021 |
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Mar 26, 2021 06:00
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KS posted:The biggest problem I've found with the bulb route is exclusive voice control is really guest unfriendly as they have to learn your room names. Philips makes switches that you can stick to the wall. I've found that guests still don't "get" it, but it's better than having to rely on voice/app control. But also: https://www.lutron.com/en-US/products/pages/standalonecontrols/dimmers-switches/smartbulbdimmer/overview.aspx It integrates directly in to the Hue app (if you want it to). No wires, just install it over the switch and instantly becomes guest-friendly. Not cheap though, like $40/ea.
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Mar 26, 2021 11:59
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Inner Light posted:Looks like I just missed lighting chat here. Cross post from the buying thread if anyone has opinions: LED panels, they're amazing.. like 1" or so thick and many shapes and sizes.
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Mar 26, 2021 18:12
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DaveSauce posted:But also: This is what I use. Works great.
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Mar 26, 2021 18:35
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tater_salad posted:LED panels, they're amazing.. like 1" or so thick and many shapes and sizes. For the ceiling or walls?
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Mar 26, 2021 19:19
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Inner Light posted:For the ceiling or walls? for ceilings. I've got something like this little guy in my stairwell and plan on replacing the other boob light when I get around to it. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Feit-El...WH-V2/313707726
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Mar 26, 2021 19:39
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tater_salad posted:for ceilings. I could be wrong and personal aesthetics obviously vary, but that unit looks most appropriate for mud rooms / bathrooms rather than a bedroom. I will consider it though! Might be worth a trip to The Home Center (anyone get the reference?) to see what they have.
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Mar 26, 2021 20:22
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Inner Light posted:I could be wrong and personal aesthetics obviously vary, but that unit looks most appropriate for mud rooms / bathrooms rather than a bedroom. It's a commercial light for drop ceilings according to the listing.
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Mar 26, 2021 20:27
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I'm going to cover my house in those overpriced hexagonal LED panels they sell to gamers.
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Mar 26, 2021 20:48
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Inner Light posted:I could be wrong and personal aesthetics obviously vary, but that unit looks most appropriate for mud rooms / bathrooms rather than a bedroom. I will consider it though! Might be worth a trip to The Home Center (anyone get the reference?) to see what they have. Yes it's a better fit for a utility space than a bedroom, I agree. Also buying light fixtures can be a torturous expedition. I've been looking for a new front porch light for years. So many have the same issue as the one I have, lots of detail that gets cobwebs and dirt and leaves all over it. The alternatives are too plain. It's going to get replaced with a bronze panel light most likely.
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Mar 26, 2021 21:12
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Can anyone refer me to a good resource for learning about speaker installations, etc, for surround sound stuff? My living room came pre-wired for 7:1 with a wall panel to the ceiling speaker panels, but I don't know anything beyond "rectangular ceiling ports with the wire connections in them" and want to learn more to eventually install stuff.
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Mar 26, 2021 22:14
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On the topic of lighting, we have an off center boob light above our dining table that's been there since we bought the house. I've been trying to find a good replacement for it and was wondering 1. What would you call this style? And 2. For these double mount fixtures, is the power usually only coming through one ceiling mount or is it typically on both? I'm hoping this could help solve the off center issue without having to tear open more ceiling. 
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Mar 26, 2021 22:30
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I don't know what you call the style, but everything even close to that that I've dealt with is fed from a single box. The other places it contacts the ceiling are merely to support it.
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Mar 26, 2021 22:39
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That's good to know and opens up a lot of options for us for this. I'll probably just shop around for similar mounted fixtures as the style I could prob take it or leave it.
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Mar 26, 2021 22:41
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Usually some combination of "mid century modern", "sputnik", and "eyeball" get those kind of lights.
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Mar 26, 2021 22:50
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Is there a goon recommended reading about how to vet a contractor that doesn't have much in the way of online reviews? Like what kind of documentation for labor/site insurance should I be checking? Who should I have read over the contract - a real estate attorney? Should I drive by the LLC address and see if it's an abandoned lot? For fun I checked a whole bunch of people and businesses in court records and it seems like anyone in business long enough has been named as a defendant at some point, so that may or may not mean anything. I'm in TX so general contractors specifically are not licensed or certified by the state at all.
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Mar 26, 2021 22:54
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What’s generally the process for getting toilets replaced? We have 3 older ones that we’d like to upgrade (lower amount needed to flush, better seat, and specifically a Toto bidet for the owners bathroom) but not sure if it’s a matter of “hire plumber, they bring them and replace” or “go buy from Lowe’s/Home Depot/etc and have a plumber show up and do the job”. Also if there are any good recommendations for a good solid standard toilet I’m all ears.
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Mar 27, 2021 00:10
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Nybble posted:What’s generally the process for getting toilets replaced? We have 3 older ones that we’d like to upgrade (lower amount needed to flush, better seat, and specifically a Toto bidet for the owners bathroom) but not sure if it’s a matter of “hire plumber, they bring them and replace” or “go buy from Lowe’s/Home Depot/etc and have a plumber show up and do the job”. About to replace two in our new place with elongated models; my initial research shows the models from Kohler or American Standard that are one step up from the lowest tier is the sweet spot. Absolutely hiring a plumber to install because of PTSD from doing it with my dad 20 years ago.
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Mar 27, 2021 00:19
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I don’t know anything about toilets, but I can say almost anything you need to know about anything plumbing can be found over at terry love’s forum. It’s amazing. I read a ton over there about water softeners but they have a whole section on toilets https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?forums/toilet-forum-discussions.3/
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Mar 27, 2021 00:26
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Motronic posted:It's a commercial light for drop ceilings according to the listing. you should also be able to mount it to a ceiling with a junction box. 2x checks manual and pictures provided by Home Depot dot COm. Yep sure can. If you're looking for aesthetics then obviously these aren't going to help much. If you want to get rid of the boob and still have some nice output this works quite well.
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Mar 27, 2021 00:50
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Nybble posted:What’s generally the process for getting toilets replaced? We have 3 older ones that we’d like to upgrade (lower amount needed to flush, better seat, and specifically a Toto bidet for the owners bathroom) but not sure if it’s a matter of “hire plumber, they bring them and replace” or “go buy from Lowe’s/Home Depot/etc and have a plumber show up and do the job”. Toilets are pretty easy to replace if you are strong enough to lift it. You can also toss the old one in the driveway to smash it to little bits and put it in a trashbag.
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Mar 27, 2021 01:11
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Nybble posted:What’s generally the process for getting toilets replaced? We have 3 older ones that we’d like to upgrade (lower amount needed to flush, better seat, and specifically a Toto bidet for the owners bathroom) but not sure if it’s a matter of “hire plumber, they bring them and replace” or “go buy from Lowe’s/Home Depot/etc and have a plumber show up and do the job”. A toilet installation as long as the drain connection and water supply is good, isn't an unsurmountable task. Followed along with this video and it was easy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaFNnovKF1A I actually just replaced my toilet from a standard height round bowl, to a comfort height with elongated bowl. Original toilet, 2 piece that I disassembled  Drain connection, lead flange plate connection scraped away all the old wax  Peeled the lead up to pull out old flange bolts (they bolt the toilet to the drain) Modern toilets might not have that lead cover  New wax seal  Dropped toilet onto of wax seal (easier to put the seal on the toilet and guide it onto the bolts IMO)  Tighten down flange bolts, (still need to cover them don't have a hacksaw to cut them)  Tank with 2 bolts read to attach to base  Toilet installation complete, actually had to buy a 16" hose line because the 12" I had didn't reach the tank. If you get a bidet seat you'll need a new Y-hose? or T-hose? line split to supply the tank and the bidet.  Truthfully the hardest task is disposing of the old toilet, being the good citizen I brought it to the dump but smashing it in your driveway and putting it into the regular garbage probably works too. Quality wise I bought my toilet from costco for $95, Water ridge brand. Comfort height, elongated toilet, dual flush with a max 1.6 gal for the full power flush which is water efficient.
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Mar 27, 2021 01:33
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StormDrain posted:You can also toss the old one in the driveway to smash it to little bits and put it in a trashbag. I feel like if you do these steps in the opposite order, cleanup might be much easier 
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Mar 27, 2021 01:34
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Zarin posted:I feel like if you do these steps in the opposite order, cleanup might be much easier Don't you have room in your heart for fun?
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Mar 27, 2021 01:37
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quote:Dropped toilet onto of wax seal (easier to put the seal on the toilet and guide it onto the bolts IMO) For anyone else who ever does this: follow the parenthetical. Save yourself a lot of heartache and leaky seals, because it's loving hard to get that thing down without damaging the wax. You have to lower the thing basically straight down into place on it, and toilets aren't all that light. Been there, done that to every toilet in a 4BA before. Not fun. That or have two other people - one to help you lower it, and the other to lie on the ground and help eyeball you into place. If you're doing it alone, definitely fit the seal first.
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Mar 27, 2021 02:43
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StormDrain posted:Toilets are pretty easy to replace if you are strong enough to lift it. You can also toss the old one in the driveway to smash it to little bits and put it in a trashbag. If your water shutoff works replacing a toilet is pretty straightforward. I'd definitely suggest you watch some youtube videos about it, and see if it's something you're comfortable with. Especially if you have 3 toilets, it's not like having one out of commission is going to be a problem. (We only had one - which made it a stressful time when I ended up doing a bunch of extra plumbing work that was probably unnecessary without a toilet) I don't know if it applies for toilets as well, but we've gotten way better quality plumbing fixtures from a plumbing supply store then we have from lowes. You pay a little more, but it ends up being worth it. That being said, I think the standard recommendation in this thread is the American Standard Champion Tall Elongated bowl. I've put in 3 of them in various places and have been happy.2 Why does this thread always turn to talking about toilets? Is toilet replacement peak homeownership?
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Mar 27, 2021 02:45
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devicenull posted:Why does this thread always turn to talking about toilets? Is toilet replacement peak homeownership? We're all massive fat-rear end goons who break toilets with our rock-hard cheetoshits or something? (I have no idea.)
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Mar 27, 2021 02:52
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Sundae posted:For anyone else who ever does this: follow the parenthetical. Save yourself a lot of heartache and leaky seals, because it's loving hard to get that thing down without damaging the wax. You have to lower the thing basically straight down into place on it, and toilets aren't all that light. Been there, done that to every toilet in a 4BA before. Not fun. Even better plan..... https://www.homedepot.com/p/Fluidmaster-Better-Than-Wax-Universal-Wax-Free-Toilet-Seal-7530P24/205762183 Don't use a wax ring.
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Mar 27, 2021 03:07
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Motronic posted:Even better plan..... This is life-changing.
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Mar 27, 2021 03:17
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Works as advertised, and if you ever need to get the toilet out of the way for something else - you aren't scraping chunks of disgusting wax off of everything in the process.
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Mar 27, 2021 03:27
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IOwnCalculus posted:Works as advertised, and if you ever need to get the toilet out of the way for something else - you aren't scraping chunks of disgusting wax off of everything in the process. That goddamn wax is everywhere forever. I used my pry bar to scrape it like an idiot and that thing wasn't right again for years. It was when I remodeled the single bath in our house. I believe I set the toilet three times in different phases of construction. Once after demo, again after I replaced the subfloor, and again after I tiled. Anyone remember those toilets that weren't glazed inside the trap section so they clogged easily?
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Mar 27, 2021 03:36
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Motronic posted:Even better plan..... Yeah, these own. I had to trim a similar item to fit, but I've moved the toilet twice now and it's been great. The ones I got said that you could stack multiple kits together if you had a recessed flange, and while I probably should/could have done that, it hasn't ever leaked or anything so zero complaints there. StormDrain posted:Anyone remember those toilets that weren't glazed inside the trap section so they clogged easily? Sometimes I wonder if this isn't the problem with my upstairs toilet - drat thing will try and overflow once every several flushes, even if it's just clean water in the bowl. I'm paying into a service now that will supposedly come and fix any plumbing problems ever (including a backed up toilet) so I'm half tempted to just keep flushing clean water through it until it hits one of its random dice rolls where it decides to try and overflow, then call it in
Zarin fucked around with this message at 04:14 on Mar 27, 2021 |
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Mar 27, 2021 04:11
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couldcareless posted:On the topic of lighting, we have an off center boob light above our dining table that's been there since we bought the house. I've been trying to find a good replacement for it and was wondering 1. What would you call this style? And 2. For these double mount fixtures, is the power usually only coming through one ceiling mount or is it typically on both? This is a good example of that style and it only gets power from one mounting point. Having had similar requirements (ours is off-center AND on a pitched ceiling), sometimes you just have to do a lot of looking at pictures until you recognize what's happening. Infinotize posted:Is there a goon recommended reading about how to vet a contractor that doesn't have much in the way of online reviews? Like what kind of documentation for labor/site insurance should I be checking? Who should I have read over the contract - a real estate attorney? Should I drive by the LLC address and see if it's an abandoned lot? For fun I checked a whole bunch of people and businesses in court records and it seems like anyone in business long enough has been named as a defendant at some point, so that may or may not mean anything. I'm in TX so general contractors specifically are not licensed or certified by the state at all. Get references, go look at their work, and talk to the people they worked for. See if you can find permits from their previous work. Ask them about a mistake they made and how they fixed it. Anyone who can't admit mistakes or provide references is hiding something. With all the damage in Texas right now there are probably a ton of underqualified people looking for work so be extra cautious. Good luck.
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Mar 27, 2021 05:01
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Sundae posted:We're all massive fat-rear end goons who break toilets with our rock-hard cheetoshits or something? Builder grade toilets are terrible. I’m seriously considering replacing all my toilets (vortens) and my house is not even 3 years old. Somehow my kids manage to clog the drat things constantly. I’m ready to throw a weekend and several hundred dollars at these terrible things and replace them with something better
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Mar 27, 2021 05:34
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skipdogg posted:Builder grade toilets are terrible. I’m seriously considering replacing all my toilets (vortens) and my house is not even 3 years old. Somehow my kids manage to clog the drat things constantly. Which brings us to the thread's second favorite topic: Which bidet model are you going to get? 
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Mar 27, 2021 08:11
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Me: Gets home from a Saturday morning drive. My wife: Hey babe I pulled out all of the nails from the walls! Can you fix the holes? 
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