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StormDrain posted:First off what's a bike shed. I’m not convinced that lumber prices are going to come down that fast. I’m actually worried they’ll be stuck here for a long time. Climate change has allowed beetles to infest and kill off huge chunks of Canadian forest. Supply is way down because of it, and that’s not something you can make more of quickly.
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Apr 20, 2021 03:37
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Bird in a Blender posted:I’m not convinced that lumber prices are going to come down that fast. I’m actually worried they’ll be stuck here for a long time. Thanks for not also pointing out I don't know about the bike shed.
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Apr 20, 2021 03:44
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Haha, I for one have enjoyed coming back to this thread to see almost a page and half discussing the drat single basin sink. Hutla posted:Anonymous Zebra, do you have a California Bungalow? It’s essentially a craftsman, but probably poorly insulated because CaLiFoRnIa. If so, the bad news is that you’ll probably never be able to afford to put back in all of the original styling because wow, is that expensive, but you can probably nudge it closer. Hint: it’s all naturally stained wood, carved wood, and more hand carved wood. Browse through some photos of craftsman houses and make note of the things that you both like AND would be useful to your style of work in the kitchen. Some things are going to be beautiful but completely annoying for a person living now to use. YES! Thank you for using the phrase California Bungalow. That appears to be the specific name of the type of homes in my area. At least they all kind of started that way, and have been renovated and built up from that starting shape. So, should I just google California Bungalow kitchens to get ideas of what they used to look like? You are correct that we are never going to be able to bring back the original kitchen due to cost and the lack of proper materials. What I think we are aiming to do is the create a kitchen that resembles the feel of those old kitchens, while being still convenient and usable. I have no idea if that's even a thing, but it's the starting point I think we have. Hutla posted:And poor you/her, having to live with tile countertops- installing those should be a crime. I love an uneven surface with tons of cracks to hide filth, don’t you? It doesn’t make cutting things dangerous at all! I urge you to find something acceptable to her that’s not brick for the floors- it is uneven and full of places for dirt to hide, it snags mops, etc. There are just so many better materials for kitchen floors. Yeah, this is the overwhelming issue we have with the kitchen (combined with the lack of a fume hood). Mess just gets everywhere, and cleaning it is a weekend chore that still does not leave things looking good (ironically our remodeled bathroom has this same problem with the floor *sigh*). Those counter-tops need to go, and if they go then the matching yellow tile backsplash needs to go too, which means we might as well just change the whole thing at that point. Motronic posted:"Unique" is not part of a total theme by definition. Good point. I suppose a better way of saying it is that she got sick of looking at these 1920's houses that had all had their interiors remodeled to that inoffensive gray, with the same gray counters/cabinets/bathrooms or those gaudy homes with "Family" "Eat Pray Love" and other poo poo stenciled onto the walls. I'm not sure what the name for that style is, but it's the opposite of what she wants. Motronic posted:Does she like that the backsplash is just pasted above everything, regardless of the height of the thing it's been pasted over? Please say no. Because that's potentially the worst thing about that kitchen.    We would basically leave the footprint the same, but change the materials/colors/add a fume hood. Pardon the black boxes covering my daughters' artwork and photos. Motronic posted:Then you've got the whole completely incongruous "I want it to be easy to clean" mixed with "I want to use the kind of materials that only show up on pinterest in kitchens that nobody actually uses except the caterers and only then to warm up trays of food they've brought in". I refer to those as "display kitchens". Good news then. This morning she finally admitted that she liked how the brick floor looks, but realized it would be a bitch to live with. So small victory there. Now to try and show her some California bungalow floors to see if it clicks with her. Can you give some more examples of "display kitchen" crap? That's a serious question. I don't want to fall into a trap of buying trendy poo poo that's completely useless and tacky in 7 years. Also, I'm going to stake my side of the sink argument and say that the single basin+dishwasher feels superior.
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Apr 20, 2021 07:07
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Smugworth posted:Enough sink chat, how about some advice on how I should build a bike shed? I mean out of wood like any other shed. the issue is.. woods getting fuckin expensive. If you're looking for something simple might I suggest the Rubbermaid sheds from LowesDepot? About 750 gets you a 7x7x7 plastic shed (you need to provide the floor) but by the time you buy the sticks to put it up I'd assume you're approaching that price. I did a quick check of some very basic stick construction and to build a shed like that with 4 4x4 for corners , 36 2x4s for the studs and 8 1/2in OSB for sheeting would cost at minimum ~700 dollars and I haven't even picked a roofing setup or siding. tater_salad fucked around with this message at 13:30 on Apr 20, 2021 |
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Apr 20, 2021 13:25
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OTOH, it was nice of the people that came through our house during the showings to let us know that they smelled gas in the basement. OTOH, I am $1075 poorer fixing it. OTOH, I am alive. OTOH, what were the chances MY family would be the one to die in the next few months? 
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Apr 20, 2021 13:40
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tater_salad posted:I mean out of wood like any other shed. the issue is.. woods getting fuckin expensive. If you're looking for something simple might I suggest the Rubbermaid sheds from LowesDepot? About 750 gets you a 7x7x7 plastic shed (you need to provide the floor) but by the time you buy the sticks to put it up I'd assume you're approaching that price. :Swoosh:
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Apr 20, 2021 13:44
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We make the decision easy, our HOA bans outbuildings. That’s really the most restrictive covenant there is, aside from having trailers/campers in your driveway.
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Apr 20, 2021 14:07
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Yes but what is an outbuilding? My town says the rubermaid sheds / temporary no permits required
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Apr 20, 2021 14:39
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tater_salad posted:Yes but what is an outbuilding? My town says the rubermaid sheds / temporary no permits required They're where you go to poop.
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Apr 20, 2021 14:52
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sexy tiger boobs posted:They're where you go to poop. And to think I've been doing it wrong this whole time. In other news, I replaced three fans with two new ones and a light fixture and discovered three different types of electrical, each with a different screw profile, all of which were stripped. They were all installed at the same time (and the fans were all the same) so I really have no idea how these kinds of things happen.  I've fixed it all (other than the electrical boxes) but it's a new adventure every day and I could use a little less of that.
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Apr 20, 2021 14:56
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sexy tiger boobs posted:They're where you go to poop. incorrect you poop inside you piss on shed.. Unless you have both a 2 basin sink (one for poop one for shedpiss).
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Apr 20, 2021 15:12
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tater_salad posted:Yes but what is an outbuilding? My town says the rubermaid sheds / temporary no permits required I like the unintended consequences here, if it's the same case for the HOA. Rather than a wood shed which can look good or bad, it's only plastic sheds that look bad always.
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Apr 20, 2021 15:19
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Anonymous Zebra posted:Can you give some more examples of "display kitchen" crap? That's a serious question. I don't want to fall into a trap of buying trendy poo poo that's completely useless and tacky in 7 years. It's not necessarily that a "display kitchen" becomes gaudy or tacky, but certainly using difficult to clean materials is a big one on that list. The other ones I see are expensive but awful appliances. This one place a contractor friend was redoing had all Thermador stuff, and it was a HUGE kitchen. But it was a 4 burner cooktop that had one large burner, and calling it "large" by comparison to the rest. The double wall ovens couldn't even fit a half sheet pan. It's not clear what the hell they were being used for, but I know the bottom one was shiny brand new and the top looked like maybe it got used once or twice. There was no reason at all for these tiny studio sized appliances in this kitchen. Not space, certainly not money. But the person putting them in simply didn't cook and didn't know any better. Next up: layouts. I've seen some layouts that basically make zero sense to anyone who has ever done more than boil water. They work great for putting your catered food out on the island and have people wander through, but you're completely missing any semblance of a "triangle" for your stove, sink and fridge. I most often see these types of problems in houses owned by people with more money than sense. It really feels like conspicuous consumption/play acting they they cook.
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Apr 20, 2021 16:10
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devmd01 posted:We make the decision easy, our HOA bans outbuildings. That’s really the most restrictive covenant there is, aside from having trailers/campers in your driveway. Fun fact: as long as the street in your subdivision is publicly maintained, the HOA doesn't have the authority to regulate street parking. They can dictate what you park in your driveway, or in your lawn or whatever, but as long as street parking is otherwise legal they can't do a drat thing about it. When I used to drive a work truck (with a nice big logo wrapped around it), I scratched my head when they sent me a letter about parking it in my driveway a couple of times per week. I just started parking it on the street in front of my house instead, which was much more intrusive and visually impactful. I guess nobody ever accused an HOA of thinking through the consequences of their stupid enforcement policies. There was even a FAQ about the street parking rule on their website, so it's not like they didn't know what was going on.
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Apr 20, 2021 17:03
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Motronic posted:But it was a 4 burner cooktop that had one large burner, and calling it "large" by comparison to the rest. The double wall ovens couldn't even fit a half sheet pan. You just gave me flashbacks. The condo we rented was like this, but with the cheapest possible appliances. HUGE cavernous kitchen (but not quite big enough for an island somehow) with a in-wall single oven where we had to buy all new sheet pans because anything standard size the door wouldn't close, and it certainly couldn't go in sideways. Microwave as I recall was about the same size, which made it large for a microwave. And of course there was PLENTY of room in the structure to make them standard size, they chose to make these odd cabinets that were literally 3' deep and only useful to me because I had very long arms and am tall. Dishwasher which didn't get the dishes clean also blocked 2/3 of a sink when you opened it, and was between the sink and the stove top. I seem to recall the stove could at least boil water reasonably quickly.
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Apr 20, 2021 17:37
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Anonymous Zebra posted:Haha, I for one have enjoyed coming back to this thread to see almost a page and half discussing the drat single basin sink. Oh man, if you have one of those cute California bungalows, definitely go whole hog Craftsman in remodeling it. I was in your general neck of the woods last fall (Upland/Claremont) and whenever we'd drive through the old neighborhoods, I'd constantly point out my favorite bungalows to my husband. Nothing cuter than a bungalow with a traditional color scheme and a bunch of flower beds and crepe myrtles and a big old palm tree. Anyhow, finishes aside, I think your current kitchen is way more functional in terms of layout and storage than that other one. I am a fan of U-shaped kitchens. One thing I'm noticing is the difference in ceiling height/style between the kitchen and dining area - is the dining area ceiling vaulted or just higher? One big thing I'd consider doing is lifting the ceiling in the kitchen and doing away with that tray ceiling thing so that it feels less claustrophobic and potentially gives you room for taller cabinets (and/or crown molding/cornices) and more clearance from the countertops (looks like standard 18", which I find too cramped - 21" or so gives you a lot more breathing room, both visually and functionally, IMHO (as a tall person)). For cabinet style, just browse Craftsman/Arts & Crafts/bungalow interiors and you'll get a sense of what the vibe is. For countertop material, anything would be an improvement and most things would look good, but soapstone and end grain butcher block always stand out as especially Craftsman compatible. For floors, I don't think you could go wrong with proper linoleum (like, actual linoleum which is not a petroleum product), not vinyl products that are called "linoleum". It is period correct, actually, and is an alternative to ceramic tile or vinyl products. Or you could go with plain old hardwood, especially if you don't want to blend floor types and want the dining area to be less kitcheny. I will reiterate the advice to go dig through Houzz pictures. I also recommend watching a few episodes of Restored - the host goes around unfucking old houses and bringing them back in line with their original style and intent, and he is based in SoCal so lots of episodes are about California Arts & Crafts/Craftsman houses. He is a huge historical architecture nerd and very respectful when restoring these houses, but not orthodox, which leaves room for adjustments for modern living. Even if you're not going for serious historical accuracy, the show could offer some insight and inspiration. PS: totally do a huge farmhouse sink - these are the closest things to the enameled cast iron beasts 1920's kitchens had.
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Apr 20, 2021 19:08
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Queen Victorian posted:Oh man, if you have one of those cute California bungalows, definitely go whole hog Craftsman in remodeling it. I was in your general neck of the woods last fall (Upland/Claremont) and whenever we'd drive through the old neighborhoods, I'd constantly point out my favorite bungalows to my husband. Nothing cuter than a bungalow with a traditional color scheme and a bunch of flower beds and crepe myrtles and a big old palm tree. Thank you for the suggestions! Yes, we really like our cute little house despite it being almost 100 years old and having the problems that comes with that. As for your comment about the ceiling, here are a few more pictures from a different angle.    So the "U-shaped" cooking area is the original kitchen built with the home, while the dining area is part of an addition made in the 1970's. The addition (permitted and inspected with blueprints still in our home) has it's own vaulted ceiling which meets with the roof of the original part of the house. So essentially the cooking area is under an attic, while the dining area has no attic. I'm not sure I can raise the ceiling over the cooking area, but the fact that there is that insert with the lights right in the middle seems to indicate that there might be dead space above the ceiling that we could expand up into. I'll need to look more closely.
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Apr 20, 2021 22:59
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Bird in a Blender posted:https://www.theonion.com/gently caress-everything-were-doing-five-blades-1819584036 It still kills me that this was published and then a year later they went and did five blades
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Apr 21, 2021 00:53
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Anonymous Zebra posted:
This is a good layout and you might be able to get away with a reface and new counter/backsplash if you want the cheapest option. Shaker cabinets are probably going to be your most common suggestion but you can jam from there. If you're going to tear into drywall, finding out what's in that soffit will be important. Hopefully there's room to be able to put in an external vent for your range hood. Maybe you'll be able to put in taller cabinets too. You probably don't have as many electrical circuits going to your kitchen as you want, so that's a potentially big can of worms too. IIRC code will require an outlet at the end of that peninsula if there isn't one there already. You will want to add under-cabinet lighting. If you have to touch plumbing, put water hammer arrestors on your fridge line and dishwasher feeds.
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Apr 21, 2021 01:43
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hypnophant posted:It still kills me that this was published and then a year later they went and did five blades https://youtu.be/UjAZnGeBcgg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbCLEAUE5Rk Also, thanks for pricing out the wood bike shed, holy poo poo had no idea things were that bad without the context. Remulak fucked around with this message at 01:52 on Apr 21, 2021 |
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Apr 21, 2021 01:49
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Anyone know anything about home security systems? If so what are your thoughts on managed services versus the DIY self-managed Ring systems. The house we bought last year has a 10-15 year old hard-wired Napco Gemini system that's in a bit of disrepair. No active monitoring in place and the window/door sensors probably need replacing. Local security company is suggesting to upgrade the units and sensors to a Honeywell Ademco/Lynx system with a cellular module for comms since we dont have a land line. Total cost is sub $1000 with a $30/month active monitoring fee. The price doesn't seem out of line with what we'd have to spend to DIY it with Ring for example.
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Apr 22, 2021 18:59
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Current place has a hardwired system managed by American Alarm. It is fine but when sensors break you need them to come fix it and their call out charges are not cheap. In my new place I am probably going to use Simplisafe to get the same kind of stuff but wireless and I can service it. Current system cost me like $150 per quarter for monitoring for break in, fire and co.
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Apr 22, 2021 19:05
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Diva Cupcake posted:Anyone know anything about home security systems? If so what are your thoughts on managed services versus the DIY self-managed Ring systems. I know nothing about home security systems, but I do know that Amazon allows the FBI and police to spy through Ring without a warrant and identify people via AI and all that. So if you have any reservations about strengthening the police state, you might not wanna go that route.
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Apr 22, 2021 19:17
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m0therfux0r posted:I know nothing about home security systems, but I do know that Amazon allows the FBI and police to spy through Ring without a warrant and identify people via AI and all that. So if you have any reservations about strengthening the police state, you might not wanna go that route. Google leads me to believe this is not accurate. Are you certain?
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Apr 22, 2021 19:21
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Is buying a couple Echo dots and enabling the “text me when you hear glass breaking or a smoke detector” feature a terrible idea in lieu of paying an actual security service
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Apr 22, 2021 19:23
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m0therfux0r posted:I know nothing about home security systems, but I do know that Amazon allows the FBI and police to spy through Ring without a warrant and identify people via AI and all that. So if you have any reservations about strengthening the police state, you might not wanna go that route.
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Apr 22, 2021 19:27
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GoGoGadgetChris posted:Google leads me to believe this is not accurate. Are you certain? https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/31/22258856/amazon-ring-partners-police-fire-security-privacy-cameras https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/08/police-can-get-your-ring-doorbell-footage-without-a-warrant-report-says/ That, plus pretty much any time a tech company is dabbling in that kind of poo poo, they are giving away *way* more information than they are publicly admitting. I can guarantee it. That said, I'm not judging anyone if they want a Ring or anything, I just personally would never want one. Do whatever you need to do! m0therfux0r fucked around with this message at 19:35 on Apr 22, 2021 |
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Apr 22, 2021 19:31
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m0therfux0r posted:https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/31/22258856/amazon-ring-partners-police-fire-security-privacy-cameras Both these articles came up in my googling and both indicate user consent is required, though.
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Apr 22, 2021 19:40
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GoGoGadgetChris posted:Both these articles came up in my googling and both indicate user consent is required, though. Just depends how much you trust them, I guess. I personally wouldn't trust any big tech company about information privacy any farther than I can throw the combined weight of their entire workforce.
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Apr 22, 2021 19:45
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m0therfux0r posted:Just depends how much you trust them, I guess. I personally wouldn't trust any big tech company about information privacy any farther than I can throw the combined weight of their entire workforce. I completely agree that Amazon is an untrustworthy organization, but it feels a bit like the goalposts have been moved here. Just don't check the box that says "Police can use my camera" and you're fine, probably.
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Apr 22, 2021 19:47
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My original "without a warrant" comment was me remembering an article incorrectly, my bad. Wasn't trying to backtrack there- just basically meant "they might be lying about this".
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Apr 22, 2021 19:51
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GoGoGadgetChris posted:I completely agree that Amazon is an untrustworthy organization, but it feels a bit like the goalposts have been moved here. Unless there's a subpoena, in which case they have to comply, don't have to tell you (and sometimes legally can't), and they already have everything set up all nice and easy to grab what they want. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/law-enforcement-access-smart-devices
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Apr 22, 2021 19:52
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Man, Black Mirror was right. The future sucks & I hope my death at the hands of a boston dynamics dog is swift and merciful
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Apr 22, 2021 19:59
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Academician Nomad posted:Unless there's a subpoena, in which case they have to comply, don't have to tell you (and sometimes legally can't), and they already have everything set up all nice and easy to grab what they want. Yeah, this is the part of the Verge article where I nope out: quote:law enforcement made some 1,900 requests — such as subpoenas, search warrants, and court orders— for footage or data from Ring cameras even after the device owner has denied the request. Amazon complied with such requests 57 percent of the time
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Apr 22, 2021 20:11
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disaster pastor posted:Yeah, this is the part of the Verge article where I nope out: That's poorly written and doesn't seem quite clear, because it's a little confusing. You can't just refuse a subpoena, warrant, or court order for shits and grins. That's firmly in "gently caress around and find out" territory. I would take it to mean Amazon received a request for the video (e: and by that I mean they "politely" asked for it without a subpoena/warrant), and the owner refused it, THEN the authorities followed up with official demands. You'd need a lawyer to fight those, and Amazon probably has an office full whose sole job is to fight such requests. But again, it's not very clear what exactly that all means. edit: still not getting a loving Ring, though. I'd have already pulled the trigger on a UniFi doorbell if the cost of the supporting hardware wasn't so high. DaveSauce fucked around with this message at 20:27 on Apr 22, 2021 |
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Apr 22, 2021 20:23
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My experience with home alarm systems is they're a waste of money, but insurance companies will give you a discount on your home insurance if you have one, so definitely tell your insurance. I still have an alarm, but I managed to talk them down to $15 per month for fire and three door alarms. Insurance offsets about $7 per month, so I figured paying $8 a month is not really costing me a whole lot.
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Apr 22, 2021 20:31
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Diva Cupcake posted:If so what are your thoughts on managed services versus the DIY self-managed Ring systems. Do you want a central station system? (say yes, especially for smoke alarms) Do you want a system that is certified fire/burg so you can get a discount on your homeowner's insurance that probably comes close to making up for the cost of monitoring? (the answer to this should also be yes) I don't know anything about the Ring system. I have a self-install Abode and it fits the above criteria. It's been just fine. There are others that you can self-install and get certs for. Bird in a Blender posted:My experience with home alarm systems is they're a waste of money, but insurance companies will give you a discount on your home insurance if you have one, so definitely tell your insurance. Burglar? Probably. Fire? You've obviously not had a fire, and good for you. In my experience the difference between "working" fire calls on residences is mostly central station alarm = room and contents at worst. Unoccupied house without central station? We might be saving your basement. Motronic fucked around with this message at 20:36 on Apr 22, 2021 |
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Apr 22, 2021 20:34
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The central station fire alarms are the main reason I went with a monitored system. The first 6 months after we bought our place, two different homes burnt completely down on the streets near us. The first was candles lighting curtains on fire, followed by the rest of the house, while the second was good old knob and tube wiring finally enacting its inevitable betrayal and setting fire to an attic. In both cases, no one was home and so the homes were total losses. I contacted one of those national companies and got detectors installed that immediately call the fire department without me needing to anything. It also got me a nice discount on my insurance.
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Apr 22, 2021 20:44
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I get wanting to have fire coverage, and it's the only reason I still have my alarm. I personally don't consider that worth a lot though, I wouldn't pay it if it was costing me like $25/month or so. The chances of you experiencing a fire that requires the fire department is 1 in 4 over your entire life time, and that number is even lower for fires that happen when you aren't home to make a call yourself. So I'd say measure how much risk you're willing take with that vs. how much it costs to keep paying the alarm company to possibly save your house.
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Apr 22, 2021 20:49
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Motronic posted:Do you want a central station system? (say yes, especially for smoke alarms)
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Apr 22, 2021 20:54
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