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StormDrain posted:The bastards who put up the backsplash I hate ran it too far into the electrical boxes so I had to cut and break stone to install a GFI. Are you sure the breaker isn't already ground-fault at the box (or maybe even a combination breaker with GF and AF)? Maybe they didn't put a ground fault circuit inlet plug there because it's already at the breaker end of the circuit?
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Sep 13, 2021 10:29
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biracial bear for uncut posted:Are you sure the breaker isn't already ground-fault at the box (or maybe even a combination breaker with GF and AF)? Maybe they didn't put a ground fault circuit inlet plug there because it's already at the breaker end of the circuit? You forgot that to change outlets I took many trips to the breakers. I actually had assumed that's how it was the whole time because that's how the bathrooms/garage/outdoor circuit is wired. I put my tester in and pressed button to trip Gfci and nothing happened. Then I verified the tester worked by tripping the bathrooms. Then I went outside and flipped the breakers. House was built in 1978, must not have been a requirement in the kitchen then? Or some other shenanigans in the meantime.
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Sep 13, 2021 16:30
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StormDrain posted:House was built in 1978, must not have been a requirement in the kitchen then? Or some other shenanigans in the meantime. IIRC only outlets within 6 feet of the sink were required starting in the late 80s and then all kitchen outlets in a 90s update. So yeah, as built the only places that would have been required then would be bathrooms and outdoor near pools.
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Sep 13, 2021 16:59
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Hi thread, I have a stainless steel undermount sink on which the caulking between the sink and countertop has failed. That means when the sink gets wet enough that water gets on the top of the undermount, by the caulk, it will go straight through to the cabinets under the sink. So, I guess what I need to do is re-caulk this. I've never caulked before! I found a couple simple YouTube things that I can use as a walklthrough. I'll buy a gun and clear caulk of some sort.... the counter is black if that matters. Any advice for a noob on this? Otherwise I'll just grab the stuff from LowesDepot and tackle it on a weekend soon. A handyman quoted me $50 + materials for this, and TaskRabbit would be similar, so I figured why not save a few bucks and do it myself. Something like this process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78xW7l4BI30&t=207s I would plan to use a utility knife and scrape away most of what's left before redoing it, and just scrubbing with some all purpose cleaner and a sponge. Here are a couple photos of the sink in question, included underneath so you can see the type of clip used, I'll just tighten those if needed.  
Inner Light fucked around with this message at 18:06 on Sep 13, 2021 |
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Sep 13, 2021 17:55
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As someone who hosed up caulking a sink a while ago I’ll say make sure to use the silicone. That was my noob mistake and I had to scrape it all out and re-do it.
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Sep 13, 2021 17:59
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The biggest tip I've found with spreading caulking is try to do it in one swipe. Resist the temptation to drag your finger back over the caulk line to fix any minor imperfections, it will just stick to your finger and pull up more caulk and look like crap. Get your caulk in the crack, one smooth stroke over the line and clean up your excess. That video you posted seems pretty good. Silicone caulking it pretty cheap and forgiving. If you royally mess it up you can scrape it out with a razor and try again.
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Sep 13, 2021 18:09
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Wet your finger with water if you're going to do any smoothing, or wet your paper towel. Makes it flow without sticking as much. Get on it immediately so that the caulk isn't at all set.
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Sep 13, 2021 18:16
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Here's a pro tip on silicone caulking. Buy a can of sprayway glass cleaner, in the aeresol style can. Lay down the bead of caulk, spray over it with the glass cleaner, then wipe it. The glass cleaner will prevent the caulk from sticking to anything, so you don't get it stuck to your finger or just spread out beyond the joint you're filling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHwmqkoz1tE
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Sep 13, 2021 18:18
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Also, since you don't do this every day put painters tape around both sides where you want the caulk to end. Then pull the tape back up once it sets but isn't fully dry.
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Sep 13, 2021 18:21
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Motronic posted:Also, since you don't do this every day put painters tape around both sides where you want the caulk to end. Then pull the tape back up once it sets but isn't fully dry. I kinda disagree here. Tape is a great idea for your first time caulking, but work fast. If the caulk sets up at all before you pull the tape it leaves a little ridge, which looks nice and crisp at first but it'll quickly peel away in use. IME the siliconized caulk (not 100% silicone) is a ton more forgiving to apply and you can much more easily tool it with a wet finger. It's not as durable long term but if you screw up it's easier to remove.
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Sep 13, 2021 18:30
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NomNomNom posted:I kinda disagree here. Tape is a great idea for your first time caulking, but work fast. If the caulk sets up at all before you pull the tape it leaves a little ridge, which looks nice and crisp at first but it'll quickly peel away in use. You still tool it with a wet finger even with the tape.
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Sep 13, 2021 18:33
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Aha, I found one reason my sink is screwed up. The clip in the image I posted, one of them is totally loose. Screw does not feel like it's engaging on anything, and I can push/pull up and down on the sink and it moves freely in that corner unfortunately. How do I fix that, if the screw threads aren't catching? If it's the threads themselves that are bad does that mean it needs another hole drilled in the quartz, and is that DIYable?
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Sep 13, 2021 18:34
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The guys in my last countertop job used epoxy to mount the tabs. A search for undermount sink kit brought up what I expected. Studs you mount to the underside of the countertop and a bracket to hold the sink edge. I absolutely would try it for $15, you could mount two, one on either side of the original for extra insurance. If that fails you can call a pro.
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Sep 13, 2021 18:48
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FISHMANPET posted:I'm finally ready to move forward with insulating my exterior walls and attic, now that all our knob & tube is taken care of. Except the $5000 is going to turn into $7500 to add remove all the old insulation. I keep thinking "I can do it myself" and then today I filled 3 huge contractor bags with batt insulation and made basically no dent. And that doesn't count all the loose insulation under the attic floorboards, which would be about 800 rounds with my shop-vac. Meanwhile, they can just wheel in a giant vacuum to suck up all the old poo poo (and I guess there's no secret to bad insulation, they're just gonna bag it themselves, but at least they'll be properly geared up and have lots of hands to make it happen. But they won't remove the floorboards themselves for liability reasons, so I'd have to do that myself (fine, not a huge deal I guess) but the original insulation quote includes dense-pack insulation under the floorboards and blown-in on top. So now I have to figure out what the heck actually needs to be done. So we've got the insulation work scheduled, and I'm trying to figure out what to do about removal and the contractor is being very not communicative. I asked them what condition they needed the attic in, and said the batt insulation should be removed (but said nothing about the floorboards or the existing blown-in insulation). I asked if they would be able to do the air sealing with the floor boards and blown-in insulation in place, and the response was "I will be more limited that an unfloored attic." So I don't know what to do with that. I'm happy to throw money at them to get the existing insulation removed, and have indicated as such, so I'm not sure if he's being short because he doesn't want to do the job at all, or is just the type of person that only answers the precise question that's asked of him and nothing else.
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Sep 13, 2021 18:55
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Today the garage door at my condo building failed in an interesting way. The spring broke somehow, so when the door was raised it would immediately come crashing down after it reached the top height, and the electric eye would not stop it. So just a tip if you use a garage, keep an eye on the door when it's up and be ready to get the hell out of the way if it's broken. e: Ok sink securement, something is not right....  I can get the bracket and everything by the molly bolt thread, and start screwing the screw. It feels tight and then as I keep tightening it gets loose again. If I stop when it's in the 'half tight' position, and tug on the sink a little, I hear a pop and then the screw is fully loose again. If I remove the bracket and washer, then tighten the screw itself, it goes in fine and tightens up without issue. So at this point it seems like I may need need new holes, molly threads, and other brackets from a kit like the other poster mentioned. It's definitely the threads in the female end, they allow the screw to slide freely until it's almost full inserted  Is some sort of Loctite a solution? Never used that before. One more option is simply to leave the sink without that bracket connected.... not best practice but shouldn't cause property damage either. Inner Light fucked around with this message at 21:26 on Sep 13, 2021 |
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Sep 13, 2021 19:07
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A giant bottle of olive oil I got delivered 3 hours ago from Whole Foods just spontaneously burst in my 3 year old custom cabinets. Heard the noise but didn’t know until I saw the puddle of oil. Very angry. Anything I can do here?  It seeped all down the cabinet. Edit: even better. It’s all seeped into the wood and now it’s damaged. loving cool.  
Pilfered Pallbearers fucked around with this message at 22:52 on Sep 13, 2021 |
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Sep 13, 2021 22:38
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Give it a couple of rounds of Simple Green with a scrub brush. I’ve stripped restaurant exhaust hoods with that stuff.
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Sep 13, 2021 23:20
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I would use corn starch or flour or something to absorb whatever oil I couldn't clean up with papertowels or a rag. Dawn and water would help as well, but I'm not sure about getting the wood even more wet. I'd call your cabinet people and ask them what they would recommend.
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Sep 13, 2021 23:35
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I mean, isn't oil actually used to condition wood? So as long as you're soaking up the access, I can't imagine it'd do anything long term damage-wise, I guess the biggest risk would be staining the cabinets?
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Sep 13, 2021 23:48
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Upgrade posted:I mean, isn't oil actually used to condition wood? So as long as you're soaking up the access, I can't imagine it'd do anything long term damage-wise, I guess the biggest risk would be staining the cabinets? Not something like olive oil that will go rancid. I'd be tempted to fill it with oil absorber from the auto parts store.
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Sep 13, 2021 23:58
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On Weber chat from the other week, I finally grabbed a Genesis II. Got halfway thru assembly and found a mounting point in the frame that hadn't been threaded. To their credit Weber answered the phone quickly when I called, and immediately offered to ship me a new frame piece for free. I just went to Lowes (because I didn't have the right size tap), tapped it myself, and kept going. Now I have a grill!
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Sep 14, 2021 00:29
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 I don't know which is my favorite part, the fact that "2nd floor" and "bathroom" really are separate, fully descriptive names for things on the circuit, or that the only lights anywhere near the box are on the same circuit as 3/4 of the house.
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Sep 14, 2021 01:23
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Wait, your breakers are LABELED?!?!?!?!
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Sep 14, 2021 02:33
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I have 20 breakers just labeled “LIGHTS”. It’s gotten to the point where I just turn them all off rather than try and figure out which breaker goes to which room.
TheWevel fucked around with this message at 02:58 on Sep 14, 2021 |
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Sep 14, 2021 02:51
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I still have the spreadsheet of breaker layouts from our first house twelve years ago because it took me hours to map it all out due to the labels on the panel having been created by a drunk four year old.
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Sep 14, 2021 03:05
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one of the best couple hours you can spend as a homeowner is to build that spreadsheet then tape it to the panel.pre:Room Device Circuit Mech Closet Sub Panel C6-7 Kitchen Sub Panel C10-11 Kitchen Dishwasher C12 Kitchen Garbage Disposal C12 Kitchen Outlet - South C13 Kitchen Outlets - East C13 Outdoor AC Condenser C8-9 Master Bath Outlets - All F1 Carport Light - Kitchen Door F2 Dining Room Light F2 Guest Bedroom Outlet - East F2 .... etc
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Sep 14, 2021 03:13
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Every project I worked on we turned over nice printed sheets in clear sleeves. Every home I've seen it's written in cursive with a pen that's almost out of ink by someone on a Friday Afternoon.
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Sep 14, 2021 03:26
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 This was mine.
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Sep 14, 2021 03:28
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TheWevel posted:I have 20 breakers just labeled “LIGHTS”. It’s gotten to the point where I just turn them all off rather than try and figure out which breaker goes to which room. More than 2 of my breakers have shared neutrals and Every time I thought I figured out which ones they are I get shocked so now I only do electrical work during the day time and turn off the main switch.
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Sep 14, 2021 03:32
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Dying at the first one.
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Sep 14, 2021 03:33
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Qwijib0 posted:one of the best couple hours you can spend as a homeowner is to build that spreadsheet then tape it to the panel. I'm looking forward to finding out what the 2-pole breaker labeled "future power" is in the place I'm moving into soon. Speaking of which, what's a good way of attaching things to a wall that is covered in marble? Specifically, I want one of those magnetic knife strips, but I'd prefer something other than drilling a hole through the marble if possible. The maker suggests some incredibly strong double sided tape (3M VHB)--this stuff is theoretically permanent, but I assume it's removable in the "will probably have to refinish the surface" sense right?
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Sep 14, 2021 03:39
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https://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Tools-Circuit-Breaker-Finder-Tool-Kit-2-Piece-80016/316406030 Best $50 I ever spent, never have to guess what outlet goes where ever again.
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Sep 14, 2021 03:50
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FCKGW posted:https://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Tools-Circuit-Breaker-Finder-Tool-Kit-2-Piece-80016/316406030 Oh poo poo I'm assuming when you get your entire box replaced the electricians don't map out every outlet in the house, so this is probably a huge boon for me, thanks!
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Sep 14, 2021 03:56
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In my experience they just sort of go with the labels that are already there, so your new panel's labels will only be as good as the old's.
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Sep 14, 2021 05:15
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I'm addicted to smart home bullshit
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Sep 14, 2021 11:13
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please knock Mom! posted:I'm addicted to smart home bullshit Arguably our kid's first word was "google" as that's the keyword used to do just about any automated activity in our house. Doesn't hurt that goo-goole is pretty close to goo-goo gah-gah Other than the obvious voice activated lights, the real game changer was plugging the google chromecast ultra into our TV's ARC hdmi port. Turn on/off the tv from anywhere in the world using voice. We had to leave town unexpectedly without a pet sitter and were able to turn on/off the TV and play 10 hour bird videos for our cat etc. Our smart tv takes a minute to become responsive once it is turned on, so it's nice to turn on the tv from the kitchen via voice, and by the time you plop down on the couch it's fully booted up and ready to stream game of thrones or whatever
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Sep 14, 2021 11:20
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Apparently we need to replace or repair the dishwasher, and we had been putting off replacing the stove, which led my wife to confess she hates the fridge that came with the house, so I guess we are getting a bunch of new kitchen appliances. my wallet
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Sep 14, 2021 11:31
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H110Hawk posted:
120v Gloryhole, eh?
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Sep 14, 2021 11:51
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Hadlock posted:Arguably our kid's first word was "google" as that's the keyword used to do just about any automated activity in our house. Doesn't hurt that goo-goole is pretty close to goo-goo gah-gah My tado thermometer switches to away mode when I'm out of the home, which triggers the following: - the roomba tweets & starts cleaning, it also tweets @ me if it gets stuck - the hue lights switch off - electronics go on standby I wake up with slowly brightening lights and pleasant tunes played by a hi-fi set. It's actual heaven. I've always struggled with waking up early and that's just no longer a thing No more dust or forgetting to turn down the heat, no more leaving the lights on, no more loving with light/dimmer switches because I can just stick a hue dimmer wherever I want it with tape if I must, no wires needed. People hate it but it's so so good Next week I'm having a big fat fuckin american fridge delivered. Hell yeah.
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Sep 14, 2021 12:22
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Dryer is starting to make noises at the start of a cycle, probably the drum rollers or belt tensioner. It’s a Samsung, came with the house and has a 2002 manufacturing code so I’m inclined to let it die and get a speed queen to match the washer. We’ve already spent ~400 on repairing it the last 3 years so I don’t feel like throwing any more money at it. I don’t even want to total up what we’ve had to do with this house in major repairs/replacements in the last 3 years of ownership but I’m sure it’s a decent amount: Pella windows all around Roof leak repair Basement leak mitigation Water heater Water softener Sump pump Clothes washer Can’t wait for the hvac to go too since it’s a hybrid heat pump system with 12 years on it.
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Sep 14, 2021 12:42
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