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I have a couple of wires that I’m trying to ID, that don’t seem to do anything anymore. The first is a bundled wire with very thin red, black, green, and yellow wires. The sheathing is a light brown color. It looks sort of like the wires that control the HVAC system, but there’s no involvement. The wire ends in the basement, unconnected to anything then runs up the main cable run to somewhere. The second is bundled red, white, and black wires with a dark brown sheath. This pokes out of a hole in the drywall in our 2nd floor hallway, and is covered by a blank wall plate. I have no idea where the other end is.
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Dec 13, 2021 03:17
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| # ? Jun 12, 2024 06:42 |
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I’ll try to put together a thread if needed, although there’s also a home design Q&a thread I’m browsing through to see if there’s anything useful there. I did run through a few big stores today since I was out of town for an inspection anyways; went to Room and Board, Scandinavian Designs, and HD Buttercup (latter is local to LA area I think?), which are all midscale furniture places I would say. Scandinavian Designs is kind of like a more upscale IKEA?
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Dec 13, 2021 03:29
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EPICAC posted:I have a couple of wires that I’m trying to ID, that don’t seem to do anything anymore. The first is almost certainly an old phone line. Red/green is pair one, black/yellow is pair two. If the wires are twisted in the sheath, more supporting evidence. The second, being that it ends on a wall, is probably for a thermostat. Maybe a zone control if you have hydronic heat.
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Dec 13, 2021 04:15
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*If* you're in a place where the furniture in thrift stores/second-hand stores is affordable, in my experience you're better off buying a well-made old sofa or chair and paying several hundred dollars to reupholster it, because that stuff was built to last. I'm 62, and we have an easy chair that was my grandfather's, and so far we've reupholstered it three times and are going to do a slipcover soon. Comfiest chair in the house.
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Dec 13, 2021 04:26
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Yeah there’s a local store that reupholsters old furniture and I was definitely thinking about paying it a visit; prices are on the higher end though, like 5-6k for a couch.
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Dec 13, 2021 05:22
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The place we're in contract for has this weird stove hood: It's hooked up to the crawlspace from which a duct continues to vent outdoors. Clearly those are not the right size vents on it. Any thoughts on how to get better ones and/or better hood?
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Dec 13, 2021 05:37
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Is there an easy way/secret way to remove hot mud? My PO fuckheads used it in many completely incorrect applications: currently I'm refurbishing my kitchen island and they used it instead of wood putty, to try to round out a handhold in a drawer. So far I've stabbed myself in the hand with a drywall knife, and scraped out a tiny bit using a flathead screwdriver, but I'm hoping there's a better way to do it...
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Dec 13, 2021 12:36
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Residency Evil posted:Yup, this is radiant hot water heating with a gas water heater. My in floor hydronic is very nice and super efficient. Unless there's a room with no radiant, I wouldn't mess with the heat pump at all tbh.
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Dec 13, 2021 13:10
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Has anyone ever used asbestos testing kits before that they would recommend? Kinda wanna get the old rear end vinyl floor tested before it gets covered up.
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Dec 13, 2021 13:46
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We used this one and had no complaints: Asbestos Test Kit 1 PK (5 Bus. Days) Schneider Labs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008J3ZK8M
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Dec 13, 2021 13:56
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pokie posted:The place we're in contract for has this weird stove hood: Even when working "properly" those "hoods" are garbage. If you actually cook, especially any kind of frying, you will have aerosolized oil everywhere. If it's at all possible I'd get a proper hood above it. If not, you need the make and model number to look up what parts you need, and hopefully one of the appliance parts houses will have them. Johnny Truant posted:Is there an easy way/secret way to remove hot mud? My PO fuckheads used it in many completely incorrect applications: currently I'm refurbishing my kitchen island and they used it instead of wood putty, to try to round out a handhold in a drawer. Oscillating tool.
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Dec 13, 2021 14:31
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Quick question: What herbicide should I be using under my deck? It's rock and the contractor did a poo poo job laying it down, so I got stuff growing that shouldn't be. I need a pre-emergent, and possibly a post-emergent if the pre-emergent of choice doesn't kill actively growing weeds. I have a thing of roundup somewhere, but it's a spot-sprayer wand that isn't good for a large area. There's tons of options at the big box stores and I'm not sure which active ingredient I should be going for, and also not sure what format works best... pump/hand spray, concentrated liquid that you put on a hose, or granules that you spread and water in. DaveSauce fucked around with this message at 15:31 on Dec 13, 2021 |
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Dec 13, 2021 15:28
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Motronic posted:Oscillating tool. I wish that would work, lol. I think I explained it poorly. They basically took a drawer handle similar to this, hosed it up somehow, then attempted to fix the fuckup by jamming hot mud into the lateral edges of it to try to get that rounding back.  Basiocally there's no way I'll have a good looking handle-less drawer, so I'm thinking I'm going to get the old drywall compound out of there, then completely fill it with wood putty, prime it and paint over it, then find a really wide handle. If I'm going to do that do I really need to get the drywall compound out of there? I thought yes at the beginning but if I'm gonna just fill up the space... maybe not?
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Dec 13, 2021 15:43
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In that case it's more of a die grinder job. But yeah.....if it's that hard to get out why not use it as part of what you're building up anyway? Test what you intend to use to fill it to make sure it doesn't interact strangely, but you'll probably be fine.
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Dec 13, 2021 15:51
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Motronic posted:In that case it's more of a die grinder job. But yeah.....if it's that hard to get out why not use it as part of what you're building up anyway? Test what you intend to use to fill it to make sure it doesn't interact strangely, but you'll probably be fine.  Thanks!
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Dec 13, 2021 16:08
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DaveSauce posted:Quick question: Ortho ground clear is my salt the earth poison of choice. Concentrate diluted into a one gallon pump sprayer. It smells awful. It kept my gravel driveway clear, and killed everything.
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Dec 13, 2021 16:32
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RoyalScion posted:Yeah there’s a local store that reupholsters old furniture and I was definitely thinking about paying it a visit; prices are on the higher end though, like 5-6k for a couch. IIRC the last time I paid to reupholster my grandfather's good chair it was something like $300 plus the fabric, which I bought at a discount fabric warehouse. If your local thrift shops aren't wildly overpriced (many are in urban areas), it can be cheaper to track down the used furniture with good bones (angles feel right when you sit in it, joints don't flex when you shake it) and pay somebody to reupholster. That should be a lot less than 5-6K.
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Dec 13, 2021 17:13
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So, examples. Grandfather's chair. Must be at least 70 years old. Sound as a bell.  Chaise. The reason it cost a fortune to reupholster was all those buttons. Upholstering a "tufted" chair or couch takes extra fabric and also a lot of skill. Most upholsterers charge per button. Do not buy a tufted chair unless you like the style well enough to pay for an expensive reupholster, or are planning on slipcovering rather than upholstering. Mid-century armchair. Say hi, Diana.   As you can see, my taste runs to the ornate. The mid-century chair and my grandfather's chair could be made as austere as you want. They'd look just fine in beige linen, if that's your thing, or in leather. What cost are you looking at to reupholster a chair? Depends on where you live.. If you have a solid, sturdy chair, it's long-term much cheaper than buying new. Let's talk reupholstering versus slipcovering for a moment. Reupholstering is tearing off the fabric, tightening the springs (if it's old enough to have springs), tightening up the furniture joints, making new cushions (if they're foam, they almost certainly need replacing), and then nailing fabric back on. It's a lot of work. It's what you do if you find/have a good chair that you like, but that is too battered to be comfortable. Slipcovering is when you have a chair that is fundamentally in good shape -- cushions aren't dented by somebody else's butt, doesn't creak when you sit down -- but the upholstery is either ugly or damaged. In that case, the upholsterer makes a fitted cover for the body and for each individual cushion. A good slipcover doesn't look like the stuff you draped over a chair and secured with an elastic ruffle back in college. It looks exactly like an upholstered chair. Some people who are way more into decorating than I am make summer and winter slipcovers for their chairs, and change them out with the season. (Slipcovers have zippers.) Some chairs can't be slip-covered. Fundamentally, to be slipcovered, a chair needs to reduce to a solid shape with no openings. This is an open-arm chair. Draping a slipcover over those arms would give you a lot of empty space in the arms with the slipcover draped loosely over it. Chairs with attached pillows on the back, like my mid-century chair above, have to be slipcovered over those pillows. That can make the chair's lines look weird. Where to shop? Where I used to live, "consignment stores" are selling furniture that is ready to use, and priced accordingly. You're better off at charity shops, junk stores, and yard sales/flea markets. If you're living in a rich area, you are competing with other people who want to take old furniture and resell it. If you're living in a remote area, you're better off. The mid-century chair cost me a cool $20. I bought the chaise in the San Francisco Bay Area; the upholstery was unsalvageable, and it was hundreds of dollars. Granddad's chair was free, not counting pulling out all the butternuts that the squirrels had left in the upholstery when it was stored in the barn. e: I forgot to mention that slipcovering is a lot cheaper. It's also a doable home-sewing project if you've got a sturdy machine and can turn sharp corners with piping. I've done it once, and never again. ee: I forgot to mention estate sales and estate auctions. This is for people who *like* shopping. Read Nextdoor and so on, show up at somebody's house, pick through their belongings. Again, it will depend on where you live whether this is affordable. You will absolutely be competing with professional antiques pickers, so don't fall in love with that Hans Wegner peacock. Arsenic Lupin fucked around with this message at 18:16 on Dec 13, 2021 |
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Dec 13, 2021 18:04
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I am not sewing. I am upholstering which is one of the five original industrial arts.
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Dec 13, 2021 18:40
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My parents used to reupholster their own furniture, but they were that kind of people. My mother once even recaned a chair, and came out swearing never again. Mom was really, really good at farm auctions.
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Dec 13, 2021 18:51
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The Saucer Hovers posted:I am not sewing. I am upholstering which is one of the five original industrial arts. Other than the fact that Jack White of the white stripes started off working in an upholstery shop, I know nothing on the topic What are the other four original arts? Metalworking, carpentry, and...?
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Dec 13, 2021 19:13
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IDK if this is the place for it, but, we bought a honeywell humidifier (Winter in Denver, so dry) and it works great but the 'change filter' light came on. I thoughtfully bought 6 filters when I bought the humidifier but they're getting delivered in March due to backorder, and not on sale anywhere legit. 1: is a filter 'not the kind of thing to buy on amazon'? I assume not 2: I am super tempted to just clean it with soap and a toothbrush or something and then soak it in vinegar to get the limescale off. But the instructions say not to do this. I need a humidifier and the one I wanted to buy was also out of stock. What should I do?
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Dec 13, 2021 19:23
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I buy my HVAC system filters on Amazon, they've been legit so far. What's the model of the device, there may be a local supply shop that has them in stock. I know there's several local appliance parts places near me that I've used in the past to get parts same day.
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Dec 13, 2021 19:37
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https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Honeywell+HFT600&i=specialty-aps&srs=12034488011&ref=nb_sb_noss_2 Looks like there are a bunch of other brands selling their wick/filters on amazon. I suppose I should just buy the durabasics one? but yeah I tried Ace and home depot and the honeywell site and they're all out of stock for the HFT600. edit 2: yeah I just got that. I'll have it tomorrow. I see Target 20 miles away does have 1 legit honeywell 2-pack but I just do not have the time to get there and they won't deliver it. redreader fucked around with this message at 19:53 on Dec 13, 2021 |
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Dec 13, 2021 19:41
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Medullah posted:I moved into this house about 3 years ago, and only lost power a couple times. Unfortunately, I've lost power for an extended amount of time a couple times in the last few months. Is that wire live? Anyway the way you hook a generator up to you home is to have a switch that only allows power from the utility or from your generator so you don’t electrocute the utility workers. I don’t see that. Probably a big pile of previous owner dangerous fuckery. Search generator cutover switch to see what I mean.
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Dec 13, 2021 21:41
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I'm always happy to see another electrical panel with vague and nearly useless descriptions. Seven of these were just listed as General! Kitchen outlets.. On two breakers. Thanks for narrowing that down to a room I guess. I'm thankful that mine are listed by cardinal direction. No help on that plug but I'm sure it's hosed up. You can take the face off of the panel and investigate more if you're brave.
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Dec 13, 2021 23:24
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Motronic posted:Even when working "properly" those "hoods" are garbage. If you actually cook, especially any kind of frying, you will have aerosolized oil everywhere. If it's at all possible I'd get a proper hood above it. If not, you need the make and model number to look up what parts you need, and hopefully one of the appliance parts houses will have them. Fair. I will see if we can get it replaced. It's a bit awkward due to the vaulted ceiling.
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Dec 13, 2021 23:25
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Elephanthead posted:Is that wire live? StormDrain posted:I'm always happy to see another electrical panel with vague and nearly useless descriptions. Seven of these were just listed as General! Kitchen outlets.. On two breakers. Thanks for narrowing that down to a room I guess. I'm thankful that mine are listed by cardinal direction. Yeah I'm not doing anything with it myself. I made sure it wasn't live after the initial post, and am asking around for electrician recommendations to come take a look at it.
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Dec 13, 2021 23:31
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redreader posted:IDK if this is the place for it, but, we bought a honeywell humidifier (Winter in Denver, so dry) and it works great but the 'change filter' light came on. I thoughtfully bought 6 filters when I bought the humidifier but they're getting delivered in March due to backorder, and not on sale anywhere legit. Filters are one of the most commonly counterfeited items on Amazon. That said I'd be much less worried about running a counterfeit home furnace humidifier filter than I would be say a drinking water filter but if I'm wrong I hope someone corrects me. 2. If you're handy at all buy a larger filter and see if you can modify it down to size. Without seeing your filter it's impossible to know if this can be done.
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Dec 13, 2021 23:41
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If you have school age children and they have already caught covid, I don't think the filter media matters a whole heck of a lot, mostly you're trying to minimize the amount of dust collecting throughout your system If someone in your house gets covid, that filter is going to provide some kind of health benefit if it's not fake. Although some studies suggest that even crappy filters help block more than 10% of virus particles to some extent 3 months with a fake filter is probably fine as long as it's not made from asbestos or whatever
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Dec 13, 2021 23:47
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I have hepa filters running on my air purifiers. This is not for that. This is for a humidifier and it's more a wick than a filter although I think it might be both. It's a medium that (I think) wicks up water very well and a fan blows air through that. edit: this is for a room humidifier, not a furnace humidifier. I have one of those too and the guy who installed it said it just needs a new filter every year. That's for the basement and downstairs though, the second furnace in my attic for the second storey can't get a humidifier. Our room is on the second floor. redreader fucked around with this message at 00:02 on Dec 14, 2021 |
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Dec 13, 2021 23:59
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pokie posted:Fair. I will see if we can get it replaced. It's a bit awkward due to the vaulted ceiling.  See again my kitchen. I had a similar dilemma, I wanted the range on an island but I cook and fry a lot so I needed a good hood. Built a box with an angle and voila.
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Dec 14, 2021 00:36
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Yeah, that. And depending on the hood/available panels you very well might be able to run stainless all the way to the ceiling. I have my hood on a vaulted ceiling but sloped the other way with panels all the way up.
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Dec 14, 2021 01:03
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NomNomNom posted:
That looks very clean. Our (future) kitchen is more like  The stove is on the island, just under those four lights; I imagine they will need to me moved.
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Dec 14, 2021 01:41
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e: Wendigee fucked around with this message at 01:48 on Dec 14, 2021 |
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Dec 14, 2021 01:44
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NomNomNom posted:
You have me seriously considering getting the floor lamp version of those lights, since we need a floor lamp where the Christmas tree currently is. Also Schoolhouse Electric has a gorgeous selection and we may get bedroom wall lights there since it's something we want to "one and done."
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Dec 14, 2021 03:23
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pokie posted:That looks very clean. Our (future) kitchen is more like Wow I love that ceiling paneling. That's tough, the lights definitely have to move and if you want to do something similar to me you'll have to build a box that straddles that beam. The box would have to be big enough to hide the exhaust ducting.
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Dec 14, 2021 12:18
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redreader posted:I have hepa filters running on my air purifiers. This is not for that. I would definitely just buy whatever is available on Amazon. Those filters will get moldy and gross sooner rather than later with regular use even if you treat the water. They're not really filtering anything so I can't imagine a counterfeit would actually hurt things in this case.
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Dec 14, 2021 13:40
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pokie posted:The stove is on the island, just under those four lights; I imagine they will need to me moved. I'd just move the stove to a place where good ventilation can be installed, likely against the wall. To me, that ceiling is too high for a vertical vent, and if installed it would look kinda silly in such a central location. Closer to the wall, like NomNomNom's, it could work. Use that space for a good island/food prep area instead.
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Dec 14, 2021 15:19
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| # ? Jun 12, 2024 06:42 |
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Broke: Renovating a house and seeing how much it cost for contractors/construction to do some work. Woke: peeling off 1300 square feet of popcorn ceiling, ripping off all the base/trim/doors and door jambs yourself. Replacing all light fixtures and buying some sweet Milwaukee tools on the way, and texturing/painting the entire house yourself *gently caress yeah*. Savings in the thousands!! Double Broke: Knowing that I'm probably gonna have cancer from all the chemicals and not trusting my n95...Having so much poo poo in the house and needing to haul it away to the dump 
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Dec 14, 2021 16:14
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