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spf3million posted:The sill appears to be two 2x4s sandwiched together. Am I risking anything drilling a 2-9/16" hole in the 2x4" sill? I can't answer that question because I don't know how your house is built. Typically the bottom plate is a single board and the top plate is a pair. If the wall is non bearing then you'll be fine.
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Feb 25, 2022 05:02
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StormDrain posted:I can't answer that question because I don't know how your house is built. Typically the bottom plate is a single board and the top plate is a pair. If the wall is non bearing then you'll be fine. from the floor above:   from the basement below, the center line of the wall is 5" to the left of the hole with cables and 2" to the right of the joist:   pay no attention to the shoddily done cable routing courtesy of the PO.
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Feb 25, 2022 19:03
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d'oh went well  only hit one nail  pipe going in tomorrow 
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Feb 26, 2022 02:36
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Nice. That's good progress.
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Feb 26, 2022 02:42
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Little disappointed I didn't get more done. Basically took all day to drill three holes but ah well, first time ever attempting anything plumbing related. Only two trips to the hardware store so that's not too bad. It was a busy day outside the 3million residence too:   
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Feb 26, 2022 03:29
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I love the color of your front door!
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Feb 26, 2022 03:35
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DoubleT2172 posted:I love the color of your front door!
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Feb 26, 2022 04:15
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spf3million posted:Thanks we like it too. As I'm looking under the hood of this house I'm realizing the POs were more artists than craftsmen but this one thing they got right. If they cared about it at all you are well ahead of what most have to deal with.
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Feb 26, 2022 04:17
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Bathtub needed resealing as the silicone was starting to peel back from the tile and there was what initially appeared to be a few spots of black mold.  Turns out the PO's solution to 'too much old sealant' was 'add more sealant'. I swear I've removed about 5 cartridge's worth in 3 layers built up over time here (props to the PO for using magnolia coloured stuff in alternating layers). It looks like when it got tired/moldy they slapped another layer directly on top. It's like a layer cake of silicon and mold. So now I'm left with this:  The gap is pretty big, about 1/2". Is there a 'right' way to seal this that isn't 5lbs of silicone? Also, is there a better/easier way to clean off the remaining silicone that isn't just scraping with a razor blade? Getting this far took me about 2h of extremely tedious work.
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Feb 26, 2022 17:25
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They make closed cell foam rope that is used as a backer you can stuff into the crack with a putty knife, then apply caulk over.
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Feb 26, 2022 17:32
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Blindeye posted:They make closed cell foam rope that is used as a backer you can stuff into the crack with a putty knife, then apply caulk over. Thanks! I've seen that used for baseboards, but is it also used in wet/bathroom environments?
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Feb 26, 2022 17:35
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StarkingBarfish posted:Thanks! I've seen that used for baseboards, but is it also used in wet/bathroom environments? Yep. Because it's closed cell it doesn't absorb much moisture if you soak it. The whole rod should be sealed regardless, so it shouldn't get wet to begin with or someone will probably correct me that tile isn't waterproof and some moisture gets back there anyway. Well done caulking will have an hourglass profile, coved on the front when you tool it, and coved on the back by the backer rod. Like these parentheses ) (. When it stretches and compresses the forces are even across it. If it's thick and bonded on three sides, it will pull away at the top and bottom edges since the middle is bound to the wall. Further reading: https://www.nomaco.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/How-to-Choose-Backer-Rod.pdf StormDrain fucked around with this message at 17:43 on Feb 26, 2022 |
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Feb 26, 2022 17:40
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Brilliant, thanks. Just ordered some along with some silicon.
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Feb 26, 2022 17:52
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While I have this wall open I decided to run PEX supplies off tees from the mains in the basement instead of tee-ing off from the upstairs bathroom. Thinking 1/2" PEX should be sufficient since it'll be dedicated to just the washing machine. I'm also going to add a secondary containment pan under the washing machine. It'll need to drain somewhere, might as well run the drain hose down this wall cavity too. For now I'll probably just have it drain to the dirt crawl space since it's for catastrophic failures only. Or maybe punch a hole to dump outside right above grade. Would 1/2" or 5/8" flexible vinyl tubing work for the run down the wall cavity to the basement? Or am I better off with PVC? Anything rigid will be a pain because I only have 3' or so of clearance above and below so I'd need to cut shorter lengths, feed them up, couple on another length, etc. edit: on second thought, I might just punch a hole in the soffit and run 1" PVC there. Hopefully it'll never be needed but if it does, I'll be more likely to notice it dripping down the side of the house than draining into the crawlspace. spf3million fucked around with this message at 18:31 on Feb 26, 2022 |
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Feb 26, 2022 17:57
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Can you run a 1" all the way down to an open drain in the basement with an air gap? If you put a trap here it will dry out, and it's too low to tie into the trap for the washer. I'm also a big fan of the leak detectors that include water shutoffs and electrical shutoff for the washer. That covers a burst hose and if you have a clog and the washer is pumping out. Although that clog is unlikely, so I did personally just get one with a water shutoff. A very cheap peace of mind, considering if a hose burst right after you leave for work it could be pumping water in your home for a long while.
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Feb 26, 2022 19:15
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StarkingBarfish posted:Thanks! I've seen that used for baseboards, but is it also used in wet/bathroom environments? What's current best practice for sealing 100 year old oak floors to the baseboard? Some sort of closed foam rope + clear silicone? Other homes I've lived in have had that done, not sure if they do that on the east coast/south due to all the rain and humidity
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Feb 26, 2022 20:19
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StormDrain posted:Can you run a 1" all the way down to an open drain in the basement with an air gap? If you put a trap here it will dry out, and it's too low to tie into the trap for the washer. Leak detector with water shutoff sounds like a great idea though.
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Feb 26, 2022 22:59
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Hadlock posted:What's current best practice for sealing 100 year old oak floors to the baseboard? Some sort of closed foam rope + clear silicone? Other homes I've lived in have had that done, not sure if they do that on the east coast/south due to all the rain and humidity That's how I've seen it done where I am. This is 100y old pine floors though, but it's also plenty humid here. White / brown decorators Caulk rather than pure silicone since decorators Caulk can be painted if needed.
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Feb 26, 2022 23:21
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 I think I'm going to try to sleeve some foam insulation on the hot supply or maybe just add a bumper or two so they don't rattle against each other. Fire stop caulk for the gap around the drain?
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Feb 27, 2022 00:33
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spf3million posted:Fire stop caulk for the gap around the drain? That's what I typically use. Probably overkill but......yeah. It's not that expensive.
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Feb 27, 2022 01:19
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Just gonna whine for a second. I'm installing missing fascia boards and flashing on two little rooflets that extend on either side of the main garage door. They've been missing for decades, the ends of the fake "rafters" are weathering badly, but it's not structural so I'm just gonna be someone's previous owner and cover it up instead of tearing them off and re-building them. So I measured, I needed six inch wide board. Went and bought an 8' long 6x1, cut lengths, primed, got up there, and... uh, hmm, how... oh... oh god loving dammit. Can you spot my error? a 6x1 is actually 5.5 inches wide Wasted a $23 board, and two hours, and it's too late to go get more wood, and I'm busy tomorrow, so this little job just got punted into next week.
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Feb 27, 2022 01:47
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Replaced a ripped window screen. Replaced the plungers that hold the frame in while it was taken out. It was pretty easy, cheap, and I'm happy with the results. My ideal project.
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Feb 27, 2022 02:49
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Leperflesh posted:Just gonna whine for a second.
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Feb 27, 2022 03:05
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Wait are you in my neighborhood? Concord, CA? lol yeah it was a bit busy there today, although I've seen it worse.
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Feb 27, 2022 03:22
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Yup, I'm on Farm Bureau. The Lowe's off Arnold is actually slightly more convenient for me and waaay nicer but pretty much everything is 10% more expensive there for whatever reason.
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Feb 27, 2022 03:47
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Oh, dang OK. Well, howdy neighbor. I've definitely driven past your house at some point, lol! I'm over near monument/galindo/Concord BART.
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Feb 27, 2022 03:52
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StarkingBarfish posted:Brilliant, thanks. Just ordered some along with some silicon. Success!   Not my finest work, but it just needs to be watertight and easier to reseal until our eventual bathroom remodel.
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Feb 27, 2022 15:11
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StarkingBarfish posted:Success! Looking forward to the update in 5 years.
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Feb 27, 2022 15:49
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StormDrain posted:Looking forward to the update in 5 years. You either diy a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the PO -- Harvey Dent
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Feb 27, 2022 16:08
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StormDrain posted:Looking forward to the update in 5 years. 
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Feb 27, 2022 16:10
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Power here goes out at least once a month and we've had a few day long outages, so we're planning on getting Solar and battery primarily to avoid losing heating/cooling the next time that happens. The specs for Tesla batteries are significantly better than any of the other companies in the area quoted, so we're leaning towards them. Unfortunately, getting straight answers out of the Tesla rep is like pulling teeth. Does anyone know what the difference between the powerwall and powerwall plus is? We've got a peak usage of 4.8 mw/h and an average usage of 0.8 mw/h, so I think the output of a powerwall at 5.8 mw/h continuous should more than cover us. Hurricanes and/or multi-day long rain storms are not uncommon, so we're probably going to get two batteries to make sure we have enough power storage capacity to go several days even if there's no sun, but are hoping to run off solar power the rest of the time. I'd love to hear about other people's experiences with buying solar. We're not looking at this primarily as a financial investment, but more for peace of mind (and reducing our carbon footprint).
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Feb 27, 2022 17:48
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Last I talked to a rep about this you need to buy a whole system from Tesla (roof, battery, install) to get a Tesla branded Powerwall, with long lead times
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Feb 27, 2022 17:53
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I'm an idiot and don't know anything, but I seem to remember hearing that solar doesn't work as a backup to grid power because if it were allowed to work, it would feed energy back into the grid during blackouts and potentially injure line workers expecting a dead wire. (Or is that only if you have net metering set up?). Writing it out this doesn't really make sense, since the same would be true for generators, so I must be missing something.
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Feb 27, 2022 19:48
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Generators and battery backups both cut the grid connection when in use so you don't backfeed the power grid.
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Feb 27, 2022 20:06
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Considering the sheer amount of bullshit going on with Tesla, I don't know how well I would trust them. Their customer service is almost nonexistent.
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Feb 27, 2022 20:10
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LLSix posted:Power here goes out at least once a month and we've had a few day long outages, so we're planning on getting Solar and battery primarily to avoid losing heating/cooling the next time that happens. The specs for Tesla batteries are significantly better than any of the other companies in the area quoted, so we're leaning towards them. Unfortunately, getting straight answers out of the Tesla rep is like pulling teeth. Does anyone know what the difference between the powerwall and powerwall plus is? All currently installed power walls should be powerwall+. It's a firmware difference at this point. Some older powerwalls couldn't be updated. The firmware update increased the peak usage. We used Tesla for our solar because it was significantly cheaper per kWh than any place else. Check energysage.com to get a bunch of different bids. Tesla's customer service is per their reputation. I was very on top of them and it was still 5 months from ordering to turn on. I can go into more details if you like (or PM me if you have questions). I can also PM you a referral if you decide to use them and we each get $100 or something.
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Feb 27, 2022 20:16
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MrLogan posted:All currently installed power walls should be powerwall+. It's a firmware difference at this point. Some older powerwalls couldn't be updated. The firmware update increased the peak usage. I would love to hear more about your experience with Tesla. Have you had any problems since turning on your system? Did you have to change your electric company?
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Feb 27, 2022 20:58
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LLSix posted:I would love to hear more about your experience with Tesla. Have you had any problems since turning on your system? Did you have to change your electric company? No problems with the actual system since it was activated. It was just a pain to stay on top of them so that the paperwork got handed from one person to the next and they actually go the permits applied for, etc. It was way more work than it should have been for a one stop shop that supposedly does a lot of solar installs. Things like calling them to confirm they received an email with signed paperwork, then when I call two weeks later to check on permits, they say they are still waiting on the paperwork that they confirmed they received two week ago... The subcontractors that did the actual install were on time, professional, and courteous. That part was great. I did have to fight them to actually give me my SRECs. Eventually they figured it out, but it was probably 10 hours of wasted time on phone calls. By default, Telsa will give you a discount on your system in exchange for them keeping the SRECs (And they are nice enough to sign and initial the forms saying you are selling them to Tesla for you!), but you can opt-out. I think they offered me a bit under $1,200 for my SRECs, which represented under two years. I think that's a large part of how they discount their systems so much. If 90% of their owners let Tesla keep the SRECs, then Tesla comes out way ahead in the long term. Sort of like how they don't make money on their cars, but by selling carbon credits to legacy auto makers. Electric company stayed the same, but they came out and put in a new meter. The electric company did have some issues with the billing initially. My current electric bill now states that I owe them -$86 dollars. The amount decreases by $6 each month as I pay the regulatory fees.
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Feb 27, 2022 21:25
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Grumpwagon posted:I'm an idiot and don't know anything, but I seem to remember hearing that solar doesn't work as a backup to grid power because if it were allowed to work, it would feed energy back into the grid during blackouts and potentially injure line workers expecting a dead wire. (Or is that only if you have net metering set up?). Writing it out this doesn't really make sense, since the same would be true for generators, so I must be missing something. You need a proper transfer switch for a generator to make sure you don't backfeed the grid. Same for battery systems, but that doesn't mean you can do that with all battery systems. Some require grid sync to work. You need to know what you are buying to make sure it does what you want. Most solar and even solar/battery installs will simply fall on their face in a utility outage. It's incredible any of them are made/installed that way, but it's common.
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Feb 27, 2022 21:29
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Motronic posted:You need a proper transfer switch for a generator to make sure you don't backfeed the grid. Same for battery systems, but that doesn't mean you can do that with all battery systems. Some require grid sync to work. You need to know what you are buying to make sure it does what you want. Most solar and even solar/battery installs will simply fall on their face in a utility outage. It's incredible any of them are made/installed that way, but it's common. That seems really weird/dumb. You'd think that 90% of the use case for batteries is for power failures. I guess if you lived somewhere that had electricity with variable costs based on the time of day it could be helpful? Use batteries during the expensive times and refill when it's cheap?
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Feb 27, 2022 21:33
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