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Yeah I just turn off my house's water when I do anything with water. I just assume valves don't work, anymore. The shutoff works. I use the string trimmer to make sure the water main box is free an clear, every time I mow. My wife and I both know exactly where the big adjustable wrench with the extended handle is kept. I bet either of us could turn off the water in under 20 seconds, from a standing start anywhere in the house. But that does remind me, I need to remind myself and her where the main gas shutoff is and how to use it. You don't turn that off unless you really have to, here, because if you turn it off, only PG&E can turn it back on (I think that has to do with the need to purge the lines in the house, or something to do with earthquakes, I forget). But also in my experience manufacturers have to actually meet some stringent specs for gas-rated valves, they tend not to have gaskets rot out and just fail-open over time.
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Mar 18, 2022 20:32
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| # ? May 24, 2024 13:48 |
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Oh yeah that reminds me,Leperflesh posted:Part 2 Part 3       gently caress it, good enough
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Mar 18, 2022 20:36
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quote:gently caress it, good enough 
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Mar 18, 2022 20:39
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Sundae posted:A coat of paint and sealant, and nobody will be able to tell it isn't brand-new 2020ish construction by trained professionals! Yup. I'm pre-priming all sides of the bits, and I'm gonna shave down the long piece so it more closely meets the bits I've made. Then glue, screw, and goo. Then paint.
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Mar 18, 2022 20:49
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I got my gutters resealed, cleaned and re-hung (they were not tilted correctly, so I'm not really sure what that's called). They wanted to do wednesday, when it was going to snow. They called me up on tuesday and said "we're on our way, is that ok? It needs to be 50 degrees or over for 24 hours to cure so we're doing it today instead". It was literally 51 degrees at the time so there's no way there was 50 degrees for 24 hours before it started raining, then snowing. So I checked today, and where before there would be literally nothing coming out of the ?downspout/vertical gutter?, now it's flowing fine. I'm getting drips out of the cracks between bits of the gutter still, though. It used to be super bad and now it's just 'I can see a drip every now and then'. it's definitely coming out of where pieces of gutter join together, and where screws are visible. Is this a bad job, or par for the course? am I to expect a bit of gutter drippage? They did say that the gutters were 4 inches instead of 5, and sort of end of life. The inspector guy said that, and the resealing people he sent said something similar. The house is about 20 years old. The resealing people also said that due to how old they were, the sealing wouldn't really last. But like, it's 2 days later and the gutters have water dripping out.
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Mar 18, 2022 20:53
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redreader posted:Is this a bad job, or par for the course? am I to expect a bit of gutter drippage? Yes, they did a bad job. Probably due to the sealant they used not bonding properly because: redreader posted:It needs to be 50 degrees or over for 24 hours to cure so we're doing it today instead". It was literally 51 degrees at the time so there's no way there was 50 degrees for 24 hours before it started raining, then snowing.
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Mar 18, 2022 20:58
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Leperflesh posted:. You don't turn that off unless you really have to, here, because if you turn it off, only PG&E can turn it back on (I think that has to do with the need to purge the lines in the house, or something to do with earthquakes, I forget). But also in my experience manufacturers have to actually meet some stringent specs for gas-rated valves, they tend not to have gaskets rot out and just fail-open over time. I think this is because they need to physically validate all pilot lights are lit to prevent a fight club blow out event
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Mar 18, 2022 21:11
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The gutter people mentioned a warranty, but, I didn't even get a receipt. What next? Call and complain? I hate 'speaking to the manager' kind of stuff. I found them on Angie's list.
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Mar 18, 2022 21:21
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redreader posted:The gutter people mentioned a warranty, but, I didn't even get a receipt. What next? Call and complain? I hate 'speaking to the manager' kind of stuff. I found them on Angie's list. You didn't get a receipt? How did you pay them? Just call them back and tell them things are looking better but you're still got a few issues with the work that need to be addressed. This is totally normal/typical. And tell them you need an invoice for the work that shows you have paid.
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Mar 18, 2022 21:25
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"Hey there's some drips" doesn't seem like being a complainer. They can't fix it if they don't know it's dripping
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Mar 18, 2022 21:29
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Sanity check (in Oakland, CA if it matters): contractor is installing an ADU, in the city inspection the inspector said they need to bring the valves on the main up to code where the new plumbing ties in. Contractor is trying to claim that this should be a change order since it's on the existing main. Am I off-base in thinking that it's not my problem that they didn't realize that the (exposed/visible when they came to do the estimate) water main valves needed to be upgraded? Contract just has a single line item for "Plumbing to ADU".
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Mar 18, 2022 21:31
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Fun story, if you use the water main shutoff it has the potential to knock loose debris from the valve which then deposits in faucet aerators and other places all over your home. That will then block flow in the faucets. Need to disassemble the aerator / faucet head which usually is simple, but can be a pain in the dick, to hopefully dislodge the debris. Ask me how I know! This was in a modern building btw.
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Mar 18, 2022 21:44
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Welp, our galvanized pipes finally decided to give up the ghost, we've been expecting this to happen eventually. Quote is $9k for replacing them all plus running some extra lines out to the deck so we can move our washer/dryer outside. It would be an extra $3k plus drywall costs to replace the drops, but the plumber said that he doesn't recommend it, the current pipe is doing fine, not leaking from the top, etc. So they would just be cutting the pipes off under the house and replacing the galvanized pipe from there out to the septic. Does that sound right? I'd be happy to spring for replacing every inch of it but he really didn't seem to think we needed to. Thoughts?
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Mar 18, 2022 22:29
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moana posted:Welp, our galvanized pipes finally decided to give up the ghost, we've been expecting this to happen eventually. Quote is $9k for replacing them all plus running some extra lines out to the deck so we can move our washer/dryer outside. Honestly those are two discrete different jobs. Same crew (plus drywall for the second one) but still from what you describe it's reasonable to stop there. So if it's still good above the floor run it until it's not.
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Mar 18, 2022 23:10
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Motronic posted:Honestly those are two discrete different jobs. Same crew (plus drywall for the second one) but still from what you describe it's reasonable to stop there. So if it's still good above the floor run it until it's not.  Thank you, you're the best!
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Mar 18, 2022 23:39
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That is exactly what was done to my house, by a previous owner. All the pipe in the crawlspace is copper, but there's a place where it runs through concrete for about a foot between the garage and the house, and that is still galvanized; plus the drops below the bathroom sinks and the shower and bathtub are still galvanized. Then it's back to copper for the bathtub. The kitchen sink is all-copper, someone replaced it right through the floor at some point. I believe they should use dielectric joins everywhere the copper joins the galv, or that will become a source-point of lots of corrosion. Or maybe you're doing PEX or something, in which case, nevermind.
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Mar 18, 2022 23:44
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Leperflesh posted:But that does remind me, I need to remind myself and her where the main gas shutoff is and how to use it. You don't turn that off unless you really have to, here, because if you turn it off, only PG&E can turn it back on (I think that has to do with the need to purge the lines in the house, or something to do with earthquakes, I forget). But also in my experience manufacturers have to actually meet some stringent specs for gas-rated valves, they tend not to have gaskets rot out and just fail-open over time. My 60's era gas shutoff valve was completely rusted in place. The gas company had to come out and find the street shutoff (which was buried and was inaccessible from the top) before they could replace it. I'm glad I had it done (for free!), because using it was necessary to have the hvac and water heater replaced (which had similarly old non-functional gas valves)
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Mar 19, 2022 00:28
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Inner Light posted:Fun story, if you use the water main shutoff it has the potential to knock loose debris from the valve which then deposits in faucet aerators and other places all over your home. That will then block flow in the faucets. Need to disassemble the aerator / faucet head which usually is simple, but can be a pain in the dick, to hopefully dislodge the debris. Ask me how I know! This was in a modern building btw. one of the previous owner installed modern fixtures with no aerator, laminar flow things and it makes me so happy i loving hate aerators
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Mar 19, 2022 04:24
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Any recommendations on knee pads for floor work? It seems like there are about a thousand different options out there any more - which is a good thing! - but I really don't have any idea where to start on what is going to be comfortable for a hard floor. I know some are angled for roofing work or whatever but I'm pretty sure I don't want that. I'm overthinking it, surely; just curious if anyone here has used a bunch of different types and settled on a favorite.
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Mar 19, 2022 18:06
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Leviton or Lutron for smart switches? A few are 3-ways
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Mar 19, 2022 18:15
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Omne posted:Leviton or Lutron for smart switches? A few are 3-ways Depends on what you're trying to do. All of mine are honeywell. Any of them will support 3 way. You may consider Inovelli as well. Lots of people in the home automation thread have them and like them. Some support additional things like setting scenes and/or using the physical switch for something different than what its wired to. Some of them will have options where you can get a ton of extra buttons for setting scenes, etc. I'm mostly talking about zwave stuff here. Your particular "smart" ecosystem may have other considerations or features.
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Mar 19, 2022 18:23
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Zarin posted:knee pads I went through a couple cheap pairs from HD (Husky? brand maybe) before I picked up my current set which I'm mostly happy with: https://nocry.com/product/gel-knee-pads-for-work/ The straps on one of them has gotten a bit deformed where it goes behind my knee which is a bit annoying and I don't really see these lasting for years. I would recommend these for occasional/light use, and would probably try to find something marketed to pros if you will use them more than that.
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Mar 19, 2022 18:53
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Zarin posted:Any recommendations on knee pads for floor work? It seems like there are about a thousand different options out there any more - which is a good thing! - but I really don't have any idea where to start on what is going to be comfortable for a hard floor. I bought these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0140V9LWC about six years ago before doing some tile work, and they have paid themselves off about 100x over since then. Super comfy and durable, I throw them on anytime I'm gonna be working on the ground.
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Mar 19, 2022 18:55
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Motronic posted:Depends on what you're trying to do. All of mine are honeywell. Any of them will support 3 way. You may consider Inovelli as well. Lots of people in the home automation thread have them and like them. Pretty much just to use voice control or turn on/off lights from afar. The builder included two Leviton 1st gen decora switches, and the lights for that switch no longer turn on; neighborhood consensus is that the switches die and need to be replaced with 2nd gen or another brand.
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Mar 19, 2022 19:08
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Omne posted:Leviton or Lutron for smart switches? A few are 3-ways Iirc Leviton is all WiFi in the switch itself and Lutron Caseta is their own several-generations old magic with a gateway to other automation to modernize it. If you're fine with that second thing, day to day is going to be much more reliable.
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Mar 19, 2022 19:17
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Sirotan posted:I went through a couple cheap pairs from HD (Husky? brand maybe) before I picked up my current set which I'm mostly happy with: https://nocry.com/product/gel-knee-pads-for-work/ Enos Cabell posted:I bought these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0140V9LWC about six years ago before doing some tile work, and they have paid themselves off about 100x over since then. Super comfy and durable, I throw them on anytime I'm gonna be working on the ground. Nice, thanks! These both look good, although while the second ones are more than I had intended to pay, it looks like it might do a better job of keeping the thigh-strap in place. That's always been my eternal struggle with knee pads is the thigh strap sliding down into the back of the knee.
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Mar 19, 2022 19:37
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Zarin posted:Nice, thanks! These both look good, although while the second ones are more than I had intended to pay, it looks like it might do a better job of keeping the thigh-strap in place. That's always been my eternal struggle with knee pads is the thigh strap sliding down into the back of the knee. Yeah, the strap sliding was always the worst part of cheap kneepads. I've worn those for 8 hours solid with no trouble.
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Mar 19, 2022 20:14
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Omne posted:Leviton or Lutron for smart switches? A few are 3-ways I have no idea how the Lutrons are. Do you know if the wiring has the switches then the load on 3ways? If they are switches with the load in between then the Leviton models I’m familiar with (DZ6) do not support those configurations. I like their action and configurability more though. The Honeywell/GE/Jasco/Inovellis do support every N-way scenario I’ve seen.
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Mar 20, 2022 03:51
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Lutron has been on the high end of home automation for like 20 years now, predating Phillips hue Never heard of the other brand
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Mar 20, 2022 03:58
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I don't know if this has been asked, but I'm looking for information regarding high velocity, small duct AC systems. I live in an old home that never had AC installed and just has a boiler system, and we had a contractor come over to give an estimate. He mentioned that having doors closed would ruin the efficiency of the system since it has 1 central return. How much does that affect efficiency? I want to minimize how much the house gets torn apart and if there are other options I'd love to hear them!
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Mar 20, 2022 14:38
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I have a few lutron caseta switches. They've been rock solid and the app is easy to setup and forget about it. Works well with Google home. Their 3 way switch solution is one real switch and one wireless remote. It's a little weird if you have an existing 3 way install, but it's great if you would like a 3 way somewhere you don't have one.
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Mar 20, 2022 15:37
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HolyDukeNukem posted:I don't know if this has been asked, but I'm looking for information regarding high velocity, small duct AC systems. I live in an old home that never had AC installed and just has a boiler system, and we had a contractor come over to give an estimate. He mentioned that having doors closed would ruin the efficiency of the system since it has 1 central return. How much does that affect efficiency? I want to minimize how much the house gets torn apart and if there are other options I'd love to hear them! Is ductless an option for you? The high velocity systems are not widely used, so it's very possible there's only one contractor that works with them anywhere near you.
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Mar 20, 2022 16:29
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Hadlock posted:Lutron has been on the high end of home automation for like 20 years now, predating Phillips hue Leviton? It’s a very legit company, not sure about their automation offerings but they are 100+ years old which is cool and they also invented the Caseta wall switch shape.
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Mar 20, 2022 16:33
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devicenull posted:Is ductless an option for you? The high velocity systems are not widely used, so it's very possible there's only one contractor that works with them anywhere near you. Ductless wouldn't really work for our home unfortunately. My kitchen gets pretty hot and there's no where to put a blower because the windows take up all the wall space. I live in a metro area so there's actually a large number of contractors who do high velocity systems. I might just need to get one or two more in to get a better idea of what can be done.
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Mar 20, 2022 17:58
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I have 30+ of the Gen 2 Decora Smart switches and I can’t recommend them. The physical switches actually crash. It’s mind blowing. I should post a video.
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Mar 20, 2022 18:05
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I'm about to buy my first house (passed appraisal a few days ago so should be all set to actually happen) and would like to replace the carpet in a few of the rooms before I move in. Any tips for this? Should I just go Home Depot/Lowes or use a more dedicated carpet place? Costco has carpeting but they just send you to Shaw. I'd rather pay to have the installation done.
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Mar 20, 2022 18:06
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dxt posted:I'm about to buy my first house (passed appraisal a few days ago so should be all set to actually happen) and would like to replace the carpet in a few of the rooms before I move in. Any tips for this? Should I just go Home Depot/Lowes or use a more dedicated carpet place? Costco has carpeting but they just send you to Shaw. I'd rather pay to have the installation done. I had a professional company do the installation, so I can't speak to your local Lowes Depot quality, but you can save yourself a few bills by ripping it out yourself. Super easy and really fun, and you can also fix any squeaks in the floor once it's out(I didn't do this cause I thought the installers would  ). Get an ice scraper, like one on a 5' pole, and use it like a little plow to get the underlayment out, it takes like 75% of the staples with it.
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Mar 20, 2022 18:26
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My experience with using Lowe's for flooring is they'll shop it out to the lowest bidder and there's absolutely no telling what you'll get but you can be almost certain it won't be very good.
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Mar 20, 2022 18:26
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Yeah it's not like Home Depot and Lowe's have a team of specialists doing their work. They have a pool of local people that trade profit for having jobs lined up for them at the cost of quality.
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Mar 20, 2022 18:39
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I went to Menards, asked the manager for info sheets from good installers, hired one and bought the flooring from there. Total cost was 2500 compared to 15000 the flooring store wanted to install 1200 sq ft of sheet linoleum in my basement plus carpeting the stairs. They did a perfect job. It was a 50 year old married couple that had been installing since sheet vinyl was in style. It owns as a maintenance free floor. I got the fake wood floor style.
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Mar 20, 2022 21:22
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