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We use em to help span areas where installing cup hooks wouldn't work well or we don't want to get on a ladder that tall. There are also "light hanging poles" which let you do it from the ground. Super nice.
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Nov 26, 2023 16:17
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In 1994, I took 2” x 5/8”cedar / pine (trim) and made light boards with C9 strings, secured with hammered-in insulated staples, strings cut down with plugs (male AND female!) and built a mounting system with stainless-steel lagged eye-bolts and hooks - installed before my acrophobia really kicked in (by 2002). Takes about 20-minutes to install my lights from the ground without a ladder. I do spend a couple hours prepping: replacing bulbs, re-securing loose staples, checking waterproofing on the plugs, etc. They go up on the gable end of the house, where my only real choice was to staple them into the trim. After a few years of that, it beats the poo poo out of the trim. Saw what that did to my mom’s house. No more. PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 19:06 on Nov 26, 2023 |
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Nov 26, 2023 19:01
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His Divine Shadow posted:I'm realizing I'm a noob at putting up christmas lights. I've always just hung them loosely from hooks and generally under the eaves to cover them from snow, but look at all the solutions there are out there. Huh, I bet there are 3d printer files for this sort of thing out there. Should do decently well printed in ASA.
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Nov 26, 2023 19:16
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armorer posted:Huh, I bet there are 3d printer files for this sort of thing out there. Should do decently well printed in ASA. I'm no 3D printer haver but I can't imagine it being worth ones time to do so when you can easily buy a box containing a shitload of them for pretty cheap https://www.amazon.com/SEWANTA-All-Purpose-Light-Clips-Holder/dp/B07Y2DWFHM/
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Nov 26, 2023 19:20
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Steve French posted:I'm no 3D printer haver but I can't imagine it being worth ones time to do so when you can easily buy a box containing a shitload of them for pretty cheap https://www.amazon.com/SEWANTA-All-Purpose-Light-Clips-Holder/dp/B07Y2DWFHM/ It's worth it when one or two break and you need to replace just those, but otherwise I agree.
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Nov 26, 2023 19:23
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I'm firmly in the camp of making them as straight and aligned as possible. It just looks so much cleaner to me. I hate those icicle lights for the same reason. Just looks like a mess of loose lights.
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Nov 26, 2023 20:25
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Anyone have a point of use water heater under a sink? Our upstairs tap is always freezing and drives my wife nuts. We have a normal 120v outlet nearby, so I think we'd need to go with a small tank (the tankless all seem to be 240v). This would just be for hand washing and not much else, it's a waste of money but a nice Christmas gift. Any real downsides to them besides taking up space? Do they use a lot of electricity? trevorreznik fucked around with this message at 21:02 on Nov 26, 2023 |
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Nov 26, 2023 20:59
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trevorreznik posted:Anyone have a point of use water heater under a sink? Our upstairs tap is always freezing... Do they use a lot of electricity? Yes. Often they're tankless boosters to get you going when you are waiting for the hot water to arrive from the main water heater. But yeah - every degree you hope to heat a given volume of water via resistance is a fixed (large) amount of energy. A tank will mitigate the delta you can accomplish and further decrease your time to warm water, but the delta-T is the same just over a longer period of time. Edit: Can you link what you're looking at? I don't think I've ever see one with a tank, not that I've looked at all. H110Hawk fucked around with this message at 21:44 on Nov 26, 2023 |
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Nov 26, 2023 21:42
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H110Hawk posted:Yes. Often they're tankless boosters to get you going when you are waiting for the hot water to arrive from the main water heater. But yeah - every degree you hope to heat a given volume of water via resistance is a fixed (large) amount of energy. A tank will mitigate the delta you can accomplish and further decrease your time to warm water, but the delta-T is the same just over a longer period of time. Bosch Electric Mini-Tank Water Heater Tronic 3000 T 4-Gallon (ES4) - Eliminate Time for Hot Water - Shelf, Wall or Floor Mounted https://a.co/d/31vcTRF Might need an extension cord for it which will be annoying.
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Nov 26, 2023 21:52
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trevorreznik posted:Bosch Electric Mini-Tank Water Heater Tronic 3000 T 4-Gallon (ES4) - Eliminate Time for Hot Water - Shelf, Wall or Floor Mounted https://a.co/d/31vcTRF It's important to read the install documents before planning an installation. An extension cord is not allowed by the manufacturer's documentation. Rated at 12 amps I would probably put it on a dedicated circuit. I'm guessing there are ways to do it on a shared circuit, if you want to do that ask the electrical thread for advice as I've hit the limit of my knowledge.
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Nov 26, 2023 22:28
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Thanks. Screw it, cold hands is what we'll have until we redo a bunch of wiring next year.
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Nov 26, 2023 22:29
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Tezer posted:It's important to read the install documents before planning an installation. An extension cord is not allowed by the manufacturer's documentation. 12 amps is the limit of what you'd want for a continuous load on a standard 15A circuit. I definitely wouldn't attempt to use a shared circuit for this. trevorreznik posted:Thanks. Screw it, cold hands is what we'll have until we redo a bunch of wiring next year. Yea, get them to put in a dedicated 20A circuit for it.
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Nov 26, 2023 22:57
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Tezer posted:It's important to read the install documents before planning an installation. An extension cord is not allowed by the manufacturer's documentation. Basically it's the same as a microwave when it's running. Depending on what else is on the circuit you may or may not be able to fit it on there. They really are meant to be on dedicated circuits.
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Nov 27, 2023 00:40
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PainterofCrap posted:In 1994, I took 2” x 5/8”cedar / pine (trim) and made light boards with C9 strings, secured with hammered-in insulated staples, strings cut down with plugs (male AND female!) and built a mounting system with stainless-steel lagged eye-bolts and hooks - installed before my acrophobia really kicked in (by 2002). Takes about 20-minutes to install my lights from the ground without a ladder. You shared this before and I basically copied it, except I use treated 1x2s that I painted the color of the house trim to camouflage them. It is so incredibly easy to put up. So thanks! At some point I'm thinking of getting some of the smart light sets that go up permanently and can be color changed based on the holiday. But I bought a ton of nice led c9s from Costco last year when they were on clearance for $5 each (currently using 4 strings and I have 8 spares leftover).
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Nov 27, 2023 01:38
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Douche4Sale posted:You shared this before and I basically copied it, except I use treated 1x2s that I painted the color of the house trim to camouflage them. It is so incredibly easy to put up. So thanks! Can you post a pic of this? I'm having a hard time visualizing it from the description.
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Nov 27, 2023 03:22
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I just spent 4 hours questioning everything I knew about three way switches because the previous owner had left a dead circuit of romex wired in On the upside I now know how to exhaustively troubleshoot a three way switch
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Nov 27, 2023 03:23
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Kaiser Schnitzel posted:Can you post a pic of this? I'm having a hard time visualizing it from the description. The garage lights do have a twist: I require a ladder to unplug the boards from the light strings which are run under soffits of the deep eaves I built - those lights run down the sunroom roofline, and are up all year round, so they're hanging from cup hooks. They're visible at the far left of the first image. The entire run is plugged into a dusk+8-hrs timer all the way at the back left of the garage, where I have a receptacle built into the soffit. The house boards require no ladder.  I can't tell which red bulbs are Tru-Tones & which are early GE incandescents. I can only spot the TTs with the odd colors.  The right lower hook is barely visible between the last two bulbs, just above the edge of the board (The colored flecks seen through the window are a couple of colored, rotating disco-ball-style lights behind Santa, there) PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 05:28 on Nov 27, 2023 |
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Nov 27, 2023 05:16
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trevorreznik posted:Any real downsides to them besides taking up space? Do they use a lot of electricity?
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Nov 27, 2023 05:34
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Invalid Validation posted:On my old house I screwed some broom hanging clips to the underside of my roof and zip tied lights to some sections of 1/4 pvc pipe. Takes about an hour to put up and take down. I might eventually do that here too. This looks pretty good. I made a bunch of hooks from nails last time, made a jig for bending them: 
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Nov 27, 2023 08:42
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Can I get the Arduino code for bending nails please
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Nov 27, 2023 09:01
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My GC posted:Today when I pulled the railing and subfloor for the oven wiring/microwave ducting, I saw just about every wire to the kitchen taped and wire nutted illegally with no j-box. 
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Nov 28, 2023 04:07
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Nov 28, 2023 05:44
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It's okay, it's all being air cooled for safety.
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Nov 28, 2023 15:15
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Is non-structural masonry (small mortared brick or block garden retaining wall) DIY-able for someone with no real experience? It seems like the kind of thing that might look really easy but is in practice quite difficult what with keeping everything level and plumb and whatnot.
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Nov 28, 2023 20:30
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Yes it’s totally DIY. I put up a fire pit this summer and it’s pretty straight forward. The straighter the bricks the easier it is to make it look nice. Just get a long level and tap each block into place after you butter it. Definitely will take some time if you aren’t used to it. You can also get real fancy and run a level line but that just depends on how big project is and how OCD you are.
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Nov 28, 2023 22:24
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How big of a retaining wall are we talking here? The more dirt you're trying to hold up against gravity, the more the details matter. But for something small (like a foot or maybe two high), yeah, that's totally DIY-able. Masonry is a fair amount of physical labor, though, just so you're aware. There's a reason most cheap/fast walls are made of PT lumber and 4x4 posts.
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Nov 28, 2023 23:33
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OK more lightboard chat: Prepped the house boards this afternoon  Checking the staples. These are only exposed to the weather for 5-6 weeks, but that's long enough for the staples to start to work loose. These can be tightened with a hammer, but all of the bulbs have to be removed first, so I use my largest channel-locks. https://i.imgur.com/fSOHzWY.mp4 General build photos, showing the hooks & eyes    The bulbs made overseas/after 1990 shed paint too easily. I tried to get a photo comparing three red bulbs: a vintage GE from the 1960s, a Tru-Tone, and a 'modern' overseas. The phone camera couldn't handle it, they all look the same. The 'modern' bulb is brighter & lighter; the TT and the vintage are identical deep scarlet. PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 00:15 on Nov 29, 2023 |
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Nov 29, 2023 00:11
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:How big of a retaining wall are we talking here? The more dirt you're trying to hold up against gravity, the more the details matter. But for something small (like a foot or maybe two high), yeah, that's totally DIY-able. We've got one of those wooden "retaining walls" on the side of our yard and it fuckin' sucks. I hope it's got another winter left in it, really need to get it replaced or just regraded to be a slope like the rest of our yard. That said, are there any recommendations for maximum allowable grades for a given dimension? Most of the western edge of our yard is very steep, probably 50% ish or more. IDK if it would be even advisable to turn the retaining wall back to a slope.
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Nov 29, 2023 15:44
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Eeyo posted:That said, are there any recommendations for maximum allowable grades for a given dimension? Most of the western edge of our yard is very steep, probably 50% ish or more. IDK if it would be even advisable to turn the retaining wall back to a slope. The dimensions don't matter. What's most commonly called out in code or otherwise is if it's over a 35% slope you need a retaining wall. Soil type matters, as does what's planted there, but in general anything more than that is going to erode.
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Nov 29, 2023 15:49
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Edit: wait no that's 30 degrees, so yeah like 50%. I wonder how it's lasted so long? Eeyo fucked around with this message at 16:21 on Nov 29, 2023 |
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Nov 29, 2023 16:16
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Eeyo posted:
Sufficient ground cover with deep enough roots, soil type, soil compaction, amount of runoff...... If you try disturbing soil and putting it at a 50% grade things will likely not work nearly as well.
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Nov 29, 2023 16:45
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PainterofCrap posted:OK more lightboard chat: 👀 
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Nov 29, 2023 16:47
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I need to repair this little retaining wall between my yard and the sidewalk and need help finding the right material. Wall:  The stone is marble if that's relevant. I would also like to be able to build it up an inch or three at the top to level it off along the length of my lot. My neighbor repaired his at some point and said he used 'industrial grout' but whatever he used definitely has some aggregate in it, so I don't think it was this: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Non-Shrink-Construction-Grout-50-lb-Concrete-Mix/1000251845 This seems like the right product, but I would love other opinions: https://www.quikrete.com/pdfs/data_sheet-cgfs%20repair%20mortar%201241-60%20-20.pdf I'm not 100% clear on the mortar vs. concrete distinction and where one is or is not appropriate, but from my research it seems like mortar shouldn't be more than 1/2" thick? The stuff I linked says it's okay from 1/8" thick to 2" thick, and above 2" thick if aggregate is added. Will this stuff stick okay to stone or do I need to plan to really bed the marble down in there so there is more of a mechanical bond (i.e. mortar in front of the marble around the edges) to hold it in? As far as surface prep, is power washing good enough or do I need to etch it with acid or something? Incorporate the existing mortar and add new around it or try to remove and start fresh? For the adding a few inches of height part, should I build a little form to back it up with? It sounds like It can be mixed pretty stiffly and be placed without a form? Is the answer to all my questions 'I dunno, get some and try it'???? TooMuchAbstraction posted:How big of a retaining wall are we talking here? The more dirt you're trying to hold up against gravity, the more the details matter. But for something small (like a foot or maybe two high), yeah, that's totally DIY-able.
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Nov 29, 2023 20:16
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Anyone used Trusscore products before? It’s basically PVC sheets that are function as drywall replacement. It’s appealing for trying to make a basement kid proof and saves me from doing drywall. https://trusscore.com
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Nov 30, 2023 03:18
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So after months we decided on a contractor, they had a structural engineer of their own approve the plans which was agreed upon by the structural engineer I independently hired, they after a month of delays finally did the work... ...and you should be able to see at least two substantial problems with the actual implementation in this photo... On the plus side this is all clearly documented, we have a lot of photos that show this wire not hosed beforehand, and our paperwork even has places to note problems that we consider ongoing before the job is complete so I have hope it will be corrected without having to involve lawyers. We shall see.... wolrah fucked around with this message at 05:23 on Nov 30, 2023 |
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Nov 30, 2023 05:19
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Motronic posted:It's okay, it's all being air cooled for safety. I ran by the other day to have a peak. It's so dumb. I only had a minute and didn't want to walk along the now railing-free subfloor-missing area to get more pictures. Basically this in seemingly every other joist bay:  
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Nov 30, 2023 06:29
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Insulation question: my house has almost entirely cathedral ceilings, except over the two (adjacent) bathrooms, where there's a small attic. The insulation problem is manifested clearly in this photo: In the attic, the (fiberglass batt) insulation is only in the rafters, and has fallen down in some obvious places there. It's my understanding that this isn't even where it should ideally be, anyway, and that the insulation should instead be preferred between the attic and the living/conditioned space, rather than between the attic and the roof. Here's some lovely photos of the situation in there now:   I am thinking that I should: - put fiberglass batt insulation on the floor of the attic, one layer between the boards and then another layer perpendicular, totaling up to an appropriate R value that I will look up - put fiberglass batts between the studs of the walls, thin enough to fit fully in the cavity, and then cover with XPS across the faces of the studs to hold the batts in and help a bit with thermal bridging. - leave the existing batts in the rafters in place because why not? Does this make sense? Flaws with my plan? Better ideas? Issues I should look out for?
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Nov 30, 2023 18:15
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Sounds like a sound plan. My back & shoulders ache for you; the rest of me itches.
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Nov 30, 2023 18:44
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Steve French posted:Insulation question: my house has almost entirely cathedral ceilings, except over the two (adjacent) bathrooms, where there's a small attic. The insulation problem is manifested clearly in this photo: That all seems good and maybe even overkill, but I also understand you live in a very cold region. Anything you do is better than what you have though. Personally, I'd get a lot of thick batts and lay them in there on the ceiling adn call that good. Typically the roof is uninsulated from the bottom and that exterior wall doesn't make any difference if it's insulated or not because it's outside of the insulated building space.
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Nov 30, 2023 18:49
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StormDrain posted:That all seems good and maybe even overkill, but I also understand you live in a very cold region. Anything you do is better than what you have though. Personally, I'd get a lot of thick batts and lay them in there on the ceiling adn call that good. Typically the roof is uninsulated from the bottom and that exterior wall doesn't make any difference if it's insulated or not because it's outside of the insulated building space. If you want to use that attic space to store anything long term, I would insulate the ceiling. If it's going to just be a void, then I would leave it as unconditioned space like you said. It looks kinda like the ceiling there was originally insulated and they tore out some batts (and/or some fell out) in the construction of the bathroom.
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Nov 30, 2023 18:52
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