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Jaded Burnout posted:The vibe I've been seeing around is "easy to do, hard to do well". Make sure you rent a carpet stretcher and be ready to cut your first room very wrong. Going into cement I would get a powder nailer for the tack strips. It can be done probably about as well as you but several times faster by the cheapest carpet installer in town.
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Nov 11, 2019 14:57
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El Mero Mero posted:Just as an update, this is exactly what happened. nice
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Nov 11, 2019 15:21
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Carpet is always a bad idea is my motto. What goons feel about wallpaper I feel about carpet.
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Nov 11, 2019 15:59
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His Divine Shadow posted:Carpet is always a bad idea is my motto. What goons feel about wallpaper I feel about carpet. My cats would murder me in my sleep if I didn't have carpeted rooms for them to dig their sharp little claws into while running.
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Nov 11, 2019 16:49
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After all the bullshit I've gone through to refinish the hardwood on the first floor of my new house you better fuckin' believe the second floor is getting carpet whenever I finally get around to fixing that up. Finished my last (it's the last one no matter how it comes out) coat of poly yesterday. Briefly stopped by about 4 hours later and it wasn't feeling as smooth as my test room the other day but idgaf at this point. Moving in on Saturday. Here's a couple pics from last week: lovely results after the third coat:   Sanding    Test room, one day after putting down a very thin fourth coat:  
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Nov 11, 2019 17:55
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Sirotan posted:Finished my last (it's the last one no matter how it comes out) coat of poly yesterday. Briefly stopped by about 4 hours later and it wasn't feeling as smooth as my test room the other day but idgaf at this point. Moving in on Saturday. I know this feeling. The last photos look nice though. His Divine Shadow posted:What goons feel about wallpaper I feel about carpet. I agree with this part, i.e. it has its place and I'm planning on using both. It's dogmatic use of either that I feel gets you in trouble.
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Nov 11, 2019 18:05
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Quick question about getting (faux) wooden slat blinds from Home Depot - should I give them the exact measurements for my window frame or knock off a few millimeters? If so, how much?
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Nov 11, 2019 18:08
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Jaded Burnout posted:I know this feeling. The last photos look nice though. Thanks. That room did turn out really well, no bubbles and it's very smooth. Certainly not perfect but you have to have your face about an inch from the surface to see most of the issues. I'm considering it a win. Did the rest of it yesterday and had all kinds of problems. Bought a new gallon of poly and it was just full of sediment, so I had to strain it. Didn't need to do this for the previous four. And even though I added mineral spirits to thin it in the same amount as my test room, it just didn't go on as easily or thinly. When I went back last night it was still very wet, but I ran my hand over the surface of a couple drier spots and could feel very very tiny raised bubbles here and there. This sucks but its also waaaaaaaay better than the results I had after the previous application, and these little spots were really not visible. And now in a couple days I'm going to cover it all entirely with ram board and probably won't see it again for weeks. 
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Nov 11, 2019 18:31
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We bought our first house this summer and are still learning homeowner things. Part of the deal at closing was installing a vapor barrier in the crawlspace since it didn’t have one. I noticed our floors were freezing the first few cold day’s we’ve had this fall (live in the SE US) and looked under the house and discovered there is no insulation between floor and crawlspace. We have an open crawlspace and am trying not o explore my options but it seems like the modern rec is to not have an open crawlspace at all and the “proper” fix is to encapsulate it. Since that’s like a $5000 job, an I going to regret just fixing the crawl space vents and putting batts under the floorboards?
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Nov 11, 2019 18:45
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Jaded Burnout posted:Uh.. relatively simple layouts, with doors and fireplaces being the biggest obstacles. 5 rooms in total. Seems like a big project and indeed, hard to do well. I've only had carpet installed once, quite a while ago. It was from Home Depot, the installation was included in the sq foot price and it seemed totally reasonable to me. If you want a big seamless carpet layout I'd imagine it's pretty hard to do. From memory, I think they were taping the back side together and using wax and a blowtorch or something to seal it together? That sounds nuts now that I'm typing it, but it was something like that. The only downside I had to that install is it took a while for the carpet to be ready once they came in and measured.
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Nov 11, 2019 19:13
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I feel like we just had this chat in one of the other threads but the tl;dr is that insulating the beams and flooring is a bad idea in a crawlspace because it can and will trap moisture unless it's installed absolutely perfectly and that will never happen if you're hiring someone to do it. I bet your encapsulated crawlspace is humid at this very moment because even though they probably laid down poly sheets, they almost certainly did at least one part of it wrong and water has found those spots. Did they install a big dehumidifier down there? Is it draining properly? Those are important factors too. My house in Texas has a vented, uninsulated crawlspace and it hasn't gotten very cold yet but I'm not too worried about cold floors. My recommendation is to wear socks or slippers and don't try and fix what isn't broken just because of current building fads.
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Nov 11, 2019 19:18
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falz posted:If you want a big seamless carpet layout I'd imagine it's pretty hard to do. From memory, I think they were taping the back side together and using wax and a blowtorch or something to seal it together? That sounds nuts now that I'm typing it, but it was something like that. Nah they're independent rooms, hallways will be hardwood or tile, and I wouldn't mind putting thresholds in even if two rooms were both carpeted. Sounds like my "not worth the trouble" senses were correct. I'll talk to a carpet place. Though I have vague memories that the fitters used by places that sell carpet are typically underpaid to keep costs down, so it might be better to go to a fitter directly and source the carpets separately. My painter did recommend a fitter but he's not gotten back to me, and I'd quite like to have some carpet soon. I'm on the verge of actually having a finished room or two.
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Nov 11, 2019 19:19
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tehllama posted:We bought our first house this summer and are still learning homeowner things. Part of the deal at closing was installing a vapor barrier in the crawlspace since it didn’t have one. I noticed our floors were freezing the first few cold day’s we’ve had this fall (live in the SE US) and looked under the house and discovered there is no insulation between floor and crawlspace. We have an open crawlspace and am trying not o explore my options but it seems like the modern rec is to not have an open crawlspace at all and the “proper” fix is to encapsulate it. Since that’s like a $5000 job, an I going to regret just fixing the crawl space vents and putting batts under the floorboards? https://www.lsuagcenter.com/NR/rdonlyres/D33F711D-DC4B-4E4C-9ED6-A97DCE9DB026/79805/pub3187insulatingraisedfloorsLOWRES.pdf Tl,dr is basically rigid foam board on the underside of the joists is the best bet. If you’re in an area with termite problems (especially Formosan), talk to whoever has your termite bond first because covering up the underside of your house makes it pretty impossible for them to inspect every year.
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Nov 11, 2019 19:24
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Kaiser Schnitzel posted:I’m in a similar boat and haven’t done anything about it except put on more sweaters and fuzzy slippers, but I have done some research on it and this is a very good article: That paper was like exactly what I’ve been looking for, thanks! The house is like 50 years old and has not had termite problems but I will double check with Arrow before I do anything.
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Nov 11, 2019 19:29
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Just put heating in the floors that you can control on it's own little thermostat while leaving the crawlspace be.
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Nov 11, 2019 19:42
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Those floors look great Sirotan. You're likely the only person who will ever notice or think about the imperfections. Just call them "character", anyway. If it makes you feel better, the hack I hired off of craigslist did a SIGNIFICANTLY worse job for my floors.
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Nov 11, 2019 19:49
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Fallom posted:Quick question about getting (faux) wooden slat blinds from Home Depot - should I give them the exact measurements for my window frame or knock off a few millimeters? If so, how much? Buy from blinds.com. Same company. Spend $50 to have them come and measure them all for you. Spend $150 and they will install them all. They have a size guarantee either way as I recall. Exact measurements of the smallest inside dimension, measure it in 3 places to verify. Repeat your measurements to be sure.
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Nov 11, 2019 22:04
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I'm considering buying a house. It is a ~11 year old construction but on top of an old basement/foundation (prior house was totally removed). In its basement is this: On the left, you see a red support pillar. There are many of those along the center of the basement and those were in the original (~11 years old) construction. On the right, you see a *NEW* (~2 year old?) black support pillar, with a large wood beam at its top, running along the bottom of the rafters. There are ~6 of those, 3 along each side off the centerline. The current owners say they put those black ones in because the floors squeaked too much, and they just wanted to firm things up and not have squeaky floors. The first floor is hardwood, presumably put in ~2 years ago around when they also put in the supports. They do not have permits or inspections to show for these black pillars; they just had a contractor do it (or did it themselves, but that is unlikely). For all I know it was the same guy who redid their floors and he just said they should also put in these supports, who knows. There are no obvious problems with the floors, foundation, etc. But, is this weird? As a buyer, how worried should I be about those ~2 year old black supports? Who would you even have inspect them, the general inspector, or..? And is this the sort of thing that some places require permits for?
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Nov 12, 2019 00:45
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pmchem posted:There are no obvious problems with the floors, foundation, etc. But, is this weird? As a buyer, how worried should I be about those ~2 year old black supports? Who would you even have inspect them, the general inspector, or..? And is this the sort of thing that some places require permits for? Yeaaahhhhhhh you should not have to install lally columns for squeaky floors. I would certainly be worried about that. You should absolutely bring in a structural engineer for an inspection (and see if the sellers will pay for it) if you're interested in buying this place. Don't rely on just a general inspector to give you reliable info about this.
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Nov 12, 2019 00:58
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That's some Joe handyman bullshit. I'd be concerned about what other half-assed fixes are lurking in that place. The fix for squeaky floors is to try and anchor the subfloor better, either from the top (preferred) or from the bottom with glue and some 2x4s anchored to the joist & subfloor near the squeak. Then, if needed, add blocking to the joists or possibly sister a joist or two. Since this is a newer house, the joists should be well within tolerance length for the span, so they shouldn't need additional mid-mid-span support. What he did probably won't hurt anything, but it's not going to support any significant weight either without a proper footing, no wood block, and an actual lally column.
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Nov 12, 2019 01:44
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I’ll add that the current owners have been there about 3 years but have to move cities. Great replies so far, thanks, I’ll continue reading any other replies too.
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Nov 12, 2019 01:50
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So in examining my crawlspace I uh, found something. I already fixed it and we have a carbon monoxide detector in the bedroom (plus a combined smoke/CO detector in 4 other rooms) but loving Christ, that was a line item in the hvac repair in the inspection before we bought this summer and our contractor was supposed to have fixed after closing. We checked all the other things on the list to make sure they really got done but I guess we missed that one.
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Nov 12, 2019 03:54
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 I'm glad you found that sooner rather than later
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Nov 12, 2019 04:04
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That looks like a whole section is missing rather then just a section getting loose too.
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Nov 12, 2019 04:14
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There was a section rusted through that needed repaired before we moved in. He cut the offending section out and just...failed to put a new section in.
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Nov 12, 2019 04:22
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tehllama posted:So in examining my crawlspace I uh, found something. I hate it when someone steals the cat off my dryer.
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Nov 12, 2019 04:51
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tehllama posted:There was a section rusted through that needed repaired before we moved in. He cut the offending section out and just...failed to put a new section in. That's approaching "attempted manslaughter" levels of malpractice.
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Nov 12, 2019 05:15
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Yo goons, I need some advice about my fireplace. I got this home earlier this summer and did a bunch of fix-ups to it, but one thing that's getting me as the winter sets in is the fireplace. It's a gas fireplace (with a wood-burning alcove in the basement) and some of the bricks are missing mortar. My question is whether or not it's safe to run the gas fireplace with the missing mortar or if I should seal the thing up before I operate it. Below is a picture of the brick condition. If I do need to re-mortar it, would anyone here have suggestions? I've got some patching cement for an unrelated project that would likely work for sealing the gaps but masonry really isn't my usual bag.
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Nov 12, 2019 07:18
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Lil Peeler posted:If I do need to re-mortar it, would anyone here have suggestions? I've got some patching cement for an unrelated project that would likely work for sealing the gaps but masonry really isn't my usual bag. I don't think it would be a problem, but I don't know for sure. Regarding mortar, I recently went with a "modern" mix of cement, water, and sand. I'd have to dig through my thread to see what ratio I wound up using, but it was in the region of 1:3 cement:sand I think. One thing to bear in mind depending on the age of your house is that there's something of a console war between "modern" cement mixes and "traditional" lime mortars, on account of the latter is softer so it'll take the impact of expansion and contraction instead of the brick expanding within a mortar prison and blowing. I personally didn't give a poo poo since I was only doing a few, but worth mentioning just in case it matters to you.
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Nov 12, 2019 10:04
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Jaded Burnout posted:I agree with this part, i.e. it has its place and I'm planning on using both. It's dogmatic use of either that I feel gets you in trouble. I'm a never carpet, there are dozens of us.
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Nov 12, 2019 12:17
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With underfloor heating bare wooden floors are lovely and warm and with a rug you get the best of both. I'd think that carpet over a heated floor would insulate you from your heating, which seems wrong? Wallpaper should be banned.
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Nov 12, 2019 14:26
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Lil Peeler posted:Yo goons, I need some advice about my fireplace. I got this home earlier this summer and did a bunch of fix-ups to it, but one thing that's getting me as the winter sets in is the fireplace. It's a gas fireplace (with a wood-burning alcove in the basement) and some of the bricks are missing mortar. My question is whether or not it's safe to run the gas fireplace with the missing mortar or if I should seal the thing up before I operate it. Below is a picture of the brick condition. Most home improvement stores sell tubes of fireplace cement and fireplace mortar specifically designed for this type of repair. I'm no expert either, but apparently the high temperatures inside a fireplace may not play well with regular mortar/cement mixes.
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Nov 12, 2019 16:03
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Haha our house had the attempted murder via missing flue pipe section thing too. Just a whole section of rigid duct missing. Furnace was obviously just going to belch it all into our house. Nbd.
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Nov 12, 2019 16:12
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knox_harrington posted:With underfloor heating bare wooden floors are lovely and warm and with a rug you get the best of both. Man, my dream would be to one day get underfloor heating. But then I wonder if it's worth $10-15k for what would be purely a mild comfort issue. My current electric baseboard heaters work fine right now, even though I think all but 1 are still the original '70's baseboard, and even if every one of them died tomorrow it would only be like $500 to replace them. If only they were equally cheap to run...
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Nov 12, 2019 16:38
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Jaded Burnout posted:I don't think it would be a problem, but I don't know for sure. Regarding mortar, I recently went with a "modern" mix of cement, water, and sand. I'd have to dig through my thread to see what ratio I wound up using, but it was in the region of 1:3 cement:sand I think. Thanks. so you think it's okay to use for right now but I should get around to patching it sooner or later? I'll try that patch stuff that PremiumSupport mentioned.
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Nov 12, 2019 17:34
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DrBouvenstein posted:Man, my dream would be to one day get underfloor heating. But then I wonder if it's worth $10-15k for what would be purely a mild comfort issue. My current electric baseboard heaters work fine right now, even though I think all but 1 are still the original '70's baseboard, and even if every one of them died tomorrow it would only be like $500 to replace them. I have UFH and granted it's in manual mode right now, but I'm not entirely sure I'd bother with it again. It does provide a very nice consistent heat but it's all a tradeoff. Lil Peeler posted:I'll try that patch stuff that PremiumSupport mentioned. That sounds sensible. They seem like they know what they're talking about more than I do.
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Nov 12, 2019 18:19
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So I live in Miami in an old house from the 1940's. the home is worth $120k, the land is most of the value. it's 1200sq ft, but 300 of that is garage on slab. The floor is naturally a bit squishy, but it seems to be getting worse in the bedroom so we called a couple people out. First off - the previous owners built a big deck which seems to be tiles laid on top of blockwork - however they blocked the crawlspace entrance. You can just about see inside if you lay down, but nobody can get inside. We first called nsquare, and the guy after a very quick glance told us we do need a new crawlspace door opening up at the side of the house - making one of the current vents bigger, but also that we needed to completely seal and bag it, and install a pump - at a cost of around 20-30k. apparently this would solve our squishy floors in an instant. I didn't really like him and found the sales pitch to bag and seal the crawlspace overly pushy, i didnt believe for a second it was for anything but his own commission. The next guys we called are contractors - they took a look in the crawl space and pointed out that some of the joist crossbracing in the floor has come loose and fallen down. They told me they would not fix this as it's a hack job, and the only way to do it properly is to install smart jacks under the floor joists to lift them permanently. This was quoted to us at $20k for the whole house. We then decided that getting huge quotes without anyone bothering to go into the crawl space was annoying, and asked both if they'd just open the crawlspace door first. both refused without us signing onto the entire job. We've looked into hiring someone else to do it - but the size of the job means it's just a random dude taking side jobs for cash, cutting a much bigger hole right under our bedroom window and installing a door we bought ourselves. This same guy has said he can install jacks under the floor for $500 each, around $5k to do the entire house. What do we do? Are we even supposed to be opening a new crawlspace door right under a big window? does it need a lintel/additional support? do we need to rip out the deck the previous owners put in? are both those first 2 contractors trying to rip us off? On top of that, any job in miami over $5k requires a full set of permits. The contractors with the 20k quote said this was for us to sort out. How the gently caress do we do that? happy to post pictures of whatever people want to see. fair warning - i have more posts like this lined up for the bathroom, the backyard, a steel framed lean-to which is rusting at an astonishing rate, the roof, a moisture issue outside the bathroom and the garage. Would it be better if I start a thread, I dont have anyone to ask for this kind of advice. It's a bit sad though, everyone elses threads are about full renovations and tear downs and mine would just be really basic stuff because I feel like every professional I speak to is lying to me and contradicting each other. If we take everything we're told at face value, it seems like it's going to cost us around $80k+ to fix up a house with a $120k valuation - yet it's a house that whenever we have a contractor over always gets complimented as being in unbelievably great shape (except for the one specific thing we asked them about) which also only went through a full inspection (sailed through with compliments) and appraisal 2 years ago. I really regret buying a house. it relentlessly reminds me I know absolutely gently caress all about how to take care of or maintain a house, i cannot see a path through this and we dont make enough to just throw money at whatever idiot tries to sell us something. selling now would be a huge loss, we just need to keep it from falling apart for a few years. we finally cancelled our trugreen lawn service as the lawn has only got worse since we hired them over a year ago, complained so many times and at no point did it get better. we have a total sandbox in the front and the back is about 10% green with the rest dead straw. that's something I now need to try and figure out too. it's beyond exhausting. cubicle gangster fucked around with this message at 19:21 on Nov 12, 2019 |
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Nov 12, 2019 19:12
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Insulation question: I moved into an old house (1910's, Midwest US). At some point, I believe fairly early in the home's life, a previous owner closed in a back porch and made it interior space. Beneath the former porch is a maybe two foot high crawl space. Either at that time or later, a hole was cut open into the main basement through which plumbing and electric was run. The bottom of the space is gravel, which I had some contractors cover with a plastic sheet as part of a radon system (air is circulating underneath). One exterior wall is wood, then I think stucco, then brick on the outside. The other two walls are concrete blocks, mortared, beyond which is maybe wood and stucco then definitely brick. It's loving cold. The rooms above it are cold, and cold air blows from the access hole into our unfinished, but fairly temperate basement. The previous owner had the idea of just covering up the hole into the basement, and the pipes promptly froze and were replaced by new PEX lines. So I'm thinking I should put insulation in, but I don't understand best practices or when or where vapor barriers are needed, or if they're needed. I'm planning on staying in this house for life, or certainly 20 years, and I'm willing to spend money now to bring down heating costs later. What should I do here? 
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Nov 12, 2019 19:46
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Here is my last update on flooring: they turned out good! A couple tiny bits of crud that was either in the poly or got onto the surface while I was applying it, and some tiny tiny bubbles here and there. 98% of it looks excellent, and the other 2% no one but me will notice. It is extremely difficult to really photograph what the finish looks like, mostly because the house has basically no lights in it right now besides my shop light, but here are some final pics:   
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Nov 12, 2019 20:38
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