|
Exterminator came out and said they were "water ants." He said to fix the moisture problem and they should go away on their own. Plan for today is opening the rest of that wall up, replacing the leaking plumbing and letting it air dry for a few days and see where I'm at. The wood doesn't seem to have any give aside from being wet, should I expect it to rot out and replace it anyway?
|
#
?
Jun 11, 2013 20:31
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 12, 2024 07:32 |
|
|
SuicidalSmurf posted:Exterminator came out and said they were "water ants." He said to fix the moisture problem and they should go away on their own. Plan for today is opening the rest of that wall up, replacing the leaking plumbing and letting it air dry for a few days and see where I'm at. The wood doesn't seem to have any give aside from being wet, should I expect it to rot out and replace it anyway? As long as you can get it good and dry you'll be ok. I don't know what the gently caress he meant by "water ants" though. All ants need water, but not all ants will thrive in wet wood. I mean, he's the expert, I guess. As long as he was leveling with you and you solve the moisture issues, I guess they'll go away. I would open the wall and run a dehumidifier in there. They make moisture meters you can use to check the water content of the structure before you seal it back up. They're pretty cheap ($15-$30 and up) but since you'll probably never use it again, borrow one if you can. Either way, you'll be safe once you sort out the leak and it feels dry to the touch. A little bit of water isn't a big deal so long as it's not rotten or completely soaked and th e underlying issue is resolved.
|
|
#
?
Jun 12, 2013 02:35
|
|
|
Got in there further and discovered some rot in some structural members, sill plate looks okay at least. It looks like the only way to get to it is going to be to take the siding off and attack it from the outside in. I'm still not convinced that the hose bibb is the source of the leak, I turned the water on and it was dry as a bone, but the wood is soaked. No real way of figuring it out until I can get the siding off, I'll have a nice thread up in a week or two.
|
|
#
?
Jun 12, 2013 03:27
|
|
|
SuicidalSmurf posted:Got in there further and discovered some rot in some structural members, sill plate looks okay at least. It looks like the only way to get to it is going to be to take the siding off and attack it from the outside in. I'm still not convinced that the hose bibb is the source of the leak, I turned the water on and it was dry as a bone, but the wood is soaked. No real way of figuring it out until I can get the siding off, I'll have a nice thread up in a week or two. At least you're doing the proper thing and fixing it, instead of covering it up and leaving it for the next owner.
|
|
#
?
Jun 12, 2013 04:01
|
|
|
Is there a general interior design thread? I need to know what the best anime wall scrolls I should put up...
|
|
#
?
Jun 12, 2013 14:31
|
|
|
SuicidalSmurf posted:Got in there further and discovered some rot in some structural members, sill plate looks okay at least. It looks like the only way to get to it is going to be to take the siding off and attack it from the outside in. I'm still not convinced that the hose bibb is the source of the leak, I turned the water on and it was dry as a bone, but the wood is soaked. No real way of figuring it out until I can get the siding off, I'll have a nice thread up in a week or two. Man, I have a bad feeling you'll be doing your roof this summer. I've seen improperly installed/clogged downspouts rot entire corners of a house over time. Doubly so because I live in Wisconsin, where ice damming in the winter compounds the problem. You said this leak is adjacent to a laundry room, though. That's your next target. Check the drains and hoses. Surface tension can carry water a long way.
|
|
#
?
Jun 12, 2013 16:18
|
|
|
So I'm looking at what kind of underlayment I should buy for this upcoming hardwood floor installation. I have wood subflooring so from what I've read I don't want an impermeable vapor barrier because that could trap moisture and cause the subflooring to rot. The guy at lumber liquidators obviously recommended the $80/100 square foot bellawood stuff that's foam backed with plastic which would imply to me that it was impermeable - after I had told him we had wooden subfloors. I would like something that's going to dampen some of the sound, but I obviously don't want to trap moisture in my floors.
|
|
#
?
Jun 12, 2013 18:23
|
|
|
Killing Flies posted:You said this leak is adjacent to a laundry room, though. That's your next target. Check the drains and hoses. Surface tension can carry water a long way. Seconding this, if the drain for your washer is just a little too slow you can end up getting a fair amount of water backing up and onto the floor. If it manages to seep underneath the flooring and baseboards before you see obvious puddles in front of the washer, you can end up with a lot of water where you don't want it and never realize it. Doubly so if the floor isn't quite level and tilts towards the wall slightly.
|
|
#
?
Jun 12, 2013 20:32
|
|
|
Some of my friends and I were thinking of having a little ceremony, where we burn things that we've crafted to represent stressors in our lives. I'm assuming anything that used to be a plant (untreated wood, cotton thread, paper that isn't glossy) is OK to put in a grill that will be used for food later, but I'm not sure about safety for other stuff. Is there anything that's definitely OK or that we should definitely avoid? I realize this isn't exactly fixing, but I couldn't think of a better place to ask.
|
|
#
?
Jun 12, 2013 22:17
|
|
|
ejstheman posted:Some of my friends and I were thinking of having a little ceremony, where we burn things that we've crafted to represent stressors in our lives. I'm assuming anything that used to be a plant (untreated wood, cotton thread, paper that isn't glossy) is OK to put in a grill that will be used for food later, but I'm not sure about safety for other stuff. Is there anything that's definitely OK or that we should definitely avoid? I realize this isn't exactly fixing, but I couldn't think of a better place to ask. I don't have a good answer for your question (I'm assuming plastics are bad though). However, you may consider hitting up the dump/searching Craigslist for a dedicated stress reduction incinerator unit.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2013 03:30
|
|
|
ejstheman posted:Some of my friends and I were thinking of having a little ceremony, where we burn things that we've crafted to represent stressors in our lives. I'm assuming anything that used to be a plant (untreated wood, cotton thread, paper that isn't glossy) is OK to put in a grill that will be used for food later, but I'm not sure about safety for other stuff. Is there anything that's definitely OK or that we should definitely avoid? I realize this isn't exactly fixing, but I couldn't think of a better place to ask. Where I live, there is no trash collection service. All our trash has to be sorted and taken to the recycling center, the dump, or burned. So I looked this up once to see if it was ok to burn MFD and OSB. Here's the list i found: Don't burn: Painted or varnished wood, trim or other wood by-products Pressure-treated lumber - due to the treatment compounds Driftwood - salt water driftwood contains some amount of salt which is corrosive. When heated, corrosion is accelerated and toxic fumes are produced. Fresh water driftwood may contain silt and gravel. All engineered sheet goods because of the glue compounds used in the layering process, including but not limited to: - Plywood - Particle board - Press board - Orientated Strand Board (OSB) - Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) Green wood - wood that is not dry will not produce any heat, you'll be just trying to dry it in your stove. It will produce a lot of smoke and creosote. Household trash - which could produce a variety of toxic emissions Styrofoam containers such as disposable cups, plates or food packaging. Egg cartons Glossy or colored papers (magazine pages, product packaging) Any plastics or wrap products Hard Board or other compressed paper products Gypsum board (sheet rock, gyproc) Disposable diapers I also found this with a quick search: http://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/pubs/htmlpubs/htm04232327/ By egg cartons, I assume they mean the foam sort. The cartons around here are paper, and burn fine. I also think it goes without saying that you don't want to burn PVC, pressurized canisters. Also be careful with stone or glass items, because they can explode and send shrapnel everywhere. It's counter-productive, because you'll just have to burn another effigy that represents how stressful it is going through life with one eye.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2013 14:11
|
|
|
I'm wanting to build a housing for a pool filter/pump and saltwater system. Seasonal pool it gets taken down in September and the equip housing will too. Few questions: 1st. electrical code stuff. Electrical 1: Both components plug in to an outlet, not hardwired. I want to put the pump on a timer to run at certain times of the day. Problem is the pump cord has a gfci built in that trips anytime you unplug the cord or a timer shuts off the power. This is normal for gfcis in pool pump cords according to everything I read. Solution is to cut off gfci, put a regular plug on the pump cord and then use a gfci outlet or put a female jack onto the gfci you just cut off and put the timer between the gfci and the pump, not before the gfci. I patch cords up with new plugs (pc power cord) or a cutting out a bad section without a second thought but I want to know what's really the right way here. I mean I'll know what's going on, I'll know how to plug it all in right but what if the pump is making funny sounds and a neighbor comes to investigate and plugs things wrong? Taped up cord with a pc power cord plug on it instead of the gfci ok? or am I supposed to replace whole cord all the way to the motor with a non-gfci one? The repclacement plugs you can get at the store better than a hacked bit of pc power cord? I'd think the pc power cord would be watertight where the typical store-bought replacement plug I see isn't. Electrical 2: Only outlet is in a screened in porch with a screen door. This is a temporary may-sept every year install is it ok to have the equip inside a housing that is outside the porch with cords ran under the screen door to outlet inside screened porch? Do I need to put an outlet outside? Hopefully not an outlet inside my housing, I want it to be taken down in sept. I have a feeling this is in violation but I'm really a lot more concerned about my electrical 1 question, do I really need to sperg about this one? Housing itself. ~3ft tall ~3ft deep ~5ft wide My idea so far is a bottom frame of 2x4s sitting upright, notches cut in the bottoms of them for flood control in case something breaks. It'd be sitting on paver stones. Extra 2x4 reinforcement under the heavy filter, plywood floor with bunch of 1" holes for water, maybe an expanded metal floor? some 2x4 uprights to hold plywood walls, no wall on back, hinged plywood roof. Anyone have any ideas/input on the housing? Ventilation? Fan? Pump is a 1/2hp motor and the salt system I think generates close to 300w of lvdc, salt system gets pretty warm when running. I want the front wall to be easily removable, not hinged like the lid. I think I've seen somewhere some type of fastener that works like a cufflink? drill some holes in the front wall and slide it over some of those fasteners and then twist them to hold it on. Am I making that fastener up? Vin BioEthanol fucked around with this message at 22:17 on Jun 13, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2013 21:47
|
|
|
Wagonburner posted:I'm wanting to build a housing for a pool filter/pump and saltwater system. Seasonal pool it gets taken down in September and the equip housing will too. Extension cords aren't allowed for permanent use. They're only for temporary use, like to use a tool or something and then put it away. For #1, I would honestly look up what the manufacturer recommends. For #2, as-is is fine as long as you're not using extension cords and that outlet is GFCI-protected.
|
|
#
?
Jun 14, 2013 03:07
|
|
|
I gotta get some advice here. The house we moved into (it's a rental) has a covered patio. When we moved in, it had some extremely old carpet on the patio. My dog rubbed his back on it one day, and my white dog turned green due to the carpet. At that point we ripped it out. Now we're left with a concrete patio with a little bit of scraping needed to get it fully cleaned up (little bits of adhesive that are no longer sticky are stuck to the ground). We don't want to go in too deep on this project, and are looking at the following: 1) put new exterior carpet on. I've priced the carpet at Home Depot to end up costing a bit under $400. I have no clue how much in supplies it would cost for the adhesive and everything else. I've never laid carpet down before either, so I'm also tempted to see what it would cost to have someone install it for me. 2) Epoxy flooring or paint the floor. No clue on this at all. I remember my dad laid some down in our garage once, and it was pretty good for that. Any advice/suggestions?
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2013 20:18
|
|
|
One of the rooms in a house we moved into have some walls that are... problematic. I'd like to sand these walls down to the concrete, and then repaint them, but I have no idea what tools I should use/rent for this. Some of the walls have some kind of plaster structure, that's not very hard. I can easily remove it with a knife or similar sharp object, but that would obviously take forever, so I need some kind of powertool for it. Image here:  Then there's the last wall... It has some kinds of decorative "stones" in it. The stones themselves are soft enough that you can jam a screwdriver into them with some force, but the stuff holding them to the wall is actually pretty hard... Image here:  How the hell can I remove these things? (The hanging electrical wire has already been removed)
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2013 21:18
|
|
|
nwin posted:I gotta get some advice here. You could always lay tile also.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2013 23:23
|
|
|
Seems like tile would be a very expensive option. Also, I don't think it would look too good personally.
|
|
#
?
Jun 16, 2013 00:19
|
|
|
nwin posted:Seems like tile would be a very expensive option. Also, I don't think it would look too good personally. They make tile in all kinds of color and shapes, I'm sure you could find something aesthetically pleasing. Depending on the tile and the size of the porch, it should be around the cost of the carpet. Google "covered tile porch" and look at the images. Some of them look nice, granted it is personal preference. Tile is also easy to DIY
|
|
#
?
Jun 16, 2013 00:46
|
|
|
nwin posted:Seems like tile would be a very expensive option. Also, I don't think it would look too good personally. There's also that stone effects stuff, it looks good and lasts on concrete. Buffis posted:One of the rooms in a house we moved into have some walls that are... problematic. An air powered chisel might do it.
|
|
#
?
Jun 16, 2013 06:02
|
|
|
Buffis posted:One of the rooms in a house we moved into have some walls that are... problematic. Buy a lead test kit for the stucco. Can you be happy covering the wall?
|
|
#
?
Jun 16, 2013 14:31
|
|
|
XmasGiftFromWife posted:Are both of these basement rooms? How old is the house? These are from the same room. Half of the room is below ground level, other half isn't. Not sure what the term for that is in English (not my native language). House is from 1971. I'm ok with covering the wall if needed. The stones stick out by 2+cm though so will be a semi massive coverup... :|
|
|
#
?
Jun 16, 2013 14:52
|
|
|
Buffis posted:One of the rooms in a house we moved into have some walls that are... problematic. Do you have a multitool? I'd try one with a grout blade on it and see how easily that takes it off.
|
|
#
?
Jun 16, 2013 15:03
|
|
|
Discomancer posted:Do you have a multitool? I'd try one with a grout blade on it and see how easily that takes it off. Yeah, I have a dremel. Guess I need to find a grout blade for it, cause most of my accessories are missing though 
|
|
#
?
Jun 16, 2013 18:04
|
|
|
I am installing an ikea headboard that mounts to the wall (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70176312/). Due to my poor measurement skills, I have the mounting hardware about .25cm too close to each other. How do I go about solving this? If I try to screw into the wall .25cm off an existing hole, I am just going to slip into it.
|
|
#
?
Jun 16, 2013 20:09
|
|
Associate Christ
|
Kaluza-Klein posted:I am installing an ikea headboard that mounts to the wall (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70176312/). Due to my poor measurement skills, I have the mounting hardware about .25cm too close to each other. How do I go about solving this? If I try to screw into the wall .25cm off an existing hole, I am just going to slip into it. Can you remount all of your hardware a little left or right of the original set up or does the headboard need to go in that exact location?
|
|
#
?
Jun 16, 2013 20:45
|
|
|
Jaweeeblop posted:Can you remount all of your hardware a little left or right of the original set up or does the headboard need to go in that exact location? Yeah, I was hoping to avoid this as then the bed itself has to be moved to match, and certain people don't want me doing that. Another option is to use a wall anchor that will require a larger hole... edit: Wall anchors did the trick. It is in lath and plaster and I am sure the anchors I used are not designed for it, but they seem to have gripped tight and the load is quite low, anyway. In conclusion, I need a tape measure that is a bit more accurate and that has centimeter markings! other people fucked around with this message at 22:11 on Jun 16, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jun 16, 2013 21:23
|
|
|
Buffis posted:Yeah, I have a dremel. Guess I need to find a grout blade for it, cause most of my accessories are missing though Unless you're talking about a Dremel Multi-Max then you'll want to get an actual oscillating multi-tool similar to that. Start off with a half-circle grout blade. After you get yourself a good place to start, if the stuff is soft enough you can move to a scrapper blade. If it's too hard, and the wall is concrete, then I would just use a hammer and maybe a chisel to knock the stuff off. If the concrete itself is so soft that it can't handle a bunch of fairly strong hits with a hammer, then you have way bigger problems than some ugly walls. If you don't already have that tool, it's definitely worth a buy even for the sometime DIYer. They're super versatile tools with a million uses and attachments. They're sort of between a Dremel and a task-specific tools. So, if you can swing it, go with something quality. Specifically pay attention to the way the accessories attach to the tool, and pick a brand that's been around long enough that the parts won't suddenly disappear overnight and you now have to special order blades and such on the internet. I find the Dremel Multi-Max to be a bit pricey for the money, so I went with the Bosch. I also went with the corded model because these tools will drain a battery in no time, and it really pisses be off when I have to change a battery every 20 minutes. If the wall isn't concrete, then you're in for a long weekend of carefully scrapping it off the backerboard. Even then, you're definitely going to be replacing some damaged sheets.
|
|
#
?
Jun 17, 2013 18:54
|
|
|
Kaluza-Klein posted:Yeah, I was hoping to avoid this as then the bed itself has to be moved to match, and certain people don't want me doing that. Another option is to use a wall anchor that will require a larger hole... For lathe and plaster walls, what you really want to use are Mollys aka toggle bolts. The expanding plastic type tend to be too short to get through the plaster and lathe, meaning they eventually come out (usually taking a chunk of plaster with them.) The plastic turn-in variety also usually can't stay in the harder plaster compared to drywall. With Mollys, the toggle collapses, you pass it through a hole in the wall, and it springs back open on the other side. They come in a bunch of different sizes, including some really big ones that can hold (according to the manufacturer) up to 300lbs. Personally, I feel like the wall would give away if you tried to load that up, but the toggle bolt itself would probably be fine.
|
|
#
?
Jun 17, 2013 19:03
|
|
|
nwin posted:I gotta get some advice here. First off, if it's a rental, the landlord should be paying for this, unless you ripped the carpet out without their permission. If that's the case, then, well, you probably shouldn't have done that. Second - Home Depot will screw you on carpet. Especially exterior. Unless your porch is huge, you can get away with a remnant for a fraction of the price. The problem is that big box stores don't usually carry remnants. They take up a lot of room and the overhead is too low for them to care. Mom and pop stores do carry them, though, as they don't have the resources or infrastructure to ship remnants back, so they need to liquidate them or take the loss. It'll be worth your time to look around for one. As you know, carpet isn't the only way to go. You mentioned epoxy coating, and that would work. The downside is you'd need to get the adhesive off and make sure the patio is really clean, as anything left on there will show through. You'll want to make sure there aren't any really bad moisture problems with water pooling or seeping up through the slab, and use an exterior grade product. A better way to go might be to layer on another thin bit of concrete and use some decorative step-forms. Basically, you mix your concrete with a binding agent so it will adhere to the current slab. You can then use a variety of mix-ins for decorative effects, like dyes or aggregates. Then you pour it out, level it, and when it's just starting to dry, you take these big textured sheets and lay them on the cement, then apply pressure to the back. Here's a wiki entry that shows what you could end up with. I've only ever done this once, and it's no picnic. The only thing I've always wanted to try but haven't had a chance yet, is using a rubberized paint coating. I've seen it used on sailboats, and I always thought it would make a good patio coating. The upside is that it's definitely DIY doable and shouldn't take a week to finish. The downside is that the stuff costs a ton, but not compared to other options. Either way, if your landlord isn't aware that you ripped out the carpet, you should come clean and at least get their input on what they would like to do. The main joy of renting is supposed to be not having to do this kind of thing yourself.
|
|
#
?
Jun 17, 2013 19:31
|
|
|
I'm spraypainting some plastic with Krylon Fusion. I did the entire thing black, then taped some sections off to detail in yellow. As I was taping (using regular 3M masking tape, not the blue kind) I accidentally chipped off a couple small areas with my fingernails. Now I'm wondering if I let it cure long enough before I started in with the details. I did 4 coats of black yesterday, and let it sit in my garage overnight. There was no tackiness to the paint this afternoon, so I figured it was okay to start. Anyway, my question is how long should I let Fusion sit before I start taping it off? It was at least 18 hours between final coat of black and first coat of yellow.
|
|
#
?
Jun 17, 2013 19:41
|
|
|
Or you rent from someone who says, “tough poo poo if you don't like it, I'm not replacing/fixing it unless I'm obligated by law and even then you'll have to fight me tooth and nail and have to have moved out first." Sometimes it's easier to fix it yourself than try to fight the property owner to make it happen, since they'll just half-rear end it anyway.
|
|
#
?
Jun 17, 2013 19:42
|
|
|
I have some weather-worn patio chairs that I'd like to repaint/stain. I'm not sure what to use. The finish on the chairs looks like a stain, but it's purely surface, it hasn't soaked into the wood. They're apparently made from acacia. They're originally from Ikea, and Ikea sells a "wood stain" for touching up their patio furniture, but the product description refers to it as glazing paint. Ikea only sells one colour so I'd rather not buy their product. Can anyone suggest what I should be looking for?
|
|
#
?
Jun 18, 2013 03:36
|
|
|
I have a drainage problem in my yard. Eventually, where the sand is, we will be putting planters made of paver bricks. For now, I have a drainage river running through the sand from the gutters. I was thinking about digging a trench and putting a pipe under the sand, but I have no idea if this will work. Any suggestions? River looks like: 
|
|
#
?
Jun 18, 2013 18:26
|
|
|
NancyPants posted:Or you rent from someone who says, “tough poo poo if you don't like it, I'm not replacing/fixing it unless I'm obligated by law and even then you'll have to fight me tooth and nail and have to have moved out first." This is a good point. More and more people are becoming long-term renters. I suppose if you really had plans to stay there a good while, it'd be worth it from a perspective of not having to live with it. However, there's still a number of problems with that. First, you're paying to improve someone else's property. Aside from making your living space better while you're there, all the benefit it to the landlord. You do all the work, pay all the costs, and they get free upgrades. Second, it's pretty standard in lease agreements that no alterations will be made to the property. So you could end up doing all this work and get evicted anyway, then the landlord can jack up the rent because they place is so much nicer and find new tenants. Third, even if you're planning to rent long-term, it still take two to tango in rental agreements. If the landlord decides to raise the rent or not renew the lease, you're out. Renting provides no equity, and your rights are really only protected if you honor the lease. I've rented some really crappy places, so I definitely understand the urge. I'm just saying, in rental disputes in Wisconsin, a judge would say "You ripped out a bunch of carpet because you didn't want a green dog? Judgement to the plaintiff - you will pay the cost equal to replacing the carpet." Then the landlord walks away with free repairs AND a cash judgement to "replace" what you "destroyed." I'm a landlord myself now, and I certainly don't mean any offense to other landlords here, but Ricardo was on to something when he said "Rent is that portion of the produce of the earth, which is paid to the landlord for the use of the original and indestructible powers of the soil." Or Smith - "The produce of labor constitutes the natural recompense or wages of labor. In that original state of things which precedes both the appropriation of land and the accumulation of stock, the whole produce of labor belongs to the laborer. He has neither landlord nor master to share with him." Even more so now that this land is not an essential factor in income generation. Landlords, even good ones, hold all the cards, and take a lot more out than they ever give tenants in return. Unless your tenant shits in the closet or starts a fish hatchery in the basement, anyway. The idea is that the landlord owns the property, and therefore takes all the risk. But they don't. Lease agreements and landlord/tenant laws often pass liability to the renter. So, unless your tenant jacks up your investment so bad that you can't rent it out again, but not bad enough that insurance won't cover it, you're pretty safe as a landlord. Even then, you can sue and win, so unless they have no wages to garnish you're still covered. Oh wait, this isn't D&D. axia posted:I have a drainage problem in my yard. Eventually, where the sand is, we will be putting planters made of paver bricks. For now, I have a drainage river running through the sand from the gutters. I was thinking about digging a trench and putting a pipe under the sand, but I have no idea if this will work. Any suggestions? If you're putting in planters, I'd use the water coming off the downspout. Connect it to a weeping tile system under the ground and let water seep out into the soil over time. Basically, dig a trench, put the tube in. Connect one end to the downspout and block the other off. Fill with loose stone and back fill. When it rains, the pipe fills up and has no where to go but back into the soil. If you live in an area prone to freezing, you'll need to make sure it's below the frost line. If you're dealing with a lot of water - Alternatively, you can connect the other end of the weeping tile to a dry well. That way excess water has somewhere to go rather than backing up. Killing Flies fucked around with this message at 19:58 on Jun 18, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jun 18, 2013 19:47
|
|
|
Yep I have a landlord like nancypants mentioned. The dude is in another country, so all repairs have to go through some secretary/friend of his that lives here. She basically just forwards my request to him in Israel. Luckily, his brother lives across the street and so in major things I call him up and get things rectified. As for the carpet, they know I tore it up and they have zero intention on helping with the costs-they give the word 'cheap' a whole new definition. Anything I do they would see as a free upgrade-hell, I've installed ceiling fans in all the rooms because this place is such a shithole...less than a year to go. I'm hopeful the next place I go has a decent landlord. Edit:I'm looking at about 450 square feet of patio. The carpet at Home Depot was something like 60 cents a square foot-that comes in a lot cheaper than tile/pavers that I've seen. Right now I'm thinking stick with carpet, or pressure wash/stain. nwin fucked around with this message at 03:46 on Jun 19, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jun 19, 2013 03:41
|
|
|
Of course home improvement when you rent is lost equity, but plenty of reasonable people are happy to modestly improve a rental because they have to look at the loving thing every day. Where I live, two apartments of the same size range from $500 to $1000 a month and the difference is which cosmetic things were half-assed on the last renovation. Throwing down a few hundred square feet of carpet is not insane, and as long as you don't approach it like you're retarded, you'll have nothing to worry about from the landlord.
|
|
#
?
Jun 19, 2013 09:05
|
|
|
Does anyone know of any good resources online for finishing a basement? We need to get started on ours but have no idea where to start!
|
|
#
?
Jun 19, 2013 13:53
|
|
|
I have a crawlspace. I bought the house 2 years ago and haven't been in the crawlspace during that time, but I think there are some moisture and exposure issues. There are some roaches (the exterminator called them "water bugs") and from what I could tell they looked like oriental roaches, which makes sense since they need water to thrive and I don't really have any of the conditions to allow German or American roaches to thrive. I've also had some slugs appearing in pretty odd spots not near doors or other openings, so I'm thinking that they are crawling up from the crawlspace through cracks in the flooring. This also has me worried about mold and rot, so I think I'm getting the pros in on this one, at least this one time, because I'm not sure how the crawlspace has been maintained during the past 90 years (though the home inspection I had said it was fine). I also believe that I have some support problems because there are cracks in my mortar in one section of the exterior wall and there's some sloping of the interior floors and sticking doors. I just wanted to be armed with some knowledge when I get estimates. There's a lot of differing opinions on what to do with crawlspaces on the internet so that's left me even more unsure and a bit more anxious about what's going to be found in there. Has anyone had problems with their crawlspaces or dealt with maintenance issues, and has anyone had a vapor barrier laid down or enclosed? After making some calls and doing some local searches, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of people in this area that do things like annual crawlspace maintenance. If I need to do this myself, what precautions should I take and what sort of things do I need to be looking for?
|
|
#
?
Jun 19, 2013 17:29
|
|
|
Alright, so I have a few questions regarding paint. My husband and I are renting a bizarre little house that is right around 90 years old, and we are seriously considering buying it at the end of the year if a home inspection doesn't turn up anything insane. My dad was a framing contractor for 35 years, so outside of any massive foundation issues most problems are basically fixable. Paint question one: I need to paint the baseboards, which have around 12 coats of gloppy old semi-gloss white on them. It is disgusting. I have gone through and washed everything down and pulled out nails and tacks, but they look awful. Is there any way I can shave off a few layers of paint without just ripping them off and replacing them. I don't think they are original to the house, so I wouldn't feel awful about eventually just replacing them. Paint question two: The inside wall of our hallway is the old outside wall of the house, complete with 90 year old wood siding. How likely is it that this is going to give my 8 month old lead poisoning? I know it has been painted at some point. Is it possible to buy a lead testing kit? If that has to be ripped out, I would rather figure that out while our landlord is still in charge of repairs. The same goes for the doors, they are original to the house and the paint is chipping off down to the bare wood. We are going to be doing a ton of remodeling. Should be fun.
|
|
#
?
Jun 19, 2013 19:31
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 12, 2024 07:32 |
|
|
MissAndy posted:Alright, so I have a few questions regarding paint. My husband and I are renting a bizarre little house that is right around 90 years old, and we are seriously considering buying it at the end of the year if a home inspection doesn't turn up anything insane. My dad was a framing contractor for 35 years, so outside of any massive foundation issues most problems are basically fixable. Starting off with the lead paint issue: If the house is that old, it's safe to assume that there's lead paint there. You can get lead test kits in most big-box stores like Lowe's or Home Depot, usually near the paint. However, I've got some bad news for you - the general rule with lead paint is that unless it's flaking or peeling, it's ok to leave it alone. Throwing up a new layer of paint is also considered ok, because you're sealing it in. So, your current landlord probably doesn't have to remediate it. To complicate things even more, if you're going to be doing any remodeling that requires hiring contractors, then any work can only legally be done by companies licensed to work with lead. However, it's still totally legal to do any work yourself without being certified. Basically, I would be prepared to deal with lead paint. Get yourself a test kit, and make sure you read up on how to do it safely before you begin. Also be sure you have a disposal plan before you even begin working, because you can't just put the stuff on the corner for the trashmen. In a house that old, you should also do a proper inspection before purchasing. Test the water, radon, and asbestos as well. Checking for asbestos also means looking for vermiculite and testing plaster, VCT, and masonite as well. As for the baseboards, I can't think of an easier way than taking them off and stripping them down. If you leave them in place you'll likely just damage the walls as well. If you're pulling them off, you might as well replace them. There's benefits to each. Refinishing is cheaper and keeps the same look, but takes a lot more time and work. Replacing is more expensive, but gives you a chance to customize the place a bit and doesn't require stripping off all that old (possibly lead-based) paint.
|
|
#
?
Jun 19, 2013 19:59
|
|