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what is this
Sep 11, 2001

it is a lemur
Post in this thread for small questions, fast answers, or when you have gum stuck to your shoe.

Below are some places to look online on how to best remove the gum, before you start scraping it with a steak knife and your wife catches you.

Fixitnow.com

Repo Man posted:

It has great advice and information on how to diagnose and repair home appliances. I repair appliances for a living, and I find some very useful information there.

Make Magazine - Owned by O'Reilly media, an awesome site for projects both large and small, and advice on how to reuse broken devices to make fun new items.

Bob Vila's - website on home improvement, with video guides. Mostly little tips, but useful.

Ask the builder - again, short video guides and walkthroughs. Mostly links to youtube videos.

Wood Web - Basically a big bulletin board with questions, answers and advice.

This Old House - You've seen the show, this is their site. Very commercial, but useful tips and well written articles

Wiring Code - A quick guide to wire thickness and current. Always consult a professional if in doubt.

Instructables - Really good DIY website with a good layout. Tons of stuff.

Expert Village - has all kinds of how-to videos on various topics.

Craft about Crafting, what else... from the publishers of Make!

Craftster - a huge crafting forum filled with lots of tutorials on just about everything

DIY basics - tend to be bland and biased toward their sponsors, however, offers a great starting point for basic project ideas.

Nuts and Volts - Mid-grade electronics tinkering, this has some great project ideas and is a great resource for your up and coming mad scientist.

Readymade: DIY for the hipster on a budget. Lots of quick and easy projects that typically make use of recyclable materials.

Popular Mechanics: How-To-Central: ...has a few great tutorials for free. Also the home-journal section has some interesting articles. thanks to Teh Katty

(please suggest more links!)

what is this fucked around with this message at 07:02 on Jul 15, 2011

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Death Pants
Aug 6, 2003

It took me 4 years to hit the HOT Tag
perfect timing for this forum to open. I just managed to score a killer deal on vinyl peel and stick tile for my house (300 sq/ft for 10 cents). We've needed to replace the linoleum in our house since we moved in but have not had the money/time.

Everyone I've talked to has told me removing the old linoleum/adhesive is a royal pain. Does anyone have any experience with this or suggestions on the easiest methods of removal?

what is this
Sep 11, 2001

it is a lemur
Removing linoleum is in fact a giant pain. Do you know what's underneath it?

You really need to use a scraper to get off the linoleum, and then you'll have to use a solvent and another scraping tool to get the gunk off from underneath. You can try slashing the linoleum before scraping or peeling it off.

It's also possible to rent mechanical strippers from Home Depot, I think, though I've never used one.

(also, you could possibly lay down the new stuff on top of the old...)

what is this fucked around with this message at 19:00 on Jan 7, 2008

Death Pants
Aug 6, 2003

It took me 4 years to hit the HOT Tag
its concrete underneath. Laying on top of the old really isn't an option. The installers did a real poo poo job so it's peeling up in a lot of places. How much of an issue would it cause to rip up the old, but still leave the adhesive gunk on the concrete?

what is this
Sep 11, 2001

it is a lemur

Death Pants posted:

its concrete underneath. Laying on top of the old really isn't an option. The installers did a real poo poo job so it's peeling up in a lot of places. How much of an issue would it cause to rip up the old, but still leave the adhesive gunk on the concrete?

You need new adhesive.

Death Pants
Aug 6, 2003

It took me 4 years to hit the HOT Tag

friendship waffle posted:

You need new adhesive.

well, its the peel and stick vinyl (1X1 squares) so it has its own adhesive. But it was probably a stupid question. If I'm taking the time to remove all the old, I might as well go for broke and not half-rear end it.

JnnyThndrs
May 29, 2001

HERE ARE THE FUCKING TOWELS

Death Pants posted:

its concrete underneath. Laying on top of the old really isn't an option. The installers did a real poo poo job so it's peeling up in a lot of places. How much of an issue would it cause to rip up the old, but still leave the adhesive gunk on the concrete?

It'll look lumpy if you don't have a pefectly flat surface to glue the new material on, so you either have to do some sort of underlayment(underlayment = thin layer of plywood or chipboard) or get every_freaking_bit of old adhesive off the concrete.

Also, just FYI, those pre-sticky squares work like complete poo poo on concrete, they'll start coming off about three weeks after you lay them. :( Concrete is a very difficult medium to glue things on because of it's porous nature, propensity to hold water and wierd ph levels.

What *I* would do is attach a thin plywood underlayment with cement anchors and construction adhesive, then glue the linoleum onto the underlayment. It'll cost ypu a little more for the underlayment, but it will stay nice about 10x longer.

elsanto
Apr 6, 2004

My clothes washer's discharge hose sprung a leak, so I cut in half, joined the halves with a barb, and then hose clamped them. The hose still leaks a little, and after try ing PVC cement and a rubber adhesive to stop it, I am out of ideas. Is there a compound or adhesive that would stop leaks in a plastic hose. What the hell is it?

monkeybounce
Feb 9, 2007

JnnyThndrs posted:

It'll look lumpy if you don't have a pefectly flat surface to glue the new material on, so you either have to do some sort of underlayment(underlayment = thin layer of plywood or chipboard) or get every_freaking_bit of old adhesive off the concrete.

Also, just FYI, those pre-sticky squares work like complete poo poo on concrete, they'll start coming off about three weeks after you lay them. :( Concrete is a very difficult medium to glue things on because of it's porous nature, propensity to hold water and wierd ph levels.

What *I* would do is attach a thin plywood underlayment with cement anchors and construction adhesive, then glue the linoleum onto the underlayment. It'll cost ypu a little more for the underlayment, but it will stay nice about 10x longer.

But you're going to want to make sure there is a vapor barrier between the concrete and the plywood as I'm assuming you're talking about a foundation slab here so moisture/etc will leech up through the concrete and into the plywood which will cause your adhesive to fail.

monkeybounce
Feb 9, 2007

elsanto posted:

My clothes washer's discharge hose sprung a leak, so I cut in half, joined the halves with a barb, and then hose clamped them. The hose still leaks a little, and after try ing PVC cement and a rubber adhesive to stop it, I am out of ideas. Is there a compound or adhesive that would stop leaks in a plastic hose. What the hell is it?

For the price of hoses, I'm going to suggest you just buy a new one. They're right around :10bux:. I'm pretty sure PVC glue has solvents in there that will degrade the rubber on a hose and you really don't want to flood your laundry room.

Knotty Naughty
Jul 11, 2003
You know the little valve-like thing at the base of a toilet? Every so often, my toilet's bowl will start bubbling and huge amounts of bubbles (no water) will seep out of that valve. If I flush the toilet, it either backs up or bubbles come out of the shower drain.

I think the bubbles are from the laundry machines somewhere else in the building. It doesn't really hurt anything, superficially at least. Is this something to worry about?

Shockadilicus
Nov 25, 2005
Here I come again.....
One thing to keep in mind when you start working with the stripper to remove the old gunk is that it will melt drat near anything that's plastic or rubber as well. It is highly, HIGHLY caustic. Do not let it get on your skin, and try to keep it away from clothes. I've never had it eat through fabric the few times I got it on my jeans, but it probably would have had I not cleaned it off immediately. Make sure to wear old shoes as well, and only use a metal scraper. The stripper, when left in open air, will lose its caustic properties over time, but any residuals left on the concrete will still be strong enough to damage shoe soles for a bit. Plan your work in advance, work from the end of a room so you have a doorway to exit from for disposal. Don't put the used stripper in a plastic trash can or plastic trash bags, it'll eat right through them. Obviously, make sure to keep everything well ventilated, because the fumes are downright disgusting and toxic.

Other than that, the underlayer is a great idea, and will not only make it look a lot better, but will also make it last far longer. Once you scrape off the old linoleum, you'll also be able to tell if you need to strip the old adhesive off as well. if the floor is nearly perfectly flat, you can get away with just putting the underlayer over it. If there's hunks of linoleum that are glued on too firmly to scrap or razor blade off, you'll need to soften up the adhesive with hot water or a chemical solvent. The chemical solvent really should be your last resort, unless you're doing an extremely large area of flooring. It's noxious and caustic, but it's the fastest way to remove a large quantity of the mastic adhesive. I've never used a mechanical stripper myself, nor have I used any of the "alternative" solvents that are supposedly safer to work with.

If you're removing a lot of the stuff, I'd reccomend spending the 10-20 bucks on a long-handled impact scraper. Not having to be on your hands and knees scraping tile up is a godsend if you've got a large floor area, and having an impact scraper lets you really put your back into it to get off those tougher bits. Best of all, they're cheap and are one of the single biggest timesavers you'll use on a vinyl or tile floor removal.

monkeybounce
Feb 9, 2007

Apps posted:

You know the little valve-like thing at the base of a toilet? Every so often, my toilet's bowl will start bubbling and huge amounts of bubbles (no water) will seep out of that valve. If I flush the toilet, it either backs up or bubbles come out of the shower drain.

I think the bubbles are from the laundry machines somewhere else in the building. It doesn't really hurt anything, superficially at least. Is this something to worry about?

That's something that you should be worried about. The fact that the toilet and the laundry are draining on the same line isn't so concerning but the fact that they're not actually draining is.

What is probably happening is that the drain pipes aren't slopped enough so there isn't enough force from gravity to keep them flowing causing them to back up into the pipe. When you flush the toilet, you're forcing it back out of the shower.

Right now, it's just bubbles. But think of it this way: if you can force the bubbles from the toilet to shower, what else can make its way into the shower?

Knotty Naughty
Jul 11, 2003

monkeybounce posted:

That's something that you should be worried about. The fact that the toilet and the laundry are draining on the same line isn't so concerning but the fact that they're not actually draining is.

What is probably happening is that the drain pipes aren't slopped enough so there isn't enough force from gravity to keep them flowing causing them to back up into the pipe. When you flush the toilet, you're forcing it back out of the shower.

Right now, it's just bubbles. But think of it this way: if you can force the bubbles from the toilet to shower, what else can make its way into the shower?

That makes sense, since I'm on the ground floor. Thanks -- I'll bring it to the attention of my super.

JnnyThndrs
May 29, 2001

HERE ARE THE FUCKING TOWELS

monkeybounce posted:

But you're going to want to make sure there is a vapor barrier between the concrete and the plywood as I'm assuming you're talking about a foundation slab here so moisture/etc will leech up through the concrete and into the plywood which will cause your adhesive to fail.

Yeah, forgot to mention a vapor barrier thanks :)

Death Pants
Aug 6, 2003

It took me 4 years to hit the HOT Tag
Maybe my question could've been its own thread. Thanks for all the advice so far guys. I'll be starting on the removal sometime tonight after work

IMJack
Apr 16, 2003

Royalty is a continuous ripping and tearing motion.


Fun Shoe
The bathtub in my new house seems to be elevated about a tile's width above the floor, and there doesn't seem to be a seal between the bottom lip of the tub and the tiles of the floor. Not only is that overhanging lip a mildew farm, but I can feel a draft coming through there and I think it's an access point for small insects. So I want to seal that lip up with some caulk or something. What would you guys recommend for cleaning and sealing that gap? Keep in mind I have maybe 3 inches of clearance between the bottom of the tub and the floor.

Unamused Girl
Dec 13, 2007

i'm a superheroine
http://www.instructables.com - Really good DIY website with a good layout. Tons of stuff.

monkeybounce
Feb 9, 2007

IMJack posted:

The bathtub in my new house seems to be elevated about a tile's width above the floor, and there doesn't seem to be a seal between the bottom lip of the tub and the tiles of the floor. Not only is that overhanging lip a mildew farm, but I can feel a draft coming through there and I think it's an access point for small insects. So I want to seal that lip up with some caulk or something. What would you guys recommend for cleaning and sealing that gap? Keep in mind I have maybe 3 inches of clearance between the bottom of the tub and the floor.

My first concern would be that the tub is properly supported. If there's that much of a gap, I'm slightly concerned that perhaps the supports are too tall and could be creating stress points on the tub.

But if you haven't noticed any shifting or warping of the tub, you should be good to just spray some expanding insulation stuff in there (a little goes a long way with that stuff, don't be one of the jerks that fills in the entire cavity with it) to keep out the draft/insects and then get a piece of fiberglass or rubber edge trim that will match your tub/bathroom and cover the gap with that. If your bathtub is completely flush with the walls around it, you may want to do the entire room just to keep it looking uniform.

Make sure that that trim is OK for bathrooms. Wood is generally not a good idea because of the amount of prep/upkeep it requires to keep it safe and clean. Some composites will also disintegrate in high moisture environments.

Make sure to seal the trim at the top, bottom, and sides with a silicone sealant to prevent water from getting under your tub/tiles as this can cause mold/mildew and cause your tiles to crack or come up.

Edit:
vvvvv My concern with that is that he said there are three inches of clearance. Filling that in with sealant would be a messy/ugly job.

Edit 2:
Blowupologist makes a good point. I'm interpreting it as a three inch high gap through the entire length of the tub. If it's a three inch long gap, then my instructions are overkill.

monkeybounce fucked around with this message at 22:38 on Jan 7, 2008

Jonny 290
May 5, 2005



[ASK] me about OS/2 Warp

IMJack posted:

The bathtub in my new house seems to be elevated about a tile's width above the floor, and there doesn't seem to be a seal between the bottom lip of the tub and the tiles of the floor....What would you guys recommend for cleaning and sealing that gap? Keep in mind I have maybe 3 inches of clearance between the bottom of the tub and the floor.

I'd just use some silicone sealant. You want some 'dry time' without showers/baths running, so synchronize this a couple hours after everybody gets squeaky clean for the day.

Clean the areas where the silicone will seal well with a general purpose cleaner that does not leave any residue.

Beware, this stuff stinks to high heaven while it's curing. But, it works wonderfully.

Beer4TheBeerGod
Aug 23, 2004
Exciting Lemon
I think we're going to need a bit of clarification on this. Do you mean there's a 3" unfinished gap that drafts and insects are coming into, or do you mean there's 3" of clearance underneath the tub for you to work with while you seal?

Assuming it's the latter, standard RTV silicone sealant will do the job. Thoroughly clean the mold first (use a standard household cleaner, according to the Wisconsin DHFS bleach isn't necessary), dry the area, and then apply a bead of RTV. You can either get it in a small tube or a caulk gun cartridge. Let it dry for 24 hours before using the tub again.

sub girl
Jan 3, 2007

oh screw this ultra banal conversation
To add to the list of links:

http://www.expertvillage.com/

Is aweseome. It has all kinds of how-to videos on various topics. Great for people like me who need to be shown rather than told. :)

cocteau
Nov 28, 2005

The best Darcy.
Could you guys post your awesome off-site links in Fragmaster's thread so we can keep track of those as well as the thread tags? At some point perhaps we can have a DIY FAQ or something, and in the meantime I fear your links will get lost in this megathread.

Edit: Never mind, I see Friendship Waffle is going to add them all to the OP. :cool:

cocteau fucked around with this message at 06:12 on Jan 8, 2008

IMJack
Apr 16, 2003

Royalty is a continuous ripping and tearing motion.


Fun Shoe

Blowupologist posted:

I think we're going to need a bit of clarification on this. Do you mean there's a 3" unfinished gap that drafts and insects are coming into, or do you mean there's 3" of clearance underneath the tub for you to work with while you seal?

Assuming it's the latter, standard RTV silicone sealant will do the job. Thoroughly clean the mold first (use a standard household cleaner, according to the Wisconsin DHFS bleach isn't necessary), dry the area, and then apply a bead of RTV. You can either get it in a small tube or a caulk gun cartridge. Let it dry for 24 hours before using the tub again.

The latter; the former would have been a major point against me buying the house. Sorry about the lack of clarity, and thanks for the advice! This will be a weekend project.

EigenKet
Sep 17, 2006
Your friendly neighborhood Mad Scientist.

monkeybounce posted:

For the price of hoses, I'm going to suggest you just buy a new one. They're right around :10bux:. I'm pretty sure PVC glue has solvents in there that will degrade the rubber on a hose and you really don't want to flood your laundry room.

Yeah, PVC cement isn't really cement. It's used for solvent welding PVC pipes.

blearghhh
Oct 19, 2004
In my weekend/country house I noticed a bad smell coming from the basement the other day, and when I went down there I noticed a pipe sticking up just before the drain exits the wall and goes into the septic tank. All the drain water (and, uh, other stuff) from the house was exiting through this pipe and onto the floor of the basement... Which leads me to believe that the pipe to the septic tank is clogged somewhere along the line.

So, being that I'm a cheap bastard and don't want to pay for the video diagnostic type things, can I just rent an auger and feed it down there to see if it'll take out whatever's in there? Or do I stand a chance of buggering things up even more if I just blindly start feeding things down the tube?

This is, of course, assuming that it's not just that the septic tank is full and not draining into the leeching bed. Then I'm just in for a world of hurt when I take the pipe apart.

After all this, of course, is when I have to deal with all the human waste in the dirt floor of the basement... Which may involve digging up and getting rid of. Or just scooping up the worst of it and covering it with something, but that's for another day.

monkeybounce
Feb 9, 2007

blearghhh posted:

:words: poo poo :words:


I would go with the video diagnostic.

If it were a normal sewer, I'd say rotoroot away, but septic tanks are a different story and much more expensive to fix/much messier if you gently caress something up.

As for the pipe sticking up, I'm assuming it's just a clean-out and is there specifically for auguring out the pipes, but it most definitely should be capped. If it's just allowing raw sewage to spill unabated into the basement, that's a problem in and of itself.

Cramato
Jul 9, 2002

Beware the curse!
I have a linoleum floor in a basement room. I don't like the linoleum and I want a wood or wood-looking floor instead. Am I okay to go right over the linoleum with a wood/ engineered wood / laminate floor? If so, is one better than another?

The linoleum is affixed directly to the concrete slab. The linoleum is securely stuck down, in good condition with no holes or anything.

If this would work, is it better to float the floor, or should I affix it in some way? I'm in Atlanta, where it gets pretty humid in the summers.

Beer4TheBeerGod
Aug 23, 2004
Exciting Lemon

elsanto posted:

My clothes washer's discharge hose sprung a leak, so I cut in half, joined the halves with a barb, and then hose clamped them. The hose still leaks a little, and after try ing PVC cement and a rubber adhesive to stop it, I am out of ideas. Is there a compound or adhesive that would stop leaks in a plastic hose. What the hell is it?

If you're unsure where to get tubing or which tubing to use, remove the tubing from the washer and take it with you to Home Depot or Lowe's. Also take note of any particular fittings or whatnot that may need special attention.

Or, if you're really lazy, seal the whole thing with RTV. As much as I love RTV, I'd suggest you go the other way.

blearghhh
Oct 19, 2004

monkeybounce posted:

I would go with the video diagnostic.

If it were a normal sewer, I'd say rotoroot away, but septic tanks are a different story and much more expensive to fix/much messier if you gently caress something up.

drat.

monkeybounce posted:

As for the pipe sticking up, I'm assuming it's just a clean-out and is there specifically for auguring out the pipes, but it most definitely should be capped. If it's just allowing raw sewage to spill unabated into the basement, that's a problem in and of itself.

Nah, it's there because the previous owners were idiots and decided adding a new pipe sticking up from the drain was an appropriate thing to add so that a drip line could be added. Without so much as a trap I would add.

Although, I guess without that pipe it would've backed up until it got to the kitchen sink, which is the next lowest point. I probably would've noticed it sooner, if nothing else.

Korenwolf
Mar 14, 2007

Nap Ghost

elsanto posted:

My clothes washer's discharge hose sprung a leak, so I cut in half, joined the halves with a barb, and then hose clamped them. The hose still leaks a little, and after try ing PVC cement and a rubber adhesive to stop it, I am out of ideas. Is there a compound or adhesive that would stop leaks in a plastic hose. What the hell is it?

Its probably easier to replace, but if you can shut off the water and get the area dry, try RTV otherwise known as fish tank cement. Thats what I do when I'm lazy. You can get it at lowes, for some reason home depot doesn't carry it. At least the home depot by me.

machinegirl
Apr 16, 2002

*sigh*
To add to the links:

Craft from the publishers of Make!
Craftster - a huge crafting forum filled with lots of tutorials on just about everything

DJYar
Jul 13, 2004

Cunning like fuck
DIY basics: DIY network isn't the best place to get information as they tend to be bland and biased toward their sponsors, however, the page I linked offers a great starting point for basic project ideas.

A few magazines with cool websites also:

Nuts and Volts: Meant more for your mid-grade electronics tinkerer, this has some great project ideas and is a great resource for your up and coming mad scientist.

Readymade: DIY for the hipster on a budget. Lots of quick and easy projects that typically make use of recyclable materials.

RobertKerans
Aug 25, 2006

There is a heppy lend
Fur, fur aw-a-a-ay.
One of my electric oven's hobs comes on every time I switch it on at the wall. I'm a lazy bastard, and I've put up with it as it's ok if I'm doing stuff on the hob, but otherwise is getting pretty annoying. How do I fix this? Is it as simple as just replacing a fuse?

Beer4TheBeerGod
Aug 23, 2004
Exciting Lemon

RobertKerans posted:

One of my electric oven's hobs comes on every time I switch it on at the wall. I'm a lazy bastard, and I've put up with it as it's ok if I'm doing stuff on the hob, but otherwise is getting pretty annoying. How do I fix this? Is it as simple as just replacing a fuse?

So you have a wall switch that turns your oven on and off? What about the switch controlling the burner itself?

idolmind86
Jun 13, 2003

It's better to burn out than to fade away.

It's even better to work out, numbnuts.

Death Pants posted:

perfect timing for this forum to open. I just managed to score a killer deal on vinyl peel and stick tile for my house (300 sq/ft for 10 cents). We've needed to replace the linoleum in our house since we moved in but have not had the money/time.

Everyone I've talked to has told me removing the old linoleum/adhesive is a royal pain. Does anyone have any experience with this or suggestions on the easiest methods of removal?

I would really suggest for your own sanity to lay a layer of luan over existing vinyl. It will save you SO much time and SO much headache. I believe real plywood will give you the best surface but will be significantly more expensive than the luan.

Zionist_en_fuego
Jul 8, 2004

ونحن سرقوا الفلافل
Graphic Designers or Photographers Help me make my apartment not suck!

Hi all, i've decided to do something about the vast emptiness on the walls throughout my apartment and print up some cool home-made posters. I'm going for the uber-cliched collage/mosaic look...



I'm trying to browse google for cool source material, as well as some photos I have lying around. Problem is, i don't know what resolution i'm gonna need for medium-large size posters (11x17ish). The highest res poo poo i found on google (which is also the coolest, just GIS "wallpaper widthtXheight") maxes out around 2500x3000. Is that too small for an 11x17 poster?

What resolution or image formats should I be working with? How much could I expect to pay to print about 9 or 10 posters on quality paper and have them framed?

Beer4TheBeerGod
Aug 23, 2004
Exciting Lemon

Zionist_en_fuego posted:

What resolution or image formats should I be working with? How much could I expect to pay to print about 9 or 10 posters on quality paper and have them framed?

If you have a Ritz camera nearby you're in luck. You can send them a digital image and they'll blow it up. Their website tells you what resolutions are good for what size posters; I think I did a 20x30 poster with a relatively low-resolution image (I think it was 1024 x 768, or smaller).

ascii larry
Feb 15, 2007

...just takin' out the trash
edit: nm

ascii larry fucked around with this message at 21:47 on Apr 14, 2011

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Zionist_en_fuego
Jul 8, 2004

ونحن سرقوا الفلافل

Blowupologist posted:

If you have a Ritz camera nearby you're in luck. You can send them a digital image and they'll blow it up. Their website tells you what resolutions are good for what size posters; I think I did a 20x30 poster with a relatively low-resolution image (I think it was 1024 x 768, or smaller).

I'm not in america, but could you link me to that chart, i cant seem to find it. Did the poster come out well? What paper did you print it on?

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