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My garage door opener has an external wired trigger that uses a keyed switch which was not included when I got my house. I'd like to replace it with a keypad but thinking about it I'm not sure how these actually work that they can't be hotwired or something similar. I suppose the lock is drilled into the frame so prying that out would probably be a bit harder but a plastic housing with the wire run into the back strikes me as much simpler. Do I need to replace the opener entirely to be compatible with an included keypad? Is wireless a better option for retrofitting something?
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Jul 19, 2016 21:29
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n.. posted:It's a just simple relay to open/close the door. If you take apart the keyed switch you'll probably just find 2 wires going to the opener, touch the wires together and it'll open. You should be able to easily find a keypad that will work with that. Yeah, the touch two wires and it opens is what I'm concerned about. I can't imagine prying off the keypad and getting at those two wires is too terribly difficult. kid sinister posted:Most garage door opener keypads are wireless. It's actually more secure and weatherproof than wired. They work just like a remote in your car: you pair them with your opener and they need batteries every few years. Just think of putting in the code as the keypad "pushing the button". At most, you might have to order one from your opener's manufacturer. If you go this route, disconnect the wires from the old keyed switch up at the opener. Wired switches work by touching the wires together. Disconnecting them prevents anyone from fishing those wires out and opening your door. Oh, and you'll probably want to seal up the hole from the old one. Use caulk if it isn't too big. Do you mean the handheld ones that you would have in your car? That isn't what I'm looking to do. I want something mounted like n.. linked so I can open it from outside without having to go into the house. I didn't think about trying to reuse the switch though. I'll take a look and see if I can get it out without destroying it. Edit: Now that I think about it, maybe you're suggesting what I'm looking for but saying they work wirelessly similarly to what you would keep in your car? Teabag Dome Scandal fucked around with this message at 22:58 on Jul 19, 2016 |
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Jul 19, 2016 22:55
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H110Hawk posted:http://www.geniecompany.com/garage-door-openers/programming_accessories.aspx Yeah, looks like something like that should work! Thanks friends!
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Jul 20, 2016 00:10
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A friend loaned me a moisture meter that uses pins to take a reading. I'm not sure if my paint is ungodly thick or what but it was a pain in the rear end getting the pins into the wall. If I made some starter holes with a tiny nail will that work? I'm assuming the pins just need contact with the drywall and to be deep enough in the wall to work properly?
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Feb 15, 2017 21:01
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Slugworth posted:As long as the pilot holes are smaller than your pins, sure. That being said, I poked walls with a moisture meter for 7 years and never ran into one I couldn't easily puncture. You sure it's drywall? Plaster is harder, but still shouldn't require pilot holes. Maybe? I don't know. This is all pretty new to me. It was difficult enough that I had to work them into the wall which resulted in pushing one of the pins into the meter. I pulled it back out with some pliers and the test procedure worked. I'll let my friend decide if I need to buy him a new one. I'm trying to figure out if a ceiling leak has also seeped into the walls. re: calibration The instructions only had me use my fingers to test if it was reading. There didn't appear to be anything else and there are only two buttons on the thing.
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Feb 16, 2017 18:29
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I got a 3rd Gen Nest and I'm fairly certain I have the C wire but wanted to make sure before I burned my house down. Attached is a picture of the current setup on some Honeywell that uses batteries. Should I safely assume the blue wire is indeed the C wire? I can't see behind the furnace to where the wire goes to make sure it wasn't installed incorrectly.
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Apr 19, 2017 22:24
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facialimpediment posted:The Nest will do some self-checks in the early setup to make sure that each wire is what it says it is, but it's also entirely possible that your furnace installer/homeowner was a moron and connected the blue to some other spot instead of common, or not at all! So, why risk it? I can see the wires going into the furnace but they're behind a panel that is less easy to access than the one below so I'm not sure if I should be poking around in there or not. Looking for a manual for mine which is a Bryant 80t Plus and also apparently installed upside down or at least all the labels are. There is a little window that lets me see the error LED on the control board. I think this furnace was the first installed in this house since it used to be electric but I don't know how long ago that was. No multimeter unfortunately. I don't think this is helpful but this is what I see. The thermostat wire enters from the left of the top of the picture. 
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Apr 19, 2017 23:15
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C does not appear to be hooked up since I get an error when installed. Since the wire is there I'm going to look into what I need to do to do it myself. Thanks for the help!
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Apr 20, 2017 00:39
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The previous homeowner had a chicken coop and after removing it they reseeded with grass that is different from what was on the rest of the lawn. It grows a bit faster and has what looks to me like more field grassiness to it than the rest? More solid blades that are kind of stemmy I guess? I'm not sure how to describe it properly so I guess a picture would have been helpful. I want to do something about this to make it match up with the rest of my lawn. How do I do this? Do I need to kill it all off and reseed with the correct grass?
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Apr 28, 2017 21:36
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kid sinister posted:Buy a sod plugger, swap the plugs and wait a year or two. This assumes that you have even sunlight in the area. Not all grass does equally well when shaded.
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Apr 28, 2017 22:17
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This towel bar my girlfriend has put off putting up is missing one of the set screws to attach the bar to the mounting bracket. The remaining one is a cone shape which looks like it'd be more secure since this bracket is angled. Is a flat topped screw going to work well enough? I'm having trouble finding a pointed one on the Home Depot web site. Would a smaller specialty hardware store be more likely?
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Apr 17, 2018 05:13
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cakesmith handyman posted:Do you mean a pointed tip or a countersunk head? I mean pointed tip like these guys https://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/124/3149/=1cgtszj
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Apr 18, 2018 16:08
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My girlfriend broke her condo door key this weekend only to discover no one else had a copy so she had to get a locksmith out who drilled it to get it open. The locksmith helpfully did not have a replacement cylinder so she's only had her interior deadbolt the rest of the weekend. Is this something I can buy and replace myself since the hard part of drilling it is over? The door appears to be Pella and it sounds like they use a couple different multi-lock manufacturers. Is the cylinder standardized or do I need to figure out who makes it before buying a replacement? Where would I go to buy this?
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May 21, 2018 21:00
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H110Hawk posted:Take a quick picture of it, but assuming it's bog standard then yes, you can go to any hardware store or locksmith and get replacement hardware. It's odd the locksmith couldn't rekey you on the spot, especially if she had both halves of the key. You don't see like "Medeco" or something on the key itself do you? Compare the keyway part to other keys on your keyring, especially if one is for a kwikset lock. (The top cut away hills and valleys is the biting on your key, the other axis is your keyway.) If you see a bunch of extra cutouts or odd angles in there you might have a restricted keyway. Unfortunately, she pitched her broken pieces so I don't have a picture to offer. I do remember that the key body? (whatever the bit is called that doesn't contain the actual teeth) was much larger than my kwikset keys and square if that helps narrow it down. She did send me a picture of the broken bit but I'm not sure if that will be enough to be helpful. Something is etched into the key but I'm not sure if thats the brand and numbering you were talking about?
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May 21, 2018 22:15
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H110Hawk posted:The important stuff would be on the head of the key. It doesn't look all that special. Is the hardware physically removed from the door now so she just has a hole where the handle should be? No, the lock is still fully assembled so she can deadbolt the door from inside. Its only the outside keyhole that is non functional but it is still installed.
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May 21, 2018 22:50
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H110Hawk posted:Take a picture, but odds are that is 100% regular sold-at-home-depot door hardware.   
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May 22, 2018 02:50
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H110Hawk posted:I believe that is called a mortise set, looks like their essential hardware set. I would call around to make sure it's in stock before driving anywhere. Once you have it installation should be easy, especially if you get a Pella brand replacement. It would appear that is their Eclipse Satin Nickel from the Essential line! Thanks! I didn't think it would be the entire door assembly though I'm not sure why. Everything is closed by now but will I be able to buy just the cylinder? That's all I should need to replace, right?
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May 22, 2018 03:42
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kid sinister posted:If that's all the locksmith damaged, then yes. That is indeed a mortise lockset, which in turn takes a mortise lock cylinder. They're used in retail doors a lot. Those are kind of weird. You take the cover plate off the latch side, then unscrew a little set screw inside. That set screw holds the cylinder in place. Once the set screw is loose, the entire cylinder can unscrew out of the door face. Once you got that out, then comes the hard part of finding a duplicate. Yeah, this feels loving ridiculous that it's so hard to find a loving cylinder for the drat thing. I mean, obviously drilling out the lock should be last ditch but it shouldn't be so hard to find a replacement.
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May 22, 2018 22:44
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kid sinister posted:I got a question. Why was the key cylinder in your deadbolt picture brass? You said it was drilled out. Great question! I was confused about that too until my girlfriend told me the locksmith put it in there so it wouldn't have an obvious gaping hole in her door. I disassembled the lock last night and took some pictures. I'm honestly not sure why this is such a pain in the dick. This appears to be a cylinder that would work if it weren't too short? This is the currently installed, non functional cylinder. I'm not sure if it is internally broken or not linking up with something because we have the keys but they don't actually lock? that rod looks broken and probably too short?  This is the lock. I would assume the cylinder turns the black bit which appears to be a rubber of some kind that the deadbolt knob also turns?  This is the front of the door where they key would go in.  These appear to be the same thing? http://www.allaboutdoors.com/Products/Pella-Keyed-Cylinders
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May 23, 2018 19:34
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tactlessbastard posted:Man, I came so close to posting last night and saying that if I were you I'd replace the whole thing, because finding specific parts would be a pain in the rear end. I am fast coming to the same conclusion. I don't know how other multipoint lock systems are as far as parts replacement but Pella is godawful. angryrobots posted:You can get repair parts from Pella, but you *have* to have the exact model number (and maybe serial too?) before they will help you. I had a broken bit on a Pella glass storm door, and ended up jury rigging it cause I couldn't find whatever number they said they needed. Yes, we were running into this specific problem until my girlfriend was able to help them find the info on her door and now we're looking at bookings 2 weeks out.
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May 23, 2018 21:40
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H110Hawk posted:Because you haven't called back the original locksmith to ask what it would cost to get it fixed up? (Parts, Labor) Or gone and just bought a complete kit? I only mean that with 50% snark, because the moment you talked to someone who sells this stuff you would know what it would take to replace it. My dude, we have been in touch with the original locksmith this entire time. He has been stringing us along with bullshit like he's waiting to hear back on parts or just not bothering to get back to us at all. Everyone I've spoken with have not been able to help and told us we probably need to deal with Pella. I can't find anyone besides Pella who sells this stuff.
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May 23, 2018 22:29
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We finally were able to figure out the door poo poo and Pella is sending someone out tomorrow to fix it which is amazing because they were saying their techs were booked 2 weeks out. Thanks to everyone that offered help and suggestions. Never buy Pella.
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May 24, 2018 18:50
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I want to replace my dishwasher because it is garbage and I hate it. Everything about the process seems relatively straight forward since I don't believe the current one is hardwired in. Anything not obvious that'll make the process easier? I'm kind of leaning towards buying one from Costco so I can get a 4 year warranty with my Costco CC because I keep reading about people having to replace their control board in the door and poo poo after a year or two. Is this legitimately a common issue I should be concerned with or is it just a case of people with good experiences not posting about them? I think I might even be able to extend the warranty to 7 years with their Squaretrade warranties.
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Jul 20, 2018 16:17
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PremiumSupport posted:I'd be more worried about the plumbing than the wiring. Even if it is hardwired just flip the breaker, check the wires to make sure they're not live, and loosen a few screws to disconnect it. I know for certain I can get at the drain but now that you mention it I don't know that I can see where the water comes from.
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Jul 20, 2018 17:25
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I just got done helping my girlfriend install some LVP. She did not have baseboards, just some trim from the old carpeting that we removed. I left a gap between the drywall and the edge of the flooring so now we need to put down some new trim/baseboards. Is there any reason for me not to put the baseboards flush with the floor? Is there any type of trim/boards that wouldn't be appropriate to use for non intuitive reasons?
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Jan 22, 2019 19:23
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So then what's to prevent a spill from running under any gap and flowing under the flooring? I'd guess if its flush but not caulked or anything a small spill isn't going to necessarily do much if anything and a big spill is its own set of problems but prior to putting down this floor I'd never thought about even a little bit of water getting under and what to do about it.
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Jan 22, 2019 20:49
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FogHelmut posted:What's under the floor? LVP shouldn't get damaged by water. Concrete slab (its a condo), but it's more of a curiosity/maybe not understanding how constructed homes have already thought about this sort of thing
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Jan 22, 2019 23:43
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Would a 5 gallon bucket full of quikrete and a tall 4x4 post be sufficient to use with a sun shade like this below? Not gonna kill anybody tipping over or anything? Would something be cheaper/better/safer? https://www.amazon.com/PATIO-Paradise-Turquoise-Equilateral-Triangle/dp/B06XCQ4VSR
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May 22, 2019 23:19
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Droo posted:No, I have 12 foot ones sunk into studs and concrete filled block fences. Sometimes they break on a windy day when they get old and I can literally barely hold the broken end temporarily while I take the other two ends down How old? This isn't going to be a permanent fixture. Maybe a few summers worth and I would only have the shade up when in use. I'm not trying to setup a beer garden or anything.
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May 22, 2019 23:51
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I want to string some lights in the backyard but don't have enough actual spots to attach them high enough they won't clothesline people. I was going to just fill a bucket with quikrete and shove an 8 foot fence post in there but I'm getting conflicting info about this both from a longevity perspective and safety perspective. Obviously since this is a bucket and fence post I'm not looking for it to last forever and I don't want it to be easy to bump into and knock over. Some people have said a shallow and wide base is better which makes sense. Any suggestions on the cheapest/easiest/safest way to do this? I think I saw someone somewhere suggest garden edging and a plastic sheet to form the base which sounds like a good way to do it. I've also never mixed the stuff so suggestions on how to do it that might not be obvious to a first timer is appreciated!
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Aug 8, 2019 21:45
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JEEVES420 posted:If your just hanging string light it doesn't need to be load bearing or anything so not sure what you mean by "safety". People leaning against your post in a bucket? This sounds great! thanks for the suggestion. I was trying to think of how I could do something like that with plants but was having a total brainfart.
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Aug 10, 2019 03:47
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I was installing a gate between my kitchen and laundry room and one of the screws I was putting into the threshold frame snapped off at the head. It's probably an inch to an inch and a half in there with maybe 3/4 of an inch sticking out. What's going to be the best way to get this thing out? Should I just saw it off? The screw is pretty narrow so not a lot to grip onto with the leatherman pliers I was using but I can buy something else if something in particular will get a better grip on it.
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Aug 15, 2019 22:43
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My gf has some kitchen cabinet doors that have some sort of heat shrunk laminate film over the faces that is bubbling up on a couple of. We thought it was IKEA but if it is it's very old. Any suggestions on what we can do or is anyone able to identify it if it used to be a common mass market style? We don't really want to replace all of them. I'm not sure what it looks like behind the film since I haven't cut into it yet but I'm assuming just painting it might not look great if they used a film.
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Aug 19, 2019 22:25
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I live in Seattle and contrary to popular belief we don’t actually get a large quantity of rainfall. However, the last couple of days it’s been more than normal and this morning while doing a load of laundry the sink drain was going slow and someone thought the toilet was clogged because it wouldn’t drain even though no one had deuced. I tried this a couple of times to verify it wouldn’t flush and it would reliably just fill up before slowly draining on its own while my washing machine was draining. The toilet is higher along the drain chain and I believe the washing machine should be my last drain location. I’m assuming this could be a backup in my sewer line but what is the likelihood my municipal sewer is just at capacity and it’s backing up because of that? I’m on top of a hill and it hasn’t rained much in at least 12-24 hours and there hasn’t been any actual flooding anywhere near by.
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Sep 10, 2019 18:08
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Charles posted:Do you know if you live in one of the areas that is combined sewer, meaning the storm drains go into the sewer? Ohh that must have been what one of my neighbors was talking about when she mentioned a separated sewer system on my neighborhood group. Thanks for the lightbulb! According to that map I'm not combined but I'm a couple blocks away. When I get home from work I'll see if anybody is outside and handy to ask if they were having problems. I had it scoped when I bought it 3 years ago but I can't remember how far he went.
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Sep 10, 2019 23:02
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How difficult is it to make a window screen for a vinyl window using one of those kits from a hardware store? For a sliding glass door? I feel like I can muddle my way through the window one but the slider might be too much to do well? There is some company out here that charges 200 bucks for the sliding glass door screen plus 80 for the house call.
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Sep 13, 2019 22:54
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A few weeks ago I asked for suggestions about my house and the sewer line. A plumber I got in touch with about it said they didn't do side sewer cleanouts and recommended someone else to me. I had no idea what a side sewer was and when googling it I found what I'm assuming are my city plans and they're confusing/concerning. My house is 3808. Can someone translate this for me? First, it looks like my downspouts are tied in directly to the sewer? And they go through my neighbors property before hitting the city sewer lines? What is SP? What is that 2" C._.F. next to SP? How badly am I about to get hosed?
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Sep 30, 2019 21:39
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Jaded Burnout posted:Yes that appears to be the case. To my knowledge I do not have a sump pump but that appears to be about where my crawl space access is behind the house (I don't have a basement). Would that red line between my house and the neighbors that says 6" means the sewer line is 6" down? That seems awfully shallow. If that is the property line my neighbor replaced his fence a couple of years ago. I wonder if that's relevant.
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Sep 30, 2019 22:15
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Charles posted:Yeah SP = stack pipe. Mine said 1997 I think. That is also where my bathroom is so that answers that. Are downspouts being tied directly to sewer lines common? I didn't realize that was a thing so I never gave it much thought. Can main sewers get clogged from debris?
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Oct 1, 2019 03:08
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Charles posted:Unfortunately it's reality in Seattle, we have Combined Sewer Overflow in a lot of neighborhoods where it dumps into the canal / lake if it gets overwhelmed. That's why they have grants for rain barrels and rain gardens, and any new house in those neighborhoods has the gutters run into a giant french drain thing. The PVC at the bottom is slotted. Someone (possibly you?) commented about the combined sewers when I asked a bit ago and according to the map I am not on them. What sort of info is helpful for the dude coming tomorrow with a cam? When I bought this house 3 years ago I had it scoped but the guy didn't go all the way to the end because I think we assumed the sewer lines went to the street in my front yard instead of to the backyard and into my neighbors yard. I don't think I have a cleanout so we had to use the toilet too.
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Oct 1, 2019 18:44
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