Fix it Fast: The Early Years 2008-2020

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GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Partial Octopus posted:

So my new apartment has this brick sized hole in the back yard that goes straight into the basement. There is a wooden frame with some mesh in the middle blocking it, but there is still plenty of room for pests to get into the basement. I wanna get rid of that stupid thing and block the hole with something else. Does anyone have any recommendations on what to use? Is there expanding foam or anything like that? I want the cheapest, easiest fix.

That's kind of odd. I would check with the landlord to make sure it's not there for a reason (venting, radon removal, etc.) before messing with it.

# ¿ Aug 26, 2018 02:15

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# ¿ May 22, 2024 17:01

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

A few questions.

I think I know the answer to this but want a bit of reassurance. If I'm an experienced DIYer and have installed a pre-hung exterior door, should I expect that installing a pocket door in a non-load-bearing wall when I rip down the drywall is within my ability? Anything I should know about reinforcing what's there (the other side of the wall is a tiled shower wall) both during installation and permanently? I'm assuming that either the kit will come with instructions or I should double up studs and horizontal pieces like I would with a regular door or window.

Is there any way to do wall sconces in a room with asymmetrically placed windows and doors, or will it just look like poo poo? I've thought about corner sconces, but considering two of the four would be above doors, should I just abandon the idea?

This is probably a better question for the home decoration thread, but are there any decent looking, affordable, low profile art deco ceiling lights to replace the old boob light in my room or should I keep checking United Housewrecking? I'm planning to gut the room and go for a late art deco style with consideration for accenting with early streamline moderne elements

Also probably for the home decoration thread, is a floor medallion too much for a 10x11 foot bedroom?

PainterofCrap posted:

Float bowl is full of crap. Remove it & clean it out.

This.

OSU_Matthew posted:

Stupid question, but I'm looking to run about thirty feet of exterior conduit for PoE Ethernet cables, for some NVR IP cameras on my porch (found a cigarette butt in the trunk of my car from the drunkard who lives down the street... They just wander around and dump their cigarette butts whenever they go, and apparently I left my car unlocked one night).

Anyways, I'm just trying to find something that's fairly weather resistant, inconspicuous, won't photo degrade in six months of being outside, and, is fairly cheap. My thoughts so far are painted PVC, but I would just love something relatively flat like wire mold. Would you guys have any out of the box ideas for this seemingly simple thing?

Cheap, exterior wiremold is what I'm looking for.

Ideally, you would run the wire inside the house or bury conduit for it. If not, I think Legrand makes outdoor rated wiremold, but it's not particularly cheap.

# ¿ Aug 31, 2018 03:23

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

70 year old house, original cedar shakes in surprisingly good condition, with a few spots that need new shakes and backer board. First order of business is to replace the backer board and shakes as needed. On a shoestring budget, is the best thing to do to scrape, wire brush, power wash, walnut blast, wash again, then prime and paint without going cheap on the paint? Also, is Behr Premium Ultra good (seems durable, only started flaking after 20+ years) or is there something better I should go with?

Cat Face Joe posted:

1944, SE Michigan. Even the little piece I cut out is pretty heavy so I'm perfectly fine with not messing with it. I'm not super worried about lead since I've already been exposed to a bunch of asbestos in the attic.

Lead poisoning is a complex neurological process that's not fully understood. Asbestos causes cancer not by chemical means, but by having fibers so fine and sharp that they literally pierce cell nuclei and physically shred DNA. Please stop inadvertently killing yourself.

Medullah posted:

I've got some carpet that is folding up. Is there anything I can do about it? Don't want to replace it all and I've tried the incredibly scientific "Put heavy poo poo on it for a while" method.

I echo PainterofCrap. The pad is probably gone in those areas and should be replaced, but if you want to hurt your knees and half-rear end it for a much lower cost, buy or rent a carpet stretcher and buy a utility knife and some spare blades to fix it yourself.

# ¿ Sep 29, 2018 03:39

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

tactlessbastard posted:

Personally I'd demolish a wall and reframe it to make what I had in mind from scratch before I ever worked on removing wallpaper again.

For $8 per piece of drywall, I'm inclined to agree.

# ¿ Dec 4, 2018 03:47

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Nevets posted:

My bedroom in my last house had plaster & lath walls, 3 layers of wallpaper, and a thin coat of canary yellow paint that did almost nothing to hide the pattern behind it. I tried taking some off and realized I'd end up redoing most of the plaster that way, so I just painted over it. 2 layers of white primer & a topcoat. The first layer was drying right before my eyes, the wall was so dry it literally was sucking up the paint. Wallpaper really should be retired alongside the other things we thought were a good idea in the past, like asbestos tiles, leaded paint, and galvanized pipes.

And carpet over hardwood floors.

PainterofCrap posted:

So's this stuff:

Last gallon I've ever seen, picked it up at a yard sale.

I have a "secret" trick to fixing electronics that get wet. Soak in 90% isopropyl alcohol for a few hours, set it on top of something warm like the cable box to evaporate, then put it in a Ziploc bag and cover it with Freon TF and shake it vigorously for a few minutes. I then filter the freon back into the bottle until the next friend or family member drops their phone in the toilet or pool. I know my gallon of freon isn't much compared to industrial emissions, but I use a fan with a carbon filter to catch fumes anyway.

# ¿ Dec 17, 2018 00:21

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

I wouldn't assume that. The gas company should have an address lookup. Having a gas line installed could be anywhere between free and $1000 depending on the company.

# ¿ Dec 17, 2018 21:56

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

B-Nasty posted:

LOL.

I have a line about 1/4 mile away (outside the neighborhood), and if I can get 25% of my neighbors to sign up and add a gas appliance, it will only cost us $30,000 each spread out over 10 years. Sure, power company, I'd love to pay you $250 + meter fee + gas usage every month; I'm sure that will work out for me.

If I'm going to be buying infrastructure, it'll be solar panels to make the power company pay me instead.

That's based on the assumption that there is already gas service on the street.

# ¿ Dec 18, 2018 17:57

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

eddiewalker posted:

What about Snap Toggles? Kind of a clever cross between a toggle bolt and a drywall anchor. Less fiddly, leaves a cleaner hole and won�t fall into the wall.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SC1ZuxuZ2PU

These are the answer. They're about $1 a piece and work great. Go for name brand, all of the off-brand ones I've tried were crappy quality.

# ¿ Dec 23, 2018 21:25

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

I tried to install a TV mount for a friend, but my plan of big screws into the studs was thwarted by the fact that there don't appear to be any where I need them. Between feeling along the wall, knocking, drilling a line of holes every half inch for 24 inches and punching through every time, and finally pushing on the wall and seeing where it didn't give, I'm pretty sure it's lath and plaster with just one stud in the center of the wall. My current plan is to use 6 toggle bolts to mount a piece of plywood to the wall, then wood screws to attach the mount to the plywood. My concern here is that it's a full motion mount with a 39" TV, and I'm not sure that would be enough to hold it. Any suggestions?

# ¿ Jan 10, 2019 00:18

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

opengl128 posted:

If you have a stud in the center, attach your plywood there using lag bolts, with toggles on the outside. But honestly 39" is light and toggles all around would probably be fine.

Center is several feet to the left of where the TV is going.

# ¿ Jan 10, 2019 22:15

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

My bathroom has a '50s style towel rack like this.

Originally, there was a piece of wood wrapped in black vinyl to match the ends as a bar. For a couple of years we've been using ugly-rear end spring-loaded curtain rods after the original wood broke. I'd like to get a wood or metal bar in there that looks like the old one, but the ends are fixed in place. Any ideas on how to do that and have the bar be reasonably strong (won't break if someone accidentally leans and puts weight on it)?

# ¿ Jan 20, 2019 22:14

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Not looking to fix anything since I'm not an elevator mechanic, but I know we have various professionals here. My friend lives in a 12 story condo building on the 9th floor. A few nights ago he was taking the elevator to the lower level (garage below the first floor) and the elevator stopped at the first floor, shot up to the fourth floor fast enough that he said he would have thrown up if he had recently eaten, dropped at almost freefall speed then ground to a halt at the first floor, flew back up to the fourth floor again, dropped again to the first, then slowly and loudly made its way down to the lower level.

Anyone want to speculate on what caused this or advise whether it would be legal to take building management hostage until they actually called in a repair instead of lying and saying they would several times and ignoring it?

# ¿ Apr 7, 2019 05:10

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

TooMuchAbstraction posted:

I guess I could also just say "gently caress it" and let the TV get scratched. How durable is the average TV screen against incidental scratches?

Modern TVs will scratch if you look at them funny. If your local hardware store doesn't have thin plexiglass, go to a local place that does windows and have them cut you a piece. If there's a prominent bezel, undersize it by 3/8" and use window/door weatherstripping to wedge it in instead of attaching it permanently, that way you can easily replace it.

Cyrano4747 posted:

It�s not post 1980 i know that much. 60s iirc.

As for tenant notifications its all government with a healthy dose of military.

Some guy on TV told me what to do if you or a loved one is suffering from mesothelioma, you should call him.

# ¿ Apr 13, 2019 02:20

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

TooMuchAbstraction posted:

It's in the kitchen, there's freefloating grease everywhere unless it has a really good fume hood that the POs actually used routinely. Even without that they'd've been fine if they'd done surface prep before painting.

Look at your kitchen with a blacklight and you'll never feel clean again.

# ¿ Apr 17, 2019 16:46

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Nevets posted:

If they couldn't be bothered to spend 30 seconds sweeping up their trash before they covered up under the stairs imagine all the other things they couldn't be bothered to do.

This sounds like where I work. Not just cigarette packs, but also burned butts and crushed beer cans. The high priority code remediation issues are approaching $15M and several people involved in construction are doing prison time.

DaveSauce posted:

I also doubt that I drilled perfectly straight through a 2x10/2x12 joist. I encountered no nails, and I'm doubtful that I could drill that straight for that far.

You drilled through a joist.

# ¿ May 4, 2019 05:36

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

FogHelmut posted:

The previous owners painted the brick around my fireplace with black gloss latex paint. How much of a pain in the rear end would it be to strip the paint from the brick?

Find the previous owners and make them do it at gunpoint.

Extensive Vamping posted:

This damned lawnmower will not beat me. I've posted about it before, it loses power and dies constantly. Suggestion was to rebuild the carb or install a fuel filter. So far I've changed the oil and plug and cleaned the air filter, as well as copious use of carb cleaner. I use carb cleaner to start it every time now in fact.

I've observed debris in the fuel tank. This seems to be due to the design of the fuel cap which has three pinholes in it, most likely to facilitate airflow. The mower kicks up small clippings constantly toward the engine due to a small gap in the clipping cover. Stands to reason that this debris is causing my problems. When the mower stalls I can prime it to force more fuel into the carb, but doing so takes several minutes as the rubber prime button takes forever between presses to regain its shape. Not sure why, either vaccuum or just old.

I also haven't tried servicing the muffler so I will replace that as a matter of course. Next, my plan is to disconnect the fuel hose from the engine and drain and flush the fuel tank. I was thinking about filtering the fuel through a coffee filter into a glass. Finally, I'll upgrade the fuel cap by gluing a screen onto it, and see about blocking the gap the clippings fly through.

Failing all that, I'll rebuild the damned carb. Thoughts?

Clean out the tank and fuel line, then try just thoroughly cleaning the needle valve and main jet before doing a full rebuild.

# ¿ May 6, 2019 22:21

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Spring Heeled Jack posted:

I posted this in the plumbing thread but I�ll copy it here for better coverage.

This is what my kitchen sink p trap looks like, is there anything obviously wrong with the way it is setup? My sink gurgles after it drains water and it is the only sink in the house to do so. The drain line on the right is from the dish washer which is not used.

Is that a double sink? If so, it's not vented correctly.

bobua posted:

Maybe I'm not explaining it right. That's how the builder did it in 2005(big name builder, tract house).

https://imgur.com/a/Kgv8ggI

John 11:35: "And Jesus wept."

bobua posted:

Well, if it's already out of code I guess that really frees me up

uncoil your romex and leave it out in the sun for a few hours to simulate aging, then you can pretend it's original. please don't

# ¿ May 12, 2019 02:48

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

zhar posted:

there is an upstairs window on my house that needs maintenance (it is rotting). it would be a lot easier if it could be removed due to the height, however the hinges look like this:

is it possible to unscrew this? without wrecking the frame

Remove the pin or grind the hinges open. Don't bother with the screws and existing hardware until it's off.

Wasabi the J posted:

Wait what? Like it's just sitting on top of the ceiling drywall, and they just screwed up into it from the room?

Also can someone link a decent blade to cut the heads off 1/2 inch lag bolts?

I have an oscillations multi tool and a smaller Dremel but there's so many choices for blades. I really only need to cut a handful ~10 of them, max.

Get a 5 pack of metal cutting blades for the oscillating tool from Harbor Freight.

# ¿ Jul 8, 2019 05:28

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Mirconium posted:

So I finally decided to actually get an impact gun, since they're the wondertool of the century and all, but I notice that corded ones tend to be very expensive compared to cordless varieties (for some reason?)

I hate sitting around charging batteries and watching them go dead with time, does anyone make a cordless to corded adapter kind of a setup? You know, plug into a socket, run a cord into the tool that has the same hookup as the battery? I've looked around for this for a few of the common brands and it doesn't seem to exist, which is weird to me, either demand really is that low, or there is an obvious problem I am missing?

This can be done but is a very idea if you have to ask the questions you're asking.

# ¿ Nov 29, 2019 06:16

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

B-Nasty posted:

If you really need the power, just get a corded version to begin with.

this

cowofwar posted:

I�m going to replace a flat mirror in our bathroom with a recessed cabinet and have a couple questions:

1. What is the best way to detach the mirror from the drywall? Good ol putty knife?

2. I am familiar with how to install a recessed cabinet in the wall when there are wooden studs but I am pretty sure that the bathroom was framed with metal studs. What is the best strategy there? Use snips to cut the metal studs in the way? Then reframe with wood 2x3s as usual or with metal?

1: If you're not keeping it, get a can of spray glue and plastic wrap. Get the plastic glued on solidly and use a regular prybar to pop off the biggest chunks of mirror that you can. Wear a hat and safety glasses because you will still get tiny pieces of glass flying and things between those and parts of you like your eyes and hair are desirable.
2: Snip the studs, put the appropriate sized pieces of wood inside the metal studs, screw it in both sides, top and bottom, and frame the cabinet in wood like you would normally.

DrBouvenstein posted:

I need to put an exhaust fan in my bathroom. Somehow, it doesn't have one. I've been putting this off because my "attic" is a teeny, tiny crawlspace of an attic with no room, and I have to move carefully on the ceiling joists, there's no plywood or anything put down to kneel on.

Get 16" wide pieces of wood and nail them to the joists so you're not miserable.

quote:

But, since it's winter, I don't want to have to go up on my roof to install the vent exhaust. My own drat fault for not doing it earlier.

I COULD go to an exterior wall, but the closest gable end is maybe 15ish feet away...I think my fan could push that? I want to say it's 80 or 90 CFM (it's a SMALL bathroom, like maybe 6x8?) so it might just be too far?

So my "compromise" is to TEMPORARILY vent it out the soffit, since that's like 2 feet away from where the fan will go. I will put some sort of panels to block off the soffit vents on either side of the exhaust for a foot or two in each direction to prevent the war, moist air from getting sucked right back up into the attic.

Then, come spring, I'll remove that, put the soffit vents back in place, and route it up through the roof.

Good idea/bad idea? The other option is just go through the roof now...I THINK I could route the exhaust so it's pretty close to the eave, so I might be able to install the vent cap on the roof while staying on a ladder.

A soffit 2 feet from the fan is going to create a thermal "short circuit" and pull humid air right back in through every time you have a window open. 15 feet to the gable is no problem and a lot more than 15 times less likely to make your roof leak.

mutata posted:

I have a bedroom-sized room in the basement that has my washer/dryer in it and a cut out with the furnace/water heater in it. The floor is just raw concrete right now. I'm looking for a fairly straightforward solution to finish the floor for reasonably cheap that also looks deliberate and finished. Any ideas? I'm currently thinking of just sealing it and calling it good, but I thought I'd ask if anyone knows of something cooler or better.

Just seal it. If the floor gets too cold, get those carpet squares that fit together like puzzle pieces, keep some squares, and cover the floor with those. Close off the furnace nook with vented bifold doors.

Also, since I recently had a scare, you and everyone else should please put carbon monoxide detectors at the top of each staircase, outside of the furnace room/closet, and either in the hallway outside sleeping areas or in each bedroom. I got ultra paranoid and thought I was being poisoned in my sleep, but it turned out that was just another major anxiety thing and I have working detectors up and since I'm supposed to check my 4 gas detector I use for UrbEx monthly, I check it outside and sweep the house just in case (I'm aware that this is not a thing that normal people do, but I have depression and anxiety with compulsive behaviors and a 4 gas detector, so bear with me).

# ¿ Dec 4, 2019 05:53

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Pollyanna posted:

My gas furnace has a large set of screws of some sort that have a roughly 1-inch wide straight (i.e. not Philips) head on them securing the front panel. It looks like they're meant to be unscrewed with some sort of coin or something, but two of the screws are so tight that they're nearly impossible to actually remove without something that has more leverage than a screw. Are there any heavy duty tools that can remove screws that look like large versions of these?

I was not the one that installed the gas furnace, if it matters.

Go to Harbor Freight and buy the biggest screwdriver they sell.

abelwingnut posted:

so i'm trying to clean up the area around my shower drain in my new apartment.

Unfuck your drain with foaming grain cleaner, then rinse thoroughly to as not to do a war crime on yourself and hit the drain with CLR. The black bacteria will come back every few days, of it stays black it's eating iron and is it goes pink it's eating manganese I

GWBBQ fucked around with this message at 20:44 on Dec 18, 2019

# ¿ Dec 16, 2019 04:21

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Lutha Mahtin posted:

I am looking to replace some halogen light bulbs with LEDs. I have 3 fixtures that use 4 bulbs each for 12 total. They are all the G9 bi-pin base, which is where the trouble comes in. Most of the bulbs of this type are either sold as store-brand, or are made-up Chinese reseller brands on places like Amazon. A couple companies I've heard of make them, for example GE and Westinghouse, but GE doesn't make the wattage I want and the Westinghouse bulbs cost at least twice as much as the no-name stuff. I live in the US, if that matters.

Are no-name bulbs of this type safe? It makes me feel leery buying electrical things from some random reseller, even if they are actually completely safe. I don't understand what dangers (if any) there are for 3-watt LED light bulbs.

I haven't had any problems with Home Depot branded bulbs, but I also only have them in the basement where they don't see as much use.

# ¿ Mar 29, 2020 02:45

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Rocko isn't joking about rotary hammers chewing up concrete faster than drilling a 2x4. I'm spoiled because I have a top of the line Hilti model at work and with a 5/8" bit it can make 2 inch deep holes in under 3 seconds.

# ¿ Mar 30, 2020 19:27

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Khizan posted:

I need to hang some bathroom fixtures like towel hooks and a toilet paper holder. What should I be looking for in the way of drywall anchors? I know next to nothing about the topic, but the ones that came with the stuff seem pretty lovely.

I go with snap toggles for anything that the bolts will fit in. Screw in like stud solver would also work, but the toggles resist pullout better and towel hooks will experience some pulling in addition to gravity.

# ¿ Apr 3, 2020 21:07

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

big crush on Chad OMG posted:

I�m confused as to why you can�t just install an actual curtain rod. Even if it�s a rental you can patch and paint the holes if the apartment complex said anything. I can�t imagine they would raise a stink if you left a nicer curtain rod, though.

Any excuse to steal your security deposit.

# ¿ Apr 10, 2020 16:07

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# ¿ May 22, 2024 17:01

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Bioshuffle posted:

I tried out the fire starter for my wood burning fireplace with a gas starter, but it looks like 2 out of the 3 slots are clogged up. I tried to scrape away at the build up somewhat, but it looks like it's.. rusted shut? The chimney sweep guy said it looked fine, but he said I would have to ask a plumbing person for more details since it was gas related. Do I need to replace the whole thing or can I just take a hacksaw and gently open the slots back up? The pipe extends beyond the brickwork, so I would have to hire someone to cut the pipe and rethread it.

This one looks and works fine, but it's the other two I'm worried about.

This is the one on the far left. It burns a little, but it's obviously clogged up.

This one is so blocked up it won't even light.

You have no way of knowing how rusted it is inside or where. Anything short of replacement is asking for surprises, and when they involve natural gas and fire (or worse no fire at first then lots of fire later) they're not a lot of fun. Have it replaced, and expect that you may have to have the brickwork pulled and repaired to have it done properly.

# ¿ Oct 10, 2020 14:49

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