Crappy Construction: The Four POs of the Housepocalypse

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Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

Wild EEPROM posted:

My cousin recently purchased a house.

In this house, the previous owners installed a bathroom in the back of the basement. Before this, there was no bathroom in the basement.

The electrical panel was at the back of the house.

And?

# ¿ Jun 27, 2013 08:22

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# ¿ May 3, 2024 03:38

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

Splizwarf posted:

What in the hell made that place a 'good buy'?

Probably the fact that the new bathroom is very much removable. House flippers do that sort of stupid poo poo on hourly basis. They care about total a number of bathrooms, not how functional they are. You get way more buyer traffic simply because of the higher number. Then they'll knock off $500 because both faucets are running cold water and the toilet drains into the crawlspace.

# ¿ Jun 27, 2013 15:26

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

Guacala posted:

Back in college I rented a shoddy apartment and befriended the elderly neighbors next door. They planned a vacation while their home was being resided and asked me to take photos of the work. After I emailed the photos, the crew was fired - the owner stated they weren't licensed, didn't pull a permit, and didn't remove the original siding like he asked. There was a stockpile of materials left on site and the new group had the luxury to remove the new and old siding.

The first 2 pictures are precious. I wonder if they planned to caulk all that later.

I'm going to a share some recent photos that will feel right at home in this here thread. Let's play a game of Spot The Fuckup.

Check out this cool faucet.

It hits the window sill before you can fully open the hot water

Hey guys, instead of drilling through the wall, let's run our cable through this convenient opening...

Those are dryer vents that have been cut in order to have a cable fed through them. One was done by Verizon, the other by Comcast.

Looks good to me, how about you?

$6,500 HVAC system install, this is the best vent they could manage

One drain good, two drains gooder

The second drain is blocked and is not needed by design

The flex drain adapter: mark of the lazy handy man.

It drained like a sand dial

This house must be ancient

Built in 2009

Why would you need a curtain rod outside the shower?

It's holding the wall from moving 3" towards the doorway. Seriously

Looks just like in the instruction manual!

The pipe leads outside and is attached to a dryer duct. The level of carbon monoxide was several times the norm inside the house

And here is a gift that keeps on giving. It swayed like a leaf. Try to guess why.

Nitrox fucked around with this message at 07:45 on Jun 28, 2013

# ¿ Jun 28, 2013 07:06

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

ntd posted:

Loving that seemingly random placed outlet

It's there to power up the PROPER water heater with ventilation system. The one that was never installed in the first place.

# ¿ Jun 28, 2013 19:47

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

Here is a complete album of pictures from that deck disaster. It is exactly what you get for hiring the cheapest guy on craigslist.

It's basically built sideways and attached to the house/ledger in 3 places with angle brackets. The floor structure is resting on top of posts with nothing but angle brackets tying the whole thing together. Ledger board is barely attached with 1/4" bolts. Interior screws and nails are all over the place. No bracing whatsoever. Stairs are resting on a single 2x4. Everything is crooked and horrible.

Have the complete picture set. Some of those pictures show the reinforcement structure that was added to make it properly rigid.

# ¿ Jun 28, 2013 20:05

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

kastein posted:

an access panel into a wiring raceway.

A very common item in rental units, nothing to be alarmed about.

# ¿ Jul 11, 2013 21:03

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

Or you can remove the toilet and put a cap on that drain if it's flush with the floor.

# ¿ Jan 13, 2014 21:55

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

Bad Munki posted:

I don't know why some builders are so fascinated with making the fridge space as tight as humanly possible against their fridge. Leave 6" on a side. Fridges will fit easily so you can clean behind them without calling in a wrecking crew, you'll never miss that tiny amount of counter space, and having a slot to store a broom and sponge mop right there in the kitchen is super handy.

Especially if the fridge is next to a wall. Because opening your doors more than 89.5 degrees is loving awesome

# ¿ Feb 2, 2014 17:25

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

There is nothing wrong with that door. It just isn't finished.

# ¿ Feb 4, 2014 10:16

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

Zopotantor posted:

There are some nice pictures over in the Funny Pictures thread showing peoples' first impressions of the accommodations in Sochi.

Like this.
Or this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS-26XG9GXA#t=10

# ¿ Feb 5, 2014 18:50

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

Munin posted:

On a different note, I came across this and it definitely belongs here:

quote:

What happens if you use untreated lumber? I don�t know. Why do you need pressure treated if it�s protected from the elements? I don�t know. I also don�t know how much it matters, but it seemed like a setback. I asked the opinion of two experienced builders who I trust, and they both agreed it was not a big deal. I was told to paint it with an outdoor paint if I wanted to be extra careful. The major concern, I was told, is bugs not weather. If this is the case, then I�m also aware that Borax soap is something you can put on wood to keep bugs out of it.

So, I painted the subfloor framing. Moving forward.

I like how he thinks that a floor of that shed is 6" from the ground and therefore is "protected from the elements".

# ¿ Feb 10, 2014 03:19

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

Blistex posted:

Stagger those seams you doofus

# ¿ Mar 15, 2014 06:21

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

Support your deck UNDER the floor boards, not outside perimeter.

# ¿ Mar 18, 2014 01:53

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

Tora! Tora! Tora! posted:

I would look at this and naturally assume that the deck floor joists run into the wall and are sister-ed to the floor beams. Because that would be the smart thing to do and make that balcony sturdy as gently caress. But nope, 3" nails.

Edit: look at the lovely welds on the railing and a 2" gap in the floor. Who the gently caress looked ta that and said "Yes, that's what I want".

Nitrox fucked around with this message at 05:00 on Mar 20, 2014

# ¿ Mar 20, 2014 04:57

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

Tasty_Crayon posted:

They didn't advocate getting food safe anything.

https://blog.etsy.com/en/2011/how-tuesday-build-your-own-seltzer-maker/

What is "food safe"? Non-toxic materials? All of the plumbing items are already designed and sold with the sole purpose of running drinking water throughout your home. You're making a big deal out of nothing.

# ¿ Mar 25, 2014 01:16

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

I have a piece of Corian that fell off a delivery truck and got written off because of damage. Still good enough to make about 7 feet of a counter top. Not that I would want that poo poo as a counter top, but I'm sure somebody will eventually.

Also, don't put Corian in your kitchen, it's loving stupid. It's worse than laminate in just about every way, but cost way more. Guaranteed to be stained by coffee spills and melt under hot pots. And as an added bonus, you can gauge the poo poo out of it with knifes or cooking utensils.

# ¿ Mar 26, 2014 17:49

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

dyne posted:

I'm putting it in mine (well not specifically the corian brand). It doesn't stain, it's very easy to repair any scratches (and gouges can be filled in), and looks much nicer than laminate.

Part of the reasoning of getting it vs granite is that you can buy solid surface sheets and DIY for less than half the price. I had it in my last house and it was great.

What brand is it? If it's acrylic then it will stain from anything acidic including coffee. The repair and refinish are usually way above the level of an average DIY person. But if you can handle it, then power to you.

# ¿ Mar 27, 2014 07:23

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

emocrat posted:

I too put (actual name brand) Corian in my kitchen, white Corian in fact. It's been 4 years and held up fine. We have yet to find anything that actually leaves a stain in it. Coffee, tomato sauce, wine has all washed off fine even after sitting for a few days. There have been a few times its taken a little more to clean it, but Mr Clean Magic Erasers have worked effortlessly for those times.

Its certainly not some miracle material, its got its pros and cons, but for us, staining has not been even a slight issue.

Magic Erasers are a really cool idea.

My sour opinion of acrylic counter tops was formed back in 2008-9, when I worked as a fabricator for a large kitchen company, it was my job to make house calls and do warranty repairs. While most damage I saw was caused by negligence (scolding cast iron pots, lit cigarettes, heavy gauges), some issues were obviously manufacturing defects. For example, Corian tops would go from bright white to off white, but only if they were made within a specific time period. However, the most common request was to refinish a perfectly fine counter top, that would over time, develop obviously directional scratches in areas of heavy traffic. My best memory of that job was making a checker board in our spare time, similar to [url=http://www.countertoprepairshop.com/DSCF0046_op_800x600.jpg]this one[/img]. And rolling all leftover adhesive into a ball, up until it got up to 12-15 lbs, a perfect bowling ball, just add holes

# ¿ Mar 27, 2014 23:22

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

SynthOrange posted:

Watch your head.

Watch your everything, holy poo poo. Don't run down the steps too fast, kids.

I don't know anything about masonry roof, is not having any sheeting under those shingles a normal thing? How do you not end up with an attic full of bees and poo poo?

# ¿ Mar 31, 2014 05:43

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

The low clearance ceilings are best served with flexible insulation tiles. If not, then you pop the cross sections as you go. For the last 2-3 pieces, slide the tiles up into the finished section before fully assembling the track. It takes longer but not a big deal. There are plenty of YouTube videos that show you how to do that.

I've done a few ceiling where pipes hang so low, I had to notch the track and shave material from the actual tile. Now that's an exercise in frustration.

Nitrox fucked around with this message at 13:17 on Apr 6, 2014

# ¿ Apr 6, 2014 13:15

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

Shifty Pony posted:

You people and your fancy bathrooms that actually have any sort of way to direct air outside.

Mine has no vent fan, and no window. It may have had a window (perhaps with a fan!) at some point but after the third addition to the house it does not.

I just leave the door open because otherwise it would be insane.

Also, if leaving bathroom doors open is not an option, a register with angled fins works ok. You can make a permanent pass though opening in the wall or the door itself. If you're handy enough, a tilt-open transom window above the bathroom door works best.

http://superiorsaunas.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=454

http://transomsdirect.com/

asdf32 posted:

I have my own crappy construction tale from the weekend.

I installed a window where there wasn't one in the shed.

First I cut the hole too big. Not really by accident, but because I hadn't thought through how it was going to mount and I knew the wood trim would save me in the end. I have a bad habit of putting decisions off when I know they can be fixed/patched/sanded later. But then inevitably those steps take longer than the proper planning up front.

Anyway, to fill in some of the gaps behind the trim I bought the yellow spray foam stuff which I had never used. Seemed fine at first and I put silicon caulk over it. Then I was horrified to watch the yellow foam continue expanding for 2+ hours and spread itself and the silicon everywhere.

I stood there for nearly an hour cleaning it up as it stubbornly oozed out until I finally gave up and left it overnight. This is what I found in the morning.

Anyway, I hate both caulking and foam.

After an extra 2 hours of cleanup and extra painting though it does look fine now.

Good job reading instructions on that can of foam. Also, those drywall screws are going to rust and leave rusty streaks within about a year

Nitrox fucked around with this message at 05:24 on Apr 10, 2014

# ¿ Apr 10, 2014 05:21

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

You can hang this or similar product on the door. They sell something like that at Lowe's by the roll.
http://www.audimutesoundproofing.com/sound-deadening-materials-sound-deadener-sound-damping-rubber-sound-insulation.aspx

quote:

Peacemaker 3.2mm (single layer) - Noise Barriers = 19 db

# ¿ Apr 10, 2014 18:57

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

Looks like a pre-assembled bridge was sorta kinda sat down into the dirt without proper reinforcements. And it's fine for several hundred pounds that it would normally get. But with ~3k lbs of mass moving on one side, it shifted enough to literally flip itself over.

# ¿ Apr 12, 2014 08:13

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

Motronic posted:

Putting flammable material on the back of the door is also a bad idea. Doubly so if it has a fire rating tag in the frame.

Every single student housing unit with a shared bathroom has a metric ton of towels hanging on that door already.

Speaking of sound insulation, does anyone khave experience with Homasote products? http://www.homasote.com/ I plan on using it on ceilings along with 5/8 drywall in a residential duplex, but not sure whether it's going to do better than soundproofing drywall.

Nitrox fucked around with this message at 08:27 on Apr 12, 2014

# ¿ Apr 12, 2014 08:20

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

∆∆∆ why?

Motronic posted:

So that means it's OK? Not sure what yo'ure trying to say here.

Also, towels are not the same thing as permanently attached fabric.

The word "permanent" should not exist in your vocabulary unless you own the place or have written permission to do anything.
It's a sheet of thick (3.2 mm) vinyl/rubber material. Cut a rectangle same size as the door and use double sided tape to attach it. Worst you can do is peel off to layer of paint when removing that tape later. If the door does not close tightly and has wiggle room, use rubber adhesive weather strips around the sash. Everything should be able to come down within a minute if needed.

Nitrox fucked around with this message at 20:29 on Apr 13, 2014

# ¿ Apr 13, 2014 20:27

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

Motronic posted:

The word "permanent" has a very specific meaning in building and fire code, which is pretty obviously the context of my responses in regards to this issue.

What meaning is that? Not all of us here are building fire code experts, you know. Also, I've assumed that you were the person who originally asked the door question, sorry about that condescending response.

quote:

When you've spent over 20 years in the fire service, 10 of them as a fire investigator, and see what kind of toxic smoke spread characteristics at surprisingly low temperatures materials like that have and understand fire dynamics and partitioning in a multi unit residential complex your views on attaching materials to fire safety features will change. In fact, you will start to realize just how many things ARE fire safety features that you take for granted because we've been using/requiring them for so long.

If you want to modify something that is a required safety feature in a building you do it right or you don't do it at all. Anything in between is foolish and will cause no end to insurance problems should something happen......often times even if it's unrelated. And the insurance problems are nothing compared to what could happen to an occupant.

What are you talking about. How, hanging it on a door, is different than hanging it on a wall, which is what it's intended purpose actually is? We don't even know if the door in question a "fire safety fixture", and not $20 hollow core cardboard slab with 45 second burn time.

# ¿ Apr 14, 2014 01:13

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

Motronic posted:

At this point you're arguing just to argue, obviously without even knowing who you're arguing with (thinking I was the one asking the question) or having read the relevant posts. Because those of us who've actually read them already know it's not a $20 hollow core door. Per the original post on the subject it's a metal door with a metal frame, as is code for any multi tenant building in the US where the door shares a common hallway.

Seriously. This is getting ridiculous. Not only the "suggestions" that are being made but now that people want to argue how their suggestions aren't dangerous, stupid and violate code.

I've been reading this thread on and off, and some time has passed since I've read the original post, and forgot the details. If my advise is even remotely harmful in some way, please consider it retracted.

Also, most of the "suggestions" and other posts are clearly sarcastic.

# ¿ Apr 14, 2014 04:32

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

When I hear Veridian, all I see is this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRQieGR1iUU

# ¿ Apr 26, 2014 01:18

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

That picture is just perfect.

# ¿ Apr 26, 2014 13:18

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

You could put a couple of outlets in the floor as well.

# ¿ Apr 26, 2014 21:11

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

If you plan on having a stationary item in the middle of the floor, then conduit under concrete is definitely worth the trouble. I've had a permanent table saw setup in the middle of my last shop, the floor cords were annoying enough to pull up concrete and do it right. Also ran PVC pipe for vacuum suction while we were at it. Definitely worth a day's work.

# ¿ Apr 27, 2014 16:26

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

TooMuchAbstraction posted:

The concrete doesn't exist yet, no. I had some concerns about running conduit inside the concrete (apparently it can cause the concrete to crack) but if I can just run underneath it, between the concrete and the gravel, then tunnel straight up to the outlet, that would probably be the best solution.

Hadn't thought about running PVC for suction; that also sounds like a good idea. What diameter would you recommend, 1 1/4"?

Sounds like I'm going to need to make a detailed layout plan of the foundation slab...

Match either the saw outlet or your filtration system. You can have incremental diameter piping as long as the widest point is where suction originates. Also, make a floor plan. Light and outlet positioning should be heavily dependent on that.

Crotch Fruit posted:

If that had grounding plugs that would be a pretty awesome idea, I would love to have an extra outlet without having to resort to either a dongle or a big double-wide outlet cover.

Go nuts
http://toolmonger.com/2008/08/28/three-outlets-in-the-space-of-two/

Nitrox fucked around with this message at 05:48 on Apr 28, 2014

# ¿ Apr 28, 2014 05:42

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

SkunkDuster posted:

Please correct me if I am wrong (because I'd love to know), but I was under the impression that there is no solvent known to man for silicon caulk.

Mineral spirits (paint thinner)

# ¿ May 17, 2014 06:28

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

My roofing construction textbook just casually tells reader to check the condition of their chainsaw before every cut. It was published in 1984 but hey

TooMuchAbstraction posted:

The shelf was made out of something similar to melamine; not very nice looking. I bought a cheap cabinet and laminate countertop to put in instead, and today I went in to remove the old stuff and install the new. Turns out the previous installer had glued the sidesplashes and backsplash to the walls, rather than caulk them to the countertop.

Unattached side- and back-splashes are glued to surface. Then sealed are caulked. Edit: Then filled with ants. Thanks for the reminder.

canyoneer posted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XooWh_1U9Ew

What's with the comments on DIY videos? Yeah, I know it's youtube, but every idiot who has ever seen a tile floor feels compelled to share their poorly-written opinion on why everything is done wrong.

I imagine 95% of the commentors there are the type of contractors that do the sort of work that Holmes has to tear up.

Some of the comments are legitimately calling them out for using liquid nails instead of thinset, not enough screws in cement board and unnecessary use of grout release solution. But the video was made for people who wants to learn how to do their first tile floor, and it will teach you better than some contractors out there. The comments that make fun of the cheap tools are loving insufferable and completely missed the point of the video.

Nitrox fucked around with this message at 15:44 on Jun 2, 2014

# ¿ Jun 2, 2014 15:06

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

MrYenko posted:

In my experience, unattached back splashes are glued and caulked, and then filled with ants.

Also, seeded with genuine DuPont cockroach eggs. Accept no substitutes

# ¿ Jun 2, 2014 15:45

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

RENTERS INSURANCE. NOW

# ¿ Jul 30, 2014 05:02

Nitrox: Jul 5, 2002

Seat Safety Switch posted:

Oh dude, if we had a thread for "poo poo you know is wrong in your house that you're loving ignoring" it would be twelve times the length of this thread and six times as scary.

My living room is fully gutted right now. And by right now I mean since fall