Home Zone: I see a baseboard and I want it painted black.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Hobbies, Crafts, & Houses > Home Zone: I see a baseboard and I want it painted black.

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devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

beep-beep car is go posted:

Okay, I have a garage floor question. Garage is attached-ish one car garage, probably built when the house was (so 1948). It sits on a concrete pad that is very old. The pad is whole and without cracks, but in the garage it's very deeply pitted. Some of the pits are greater than a half inch deep(like half circles). I'd like to repair this - if I can - and if I don't have to replace the whole concrete pad.

A: Is that possible

B: any recommendations on how if one were to DIY it?

I'd get a bunch of self-level, and just pour that across the entire floor. Though, getting the primer on is going to be a pain (you'll probably need to use a brush on those holes).

If you go the self-level route, definitely rent a mud mixing drill. Trying to do self-level with a normal drill is largely impossible.

# ¿ Oct 14, 2016 00:51

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# ¿ May 12, 2024 23:17

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

peanut posted:

I'm p excited to see the finished creation!

We got a pallet of bricks yesterday.

The varying gaps on both sides would drive me *crazy*

# ¿ Jan 29, 2017 03:50

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

Skutter posted:

I'm glad I found this thread. We just bought a house back in October and are slowly working on random projects around the place. Right now we are trying to decide which major project we should do, as far as energy costs go... Our living room was built as an addition in 1985 and has 0 insulation, so we need to get some blown in. It also has a giant sliding glass door that lets in a lot of heat as well, plus our two other doors could stand to be replaced. Also, all of our windows are from when the house was first built in 1956 (they look similar to this: https://windowtintfl.com/wp-content/uploads/front-of-home-window-tinting-Debary.jpeg), so they are not very good efficiency-wise either. For anyone with any experience with or knowledge of this, what would you take care of first? Is it just a matter of the cost and going from least expensive to most? Or is one more important than the others?

Air sealing and insulation in the attic. I'd also get some window film for the sliding door (this is really easy to do yourself) If you have normal doors, they might just need weatherstripping, which is again pretty easy.

# ¿ Jun 16, 2017 01:05

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

Omne posted:

OK I'm going crazy here. On one wall in my house I have three regular-size wall plates that are blank, and a double-size blank. I opened them up and they all have the same wires in them: grey coating with a red, black (each with copper inside) wires and some sort of string. Voltage tester shows nothing. The wires have about 12" of length stuffed inside each box. Here's a picture: http://imgur.com/a/KXwgx

Any idea what these are? I thought maybe speaker wire or something but no idea where they'd go. Telephone lines make no sense, and they're not wired to take an outlet. I had hoped they would be runs of Cat5e but no dice there.

Looks like speaker to me. That string is so you can open up the outer cover easier.

# ¿ Jun 29, 2017 01:11

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

big crush on Chad OMG posted:

A $200 Eufy robot vacuum has changed my life.

It's way better if you put googly eyes on it.

# ¿ Jul 31, 2017 23:38

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

Salvor_Hardin posted:

I would appreciate some advice on setting up a smart thermostat if anyone has some experience. I want to upgrade an old Honeywell to a Nest or something similar to help in the Minnesota winter.

The problem is when I open up the old thermostat it looks like there are only 2 wired connections: W and R

I think this means there's no common wire so I wouldn't be able to power a newer thermostat. I'm not really looking to run a new wire through the wall so I guess I want to see if I'm understanding this right.

You're kinda screwed there. With only two wires, I don't really see any of the smart thermostats working well. Nest may or may not be able to do some weird thing where it briefly completes the circuit to charge itself, but I heard rumors of that doing weird things to the HVAC equipment.

Running a new wire is probably your best bet (get like 8 conductor thermostat wire, it's way easier to run extra now). You might be able to get away with taping the new wire to the old one, and pulling it through the wall.

# ¿ Sep 11, 2017 01:17

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

Rescue Toaster posted:

I was thinking about insulating my attached garage, but it has the attic space and the roof is directly exposed, so I'm guessing I have two options:

1) Create a ceiling (I don't really need the storage above the rafters), lay insulation on top of the ceiling, put a ventilation fan near the peak on the outside wall up in the new uninsulated attic crawlspace.
2) Insulate all the way to the roof, but that would require those air channels under the insulation and a roof cap so that the roof doesn't overheat, afaik.

3) Spray foam the underside of the roof

# ¿ Oct 1, 2017 21:22

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

Rescue Toaster posted:

Doesn't a normal shingle/asphalt roof need ventilation under it so it doesn't overheat in the sun? I'm in the midwest and we get plenty of 90+ degree days, plus the garage roof gets lots of direct afternoon sun.

No, all that ventilation is necessary to keep the moisture levels down and prevent your attic from becoming a mold colony.

http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/creating-conditioned-attic

# ¿ Oct 2, 2017 13:33

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

Jaded Burnout posted:

Do you know of any reasonably cheap ones? The only ones I've been able to find are either lowly rated or �200+ each.

Keep in mind that for an interior door... the weak point is going to be the drywall next to it. The low rating doesn't really matter when a couple kicks will get you through the wall.

# ¿ Oct 10, 2017 23:35

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

TheManWithNoName posted:

Anyone else putting heat tape on their roof this winter? I don�t want ice dams again. Last year I was pouring boiling water down the gutters while standing on a ladder.

Insulating/air sealing your attic is a better option.

# ¿ Oct 25, 2017 00:37

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

Kashwashwa posted:

Quick plumbing question... I've lived in my super old house for about 18 months. My only bathroom is upstairs, and it almost never completely flushes properly.

I bought a toilet auger thinking maybe there was a partial plug, but didn't really get anything out with it - maybe it just pushed something in further? If I flush the toilet and dump a gallon bucket of water with it, it seems to flush well... it's a 90s style toilet I think, could it just be a terrible toilet?

Get a new toilet! They're pretty easy to install, and new ones are way better then 90s era ones.

# ¿ Nov 3, 2017 23:37

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

Endie posted:

I have to add 450mm of insulation to my new loft. I hate loft insulation, and hugely doubt that the last layer will have a huge effect on what is not in any case a passive design.

I also harbour the nagging suspicion that I'll be skimming a holowebsite on my holoviewer from the comfort of my 2023 holoroom and the holoheadline will pop up "fibreglass loft insulation linked to inevitable, asbestos-style lung cancer, itching".

Is blown cellulose an option? Can't get much less harmful then paper and borax!

# ¿ Nov 16, 2017 04:29

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

Gorson posted:

My smallish (roughly 20'x24') 2 car wood-framed garage that was likely built in the 40's or 50's has a slab that is cracking badly.

That crack runs the perimeter of the garage. There are also some cracks in the middle of the floor, and circular areas where the slab has bubbled.

It could be patched, but it would just be a neverending patch job since the old slab is shifting. The garage sits near an alley, and there are regulations regarding garage placement; if I were to tear it down and start over, it would have to be moved, and space is limited. Also, the structure of the garage is intact and in good shape, and it has a fairly new roof. So I'd like to salvage it if possible, and then add insulation and heat because I spend an inordinate of time in the garage tinkering.

So my question is, is it possible to raise the building up a few feet, demo the slab, pour a new slab, and lower the garage back down? I wouldn't be doing this myself, I would hire a local pro. Obviously, anything is possible with enough Trump Bucks, so I guess the real question is, would it economically feasible?

Why not just get some garage flooring? http://racedeck.com/ is apparently good. Seems like it would be way, way cheaper then replacing the existing slab.

# ¿ Jan 26, 2018 01:36

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

cakesmith handyman posted:

I'm in the midst of building the stud wall for this project and it's taken me ages to identify the purpose of random lumps of wood in the ceiling.

Lessons learnt so far: buy a proper drywall jab saw.
Oscillating multitools are incredible where no other tool fits.
A 25mm adjustment to my plan would have simplified one section of the new wall considerably.

Rotozip is 100% worth it if you're going to be doing a bunch of drywall work. It's way, way quicker then a drywall saw. The only downside is it produces tons of dust.

# ¿ Jan 27, 2018 20:49

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

Spring Heeled Jack posted:

Another issue I�d like to address, I�m looking to insulate my floors. The joists are exposed in the basement so installing it won�t be an issue, I�m just at a loss as to what type of insulation to use. I�m hoping to reap some thermal benefits as well as some sound dampening from the cold/echoey basement.

I�ve seen stuff like this: https://www.lowes.com/pd/133.3-sq-ft-Reflective-Roll-Insulation-(16-in-W-x-100-ft-L)/3775469

But I�m not sure if that�s recommended for this situation.

You'd want insulation batts, not reflective insulation. Rockwool would be my suggestion, as it's way nicer to work with then fiberglass (though I think fiberglass is a little cheaper)

But, take a look at this http://www.energyauditingblog.com/should-i-insulate-my-basement-ceiling/

# ¿ Mar 21, 2018 00:38

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

Ups_rail posted:

hey guys i went looking for a "smart house" thread couldnt find one.

I am having an awful time with my grandmothers power bill. Basically she is a bed bound 88 year old woman i moved her to a waaay to big house figuring I would need the extra space to house me caregivers and visiting family. Well that plan has devloved into a poo poo show of E/N levels complete with lovely nephew/business partner entering litigation with her/me because she didnt pass on when he felt she should.

Anyway litigation is pricey at home caregivers are pricey and 800 dollar gas/power bill a month is driving me crazy so I am really trying to get into this problem full force.

Now i have a live in caregiver that feels it best to have all the outside lights on front porch/patio/back yard flood lights. and I 've noticed more than once that the sun goes down and the lights are on, so I think they might be running all day and night at times (no they are not LED) so I had my buddy get up on the roof and unscrew them.

My next plan is to replace one porch light with a led fixture and replace the switches with timers.

i talking with my caregiver on the issue she goes on about the washing machine the o2 generator ect. So I was thinking if there was some kinda wireless plug monitor thing that I could hook those up to in order to better nail down where most of the power is going.

Anyone have any ideas?

http://www.p3international.com/products/p4400.html ?

That's not going to let you monitor hardwired loads though (lighting, HVAC, stove).

An amp meter would, but you'd have to be comfortable opening the breaker box to use it effectively https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Multimeters-Auto-Ranging-Multimeter-Resistance/dp/B00NWGZ4XC/

# ¿ Apr 4, 2018 13:42

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

Kanish posted:

Any good ideas of what to do for my driveway here? The narrow entrance and the angle of the driveway means that this corner of the ground is constantly being run over. I contemplated putting in some decorative stone but I would appreciate any input on how to make it a) not look terrible and b) withstand driving over it

http://www.typargeosynthetics.com/products/ground-reinforcement-mesh/grassprotecta-grass-reinforcement-mesh.html

There's a bunch of different places that make this stuff.

# ¿ Apr 5, 2018 13:39

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

Tim Raines IRL posted:

so if a contractor sent an estimate, which includes a new storm door, and the charge listed for the door itself is $1500

do I just run away screaming, or do I actually set myself on fire first?

I am curious what is special about the $1500 door. If, for instance, it always opens to a world of whimsey and magical delight, that could be worth it?

(edit: note that the estimate included a grand for overhead, so this is not "the price is being inflated to reflect insurance costs" or something)

Installing a storm door is pretty straightforward, if you have any sort of motivation to do it yourself. They just screw to the outside of the door frame, nothing too complicated.

# ¿ Apr 17, 2018 23:40

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

Tim Raines IRL posted:

I assume this cuts both ways? I've talked to three different people who said this was a $3000ish deal, and one person who said $7000. So, the high estimate, in this case, is the outlier.

The $7k quote is the "gently caress you I don't want to do this" quote if it's double the other ones.

# ¿ Apr 19, 2018 03:05

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

loquacius posted:

This thread seems like a good place for this question, let me know if it's not. Intensely stupid question incoming from a first-time homeowner.

My wife and I just bought a condo. Closing was yesterday morning; went in last night and ate pizza on the floor etc, good time was had by all. Moving in on June 10th. In the meantime, I have been finally paying attention to stuff like outlet placement. This is my first time owning a home, so I don't really know how a lot of stuff works. I'm getting that putting an outlet into a wall usually costs a couple hundred bucks, no big, drop in the bucket compared to what the place cost to buy, etc. But what's the deal with coax and Ethernet?

Like, ok, so, as I have discovered since the final walkthrough (the first time we'd seen the place without all the sellers' stuff inside), the condo as we have purchased it has coax strung up on the ceiling of the basement and poking up through the floor at a few key points where the sellers had their TVs etc. Seems kind of ghetto, but if it works it works. But, we're cord-cutters, so coax is less important to me than Ethernet. And the place where I want to put my computer desk (which is where our modem and router will go) does not have a coax hookup either in the wall or poking out of the floor.

Question number 1 is, if I want to get a coax hookup in a place where there is not one right now, preferably coming out of a wall outlet thing like a grownup (but I'll settle for the floor-hole if I have to), is that the kind of thing that is covered by my "free installation" when we get the Internet first set up, or would I have to separately hire an electrician to route the cable around through the walls for me? How much would that run?

Question number 2 is, what would be the best way for me to get Internet from our router to where our TV will be set up in another room? I'm probably gonna set up a network switch there so everything that needs Internet can get some, but I need to get some Ethernet cable over there first. Is there an accepted way to set that up, or should I just copy what the sellers did with their coax and run it along the basement ceiling and through holes in the floor?

Alternately, this is the kind of thing I should probably know the answer to, but, what if I bought, like, a second modem and used that with the existing coax hookup as an Internet source for all of the stuff around our TV, while the existing modem handles my computer and the WiFi? Is that a thing that is done? I've certainly never lived in a multiple-modem household but I still thought it was worth asking.

In our current 1BR apartment our TV and my desk are about 5 feet away from each other by necessity so this is a non-issue, but the new place has, like, actual rooms and stuff

Unfinished basement makes this super easy. Pick a central location in your basement (near an outlet!). Put the modem and router there, run ethernet through your house to where ever you want it.

Hardwire (with ethernet) everything you can. You'll be way happier having your computer and TV on a wired connection.

Holes in the floor isn't exactly ideal. If you have access from the basement, it's not too hard to add wall outlets for this stuff. You basically cut a hole in the wall, drill a hole up from the basement, and run the wire between the two.

Toss a low voltage bracket and a keystone plate on the wall, and you'll have a professional looking install.

# ¿ May 18, 2018 01:49

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

life is killing me posted:

This is an idea! I'm just wondering if the installers would know what to do in that event or if they are required to just run cable.

The electrical lines running from the lights and lift motor on the dock to my house's breaker box are inside it. It's only exposed from the top of the stone stairwell to the bottom of the decking on the dock, the rest between the stairwell and the house is buried.

As far as ethernet, I'm assuming I'd still need an access point at the dock connected to the dish itself? Not sure it could be run directly from the dish, unless I'm misunderstanding what you're saying.

Good to know, thanks.

See above--the electrical lines are running through it, so I guess that idea is out and the wireless bridge or ethernet idea is in--else I'll have to wait for 5G and hope they bother to put up access points in my area when it comes out. I'd not be surprised if they overlooked our area even for that.

Can you run fiber through the conduit with the electrical? I'm not sure on code requirements there, but 1 gigabit fiber gear is pretty cheap these days.

# ¿ Jun 13, 2018 03:57

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

just another posted:

With respect to building a french drain, does anything about the procedure or construction change if you're doing in in a crawl space?

My crawlspace has a dirt floor, and the house itself is perched on an incline. The southwest corner is the lowest point in the crawlspace and the ground there is muddy with some visible water in maybe a 3'x6' area.

You can kind of see where the water is coming from here:

I was thinking of putting in a small french drain that would take the water out of the crawlspace and into the backyard, and then putting a vapor barrier down over what I can get at. Achieving the slope shouldn't be a problem.

However, there's also this enormous mound of dirt in the crawlspace:

I'm curious if it's a result of erosion and water seepage in the soil beneath the house because I don't imagine they would have left a big bulge like that when they built the thing. The house itself is sitting on concrete pillars that go down to the bedrock but I don't want to mess with the foundations. There's already a dip in the floor upstairs and I don't know if that means foundation problems or just "100 year old house".

The joist in your first photo looks like it's fairly wet. Are you sure you don't have a plumbing leak that's causing the mud?

# ¿ Jun 20, 2018 17:11

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

just another posted:

Nope, just a furnace. Could be more waste that was tossed under there, though, that just has water dripping off it. I have a foundation guy coming around on Saturday though so hopefully he has some insight.

Worst case scenario I guess is hammering through the concrete slab above the pipe.

Is it a high efficiency furnace? Those produce condensate as well.

Do you have a humidifier?

# ¿ Jun 21, 2018 03:46

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

Pollyanna posted:

Yeah, box springs seem to be a bad idea given how moving poo poo in New England, land of the small hallways, is such a pain in the rear end. I've had platform beds with wooden slats my entire adult life, and I've been considering making my next one a Zinus, but I have no idea how to tell if what I think is good is, like...actually good, you know what I mean? I don't know how to judge platform beds on quality, longevity, if something is plain bullshit, etc. Does that seem like a good option?

Pics of the one in question. I guess I'd be concerned with the mattress slipping off or something.

We have this one, it's fine. There's about a one inch gap between the slats and the side rail. Your mattress isn't going to slip off.

The only thing I'd suggest is some pool noodle/pipe insulation on the middle feet. They're placed *exactly* where you'll run into them all the time.

# ¿ Aug 20, 2018 03:16

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

Ben Nerevarine posted:

Just did a home test for radon levels in my basement and it came back at 24 pCi/L

Is it conditioned space? If not, just get some external airflow going on and see what changes.

# ¿ Aug 31, 2018 00:04

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

Ben Nerevarine posted:

I do some painting and gluing down there so I'd still want the ventilation. This seems like the best route though a little expensive from what I've looked at online. Are there are window-mounted ERV or HRV units out there? All the units I've seen are large boxes (wall- or ceiling-mounted) or 8" or longer inline units meant for going through walls which is not really appropriate to my situation.

When I looked at it, ERVs were not really cost effective. Another option you have here is a whole house dehumidifer. We went with one of the Ultra-aire ones.

If you also have moisture issues there, a ERV/HRV probably isn't going to help and then you're running that and a standalone dehumidifier at the same time.

# ¿ Sep 1, 2018 00:32

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

eddiewalker posted:

Going into my attic sucks. Tiny access hole right at the edge, so it�s a real slither not to get cut up on roofing nails, then a hunt for joists to walk across under the r50.

I�m pretty motivated to make it �automatic,� but I guess if the fan can�t push the doors open, I could hang rope and pulleys I could raise and lower from the access hole.

Motivated enough to replace the entire thing? https://www.tamtech.com/HV1600-with-R38-Self-Sealing-Doors_p_92.html

# ¿ Sep 12, 2018 01:59

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

mutata posted:

Who here knows sprinkler/irrigation? I need to shut off my front and backyard irrigation for the winter. I've turned off the computer running it, but now I need to shut off the water supply, but what I have doesn't match the youtube videos:

Look for a shutoff valve inside your house for it. You'd also probably want to open that red valve afterwards and let the water out?

Note that this wouldn't prevent the lines from bursting, you'd need to have someone come blow out the system (apparently? I've never had inground sprinklers)

# ¿ Nov 4, 2018 23:17

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

willroc7 posted:

Speaking of duct work, I just discovered that the previous owner but sheets of fiberglass insulation INSIDE the duct work in about 1/3 of my house, in the duct work running above the basement and garage (raised ranch construction). I'm having an HVAC company come out next week. Does the seller have any liability here? Should it have been disclosed? I'm assuming it's been blowing fiberglass particles all over the house since they did this. The duct cleaning company said they've never seen anything like this. Mental. I have allergies and asthma and have had mild to moderate breathing problems (mostly congestion) since moving in.

That's entirely normal.

https://hvac-talk.com/vbb/showthread.php?172189-Insulation-INSIDE-supply-ductwork

# ¿ Dec 1, 2018 00:27

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

Glenn Quebec posted:

Oh god, thank you for letting me know.

Stuff is expensive too... $30/bag, which you mix in a 5 gallon bucket. It doesn't cover nearly as much as you'd think either. I think we probably went through like 35 bags fixing all the floors in our house.

If you do it yourself, buy way more then you think you'll need, and don't try to get clever and only do part of an area... the border between the self level and the rest of the floor is not nearly as flat as you'd want.

# ¿ Jun 27, 2019 23:35

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

The Wonder Weapon posted:

Earlier while it was still light out, after some fudging, I was able to separate the soffit from the vertical face. That's where I saw the board behind the face, but nothing above the soffit. I can try and grab a photo tomorrow.

Since there's a 2xWhatever behind the vertical face, can I just screw the eye hook into that? I was initially worried that adding a hole would lead to corrosion, but in typing all this out, I realize it's already got nails in it, so that's probably not a big deal.

Those vines growing into your house are going to cause bigger issues then some water getting around an eye bolt.

# ¿ Jul 22, 2019 23:16

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

stupid puma posted:

To add, I had a full kitchen remodel of similar scope (wall removed, but it was not load bearing) in my 50s house 2 years ago and the custom cabinets alone were like $25k. It was another $50kish for the work and materials (not including appliances). We had 1� t&g maple floor installed to match to the rest of the house so that was like $10k of that cost, though. Renovation costs are very dependent on specs and geographic location.

I�d get at least 3 quotes. If they�re all too expensive just wait until you can save more, as needed.

In comparison, we spent $5k (including shipping!) for solid wood cabinets from cabinets.com. They're not custom, but I can't really see that being worth 20k more

# ¿ Jul 25, 2019 02:04

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

Less Fat Luke posted:

I'm starting to think it wasn't a dumb question because it really does look like the loop comes back into the tank:

Also the previous owners exclusively used filtered water because the house water does not taste great (even though Toronto water is pretty good in my experience). This is the only tank we have.

I love the tiny piece of pex used to offset the two copper pipes.

# ¿ Mar 15, 2021 22:02

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

devmd01 posted:

$12k quote from Pella to replace the back door and side panel windows in the back. we are going to change it from a single door as it is today to a French door that opens outward. It will still have a screen across even when both doors are open wide for fresh air.

Get another quote!

# ¿ Apr 8, 2021 18:19

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

MrYenko posted:

I�m always interested in how the rest of the world deals with windows. I get a kick out of wood frames just kinda wedged in there with shims and then mounded over. Here, the things are vinyl-framed laminated glass, installed in concrete walls with hilarious numbers of steel bolts to keep trees and small animals from coming through them during a hurricane.

I love the German approach to windows, these things are basically standard from what I can tell, even in places where there's no real reason to have them. I really only want them for how dark it made the bedroom, it was like sleeping underground.

# ¿ Apr 11, 2021 22:57

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

he1ixx posted:

Yes the Zehnder is an air exchanger, basically the "lungs" of the house, and is a super key HVAC component for our house due to the sealing. It takes air from the outside, runs it through a heat and humidity exchanger to heat or cool it, and then sends it throughout the house. Each room has at least one air input and one air output with bigger rooms having two of them. There are "boost" buttons in some rooms like the kitchen and bathrooms. Generally the system runs using very little energy but the boost mode forces the house to exchange air at a higher rate. I can't remember the number of times that air is exchanged but I believe it is 3 times a minute -- which means that the entire air volume of the house is pushed out and then a new volume of air is going through the heat/humidity exchanger and replacing it. It's pretty wild.

This is the Zehdner ComfoAir Q450 and all of the tubes coming into it. If you look at the photo I posted of the wiring, you can see the way the air intakes and outputs come into the room.

Also we are going all electric with cooking to keep the bad gasses minimized too. (although we are putting in a range hood which isn't a passivehaus thing but from what we heard, they may add range hoods to the spec for safety reasons).

Check out this detail that the builder took a photo of our office window sill.

They extract a plug from a small piece of ash, glue it in, chisel it off, and sand it... It looks great. I love the details they are putting in.

3 air changes per minute would be pretty... drafty. Are you sure you don't mean 3 air changes per hour?

# ¿ Apr 14, 2021 01:54

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

Straight White Shark posted:

Sooo just went to install some shelves in the closet the previous owner built and it seems like they left some of the drywall compound unpainted around the corners. Thought I was done with painting, now at a minimum we have to prime and repaint this thing. Urgh.

It's a closet. Toss some paint+primer in one at it and call it a day. Once it's filled with crap (as all closets are) you wont even be able to see it.

# ¿ Apr 20, 2021 23:28

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

skylined! posted:

First quote I got said material for aluminum was low so it�s mostly labor, and he said itd take a few hours. I�m in the wrong business.

I�m waiting for two other companies to return my request for a quote, apparently they�re real busy though because it�s been a week!

Considering running it through some radiators and into my office desktop computer as well.

Thanks for the info yall, I may just be able to make a straight line of metal on my roof for the water to go away.

I'd be surprised if it took a few hours for them, when they came and did my house they were entirely gone in <2 hours for ~100ft of gutter and 4 downspouts (but it was priced along with siding, so I can't tell you how much it was)

I'd guess a big part of that fee is just their cost for showing up, because it's such a small job they really don't want to bother.

# ¿ Apr 22, 2021 21:12

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

SpartanIvy posted:

Most modern gas appliances require electricity for their igniters, fans, and other electronics. It's very minimal power usually. I have a Milwaukee M18 inverter that can power my gas water heater during a power outage.

The gas water heater I have didn't need electricity, it generated the tiny amount it needed via a thermopile and had a standing pilot.

Of course we had to retrofit it to power-vent, so now it needs electricity to run a massive fan.

# ¿ Apr 24, 2021 18:49

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# ¿ May 12, 2024 23:17

devicenull: May 30, 2007; Grimey Drawer

mcgreenvegtables posted:

What lights are those in the ceiling? I need to install a few and the only thing holding me back is not wanting to get something garbage.

EDIT: That, and figuring out how to deal with the strapping and joists behind the holes I wanted to reuse.

pancake box

# ¿ Apr 27, 2021 02:07

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Hobbies, Crafts, & Houses > Home Zone: I see a baseboard and I want it painted black.

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