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surf rock posted:I have a pair of small water stains (one hand-sized and the other a third of that) on the kitchen ceiling and another (roughly two hands) on the guest bedroom closet ceiling; They're all at least three years old; they were present when I bought the house and haven't changed in that time. Stain killer/ Kilz https://www.lowes.com/pd/KILZ-2-Int...wE&gclsrc=aw.ds
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May 7, 2022 01:58
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Speaking of alarms, any recommendations for an alarm for a chest freezer in the basement to detect temperature drops? The ones I see on Amazon mostly say they’re too quiet to hear if the freezer is in the basement.
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May 7, 2022 17:34
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Another renovation question: Our house has an unfinished basement and a long term goal would be to at least partially finish it. The furnace and oil tank are in the basement so probably wall that area off separately but make the rest into a potential living area. There’s no ductwork or anything like that in the basement now (split ac on main level and central ac on upper level). I guess my main question is there is humidity in the basement now-will finishing alleviate the humidity or will we run a humidifier there all the time still?
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May 16, 2022 14:42
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Motronic posted:What do you mean by finishing? Finishing it without any environmental controls/upgrades will not "fix" a humidity problem. One can absolutely have the correct HVAC to manage the humidity as part of finishing, but most people are too cheap for that and just throw in a dehumidifier. Ideally we’d make a space for an office/bedroom. There’s no windows except for those small ones you see in basements so I doubt we could count it as a bedroom since there’s not two points of egress…I’d have to read up on state law for that. But yeah, we’ll have some workout equipment there, some storage, the electrical panel/furnace in the basement, so I was hoping to section off a place with drywall/electricity/drop ceilings/flooring maybe for an office/bed for when guests come. There’s a ton of “finished” basements in Connecticut where the entire thing is finished with carpet/flooring/walls/etc that they use for bonus rooms, etc. The previous owner tried to start something but I’m not sure why because it’s ridiculously small (it might work for an office but I dunno about fitting anything besides a twin size bed in there). During the inspection, they noted that they usually try and recommend drywall starts 2’ above the floor so moisture doesn’t seep into it, and they think that’s what happened here. Once I move in I’ll take a closer look and if needed, just cut off the bottom 2 feet with a rotozip or something. 
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May 16, 2022 15:13
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Meaty Ore posted:I feel like we must have gotten lucky with our Samsung fridge; we've had it for about eight years now and have had absolutely no problems with it. On the other hand, it was a fairly basic model, so I guess maybe there's less stuff there that could fail? drat, I was sad to hear about Samsung. They’ve got this one fridge that seemed right up our alley: https://www.costco.com/samsung-29-cu.-ft.-bespoke-4-door-flex-smart-refrigerator-with-distinctive-color-combinations.product.100768308.html We’re always looking for more refrigerator space for produce so we figured we could get this and just use our chest freezer for everything.
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May 16, 2022 23:18
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Not specifically home zone but I want a wall mount for my 65” tv. Anything to look out for or are they all the same?
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May 30, 2022 00:30
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Is there anything difficult about choosing a type of carpet or installer? When I’ve rented, my landlord just went with the cheapest carpet at Home Depot or lowes, but my new house needs new carpet in three bedrooms and I’d like to not cheap out on it because I’d like it to last 10+ years. Home Depot has some decent stuff (lifeproof) with a 15 year warranty but it’s $4 / square foot and I don’t know if that’s reasonable or not.
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May 31, 2022 20:55
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So what are these metal doors near my furnace for? I can open them up and it appears to be a cutout through my foundation to something else… Only thing I can think of is an ash deposit for the fireplace.
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Jun 14, 2022 18:09
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Redoing vinyl in kitchen-should I just put new over existing or rip out the old/in with the new? The installer said to rip out and replace subfloor would cost $1k. Pretty sure the existing linoleum is from 1988.
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Jun 15, 2022 14:51
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Well I’m an idiot and made my first mistake as a homeowner- I assumed. Went to mount my tv about 4” below where the previous owner had mounted his. I used a stud finder and verified that, but I must have drilled through a wire because the power in the living room doesn’t work and the breaker in the basement tripped for the living room. I’ve got an electrician coming out tomorrow but I have no idea what to expect. He said his rate is $90/hour. Best case is I guess he’ll have to knock some holes in the wall to see how much wiring I hosed up, and then replace at least that much. No clue what code would require to see if he can even just replace a few feet of wire or if he needs to replace the whole thing. Basically no clue what I’m up against.
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Jun 15, 2022 20:16
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H110Hawk posted:There is a UL listed hidden splice. It will take basically an hour and then you get to patch it and paint it. Or they can cut a box if they need to do anything more complicated. This is easy. Nice! This is the one and only time I plan on drilling into the wall, so hopefully this doesn’t happen again. I think it was the lag bolts that did me in-I read that wires are supposed to be far back enough that you shouldn’t hit them with a nail or screw on normal occasions.
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Jun 15, 2022 20:38
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brugroffil posted:If you don't already have an outlet box behind the TV, this could be a good opportunity to add one Good point. There’s one below the tv about 3-4’ but it’d be nice to have it hidden completely.
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Jun 15, 2022 20:51
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Welp, turns out I managed to drill directly through a wire that was connecting two outlet switches to each other. I saw no need for the two switches since my TV was hooked up there and I’ll never use the switch to turn my tv off, so he just disconnected those switches. It turns out behind the wall are the stairs so there was no easy access for his other option, so he was going to need to make two holes in the wall with a blank cover on one of them. I bought one of those recessed outlets this morning and he installed that so now it looks much better. Live and learn I guess.
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Jun 16, 2022 19:00
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I know very little about plumbing but the previous owner redid the downstairs half bath. To me this looks janky as poo poo, but maybe because I’ve never seen it before (flex pipe, using some kind of thread pvc instead of pvc cement). Thoughts?  
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Jun 21, 2022 01:44
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Tiny Timbs posted:Oh my god what Again-not a plumber-but the sink drain is like 1” to the right of the wall pipe. Would your idea still work? Thinking of just throwing this on a list to have a plumber fix, along with installing 1/4 turn valves on all the toilets and bibs instead of those loving needle valves. I tried looking up how to do it, but I have no idea if I have a threaded or soldered or compressed setup on any of my supply lines and I don’t want to spend a day trying to get one of them correct.
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Jun 21, 2022 02:29
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Anyone here have a heat pump water heater tank? We live in Connecticut with an oil fired boiler which heats water on demand essentially. We got an efficiency test done and it’s running at 80% efficiency which is great since it’s very old but recently serviced. However the energy audit mentioned it as a possibility. Running the numbers, it makes sense. Right now I’m burning about a gallon of oil per day using water in the summer. It was $5.30 a gallon last fill up but I know that’s high. Still, figure $4 a gallon and during the summer I’m paying $120 a month for hot water which seems ridiculous. I have to think a heat pump water heater would be more efficient, even if it had to convert to standard electric rates to keep up with extra demand or in the dead of winter. We’ve got 2.5 bathrooms and a family of four. The only time we notice a decrease in hot water availability is doing laundry and taking a shower at the same time, though that may also be since we’re on a well. What am I missing? Seems a 40 -50 gallon heat pump water heater would be a no brainer.
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Jul 13, 2022 13:36
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Yooper posted:I do, I like it. We have a Rheem 50 gallon that has no issue keeping up with a family of 3. I'm not sure on exact monthly cost, but last month our electric bill for the whole house was $170, and that's at $0.22 / kwh. Subtract some AC time, dryer, stove, lighting, TV, well water pump, etc. The "Yellow Tag" said energy usage of ~$100 a year and I'd say that's probably a decent estimate. Interesting-thanks! To be honest I’m not completely sure how it all works/if it will work with my system. I’ve got a split ac unit on the first floor and a central ac unit in the attic for the second floor. I’m told they both have a heat pump and my boiler is in the basement. I scheduled an estimate for my boiler about 2 months ago and they’re coming out next week. After doing some research, I have zero plans to replace the boiler but I figured I’d bring this up to see if it’s doable.
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Jul 13, 2022 14:43
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Any recommendations on best way to replace this chandelier? The top mounting bracket is about 14-15’ high on an angled popcorn ceiling. I’m not concerned about the wiring, just wondering how I would get the old one down and replaced with a new fixture. My guess is the wiring isn’t done at the bottom of the chandelier where the lights are, but at the top of the ceiling instead. I’ve got a ladder but no good place to put it as an extension ladder and it’s not tall enough as a normal A-frame ladder. If I stand on the top level I could hook the chain and bring the base of the chandelier to me, but there’s no safe way to reach the top part on the ceiling. That weird space on top of the closet is a no-go as well. Even if it would bear my weight, it’s too far for me to reach the ceiling fixture. I’m guessing I need an electrician with a tall ladder for this one, right?  
nwin fucked around with this message at 19:22 on Jul 16, 2022 |
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Jul 16, 2022 19:20
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Blowjob Overtime posted:There were a handful of people itt (myself included) who got the Frigidaire Gallery series a couple months ago that is about 1/3rd the price of other comparable induction ranges per Consumer Reports: Yeah I’ve had this same stove for about a month and it works great. This house had a lovely electric range but alll my previous homes had gas which I loved. Yeah-no visual indicator for the flame but it’s pretty easy to dial in with the digital controls. Samsung makes one that now has “visual flames” to help out if it’s a huge issue. I wanted the GE profile because of its ease of use wrt the knobs (on the Frigidaire you have to tap the + and - keys for each burner, with the GE you can slide the virtual knobs which I liked), but it was backordered and almost 4 times the price. Very happy with what I have and holy poo poo does water boil faster than any gas stove I’ve ever come across. It’s almost frighteningly fast using the “P” setting on the burner.
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Aug 8, 2022 17:23
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Adding to fireplace chat. My home inspector did a very basic inspection and he didn’t video the chimney or anything like that. I’d like to get it inspected to see if it has a liner and general use of it. I don’t think I’ll really use the thing, but it stinks like a campfire so I don’t think the PO even got it cleaned-they just brushed out the base. What should I be asking for? A safety inspection with cleaning?
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Aug 30, 2022 14:11
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Aw gently caress, when was asbestos outlawed because my house is full of popcorn ceiling (1988 build). Edit: 1989…loving cool. I don’t recall this ever being brought up during the inspection.
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Sep 21, 2022 21:52
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15 years for a water heater is pretty good. If you can swing it, I’d replace now instead of dealing with a rush request and water leaking everywhere. Not a huge deal for cleanup if it’s in your garage, but anywhere else is going to suck.
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Oct 9, 2022 15:52
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actionjackson posted:I called Pella to ask about my patio door handle, as it's a bit loose (but still totally functional). It's one with a multipoint lock. apparently i'd have to replace the whole set - both the interior and exterior handle, lever, faceplate, and lock. 680 GODDAMN DOLLARS. no thanks. the handle just has a bit of give allowing it to move towards and away from the door. maybe there's a DIY way to fix it. Barkeepers friend.
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Oct 19, 2022 22:48
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Do you guys think this is mold on some wood in my basement? If so, should I be concerned? The PO who owned for two years admitted he didn’t keep up with running the dehumidifier as needed because he’d forget to empty the bucket for days at a time. I’ve resolved that with a pump so it can continuously run without stopping, though it’s currently off since temps are getting cold.  
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Oct 26, 2022 18:08
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Kaiser Schnitzel posted:The first pic is just dirt or maybe old mildew from when the lumber was outside at some point. You can see the marks where there were sticks or something that aren't dirty. The second one could be mold but looks more like bluestain or dirt or something to me. Thanks for all the responses. I’ll cross that off my list.
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Oct 26, 2022 23:47
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tangy yet delightful posted:I feel like I've seen posting about ordering window blinds online but of course I didn't save the links. Can ya'll post up where you've ordered from before and had good or bad experiences? Need to outfit a house and I'm assuming homedepot isn't the best option for doing so. Selectblinds.com Great experience and easy to install. Never pay full price. They routinely have 35-50% sales.
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Oct 29, 2022 10:06
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Can anyone recommend a good snake to keep at home for random drain issues? The PO of our house had long flowing black hair and we found it all over the place, to include the master bathroom sink drain. I used a cheap plastic zip from Home Depot on it and  so figured maybe I should get something else and snake more gunk out when I get a chance. We’re on septic and have put draino down drains, but we’ve still got a few slow drains.
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Nov 4, 2022 02:22
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PainterOfCrap and other knowledgeable people: would there be any use in making a post on home insurance-what to get/deductible amounts/etc? When I bought my house, I kind of just went through it blindly with a $2k deductible and I don’t know enough of the ins and outs of it to make sure I didn’t miss anything I definitely need coverage for. I just went with Geico’s recommendations since they are whom I use for car insurance. I’m not even sure what kind of questions I’d need to answer to give you enough info to help. I’m not in a flood/hurricane/tornado zone (15 miles inland of the Connecticut coast), but that’s all I think would be beneficial to provide at this point.
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Dec 30, 2022 22:34
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PainterofCrap posted:The insurance comes in four parts: This is awesome-thank you! My in-laws recommended shopping around for homeowners insurance every 2 years to make sure you’re getting the best rate. That sounds pretty intense to me. I plan on calling GEICO to ask some of these questions but I’m not sure if it’s necessary to shop around every 2 years… I definitely want to know if increasing my deductible is worth it or not as well as ensuring I have proper riders for my guns/jewelry and make sure it’s listed as RCV.
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Dec 31, 2022 18:55
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Paging painterofcrap to answer eason’s roof question.
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Jan 24, 2023 04:15
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Question on a big oak tree in my front yard. I took some pictures but I’m concerned how it’s leaning. I’d guess it’s got a 10-15 degree lean on it. I’m not worried about it hitting the house, but if it falls in the direction of the way it’s leaning, my leech field and septic system is probably going to be underneath it. I’m not sure if that could cause damage or not, hence the question. We had a tree company out to cut some trees down and he said this one wasn’t a concern, but did say if it were to fall, the septic could be an issue. He looked at it in the summer but now that the leaves are gone, it looks way worse to my untrained eye. At the minimum it needs trimmed, but if it’s a hazard I’d rather just pay the whole thing now and be done with  it.
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Feb 8, 2023 00:17
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Phil Moscowitz posted:Sometimes oak trees list. Can you get an arborist out to take a look? Not just a tree trimmer? I can see some roots under the grass pushing up, but it’s been that way since I moved here in June…so no clue if it’s recent or not. I’ll call an arborist up-thanks!
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Feb 8, 2023 04:31
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nwin posted:Question on a big oak tree in my front yard. So we had an arborist come out today. The tree is fine and healthy, just old and in need of a trim. Two options he gave us: 1) trim the deadwood for $750. 2) take the tree down to the stump and remove all the wood for $2400. He said if we trim it, well have to do it again in a few years as the tree will find new branches to shed. If we wanted to cut it down, we’d obviously lose the shade it provides and it’s a huge oak, but it’s at the bottom of our driveway and it only shades the grass and not the house. Even with the existing lean, he didn’t seem concerned or notice any telltales about it falling over any time soon. Part of me is leaning towards just cutting it to the stump and being done with it, maybe planting a new tree near it after I can get the stump removed. It sheds a ton of branches that are a pain in the rear end and while trimming it would alleviate that, this oak has a million leaves that need picked up in the fall. Seems like a recurring cost of $750 every 5 years or just pay $2500 and be done with it for a while and not worry about the tree ever falling. What do you think?
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Feb 11, 2023 02:25
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Alright, you’ve all convinced me after speaking more with the arborist-the big white oak stays. I’m getting both the big trees out front trimmed and he’s going to clean up a few others.
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Feb 12, 2023 22:54
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We’ve painted a bunch of our trim white but now we’re left with brown solid doors throughout the house. They’re good wood and study so I don’t want to replace them but we’re thinking we’ll paint those white too. Any thoughts on those Wagner airless sprayers going for $150-200 at Home Depot? Seems like an easier way to take the doors off and quickly paint them but I’ve never used one.
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Feb 18, 2023 17:45
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StormDrain posted:When you say solid I assume you mean not hollow, what does the door look like otherwise? Smooth, six panel, two panel etc? 
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Feb 19, 2023 01:37
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Mustache Ride posted:I was looking for a pic but I can't find one, but when spraying doors I've screwed a big piece of plywood or 2 2x6s to the bottom, stood them up on a tarp on the driveway and had at it. You can walk around the door easily enough and get all sides. Thanks for the tip. It is a solid core door. There’s so many loving doors in this house that well probably do exactly that. 11 of them I think.
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Feb 19, 2023 01:48
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We had a few oaks taken down that were a safety hazard to the house (not the other trees I posted earlier which are just getting trimmed). We had the stumps ground down but would ultimately like to plant another tree. Could we plant a tree near or on where the stump was ground, or would that be a bad idea? I’m guessing it wouldn’t work since the stump isn’t completely removed and there’s still a lot of roots in the area. Edit : google to the rescue. It’s not a good idea. nwin fucked around with this message at 14:48 on Feb 25, 2023 |
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Feb 25, 2023 14:29
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The wood by my fireplace is starting to look uneven, I’m guessing from the house settling. It’s easily seen in the picture. There is a nail where the head was raised about 1/8” and I was able to hammer that back in. Any ideas how I could get the wood fixed? It’s not in a super inconvenient location and the only people who would go there are my kids who would stub their toes. 
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Apr 9, 2023 13:34
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Ack- didn’t you just remodel that kitchen? Was it compression fitting or shark bite?
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May 2, 2023 13:30
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