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Omne posted:I can't even get people to call me back! I have money to spend, people, take it! Answer my call! Yeah if they were good at running a business they would be in another business. I've had them do work and never ask for money afterwards. Yay?
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May 4, 2016 21:35
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Testro posted:
Gross, you should cover it with popcorn!
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May 4, 2016 21:57
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King Burgundy posted:And contractors in general, just not calling back, not showing up, not billing, etc I just don't understand how any of them stay in business. One bright spot is my GC - using him adds a premium to everything but the work has a legal contract, someone supervising and choosing good subcontractors, and a vested interest in keeping me happy long term. And it is done mostly on time and on budget. Fuckin love this guy.
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May 5, 2016 00:58
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SiGmA_X posted:I'd definitely do raised beds. Depending on what you're growing, you may want the root depth from digging the ground out, too... You can raise them even more. There is an episode of This Old House where they build a "wheelchair accessible raised planting bed" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFGE3plxSSE. I'm not sure how practical it is to garden in a wheelchair but there would be plenty of room for roots to grow. Looks good too. e: In my head the episode is Roger doing community service in lieu of a dui conviction it makes no sense. Bozart fucked around with this message at 03:16 on May 5, 2016 |
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May 5, 2016 03:13
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Just scatter his trash all through your driveway and blame it on the children??? PS thank you for making the thread slap me silly!
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May 5, 2016 03:57
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minivanmegafun posted:oh my god gently caress bamboo and gently caress the previous owner for planting that poo poo it never loving dies no matter how many times we try to dig it all up Cover it with black plastic sheets for a couple weeks, everything dies.
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May 8, 2016 14:27
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Zhentar posted:And the woodpeckers... they've put at least a dozen holes in my siding in over the past two years but there's no evidence of any holes or repairs from the 20 years before that, what am I doing wrong!? You may have some insects behind your walls. It might be a good idea to hire an exterminator. I'd be looking out for carpenter bees in particular.
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May 9, 2016 01:31
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minivanmegafun posted:Do I need to worry about cleaning out my gutters if there aren't any trees over them, and I have a taller house than the ones on either side? What's going to get stuck up there? Leaves. Still clean them out at least once a year and you'll be a lot safer.
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May 9, 2016 04:18
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Zhentar posted:It's probably the box elder bugs that swarm the area every fall. But did the PO get the house sprayed every single year? Or did he just cast a magical ward against woodpeckers? You might be able to cast the spell yourself if you are a wizard or warlock but I am not an expert - consult your high priestess. It might be more effective to get up on a ladder and inspect where they are pecking to see if there is some hole the bugs are using to get in, and then seal it up. The PO here got a fake owl to keep woodpeckers away but it probably doesn't work. And yeah you might want to spray once or twice so the birds don't see any food for awhile.
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May 9, 2016 14:31
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newts posted:Hey all, I have a question about home insurance... If you haven't tried chubb yet give them a shot, they might be willing to insure for more. Also you can get an umbrella policy (and you should anyway because you have a lot of value for people to go after if something bad happens).
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May 9, 2016 19:58
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I love clearly defined rooms and we have a center hall colonial, but different strokes for different folks I guess.
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May 10, 2016 11:56
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Devian666 posted:Their line is their problem unless it's allowed to be there. This comes up from time to time on reddit's legal I'm surprised that the guys working on your line didn't notice that there was a sewer line spewing waste water every once in awhile. Maybe their line was also damaged and clogged so basically none made it to your yard. Anyway I found a vertical crack clear through my garage foundation wall. No spalling or water, but I don't want it to develop more so a foundation guy is coming on saturday. Plus my GC is coming to plan out a fuckin awesome patio! PS those pictures were awesome I'm going to try to take some before and after as well.
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May 17, 2016 01:19
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Kritzkrieg Kop posted:I'd definitely get more use out of it than a patio in an Eastern Canadian climate. Patios are loving awesome dude! You gunna barbeque in your solarium? Huh???
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May 20, 2016 01:47
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Frinkahedron posted:I have a birds nest above one of my porch lights right where it meets the wall. I'm afraid to move it because it's little birds season, but I don't want these rear end in a top hat birds messing with my walls, do I just wait them out until the winter then take down the nest? Are they nice birds or rear end in a top hat birds? WHO CARES GET RID OF THEM!!!
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May 24, 2016 04:02
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VendaGoat posted:I over did my steak by ten minutes. Get a gas leak pen detector if you have an... um... gas, grill? Also just signed a contract with my gc for a new deck, patio, and small fence around the heat exchanger, basement storm door, and electric meter. He's getting permits and everything, wheeee! I'll post before and after photos of my horrible mistake.
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May 26, 2016 04:17
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So I have a groundhog. I tried to scare it away with a broom but it just lunged at me. So now I am planning on getting a trap, then getting some dry ice and then euthanizing it. Homeownership is great! Also the American College of Veterinarians has extensive literature on how to humanely murder animals.
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Jun 1, 2016 18:16
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slap me silly posted:In BFC, we cite our sources. Preferably with links. I'll do links and highlights. Here is the report. Some snippits below... What I'll be trying with dry ice...  For your pet humans???        Don't do this:  
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Jun 1, 2016 23:19
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Hashtag Banterzone posted:You don't even need dry ice. I used baking soda and vinegar for my poor hedgehog (rip Iggy). While interesting in theory I don't want to turn my garbage can into a groundhog volcano. 
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Jun 2, 2016 17:21
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Nocheez posted:You have to crawl towards the front of the house (enters from the back yard) so I guess walk-then-crawlspace is most accurate. Are you sure it isn't a slitherspace?
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Jun 7, 2016 20:02
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LawfulWaffle posted:Anyway, the inspection's happening next week and we'll hopefully be moved in by Aug. 1. What I came here to ask (the first of many, many questions I'm sure) is what kinds of things do you wish you knew about being a homeowner when you first started. Please no "don't buy, it's a horrible idea" because I've already got plenty of stress about making sure I'm not buying a money pit, but if there's something you could go back in time and tell your younger, less experienced self about owning or maintaining a home, what would it be? I'm a firm believer in tapping the knowledge of others, but other than my mom and my in-laws I don't have a lot of other homeowners close to me to ask. I would call the town's building office and ask if the property has any outstanding permits, do a bunch of internet detective work on the seller to figure out if they are secret drug dealers. Also see if there are any closed permits. Then during the inspection see if the inspector notices any renovations or work done at different times and see if it matches up with the permits (it won't) so you have some idea as to where there might be lovely work done. Look for the things that kill houses: bad electrical (fire), water leaks (roof, plumbing) and insects. Don't sweat superficial stuff, but sweat it when it indicates a lack of care or maintenance by the owner. I'd much rather see a well kept old kitchen than a sloppy brand new one with granite appliances and stainless steel floors. You can't see what is behind the walls but if they treat the stuff they see every day like crap, you know they didn't do better where they can't see it. If they have two sump pumps look for signs of water coming up through basement cracks or through basement wall cracks, check to see if the land is sloped towards the house (in particular, if it is sloped towards the house on a waterproof surface, like a driveway or patio). Look for water if there is a storm door or walk out basement as well. Take a look at the sink plumbing to see if there is any sign of water getting anywhere and rotting things. Check the ceiling for the same (wet spots or repaired drywall below bathrooms). Check to see if there is any sign of water in the attic, and how many years you have left on the roof (inspector should know). Check if the electrical panel is old and small and what kinds of wires go into it (knob and tube / aluminum / modern romex). Are the breakers appropriately sized? (Your inspector should know and tell you without asking anyway). If not, then you need an electrician to fix at least some stuff, and you might have overloaded circuits. If you have an outlet tester ($5 at a hardware store) and it looks like they redid the kitchen or bathroom, use the outlet tester on an outlet with a gfci and see if it is wired correctly - those are the places where electrical is most dangerous, and a reno is the most likely time for people to gently caress up the wiring. For bugs look for bugs I guess. Ask them about the owners and how long they have been there.
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Jun 8, 2016 02:03
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Months ago I overbought a gas grill (weber summit 4 burner) and used the boondoggle rotisserie to spit roast two chickens that marinated overnight in citrus and onion. I roasted potatoes in the drip pans that I put under the chickens, and I smoked everything with pecan chips. Jesus loving christ that was  .e: time to turn into one of those barbeque obsessed idiots Bozart fucked around with this message at 22:34 on Jun 12, 2016 |
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Jun 12, 2016 22:28
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Patio is done, on to the deck. Time to see if it makes a waterfall in our basement...
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Jun 18, 2016 02:04
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couldcareless posted:May I ask what pavers you used, where you got them, and how much they were? Those are pennsylvania bluestone flagstones, total cost approximately 9k on 200 Sq feet, including permits, a concrete base, labor, etc. It is probably higher on the cost scale because fairfield county CT is expensive, and the gc gets a cut too. E: the mason sourced it from someplace, my gc said he went there himself to choose the stones so they would look nice and match. Bozart fucked around with this message at 19:11 on Jun 18, 2016 |
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Jun 18, 2016 18:29
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Zanthia posted:This is a joke, right? There is no way someone could be talked into paying $9k for a small section of flat rocks. No and yes? It it a more expensive area and they are the more expensive flagstones, plus we needed a permit, concrete base, etc. It is part of a larger project where we are also expanding the deck.
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Jun 19, 2016 21:20
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SiGmA_X posted:That's what I thought when I read it too. That's crazy expensive. Elephanthead posted:fairfield county CT Yes and yes, also I'm really happy with the quality but now I need to landscape it correctly.
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Jun 19, 2016 22:41
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We went to the zoning board of appeals yesterday, deck is good to go. I could have killed my gc though - he kept talking and his phone rang during the meeting, and he didn't seem prepared, and I was, so I just did the appeal myself. The deck was too close to the rear setback to extend it without appealing to the zba. They need you to list a hardship so I spun some bullshit about how the deck was too small. Cue tiny deck jokes!
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Jul 8, 2016 14:38
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QuarkJets posted:I've never actually gone around up in my attic. It's not finished or anything and I haven't really had much reason to. Maybe just to do a brief inspection? What's the general rule, stick to the wood beams and you'll be fine? Bring wood planks? When I was fiddling with my attic I put together some 2x4 cleats and handles on two sheets of plywood and then inched them along carefully.
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Jul 19, 2016 13:52
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So we're about 20 years into a water heater that should last 10-15. Anyone have a recommendation for where to go and what kind to get? (Electric)
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Jul 28, 2016 16:11
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I've heard not to put afci breakers in because it can produce lots of nuisance trips, from shared neutrals, etc.
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Aug 12, 2016 18:06
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There are some backlit light switches that do not require a neutral, such as the Lutron CA-3PSNL-WH Diva, which is what I used because I am made entirely from monies.
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Aug 18, 2016 13:51
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OSU_Matthew posted:How exactly is that possible? Is it using the ground as a neutral return pathway? I am not sure how they do it, and I'm an electrical engineer by education. There is no warning about using it with a gfci, so if it is using the ground as return then the current must be minuscule, less than say 100 micro amps. E: now that I think about it they are probably putting a tiny bit of current down the load even when the switch is off. Bozart fucked around with this message at 16:32 on Aug 18, 2016 |
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Aug 18, 2016 15:49
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devicenull posted:They threw a fit when we went over to talk to them. There was no way I was moving all that poo poo. Do you live in florida by any chance?
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Sep 4, 2016 03:56
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MrYenko posted:There's a special place in hell for contractors that don't leave generous service loops. My limited experience is that DIYers are usually to blame. I would say that the no contact tester is essential to all electrical work - don't skimp on safety equipment, particularly if you haven't done it before. For outlet replacement, an outlet tester is also essential to verify that you didn't gently caress it up somehow. Use a manual screwdriver, not an impact driver. A needle nosed pliers is great for getting wires to fit back into the box. You can get cheap versions of all of those, should be ~30 bucks total.
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Sep 5, 2016 18:01
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weas posted:I replaced a GFCI in my bathroom the other day, and the original wiring didn't have anything connected to the load side, just the line side. Does this defeat the purpose of having a GFCI, or does it just eliminate the downstream protection for other outlets on the circuit? There is nothing downstream so the other outlets are either on a different circuit or they are not protected (unless you have multiple gfci on the same circuit) My money is on some idiot put the gfci in the wrong place.
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Sep 8, 2016 21:36
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melon cat posted:Whoh. Now that you mention it- $1800 is a lot to pay. I've thought about DIYing the water heater replacement myself, but doesn't it require all sorts of soldering and piping work? The 1800 one is probably the top of the line Rheem with 80 gallon capacity and a heat pump (so, much more efficient and much better first hour delivery) If you don't have an enormous hot tub then don't bother.
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Sep 8, 2016 21:40
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QuarkJets posted:Most of the ground wire was covered in white paint, aside from a small length on the end. How does that even happen? Priming with a paint sprayer before the switches were put in (rough in).
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Sep 11, 2016 03:08
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Document it with the town (as in, get a letter from them for each complaint and a letter regarding its resolution) and if he persists in nuisance complaints get a restraining order?
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Sep 13, 2016 13:18
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If you can get the town clerk that issued the letters to send you something saying that "hey there was never actually anything wrong" that might be good. Plus then you'll cement in the guy's head that your neighbor complains about non issues. Then there is the reddit advice of adding security cameras in case the guy escalates to trespassing or vandalism.
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Sep 14, 2016 00:31
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He's the chief of town ordinance enforcement and his powers are vast,
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Sep 14, 2016 14:39
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A shitload of ground covering plants that don't mind alkaline soil and full sun, and a stone walkway to get past them to the lake?
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Sep 21, 2016 19:15
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