|
Also helps for potential buyers with kids, later on when they sigh relief knowing they won't have to replace every one themselves. It's straightforward, but incredibly tedious.
|
#
¿
Jul 16, 2020 17:53
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 13:25 |
|
|
H110Hawk posted:I think this is just as silly. A working outlet should be left alone. Toss in those little plastic covers if it's not TR and you need baby proofing. Once it needs replacement you add TR. And working means easy in/out, grips the plug well with no sagging out, and no "wiggle room" for the arcin and sparkin. Yeah I wouldn't replace them for literally no reason, just if you're already going to do it... Our home had multiple broken outlets and needed it. TR seemed obvious there.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 16, 2020 19:15
|
|
|
So I've got a cold storage room in my place, in the basement under the front porch. We'll be gutting the room (slash have) to repair what must have been a god awful concrete pour, combined with PO incompetence. Bringing someone in for that piece. What I'm wondering is, are there any good (even if expensive) options to frame/finish the walls and ceiling, with insulation, that are thinner than the standard 2x4 framing? That's all I'm really familiar with and Im not quite sure where to start looking. I figure there's going to be a trade-off between thickness, insulation, and cost, but I'm open to spending a bit more to do this well.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 22, 2020 01:36
|
|
|
Motronic posted:The standard for that mess around here would be rigid foam. More expensive, but higher r-value for the thickness. Thanks. That makes sense. How might I go about putting up drywall (or alternatives)? I'm thinking just strapping, but when I've seen that it seems you end up driving everything through the foam and into the concrete. I'm a bit put off on putting more holes in the drat thing. I figure the room would want 2 outlets and an Ethernet port ideally, thinking protruding boxes for those to keep the walls as thin as I can. Just run it between or below the strapping if possible.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 22, 2020 20:26
|
|
|
Sucks, but seems like an ok price for peace of mind.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 24, 2020 19:13
|
|
|
Is there any issue with mixing insulation levels on the same floor? Like say the north side is r-20 but the south r-10? I'm guessing no but want to check as I've I know doing some insulation and none elsewhere is a no-no, but I didn't see anything about different degrees of insulation. To make it more complicated, the floor in question Is a "basement" - the house is on a downslope. One "L" of the bottom floor is mostly below grade, the other "L" isnt. Looks like there's currently just r-12 batts in most places, with some foam if the cavity space allows it.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 25, 2020 15:59
|
|
|
Storm's right about the finish being a real hassle and very hard to do well. You absolutely can DIY it. It would save a decent chunk of change. But it will be harder and messier than you think it will be. It will also take much longer than you think. Source: wife decided she couldn't live with the popcorn ceilings AFTER we bought the place. She peeled and skim coated the entire thing. Hellworld.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 1, 2020 21:16
|
|
|
LloydDobler posted:Probably the most frustrating thing about selling a house is fixing all the poo poo that the inspection uncovers that you should have fixed years earlier so that you could enjoy it. How? I have the same problem!
|
|
#
¿
Aug 5, 2020 17:27
|
|
|
Thanks. I actually have a list going. I literally meant the window lock thing, hahaha.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 5, 2020 18:33
|
|
|
How much would you trust original drawings of your home? We're talking stamped by city inspector, engineers approval letter attached, drawings. Wondering if I can knock down those walls marked non-load bearing based on said drawings...
|
|
#
¿
Aug 6, 2020 12:55
|
|
|
Clean first. Then caulk.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 7, 2020 15:11
|
|
|
Fallom posted:Man this is just nuts. What's so hard about going through the dang roof? It took my electrician 30 minutes to properly install a cap with flashing and sealant. But the roof is so high up!
|
|
#
¿
Aug 10, 2020 20:32
|
|
|
Residency Evil posted:Unfortunately, it seems like those <2% rates are only through brokers. I don't know your market specifically, but what I can tell you is we went with a broker recommended by my boss's (wife's) boss and I regretted it (and not trusting my "this guy is poo poo" feeling). A coworker's mom got him a better rate than us by just calling two banks back and forth; that's even after I sent back the first rate our broker gave us as totally unacceptable.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 12, 2020 01:58
|
|
|
Anyone have some tips on removing concrete anchor bolts in a ceiling? I believe they're the hammer drive type. My current plan is to drill into it with a bit for metal deep enough to loosen the base where the anchor spreads out, then put a screw into the hole and leverage it out.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 12, 2020 16:06
|
|
|
LloydDobler posted:Do you have to remove them completely? Or would cutting them off and grinding them flush be acceptable? Most people just do that to a protruding anchor bolt. Walk around any concrete floor industrial building older than 10 years and you can probably find multiple examples. Not necessarily. They're in a concrete ceiling that I'll be installing insulation over, so flush should be OK. I have a recip. saw but I don't think I'll be able to get as close to it as I'd need... I'll look at it more closely. I can pick up an angle grinder though. They seem like something I can get an OK one for cheap, if I'm only using it here and there. Namely there.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 12, 2020 22:00
|
|
|
LloydDobler posted:You can get a super long blade for the sawzall (I have an awesome 12" long one that works for a huge variety of things) and bend it to lay flat on the concrete to get a mostly flush cut, then grind to finish if you even need to at that point.  So that's what this flush cut blade I got in the multi-pack does. I couldnt figure it exactly what made it flush. For real there's a little picture of what you're describing on it, and my thought was "oh boy they're using that wrong!"
|
|
#
¿
Aug 13, 2020 01:22
|
|
|
Can you parge over a polyurethane concrete sealant?
|
|
#
¿
Aug 14, 2020 00:55
|
|
|
Mice in the insulation in my basement  .I expect it will need replacing. My googling suggests that it will all need to go, or a mix of removal and sanitized? Anyone have experience with that? Also, how hosed would my heating and comfort be if we removed it all, but weren't able to replace until spring? I think I'm in zone 6 it does get cold here. It's a all-out basement with mostly r-12 or 14 on the walls.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 2, 2020 14:07
|
|
|
We've been demoing it - so it is a previously-finished basement. Most drywall is already off. It's more I don't have the time to refinish the place, we'd been demoing it down to the studs/insulation with intent to refinish next year. Since I'll have the big bins for disposal here, we'd ideally get all the garbage out at once, hence wanting to toss it but leave it unfinished until next year. We'd only use the space for laundry over the winter, which is in our utilities room. We would of course keep the door to the basement closed and could even temporarily weatherstrip it. The floors are not insulated (since it had been finished). But heat rises, or so they tell me, so the heat loss there should be negligible. Sounds like I could mostly get away with ripping it out now and replacing it in the spring.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 2, 2020 17:38
|
|
|
Moneyball posted:Have you considered just opting out of winter this year? I've put a request in with city hall. Fingers crossed. H110Hawk posted:I would work to reduce airflow, leaks, and stuff like that and eat the cost for the winter. Zone 6 is cold but not bitterly so glancing at the USDA map. Keep an eye on it and caulk or spray foam at hand. Thanks this makes sense. My only concern for this is that the builder and PO were both utter poo poo, so I may end up finding more drafty spots than I'd hope. Still, if it makes everything smoother with the demo, it's probably worth it. StormDrain posted:Oh yeah I wouldn't worry about it at all then. I have an unfinished basement that is for utilities, cat boxes, and exercise. The thing about the earth is its pretty stable temperature wise, underground. It'll stay cool but even without insulation it'll be livable, and won't impact your house temp much if at all. It's a basement walk-out would be my only concern, but still - hot air rises or whatever. So even if the one part is getting chilly I shouldn't have too much trouble. therobit posted:How many square feet of wall is it? Kraft faced insulation is super easy to hang with a hammer tacker. I spent like a month hanging fiberglass insulation one summer break from college and nearly 20 years later I can still do it really easily. I am a slow learner so I would guess you could figure it out over the course of a single wall and be off to the races. Good to know. It's the hole basement but I've been planning on going the fiberboard route. It looks fairly straightforward either way. It's more just my wife and my schedule has us working the equivalent of a full time and part time job at the same time (each). Very roughly, its 600 sqft of wall + joist bays.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 2, 2020 23:52
|
|
|
Thanks. I'm an idiot and meant to say rigid foam, so it sounds like it would be more time consuming. Maybe something we can chip away at.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 3, 2020 14:14
|
|
|
Crossposting from DIY in hopes of a speedy reply: Ugh. So the PO installed a fireplace in the basement. They ran the gas line outside and it is connected directly to the meter. There is no stop valve. We want to remove said fireplace. There is another upstairs and the gas line runs RIGHT over the fireplace they decided to run outside (and then through a hole drilled into the foundation...) Any suggestions on dealing with this? Would my utility handle it or is it on me? Not familiar with who technical owns the meter. Otherwise I guess a plumber/gas specialist? Edit: ok I figured it all out phew. Jenkl fucked around with this message at 00:14 on Sep 4, 2020 |
|
#
¿
Sep 3, 2020 23:08
|
|
|
B-Nasty posted:Install, or have an electrician install, a whole-house surge protector at your electrical panel. Now you have some protection for all your expensive appliances that apparently now need to have full computers built into them to toast some bread. I hadn't heard of these before. Googling says you'd need to replace it every 2 years. Is that right? Feels excessive. I'm sure the math works though vs. Replacing 2k appliances every 5 years or whatever.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 9, 2020 13:36
|
|
|
Thanks everyone. I'll be slappin' that on my to-do list as well. Another question: Is it possible to replace foam sheathing without removing siding? I have full interior access. I've come to realize there's a portion of my home that uses it instead of plywood. But it's damaged in many places, and is EPS not XPS and in a basement walkout so I think the additional protection against moisture that XPS provides would be better. Bonus question: if you were installing EPS as sheathing, would taping only on the outside be ok? It's definitely not taped on the inside like I've seen done against concrete, and the engineer's drawings clearly indicate to do so. Just don't have outside visibility.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 9, 2020 16:34
|
|
|
devicenull posted:No, because it goes between your studs and siding. You could maybe pick it all out from the inside, but I can't see how you'd manage to get plywood in there instead. Thanks this is what I've come to accept.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 11, 2020 17:19
|
|
|
drat Bananas posted:I'm getting my popcorn ceilings scraped and retextured this week. The workers took down the central air HVAC's intake vent and air filter so now it's just a giant gaping hole sucking in all this dust when the AC kicks on (it's still like 85 out here). They aren't going to finish for 5 more days. How bad is that? If bad, any workarounds? I'm not sure I know what you mean by past the cutoff, and I'm not sure I'd want to at this point. Have they set up some kind of containment? Or are you saying all of the dust is literally just getting circulated? That's a lot of dust and it will damage the air quality. You will be cleaning it for the rest of your life. You will want to get your ducts cleaned. We scraped some ceilings with all our ducts blocked and are sealed off, and we also did not run ac - this was a year ago and there is still dust everywhere. It's not good for your health, but it's better than asbestos.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 26, 2020 03:18
|
|
|
Ok yeah I was hoping you meant built in 90s, I'm glad to hear that. That crew should have blocked those vent holes (cover with plastic and tape). They should have told you to not run the AC. Even well sealed vents often leaves you with dust everywhere, it will find it's way into any little opening or crack. Honestly there's just so much loving dust when you scrape down popcorn/drywall/mud. It's basically just dust compressed into rocks. And I'd absolutely talk to the owner. From what I've heard scraping/ceilings is a bit of a sub-trade so they should know to air seal properly when working. Also, 9 days vs 5 days is a massive whiff on the quote. Did they tell you why the difference?
|
|
#
¿
Sep 26, 2020 12:43
|
|
|
I guess it's just me that doesn't have that happen? It might be because I poo poo talk the place before they get the chance - PO and builder were both idiots.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 1, 2020 01:07
|
|
|
Ughhh. Unfortunate but perhaps not surprising that none of the spray foam quote guys mentioned that the city won't count it as a vapour if it isn't 2" thick everywhere. My existing framing isn't far enough off the wall, so it looks like I'll need to put up the barrier on top of spray foam.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 10, 2020 14:39
|
|
|
Cross posting for some visibility, plus it sounds like we're talking basements and water! I noticed this the other day:  The spray foam is new. This had been un-insulated and open since (but not during) last winter and I noticed no water issues. It's happening in another spot a few feet away. This is against a corner of the basement. It doesn't seem to actively leak during rain/snow. Any ideas on how to diagnose this without immediately chiselling out the spray foam?
|
|
#
¿
Dec 28, 2020 20:31
|
|
|
Motronic posted:Look on the other side of that wall. Outside. So there's no obvious leak on the outside siding/trim, I'd looked carefully. No gutters above dropping water there (they bring it to back side of house). The ground slopes away and done the side of the house... kind of. It's an odd lot and tight. Pictures below.   The circles correspond to studs (but not at the right height) that show water at the bottom (the one pictured is the one on the corner in the first picture. The other is the other spot I mentioned in the same room with the same problem). The patio was recently stoned/parged, but that front face was left untouched. The lot was designed to run water down that path in the middle, and has been swaled to a ravine in the back of the lot. That said, it's been 30 years, and there has been some settling, but the spot I notice as bad is further back near the back corner. There is no vapour barrier here yet, I'm doing that myself (I noticed this when I was starting to work on this areas poly). Note that, there kind of is barrier, in that most of this has >2" of spray foam, what's needed to count as a vapour barrier. But since its old framing, most of it is not 2" off the concrete, so it still needs poly in front, per my city. The plastic you see is just under the sill to seperate the concrete and lumber. I don't know why they left this part so long, perhaps it had to do with that having been a tiled shower? RE: The spray foam - purple was the original install, white was a froth pak from a call back. The orange was me doing touch ups in hard spots purely for vapour. I'd not expected to need another call back, and was (before finding this) on a tight timeline, but both of those seem to have changed. That spot was actually tight when the job was first done, as I'd since chiselled out 3 inches of mortar from the shower that was there.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 28, 2020 21:21
|
|
|
Motronic posted:That response leaves more questions than answers. Sorry tearing out all what? The framing? Because we did not need to. The room with the water was previously a bathroom and the goal is to return it to that state. The basement is intended to be a living space. Edit: Also, I'd be happy to answer more questions if it helps me determine a way to diagnose this. Of course I can dig down to the bottom of the foundation or chisel out all the insulation right away, both are larger tasks that I'd prefer avoiding if possible, hence why I'm looking for comedy forum expertise. Jenkl fucked around with this message at 21:45 on Dec 28, 2020 |
|
#
¿
Dec 28, 2020 21:34
|
|
|
Motronic posted:Yes, tearing out the not-to-code framing rather than using: You're referring to the 2" RE: the not to code comment? It was code at the time but yes, it is well below modern standard. To be clear, the framing is not 0" off the wall. It varies quite a bit. At it's worst it's a 1/2" off, at max it touches 2". Still not good. My thought was "water = bad, resolve" and I hadn't gone much further than that. We are likely to move on in around 10 years, but I'd prefer to target a 20 year build. I lack the experience to look at this and say "this will ruin a build in X years." So my goal would be to identify the source of this water and remediate... I think? That feels like it would give me 20 years. At the same time, I understand it's a basement, so asking for that much time gets pricey. That could inform the budget here, or shift the time we spend here. Identifying the source was definitely why I posted in the first place. Determining what my options are, and how much I'd spend to fix said issue come second to me after understanding the scope of the problem. I guess sometimes it costs money just to find that out, but that's what I'm doing here  .
|
|
#
¿
Dec 28, 2020 21:58
|
|
|
Motronic posted:Yeah, that's where you're at and sometimes it does cost. But the reason I'm asking you these questions is because there are multiple approaches and "this thing that's not very good that will need modification and repair anyway is in the way" has an obvious answer of "rip that thing out". Oh boy! Lot's is wrong with this place. I've considered my own thread in HCH but don't have the time to commit. Specifically in this bathroom, actually, these signs of water are the first real issues. The bathroom appears to have been originally installed when built in ~1990. I'm lucky enough to have the original plans signed off by the city. The PO did some kind of modifications at some point since they owned it (2001-2019) and by all accounts they are awful and incompetent. I couldn't say the specifically did anything in this bathroom though. So likely a bit of both old and bad. On the exterior, only the patio stone and parging is new, nothing along the affected walls has been redone, and no landscaping updates. I had this whole thing gutted to the studs for months and saw no water issues here. We had discovered cracks elsewhere so I actually was coming downstairs and inspecting the exposed concrete walls during and after every rain for most of that time. That said, because of shower mortar/tile that I just removed, it's possible (but unlikely) I missed something. In terms of straight/level... I'm not quite sure which is off. I'd wager both at this point. I fully expect to have a hell of a time dry walling, and expect to be mud framing to compensate. Like I said, I think all the issues with this place could be its own thread, but I'm not sure they are relevant to this specific issue. Lastly, I'd add the range of measurements come from different sections of the basement, not necessarily from the same base plate (or however you'd define wall section). So this bathroom is not that crooked. I'd say a typical offset was about 1" to 1-1/2". Also, I really appreciate your help! Even if it can't get me much further than this just having to explain it helps focus my thoughts.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 28, 2020 22:16
|
|
|
Motronic posted:No problem and.....no, I can't/won't be able to help much more. With the details you provided it sounds like you might be teetering over to the throwing good money after bad/goon in a well situation that so many other BFC homeowners have gone down and I'm just not willing to get involved anymore. Yeah that's what I figured. Thanks though!
|
|
#
¿
Dec 28, 2020 22:28
|
|
|
Not expecting any reply just organizing some thoughts: Since I'll need to get the insulators back again I figured I'd cut in and figure out what was up behind the pictured area. * it is dry back there, which suggests water is from inside or coming up. * they missed a big chunk of that spot - the foam I put in went a long ways back. It also did not cure right as far as I can tell, suggesting a poor air seal in that area. * that area is well off the concrete, which I found interesting. I measured and it's at least 4" off, much more than I remembered. All this together is making me think it's a condensation problem impacting the part that was very poorly insulated and air sealed. It's worth noting that during very heavy rains there were no issues here. I think directing my resources there are decent idea and will balance time and money. I should also update my expectations on how long the build might last and how long well want to be here, if I can't resolve this with a great degree of certainty.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 28, 2020 23:57
|
|
|
MrLogan posted:House Ownership Thread: I had no idea [blank] was so incredibly expensive Perfection.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 19, 2021 16:00
|
|
|
Oh that's rough those are big screens. I've had this happen in an apartment I was in. Came home one time to find the little rascal indoors burrowed into a sealed loaf of bread on a counter.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 27, 2022 03:14
|
|
|
I'm looking to install lifeproof vinyl plank on a concrete slab. The slab is pitted in places, ranging from 0-1/2" divots or so, and the floor instructions call for flatness within 1/4". I'm guessing there's 50-100 sqft of floor that needs patch. I'm not concerned with the finish since I'm covering it, and I'm not worried about levelling as it's acceptable. I also have the luxury of time. What would the most cost effective way to flatten it be? Sand/topping mix might not feather that well. Could mortar or thinset work? I figure the worst case is I use self-leveller, but it seems pricier and a bit annoying to work with.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 2, 2022 03:12
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 13:25 |
|
|
Hopefully these pictures give a better idea of what I mean. Spalled is probably more accurate. I'd say this counts as crumbly texture. 
|
|
#
¿
Aug 2, 2022 03:38
|
|