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Elem7 posted:Some crawl spaces are considered conditioned spaces and should be sealed from the outside, I believe that's pretty standard on newer construction. This is a very specific design decision and you need to know how it was constructed or you will have disastrous consequences. "Conditioned craw space" is not normal, but the can be converted (or built) to be that way.
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Aug 15, 2017 01:58
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TheGreasyStrangler posted:Every single "basement rehab" contractor is pushing that for old homes. I got a quote of $3-4,000 to encapsulate my crawl space and closing it off was part of the deal. At the moment I just don't think it's worth that kind of money to make a 3-foot vertical space feel clean and livable (and mitigate the radon levels that are just barely over the 4.0 threshold). There's a reason you put that in quotes. I'm talking about quality contractors. There's nothing wrong with putting down rubber/etc over the dirt on a crawlspace to make it "cleaner" and largely to keep excess humidity from the soil out. It's a whole other thing to then claim it's then conditioned space and close off outside vents.
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Aug 15, 2017 02:24
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Do you need air conditioning also? Lots of mini splits do both heat and air, are quite efficient to run, and fairly easy to install.
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Aug 17, 2017 15:54
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LogisticEarth posted:It's actually a hilariously expensive price to pay for finishing an already constructed space. This is the real issue with that. I mean....what are they gonna do? Probably throw up a cheap rear end drop ceiling, some rental-quality carpet and box in a "mechanical room" with $100 worth of 2x4s and drywall. This is literally a weekend job with well under $10k of materials. For like 3 people.
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Aug 18, 2017 02:33
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I'm all for replacing it if it needs replacing, but this is totally a fixable problem without replacing it. If the pan is in fact rotted out (I doubt it) you can throw a piece of sheet metal over it and caulk it down - this will last for several years on it's own (but if the system is that far gone count on other poo poo happening). Just putting out an idea if you really don't have the chunk of cash to replace it right now. But you really should as soon as you can, not only because it needs it but even if it were in "prefect" condition since it's an early 80s piece of inefficient poo poo in a place that has 105 degree temps......that makes it pay for itself before long (seriously.....we're talking $100+ a month or more depending on just how hosed up this thing is).
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Aug 28, 2017 01:24
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Leperflesh posted:Blew air up into the plenum and was rewarded with gobs of orange guck followed by a nice piss of water. Did that a couple more times and I believe I drained the plenum... which makes me think it's not a hole in the pan, just clogged drain causing the pan to overflow. That's going to clog again - very quickly. Order these now: https://www.amazon.com/Rectorseal-68115-Hydrex-Tabs-200-Tablet/dp/B008A3UCYS It will eliminate the problem entirely.
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Aug 28, 2017 16:28
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Leperflesh posted:So I'll have to cut a hole in the plenum to put those in, since it's sealed. And then seal the hole somehow with a cap or something that is removable so I can put more pills in later. Easy job (if you have the poo poo for it). If you're worried about getting chips somewhere they shouldn't be grease the hole saw bit, go slow and keep cleaning and re-greasing.
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Sep 1, 2017 03:36
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Whoever told you to use a mini ex instead of a tracked bobcat for that needs to be ignored (because they probably have no idea how to use either on a slope, certainly not a bobcat). Depending on how much you need to move - day labor is a better idea.
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Sep 2, 2017 15:29
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Leperflesh posted:But, do the math. If your new furnace and a/c save you $400 a year, for example, but costs you $10,000, then it'll be 25 years before you break even. I agree the math should be done, but a barely running old rear end R-22 unit can put your power bill in the $600/mo range around here while literally any reasonable new unit of even the lowest efficiency could bring that to more like $250. Summer and winter if heat pump is the only heat source. So in that case you're looking at more than $2k a year (accounting for the nice months where you aren't running heat or AC at full blast). So it totally depends, but yeah do the math.
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Sep 4, 2017 01:39
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Steampunk Hitler posted:Ah okay, H110Hawk mentioned ducts so I just assumed he meant the items in the wall. The copper lines should actually be pretty easy to replace since while the basement is conditioned, it's not really finished (It has insulation on the exterior walls, but the interior is completely open, it just has electric/hvac/etc run in preparation of being finished someday). So it's basically a straight shot through the exterior wall through exposed joists in the ceiling to the indoor half. If you're in PECO territory you should check this out: https://www.peco.com/WaystoSave/ForYourHome/Pages/HVACRebates.aspx If you're in the northern exurbs I've got a contractor for you that you probably want to talk to. He does a lot of work for my GC buddy on mostly high end poo poo.
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Sep 7, 2017 16:38
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OctaviusBeaver posted:I'm looking at a house with a cracked roof truss and wanted to get a quote for repair before going forward with buying it. What type of contractor would you use for that? I'd start with a structural engineer to make sure what you are seeing is the entire extent of the problem. They are also very good at coming up with less expensive/intrusive ways to repair things like that.
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Sep 7, 2017 18:06
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Steampunk Hitler posted:Thanks for that link! I am in PECO territory so that is great information. I live out near Pottstown/Limerick/Phoenixville/etc. Closest town is like, Spring City or Royersford. Ahhh, than I can't help with the HVAC guy. That's out of his normal area. But the PECO rebates are pretty sweet especially when you need to install a hoss of a system like you'll need for that square footage.
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Sep 8, 2017 14:40
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OSU_Matthew posted:Does anyone have any advice for home generators? I'm starting to worry about Irma, because the last time a similar storm went through Florida, it caused a weeklong power outage from the residual windstorm here in Ohio. The answer totally depends on how much you are willing to spend on this and what your actual needs are. I'm in a place where we lose power on a fairly regular basis - not enough for me to shell out for a whole house generator, but enough that I have a portable one that I can hook up to the entire house (not run everything....like AC and the electric oven are right out, but for the most part we're running normally, but with a noise thing sitting outside that needs to be filled up every 4 or 5 hours). So let's start with this: you may already be too late to get the generator you actually want. They have largely been diverted to Texas and Florida. I'm talking like big box stores pulling everything but the shittiest things out of other stores to truck them down there. That harbor freight generator has a decent motor. The generator side.......ehhhh.....it's HF. It's not gonna last. And even worse, if you hook it up to a bunch of expensive poo poo and the regulator goes for broke and overvolts everything you're gonna have a bad time of it. So what are you actually looking to do and how much do you have to spend? Things for the former include important factors like "I have a heat pump and an infant" to which I will say you need a whole house bigass generator" or "I have a wood stove or fireplace that can heat my house well enough". If all you're worried about is your refrigerator and maybe being able to run the microwave and charge your electronics it's a completely different answer.
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Sep 10, 2017 23:37
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Erwin posted:Also unless you're going to run extension cords out to the generator, absolutely have an electrician install a transfer switch and don't just back feed through an outlet or some other dumb idea. That can kill power company electricians and start fires. Absolutely. Which takes the cost of a reasonable quality 5k backup generator (that would suffice for most people without electric heat/heat pumps and/or and electric water heater) and doubles it. This is why I'm asking the questions.
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Sep 11, 2017 00:11
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OSU_Matthew posted:Sorry, I should have clarified all that in my original post. I'm just looking to power a fridge/freezer, network rack UPS, a couple of cat litterboxes, and charge up headlamps and some devices. I figure about 1500-2000 watts would be my max consumption, and I was just planning on running a few extension cords into the house and calling it day. Eventually I plan on installing a a transfer box for the lights and a couple of circuits but I was just looking for an interim solution, something like 3000 watts so it'll run all night and while I'm at work without having to refill the tank. The spending part is preferably under 500$. You want to double your budget and buy one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Honda-EU2000I-Portable-Generator-Inverter/dp/B005ND19AE There is absolutely, positively no comparison in that class. Everything else will be extremely loud and consume a lot of fuel and be a lot physically larger. You could go down to $500, but you're not going to get even close to 1/2 of the niceities of that unit. You can literally talk at a normal volume level while standing next to it. It runs drat near 8 hours on it's one gallon gas tank at moderate load. It weighs like 45 lbs as opposed to 145.
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Sep 11, 2017 19:03
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OSU_Matthew posted:Oh drat, this is awesome--it's exactly what I wanted! The extra portability is definitely a huge bonus... I had no idea this class of generator existed! Thanks! Also, if you need 4k watts in the future and/or 220v there is a "sync" cable you can get to run 2 units in tandem. A lot of people with RVs do this so they can run just one most of the time and kick on the second if they want to run an air conditioner or whatever higher load stuff they might have.
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Sep 12, 2017 15:33
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Elephanthead posted:Has anyone encapsulated a crawl space? I am mostly interested in quality of floor temp above then any problem plus tossing in some storage containers of garbage my wife won't toss out cause she is an aspiring hoarder. It is a partial crawl under a kitchen. You can't just take unconditioned space and turn it into conditioned space without some serious problems. Most people screw this up badly and end up with a mold factory. Vapor barriers need to be taken into account. It's doable depending on what you're starting with, but not likely as straightforward as you may think.
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Sep 20, 2017 17:25
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Elephanthead posted:I am not to worried about that it is less then 5% of the interior volume of the house just take the inside access door off and conditioned space., I'm not entirely sure what to tell you - it really doesn't matter how much or how little of the interior space it constitutes. Vapor barriers needs to be removed/placed in the proper locations or it will become a problem. Without knowing where you have vapor barriers and insulation now I wouldn't be able to say much else, but you drat well should be concerned with it. As to what to put on the dirt - the best thing I've seen is 20 mil polythylene specifically made for the purpose. You can go thinner, but I wouldn't want to if I was going to use it for storage. It needs to be properly installed - meaning sealed to the walls and all seams sealed.
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Sep 20, 2017 18:26
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Elephanthead posted:It is a sheet of plastic over dirt caulked to a concrete wall. I am not building a space shuttle. I'm not talking about just the floor covering. But you obviously don't care to get information that doesn't agree with what you think you already know, so best of luck to you.
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Sep 20, 2017 23:02
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Panthrax posted:Agreed. Plus, just because you don't care about that piece of property, someone else might. It's one thing to have a utility easement, it's another thing when a neighbor has a driveway on your land. What happens if it starts falling apart in 3 years, and the neighbor won't fix the driveway or something like that? Sounds like it's more trouble than it's worth, and finding someone to sell your house to that will accept it sounds more difficult than not. Fortunately there are people trained to deal with this exact situation! H110Hawk posted:You should use a real estate attorney
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Oct 25, 2017 01:05
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Your research on Goodman is correct. They are a middle of the road brand with middle of the road features/quality that are absolutely comparable to other middle of the road units. I have one in my bar that I've been abusing for many years now (it's installed in an unconditioned space which is totally wrong but keeps on trucking anyway). Install and support really is what matters. Goodman gets their rep because lovely plumbers and general laborers buy them and slap them in place with no knowledge of HVAC with the expected results.
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Nov 2, 2017 21:51
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TheGreasyStrangler posted:Just checked mine and it's a General that was last inspected in 1998, lol. Some Googling tells me that as long as the indicator is in the green and all the nozzle pieces look intact I can just hang on to it. You sure can hang on to it. But don't count on it to work as an extinguisher. If the powder isn't one giant brick now the first time you open the vale it will almost definitely not close again. Those are not expected or effective results.
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Nov 7, 2017 15:25
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z0331 posted:Yeah, it's an old house so we'll definitely be testing. If they're real hardwood floors that weren't destroyed (lots of knots and gouges) I don't see how you wouldn't get a good result. It's just a matter of taking all the paint off and then a bit more and refinish. So if the floor is relatively flat it's just a bunch of work and sand paper. If you're talking about REALLY old floors that weren't sanded to begin with (like 1800s barn board kinda stuff) you're talking extra hard mode. But that's going to be the exception.
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Nov 15, 2017 18:09
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:If/when you do replace your floor, make certain to buy a few extra packages of floorboards, so you can do repairs with matching boards properly. Floorboard products are constantly changing, so you can't count on being able to buy the same product even a few months later. This. ESPECIALLY for pre-finished. You pretty much need to have the same batch number.
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Nov 16, 2017 02:22
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Sigourney Cheevos posted:I also got this email, but I'm appreciative for it. The original recall listed the models that were effected, but kept calling them "plastic handled" and mine, while on the list that was 'not effected' was also plastic handled. The email more clearly shows which models are which, and which are safe, and which are not. I'm gonna be a pretentious rear end here (as if anyone needed preparation for that), but all Kidde stuff, especially with a plastic handle is trash. It's often better than not having anything, but that doesn't mean it's any good. This is poo poo manufactured to meet a standard and no further for a product that is often forgotten about and neglected long after that standard says it should be in good condition. Actually good extinguishers don't really cost that much more if you shop right.
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Nov 18, 2017 00:44
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H110Hawk posted:For example? So if you don't have a local fire protection place (you do, they service all of the commercial fire sprinklers, extinguishers and hood systems in your area) you can find some of the more industrious ones selling on eBay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Amerex-B40...KoAAOSwLpdW9AWm $50 and free shipping for a 5LB ABC big boy actually serviceable (you'll need to find that local place) extinguisher from a reputable brand.
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Nov 18, 2017 00:53
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Lysandus posted:Who's the Speed Queen of refrigerators? I hate to say this, but for residential it's Sub Zero. There's like, basically no other consumer brand that is even worth repairing the sealed portions. And all (or at least most) have separate compressors for the fridge and freezer, which is nice not only for some sort of "well, I didn't lose EVERYTHING in there" but also because you can truly independently set temperatures. The other nice thing they have going on are some models have remote/top mounted compressors. If you have the ceiling height for that it keeps them away from pet hair and all that kind of thing.
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Nov 20, 2017 15:29
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Leperflesh posted:And yeah it's actually real stainless steel, fridge magnets stick. "Real" stainless steel is either austenitic or ferritic. Magnets stick to the latter, but the former is absolutely still real stainless. The most common stainless most people come into contact with is 304 and it's austenitic. It's used for food safety and medical devices including surgical instruments. The second most common type is 316, but that's more industrial (deals with corrosives better). The most common ferritics are for corrosion resistance around and beyond that. I have no idea why they would make your fridge out of it. Sorry for  
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Nov 22, 2017 03:47
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H110Hawk posted:New insulated doors are going to be a lot lighter and keep out more noise on top of the insulation savings if you are heating that space. It's not a urgent change but a lot of materials advances have happened since literal planks of wood were used. Lighter should mean net cheaper to operate (smaller motor needed, less wear, etc.) A lot of the lighter ones don't even have torsion bars/springs. Also, lwoodio - be drat sure that thing is completely unloaded if you want to open the door and seriously don't mess with it if it's not. Torsion bars/springs on garage doors will gently caress you up if you don't know exactly what you are doing. I hate messing with them.
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Nov 24, 2017 17:32
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A competent GC/deck company would sub the (high volt) electrical out and coordinate all the details for it. Some may choose to use low volt lighting. It's a question to ask your prospective contractor in very general terms. Their answer should inform your decision on whether to hire them.
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Dec 3, 2017 16:58
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Sudden Loud Noise posted:former tenant You bought a former rental house? Yes, of course this is what you're likely to find.
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Dec 6, 2017 02:37
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Request to the mods: change this guys name to "Impulse Toilet"
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Dec 10, 2017 17:36
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devicenull posted:And cleaning the flange off while *not* thinking about what you're cleaning. Easymode. I've had to dig up my own septic when I had the lateral from the house to the box clog. The only thing worse than that is digging up someone else's septic. Bonus, my (at the time 12 year old) daughter learned how to operate a mini backhoe (she backfilled the entire thing herself).
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Dec 12, 2017 02:39
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mastershakeman posted:So the question is: Where can I get a piece of styrofoam board to just put up as a barrier overnight when we aren't using it? Is a big box my only hope? Any building supply house will have rigid foam insulation. And it's cheap.
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Dec 26, 2017 21:52
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Sepist posted:I've been electrocuted 3 times in a row by trying to repair a wall outlet and barely died New thread title.
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Dec 29, 2017 04:21
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Skinnymansbeerbelly posted:Funny you say this, because the unit is a Goodman from when the house was built. I don't have much of a problem with Goodman stuff in general (meaning the price vs quality of the equipment), but seeing it in new construction is a huge red flag that they had a plumber install it, and it's probably all wrong. (Every other equipment company requires dealers that are "in network" with training requirements, etc. Goodman will sell to anyone.)
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Dec 30, 2017 19:31
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ExplodingSims posted:Really the biggest factor is having a good install, which is where Goodman generally suffers the most. I kinda get where they were coming from on selling to anyone - and I hope that gamble worked out financially for them, because their reputation really suffered. They should have kept the Janitrol brand around for that poo poo (and literally just badge engineer the units based on sales channel).
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Dec 30, 2017 20:32
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Kanish posted:Yeah I think in the next few years R22 is going to be outright banned Yep, no repairs that require adding refrigerant as of 2020.
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Jan 1, 2018 17:07
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brugroffil posted:I'm enjoying this season on This Old House where they keep mentioning a "tight budget" on a project that includes a completely new kitchen including a six foot bump out, a new front porch, building a whole new master suite on the second story including custom tiles in the bathroom, oh and a huge new garage with a whole apartment. That has to be $250k. Tight isn't about size: it's about elasticity. Sounds like that homeowner is renoing themselves into the poor house and has no wiggle room.
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Jan 6, 2018 20:32
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| # ¿ May 8, 2024 20:37 |
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uwaeve posted:Goddamnit I finally figure out an open fire and I have zero chestnuts on hand God DAMMIT. do_never_buy.jpg Sorry dude.
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Jan 7, 2018 02:24
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