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Verman posted:Are you moving from a house you owned or from a rental? If it's a rental and you bought it, bring it with you. If it's a house, things bolted in place can be complicated. I got my free tv because it was mounted to the wall, therefore it came with the house. There's a term for this but I don't recall it at the moment. Not sure if it applies to toilet seats. Convey. If it conveys, it stays.
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May 13, 2022 21:39
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BaseballPCHiker posted:Looks super nice! Oh sorry, I was talking to the other person asking what the term was to stipulate if something comes with the house. If I moved into a place with a bidet, I kinda think I’d uninstall it and replace it with my own unless it was a really nice one. I’m moving out of my rental and have a cheap one I got from tooshy but I’ll probably just junk it because it’s a few years old and I don’t want to move it with my other stuff.
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May 14, 2022 02:38
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The house we’re moving into has hardwood flooring in everything except the kitchen/bathrooms (linoleum) and bedrooms (carpet). Assuming there is hardwood flooring under the carpet, what’s involved in just going back to hardwood? When I was there for the inspection, the carpet isn’t completely trashed but it’s not new.
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May 16, 2022 12:54
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What are some options for draining a dehumidifier in a basement so I don’t have to empty it myself? I don’t have a drain in the basement and I’m on a septic tank. I’ve got some basement windows, I’ve got the dual-hinged metal doors with stairs going down to the basement, and I’ve got the main wastewater PVC pipe that runs along the wall until it connects to the septic. I’d have the dehumidifier on a raised platform which would use a hose to drain into a condensate pump I imagine. I just don’t know where I could reasonably put the condensate pump to drain out towards.
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May 21, 2022 02:25
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Motronic posted:What does the grade outside of the area near where you want to put the dehumidifier look like? Because if it's a good enough slope away from the foundation I don't see why you wouldn't drill and run 1/4" right on through there as the outlet for a condensate pump (if your dehumidifier doesn't have one already). No sump pump pits to use. The outside ground is fairly flat. I’ll have to check on the grading. Stupid question : what about winter time with that 1/4” hole drilled? Do I just leave it or seal it up somehow?
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May 21, 2022 02:48
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Hadlock posted:I do not have a truck/don't have access to one, but I do have an alarmingly big trunk and not afraid to lash the trunk lid closed to make something fit for the three mile trip to the garage That’s fine. Ball bearing slides are always ideal. Not sure what trunk the bottom piece is going to fit into though. The ones we used to sell at sears always had extra styrofoam on all sides, increasing the dimensions.
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May 21, 2022 23:34
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The PO didn’t reset his nest doorbell he left behind. Luckily I talked to the realtor and he gave me his phone number. He reset the doorbell and answered a bunch of questions I had. The HVAC is loving weird. Oil baseboard heat, a split AC unit on the lower level and central ac on the upper level. There’s FOUR THERMOSTATS, 3 of which are nests. Turns out the nest ones control the heat and the other one controls the central ac upstairs. The Mitsubishi split unit is controlled by a remote. For some reason, there’s two nest thermostats on the lower level. He said that one of them controls the baseboard heat in the living room and the other one controls the baseboard heat in the other parts of the lower level. I’ll need to go to the hvac thread and see if there’s any way to consolidate this poo poo.
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May 30, 2022 19:21
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Beef Of Ages posted:I need to do this for our back porch and I'm not looking forward to paying for it. Considering doing it myself since it's all easy straight cuts and the base structure is in good shape but still, gently caress trex is expensive. I was looking online and trex was estimating materials around $5k, not including stairs. Then it said that materials only account for 1/3 of the total cost. Is labor for a deck really $10k in that case?
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Jun 1, 2022 02:11
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Speaking of rain instrusion, same thing happened in our rental but it was due to the gutters being full of leaves. The landlord corrected it with some gutter guards but it rained the other day and it looks like enough very small seeds have managed to clog up the gutters by getting through the gutter guards. New house we’re buying doesn’t have gutter guards. Are they worth it?
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Jun 4, 2022 00:29
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Inner Light posted:Lol we're also at end of spring / start of summer time which is probably the single highest point for prices in the year for big jobs. As a new homeowner, why is this? Because that’s when everyone wants work done?
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Jun 5, 2022 08:04
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How difficult is it to upgrade a single vanity to a double vanity? Our master bath only has a single vanity with a 54” wide counter. My wife and I want separate sinks. Looking online it seems we’ll be limited to 48” double vanities due to our limited space (the current vanity is in between the door and the toilet). The only big issue I’m seeing is the plumbing. It’s currently plumbed for one sink and we’d need it plumbed for two. Im not comfortable with copper or plumbing with the exception of toilets at the moment. Would it be as “easy” as having a plumber just come in and basically split the pipe work in two directions? Would permits need done? Sorry-brand new homeowner and I have no clue how this works. House was built in 1988. We’d ideally like to have a separate electric outlet installed but not necessary.
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Jun 11, 2022 01:53
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Speaking of appliances, I have huge analysis paralysis with dishwashers right now. Consumer reports recommends Bosch, but any of the ones in the 500 or 800 series aren’t available, and Bosch is basically the only thing CR recommends. User reviews are all over the place. Lots of people say the layout for the Bosch dishwasher sucks and you can’t easily fit plates and pans in the bottom rack (or as many as you would with other dishwashers). The i look at other brands like Samsung and kitchen aid and LG and whirlpool…bottom line is you can always find someone complaining about every single unit out there. I don’t expect much different from this thread…but I’m wondering if there’s any other big recommendations out there. I’ve heard they all suck at drying plastic and also not to expect anything to last more than 10 years. I’ll spend up to $1200 for one but if it’s not going to last, I don’t think I’m missing out on anything by buying something cheaper like $600-800.
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Jun 12, 2022 23:19
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Pressure washing decks…if I get this pressure washed, do I need to immediately stain it or paint it afterwards? I just moved in and no idea when it was done last.
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Jun 17, 2022 13:14
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Rigging a tube from the dehumidifier to outside for drainage. My basement doesn’t have a drain and I’m tired of emptying the dehumidifier twice a day. I think motronic recommended drilling a hole in my basement toward a downward sloping area and running the tube through that. Here’s my basement setup. Would it be possible to just drill the hole next to the windows and run the tube into the basins outside? I don’t have a sump pump. Alternatively, is there something out there I could buy which would just be a spacer in the window for me to run the tubing through so I don’t have to drill a hole? Lastly-I have barn doors/hatch opening to enter the basement as well as a stairwell in the house. I can see light when I look through the hatch opening. Is it worth getting that sealed up? 
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Jun 17, 2022 17:55
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Hadlock posted:Your dehumidifier looks nearly identical to the one on my boat. There should be a hose connector on the back. Go buy the world's cheapest garden hose and attach it to the back and run it through the crack in your barn doors, just make sure it doesn't pinch it all the way shut. Go buy some door threshold seal, if you want to drop the humidity in the air you're going to want the basement to be air tight as possible. Amazon has a bunch of options for under $30 So the white humidifier doesn’t have a pump. The grey one does. The barn doors are up 6 feet of stairs so the garden hose wouldn’t work since it’d have to travel up, hence buying the pump. I can buy some door threshold seal for the doors and try to run the pump hose (1/4”) through that though.
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Jun 17, 2022 18:15
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Motronic posted:Draining to daylight is always the recommendation when possible, but it doesn't look possible or practical in your case. It does have a pump. And yes to bilco doors. No door between bilco and basement. For the pvc-what size would you recommend the hole drilled, what size pvc? It’s a 1/4” tubing from the dehumidifier with the pump.
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Jun 17, 2022 18:17
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No sump hole anywhere. But there is a condensate drip from the split unit. I have a split downstairs and central ac upstairs. No idea where central drains to. Those two basement windows are the same windows from the other picture in the basement. All my gutters go underground and drain thru a 4” pvc pipe about 100 feet away.
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Jun 17, 2022 21:40
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Motronic posted:You have condensate draining into a basement window well and you have no sump pump? Reached out to the previous owner who had the AC system installed 1 year ago: quote:
He also said he had to empty his dehumidifier twice a day during the summer and never got around to running a pump. I read on a few forums that people will put pea gravel or other substrate in window wells to help drain it. In my house I was renting in Virginia, all the window wells were tied to a sump pump, but this is Connecticut where maybe sumps aren’t as common?
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Jun 18, 2022 00:15
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Motronic posted:Properly installed wells tie into the perimeter drain tile. You have no sump. Unless the drain tile (if it exists) drains to daylight somewhere you are putting water against your foundation which is causing increased humidity. You PO likey has no idea what they're talking about and the contract or who did that work doesn't either because it's an HVAC guy not a foundation guy or general contractor with broader knowledge. The only thing I know is: On the side of the house with those two window wells pictured, it’s on a downslope. So if I redirect the condensate away by 3 feet it will definitely roll downhill. The gutters all go in-ground to two big pvc pipes which run downhill about 150 feet to a storm drain, so I’m good there. How deep does a window well go? I’m wondering if they were thinking that since the hill slopes down, any water in the window well would go away from the house? Also: not seeing any visible moisture on the walls by the window well with the condensate line. Would I though? To do list: Get pvc pipe and get condensate line away from window well Seal leak on bilco door Drill hole near window for dehumidifier with built in pump. I’m guessing I’ll have it drain out to that same pvc pipe. Maybe get a T connection for it and the condensate.
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Jun 18, 2022 01:00
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I really have tried to like my electric smoothtop range that came with the house but it’s a gigantic piece of poo poo with the oven. Any recommendations for induction ranges?
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Jun 24, 2022 17:09
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Johnny Truant posted:Partner and I snagged the Frigidaire 30 in. 5.4 cu. ft. Front Control Induction Range with Air Fry in Stainless Steel and have been real pleased with it so far! Three questions because that’s an amazing price. 1) can you lock the front controls? I’ve got a toddler that would love to start everything up. 2) how easy/hard is it to adjust the heat on a burner? I’m used to knobs and pushing a button down a bunch seems like it would be a pain. 3) any of your pans make an annoying hum? I’ve got a cheap hot plate that’s induction and some of my pans do that. It’s like the met vibrating super fast.
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Jun 24, 2022 17:41
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Johnny Truant posted:1) yup! I haven't tried it myself since we don't have a toddler, but if I remember I'll lock it then try to get my partner to make something lol Thanks! One review said that the interface was hard to understand and they needed the manual to figure things out. Is that accurate at all?
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Jun 24, 2022 18:53
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Johnny Truant posted:I haven't had to bust the manual out yet, but I'll hazard a guess that since you're coming from knobs/buttons like I did, it'll be a slight learning curve for a range. And seeing as every stove we've dealt with previously had 0 learning curve, it is definitely weird. Nah, the timer doesn’t bug me. I’m mainly seeing some confusion about the lock button. Some people say it only locks oven controls and other people say it locks everything (cooktop and oven). Also-have you used the oven yet? Some reviews say it’s loud and you can hear the fan rattling when you use convection/airfry. I’d really like the GE Profile but it’s $3500 and it’s backordered for a few months so I’ll pass on that.
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Jun 24, 2022 19:21
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 Back to the dehumidifier I posted about. If I’m going to connect the AC condensate line to the pvc pipe I’ll drill through the foundation, where would be a good place to drill through? Think I’d be safe drilling right above the window or should I go to the left/right of window?
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Jun 24, 2022 20:03
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Here’s a quick picture without moving the insulation: I’ll have to do some research on going into the rim joist unless it’s as simple as someone used a hole saw on the side of the house to get those two pipes through it. If that’s the case, maybe just use the same hole or a new hole next to the existing ones? I’ll also have to figure out how to tap into that pvc drain-great catch in noticing that! As an aside…I see these shims all over the top of the basement. Any idea what they are for? 
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Jun 25, 2022 01:12
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Any idea what this thing is next to my outlet?
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Jun 26, 2022 00:39
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PainterofCrap posted:It’s a light sensor, wired to one or both receptacles. Hm. I tried plugging a chainsaw in during the daytime and it didn’t work. I only tried one plug though. Hopefully the outlet works and it was just the light sensor activating.
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Jun 26, 2022 01:12
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Is there anything wrong with mounting a hose reel to the outside of my chimney? It’s brick and I’d rather drill into that if possible than mess with the wood siding. It looks like the included anchors would go in about 1.5”. I would think it’s fine since people mount tvs above their brick fireplaces but want to ask first.
nwin fucked around with this message at 16:45 on Jun 26, 2022 |
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Jun 26, 2022 16:27
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In some positive news, my ac installers weren’t completely inept. It turns out they did link the condensate line for the central ac unit upstairs into the gutter so it goes into the big pvc pipe which drains far from my house. They’re coming out for an inspection tomorrow so maybe I can figure out why they didn’t do the same thing for the split unit downstairs. Laziness or do split units just not produce a lot of condensate?
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Jun 26, 2022 20:43
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Motronic posted:The former. Possibly also ineptitude and poor supervision. Any recommendations on how to link up my 1/2” pvc pipe containing the dehumidifier hose to the 4” pvc downspout? Not sure how I can tap into the 4” pipe short of just drilling into it and putting some silicon caulk or something around the 1/2” pvc pipe.
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Jun 26, 2022 23:25
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One issue on booking my dehumidifier up and running the house through the hole in the siding. The dehumidifier only came with a 15 foot hose and a 5 foot long electrical cord. The closest outlet is another 8 feet away. So two or three options I can see: 1) extension cord (currently pictured). Not sure the gauge but it’s 12 gauge I think which should be adequate..it’s like a 50’ cord though so I should probably get a smaller one if I want to do this. 2) longer 1/4” hose for the dehumidifier. I can buy a 25’ length and cut it to size. Only concern is if it will be too far for the dehumidifier to have the water travel. The manual says max lift is 16’ and it’s only going up about 8-9’. 3) get an outlet installed. Most expensive, maybe the best option. I’m just worried there’s some code against having an outlet so close to an oil tank. There’s a lightbulb that’s probably 5’ away from the tank right now, but it’s not an outlet.  The outlet is to the left of the furnace.
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Jun 29, 2022 21:26
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It’s been brought up a bunch but I can’t find it… Things to look for on window quotes? Planning on replacing 16 double hung windows with wood frames built in the late 80’s. Main thing I remember is trying to ensure all quotes are using same material/etc, but that seems to be a crapshoot. One guy quoted an estimate of $6500 using haverty windows (no other details given) and has been in business for 40 years and will come out to confirm measurements/etc. The other two places want to do a sit down with me and my wife to explain everything which seems like a pain, but seems to be common for the window industry. nwin fucked around with this message at 15:34 on Jun 30, 2022 |
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Jun 30, 2022 15:29
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H110Hawk posted:$6500 I would be genuinely worried about the lifespan and look of the windows. Those are probably the cheapest retrofit vinyl around. You will get quotes that are multiples (10 is a multiple...) of that if you want windows that look like what you currently have but are double pane, high quality, good warranty, you get the idea. Yeah, it seems too good to be true as we were expecting at least $10k, but he’s saying these are a 20-year warranty. Him and another company are coming out tomorrow for their official quotes.
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Jun 30, 2022 15:37
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A few of the windows look like this and most are hard to close. Only been here a month so no idea how drafty they are The manufacturer date appears to be 1988.
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Jun 30, 2022 15:46
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the sill itself looks fine. No damage underneath from what I can tell What kind of maintenance is required?
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Jun 30, 2022 17:38
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Well one company came out and rambled a bunch of technology at me… 100% virgin vinyl instead of A grade vinyl (because A vinyl sucks and only lasts 5 years before warping apparently and it chalks) for 9 double hung and 3 slider windows. Double pane with some proprietary technology that apparently makes the argon gas leak less. $17k installed. 50 year warranty. He said grade A vinyl would be $5k less but “clearly not worth it” since it will break so quickly. He said recycle vinyl is poo poo and would be about $10k total and isn’t worth it. Dude spit good game but I don’t know what to believe…hence the need for more quotes and more bullshit presentations. The cheap guy had to reschedule. nwin fucked around with this message at 20:52 on Jul 1, 2022 |
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Jul 1, 2022 20:48
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Do new dryers just suck? We got a new LG dryer which was one of the top consumer reports rated ones and it never fully dries clothes. The dryer vent is completely clean but the normal setting always leaves things just a little damp. Turning off “energy saver” mode helps a bit but not much.
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Jul 2, 2022 13:30
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Next window guy came in at $8600 for mod-grade double pane Harvey windows (classic). $12k for triple pane Harvey (tribute). This was the guy that originally said over the phone for $6500. I liked his presentation way better than the other guy for $17k. He seemed like way less bullshit and less salesman if that makes sense. He’s been in business 40 years and it’s literally him and another guy to install all the windows. The windows come with a 20 year warranty and he answered every question I had. I also liked that for the slider he said $1500 whereas the other guy was like “$6k…if you do it this month then $5k”. Still not sure if we’ll go through with it or not. We’ve only been here a month but we know that the Anderson windows are double pane and original to the house (1988) so they’ve served their purpose. Some of them had failed with the gas leak and the wood is gone in some in earlier pictures but I don’t know how that will feel in the winter. I’m guessing if the windows are shot then the insulation likely needs redone as well. Still waiting on the energy audit because the first company never called back. Any advice? $10k for windows is roughly 25% of our savings and when we look at “oh poo poo” stuff that could happen, the only other thing I can think of is the furnace which is oil. The roof is only 6 years old and two of the toilets are recently added and the AC is new. Always trying to get the most bang for the buck and I have no idea what insulation would cost. Also not sure if triple pane is worth it. With rebates it would cost me $1700 more than double pane. We’re not in a loud area so it wouldn’t help with that. nwin fucked around with this message at 22:21 on Jul 2, 2022 |
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Jul 2, 2022 21:58
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TraderStav posted:Have you look at repair costs for the parts that need it and glass replacement on the ones where the seals failed? I have 50 year old Andersons and that's saving me a poo poo load of money versus full replacement. No not at all. I didn’t even know that’s really an option to get glass replaced. Part of me is thinking that all these windows are so old that they just lack the efficiency of newer windows so best to just replace them. I really don’t want to deal with staining the wood windows and maintaining them.
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Jul 2, 2022 22:34
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Motronic posted:All of this. Thanks man! You’re correct on everything. I’ve got a month before work starts and I’m definitely trying to solve all the problems right now, some of which may not even exist. I think one other benefit of waiting a bit is so I can learn the house and prices will likely come down at some point as well. So far we’ve replaced a few appliances and ordered some carpet and vinyl for the bedrooms/kitchen because it was completely hosed. Other than that it’s general fixes around the house and lots of yard work. A flir add on sounds like a solid idea as well. nwin fucked around with this message at 23:24 on Jul 2, 2022 |
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Jul 2, 2022 23:18
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