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devicenull posted:We just had someone out to quote us siding and windows and... I just realized he left without giving us any sort of written quote. Is this as big of a red flag as I think it is? If they have your e-mail address, you might get a digital quote later. That being said, if you got skeezy vibes from him and high-pressure stuff, he can gently caress right off. Get someone you're comfortable with.
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Jun 15, 2020 23:16
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| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 08:55 |
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How much would I regret trying to tear out old carpet and install new pad/carpet myself as a first-timer? I've done wood and laminate flooring before, but never anything with carpets.
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Jun 17, 2020 08:42
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Fair enough. Thanks for the answers!
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Jun 17, 2020 19:41
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GoGoGadgetChris posted:Good choice. Rabies, and bats, are two bugs you do not want to mess around with. 
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Jun 22, 2020 05:22
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StormDrain posted:To reduce trips to the Home Depot I will just buy every conceivable part I might need for a small project and leave it all in the bags with the receipt. When the job is done the leftovers go back to the store. Same, but with losing the receipt. 
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Jun 29, 2020 08:13
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Now that the deal is closed and I'm 1) Leaky garbage disposal with rust on the exterior indicating it's been leaking for years (not a big deal) 2) Yellow water when you fill sinks or tubs enough to tell (went away when I flushed the hot water heater twice) 3) Damaged/aged sealant only visible when you're lying down in the tub (add it to the chore list) 4) The dryer was hooked up to nothing and was venting into the laundry closet. Judging by the amount of lint on the back wall behind it, I think they'd actually been running it like that. (That's the one I'm actually a bit worried about.) 5) Last but perhaps silliest: The remotely-controlled ceiling fan/light in the bedroom shares the same frequency as someone else's garage door opener or fan controller. The light kept turning on in the middle of the night. I'm going to have to change the dip settings on that before it drives me to murder someone.
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Jun 30, 2020 00:34
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My condo has a (badly labeled/organized) switch & distribution box in a closet to run coax and cat5e to every room. I've been hunting for the actual master connection point for the cat5 for a goddamned week now and I can't find it. 
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Jul 2, 2020 06:07
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CloFan posted:Take a pic of the switch/distro box? I'm not exactly sure what you're describing but you may have a patch panel that is not a switch. Something like this might help you: https://smile.amazon.com/Multifunctional-Ethernet-Collation-Telephone-Continuity/dp/B07PJN1PNT I'll post up some photos tomorrow. Pretty sure it's a switch based on the manual from Honeywell's site, but always nice to have more eyes on it.  In other news, I just found out that the previous owners didn't disclose an impending (but not yet filed) lawsuit by the HOA against the developers for construction defects, which will either be handled by the lawsuit or by a $50K per unit special assessment. I have copies of dated letters now from the HOA showing that they informed the previous owner prior to my disclosure request, and apparently the owner is shown as being in attendance for the all-residents meeting to discuss it. I've asked the HOA if they can provide a list of what the known defects are so that I can get a feel for what it is, but I'm betting a lot of major structural things, because $50K per unit is like $13M in repair bills. Even in the bay area, that's gotta be something fairly big.  Do never buy.  (I actually really like the unit and most of my issues with it are pretty minor, standard things so far, but come on I just loving moved in.)
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Jul 3, 2020 05:41
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Sundae posted:My condo has a (badly labeled/organized) switch & distribution box in a closet to run coax and cat5e to every room. I've been hunting for the actual master connection point for the cat5 for a goddamned week now and I can't find it. Following up on this from earlier: Yep, it was part of the construction defects. The wire just ends in the attic as bare cables.  They never ran it to anything or even put an end on the other side of the cable.
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Jul 8, 2020 21:42
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Yeah, that's the thing: Most people will look at a kitchen w/o an oven and say "wtf you have no oven." Never mind that they do take-out four days a week and microwave things / eat sandwiches the other days, THERE'S NO OVEN. I'd leave the oven in place and just not use it.
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Jul 10, 2020 23:55
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Pirc posted:Is it normal to feel like puking after putting in an offer on a house? No. Usually you puke once the offer is accepted.
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Jul 12, 2020 06:09
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The Dave posted:The puke point is when you have to review the total sum of your principle and interest for your mortgage. Bay area and all, but the way I avoided vomiting at the total was reminding myself that the payment was still almost $2,000 lower than rent for an equivalent unit plus, I get to call ~$1.2K of it principal every month. :nonexistentemoticonofguyburningmoney:
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Jul 13, 2020 06:17
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Introducing a new young adult mystery novel: Detective Sundae and the Mystery of the Kitchen Faucet with Drastically Lower Water Pressure Than Anything Else in the House On Any Floor. The title needs some work, but so does the faucet. (Yes, I checked to make sure the valve was fully open. )
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Jul 13, 2020 23:55
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pmchem posted:and its sequel, Detective Sundae and the Unexpectedly Wet Wall Oh yes, I love a good series!  Edit: Well, that ended up being a short book, and I have a new title for it: Detective Sundae and the Case of the Three loving In-Line Water Restrictors. There was one at the entrance of the hose to the faucet, one at the exit of the hose into the faucet head, and one placed in front of the aerator. California.
Sundae fucked around with this message at 00:16 on Jul 14, 2020 |
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Jul 14, 2020 00:01
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Queen Victorian posted:Just remember: every restrictor on your sink means an extra handful of California-grown almonds for you to enjoy in your Honey Nut Cheerios. I moved here in Pennslyvania, actually! I don't mind the idea of restrictors, especially on showers where people can spend a zillion years without realizing how long they've been in there (though CA's mandatory timers on bathroom lights plunging you into darkness helps with over-showering, TBQH), but if I can't get the food bits off a dish without adding a spatula or something, the water pressure's TOO LOW. 
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Jul 14, 2020 06:11
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There was a flow restrictor on the line to refill the toilet tank. 
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Jul 15, 2020 21:35
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therobit posted:Sundae, I am converting to buddhism. Your life has convinced me that reincarnation is real, and that while you are a great guy you obviously did some heinous poo poo in a past life. I'm still onboard the "suffering in life means greater rewards in heaven" train. Though seriously, if this is the worst I deal with in a condo, I got off lucky.
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Jul 15, 2020 22:03
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Queen Victorian posted:But why. Your guess is as good as mine. There's simply no reason for it. A flush is a defined quantity of water, so a restrictor makes NO SENSE. quote:So Catholicism? Exactly, though I'm so out of place in church these days that I'm more of a prolapsed catholic.
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Jul 16, 2020 04:35
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LloydDobler posted:Just curious, was it inside the tank on the bowl refill line? Or was it the main feed to the toilet out of the wall? It was on the main line connecting into the toilet, just below the threads. The toilet tank itself also has an adjustable float height to reduce the amount of water per flush if desired. All the main-line restrictor did was make it take longer to refill the damned tank between flushes.
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Jul 16, 2020 19:20
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What sort of property management company is dumb enough to leave the sprinkler system maintenance under the control of the individual owners? Individual owners: Well known for staying on top of all their maintenance, especially when it's high up on the ceiling and out of sight/mind. Let's just let them take care of the part that prevents all the neighboring units from burning down too. What's the worst that could happen?
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Jul 23, 2020 22:04
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joepinetree posted:To clarify, it is not that whether or not the sprinkler system is functional is up to me. As I said they do inspections and yearly testing and whatever is a commonly occurring maintenance at that time gets fixed. But whether or not there is a ceiling bracket and who did or did not remove it is not their responsibility. They are not going to order a new, specific inspection because of my thinking its funny, and if it was removed by the previous owner and not up to code it will be my responsibility to fix it. I've only lived here a month now, but my HOA documents state that all repairs and replacements required for maintaining the sprinkler systems - internal or external - are arranged and funded by the HOA itself. "Internal and external fire prevention systems" are considered HOA responsibility.
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Jul 24, 2020 00:36
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ccubed posted:My mother lives in Southern California. She wants to add my sister and me to the deed to her house to avoid probate issues if she dies. What does she need to do? About how much would this cost? You absolutely do not want to do this, will not avoid probate court, may very well incur bizarre fees / bills to you and your sister and make yourselves liable, etc. You may also (depends on your county) incur deed transfer fees to add additional people onto the title. Talk to an estate lawyer and explain the situation. IANAL but having gone through the process in California, the lawyer will likely recommend that the home be put into a particular type of trust with you and your sister as beneficiaries. This will cost you $LawyerDollars, which depends on complexity, individual lawyer, and whether you or your mother have group legal coverage through your job benefits. For me, establishing a living will and trust for my family cost $50 through (Hilton Group?) job benefit group legal coverage. YMMV.
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Jul 29, 2020 06:48
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I always just used a bucket of hot water, a sponge, and a plastic scraper.  (It also took me all loving weekend to do a single room. Thanks, parents, for the wonderful chores. )
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Aug 2, 2020 05:49
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Bioshuffle posted:Thank you. They're not white, so probably not termites. I've got pest control coming out next week. There are brown termites too, but they're typically subterranean. Definitely get pest-dude out there.
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Aug 7, 2020 08:09
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How likely is it that two garage door openers have literally identical signals/identifiers, so that clearing the memory would still let someone else open your garage door? (e.g., wake up in the morning and your garage door is open, when you 100% know you shut it.) This, versus something being broken and triggering on its own? For scale's sake, there are 317 units in my development and ~30 within signal reach of my door give or take?
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Aug 10, 2020 22:33
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SpartanIvy posted:And each fix reveals 1D6 additional projects. Goddamnit why did I give +2 to search/detect checks? *grumbles as he pulls out his checkbook again*
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Aug 11, 2020 22:48
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H110Hawk posted:I thought 1d6 was how many digits the bill was going to be? When have you ever rolled a 1-digit home repair bill?
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Aug 11, 2020 23:06
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SpartanIvy posted:Home Ownership Thread: Dungeons with Drywall Perfect.
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Aug 12, 2020 00:55
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Bioshuffle posted:When I was looking, most lenders I've come into contact with were completely overwhelmed with refinancing deals. One basically told me to basically gently caress off because he had other priorities and customers to attend to. Maybe things have changed, but that certainly made me do a double take. Those hooks are telling you the max theoretical load for standard drywall and the hook itself, vertically. Nothing that might have any torque or horizontal forces on it should ever be hung with drywall anchors, whether they claim adequate weight or not. Example: Shelves with objects on them, bookcases or furniture with drawers, anything a toddler may decide to climb on (big important one there), etc. If the goal isn't just to have it hang flat against a wall, don't use a drywall anchor if you can avoid it. Your mirror will almost certainly be fine with screw-in anchors. Same with pictures, paintings, etc. If it's anything you'd be upset about having fall, find a stud or use the crossboard approach two posts up. Also, the crossboard approach is a life-saver for garages.
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Aug 12, 2020 19:52
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The bi-fold doors on our laundry closet fell off yesterday. I went and bought a hardware set and was like "yeah no big deal. This is easy." I turned the door over to check the bottom pivot. Not only is it missing, the wood is missing. The bottom of the door has rotted out and fallen into the hollow area inside the door. All that's left is the obvious, insufficient wood glue remaining from someone's previous repair. At least they're cheap doors.
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Aug 14, 2020 18:41
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Sundae posted:The bi-fold doors on our laundry closet fell off yesterday. I went and bought a hardware set and was like "yeah no big deal. This is easy." I turned the door over to check the bottom pivot. Not only is it missing, the wood is missing. The bottom of the door has rotted out and fallen into the hollow area inside the door. Got the replacements today, went up to install them, and that's when I realized... not only were the old doors rotted out on the bottom, they're installed backward, too. The left one is on the right and vice versa, so no wonder all the hardware was bent. They had to gently caress with the doors to get them into the (wrong) slots in the first place. Quality Construction brought to you by KBHomes!  All fixed now.
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Aug 15, 2020 21:38
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Dik Hz posted:This is the most improbable combination of words I've seen in awhile. Like one of those state farm commercials. I can't imagine your home owner's policy won't cover it. You never know. Home owners' insurance companies hate trampolines.
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Aug 17, 2020 23:47
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There are a ton of possible factors. 1) That one irritating little ___________ in your house finally drove you bananas when you had to deal with it 24/7 since you're stuck at home all day now. 2) You've been meaning to fix up that spare room to be your home office, and now you're going to be working from home for the next year+, soooo.... 3) Well honey, bad news is that we can't travel anywhere for vacation this year. Good news is that the vacation budget can remodel the kitchen like we've been saying for the last decade. 4) Debt-spending on remodels to create some sense of agency/meaning while stuck inside and deprived of their normal consumer-driven tendencies. I'm going with a combination of the four.
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Aug 18, 2020 01:21
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Whoever writes the HOA newsletter has been having a very bad day. Excerpt: "It has come to our attention that many residents do not understand what the phrase "load-bearing" means."
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Aug 28, 2020 23:14
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I got up on a ladder to tape up the bathroom ceiling before I do some painting. First thing I see when I'm at ceiling level? The lovely network of cracks in the textured ceiling. "Please don't feel a bubble behind it. Please don't feel a bubble behind... gently caress!" Now I get to rip that poo poo out, see how big the leak damage is, find out if it's residual from a previous roof leak that was already repaired or if it was just never taken care of, and wonder for god only knows how long if it's fixed given this is California and our next rain probably isn't due until December or so. Do Never Buy(tm). At least the roof repair isn't my expense if there's a problem.
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Sep 8, 2020 08:03
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Queen Victorian posted:Being able to spec and buy our own materials is one of the big reasons we are going with the Amish contractor for our kitchen. His was the only outfit that was truly build-only and quoted by days of labor rather than the whole project (with tons of marked-up materials wrapped into the price tag). The other guys were all design-build and I was very concerned about getting stuck with their suppliers for important poo poo like cabinetry and tile, and also them trying to do too much of the design work. I used to live in Lancaster PA. Amish furniture is amazing poo poo as long as you never need to move it up or down a flight of stairs. God, the quality.  God, the weight. 
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Sep 12, 2020 05:36
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Residency Evil posted:We live fairly close to Lancaster and we're looking for a new bed. Any suggestions? If you're looking for older / consigned stuff, "Next to New" consignment on Willow Road. Some of it is poo poo, but I've found some nice pieces in there. Otherwise, check out "King's Amish Furniture" in Intercourse PA. They have a large store showing off what local folks can do and will effectively middle-man out custom orders to the local Amish crafts community to build your furniture. There are tons of other places in the Intercourse / Bird-in-Hand area, but they're smaller so I haven't heard as much about them.
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Sep 12, 2020 19:30
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How hard is it to do click-lock engineered hardwood flooring on fairly-rectangular room by yourself? I've suffered the curse of elderly cats on a white carpet, and now have permanently-ruined carpet with poo poo and vomit stains everywhere, and my wife wants hardwood anyway. I've done laminate before, complete with adding extra patterning / borders, etc etc, but never anything requiring actual wood.
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Sep 13, 2020 21:42
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So let's say I probated a fellow IKer just to see if I could. How do I undo that probation? (Or can I?) (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)
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Sep 24, 2020 02:32
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| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 08:55 |
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I think you should move the survey stakes and the fence a few inches closer to their property each week until it's right back where you had it, and gaslight your neighbor when they question what's happening. Do it in the middle of the night, while wearing a mask made to look like your neighbor's face, and show him the security camera footage if he gets upset.
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Sep 28, 2020 19:26
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