Home Improvement: Power company switched my meter with another unit |
- Power company switched my meter with another unit
- How are you managing the shortage of dust masks?
- Should you use silicone caulk around the edge of a shower valve faceplate? Everyone seems to have a different opinion.
- Safe to run HDMI cables behind wall over live power cables?
- Under cabinet track for cutting board storage ?
- Floor insulation in a vented crawlspace?
- Advise for refinishing hardwood floors
- What is this thing?
- Leaking shower sparked a complete bathroom renovation
- Recessed in slab electrical outlet
- How to remove and replace old shower drain
- Removing old wallpaper in a 1940's home, and I'm stumped
- I have ugly old thick textured fireplace. How can I smooth this out?
- What questions should I be asking my roofer when getting an estimate?
- Leveling IKEA Cabinets on Unlevel Wall
- Turning a bottle cabinet into a kitchen cabinet
- 40 or 50 gal water heater?
- Contractor not sending final bill
- Basement leak during rain
- Countertop Brackets on Crooked Wall
- Basement + Crawlspace De-Humidification Setup
- Please help with pests!
- Securing old screens
- Motorized Horizontal Garage Door
- Milgard quiet line window estimates
| Power company switched my meter with another unit Posted: 11 Mar 2020 10:15 AM PDT Long story short I was having trouble reconciling how much energy the power company said I was using with what I was measuring via Sense and it turns out that they switched the power meters with another unit, I have been paying their meter and they have been paying mine for close to 2 years. They have an electric heat pump that they run during the winter which uses quite a bit of electricity, according to sense my unit uses close to 50% of the power they do on average. Over 2 years this adds up to quite a bit of money vs what I should have been paying. Does anyone know what recourse is available to correct the billing mistake for the past 2 years from the power company or do I have to try and get the money from my neighbors? The meters are clearly labeled with the unit numbers they just mixed them up on their side with the opposite meter numbers. I have someone from the power company coming today to verify the mix up and correct the issue on their side but I am not sure what the next steps are after that. [link] [comments] |
| How are you managing the shortage of dust masks? Posted: 11 Mar 2020 10:06 AM PDT I've been remodeling a basement for 9 months. Current stages in the project involve drywalling, leveling a concrete floor (w/some grinding), trim, and some light woodworking. All of this gets dusty. And I'm approaching the bottom of my box of masks. The dust mask supplies near me vanished with COVID overreactions. And resupply seems unlikely for quite a while. 1) What are some good solutions for mitigating dust exposure if masks are hard to come by? 2) Are your contractors supplied enough to keep themselves safe while working in dusty environments? Reminders: CDC and WHO advise against wearing a mask if you are not sick, unless caring for someone who is (and they are not able to wear a mask). This helps preserve critical supplies of masks for medical workers and caregivers. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 11 Mar 2020 02:00 PM PDT My faceplate has a sponge piece behind it that should prevent any leakage but I am wondering if I also have to caulk around the edges of the faceplate. Is this just overkill and can create mold/coloring problems down the road or do they recommend caulking? [link] [comments] |
| Safe to run HDMI cables behind wall over live power cables? Posted: 11 Mar 2020 05:16 AM PDT I mounted a TV on our wall and want the run cabling behind the wall such as HDMI and ethernet- I think there is a power cable that runs horizontally to the outlet below the TV. Is it safe for me to run the cables in that they will touch/cross over the power wires? Or is that a tremendous no-no and in violation of some electrical code? See diagram below for example [link] [comments] |
| Under cabinet track for cutting board storage ? Posted: 11 Mar 2020 05:13 PM PDT I want to mount tracks under my corner cabinet to store my cutting board. Like this https://i.imgur.com/PSR90R3.jpg but for a cutting board. Any idea what kind of hardware is like those tracks? What do i search for? [link] [comments] |
| Floor insulation in a vented crawlspace? Posted: 11 Mar 2020 02:08 PM PDT We have a vented crawlspace (dirt floor, brick home). I close the vents in the winter and open them in the spring (they're supposed to be auto vents but coil is rusted and just keeps them open). Should there be insulation in the joists under the house? The floors are definitely cold in the winters, and our heating/cooling bills are fairly high. I've been working on improving the insulation in other parts (replacing insulation where I can access it in the knee wall attic spaces) but haven't done anything with the crawlspace. Is insulating asking for moisture trouble, or worth the effort? [link] [comments] |
| Advise for refinishing hardwood floors Posted: 11 Mar 2020 05:37 PM PDT My husband and I recently purchased our first home and after tearing out the awful carpet, we found really lovely hardwood floors underneath. The hardwood goes through almost every room in the house, except the kitchen, and as you can see from the pictures, one of the rooms was not carpeted and instead they just painted the hardwood a very dark color. We've gotten several quotes to refinish the floors, but they are insanely expensive. I have some woodworking experience and feel like it can't be that hard to do. All we want is to sand and apply three layers of poly. There are a few holes in the floor where they ran cable which we have already removed and some of the boards have separated slightly, so there is some filling that needs to be done. Do you have any advice for us? Pitfalls that we should be aware of? Ways to prep the floors to make the process go smoothly? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 11 Mar 2020 09:03 AM PDT Hello HomeImprovement heroes, long time lurker first time poster here. I'm hoping someone on here can help me identify this interesting structure I found in my attic. I just recently bought my first home in south central Texas. When I popped up to check out the attic I found this strange mismash of lumber and I can't figure out what it is. I assume it must be doing something structural since it's above a small partition wall in the kitchen and connected to the wall supporting a raised ceiling in the living room. Hopefully the pictures are explanatory enough, it's very hard to get a good picture in a dark attic! Has anyone seen anything like this before? Anyone know what it's purpose is? Is there a reason it looks like a small child's first woodworking project? Pictures: https://imgur.com/a/Df3auX3 [link] [comments] |
| Leaking shower sparked a complete bathroom renovation Posted: 11 Mar 2020 07:24 PM PDT I just bought my first house in January and la st week I noticed water in the basement bedroom that is next to the bathroom. We deemed that the water was coming from a crack in the shower surround. Once I removed the old shower I discovered the drywall was soft and moldy. I used this as an excuse to year out the whole bathroom. Wish me luck as I'll be learning as I go [Demo](http:// https://imgur.com/gallery/bFfmUGP) [link] [comments] |
| Recessed in slab electrical outlet Posted: 11 Mar 2020 05:59 PM PDT Sort of in a rush here, and the electrician doesn't want to do anything beyond what he learned 20 years ago. Slab gets poured Friday, electrician comes out tomorrow to install in slab boxes. I'm looking for a recessed electrical outlet that's allows the plugs to be under the cover with only cords coming out. I can find them for wood sub floors, but struggling to find something for concrete slabs. So this but for concrete. I think it's a standard box, with a special insert, at least that's what I'm hoping since I prob won't have time to get anything else. [link] [comments] |
| How to remove and replace old shower drain Posted: 11 Mar 2020 02:19 PM PDT I'm looking to totally renovate my master bath. I've taken my shower down to the studs so far but got stuck with trying to remove the shower floor as it's connected to the drain. The house was built in the 60s. I have no problem calling a plumber but was hoping to slowly do this whole reno on my own. Thanks for any and all advice [link] [comments] |
| Removing old wallpaper in a 1940's home, and I'm stumped Posted: 11 Mar 2020 11:06 AM PDT Is this crumbly brown layer just really old glue, or is it a thin layer of plaster? I want to paint, but removing this layer of crumbling stuff is extremely time consuming and resulting in uneven walls. I used a steamer to remove the paper, and I am now using a hot water spray bottle and scraper. Should I be doing something different to get a faster and more even result?https://i.imgur.com/ydTsvCT.jpg [link] [comments] |
| I have ugly old thick textured fireplace. How can I smooth this out? Posted: 11 Mar 2020 09:26 PM PDT I live in an old apartment with a dated looking textured fireplace. It bugs me and it collects dust. I would love to smooth it out to look a bit more modern and add new sconces and a natural wood mantle. Would you sand this down? Plaster over? Tile? It's a very uneven texture. Would love any ideas. Is this a possible DIY project for an average person or should I hire someone? Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| What questions should I be asking my roofer when getting an estimate? Posted: 11 Mar 2020 03:56 AM PDT What are some things I should know while getting an estimate? [link] [comments] |
| Leveling IKEA Cabinets on Unlevel Wall Posted: 11 Mar 2020 06:55 AM PDT ———————————————— UPDATE: I took the back bumpers off as suggested by several people and it seems to have done the trick. Thanks to everyone for their advice! ———————————————— I'm installing IKEA Sektion base cabinets but I'm having trouble getting them level and I think it may be due to my wall leaning "out" relative to my floor. The rail is level, and the cabinets are level running along the wall. However, the front of the cabinets are too high and I have no way to lower the front because the feet aren't even touching the ground, this is just how they hang on the rail. I would just live with it since it's not too far off level, but at the end of the counter it turns out to a peninsula, and I need to get the rest of the counter level so the peninsula goes out level. Anyone have any experience dealing with this? The only solution I can think of is to shim the rail out a little all the way across, but that seems like it may make them less secure in the studs. First image is wall, second image is top of cabinet running perpendicular to the wall [link] [comments] |
| Turning a bottle cabinet into a kitchen cabinet Posted: 11 Mar 2020 12:01 PM PDT Does anyone know how a bottle cabinet like this is typically constructed? I'd like to remove the diamond shaped bottle holders and put some shelving in their place in order to turn this bar area into a bit more functional kitchenette. I tried investigating it and they seemed fairly set in place in but being a DIY rookie I wasn't sure if there is perhaps some more standard way these may have been installed. If not, I was just going to attack them with a jig saw and sand down the rough edges to get them out and install the shelves (it doesn't need to look great). Anyone with any better ideas? I'd be grateful for suggestions. Thank you in advance! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 11 Mar 2020 09:06 AM PDT The Internet, Home Depot and plumbers are giving me conflicting advice. Two story 1650 square feet home. Current water heater (which needs replacing) is 40 gal. We have two adults and a baby. We may eventually have two babies and we hope to live here for the next 15 years, so maybe into their teens! Occasionally we have the grandparents stay over a couple nights, so that would be 5 people total, but not everyone showers every night or we would at least pace it so it's not one right after the other. Laundry is always done at off-hours. Dishwasher run once a week. Edit thanks everyone I will look into a 50gal gas wh [link] [comments] |
| Contractor not sending final bill Posted: 11 Mar 2020 12:19 PM PDT Hey yall! We had some pretty massive work done at our house last year and the contractor is not sending the final of three bills for over 5000 bucks. Is this some kind of scam or am I missing something? Thanks for your input! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 11 Mar 2020 06:12 PM PDT Hi everyone! I recently did a full gut of my sewer pipe underneath my basement floor. I filled it back in with 1inch clean gravel and then concrete. Everything went smoothly. However, now when it rains a good amount, there is a leak that I never had before or even during the project, only started since I laid the concrete. It is leaking on the higher part of the trench that I dug for the pipe. And my guess is it is happening at the threshold at the door because that is a cold joint between the garage stairs and basement. Any thoughts of why it would start now that I finished the project? Thank you [link] [comments] |
| Countertop Brackets on Crooked Wall Posted: 11 Mar 2020 07:34 PM PDT I've got a contractor installing a new countertop on a breakfast bar. Unfortunately, the wall below the counter overhang isn't level. Example with countertop leveled. My contractor's solution was to install a large shim underneath the (horrendous and soon to be changed) bracket. Even without a ton of knowledge in this field, I feel this seems like a poor solution and looks hideous and I'm very unhappy. Is this the correct way to handle this? Or should I argue for another solution? [link] [comments] |
| Basement + Crawlspace De-Humidification Setup Posted: 11 Mar 2020 05:52 PM PDT Hi all, New homeowner here and an avid DIYer. Yay? So the basement is unfinished and quite high in moisture content. I'm already planning to do moisture mitigation steps first, but ultimately I still want to have a dehumidification system in place. So far so good. Where I get caught up are in 2 components:
If I get a decent dehumidifier, how could I best configure the set up to reduce moisture in all spaces? I've seen some systems that connect to intake vents for different rooms and am considering this approach. If possible, it'd be great to keep the system in the crawl space out of the way, although mounted on a shelf by the utilities with the the drain hose leading to the drain in the floor would be simpler I imagine. I'd love your thoughts. If a diagram of the layout would help, I can draw one up tomorrow and link it. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 11 Mar 2020 05:47 PM PDT |
| Posted: 11 Mar 2020 05:46 PM PDT https://i.imgur.com/p7EWjY8.jpg https://i.imgur.com/ILKDAGg.jpg Anyone have a recommendation for securing these screens? I'd like our indoor cats if they sit in window not to become outdoor cats. With just there body weight they were able to push these holders out of the screen. [link] [comments] |
| Motorized Horizontal Garage Door Posted: 11 Mar 2020 01:23 PM PDT Hi all, I'm getting some work done on my house and one of the last stressors for the project is in the garage door. My house is fairly unique in that it sits atop the garage and there is very low head clearance. It has the footprint of a 2 car garage, but there's a retaining wall taking up ~20% of the garage, so practically it functions as a one car garage. I'd prefer not to impact the clearance further (and hopefully stay closer to budget) with a 11-12 foot horizontal garage door. Ideally, it'd operate like an exterior gate door that tucks into a fence or even a barn door, but motorized and can be used with a garage door opening remote. I've been searching on and off for over a month trying to find something that fits that bill, but haven't had much luck. I'm pretty handy and could build the garage door given the motor/tracks/wheels, but I don't even know where to look for that. If anyone could point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it. [link] [comments] |
| Milgard quiet line window estimates Posted: 11 Mar 2020 05:08 PM PDT Hello, I am looking for a window that goes about 8ft x 3ft and I went to get a few quotes the last couple days. I live near an airport path (fairly loud with my current double pane at 6am), I already insulated the walls that face outward and added some rockwool insulation in the attic near me, I am only looking for 1 window in my room (with only one window). I have been using earpugs if i wake up between 6am to 9am before going to work and not every night but most nights I wake up. I am hoping these windows will help dampen the noise from the plane in the morning. I also live in the bay area. I spoke to some companies a few mentioned that since these windows have stc rating of 41-46, they prefer to do new construction (or only) to achieve the best installation, one other company would retrofit it at almost 800$ cheaper. Should I go with new construction or retrofit? Is it possible that retrofit will not have full soundproofing if the frame was not done correctly before? Also how much difference is 41 and 46, a company has about 300$ difference? I also plan to get curtains later. Company A - 3200$ | new construction (new frame, fix up stucco, no painting) | stc - 46 Company B - 3450$ | new construction (new frame, fix up stucco, no painting) | stc - 46 Company C - 2500$ | retrofit | stc - 44 [link] [comments] |
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