Home Improvement: Any Ideas on How I can Update my Homes Exterior? |
- Any Ideas on How I can Update my Homes Exterior?
- Need help: Previous owner just painted over nicotine stains without cleaning first
- Wishing I could strangle the prior owner right now. How are your weekend projects coming along?
- What hinge for an inset cabinet door?
- Home Addition Demolition - Texas
- What's the name of this part? Trying to make sleek indoor dog pen for less!
- Super proud of myself, fixed my new-to-me Kitchenaid gas range all on my own!
- Where to start renovating homes from 1800s?
- To which deity must I sell my soul in exchange for a clean shower bottom?
- How to stop leaking gas on copper joint for stove
- Septic Tank Full/Draining Issues
- Maintaining large trees over your house
- New user to Graco airless - not getting smooth finish - what am I doing wrong?
- Help! Pantry Drawer Will Not Roll Out with Front Door Closed.
- Terro liquid ant bait is on the way. What can I do now to help with the ant infestation?
- Recommendation for Hanging New Joists
- Butcherblock Counter Top in Laundry Room
- Bathroom exhaust fan.
- Logistics of renovating only bathroom in the house?
- Recommendations for the strongest possible finish on a wood deck
- I'm installing a recessed gas valve outlet box behind my gas oven. Should it be installed on the wall or on the floor?
- Single wide mobile home paint colors?
- Deck Post Replacement
- Hot Ground Wire
| Any Ideas on How I can Update my Homes Exterior? Posted: 26 Apr 2020 12:43 PM PDT The exterior of my home is pretty drab and outdated looking, so I'm trying to think of ways I could redo it. I don't have much experience with exterior design, so I'm having a hard time coming up with an idea. As such, I thought I would post on this group and see if anyone would have any advice on what I could do, or resources that I could research that could give me some ideas. Any advice/ideas are welcome. Pics of Home Exterior - https://imgur.com/a/4uOEOBQ [link] [comments] |
| Need help: Previous owner just painted over nicotine stains without cleaning first Posted: 26 Apr 2020 02:04 PM PDT A little background: I rent in Ontario, Canada. Before going through with anything I'll need my landlord's permission but I would like to know what to do before going to him. I live in a condo unit that has only had 1 previous owner. He smoked like a chimney (my super's words) and before he moved he gave a fresh coat of paint to every wall. Okay onto the gross part. I moved in July 2018 and since then I've noticed nicotine stains 'leaking' in the bathroom. Like little drops here and there, dripping down the walls. Not a huge deal, I would just clean the walls, trim and baseboards when I would clean the bathroom. Recently, since I've been home all the time, I've noticed something else happening in the bathroom. The paint on the ceiling has begun to peel away around the fan and crack all over the ceiling. This is now letting nicotine stains seep through and DRIP ONTO ANYTHING UNDERNEATH IT. It drips in the tub, probably on the floor (but the floor is too dark to see) and I'm sure on anything in it's path. I have very poor pictures. The lighting in the bathroom is not the greatest to begin with, add to that a 5' tall woman trying to take a picture of the ceiling. This is about 30 minutes after my boyfriend's shower. We use the fan during and after showers. And I cleaned the bathroom on Thursday & because he is much taller than me he cleaned the ceiling with a damp rag and some cleaning solution. https://imgur.com/gallery/588zLrS I've tried to look up what to do online, but every hit I get just tells me to clean and prep the walls before painting...which obviously the previous owner didn't do. What are my options here? Can I strip the paint on the ceiling and do what should have been done in the first place? [link] [comments] |
| Wishing I could strangle the prior owner right now. How are your weekend projects coming along? Posted: 26 Apr 2020 07:19 PM PDT We started taking apart the dump of an above ground hot tub the prior owners left on the property (against our better judgement we didn't require them to remove it when we bought the property). Thing is run down and massive with wood side panels that I've only recently realized are termite infested. I unscrew one side of the paneling and start to remove it only for a metric ton of packing peanuts to come spilling out. It appears the prior owner had needed to replace the aging interior insulation of the tub and decided the best way would be to literally stuff a bunch of trash (packing peanuts, foam packaging, foam wrapping, etc.) into the underside of this fucking hot tub. I've just spent 4 hours using my shop vac to pick up dirty, rat shit infested packing peanuts from the ground and dumping them into a trash can to deal with later (have to find a way to bag them all). And I'm not even a third of the way through. This sucks. How has your weekend project gone? edit: I've got a HEPA filter on the shop vac and am wearing a respirator, but still... not enjoyable. [link] [comments] |
| What hinge for an inset cabinet door? Posted: 26 Apr 2020 10:15 AM PDT The trick of the thing is in on this image: I've got an alcove and have to install a structural vertical to attach hinges too, no stud in wall where the door needs to be. The door also needs to fully open so that back of the door hits the interior of the alcove wall and also extend wall to wall. That extra bit of "lip" makes a traditional hinge not work. There has to be a hinge made for this job, but I don't know what it's called. Anyone point me in the right direction? Thanks!! [link] [comments] |
| Home Addition Demolition - Texas Posted: 26 Apr 2020 12:38 PM PDT So i bought my house back in November. For the most part it's been great, however there's a 'sun room' that's very shoddily built. Don't know if the previous owners thought it'd be a cheap way to add square footage but I'm really looking forward to tearing this thing down. Does anyone have experience demolishing an addition like this? I'd like to take it down myself but I want to make sure I'm not running into some avoidable mistakes doing so. [link] [comments] |
| What's the name of this part? Trying to make sleek indoor dog pen for less! Posted: 26 Apr 2020 07:23 AM PDT I'm trying to understand what parts I need to recreate my own DIY version of this dogpen: I haven't been able to find any other pens much like it on the internet, and in my opinion it seems overpriced. I'm thinking I could use acrylic sheets and maybe PVC pipes. But after scouring the internet on connectors for the pipes that also included the part where it clamps to the acrylic panel, I found nothing. Do you know what those parts would be called, and where I might be able to find them? And any other tips? [link] [comments] |
| Super proud of myself, fixed my new-to-me Kitchenaid gas range all on my own! Posted: 26 Apr 2020 07:51 PM PDT Long story short, I got a new stove!!! So I got a secondhand Kitchenaid double oven gas range for a ridiculously low price from a seller on LetGo. We badly needed a new stove, ours was from the 70s and had been on its last leg for probably the last half-decade or so. I asked the seller why it was so cheap, he said they had gotten a new kitchen set last year and just needed rid of it, but that everything worked fine on it. I was getting it for like a tenth of the price of a new one, I was ecstatic! I had never dreamed I'd be able to afford a Kitchenaid double oven range!!! I love to bake and this is like my dream stove! We rent the truck and get it home, and when we go to plug it in the control panel goes crazy flashing and the oven lights won't turn off! My partner tells me to unplug it and when I reach to do so I get zapped! The cord was terribly frayed in two places, causing it to short and get its signals crossed! And my hand hurt like a mother!!! I look online to see if I can get a replacement cord but all I can find are 220 cords for electric ranges, not just a regular 110 cord for the controls for a gas one. I end up going to Lowe's and getting a new 3-prong end, cutting and stripping the wire and put a new plug on the end. We plug it in and it comes on, screen is normal, control panel is normal, and the ovens both work. Then we get to the cooktop and lo and behold... the burner knobs won't turn. Well, he had it sitting out in his sunroom porch thing for a year, so maybe they are just a bit stiff from the humidity and such. I spray down the valve tube things with some lubricant and give it some time. One eventually works, and it lights right up. The other four will not budge at all even with vice grips, they just want to bend and warp. Great, I look up the solution and apparently we need new burner valves. It turns out their combined cost was more than I paid for the stove! I also had to buy new burner caps because he 'forgot' to give us those as well. So I order the parts from RepairClinic, really fast shipping and they have an instructional video on how to change the valves out! I had to find a few videos because the exact model they use has a different top than mine and I couldn't figure out how to get the front off at first. But once I did, it was a really simple job and only took me about half an hour to get all four bad burner valves swapped out! The most tedious part was getting the front lined back up just right to get the screws back in. But now we have a fully functioning stove with all five burners working and both ovens, now we're cooking!!! The moral of the story is to watch what you buy from strangers, but that if something needs a repair... or two... I am not afraid to try it myself (if there is a detailed walkthrough video, haha!) I am super proud of myself, and I am glad my partner did not have a conniption fit because it seems like a bad purchase on my part and I didn't want him to think I'd wasted our money buying an unfixable stove and being stuck unable to cook. So my tenth of the price stove turned out to be a fourth of the price stove after all was said and done, but still a Kitchenaid double oven range for a fourth of the price!!! Thanks, RepairClinic, I couldn't have done it without you! [link] [comments] |
| Where to start renovating homes from 1800s? Posted: 26 Apr 2020 02:44 PM PDT My mom and aunt own the land where my great grandfather and great uncle had a farm. There are 2 houses built in the late 1800s, early 1900s. My grandparents moved there in the 70s and ran it as a farm for a while until.my grandfather passed, and my grandmother and uncle lived there until '98 or '99 when she got sick. Since then, the home has sat vacant, and people have looted it, windows have been broken by storms (or people?), and some of the floors have given out. In my grandma's house, most of the floor is still held together except the back room and hall that my grandpa added in the 70s, because he used particle board and never got the chance to go back with something more permanent. Both houses are in really rough shape, my grandma's more than my great grandfather's, because he's isn't as protected by trees. Front porch of my great granddad's house is gone and the front room has collapsed, few panels missing on an outside wall, the hall/back porch floor is pretty messed up. There are still personal effects in both houses. We have been able to find things here nd there and bring them to our houses through the years, but the whole family lives between 4 and 6 hours away, and we just don't get out there as much as I wish we did. I finally got to take my husband out there recently, so he finally understand my.fascination with the place. We were talking about going and collecting all of the personal and historical items and putting them in a storage container...but then, what I REALLY want to do is try to restore the houses. I mean, they are in rough shape. But I've also seen worse. Are there contractors out there who would be willing to take on a project like this and try to preserve as much of the regional as possible? Or is this something we (as complete amateurs) could work on by ourselves? I mean, the structures are simple enough. I can see the process that went into them, but like I said, I've never done this stuff. Totally willing to learn, but I'd welcome advice, or stories if anything like this has been done before, advice on what to look for in a good contractor..pretty much anything. [link] [comments] |
| To which deity must I sell my soul in exchange for a clean shower bottom? Posted: 26 Apr 2020 01:37 PM PDT I guess our shower is fiberglass? The anti-slip texture on the bottom makes it IMPOSSIBLE to clean. I've tried so many things. Most recently a firm-bristled brush on the end of a drill. The shower laughed. Bleach, Dawn, Scrubbing Bubbles, all of it. Does nothing. Any suggestions? [link] [comments] |
| How to stop leaking gas on copper joint for stove Posted: 26 Apr 2020 03:44 PM PDT I noticed some gas smelling and so I used soapy water to find a source of a leak on the joint leading to my gas stove. I found out it was in between the fitting and the pipe which I have now covered in yellow Teflon tape, the small bubbles you can see in the attached image are the gas still leaking out but at a much lower rate now. How do I prevent this leak all together? The upper part of the joint is supposed to freely rotate to my knowledge on the copper pipe so that it can be tightened or loosened and taken off. Thanks [link] [comments] |
| Septic Tank Full/Draining Issues Posted: 26 Apr 2020 04:30 PM PDT Hello, I just want to start by saying that I'm not very knowledgeable in regards to septic tanks, and so any insight anyone has would be incredibly helpful. I know that this septic tank has a drain field/leech field, and that about two weeks ago someone went over it with a car. I don't know if this damaged it in someway, or what exactly is going on. Please let me know if anyone has any ideas on what to do. [link] [comments] |
| Maintaining large trees over your house Posted: 26 Apr 2020 10:21 AM PDT So there are several large trees that are dropping limbs and leaves all over my house and one is even leaning, is there a way to get the trees checked regularly like do people get contracts on tree management like they do pest control? What do people normally do [link] [comments] |
| New user to Graco airless - not getting smooth finish - what am I doing wrong? Posted: 26 Apr 2020 08:58 AM PDT Hi I'm a brand new user of airless sprayers. I got a Gracy X5 with 221515 tip. I am working on painting brand new interior doors made from douglas fir. I first gave them a single coat withprimer. I noticed that the grain of the wood was showing through so I sanded it a lot with sanding blocks and then gave it another coat of primer. That got most of the grain fixed but there was still a texture - as if the paint had come out in little droplets and they had dried in that droplet shape. I've sanded that texture out and am now ready to put actual paint on. I have two theories on what caused the droplets to dry as droplets: 1. the paint was too thick. Should I perhaps have mixed in some water? Is there any harm in adding water as long as I allow more time for drying? 2. The temperature was too cold. It was likely 50-55F when I painted last time. I think that's on the cold side. Any advice would be really appreciated! [link] [comments] |
| Help! Pantry Drawer Will Not Roll Out with Front Door Closed. Posted: 26 Apr 2020 03:57 PM PDT This is an image of the current problem. Pantry Crap Design When I open my pantry which is right next to my front door, the pantry door hits the front door knob. Because of this, my pantry door will not open quite all the way (it's so close). Then when I try to slide out the platform/drawer/Idk from the pantry it hits the pantry door before it can make it all the way out and I can't reach the stuff in the back. Therfore, if I need something in the back, I have to open my front door first. Any ideas on how to improve this? A suggested low profile door knob may? I'm trying to think of anything to not have to flip my front door around. I thought maybe a special pantry door hinge, but it still won't get it any further out of the way since it's just going to continue hitting the door knob. [link] [comments] |
| Terro liquid ant bait is on the way. What can I do now to help with the ant infestation? Posted: 26 Apr 2020 10:52 AM PDT I've got an ant problem in my new apartment. I found out that there are two spots where their nests are. I found this out when I woke up to a trail of ants going into my cereal. I'm in self isolation so I've ordered Terro liquid ant bait as I've seen on Reddit that it's the best thing to get rid of ants. So far I've packed every open food into Tupperware that seals shut, wipped down the countertops, washing dish right away, rinsing down recycling, vacuuming every day. All this has helped but I still catch about 1 ant every hour crawling near its nest and on my countertops. I don't know if I should mop the floors because I don't want to get rid of the scent trail they leave before I put the Terro out. The Terro is coming in 1.5 weeks so in the meantime what should I do or not do now? [link] [comments] |
| Recommendation for Hanging New Joists Posted: 26 Apr 2020 02:30 PM PDT Hi Folks, First time poster here. I'll start off with current pictures of my project: https://imgur.com/a/Mtq7DNV. tl;dr: Installing new floor joists. Do I need to notch in a ledger or can I just attach a ledger to the face of the studs? Here's my situation:
That leads me to the decision I'm having difficulty making. I see two options:
My inclination is to do the latter. The inspector gave me a wink, but not a nod, when I asked him. He likes to remind me that he can't give recommendations. Thanks for reading. Your thoughts will be appreciated. [link] [comments] |
| Butcherblock Counter Top in Laundry Room Posted: 26 Apr 2020 09:32 AM PDT My wife wants a butcherblock counter top to sit above our washer and dryer. The space is 66" across and 34" deep. I was looking at this one from Menards. Can I just use 2x2 or 2x4 scraps for support around the entire edge of the space to support the counter top? Or do I need some sort of vertical support or support in the middle as well? Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 26 Apr 2020 03:50 PM PDT Hello, when I did the. Toilet paper test on the exhaust fan it just fell. It does,not appear to be blowing or sucking. It runs, and sounds fine. Any ideas? [link] [comments] |
| Logistics of renovating only bathroom in the house? Posted: 26 Apr 2020 05:44 PM PDT So, we're planning on renovating the only bathroom in our small house. We'd most likely start doing the work sometime early next year, so we're in the planning/research/budgeting phase at the moment. The bathroom is approx. 5'x10', so not a huge area we're working with. From everything I've read, contracting out the work typically takes several weeks to complete the work. As a small family with a 2-year-old who needs frequent baths.... I just don't see how we can function without most of the bathroom for that long. Ideally, we'd be able to keep the current tile floor (saving us time & money), but I'm just going to assume they'll need to be replaced as well. And I know we could go with one of those pre-fabricated shower enclosures to save time & labor, but I really do prefer the look of shower tile instead... I'm realizing I'm probably going to have to compromise on that though. Although we've never done such a big project before, we're definitely the kind that would be willing to learn, watch Youtube tutorials, etc. Plus, my father-in-law is pretty hand (they built their current house) and would definitely being willing to help out. So renovating it ourselves seems feasible, though definitely a bit daunting. Has anyone had to renovate their only bathroom before? Does it make more sense to try do it ourselves so we're not relying on the timeline of the general contractor? [link] [comments] |
| Recommendations for the strongest possible finish on a wood deck Posted: 26 Apr 2020 07:38 PM PDT Similar and related to my previous questions about our kitchen floors... My very large dog also destroyed our deck. The sellers--we've owned this home for about 6 months--have hastily refinished the deck and replaced rotten pieces with new ones, not bothering to nail them in place. We knew we had to refinish it, and I'm looking for suggestions for what we should use to make it as scratch resistant as possible. For context, here's the worst of the deck--all of the scratches are new: https://i.imgur.com/gbD3GKH.jpg We'll obviously have to sand it down, we still have to properly nail in some boards, and pick a color that isn't blue. Besides that, I'm looking for products that we could coat on in such a way that it will withstand moisture and an excitable Bernese Mountain Dog. Any advice much appreciated! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 26 Apr 2020 03:39 PM PDT I'm installing one of these gas outlet boxes because the existing setup was very poorly done -- it was just a flexible copper pipe coming out of the floor behind the oven, like this: https://i.imgur.com/AvKvPIz.jpg So each time I would pull the oven away from the wall, the flexible hose would get kinked a little more at the floor until finally it was leaking. So, I am opening up the floor and creating a new flared connection that I will then connect to one of these recessed gas outlet boxes: https://www.supplyhouse.com/Gas-Outlet-Boxes-18142000 My question is -- should this recessed outlet box be installed on the floor or on the wall? The instructions just say to install it next to a stud, but doesn't specify if it can/should be installed in the floor. For my purposes, it would be better to install it on the floor, but don't want to do this if it's not advisable. [link] [comments] |
| Single wide mobile home paint colors? Posted: 26 Apr 2020 05:12 PM PDT I have a home that's not in a mobile home park and I'm having trouble picking a good color combo for the house, everything I see locally is bright colors that old people like. Any ideas would be greatly helpful [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 26 Apr 2020 05:58 PM PDT My house has an attached 2 story sun porch deck with a low pitch roof on it. It has 4 4x6 support posts (probably 20 feet high) that are all in various levels of disrepair. When I purchased the house last year, I knew it would need some work, and, long term, probably even replacement. I had my roof replaced last year, including the porch roof. I'm planning to replace the deck boards, but besides the posts and one small portion of the outer band board, most of the structure is in really good shape. I had a contractor who was going to pour deeper footings, and re-level the deck. However, at this point, I don't think that is my best option. Is there any reasonable way to replace support posts on a structure that supports two tiers of deck and a roof? Obviously, I would use a professional company, but at what point is replacement a better option? I think if I did need to replace it, it would cost somewhere in the neighborhood of 40k, so a safe, but effective alternative to that would be very attractive. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 26 Apr 2020 01:55 PM PDT Our ceiling fan quit working suddenly. I inspected the wall switch and it is working properly and the wiring to the fan is correct. When the switch is on, the hot wire to the fan is hot, but the neutral is dead. However, the ground wire is hot. It's not any sort of interference, the ground wire is definitely hot. I'm assuming the fan is somehow shorting out, but I took it apart and can't find anything obvious. What can be causing a hot ground? Am I missing something? [link] [comments] |
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