Home Improvement: HomeAdvisor new scam. Pay in advance. |
- HomeAdvisor new scam. Pay in advance.
- My son and I spent the last couple evenings building a fire pit in our backyard.
- Mystery Popping Sound in Wall
- Top five essential power tools?
- Surely I'm cursed
- Water heater replacement possibly tankless
- TIFU By replacing my water heater anode rod
- Floor stain to protect against scratches from dog nails
- Issues with neighbor's constant backyard renovations eroding our soil
- A caution with squirrel trapping
- DRYWALL SHIMS! YES, OF COURSE!
- Update: Replacing an Oven Coil
- Discovered buried interior shutters - progress on restoration
- What kind of plumbing type is this? How do I replace the supply lines so I can install my utility sink?
- How to repair exterior brickwork in yard?
- Need help determining plumbing value
- How to fix tiny hole in ceiling caused by termites?
- Just learned a second air filter exists in my house. Need Help!
- Spackle or Joint Compound for Holes?
- Old stairs. Can not get screws off
- Help choosing a color to paint my deck
- Process for pool demolition—help needed!
- Basement Leak with Bone Dry Sump
- Need help with temporary privacy ideas for balcony? And how to attach to glass balcony?
| HomeAdvisor new scam. Pay in advance. Posted: 28 Apr 2020 11:31 AM PDT I needed a garage door to be repaired. Very simple. A panel was broken. Just the a wooden panel needing a simple lumber replacement. The rest of the door was in good condition including the hardware and rails. When I created a description for a job, a pop-up in HomeAdvisor offered me a deal to have it repaired for $181.85 but I needed to pay in advance of the visit. I thought it was a good price and stupidly paid in advance. Never, pay in advance. The technician shows up and after 60 seconds of looking at the door says he doesn't have the tools to repair it and says he will cancel the order and left. HomeAdvisor will not refund me. They think paying $181.85 for 60 seconds of someone saying they don't have the tools or expertise to do the job is fair. That's $10,911 per hour of nothing. Do not click yes when a pop-up offers a good deal! [link] [comments] |
| My son and I spent the last couple evenings building a fire pit in our backyard. Posted: 28 Apr 2020 05:36 PM PDT Hi all! After removing the sod layer, we leveled the area out and put a layer of paver sand down. We tamped it down and made sure it was as level as possible. After the foundation level, the rest was a breeze! Total cost: $55. I'm terrible at taking progress photos, so this is sort of a r/restofthefuckingowl situation, but we hope you like it. Dad's fire pit: https://imgur.com/gallery/5r1RR8H [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 28 Apr 2020 03:23 PM PDT Hi Reddit, I have been trying to figure out for the past 4 years what this mystery sound is inside my wall. It happens on the dot every 24 hrs at 2:42 PM. It shifts an hour with daylight savings, so prior to DST it was 1:42pm. It starting as just a quiet but audible "tick tick tick tick" for a couple years, then it progressed to make the same tick noise plus pop a GFI Outlet along the wall the noise comes from and make lights dim in the room upstairs. Now as you can tell from the video, it's VERY loud and it's more of a "pop pop pop pop" noise. Despite the change in loudness it makes the same amount of ticks/pops and happens every 24 hrs. I've tried unplugging everything in that room and the room next to it with no luck. It happens regardless of HVAC setting, water temp, outside weather, water use, lights on or lights off. I'm out of ideas and things to unplug to figure it out. You might assume it's animal but because it happens the same time everyday that wouldn't make sense. No none timers in the home. I had an electrician out once the lights started to dim, assuming it was electrical related however he was stumped and couldn't attribute it to anything electrical related. I'm stumped! Any ideas? link to vid below. [link] [comments] |
| Top five essential power tools? Posted: 28 Apr 2020 05:28 PM PDT My future wife and I have reached peak lesbianism and are making a Home Depot wedding registry. As of right now we own a hammer, a screwdriver, and half a dozen of those little Allen key thingies. We have a decent tool kit and a power drill on the list right now. What are some other useful power tools we should consider putting on the list? We don't have a ton of experience building things but we're decently handy and pretty fast learners (praise everyone who makes YouTube tutorials). [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 28 Apr 2020 02:40 PM PDT Rant incoming. Words of encouragement needed. I try to DIY as much as i can. Saves money (have to, i have 4 kids), builds confidence, and gets me praise and affection from the wife (which may be why i have 4 kids). Try as I might, i screw it up royally almost every time. Here's a condensed list of my screw-ups:
-Bought a riding tractor mower for ~$250 thinking it would save time mowing my .4 acre lot. Spent 4 weekends and countless trips to multiple stores to finally get it running. It ran for 2 years until the crankshaft snapped. Engine didn't have enough oil.
-A/C in '04 Accord goes out. Didn't fix it for 2 years and i just kept the windows down in the midwest summer heat. Pandemic sends me home for ~6 weeks so i figure i'll give it a go and fix it myself. Replace the compressor and freaking hell, it can't hold a vacuum now.
...maybe? I know I filled it to a point and it showed up on the dipstick...but it doesn't matter why. I know why. I'm cursed. DIY for my stands for Dick It-up Yourself, because that's what I do. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Well i guess i did hang a picture once that's still there, so not a total loss. Edit - I spent the last few hours cleaning my garage, put 4 crazy kids to bed, then read all y'all had to say. Combination of those things helped put things into perspective. Plus, I have a new challenge: fix mower before I need to mow again... that gives me about two weeks before the HOA gets nosy. TL;DR - I should quit trying to do stuff because no matter how easy it should be i'm inadvertently a gremlin screwing it up in the worst way. [link] [comments] |
| Water heater replacement possibly tankless Posted: 28 Apr 2020 03:43 PM PDT Unfortunately the water heater seems to be dying. It's electric. I was wondering if anyone has some experience with tankless. Otherwise what brands of water heaters are recommend. [link] [comments] |
| TIFU By replacing my water heater anode rod Posted: 28 Apr 2020 08:34 PM PDT Today I decided to do some maintenance work on my 10+ years old water heater, so I planned to drain it and replace the anode rod. This house came equipped with a Bradford White gas water heater, which means the anode rod is combined with the Hot Water outlet, so I had to cut the old pipes, take out the rod, put the new one, and solder a new pipe. After almost a full day of work and several shenanigans, I was celebrating my success by looking at the pictures I took, comparing the old rod with the new one, and that's when I noticed: I didn't remove the stupid sticker of the new one before putting it. So here I'm, reflecting on my life choices, thinking if I should just leave it there, or cut the pipe again and do the whole thing over. [link] [comments] |
| Floor stain to protect against scratches from dog nails Posted: 28 Apr 2020 07:08 PM PDT I am currently closing on my first home that has beautiful tongue & groove oak flooring. I am already planning to stain the flooring a darker color to appease my SO but want to protect the flooring as well since I have a Great Dane. Are there any good coatings (maybe even industrial) I can put down over the stain to protect the wood? Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Issues with neighbor's constant backyard renovations eroding our soil Posted: 28 Apr 2020 12:43 PM PDT So my next door neighbor and I have houses on a very steep sloped hill. We're in LA and the extra rain the past 2 winters are starting to erode our land quite a bit. But in addition, my neighbor put a new part concrete wall and retaining wall that separate our houses' property line. It needed to be done, fine. But we lost like 2 feet of soil. I let that go, reluctantly. Today, he now has contractors digging dirt to install a NEW chain fence that runs along our yard division and will connect to the concrete retaining wall up above (there's one there already now, this is all to dig deeper so snakes can't get through?). So 2 issues here: 1. we're losing even more soil now. 2. they are on MY side of the backyard now working and digging the hole on my property. No consultation, nothing. The contractor told me wants to dig all the way up the entire hill on MY SIDE including getting rid of a small tree that is holding up a lot of the dirt naturally through its roots. If they dig the the entire sloped hill to install a fence i will lose even MORE soil, and were starting to get holes around this area around our foundation. Can I stop them? [link] [comments] |
| A caution with squirrel trapping Posted: 28 Apr 2020 04:55 AM PDT I have been trapping squirrels on my deck to get them out of the attic before I seal it up and I should have put something down under the trap. The deck rails needed re-capped anyway, but it moved up the list of things to do unexpectedly. Hopefully some one can learn from my mistake. [link] [comments] |
| DRYWALL SHIMS! YES, OF COURSE! Posted: 28 Apr 2020 07:25 AM PDT Thanks to this group, I was able to dig through past posts to find out how I could get one of my surround shower panels flush with the studs. The wee little gap (about 1/4 inch) was causing me great stress. Then I read about drywall shims, furring strips, lath strips, and sister studs, and it all became clear to me around 1am last night. Yes! The drywall HAS to be taken out. The studs MUST be in plane, or the finished bathroom will look like crap! Thank you, Home Improvement Group, for helping me see the light! [link] [comments] |
| Update: Replacing an Oven Coil Posted: 28 Apr 2020 04:54 PM PDT Promised I would make an update to this post (https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/g4lraz/replacing_an_oven_coil/) It went pretty well the part finally came today. It smelled and smoked a tad at first but that is pretty normal running fine now. We're back to cooking at home again finally. Only problem was the wire fell back so I had to take the back plate off to get the wire back into the oven. Really appreciate all the help ended up being a fairly simple repair. Thanks Everyone who helped! [link] [comments] |
| Discovered buried interior shutters - progress on restoration Posted: 28 Apr 2020 06:04 PM PDT Hey folks. Have been working on fixing up an old Victorian (1890) in SE PA. The first floor windows have very deep window bays, and I noticed some gaps in the woodwork. Here, the prior owner had painted/caulked/nailed(!!), the original interior shutters into the window bay (first two pics in imgur). Upon loosening them, I removed them and took them to a paint stripper. The paint stripper said since the original coat was varnish, they have stripped totally clean despite having at least six coats of oil/latex paint on them. Im picking them up next week. Now, the window bays are a disaster. There's a mishmash of various coats of paint, so thick there are riches running where the shutters had been painted in. I started to strip the paint with a combo of scrapers and Speed Heater IR gun (borrowed from friend). Literally must have removed 5 lbs of paint from the one window bay (third photo). I think I am down to the original varnish and oil coat (I've been good about laying plastic wrap and cleaning everything with a HEPA afterwards but the IR fun and scraper do generate relatively minimal dust tbh). Question - is it crazy to think I can get these window bays totally clean? Should I just prime and paint them? I've made good progress, removed the excess paint so the shutters can be reinstalled and actually function. The shutters are totally clean and look like chestnut, would love to stain them and re-hang. Not sure if they'd look weird in painted window bays but maybe that's what i should settle for. Damn shame all this nice molding has been painted over so many times. At somewhat of an impasse of how to approach the final stage here. Would be interested to get comments or thoughts on this! Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 28 Apr 2020 06:35 PM PDT |
| How to repair exterior brickwork in yard? Posted: 28 Apr 2020 04:44 PM PDT Around the front of my house there is a lot of brickwork that is being used as a wimpy retaining wall. I think there is concrete or concrete blocks if you go deep enough (as I don't think this wall would have lasted long enough without that) but certainly the top couple courses of bricks have nothing but dirt supporting them from behind. The mortar in many areas has completely given up. Just not even trying anymore... It's starting to look pretty messy. Can anybody recommend how to fix this? How much work is this? I haven't done brick work before but am always happy to learn new skills. [link] [comments] |
| Need help determining plumbing value Posted: 28 Apr 2020 04:28 PM PDT My main drain that goes to the street is crushed or something. Broken under the street, a few feet probably from where it connects to the main for the street. "Supposedly" the rest of the line is good (about 60 ft to the house drain), although it's been filled with water so noones actually seen it with a camera. I've got a few bids, but I dont know if the extra money for some things are worth it. Bids 1 and 2: 8-9k to dig up and repair the single spot in the street Bid 3: 10.5k to replace the entire line from house to street Bid 4: 13k to dig up and repair single point plus epoxy line the rest of the pipe Any input is appreciated, thanks! [link] [comments] |
| How to fix tiny hole in ceiling caused by termites? Posted: 28 Apr 2020 08:13 PM PDT I noticed in my bedroom there's a tiny hole in the ceiling caused by termites, as they have dropped frass onto my carpet. I called some exterminators who have confirmed my house has termite problems so we will likely tent and fumigate the home. In the meantime, I'd like to fix that hole in the ceiling. How can I fix it? I have tub and tile adhesive caulk, and Homax Spray Texture. Will these seal that hole or do I need to buy something else? [link] [comments] |
| Just learned a second air filter exists in my house. Need Help! Posted: 28 Apr 2020 11:58 PM PDT Hi guys, I bought a house in January and have changed the air filter in my ceiling, but have just learned another filter exists in the furnace itself! Ok, fine, no big deal. I opened the filter panel and there wasn't a filter in place. Now I'm freaking out because 1. How much damage could have been done? And 2. I have been looking for measurements online for 2 hours and can't find the dimensions I need. Someone please rescue me from myself. The model # of the furnace is ASPT29B14AB. The house was built in 2018. Guys thanks for being awesome. I really appreciate the help. Let me know if there's any other information you need. [link] [comments] |
| Spackle or Joint Compound for Holes? Posted: 28 Apr 2020 08:03 PM PDT I'm patching a bunch of holes after removing shelving in closets and cheap wainscoting from a hallway. I have spackle (DAP Drydex) and joint compound (USG Sheetrock Brand Plus 3 Lightweight All-Purpose) on hand. Which should I use for the holes? Some holes are larger (quarter size) but most are smaller. I would like to do minimal sanding. I also plan to skim coat after patching the holes. [link] [comments] |
| Old stairs. Can not get screws off Posted: 28 Apr 2020 07:44 PM PDT I want to replace this 1950 style stairs but I cannot get these old screws off. Each stair has many screws and they are all giving me issues. I was able to get 2 screws off and took me 30 minutes. And there are 11 more stairs ! If you have. At suggestions how to get these screws off I'd be forever grateful. [link] [comments] |
| Help choosing a color to paint my deck Posted: 28 Apr 2020 11:24 PM PDT Last summer I painted the wood a dark yellow (I know, I should have stained it). Obviously that was a poor choice. I'm looking for other color options to paint the deck. Thoughts? [link] [comments] |
| Process for pool demolition—help needed! Posted: 28 Apr 2020 05:19 PM PDT Wife and I bought a house that has a pool about a year ago. Didn't care about the pool (didn't really affect the price for the area and we love the house itself), and didn't have it inspected. Well, the house is great but the pool's a piece of shit. It's from the 80s and has about $20K in work needed in the near-ish future (liner, coping, deck slabs, plumbing all need replacing due to ground settling/heaving). I will admit that I also GREATLY UNDERESTIMATED the amount of work, time, maintenance ($$$) and care an in-ground pool requires. We've also come to realize that we aren't really pool people, and that friends/family don't use it nearly as much as they said they would. It's honestly just incredibly exhausting owning this pool that gets no use. I love looking at it...but that's it. So we want to demolish the pool and spend that $20K on a backyard remodel instead. I know it will cost $7,500 - $15,000 to properly demolish and fill the pool. As it happens, I have another small building and concrete pad I want demolished at the same time, so I'm hoping to fill the pool structure (after making several holes in the bottom) with a bunch of broken-up concrete and metal before collapsing the walls inward and filling with gravel/sand/soil (then re-sodding the entire backyard). But I can't seem to find anyone who specializes in pool demolition. This got me to thinking whether or not I was searching for the proper professional. Do I look for concrete guys? Or demolition specialists? Can the same person demolish the pool and re-grade the yard? I'd imagine so, but what's this person called? Also, what steps should I take before work begins? I can't find anything regarding pool demolition code/permits/requirements in my county/city codes or ordinances. I know some places require specific processes for filling pools, but just don't know how to begin tackling a project this big. Any and all advice and info appreciated! [link] [comments] |
| Basement Leak with Bone Dry Sump Posted: 28 Apr 2020 03:43 PM PDT I have a sump installed in the lowest corner of my basement. During a storm today, water was seeping in through a crack in the wall about 8 feet away from the sump, but the sump and its inlet were completely dry. I'm assuming this means that the drain tile is clogged or collapsed somewhere. What's the best method to diagnose the issue? And if it's collapsed, does the whole drain tile system need to be replaced, or is it possible to just repair a section? Thanks. [link] [comments] |
| Need help with temporary privacy ideas for balcony? And how to attach to glass balcony? Posted: 28 Apr 2020 11:10 PM PDT Balcony-- https://imgur.com/a/xWjtBSu Hi guys, we're renting for a few more months at this 10th floor condo, so I can't spend TOO much on this, but I really have been going nuts when not able to drive far to go for safe walks during quarantine. And social anxiety/ general anxiety.. so when I went out to just lay on a towel to get air and look at the sky, I started freaking out that people across were staring at me, and I can't deal with how it is or possibly relax yet out there. I'd love help figuring out a temporary solution for a bit of privacy here. I'm a very indoor girl, not much of a DIYer but I do my best. I looked thru other posts and saw 'reed fencing' that maybe could work, what do you think? Or those weird, cheap fake leaves kind that are similar. How would I even attach that stuff to the edges of this glass balcony? Also I REALLY hoped those IKEA privacy screens would fit bc they're so simple and nice and cheap, but I measured and my balcony is too big, and also it doesn't have like, bars to attach it. It measures 110 x 37.5 (or 42 if I add the top piece to the height).Any other ideas or tips, I'd be so grateful, thanks!! [link] [comments] |
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