- My water bill has been double so I checked for a leak by not using any water and keeping an eye on the water meter. It didn’t change so I assume no link. Any other ideas why my bill has been double lately?
- Double roofing?
- Are these pine floors? How can I fix the scratches?
- Dry time for regrouting my shower tiles
- Smell in Laundry Room -solved
- Tesla Roof - Worth It?
- How do I properly “summer-ize” my gas snow blower that wasn’t used this winter?
- Help with studio apartment + AC
- First time home owner
- Wood stove vs open fireplace
- Is it necessary to completely strip glossy varnish before painting?
- 4’ by 16’ deck Help
- Noticable gap between the theshhold and floor on my front door.
- Best stain for fixing patio set?
- Ikea Sektion Kitchen "Hack" suggestion
- Small Cracks on Ceiling near wall
- It's not an awning, but what is this thing over the door to block rain called? Thanks!
- Worried about the gap between the tile floor and the tile wall in my bathroom
- Crack running across ceiling
- How do I paint walls with uneven surfaces without the paint wicking underneath tape?
- Strange Basement smell turned out to be a gas leak.
- 1960’s Beach Concrete Patio - what should I do?
- Fences and ditches
- Door frame mess
- Bathroom shower floor tiling advice.
| Posted: 23 Apr 2020 06:25 AM PDT Phoenix AZ. Here's my bill https://i.imgur.com/YBGZXqD.jpg Only 3 people in the house. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 23 Apr 2020 04:54 PM PDT We've received at least 5 quotes to replace our roof. One of the contractors suggested I forego stripping off the old shingles/underlay and just put new shingles over the old roof. I've honestly never heard of this before. Is this a good practice? What are the pros and cons of this approach? [link] [comments] |
| Are these pine floors? How can I fix the scratches? Posted: 23 Apr 2020 02:50 PM PDT I'm still exploring the different flooring options for a house we moved into late last year. All of it is carpeted, except the kitchen. We'll replace the carpet, but I have no idea what to do about the kitchen floors. Here's a picture: https://i.imgur.com/I31wIDa.jpg It looks like pine, or some other sort of softwood floors. Don't know how to tell exactly. The scratches on it are new. One of our dogs is very excitable and weighs 95lbs. She demolished this floor as soon as we moved in, within a week. Does that mean that it's a softwood floor rather than hardwood? Or not necessarily? Regardless, what can we do with it from here?
[link] [comments] |
| Dry time for regrouting my shower tiles Posted: 23 Apr 2020 06:15 PM PDT I just regrouted a section of tile in my shower. It went surprisingly smoothly, which is worrying in and or itself, but I have a question about drying time. After 24 hours or so, would it theoretically be okay to take a shower if I hang a tarp on the walls to keep water from splashing onto the area I fixed? Or is that a terrible idea that would end in me having to redo my work? Cheers! EDIT: First or all, thanks for the replies, all. Second, sorry for not including it before, but yes, the package does list a cure time of 24 hours to start with 72 hours before direct contact with water. According to the package, the grout doesn't need additional sealer, but I did buy some just for the sake of it. I guess at this point, my worry is understanding what constitutes "contact with water". It isn't a huge deal, since we have another shower downstairs, I'm just trying to better understand it all. Again, thanks for your thoughts. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 23 Apr 2020 10:26 PM PDT I constantly thought I smelled natural gas in my laundry room. Bought a plumber out who said it might be a crack in my pipe and we'd need to tear up the floor to find out. In the meantime he said. Use a semi permeable plastic cap over floor drain. Smell kept coming back after we did that. Next plumber (diff company) comes out and solves it. He tells me washer machine collects water at bottom. Do two things. Wash your washer a few times with oxiclean washer machine packet from amazon and try to leave the lid open for the next few weeks. Smell magically dissapears. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 23 Apr 2020 07:56 PM PDT Anyone have any idea of the pricing for a Tesla roof (solar panel shingles) compared to a Timberline roof? Government is giving a 26% credit on solar roofs. Just wondering how much more I'd still be spending compared to a regular roof. Thanks in advance!! [link] [comments] |
| How do I properly “summer-ize” my gas snow blower that wasn’t used this winter? Posted: 23 Apr 2020 05:27 PM PDT I did not use my snow blower at all this winter as it was quite mild (less than a quarter of normal and no big storms). So now my snow blower has been sitting in my shed untouched for a year. At the end of last winter, I changed the oil and drained as much gas as I could siphon out. Should I run it until it conks out, and leave it dry? Or get a gallon of gas and add stabilizer, pour some in the tank, and run it for a bit? Both? Something different? [link] [comments] |
| Help with studio apartment + AC Posted: 23 Apr 2020 03:44 PM PDT Hi everyone, I need some ideas for home improvement. I live in a single/studio apartment, where my living space opens up to my doorless walk in closet, kitchen doesnt have a door either, and living area also leads to a foyer. That said, my portable AC barely cools the place down for obvious reasons. When summer rolls in, it's unbearable even with the AC + Fan running. What would be the most efficient way to blockout those 3 additional spaces? I was thinking about using packing blankets as curtains, but unsure it that'd work. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 23 Apr 2020 08:22 PM PDT Hey everyone, in a few months I will be a first time home owner and I'm a little nervous. I have no experience with repairs, landscaping or general knowledge about owning a home. Is there like a list of tips I should follow before and after I get my home? I watched a few YouTube videos and it all seems so overwhelming. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 23 Apr 2020 08:06 PM PDT We recently got a quote for almost $5k to fix our fireplace (we never have had it working but really want to have some form of it)... They said for $1k + the wood stove they could get that running without leaks in the chimney area. We have the funds to do it either way, but saving money is obviously something we'd like to do if we won't regret it. We don't plan to stay here forever either Can some of you guys share the key differences and pros and cons you've experienced for each? Bonus if you have had both and have a preference 😁 What do you guys like more? Personally I want to hear the sound of the wood burning, have a cozy vibe during the winter and of course get the warmth from either function. 1.) Can you hear the crackle in a wood stove? 2.) does it feel like you're having a fire with a wood stove? 3.) which is easier in terms of upkeep / cleaning can't wait to hear your guys views! [link] [comments] |
| Is it necessary to completely strip glossy varnish before painting? Posted: 23 Apr 2020 04:30 PM PDT I've got some wooden shutters outside that were once varnished but started peeling off. There are still some places that are still covered with gloss though. Owner wants to paint them now. Do I have to get rid of that layer completely before putting on primer? Or is is sufficient just to rough them up? I've got some "liquid sandpaper" deglosser which didn't work as well as expected but if I use real sandpaper on it while it's wet, I can get ride of the superficial glossiness even though it doesn't strip the varnish completely off to the wood like the surrounding areas. Is that all I would need to do or am I going to have to electric sand it to get it all off first? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 23 Apr 2020 07:55 PM PDT So I had to tear down a deck in the back yard that was decayed. The small deck was and I want to replace with 16' by 4' with stairs down one 4' side. The deck needs to be roughly 43 inches (surface) off the ground. I'll be tapping into cement blocks with toggle anchors. I'm having mixed results with using the online designers for planning this out. My main questions is what sized lumber would I need to use and how far to space the joists? I'd like to have the 4x4 or 6x6s be on the edge of the deck so I guess that's called not having a cantilever? Please advise was size lumber would be sufficient. The 16' side is the side that's on the cement block wall. [link] [comments] |
| Noticable gap between the theshhold and floor on my front door. Posted: 23 Apr 2020 09:17 PM PDT |
| Best stain for fixing patio set? Posted: 23 Apr 2020 06:15 PM PDT So, we left our patio set out on the porch a little too long into winter, and now we are faced with this throughout... What type of stain would be the best for fixing this? I'm not planning on stripping it all the way down but just trying to "patch up" the look of the areas that are like this. [link] [comments] |
| Ikea Sektion Kitchen "Hack" suggestion Posted: 23 Apr 2020 04:16 PM PDT I need to update my 1970s kitchen and am strongly considering an Ikea Sektion kitchen but the biggest blocker so far has been that the narrowest base cabinet the Sektion comes in is 12" and that just won't work with my existing layout. The current base layout is as such: Wall |--9" cab--|----DW----|-------Sink (33")-------|-------33" Cab-------| Fridge Linear and basic. The 9" cabinet is dead space and sits in a corner. The biggest problem is that, as it stands, the sink and window are about 1" away from being perfectly centered. Not really a problem currently. But if I replace the 9" cabinet with the 12" it will cause the window to shift 4" away from the window. So far I'm thinking of either doing:
How bat shit crazy is option 2? Obviously this is assuming I can get the old cabinet perfectly level and aligned, in height and depth, with the new cabinets but I'm sort of leaning towards this because it's less work and since the cabinet is dead space anyways it won't used and it will blend right in with the other cabinets via the cover panel. The only other issue with option 1 is that that 5" cabinet will bear some of the load of the counter top (Quartz) and not sure that's a good idea (but I could be wrong). Any suggestions on either option or an entirely new one? [link] [comments] |
| Small Cracks on Ceiling near wall Posted: 23 Apr 2020 05:33 PM PDT Hello again, I was dusting tonight and noticed several small cracks on my first floor ceiling near where the ceiling meets the wall in my first floor living room. I've pretty sure these weren't there six months ago. I already had some badly taped drywall redone last summer so that probably has me more aware of these cracks. I know these are still quite small but as a first time homeowner (12 year old townhouse) I'm just not sure if I should be concerned. Thanks for reading and any input. :) ETA: the third picture is on the same ceiling near the same wall as the first two but in the middle above a door. The first two are near the two opposite corners of that same wall (at the stairwell and dining area) and the last one is across the room near the opposite wall at the corner of the fireplace. [link] [comments] |
| It's not an awning, but what is this thing over the door to block rain called? Thanks! Posted: 23 Apr 2020 06:40 PM PDT |
| Worried about the gap between the tile floor and the tile wall in my bathroom Posted: 23 Apr 2020 05:25 PM PDT Hi all! I recently bought an apartment, and I'm there's this gap between the tile floor and wall. It seems like water could leak in there and get moldy or something. Should I remove the old grout and replace it with something, and if so, what? Also, how? Sorry, I'm very new to all this. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 23 Apr 2020 08:03 PM PDT So there is a crack that runs down my ceiling from one side of the living room to the other side. Is it a serious issue? Why is this happening and what can I do to fix it? Thank you! [link] [comments] |
| How do I paint walls with uneven surfaces without the paint wicking underneath tape? Posted: 23 Apr 2020 05:23 AM PDT I'm going batty trying and failing to get the regular tips to work (e.g., painting across the tape to seal the edges) because my walls are old plaster. I'm about to paint old wooden stair treads, whose grain is sorta sunken, and I'm worried the same thing will happen since they're adjacent to new perfectly straight drywall painted a different color than I'll use on the treads. If anybody can fill in the blank on "this used to happen to me, and I finally realized I could just _____", I'd love to hear it! [link] [comments] |
| Strange Basement smell turned out to be a gas leak. Posted: 23 Apr 2020 08:35 AM PDT Hey Ya'll, We had quite the day yesterday. A weird odor (honestly NOTHING like the typical natural gas smell) started to overtake our basement. It was mild, then intense, then mild, then intense. We spent the better part of the day looking around for the source. It had more of an electrical smell, so we assumed it was a mini fridge that we had moved downstairs the day before. We unplugged it and waited a few hours. We thought it was our Oil Boiler, turned that off. The smell never went away. Eventually I got close to the gas meter and could smell a very slight natural gas smell. I took a sniff near the Meter and it was definitely leaking. The Gas company came right away. Worker wore a mask as did we. He couldn't detect any gas in the house or the basement. I told him I'm pretty sure I smell it at the junction entering the meter so he doubled back and he could smell it before his meter detected the leak. He blamed the lack of detection on the fact that all the windows were open and it was incredibly windy. It took him about 30 minutes to replace the pipe and it didn't cost us anything. Anyway, the reason I posted this was to remind you that any new smell can be the result of something serious. This honestly did not smell like gas until you stuck your nose in it! I live in Philadelphia and we have had a few homes explode this year because of shifting soil and outdated gas infrastructure. [link] [comments] |
| 1960’s Beach Concrete Patio - what should I do? Posted: 23 Apr 2020 06:15 AM PDT Last year I bought a 200 year old seafront house in the Shetland Isles (North of Scotland, UK). Currently the main entrance is via a sea-facing raised concrete patio - made in the 1960s by the homeowner with Beach pebbles and concrete mix (super common on our islands, and pretty hardwearing!) Parts are starting to disintegrate and I'm looking for ideas of what is the best option going forward in the longterm (I never want to move). Currently I am thinking to attempt to save the existing construction by patching and rendering, removing the raised row of perimeter block-work, and using the existing structure as a base for a larger decked area. I have no DIY background but am a fast learner and practical so hoping to do most the work myself over the coming years. My question to you is: am I thinking along the right lines? Or will this be a much bigger job than I currently anticipate? Edit: Added link to pictures. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 23 Apr 2020 09:22 PM PDT My house sits at the intersection of a curved road and a straight road, such that I am surrounded on 3 sides by road. Along this road is a drainage ditch. A lot of ditch, actually. About 15-20 feet from the edge of the road, and 300 ft from property line to property line. I know that there is an easement/right of way, so that the full extent of the my yard isn't exactly mine. I've explored the pros/cons and expenses of having them covered. But now it's time to finally build a backyard privacy fence. The big question is whether that easement still exists if I fill in the ditches in the area of the back yard I plan to fence? Right now, If I fence on the inside of the ditch, I lose almost 20 ft of backyard to this dead space. If I put down pipe and dirt and sod all the way to the road, can I then run my fence a few feet from the road, gaining all that usable space? Or am I still obligated to fence along the previous inside edge, giving the city right of access? I don't even know who to ask these questions of to know for certain. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 23 Apr 2020 04:19 PM PDT So I bought my first house and it is fairly old. before I moved in they redid all crown molding so it looks very nice but left the door frames completely wrecked. I know I could just rip out original wood but there's no nails so I don't know how I would install one. I'm new to this and I know I could afford materials but not to pay someone to do it for me so if anyone has any advice on how to go about it that'd be very appreciated, thank you! https://imgur.com/gallery/mvUV3kf [link] [comments] |
| Bathroom shower floor tiling advice. Posted: 23 Apr 2020 09:16 PM PDT I'm getting ready to redo the shower in our master bath. We're putting in a glass door/wall. My wife wants tile that is level from the bathroom floor into the shower. Any suggestions on how to angle the flat tile to a drain if I don't put a threshold and build it up to put a slope in the floor? And what about the membrane? Would that have to go under the timeline in the bathroom floor too? [link] [comments] |
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