Home Improvement: UPDATE 2: Pretty sure my contractor has no idea what they are doing |
- UPDATE 2: Pretty sure my contractor has no idea what they are doing
- My (very) modest deck rehab
- Surprise septic tank= new patio design solution.
- Such a small amount of work but super rewarding - I put an edge around our Rosebud!
- Do soft chimney caps exist?
- Shower handle slowly drips when fully off, but stops dripping if I *ever so slightly* turn it on. Does this sound like a problem with the shower handle, fitting, plumbing?
- Deck build
- DIY country style bathroom
- Just a little thing: I put knobs on kitchen drawers and cupboards today.
- This is what I get for trying to replace my own window.
- Adding bathroom vent pipe to old vent pipe
- Refinish or replace wooden floors?
- Drill for under $100, or worth stretching a little more?
- Is it a handrail, or just being used as one?
- Adding Curb Appeal
- My garage has 2 outlets that are no where near my work bench. What are some affordable options to extend power and have multiple outlets at my work bench?
- Window replacement advice
- How on "Earth" do I separate all this... earth... from this rock?
- Calling all painters!
- Found Rats in Kitchen, how to remove smell?
- Septic tank question
- Carpet removal
- Matching hard wood floor
- What to do with gap between old baseboard molding and old plaster wall?
| UPDATE 2: Pretty sure my contractor has no idea what they are doing Posted: 12 Apr 2020 04:09 PM PDT I can't believe I'm back here again talking about crazy contractors, but here we are. So my master bath finally got finished by a new team of contractors who managed to do everything by the book. Now we're moving on to the guest bath tub shower. As far as I can tell it looks like they tried to spot bond the tile (already an issue) and did a really shitty job of it. The tiles were floating off of the walls by at least a 1/2" and it looks like most of them are only bonded in 2 or 3 places. None of the tile corners were thin-set at all and I'm guessing if you leaned on the wall you'd fall right through. Once I noticed this I demanded they tear it all down and start over. They said they had to do it that way since the walls were uneven, but later I checked and the vertical slope is damned near straight up and down. The side walls aren't a perfect 90 degrees if you're looking straight down but you'd never notice it since there's no tile line there. Not only that but this same team tore it down to the studs and put up the backer board. If the walls were uneven why not just adjust the backer board before installation? Once they tore down all of the tile I started to look closer at the hole they cut out and framed for the niche. I can't imagine why but it looks like they left about 3" of open space on the left, 2" on the right, and 1" on the bottom. If I had to guess I assume they used the same "floating tile" method to attach the side walls and left giant gaps full of air in the open space. You can see the mosaic tile in the picture that is the size the niche should be for the final product. Maybe they measured wrong? The last thing I noticed is apparently they started preparing the mosaic tile by grouting it before putting it on the wall. I'm kind of 50/50 on whether this would work at all, but it looks like they did a really crappy job of it anyway. I'm guessing they weren't able to wash off the excess grout like you normally would since it was sitting on paper. I haven't confronted them about the niche and the pre-grouting yet and I'm not sure whether I want these guys coming anywhere near my project again even if they agree to fix everything. What do you all think? Album: Update #1: https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/evnsaw/update_pretty_sure_my_contractor_skipped/ Original Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/etsb8f/pretty_sure_my_contractor_skipped_waterproofing/ [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 12 Apr 2020 06:25 AM PDT I had submitted a post a bit ago asking for tips on how to rehab our very old deck. We live in central North Carolina. I had lots of requests to post updates when I'd completed so here we are. To start off, I am completely and utterly a novice on all things home improvement. I can barely change a light bulb. When we moved into our house four years ago the deck was in desperate need of repair. But between working and raising two kids it wasn't a priority. Last summer we tried to use our backyard a lot and realized just how bad the deck was, with our kids getting splinters repeatedly and the steps being a complete safety hazard. I got a few quotes to replace it and square it off and was utterly shocked at some of the prices we received ($20k?!?!) so I made up my mind that I was going to do what I could to squeak a few more years out of this deck. I started with pressure washing using the cheap Aldi pressure washer I bought last year. The difference was phenomenal after that, but it took a large part of the day and was quite the messy endeavor. I posted on our local Buy Nothing group on Facebook asking if anyone had any tips and could come over to give us an idea of what we should be doing other than just sanding a few boards. A lady who works in commercial construction, who we affectionately call our "deck fairy" told us she could give us an hour or two of our time the coming Saturday (the week before the COVID craziness really began). What was supposed to be a few pointers turned into her helping us for over 10 hours that day. She identified a few major structural issues of our deck like the fact that some of our piers were floating off the ground and the header boards were disintegrated. She helped us pry off old boards and flip some of them, replace two boards completely, pour cement, cut out new piers, etc. She was truly a lifesaver. She brought over all the tools that we might need and left them with us afterwards for the work we were planning to do after she was gone. I seriously cannot thank that lady enough, and our gift card to Duluth Trading Company seems small in comparison to how much she helped us. I took a weekend to recover from that day of that breaking work (while also working from home full time and caring for two young kids), but resumed the week after with sanding. My original plan was to rent a large floor sander from Home Depot, but with the whole quarantine thing I did not consider that an essential trip and instead bought a small belt sander and mouse sander off of Amazon. My original plan was to start off with a 60 grit and finish with 80, but I was so sore and it was taking so long I decided to just leave it at 60. We had a stretch of good weather the day after sanding, so we spent the morning going through all the crevices in between boards and knifing out all the gunk and debris. We finished with blowing off all the gunk and excess wood fiber with a electric leaf blower. I had researched long and hard about deck stains, and while an opaque stain would probably have looked most uniform on our deck, I really wanted something more natural looking and decided to take a chance on a semi-transparent. I realized that the few boards we replaced would likely come out much different, but I wasn't expecting perfection. After a lot of research, I decided to go with Restore a Deck semi transparent stain in Cedar. I bought a large staining brush that attaches to a extension pole. It was a lifesaver. Took me about 2 hours to stain the deck. I did not end up doing the rails because the plan is to eventually replace them this summer. I'm super happy with the color choice. While the new boards definitely look a little different, the difference doesn't bother me too much. In some of the after photos sections of the deck look drastically different due to the direction of the wood and the fact that they were built in separate sections in different time periods. But it's not as noticeable in person. Hoping that the stain lasts well, and that I applied it correctly. Despite my lack of a green thumb, I'm hoping to put in a little garden in that cut out area of the deck sometime in the next year. Wish me luck! [link] [comments] |
| Surprise septic tank= new patio design solution. Posted: 12 Apr 2020 06:13 PM PDT Soooo, we discovered we were on a septic system and not city sewer that we had been paying for for 3 years (we did get our money back!) And the septic tank was located under our concrete back patio. How the previous owner didn't know any of this in beyond me. Her father built the house. Anyways, so we ended up replacing the sections with a paver border, rock fill, and staggered paver step stones. It may be a little wonky, but it looks much better. We will have to remove a section of rocks every time we pump the tank, but it is what it is. 🤷♀️ patio before and after pics [link] [comments] |
| Such a small amount of work but super rewarding - I put an edge around our Rosebud! Posted: 12 Apr 2020 06:07 PM PDT And topped it off with some mulch along with the rose bed. $25 makes such a striking difference. Also added more flowers and planters. I'm going to edge every single piece of edge-able-y yard we have. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 12 Apr 2020 05:08 PM PDT I have a god damn woodpecker that drills on both my metal chimney caps at all hours from dawn til dusk. I actually got a noise complaint from a neighbor that thought I was doing housework at 5:30 am. I've looked online at multiple websites and cannot find a soft chimney cap to save my life. Where do I get one, or how do I make sure this woodpecker stops drilling on my chimney? The cap is at least 2.5 stories in the air, a ladder would need to be massive to get up there, so I want a permanent fix. I can't call somebody out every 2 weeks to move a fake owl or something. Thanks for your time. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 12 Apr 2020 06:43 PM PDT As a side note, the plumbing going to my bathroom used to be reversed, so I would turn my shower all the way cold for hot water and vise versa. Problem started when I switched the pipes going from the basement. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 12 Apr 2020 12:21 PM PDT Since I've seen a few deck posts recently I thought I would share my backyard deck build. My father in law and I got this done in about a week the other year and it's turned out great. Thankfully my father in law is a carpenter and understands the code pretty well for decks which allowed for the design with the landing with no railing, which makes coming up from the yard a lot easier. Also thankfully since we have no frost concerns our piers and footings are pretty easy to dig out. I used all heart redwood for the decking and since we like the grey weathered look did not apply any finish. Comments are in the album: http://imgur.com/gallery/mw7YWDE [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 12 Apr 2020 01:25 PM PDT Album here: Imgur Album Hi all! I want to show you guys our new bathroom! It is almost all DIY, except the pipe work, which was done by professionals. My wife wanted a country style bathroom and I wanted some modern tech in there and I think we found a good compromise in the end! There are some really rough edges all around but that is just fine. For example:
It has some cool features though:
We still need to install a new window, a radiator, add a shower enclosure and do some detail work, but it stays like this for a bit EDIT: As for cost: ~3000€ for toilet, bathtub, cabinets and fittings and ~2000€ for the other materials. The pipe work was over 10K but that was redoing the entire house and adding a warm water system which we did not have before Let me know what you think :) [link] [comments] |
| Just a little thing: I put knobs on kitchen drawers and cupboards today. Posted: 12 Apr 2020 08:21 PM PDT As a Home Improvement project, it's noob level, but makes it so much easier to open drawers. I'm renting a cheap mobile home that is also old, it was built in 1976. Old, ugly cupboards, but they function (mostly). Lots of the particle board drawers have fallen apart and been replaced by homemade plywood drawers that don't open or close as easily. Some aren't connected to drawer tracks and sort of half fall in and out. (As I said, the rent is cheap, and everything at least mostly functions. If I want fancy, I'd have to pay more, and I'd rather save money for now.) But knobs make it easier to open drawers and doors. And that makes me happy. :) [link] [comments] |
| This is what I get for trying to replace my own window. Posted: 12 Apr 2020 03:55 PM PDT |
| Adding bathroom vent pipe to old vent pipe Posted: 12 Apr 2020 05:32 PM PDT I have two bathrooms next to each other. Bathroom 1 is vented all the way through the roof. Bathroom 2 is vented into the attic. Do you see any issues with me connecting a new Bathroom 2 vent pipe to the existing bathroom 1 vent pipe.? (The attic portion of the pipe is PVC.) I want to do this so I don't have to cut another hole in the roof. (Vent 1 and Vent 2 are about three feet apart.) See diagram. Thanks. [link] [comments] |
| Refinish or replace wooden floors? Posted: 12 Apr 2020 05:24 PM PDT I just bought a new home and I have the opportunity to do some work before moving in as I am still in my apartment lease for 25 days. I absolutely hate the color of the wooden floors. I'd like a more natural finish as I want to modernize the interior quite a bit. Can I refinish these in a more modern color? Or should I replace them altogether? Budget is under 4,000 for 900sqft. I wanted to add a picture here for reference but I couldn't figure it out on the app. They are a very basic colored brown wooden floor. Small plank style. [link] [comments] |
| Drill for under $100, or worth stretching a little more? Posted: 12 Apr 2020 08:34 AM PDT Hi everybody, I have $100 of Amazon vouchers and would like to get an electric drill for the house - To be honest, it will be used for putting together furniture and mainly hanging pictures / shelves. Is there a specific drill that people would recommend for this budget? If it's worth stretching $50 more or so to get something exponentially better, please let me know. Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Is it a handrail, or just being used as one? Posted: 12 Apr 2020 04:23 PM PDT I need a no fuss, utilitarian handrail and this would be perfect, but I cant find this anywhere online. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 12 Apr 2020 04:56 PM PDT Looking for ways to add some curb appeal. I wouldn't mind removing the vinyl siding on the front to add some color. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 12 Apr 2020 10:02 AM PDT I think from my ceiling to my work bench is maybe 20 feet(if it's flush with the ceiling and wall, which I'd need). My neighbor has this extension cord thing that has multiple outlets that he mounted to the wall. I'm not sure what it's called. I found this at harbor freight, but I figured there was better options, or better brands to chose from. Plus they only have 3 outlets on the 2 types of products. https://www.harborfreight.com/30-ft-retractable-cord-reel-66832.html Edit: Is something like this safe to use? Can I plug up extensions cords, to the end, or is that considered daisy chaining? Any limitations of what can and can not be plugged into it? Safe to be plugged into the wall outlet 24/7? I was going to unplug anything in the reel when not in use. Edit 2: I just found this. How's it look? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 12 Apr 2020 09:26 PM PDT We're looking to get some new windows when this quarantine is over, and don't have a bucket of money to spend. What's the best way to save money while still getting good windows? Should we buy from a big box store or go with a window company? [link] [comments] |
| How on "Earth" do I separate all this... earth... from this rock? Posted: 12 Apr 2020 08:14 PM PDT Photo here. Looks like a shitty old lawn right? Wrong. There's a roughly 4'x75' patch of lava rock next to the concrete and a similar sized patch of gravel next the lava rock. Probably 4-5 yards3 of material to deal with. There's landscape fabric underneath most of it, but it's totally overgrown with wild grass after years of neglect. I need it out of here so I can get a clean slate to create a new lawn and some planter beds, but I'm totally overwhelmed trying to figure out a way to remove it efficiently (and what to do with it once removed). Options as I see them:
Am I missing some options? What's the best way to do this that ends with me not totally regretting my decisions? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 12 Apr 2020 04:24 PM PDT Midwestener here who bought an old home who needs a lot of love in the paint department (specifically inside). I had posted about a month ago in this sub asking for help because the previous owner painted over oil based paint with acrylic based paint without the proper primer in between. I finally found the left over paint they had used, stating that it was acrylic paint with primer included, but obviously it's not working as it's already chipping/peeling. Luckily he didn't paint the ENTIRE house wrong, but all the window sills, door ways, stairs, and trim are messed up. Here are some photos of what I've been dealing with: https://imgur.com/gallery/mhUfWzz In my previous post people recommended using a heat gun to strip the paint off, which I did and it works alright. I will note that I'm a little scared of stripping all the paint off because I know that the chances of dealing with lead paint it fairly high. It also doesn't come off as beautifully as it does on youtube and is really labor intensive. Doesn't hurt that I also kept ding-ing the wood as well and had to go back and sand over it to hopefully blend it alright when I get the chance to repaint. All of this is a lot of work and I was wondering if there is a way to work smarter. Is there some sort of paint that I can use over the areas that hasn't started to chip that could encapsulate it all to nip it in the bud or should I really take it all back down to bear wood and repaint? If so, what sort of protection should I use? *Edited because the url didn't post like I thought it would. [link] [comments] |
| Found Rats in Kitchen, how to remove smell? Posted: 12 Apr 2020 09:25 AM PDT Alright, so I officially joined the homeowners club, and walked right into a rat infestation by surprise. Inspection didn't catch it, and neither did I. We had an exterminator out, he claimed 2-5 rats. We would've brought him out, but obviously COVID has sort of messed that up. We trapped 4 rats over 3 days, and have been rat free for a full week with no signs of continuing infestation. The kitchen still smells terrible. We removed all cabinets and appliances, and found significant amounts of rat droppings and insulation under 2 cabinets. The rats got in through our crawlspace, came up through a hole in the floor, and then made holes in the bottom of the Sheetrock to reside under the cabinets. We've already washed the walls and floor, and removed all visible droppings. They also have appeared to have tunneled through the insulation in the kitchen (I found and followed a tunnel between two studs running up the wall near their entrance point.) I already am assuming all Sheetrock in the kitchen should come down, along with all insulation. Is this the way to go? Any other steps I should take? Thanks. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 12 Apr 2020 09:39 AM PDT This isn't really "home improvement" but I don't really know where to ask. Our toilets were flushing slow. And after determining it wasn't a clog. I had the septic tank pumped. (Which was full) We have a septic tank and a seepage pit. The seepage pit was also full. So the guy pumped the tank. And as he was pumping water was coming back into the tank. He didn't know where this was coming from so I checked the seepage pit and it was definitely coming from there. (The water level was dropping quick) So I pretty much pumped it until the water was at a trickle. Then he left. So I have a few questions since I'm pretty new to the workings of a septic tank. Is the water coming back from the seepage pit normal? Obviously this means it was way over full (we have very hard soil and it's been raining a ton... I've been told this makes for a slow seepage) Do I need to add any water to the tank? He left after he pumped it I'm not sure if I need to run any through it or fill it to a certain level. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 12 Apr 2020 09:34 PM PDT Just pulled up the carpet and padding in a vacant townhouse we own. Having a flooring company install new carpet whenever that's an option. Trying to cut costs, how much floor prep should I do? Pull or hammer pad staples? Leave carpet tack strips? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 12 Apr 2020 09:23 PM PDT Recently bought a late 1960 house and thinking about taking out a wall between living room in kitchen and re-doing the kitchen. Only problem is that there isn't hard wood in the kitchen and with us redoing the kitchen we can't keep the flooring in them now. So simply, is it possible to match hard wood? Or would we have to sand a re stain everything? (Whole upstairs is hardwood, excluding bathroom, ~1000 square feet) [link] [comments] |
| What to do with gap between old baseboard molding and old plaster wall? Posted: 12 Apr 2020 10:14 AM PDT The gap appears to be about 3/8" in some places. What should I do? Caulking? I plan on sanding and painting white. It's too difficult to remove the baseboard molding because it was installed BEFORE the hardwood flooring was installed (under the carpet). The nails holding the molding are below the hardwood floor. I peeled the wallpaper so don't mind the residue and wallpaper backing crap everywhere. Also don't mind the carpet, it's going. Thanks [link] [comments] |
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