Home Improvement: Bought a new house the crawl space was filling with water like a swimming pool. |
- Bought a new house the crawl space was filling with water like a swimming pool.
- Bought a house earlier this month. Kitchen sink kept backing up. Fixed it with Ridgid PowerSpin+. Highly recommend the tool.
- Found some nightmare fuel inside our walls
- Building a Pergola was way easier and inexpensive then I thought it was going to be.
- Sometimes I wish I was gay
- Wifey wanted a raised garden bed so I built a raised garden bed!
- Who else is spending more money for home improvement?
- Need help fixing a slope where my yard meets the neighbors
- Tile adhesive removal
- Anyone screened in their under deck porch?
- Concrete Patio
- I am making a mess stripping latex paint. Help???
- Advice on peeling front door frame
- Partial water line issue
- Best design software for remodel and decks
- Underground Downspout PVC Help?
- Suggestion for backsplash
- Door frame rot. Dammit!
- Preparing the floor for LVT installation
- I installed roller blinds in my bedroom and now the sun comes to punish me every other morning. Are there any tips on how I could reduce the light in a style-forward fashion?
- Tiling Bathroom: Have some questions
- Did my contractor take a short cut?
- Concrete countertop issues.
- Ceiling light fixture wiring
| Bought a new house the crawl space was filling with water like a swimming pool. Posted: 01 May 2020 01:12 PM PDT In July 2019 we bought our second home. We knew the crawl space was flooding during the home inspection so we asked for it to be repaired or money off the purchase. They supposedly fixed the flooding. But with in 2 weeks the crawl was flooded again. We ended up getting 15k from the seller. This is the story of how I fixed it. At first I started by calling professionals to do the work. My first company just wanted to encapsulate the crawl space with a liner for 22K. So that when the crawl flooded it would not expose the wood to that moisture. Unacceptable response in my box. Putting a bandaid over a gaping wound is not the right answer. The second company suggested putting in a subpump and then encapsulating and sealing the crawl space for 36k. Better but not quite there. I ended up not finding any company that actual would fix the issue. My goal now is to find out why the crawl space is taking in water and resolve that on my own then hire a company to do the rest. First set of pics flooded crawl. Not the worst of the flooding. I waited to get into it until it went down some. Flooded crawl space https://imgur.com/gallery/rozkq7A I found that the builder has done several things wrong and I also found out that this has been an issue since when the house was built. Why was the crawl space flooding: 1. When the house was built they ran the brick veneer all the way down to the base of the foundation. Then back filled 3 ft of soil and clay. When it rained the clay keeps the water from absorbing and it fills in-between the veneer and foundation 1a. This then caused the rim joist to rot so bad in the North wall that you could push your hand through the rim joist and touch the veneer from with in the crawl space. 2. When they plumbed the water pipe to the septic tank there was a large amount of space left open when they went through the foundation. The filling of water between the veneer and foundation found an escape point into the crawl space through this opening. 3. The well water line passed through the crawl space opening then under the foundation and back up into the crawl space. This allowed for a path following the water line. And would bubble up from under the foundation. 4. It was found that all water was entering on the North side of the house. Which allowed me to isolate where I was working and focusing. Second set of photos pictures of the rotted rim joist. Rotted rim joist https://imgur.com/gallery/ngdpdS2 What I did: 1. Sealed the opening at the septic and foundation location. 2. Put in a french drain around the house. 3. Installed a sump pump system. With fail safe power and backup pumps. 3. Drilled between the veneer and foundation and created relief points that are plumbed to the French drain. 4. Drilled between the veneer and foundation and created relief points above the fence drain line that are plumbed to the sump pump. 5. Rerouted the water line and used the old water line to work as a french drain to the sump pump. No more water coming in under the house and serial fail-safes. So now I looked for a contractor to fix the stem wall. He wanted to remove all the brick veneer from the house, dig around the whole house to replace the rim joist. But that would have cost me 50+k to complete the whole task. What I did. Went around the house in the crawl space and built support walls that lifted the house slightly. Slowly removed all the rim joist on the North wall by 4 ft at a time and replaced with new pressure treated beams. Once all pieces were done I went back and put in 10 - 15 ft boards behind the rim joist to creat a barn beam as the rim joist. I was lucky that only the North wall was getting water damage. Third set of photos Replaced rim joist Replaced the rim joist https://imgur.com/gallery/0ud79Al I'll work to get more. I also replaced a few floor joist while I was at it. So those would be good pics. I just don't normally take photos of things unless it's animal sign. At this point there's no more water coming in. And all the wood is solid. I'm not even thinking about encapsulating the crawl space now. It was a ton of work and time. But it cost me all of $1800. Now with my left over money I'm going to build a shop space as my reward. Thanks for reading [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 01 May 2020 07:52 AM PDT We bought a house in mid April. So far the kitchen sink backed up twice. I used a lot of draino. The first clog draino worked. With yesterday's clog it didn't work. I went to Home Depot and got their $40 Ridgid powerspin plus plumbing snake that can connect to a battery drill. Connecting it to the drill made it much easier to snake the whole drain to the main sewer pipe. I snaked the first 25 ft from the sink that didn't fix it. Followed the pipe to the basement to a second clean out plug. I found a bunch of coffee grounds there. I snaked the rest of the 1 1/2 inch pipe to the larger sewer pipe. This fixed the issue. Glad I bought the snake and didn't call a plumber. Although the job was a little dirty it wasn't too hard. [link] [comments] |
| Found some nightmare fuel inside our walls Posted: 01 May 2020 04:03 PM PDT http://imgur.com/gallery/O51pCES Open the imgur link to get creeped out. My husband & I have been removing wallpaper in our new house (built in 1969). There was a spot that was discolored & when we peeled the paper away, some of the plaster layer chipped off. We figured there was somehow water damage, but we chipped off a little more & found THIS. I honestly didn't notice the photo looked like a face until we texted it to some family members. But now I can't unsee! Turned out to be about 1x3 foot old yellow jacket nest crammed in the wall of our dining room. No plaster, no insulation, just nest. There are photos in the link of the whole thing. It was pretty shocking, we definitely did not expect it. We haven't noticed any wasp activity since we moved in, but we're sure as hell going to check around the outside & seal up any holes we find this weekend. Fuck wasps. [link] [comments] |
| Building a Pergola was way easier and inexpensive then I thought it was going to be. Posted: 01 May 2020 07:51 PM PDT Just finished up a 12x16' pergola on our back deck today took ~7 hours worth of steady work, 2 guys, nothing back-breaking. Picked up all of the lumber from 84 Lumber and their pergola building kit last Friday came with instructions and hardware. Spent about 600$ in materials but have a few things I didn't end up using to return. Bought 6x6x10 support beams so I used the spare 2' to cut my 45 degree bracers instead of another beam saving 35$ Used leftover deck screws from our fence project instead of the nails saving 20$ and didn't carriage bolt the 45 bracers saving another 20$ just used screws 3" wood screws again as I didn't feel like notching and drilling 9" holes.(I did use carriage bolts on the main support 16' beams) Also they sold me 12 2x8x12 boards and drawings only called for 11. Tool list. Impact screw driver, drill, circular saw, rubber mallet, speed square, level, 2 large wood clamps, 25' tape measure. I did use my 12" blade miter saw to cut the 45 bracers but they're not mandatory. A hand drill can also fill the place of the impact driver but they're just nice. If you were doing this in a yard instead of a deck you would need concrete and to dig some 2-3' deep holes and larger posts raising the price to about $650-700 with another days time waiting on concrete to dry. Also a line level to make sure you make the top boards level along the grade of your yard. Im not really sure why I wrote this up but I hope someone else has been thinking about doing this and is encouraged. Feel free to ask any questions and I have a few more photos and a .PDF of the instructions if you're interested. Thanks for stopping by! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 01 May 2020 02:41 PM PDT I have a wife and 2 daughters. Just unclogged the shower drain. I mean seriously WTF. I just kept pulling and pulling with needle nose pliers. It was like a 6 foot long eel of slime-hair. What do you guys do to combat this? Just periodic unclogifyings or what? [link] [comments] |
| Wifey wanted a raised garden bed so I built a raised garden bed! Posted: 01 May 2020 07:57 PM PDT I've been in IT for the last 7 years, felt really awesome to build something again. I'm building a trundle bed for our dog next - I'm back on the sauce so to speak! Hope you enjoy - 8'x6'x16.5" tall. $150 for everything including screws and finish nails for the trim. Prime Douglas Fir and pine trim. [link] [comments] |
| Who else is spending more money for home improvement? Posted: 01 May 2020 11:16 AM PDT I have two one ton duallys and a few different trailers . I did oilfield hotshots and my trucks haven't been out of my yard since March 17th. Everything died between oil prices going down and the Rona . I live in the sticks on 40 acres I had a half asses sump pump system to drain a low spot in my yard I added about 150 feet of French drains and upgraded the sump drain to 1 1/2" Added gutters to my 50x50 shop. A buddy owns a small guttering company so I helped him and got a good deal. Also replaced all the down spouts on my home existing gutters Added another sump pit and pump to drain that. Built around 150' of privacy fence to the side of my property that has goats on the other side that were getting up on the chain link and pulling tree limbs down and stripping them . Brought in two dump truck loads of Gravel for my driveway to my shop and yard where my trucks and trailers sit. Poured concrete and mounted a new 30' wind and temp sensor for my weather station Poured concrete and made a new flag pole Put in a small garden for the first time in twenty years Had the driveway for the house asphalted Don't even want to know how much we've spent on flower beds and all the dirt, mulch that go along with it . So my place is looking better than it has in a long time . What sucks is having all the time to do stuff you've wanted to do but not having the income. Luckily my wife and I have always done well and we've saved and are at a point in our live that we only have utility bills because everything is paid off. I was about a day away from Buying a new 1 ton dually to add to my business and financing it. Glad I didn't do that I also installed new springs and struts on my personal Truck. Im worn out because honestly I haven't done that much manual labor in years [link] [comments] |
| Need help fixing a slope where my yard meets the neighbors Posted: 01 May 2020 07:31 PM PDT Crappy Drawing Illustrating Issue So behind my garage there's about 4-5 feet of space I'd like to make use of that's currently just dirt, wood chips, and weeds. I don't know what I want to do with the space yet, but before I start anything I feel like I should fix this issue. There is a knee high chain link fence separating my backyard from my neighbors yard. The ground on our side is maybe 5-6 inches higher up than the ground on their side and the slope is on our side right before the fence. It's easy to step and accidentally roll your foot or ankle into the slope if you don't know it's there. If I were to fill it with dirt or mulch it would just mostly fall through the chain link fence and spill into their garden. Is there anything I can do to level out that space without affecting my neighbors yard too terribly? Is the only solution a fence that dirt cannot fall through? We really don't want to put a fence there both for cost and aesthetic reasons. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 01 May 2020 08:38 PM PDT I have recently removed all the tiles in our laundry and the leftover tile adhesive is impossible to get up. Can anyone give any tips/tricks to help remove the leftover adhesive on the concrete floor. I have soaked it in hot & boiling water but made little difference. [link] [comments] |
| Anyone screened in their under deck porch? Posted: 01 May 2020 06:53 PM PDT Looking to start this project. Anyone have a guide they used or video? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 01 May 2020 08:23 PM PDT Hey All, I have an old concrete patio that wraps around my house. I'm looking to do something with it that's relatively inexpensive and could be done by a somewhat handy homeowner. I've seen videos around covering it with wood, but has anyone done that? If not, do you have suggestions on what you could / would do? Cheers, SOG [link] [comments] |
| I am making a mess stripping latex paint. Help??? Posted: 01 May 2020 04:50 PM PDT I am stripping latex paint because it was put on top of oil based paint. I am going to repaint with oil based. I am making a mess. I am using Multi Strip paint remover. The spray didn't work well so I had to put it in a tub. Also, getting the small, rounded parts of the word is difficult, and making a mess. The flat pieces are easy. Any tips or tools that I need to buy to make this less messy? Pics here Update: acetone helped remove the bubbly ugly parts that I couldn't get with my scraper. I think I've reached my groove. [link] [comments] |
| Advice on peeling front door frame Posted: 01 May 2020 07:01 PM PDT I'm having trouble finding guidance on my front door frame- everything pertains to front doors or indoor frames. It's a thick wooden frame (surround?) with a quarter inch of paint layered on. It's peeled, cracked, and flakes off. I'm in central VA so moisture also concerns me. I scrubbed it lightly with a wired brush today and got here: https://imgur.com/gallery/81wHquS Any advice on next steps? Luckily the wood underneath looks in good condition. Not sure if I should patch areas that flake off easily and then paint, or all the paint needs to be removed with some kind of chemical stripper and repaint the whole thing. I would appreciate any advice! ETA: image link [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 01 May 2020 06:54 PM PDT I am getting low water pressure where the pex is and the other side I just get some air and few water drops. This is the first thing connected to this mainline but other connections at the end are just fine. Any thoughts of what it could be? Thanks in advance. [link] [comments] |
| Best design software for remodel and decks Posted: 01 May 2020 04:01 PM PDT I've been trying all sorts of software and reading what everyone thinks but can't find what I need. I am looking for 1) a deck design software program where you can enter heights/footing depth/ lumber type etc and it auto generates footing placement/beams and such and presents views to pull permits. 2) same type of deal but for remodeling such as a basement where it shows studs and everything else. You're input is appreciated! [link] [comments] |
| Underground Downspout PVC Help? Posted: 01 May 2020 03:59 PM PDT UPDATED: I ended up just picking up regular white 4" PVC at Home Depot. I'm working on a trench that I am installing PVC piping to connect to a catch basin so that rain water is collected and diverted away from the house. I had found someone one who was selling 4" PVC online and decided to purchase this. I've run into some issues:
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| Posted: 01 May 2020 08:23 PM PDT Hello! My wife and I want to do a little home project while we are SIP and thought it would be great to add backsplash to the kitchen. I read online and there's a few ways to do it, including the peel and place variety. As you can see, the space for the backsplash is currently painted and does have texture. What technique do you think would work best for this project? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 01 May 2020 03:13 PM PDT I've seen some really, really good honest advice here, so I turn to you. I have some really bad Door frame rot. I sort of did a half ass fix a few years ago, wood, putty and expandable foam, but didn't do it properly, and frankly this sort of hands on work isn't my forte, by any stretch of the imagination. I'm looking for any insight you can offer so I at least have some sense going forward. How bad does it look? Should I hire a professional? What's the cost to repair something like this? I understand you really need to see it, and see how far it goes to have any real understanding, but like I said, any info helps. [link] [comments] |
| Preparing the floor for LVT installation Posted: 01 May 2020 08:08 PM PDT First time home owner here looking to replace some old ratty carpets with LVT. After ripping up the carpet, I've found this tile underneath The majority of the tile seems to be good condition and nice and level, but the edges around the rooms are crumbling as you can see in the picture. Do I need to rip this all up? or patch the edges with something? or can I simply install on top? Its going to be floating LVT. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 01 May 2020 11:52 PM PDT I recently moved in to my first property so am very new to home improvement. The current circumstances means that all of my improvements for now have to be DIYable really. Last week I was having trouble with light from having temporary paper blinds. To remedy this, I rushed to buy some roller blinds for my deeply recessed windows. In all honesty I love the simple look of them. My problem is the reflected light that illuminates the inch gaps either side of the blinds. Is there a fashionable way that I could seal some of the light? I'm considering adding curtains on top however, I'm unsure what to look for and how they may look. Here is an image of what it looks like from my bed in the morning: https://imgur.com/JpYcNvK As well as the possibility to layer curtains, I realise that there may be some mechanical solutions like seals out there. Could I get some recommendations? Thanks [link] [comments] |
| Tiling Bathroom: Have some questions Posted: 01 May 2020 11:43 PM PDT So this will be my first time tiling a bathroom, and probably one of the more advanced DIY things i've done. I feel pretty confident because i've watched and read a TON of things. I still have a few nagging questions (Sorry it's kind of a lot, but i'll put it in list form):
Hopefully it's not super duper difficult for a newer person. I feel confident but at the same time super paranoid about messing it up. I guess that's why i've been putting it off. Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Did my contractor take a short cut? Posted: 01 May 2020 07:55 PM PDT 3 years ago we had our front porch replaced with vinyl boards, it's a porch with a roof over it but under the porch is part of the basement. Just this year we noticed that if you get down and look at the porch eye level everything isn't perfectly flush anymore so it's leaking water in the basement when there's bad storms bc it's collecting water in a puddle on one spot. Contractor came and said the house must of settled after winter but my house is 80 years old and the Front of the house foundation was redone 25 years ago. I noticed when you look up at the porch underneath you can see exposed vinyl flooring which is suppose to be water proof but if its not sitting perfectly flush of course a gap will key water in but was he suppose to put some kind of barrier between the flooring and the basement? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 01 May 2020 07:55 PM PDT I did a precast pour and mistakes have been made and words have been said... First thing is caulk remnants that I didn't see, got on the surface and there are small micro size places that just looks different. I've tried a slurry of Portland and color and when I sand it, it all comes off. It's like the indentation is so small I can't fill it. The second thing is the sealer. I bought a sample and it tried and liked it on a one my samples. Then used the rest of the sample sealer on a 4' sf piece. Looked great. Bought a gallon. The gallon didn't have the same effect as the sample. The gallon shit peels off when something like a 10 year old leaves a spoon with honey on it overnight. Spoon just took a chunk of the sealer off with it.. (Smiths polyseal) I've sanded the old sealer off the tops. If I want a uniform color, which I do, I need to do a slurry coat with color. If i do a slurry coat, I'll have a chalky layer on that makes an issue for sealer application. If I don't color it, it's blotchy. I'm really in rescue mode right now. Don't care about sheen. Just want to cover up my mistakes and put my kitchen back together. I'm about ready to paint it black and polyurethane seal it. Any help would be appreciated. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 01 May 2020 07:52 PM PDT Hello! A question on ceiling light fixture wiring. Took down the old living room's ceiling light fixture to change it for a more modern one. This is what I found: https://imgur.com/a/LL59eag So the new light fixture has a single ground wire, one black wire, and one white wire. The electrical box in the ceiling has two black wires that were twisted together with a wire nut, two white wires, one yellow wire and one green wire. The old light fixture had two wires that were in clear insulation. Both of these were secured to the two white wires coming from the electrical box with a wire nut. The two black wires did not make contact to the old light fixture. The ground cable from the old light fixture was looped around the mounting bracket. As the new light fixture has a single black wire, white wire, and grounding wire. I figured I would try to just do the same thing as I did with the old light fixture; by taking the two wires from the light fixture and looping them around the two white wires with a wire nut. Was not what I expected and not per the instructions but I thought I'd just do it the way it was done with the old fixture. I was unable to get the light to turn on. I did not want to try connecting the black wire to the two black wires that were initially tied off in the box with a wire nut and opted to leave them alone until I get some more input on the matter. Don't want to play around with electrical when my background on it is not that strong. Any help is always appreciated. Thanks! [link] [comments] |
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