- Why aren't all homes built on floodplains mandated to be on stilts? Im looking at the floods in Michigan and none of those were on stilts, should it be mandated when rebuilding starts?
- Thank you for helping me decide on the right tile/stone to use! We love the finished product
- How were grand structures built in 1800s (especially pre-electricity)?
- I think I found the problem..
- What is your favorite landscaping mulch?
- Basement wall crumbling and detaching d
- Are pocket holes a fad or are they really that much better?
- I call this the "I've made made a huge mistake" stage of the cycle. Help!
- Controlling automatic light manually
- Sump pump advice
- Emergency Egress for Second Story Bedroom
- Replacing single bulb fixture with LED shop lights
- My dream garage - a few hurdles and suggestions needed
- Flea infestation with no pets or carpets
- Thermostat set low, but heaters still emitting heat
- Making my doorstep look a little better
- Advice for lighting fixture bracket that won’t sit flush with the wall?
- Install new drywall or skim and sand existing pieces? Q
- Wood stair question
- How to remove this bolt
- What have you paid for install for interlocking wood tiles?
- Dishwasher leaking under the sink?
- Recommended Retractable/Removable Way to Cover This Skylight?
- I haven't heard back from my contractor in almost 3 weeks
| Posted: 22 May 2020 10:40 AM PDT The entire argument about building on floodplains happens every year but Ive never heard anyone seriously propose just rebuilding everything on stilts... They said this is the third catastrophic flood event in 30 years in that area. Aside from flood protection it seems like there would be multiple other benefits like having a garage space under the house, not have to lay foundation, no future basement bullshit to deal with and no crawlspace nonsense to deal with. Why isnt this just common practice? Edit- Wade into those comments with rationality. Is it normal for this sub to have this sort of behavior? [link] [comments] |
| Thank you for helping me decide on the right tile/stone to use! We love the finished product Posted: 22 May 2020 02:49 PM PDT |
| How were grand structures built in 1800s (especially pre-electricity)? Posted: 22 May 2020 01:12 PM PDT Whenever I see an old big structure, like a court-house in a small town, or a church, or mansion, I am in awe. These are big structures, usually built with heavy stone and with detailed ornamental features. This was before electricity. How did they do it? How did they transport all of that material? How did they safely put on a steep roof up several stories or more? Did many people die? How did they make sure everything was level and plumb and all of those details so perfectly in place? Did architects draw up detailed plans back then (around mid 1800s)? I'm just amazed because it seems those structures would have required a lot of work and skill even by today's standards. And they did it without the help of modern power tools or safety equipment and other things like CAD. Does anyone know of a book (or video series) that explains how these things were built? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 22 May 2020 08:27 PM PDT We have a walk out basement; at the base of the basement stairs, there is a trench drain, which ties into the house plumbing, and goes out to the street. (perfectly legal here, btw.) When it's very wet, either from heavy fast rain, or just saturated ground, the backyard floods, and water comes down the stairs. In the past, when there has been very heavy rain (greater than an inch an hour or so), the drain just inside the basement door backs up, and there's a little water there. We had some impressive rain last week. Two storms that dumped 4+ inches of rain on us, three days apart. So everything was totally saturated, and the drain didn't just back up, it gushed. Some probing with a snake revealed the drain had crazy routing, and there was no way to rod it out. Some quick concrete cutting, digging, and pipe removal found the source of the clog. Sane piping has been installed, just have to get some gravel to back fill with, and pour some concrete. I hate working with concrete. [link] [comments] |
| What is your favorite landscaping mulch? Posted: 22 May 2020 08:18 PM PDT |
| Basement wall crumbling and detaching d Posted: 22 May 2020 06:04 PM PDT So we recently bought an old (1940) house here in El Paso. I started removing bubbling paint in the basement and found some plaster (maybe) and crumbling concrete behind it. After further inspection and probably overzealous exploration I found that this concrete is covering brick and much of the concrete is detached from the brick behind it and has a hollow sound when tapped. Pics http://imgur.com/gallery/sGV4Eu9 I think the root of all this is poor drainage in the concrete driveway which butts against the house. Water pools right outside at this location and clearly drains right into the wall. We are looking at ways to address this and divert the water away. What is going on? What benefits does the parging have? Is it structural? It's it even parge? Should I just rip it off and learn how to repair the mortar? Reparge it? It also looks like brick towards the top is crumbling, does it need replacing? I'm hesitant to further mess with it not knowing what it even is? [link] [comments] |
| Are pocket holes a fad or are they really that much better? Posted: 22 May 2020 08:01 AM PDT I'm looking at building a square desk and every single YouTube video rants & raves about pocket holes. Are they really that much better, or is it the fad of the moment? [link] [comments] |
| I call this the "I've made made a huge mistake" stage of the cycle. Help! Posted: 22 May 2020 10:09 AM PDT https://i.imgur.com/asUjurZ.jpg Wasps. Rot. Flaking lead paint. Ug. The reason I started down this path is that window jambs/stops/sill is in bad shape, with mold and flaking paint that tested red for lead with the 3m test. And this window is right in the kid play area.(current original window condition: https://imgur.com/MgLhuDP) So, window needs to be either restored or replaced, and I wanted to see what I was working with, and if I wanted to tackle a proper full frame replacement. And now I'm worried I may be in over my head. Especially because of the flaking (presumably lead) paint everywhere. Could I get a "good judgment" reality check here? Have any of you successfully done this safely? Also, bigger picture, would you restore the old window or replace with something modern? And am I crazy to want to restore the original clapboard and trim? Close up of the dormer peak trim situation: https://i.imgur.com/fNtqtbC.jpg [link] [comments] |
| Controlling automatic light manually Posted: 22 May 2020 06:55 PM PDT I have a closet that runs off a door jamb switch that automatically turns the light on and off when I open the door. I like the automatic light but I would like to be able to turn the light off and on independently of opening and closing the door as well. I figured I could install a gang box and switch on the wall next to the door pretty easily but was not sure if/how I could wire a switch that would allow me to turn the light on and off but still have the door jamb switch work the rest of the time. I am in Texas if there is a question on what codes apply. Thanks for your help. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 22 May 2020 08:27 PM PDT Bought my house a little over a year ago. Inspector and previous owner said there was a sump pump. Basement has been leaking the last couple days due to hard rain, haven't heard a peep out of the sump. Go to inspect it and find nothing in the sump well. I'm not super versed on sumps and sump wells. What am I working with here? Do I need to get someone to come out and start drilling drain holes for a new sump, or can I install a pump with these preexisting pipes? Sump well [link] [comments] |
| Emergency Egress for Second Story Bedroom Posted: 22 May 2020 08:18 PM PDT I was thinking about safety and emergency exits when a house is on fire. There are three bedrooms, the primary exit would be the door and for two bedrooms secondary exit would be out the window onto the first story roof. But the third bedroom there is no roof to walk onto from the windows, just a 13' drop. Originally I was planning on purchasing an emergency escape ladder similar to this. But directly below the bedroom window is a bay window sticking out from the kitchen, see here. I'm looking for suggestions on what kind of emergency escape to use in this case. Do we still use the emergency ladder, but expect to punch through the window when we get to it? Thank you. [link] [comments] |
| Replacing single bulb fixture with LED shop lights Posted: 22 May 2020 08:17 PM PDT Can anyone give a quick rundown of the process and give a number 1-10 on task difficulty for someone has never worked with electricity? My shop lights blow buttcheeks and would love to replace them. Thank you all in advance! [link] [comments] |
| My dream garage - a few hurdles and suggestions needed Posted: 22 May 2020 05:28 PM PDT Heya folks. First off, thanks to anyone actually looking at this post. Much Appreciated. I pride myself on being somewhat DIY handy but I'm stumped on this one. Or dislike my options. Or both. Let me know what you think. The wall in question... In short, I bought a new place and there is a one side of my garage that is not entirely covered in drywall and it drives me nuts. I'd like to hang some items on that wall and for it to look clean. This is going to be where I live for quite a while so I'd like it to be awesome. The Facts:
This is what I've come up with as far as what I can do:
I don't know much about drywall and I will likely pay to have someone do this work as I am terrible at taping and mudding. Idk why, but I'm just not good at it and my OCD really messes with me on this stuff. I've done a few drywall projects at my other house and was okay with the results, but the texture and taping was clearly off and visible. Overall thoughts here? Once again, thanks for those who read this novel! [link] [comments] |
| Flea infestation with no pets or carpets Posted: 22 May 2020 10:20 PM PDT Hi all, I've tried everything i can to get rid of the fleas in my house, from the flea lamp traps to covering every inch of my house with flea spray. I've vacuumed and washed everything, but the fleas persist. Calling pest control isn't an option right now. Any tips would be appreciated! [link] [comments] |
| Thermostat set low, but heaters still emitting heat Posted: 22 May 2020 06:30 PM PDT Hello! I'm a tenant with a clueless, absentee landlord. I'm looking to troubleshoot online so that I know what kind of service to tell my landlord to hire in case I can't fix the problem myself. I would be so appreciative of any advice and answers because of the problem at hand and because I like learning useful things. The problem is pretty simple. The baseboards in my second-floor apartment (of a house) are still emitting heat even though the heat-only thermostat is set really low at 60°F. The temperature of the apartment is currently 79° F, which is ten degrees hotter than the outside temp. It's too hot to sleep and I'm going a little crazy. Is this something I can fix myself or do I need to get my landlord to get a heating repair service to the apartment? And if a heating service comes by, will they need access to my apartment's thermostat and/or baseboards or just access to the main heating stuff in the basement of the house? [link] [comments] |
| Making my doorstep look a little better Posted: 22 May 2020 06:02 PM PDT Hi guys, I'm new to this sub, fingers crossed I have followed all the guidelines! I wonder if anyone can help me with some ideas about what to do with this concrete doorstep. It's been previously painted by the old owner, and I have just managed to recently get some paving down, but I'm wondering what else I could do with the step. Here is a pic: https://imgur.com/a/sHXt2UR I'm in the UK so looking for an all weather solution, was hoping to do something other than paint it, what are your thoughts? Thank you. [link] [comments] |
| Advice for lighting fixture bracket that won’t sit flush with the wall? Posted: 22 May 2020 07:33 PM PDT Pic here: https://imgur.com/gallery/f0jPssh Installing a new bathroom vanity light and the standard bracket it came with fits inside the cut out for the electrical box and not flush with the wall. The 2 screws coming out of the bracket will eventually secure the fixture on. Any recommendations? Thinking I either need to find something similar but slightly larger that still has the same distance between the holes that will be used to mount the fixture on. Or just leave it recessed into the wall as-is and use shorter screws into the box and longer screws coming out for mounting the fixture. Thanks so much! [link] [comments] |
| Install new drywall or skim and sand existing pieces? Q Posted: 22 May 2020 05:57 PM PDT This old house got lots of these bumps (pile of paint or other stuff) on it's drywall. Some are pretty prominent and it's everywhere in this 2 floor 1500 sq house. Should I remove and rehang the drywall or try to salvage it by skimming and sanding with compound? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 22 May 2020 04:08 PM PDT We just had our wood stairs completed, and I think they were lazy. When they first did them, after moving the carpet they went from 11" to 9.5", we asked if we could have them extended since it felt like a fall hazard. The wood floor planks are roughly 8" and the end cap 2.5". Now this is where it looks weird. When they redid it. It looks like they just added some wood. Does this look right to you? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 22 May 2020 09:04 PM PDT What's my best option to remove this bolt? It's a stripped out hex bolt in a chair we just bought to refurbish and use for my gf's business. Am I better off drilling it and trying a screw extractor, or taking a cutting wheel and cutting the head of the bolt off, and hoping there's enough thread sticking out to get my vice grips on it to back it out? Or something else? TIA [link] [comments] |
| What have you paid for install for interlocking wood tiles? Posted: 22 May 2020 08:55 PM PDT Trying to get a few completed job estimates if you remember what you paid for the install? I'm getting a wide range of prices all which seem super high for what feels like a one day job [link] [comments] |
| Dishwasher leaking under the sink? Posted: 22 May 2020 08:53 PM PDT We recently got a new dishwasher for our 130 year old house. Suffice it to say everything is Frankenstein'd together throughout the house, but we love the house. To install the dishwasher, we had to cap the original water line beneath the dishwasher and install a split off the sink line. (Shown in picture.) Towards the end of the dishwasher cycle, we get some weeping under the sink. (Damp paper towel pictured in place.) The water seems to be coming from around the p trap area beneath the faucet. (No weeping happens while using the sink or disposal.) I did a bunch of research and figured it must be a clogged air gap. Get under only to find our air gap isn't actually connected to anything. (Also shown in picture.) What am I missing? Is there a blockage? A loose connection? Any advice is appreciated. Thank you! [link] [comments] |
| Recommended Retractable/Removable Way to Cover This Skylight? Posted: 22 May 2020 03:54 PM PDT Hello, I currently live in a loft-style apartment in California with no A/C. In my home office is a skylight in the ceiling that looks like this: https://imgur.com/a/9ZAuXye It's about 6' x 5' I'd say. It's about a foot deep. There's a screen covering and a mechanism with a crank pole that I can put in to open and close the window. It's cooking me alive in the mornings, which normally wasn't a huge problem in a pre-quarentine work from home world but it's starting to become an issue. What would be the easiest solution for something that I could install that would let me remove/retract when needed to give me access to the window? (It's nice to have it open during the day when the sun isn't out.) [link] [comments] |
| I haven't heard back from my contractor in almost 3 weeks Posted: 22 May 2020 08:49 PM PDT It's been 3.5 weeks since the contractor and I spoke about getting on his schedule. I worked with him and his team last year and had a great experience, so we decided to go with them again on a smaller project. The estimate was actually signed in March, but due to COVID-19, all work was paused until May 1st. I circled back with him the last week of April and he said he wanted to get us on the schedule right away. I replied immediately and agreed. Since then it has been radio silence. I've been following up weekly just to check-in and ask what his next openings are, but haven't heard anything. I understand that many contractors are busy as states reopen, but I am surprised by the length of silence and absolute lack of information. I do plan on giving his team another week or two to reply but at this rate I'm thinking about reaching out to another company. I already signed the estimate so I don't know if I am legally bound to it if I hear back from him, say 2 months later? I apologize if these questions are amateur, I've only been a homeowner for 2 years and haven't worked with a lot of contractors. [link] [comments] |
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