Home Improvement: I want to hang my 'swing' in my bedroom from the ceiling. Can i get a second opinion on my plan? |
- I want to hang my 'swing' in my bedroom from the ceiling. Can i get a second opinion on my plan?
- Happy update to my 108-screw French cleat electrical problem - fixed the issue without having to remove the cleats, and ended up with a new 20A receptacle in the garage for a little less than $20!
- Does anyone else have difficulty cutting down healthy plants?
- What to do with this unfinished built in desk?
- Wasp control (my advice)
- Best tool to cut wood from an old deck into smaller pieces
- Board & Batten Project
- Is jointing sand same as polymeric sand?
- Wanting to remodel both of our bathrooms, quotes so far have been insane. Am I crazy?
- My shower cracked.
- Quality of stamped concrete job...
- Sump Pump Drainage?
- Fixing the my concrete stairs
- Sprinkler cover keeps falling down
- Advice Needed - Installing Staircase Risers
- How can I remove dried Citristrip from floors safely?
- [Photos inside] How worried should I be about the abundance of this (as of yet) unidentified ant?
- Where to even begin?
- How to thoroughly clean a squirrel and mouse infested garage
- Attractive and breathable crawlspace skirting ideas
- Screened-in porch demo question
- Why does the closet wall look like it has a beefy header?
- Relocating Dryer Vent
- Bathtub Alcove Help Please
| I want to hang my 'swing' in my bedroom from the ceiling. Can i get a second opinion on my plan? Posted: 16 Jun 2020 03:56 PM PDT My Ceiling causes issues because, it's textured and I'm suppose to keep the holes down to a minimum. So no cutting up along side the beams to get better access. I was thinking of putting 2 or more of These anchors Then using some para cord rope attaching my Swing (that's a different ceiling it's attached to. With an eye bolt, I've been forbidden to use them again for this purpose) [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 16 Jun 2020 07:55 AM PDT Some of you may recall my previous post where I was trying to diagnose an electrical problem with a large French cleat installation. I first followed /u/tomgabriele's suggestion but I wasn't able to track down the problem -- I wasn't getting any continuity readings on any of the screws, or even from a downstream receptacle when compared to the GFCI. I then tried /u/Itisd's suggestion and got through about 12 screws before I found the culprit. The fix ended up taking me about 4-5 hours spaced out over the course of a few days. My curious neighbor helped me out with a couple of key supplies (12/2 Romex and a fishing line). Here are some photos that follow along with the repair process.
I also went back and replaced all of the potentially problematic longer screws with shorter versions. This was my first time ever doing real drywall repair and real electrical work, so I'm super satisfied with how things turned out and pleasantly surprised that, while it was difficult, it wasn't even close to impossible (and didn't require an electrician!), and ended up costing me somewhere south of $20 in total. I'm also thrilled that I didn't have to pull off all of the cleats. Thanks to this community for helping me out! [link] [comments] |
| Does anyone else have difficulty cutting down healthy plants? Posted: 16 Jun 2020 08:18 AM PDT My yard needs a little work - not much, but just some tweaks. I have been avoiding doing it though because I just can't bring myself to do the changes. Currently I have 2 small trees (crepe myrtle and magnolia) that are planted way too close to the house - the magnolia is against a wall and growing into the eaves and the crepe myrtle is at the corner but close enough that the branches are on the roof . I feel like these both need to go - but they are growing so well and healthy that I can't bring myself to cut them down and I it would be expensive and probably deadly to transplant them (if I could find a place to put them). Also, I have a garden bed with some low shrubs that is poorly placed (IMHO) and kind of impedes walking on the pool deck and I feel this would be better as an extension to the deck. Again, the shrubs are healthy and growing really well and I just can't bring myself to cut them down. I could transplant them, but the work/money to do so really is justifiable. They are not high value shrubs - but would be expensive to buy I guess. This is probably more of a rant than anything else - but do wonder if I am alone in these thoughts and if not, how do others overcome them. I may just tell my landscaper to cut them and that way I don't have to be there... Edit: link to trees [link] [comments] |
| What to do with this unfinished built in desk? Posted: 16 Jun 2020 07:51 PM PDT My husband had one request when we moved in - the guest bedroom with the built in was his. No girls allowed. He works from home, and it's his office. In return, he has patiently waited as I update the rest of the house, only mildly grumbling about the baby yellow walls and futon from college. I really want to give him the space he deserves for his hard work. He's a lawyer, so having both a computer area and a reading/research area is ideal. I'm hoping to surprise him when he comes back from a trip in a few weeks.
Here is my concern- the built in desk. We love the window seat, and the book shelf. Unfortunately it was not made with real wood, and only has trim in some places. I've never added trim to something so thin, and not really sure where to add it, since it wasn't built well.... Suggestions welcome. Photos: https://imgur.com/gallery/Rot52l6 And before I get any hate: he won't be upset that I've made these changes. He wants them, I'm doing his style, which is not my style, and I have a strong relationship with my partner to know what is within our healthy boundaries and what is an invasion of privacy . [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 16 Jun 2020 07:01 PM PDT Please delete if this isn't allowed but I really want to spread the word. I live just north of St Paul MN in a swampy area, I have 2.5 acres, about 1 usable the rest is swamp/drainage pond. I have a 3400 Sq ft home, please I'm not bragging I'm just trying to explain how well this is performing fo us. This is year 3+ in the house and every year we've had nasty amounts of wasps. It was recommended to me that we try getting a pitcher plant, https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01DN8O5V0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_bEx6Eb995SEAR I figured for that price I might as well try it. I tried a service that was twice that price every month for 4 months. I haven't had a Wasp since I put it out. I erred on the safe side and got 2 and I could t be happier. I'll never invest a single dime into anything other than this and maybe a can of Wasp killing spray again. Give it a try if you're looking for a cheap, natural solution. I can't say it'll work for you but it sure as hell is working for us. [link] [comments] |
| Best tool to cut wood from an old deck into smaller pieces Posted: 16 Jun 2020 05:31 PM PDT What tool would you recommend? A jig saw? Circular saw? Reciprocating saw? Not a handy man (will probably not use it often) so trying to keep it economical Thanks [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 16 Jun 2020 06:07 AM PDT Wanted to share the board and batten wall my wife asked for - according to her these are a trend, so hopefully anyone thinking of doing it can l learn from my mistakes. It took me about 3 weekends - without work, kids, and mistakes I made, I'm sure it can be done faster. I am by no means a carpenter, but I'm proud of the finished result. I wish I had taken more progress pictures, but I hope this meets the project sharing rules. Since this has become a very long post, here's the finished project in case you want to see it without scrolling though my rambling post: https://imgur.com/QzQHPJP When my wife first suggested this project, I told her it would probably be very easy. All I had to do was get some 1x4's on the studs, add the horizontal 1x4's, finish the joints, and paint... However, she very much wanted the spacing to be equal across the wall, and did not want the wall texture to contrast with the smooth 1x4's. So, first step - figuring out the spacing. It seemed so easy in theory - figure out the approximate number of 1x4's needed for the size of square we want, subtract the width of those from the width of the wall, divide that number by the number of squares, and that's the edge to edge between the 1x4's. As it turns out, I rushed the measuring and/or screwed up the math (I am very bad at fractions). Take your time with figuring this out, and mark the location of every 1x4 on the wall first so you can double check the spacing. Mind ended up being off - the bottom row is about 1.5" shorter than the others, and the column on the right is about 2" wider. Luckily, it's nearly impossible to notice. In any event, once I THOUGHT I had the spacing figured out, I made the plan to cut some thin, smooth backing board so that the seams between boards would land behind the 1x4's. I believe the product I used was called "eucaboard" from home depot, 1/8" thick. To get the seams between sheets to land behind the 1x4's, I ended up having to attach a board, add about a 2" wide strip above that, then add the next board - as I don't have a table saw, I used a circular saw with one of the 1x4's as a guide. In retrospect, I should have made a cut list and used my father-in-law's very nice table saw, as doing it my way was quite a pain. I attached the board to the wall with liquid nails and brad nails, hitting studs where possible (unfortunately the seams did not land on studs, hence the liquid nails... I wish the best of luck to the next homeowner if they want to remove this). I also learned to be very sure of my measurements was cutting out the outlets with my jigsaw - one of them is slightly wider than the face plate, but it will be blocked by our desk anyway. Once on the wall, I rolled on two coats of primer and two coats of paint, as it seemed easier than doing it after the 1x4's were up. The 1x4's I used are the pre-primed kind from Home Depot. I used 12' boards for the vertical pieces, since my ceilings are 9' and I didn't want any more miter joints on the 1x4's than necessary (they were only needed for the header and footer, since the wall is about 14' wide. I then glued and nailed the header and footer boards, being sure the miter joint landed on a stud, marked out my spacing for the vertical boards. It was at this point I realized one side of the wall was spaced incorrectly, but it's not noticeable. It was only at this point I began taking progress pictures - the painter's tape in the picture is to mark the studs, btw, not the spacing: https://imgur.com/IxWV4gV It was also at this point I realized my wall and ceiling are definitely not flat or square. I knew in principle that they wouldn't be, but didn't realize how significant it was. You can see a decent sized gap between the header and the ceiling in the top right corner - I promise you the header is level, or at least closer to it than the ceiling. I ended up cutting a shim of sorts with a jigsaw out of spare 1x4 - measured the height of the gap every 6" from the wall, marked it on the 1x4, and then had a hell of a time trying to cut it out correctly with a jigsaw. Eventually it was beaten into place and I filled the remaining seam with spackle during finishing. With that done, it was time for the horizontal boards. This was a bit time consuming, since the vertical boards were not exactly plumb. On more than one occasion I forgot to account for the miter saw's blade width (kerf?) and had a bit of a gap. I wish I had taken the time to fit these better. They were attached with liquid nails and brad nails, hitting studs where I could: https://imgur.com/6w3UXK1 The joints between the vertical and horizontal boards had some gaps, and were also not flush (due either to the curvature of the wall or the 1x4's). I attempted to fill the joints with caulk. DO NOT do that. After wasting plenty of time with that, I consulted a relative who is very good at things like this, who informed me I should scrape that out, sand the joints, then fill with spackle, then sand again. Sanding the joints was... unpleasant. I used 60 grit sandpaper on a random orbital sander, and had to remove quite a bit of material for some of the joints to be flush. Afterward though, the result was MUCH better than my first attempt: https://imgur.com/Cj0UoTx You can see some random pieces of trim on the ground in that photo. It was around this point my wife decided she wanted trim inside each square, so those are pieces of cove moulding, corner round, and I think it's called shoe moulding (like a quarter round, but flatter). I put them all in a square so we could choose which to use, and ultimately went with the shoe moulding. It took about 200 linear feet of trim, and something like 96 miter cuts... but I got it done eventually: https://imgur.com/d7G4MPp https://imgur.com/dCUu6Lk https://imgur.com/AUGgHjv The lesson learned with all those miter cuts is that the laser on my inexpensive miter saw is not accurate... cut each piece a bit longer than you expect, then shave off as needed. Once I learned that, it was a lot of walking back and forth (I wish I had just brought my miter saw inside, sawdust be damned). I attached the trim with wood glue and brad nails (18 gauge, up to this point I had been using 16 gauge). I also learned, as I posted a while back, to be very careful where I place my hand when nailing this. On a couple occasions, the nail decided to take an abrupt turn off the grain of the 1x4 and come straight out of the face. I'm still not sure exactly how the angle worked, but I shot a nail through my fingernail - almost parallel with it, so it traveled between my fingernail and my finger for a bit. This next picture isn't particularly graphic, but if you're squeamish about these things, don't click it: https://imgur.com/Rb0XYJ1 Then, I spent about 47288 hours caulking everything. I bought a new caulking gun and the 60 year Alex Plus Flex caulking - very much easier to work with than whatever crap I used on my failed attempt at caulking the 1x4 joints (I don't recall what that was). Then spackle for the nail holes (I tried using painter's putty at first, but spackle seemed to work better. Then primer, primer, paint, and paint (Zinsser primer, Behr Marquee eggshell matched to Sherwin Williams Alabaster): Due to poor lighting in that room, I'm not sure which photo is of which coats, but you get it. If you notice the back bottom corner is incomplete, that's because my father-in-law (who is awesome at this kind of thing) is making us a built-in cabinet that will go across the back wall, and he made it slightly too wide to fit with the 1x4's in. Of course, he only realized that between the installation of the 1x4's and the trim. This was a lot of work for a relative novice like myself, but I'm glad I did it. My father-in-law probably could have done it faster and better, but I learn by doing. And as much as I made fun of the idea when my wife suggested it, I do think this looks pretty damn good. [link] [comments] |
| Is jointing sand same as polymeric sand? Posted: 16 Jun 2020 05:37 PM PDT Hello, I just pressure washed out the weeds and sand from the interlock. I am looking to fill it back with polymeric sand. I went to home depot in Canada. I see the product called Sakrete jointing sand. Is jointing sand the same thing as polymeric sand? Thank you. [link] [comments] |
| Wanting to remodel both of our bathrooms, quotes so far have been insane. Am I crazy? Posted: 16 Jun 2020 05:55 AM PDT So we have received 2 quotes so far for our bathroom remodels. One is 7 1/2 x 5 ft with a tub that we want replaced, and upgrading to a 60 inch vanity instead of the current 54" one. Other bathroom is 4 x 6, it's the master bathroom. It's a walk-in shower. None of the stuff we are wanting to do is crazy, we aren't redoing the plumbing or anything. One quote was 33k for both bathrooms, the other was 45k. That just seems insanely high to me. What do you all think? Or did I just wayyyyy underestimate how much this would cost? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 16 Jun 2020 04:07 PM PDT I bought my house a few years ago and the shower kit in the master bath was not installed correctly and eventually cracked in the floor. I tried the acrylic repair kit with no luck so I tried flex tape and it actually worked but looks like flex tape so I want to rip the whole thing out and tile it. I want to do it correctly with a barrier and concrete board. I've tiled some backsplashes before but never a shower. Any advice would be helpful and I'm curious about a ballpark cost for a diy job. I already have the tools. I would love to reuse the doors but Im not sure if that's possible. [link] [comments] |
| Quality of stamped concrete job... Posted: 16 Jun 2020 07:51 PM PDT I recently had a concrete patio poured and stamped, at some point during the process the stamp pattern seem to get off square resulting in a slightly angled pattern. The slight angle became more noticeable after the cut joints or expansion joints were done. I'm not sure much can be done at this point other than starting over but I don't know if that's even an option. Link to pics below: [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 16 Jun 2020 09:15 PM PDT Hello, I recently had a sump pump installed and its pumping about 100 gallons a day. I don't know if this is a "normal" amount but I am looking for drainage ideas to get the water away from the house. Our lot is on a city street that does not have an improved storm water system and our city does not permit discharge into the sewer. I've considered a french drain system to help get the water away, I am open to ideas. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 16 Jun 2020 05:05 PM PDT Time to fix these nasty stairs. https://imgur.com/MUqf9oc). I fixed the water issue, where water was coming in from the outside, that no longer happens, which was causing the water damage to the steps. My plan: clean and chip off the loose paint and concrete. Use some hydraulic cement to smooth out the steps (if needed) and then paint with drylock waterproofing paint. Then at some point replace that piece of drywall as well. Thoughts? Advice? Does it sound like a good plan? [link] [comments] |
| Sprinkler cover keeps falling down Posted: 16 Jun 2020 05:01 PM PDT Builder made some lazy uneven hole around a sprinkler in my house. The white cover keeps falling down because the hole is too wide and uneven. How do you guys secure the cover on the ceiling? [link] [comments] |
| Advice Needed - Installing Staircase Risers Posted: 16 Jun 2020 04:46 PM PDT Hello, My wife and I are moving into our first home next Friday. I'm a DIY n00b so this will likely be the first of many posts on this subreddit! The most urgent project we have is the staircase to the attic bedrooms. As you can see in the pics here, there are no risers and the space between the treads is greater than the UK safety standard of 10cm. We're soon to be welcoming a young puppy into our household so would like to make modifications to make it safe. As I understand it, my options are to either:
What would be the easiest and quickest way to proceed if I was to do it myself? [link] [comments] |
| How can I remove dried Citristrip from floors safely? Posted: 16 Jun 2020 05:55 PM PDT My pregnant wife rented a floor sander to strip paint off the floors. Not before I argued it was a bad idea. Guess who won. Well one room was painted so bad I ended up applying Citristrip and letting it sit overnight. Well it dried and wont come off. I bought some odorless mineral spirits and tried a small sample of that, doesnt seem to help. When I tried sanding, the floor sander would get stuck in places, and the sandpaper just gunked up in minutes. Now I've decided to give up, but how can I safely get the Citristrip off so the floors arent sticky? I was thinking Dawn and water or a vinegar water solution. Tldr: need to safely remove citristrip from 10x10 room without affecting my wife's or unborn child's health? [link] [comments] |
| [Photos inside] How worried should I be about the abundance of this (as of yet) unidentified ant? Posted: 16 Jun 2020 03:31 PM PDT |
| Posted: 16 Jun 2020 09:05 PM PDT We are having our concrete patio redone in a few weeks. However the area at the base of our sliding door looks like absolute crap outside. It looks like previous owners actually removed some of the edge of the concrete slab when they replaced the sliding door. There's wood under there and a mishmash of just cement debris. Theres also this long piece of... something? Caulk? that is hard but looks like it was put there to seal the area where the sliding door opens. It doesn't run the entire length of the door. We also have an area where utilities come into the house that doesn't seem to be sealed well. It also has a jumble of cement debris. Would anyone be able to tell me if we should look at fixing this and maybe ideas or suggestions on how to make it secure and look nicer? http://imgur.com/gallery/kkE0BRU [link] [comments] |
| How to thoroughly clean a squirrel and mouse infested garage Posted: 16 Jun 2020 08:58 PM PDT I have a two car detached garage with loft that I setup to be a woodworking shop years ago. I had to leave for several years and now I have returned to find my tools are covered in feces, the tongue and groove pine flirts in the loft covered with leaves and poop, everything smells like urine. I have severe allergies and these little bastards make the garage utterly unusable for me. Can anyone suggest what cleaning solutions I can use to clean the floors and walls with that would completely sanitize them? Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Attractive and breathable crawlspace skirting ideas Posted: 16 Jun 2020 11:51 AM PDT We are buying a house in Houston that has a Pier and Beam foundation with about 12" of clearance from the ground (no basement). The inspector has already told us that we need to remove the wooden lattice skirting because it will provide a perfect path for termites. He recommended just replacing it with vinyl lattice. Personally, I have never really liked the way lattice skirting looks. Does anyone have any other ideas for crawlspace skirting that isn't termite prone? One side of the house appears to have stacked cinder blocks but that isn't much better. Keep in mind: this is Houston. So unlike other parts of the country, the crawlspace needs to have plenty of ventilation to prevent mold development whenever I experience my fourth 500 year flood. TLDR: Can anyone suggest a termite resistant, breathable barrier to install around my crawlspace? [link] [comments] |
| Screened-in porch demo question Posted: 16 Jun 2020 04:37 PM PDT My screened-in porch is looking pretty bad and the wife wants it gone. What am I looking at in terms of demo and rehab? https://imgur.com/gallery/B2Icq7u[Porch](https://imgur.com/gallery/B2Icq7u) Will I need to reface the brick on that side of my house? Is this a doable project for a weekend warrior DIYer? Edit: The wood is completely rotted in some parts. I can push through with a screw driver. I think all of the framing and supports are wood. [link] [comments] |
| Why does the closet wall look like it has a beefy header? Posted: 16 Jun 2020 04:36 PM PDT I'm 99% certain that that wall isn't supporting the roof. But there are 3 2x4s above those studs and I can't imagine why they would need to have done it that way. I mean could it be load bearing? There are large beams that run between outside walls and are perpendicular to the ceiling joists. These beams are supported (I assume) by a post in addition to the outside walls. You can see one of the posts and beams in image 1. Another beam you can see in image two and the post for that one makes up the back corner of said closet. The rest of the room is entirely open so I can't imagine random walls are supporting what, 2 joists and the rest run straight between those large perpendicular beams. The only thing that has me concerned are the other two posts just after the beam in the room that seem to be in similar position as the closet posts and have a "header" Image 1: https://imgur.com/gallery/TN2LYrx Image 2: https://imgur.com/gallery/FzelWw8 [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 16 Jun 2020 08:06 PM PDT I'm in the process of re-finishing our basement bathroom and one annoyance is the dang electric dryer vent, for multiple reasons:
With that said, here are images of this fine handy work. Any suggestions on how I can re-route this? The other side of the insulated bathroom wall (no vapor barrier) is my garage. I was contemplating having it run along the floor behind the dryer/washer in the laundry room, penetrate that wall, then 90deg elbow up the wall to the ceiling and shoot across the garage ceiling to the side of the house or have it run along the same bathroom wall (garage side) and penetrate the backside of the garage lower so it's further from the deck? NOTE: I just picked up a power washer this past weekend to clean the siding, don't judge :) NOTE2: My dryers manual states the max vent length is 65',58',46' for 0/1/2 90deg bends. I'm definitely open to suggestions! As a side note, I'm not worried about the exhaust fan. I'm not sure I even need it since there is no shower in that bathroom. However I can relocate that anywhere as the moisture output is non-existent. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 16 Jun 2020 04:17 PM PDT We are in the heat of remodeling a bathroom and bought an alcove tub from Lowes. The only help that we have for building said alcove is this spec sheet: https://resources.kohler.com/plumbing/sterling/pdf/71121120_spec.pdf We're trying to figure out the overall spacing between the studs because some on the diagram are measured middle to middle, some look like inside to middle and some look like outside to middle. My husband is at his wits end trying to figure it out. Our budget does not allow for getting a carpenter. Does anyone here have any tips or helps for us? TIA [link] [comments] |
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