Home Improvement: It all started with a loose tile... |
- It all started with a loose tile...
- Prevent alligators from digging under fence?
- Best way to get inexpensive but quality cabinets?
- Is this Aluminum Multi-Position Ladder a good investment for DIY home repair?
- Digging to make garden in my new home and found this- HELP!!!
- Metal shakes or standing seam for new roof?
- Paver Patio help
- Carpet cleaning/New carpet advice after a death
- I think thought was a great score at home depot
- LED bulbs - Lumens at max or half brightness?
- Rock or mulch beds around house?
- My old toilet's siphon jet just shit out a rubber gasket
- Mini Split in small condo
- Ten years ago my father started installing a bathtub and gave up when he hit an obstacle. I'm tired of living with this half-finished project. Please help me fix it.
- Sanded a whole house of drywall w/out HVAC filter... What now?
- HVAC repair
- Closing hvac return
- Adding a room over garage vs over the kitchen
- Need patio to yard transition ideas
- What goes first: Floors or Doors?
- Bathroom Shower Temperature
- Questions about my bathroom
- Foundation crack, overlap, joint???
- Best deck stain?
| It all started with a loose tile... Posted: 11 Jun 2020 06:40 PM PDT It all started with a loose tile... I was called into the bathroom by my wife who was sitting in the bathtub pushing in one of the little white square contractor tiles right above the faucet with her big toe. "I think the tiles loose" she said....great another thing wrong in the house.... My first thought was to just remove the tile and replace it with another one, easy right? Wrong. After carefully removing the tile, while trying not to remove any more than necessary, it turned out that the only thing actually holding said loose tile in place was the grout and a layer of tile resurfacer sprayed over the old baby blue tiles. The space behind about a 2x3 foot area behind the faucets was completely empty no backer at all. The tiles were just kind of held together over empty space. Odd, well I can just put something behind it and stick the old tiles back on right? Well it turned out that the backer that was actually there was just normal old drywall, no waterproofing or anything to be found, but hey the house is over 60 years old and that's just what they did I guess. It happened to last this long so I guess they did something right (?) After realizing that putting new tile back up over drywall probably wasn't the best idea I realized this simple loose tile replacement was about to become something else entirely. With the help of my sister in law all the old tile along with the drywall was ripped off and new cement board put up. Since I was gutting the entire tub surround I might as well go all out and install a niche too and a single hot/cold mixing valve as well. I taped and thinset the seams/screw heads and applied a few coats of redgard waterproofing membrane. After all the prep work was complete it was time to start tiling. I decided to go with 4x12 subway tiles over the smaller ones as I personally prefer the look. They're still the cheap HD brand tiles and only cost a few $100 for about 8 cases. It took a little while to decide on how to do the niche. My original plan was to use bullnose tiles on the inside but the bullnose they had were smaller and made for the normal subway tiles and I didn't think it looked "right". Eventually I decided on cutting some larger marble tile to fit that matched nicely with the smaller accent tiles. Being 26 years old and never having tiled (or really done any sort of remodeling work this in-depth) it took a little (lot) of trial and error as I went along and a decent amount of "do-overs". I am super critical and any little thing that's off really gets to me. Even so I had a few spots of lippage on a couple tiles on the first few rows before I really started to get the hang of it. Even so I think all in all it looks pretty good for a first time DIY. I'm just glad the tile is finally all up and now it's time to grout! [link] [comments] |
| Prevent alligators from digging under fence? Posted: 11 Jun 2020 08:34 PM PDT Hey everyone! Does anyone have any cost effective ways to prevent alligators from digging under a fence? [link] [comments] |
| Best way to get inexpensive but quality cabinets? Posted: 11 Jun 2020 08:04 PM PDT Hey all, my husband and I are looking into replacing our kitchen cabinets. We only need base cabinets and only between 12'-15'. No corners or anything fancy. I've been looking at possibly doing a box store unfinished set and staining/installing hardware ourselves but I'm not convinced these are the quality we want. But at the same time, budget is very much a priority. We're willing to replace with higher quality down the line, but would like to get 10 years out of them. Another option we've considered is buying online. Some of the RTA places seem almost too good to be true. Which makes me concerned about the quality. Any input is appreciated. Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Is this Aluminum Multi-Position Ladder a good investment for DIY home repair? Posted: 11 Jun 2020 08:59 AM PDT Recently I need a ladder to replace the belt of the garage door opener. My house is a two-story, with a high ceiling. I don't have a ladder at home now. I saw this Gorrila Ladders 26 ft. Reach MPX Aluminum Multi-Position Ladder with 375 lb. Load Capacity Type IAA Duty Rating. Is this a good investment for DIY home repair? What ladder do you have at home? Thank you so much. [link] [comments] |
| Digging to make garden in my new home and found this- HELP!!! Posted: 11 Jun 2020 10:02 AM PDT Hello! I need your help. I just moved into my first home two weeks ago and one of the first things on my priority list was creating a garden. I began digging and came across something suspicious. I'm pretty sure it's a bone and clump of hair. Any experts out there? I'd post a picture but I'm new to reddit and couldn't figure out how 🤣 What should I do? Thank you!!! [link] [comments] |
| Metal shakes or standing seam for new roof? Posted: 11 Jun 2020 06:00 PM PDT Good evening, I am about to buy a new roof and the contractor told me they charge 20k for metal roofs, and I can decide whether to get standing seam or metal shakes (shingle things). It is hard to find information on the pros and cons of each as all websites are just saying metal roofs are more durable than asphalt but more expensive. I want to hear from anyone with experiences as to which is more durable and will last longer, as well as if there is a difference in insulation between the two types. Thank you for sharing. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 11 Jun 2020 12:14 PM PDT I have a five year old paver patio. I have weeds popping up and some moss in a few areas. I was thinking about using a surface cleaning attachment and pressure washer to clean it up some. Will a pressure washer be too harmful to the brick surface? Will I need to re-sand the joints? Should I then follow with a sealer? That was the process I was thinking of going with. Anyone have suggestions or experience with restoring a paver patio? Thanks for any suggestions or insights. [link] [comments] |
| Carpet cleaning/New carpet advice after a death Posted: 11 Jun 2020 10:46 AM PDT I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask but I am desperate for advice on how to temporarily clean my living room carpet after my son took his own life. Eventually I'll need to replace it but with all the expenses right now I have to settle on cleaning it and for it to be as cheap as possible. Carpet is shag with a thin carpet pad underneath. Thank you in advance. [link] [comments] |
| I think thought was a great score at home depot Posted: 11 Jun 2020 09:08 AM PDT HD is having a sale buy two 4.0 Ah Batteries, Charger and Bag - and you can pick a free Ryobi Tool. I actually scored the Cold water cordless pressure washer. But there are around 15 options to chose from. [link] [comments] |
| LED bulbs - Lumens at max or half brightness? Posted: 11 Jun 2020 07:30 PM PDT I have a 120 sq ft room and I need 4 recessed lights. I was wondering if there was a difference between a 500 lumen 100% brightness bulb and a 1000 lumen at 50% brightness bulb? What are the differences or are they the same? If not what would be better for me? I'm not interested in the higher brightness. [link] [comments] |
| Rock or mulch beds around house? Posted: 11 Jun 2020 12:27 PM PDT Looking to landscape around house, but not sure whether to use rock or mulch. Going to plant bushes in it. Anyone have any insight why one might be better? [link] [comments] |
| My old toilet's siphon jet just shit out a rubber gasket Posted: 11 Jun 2020 11:26 AM PDT Per the title, I just noticed a black piece sticking out of the siphon jet after a recent flush. Pulled it out by hand, it is a small-ish rubber gasket piece, cracked/broken with some gunk build-up on it. The toilet clogs a lot (5 year old uses it most often) but it seems to be flushing normal after pulling the piece out. So I wonder where that gasket came from and if i need to open it up and fix something. I recently replaced the large tank-bowl gasket and the tank's flapper gasket and it definitely isn't those. I'll be on the lookout for leaks or random fillings, hoping someone is familiar with what this might be. It's a Kilgore and probably at least 15 years old. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 11 Jun 2020 07:14 AM PDT I own a 1 bedroom condo with baseboard heating. It's roughly 600 sqft with 1 bedroom. I've been considering getting a mini split AC installed because my portable 12,000 btu AC is loud and doesn't do a great job. I've had contractors look but mini splits aren't that common around here and I'm getting mixed answers. Would a 12,000 btu mini split do a better job at cooling my bedroom than the portable if it's placed in the main area? (Portable was placed in the main area as well) I've had 18,000btu recommended for the most part with one contractor saying 12,000btu would do a fine job cooling the whole place. I could probably do it all myself but I don't want to because I'd like to get a better known brand. I just want to make sure I go with the right option. Edit: thanks for all of the input. I didn't realize how confusing my post was until reading the responses. The portable unit I had was in the main area and it didn't do a very good job at cooling off my bedroom. I was wondering if I replaced it with one head unit in the living room would it do a better job than the portable at lowering the temperature in my bedroom as well as the rest of my place. It seems that even the smallest head unit in my bedroom might be overkill if I went with a multi split system. -I do have permission to install a mini split -My bedroom door is barely closed -I'm confident I could install one myself but I'd prefer to go with a reputable brand and where I'm located I would have to be a contractor to buy one.
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| Posted: 10 Jun 2020 10:19 PM PDT I hate having people over because it's embarrassing to explain that my father impulsively tore my bathroom apart without first measuring the room and the tub he planned to put in it, and then just abandoned the project when he realized that he screwed up. Said father isn't around anymore to help me clean up his mess. I'm likely going to be on my own in this unless and until my mom figures out that I'm serious about it and starts to help out. This stupid bathroom is a constant reminder of all the other times my father has let me down. I really need to patch up this wall. I'm a 19 year old woman and I don't know anything about anything. I need guidance. Please, any resources you can point me towards and any advice you can give me would be so, so greatly appreciated. What kind of budget am I going to need for this project? How many hours do you think it will take from start to finish? I have some savings but I don't really want to sink more than a few thousand into this if I don't need to. I don't think I want to install a shower or tub, mainly because plumbing just sounds like a whole other issue I don't feel like taking on. I just want to get rid of the wallpaper, patch up the wall and give it some new paint or something. Maybe find a solution for the stupid random hole in the floor that has been plugged with a rag for as long as I can remember. On the subject of the hole in the floor, what is that? That was probably for plumbing, right? I could be way off but I think it leads to the crawlspace or something and that's why they covered it up. The previous owners had a clawfoot tub in this bathroom and took it with them when they moved out. I would love to find a more permanent solution than the rag without tearing up and redoing the entire floor, is that possible? Please be very specific about what tools and materials I will need because again, I have no prior experience and the only tools I'm familiar with are the pliers I use for crafting. I realize I'm probably asking and will continue to ask a lot of stupid questions but like I said, I'm in uncharted waters here and I don't have anybody to help me except you guys. Thanks in advance. ETA: thank you all so much. I'm overwhelmed by all of the support and advice. It'll probably be a little while until I can get started on this project and honestly I'm dreading it but you've given me hope that I can get it done. Thank you. You guys have given me a lot to work with. [link] [comments] |
| Sanded a whole house of drywall w/out HVAC filter... What now? Posted: 11 Jun 2020 08:23 PM PDT Bought a house and immediately started remodeling. We sanded a ton of drywall, cut tons of wood inside, etc etc... dust everywhere. Then, one day, I finally decided to check the HVAC filter and noticed the seller decided to sell the house to me without a filter in there. So, while all that was going on, the HVAC was pulling in air, filter-less. So... what I should do here? The HVAC unit is actually brand new and only a couple years old. Everything seems to be working still: it's blowing cool air in our hot Texas summer. An inspector suggested all I needed to do is clean the coils? Thoughts? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 11 Jun 2020 05:49 PM PDT Hey guys, I am having issues with my HVAC. Looks like there is bunch ice built up inside the system therefore the air conditioning not working. I have been told to replace the whole system which I find it hard to believe. Any suggestions? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 11 Jun 2020 05:46 PM PDT House built in 1950. Furnace and all is new, but duct work is old. It's a small house (1,000 sqft), and generally pretty open. There is currently 1 return duct on the first floor and that feeds a large return that goes to the furnace. 5 supply ducts throughout the first floor. Half way in that duct, it looks like an opening was cut into the return cavity that makes another opening in the basement. Here's a pic. https://imgur.com/gallery/XIr7CNJ Just on the other side of the board in this cavity is the main floor return opening. It's pretty much in the middle of the house. The rest of it seems to just be some metal enclosing joists all the way back to the furnace. Seems like our ac is pumping hard during these 90 degree days. Trying to figure out if the basement return should be closed. The basement is generally cool, but it is an unconditioned space. It's about 60% below grade, but no insulation, etc. And the humidity is high. Should it be closed? Would that help any with cooling? [link] [comments] |
| Adding a room over garage vs over the kitchen Posted: 11 Jun 2020 09:22 AM PDT Hi Guys, We are first time home-buyers so really unaware of all the complexity involved here. What do you think would be the right way to go about it? What would this whole endeavor cost? [link] [comments] |
| Need patio to yard transition ideas Posted: 11 Jun 2020 05:34 PM PDT We need some ideas how to redo this transition space between the patio and yard. Most things I've seen are for narrow paths but we need something wide and not that long. I'd love to hear some suggestions! [link] [comments] |
| What goes first: Floors or Doors? Posted: 11 Jun 2020 07:41 PM PDT I bought an old raised bungalow, and my entire main floor needs new flooring and new door frames & doors, along with new closet doors. For door frames, I have purchased pre-hung doors and removed the old doors and frames that were either damaged or missing. For flooring, I would like to lay a vinyl or laminate over the existing flooring. Does it make sense to install flooring first? Any flooring suggestions if I do not want to raise the floors too much? Will this have an impact on closet door clearance? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 11 Jun 2020 05:25 PM PDT Our master bathroom shower has 2 temperatures. Very hot and cold. There's no in between. Is this an issue with the handle or my hot water heater or what? Any ideas? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 11 Jun 2020 09:11 AM PDT https://imgur.com/gallery/XQAP7tB Hi all. I have this issue with my bathroom. Roof was redone recently, hasn't rained in days. Bathroom isn't used at all but I have this water rundown on my walls. This is a second floor bathroom in the middle of the townhouse, not along the sides where I can share a wall with a neighbor. Any way I can figure out what is causing this? We have an extractor but like I said, no issue with moisture as no use of restroom. Edit: No pipes along the walls where this is happening. [link] [comments] |
| Foundation crack, overlap, joint??? Posted: 11 Jun 2020 07:14 PM PDT Hi everyone, I just bought my new home last week and either the inspector missed this or didn't think it was of concern. I was out around the house watering the grass and noticed this on the foundation. I can't tell if this is a crack in the foundation or if this is just where the concrete overlaps/meets. It seems to line up with where the house meets the garage, not sure if that matters. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 11 Jun 2020 07:09 PM PDT Hi all, I'm going to stain my deck for the first time since built this weekend. I've decided to go with a semi-transparent stain, but wanted to know which brand would last the longest. I live in Georgia where it's pretty humid and have a shady back yard. I've been doing some research and saw that Ready Seal is a pretty decent brand but I wanted to know if anyone else had a better suggestion. Thanks in advance! [link] [comments] |
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