Home Improvement: Burning plastic smell coming from bedroom in basement, around same time every day |
- Burning plastic smell coming from bedroom in basement, around same time every day
- My recently purchased condo has a paint job that makes me go “Whyyyyyyy”
- Weed wacking - what the heck am I doing wrong!?
- Need idea help! My rental house has a great yard, but I need privacy solutions to feel ok using it at all
- Mask for drywall sanding?
- Best way to get rid of all this mold
- How to paint with a small gap between wall and vanity?
- Finally updated my 28 year old bathroom
- How to remove this very weird shower arm
- How to tastefully hide exposed romex in living areas?
- Flying insects annihilator
- One room significantly warmer than others
- Grading yard under 500 sf, what does it mean?
- Architect required for interior rennovation?
- Detached garage - spray foam worth it?
- Rotten egg smell
- How do I fix this swollen Trim thingy under bathroom sink?
- Water smells like eggs
- Just saved money by swapping out the broken control board on my HVAC system. Now I can seem to get any power to my best any help please!
- Ice Maker Supply Line Keeps Breaking
- our energy bill has increased dramatically, and we are really stumped because we've made pretty much all the recommended improvements - any thoughts?
- Tearing down an old shed
- Room Filter for dust and lint
- Ugly Bathroom/Durastall Update Help
| Burning plastic smell coming from bedroom in basement, around same time every day Posted: 30 Jul 2020 12:14 PM PDT We recently moved into a new house, and the first day we noticed a very strong odor of melting plastic coming from one of the rooms (a bedroom) in the basement. The basement was finished somewhat recently (before we lived here). The smell is noxious, and while it's hard to pinpoint what it is, it smells heavily of melted/burning plastic, though at the same time it's not really a burning smell. It is slightly sweet, and is coming from this room only. Our first impression was that it was an electrical issue. The smell only occurs when something is plugged into one particular outlet, even if it's not on. It takes at least 5-7 hours for the smell to occur after plugging in the object. Oddly enough, it occurs around the same time every day, ~4-5 PM, and then it goes away (until we either unplugged the item from the suspect outlet or turned off the circuit to the room). Today we've turned off the entire circuit to that room, so we'll see if it happens. It's been really difficult tracking down what it might be due to how unpredictable it is. The time of day aspect of it is really throwing us off as well. Any thoughts on what this could be, and does this sound like an electrical issue? If so, any thoughts on how to remediate it? Update: Thanks everyone for your input, we figured out it was the PVC blinds offgassing in the sunlight. They were pretty much brand new. [link] [comments] |
| My recently purchased condo has a paint job that makes me go “Whyyyyyyy” Posted: 30 Jul 2020 07:22 PM PDT I'll start with - This place is otherwise perfect. Built in 1969, in Denver, charming condo complex with reasonable HOA fees. Most things are on the newer side - appliances, windows, floor, patio, it's everything I could want and plenty of space for a good price. Now that's out of the way - I want to throttle whoever painted this place last. They painted over Every. Single. Plug/outlet/coax/even ONTO the cable coming out of the coax. They made what looks like minimal effort to tape and get clean lines on the ceiling and trims. It's mind boggling. I realize I should count my blessings as overall it's a pretty simple fix to make right - I just needed to rant for a second. I am of course in process of replacing outlet covers and likely many of the plugs themselves. Any advice or commiseration is welcome! [link] [comments] |
| Weed wacking - what the heck am I doing wrong!? Posted: 30 Jul 2020 07:38 AM PDT Hey guys, I appreciate the advice. I'm a first time home owner and I've weed wacked big fields before to help mow down paths and such, but never the fine tuning of weedwacking the grass-sidewalk border, for example. I keep practicing out back in the woods, and watching Youtube videos, but I just can't seem to do this right haha. I notice when I try to weed wack the grass along a sidewalk, driveway, tree, mulch bed, etc, as I get close the momentum of the weed wacker just seems to blow the grass over to the side, so it's not standing up straight and thus wont get cut. I keep getting close, nothing, until out of nowhere, I end up ripping out the entire grass area and expose raw dirt. Ugh! I'm holding it at an angle, but still can't seem to get it right. Any ideas or advice for me? A good video? Tried youtubing but not finding much. I'm not looking to edge a bed, I already have that. Just trying to cut the grass along edges. Thanks guys. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 30 Jul 2020 04:42 PM PDT Pics of whole yard- https://imgur.com/a/aPc0hbs Hi, we moved to feel better during lockdown, and bc it's just a fantastic new house we're renting for 1 year... with ACTUAL outdoor space coming from an apartment we were cooped up in for so long! It has fake grass and a little fireplace that we just got Ikea chairs for. I didn't pay attention to how close it was to the other houses when house hunting, all I saw was a cute yard, and jumped at it, now I'm sad bc the typical ideas won't work for a rental we're in for a year (planting trees shrubs etc or installing permanent fences or barriers) . I can't think of what to do, other than get 1 big leafy fake plant to put on the side of the fireplace (that'd block 1 of the many windows!) And yes we checked and made sure it doesn't get hot in that part of it, so a plant would work. Like 5 houses have a direct view into our little yard :( Both the ones across the street have 2nd floor views, and the sides of 2 houses are RIGHT there, and others, as shown in the pics. I've been stir crazy for so many months, I'd be so grateful if any of you guys have ANY ideas whatsoever, so I can actually enjoy the outdoor space. I know it has to be a bit more creative when you're renting and can't install stuff. Thank you! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 30 Jul 2020 10:28 AM PDT I need to sand some drywall in my house, using an oribital sander. Fills the entire space with dust so thick you can barely see. What kind of masks are safe to use for this? Normally I've used N95 masks but those are all but impossible to find right now. I've seen plenty of these cartridge filter masks on amazon, but they appear to be mainly for fumes and may not be able to handle jobs like this. Any recommendations? [link] [comments] |
| Best way to get rid of all this mold Posted: 30 Jul 2020 01:59 PM PDT I just ripped up the flooring to install luxury vinyl plank and to my surprise, there is a shit ton of mold. Whats the best course of action to remove this mold? [link] [comments] |
| How to paint with a small gap between wall and vanity? Posted: 30 Jul 2020 07:21 PM PDT About to paint my bathroom and there is a small gap between the vanity and wall. What's the best way to paint this? Is there a special tiny roller or something? [link] [comments] |
| Finally updated my 28 year old bathroom Posted: 30 Jul 2020 08:09 PM PDT https://imgur.com/a/0EEu4q5 I had the house custom built but times have changed. The only before pic is at the end, should have taken more. We went from a standard shower pan and doors to a sill less wet room with a shower curtain. We had the wall with the shower head moved back and the shower head moved out about 8 inches to increase the shower space. We also had to move the drain out and installed the trough drain. materials for the pan, drain and plumbers was about $2,300 as compared to a standard shower pan for $300 but we think it was money well spent. Total remodel was under $5k and I did not do it myself, I'm getting to old to get on my knees. [link] [comments] |
| How to remove this very weird shower arm Posted: 30 Jul 2020 12:03 PM PDT (https://imgur.com/gallery/NSKOv7S) Hey guys, I'm a first time homeowner and I'm trying to replace the shower head in my house. First i have to change out this weird shower arm. To my knowledge shower arms are supposed to unscrew, but I can't get this one to budge. I've tried everything I can to get leverage to break the connection, to the point that I broke off the end of the arm. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! [link] [comments] |
| How to tastefully hide exposed romex in living areas? Posted: 30 Jul 2020 09:21 AM PDT I purchased my first home a few weeks ago and am wondering how to dress up previous owner's electrical "updates". Their solution to ungrounded outlets was to install a second panel, stick new outlets here and there, and run new romex along the walls like this. Got to be a way to conceal it, yeah? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 30 Jul 2020 01:44 PM PDT Sorry if this is the wrong sub. I'm kind of losing hope. I spent $200 so far on various tools and equipments to get rid of fruit flies, flies and whatever flying insects, but had 0 luck. My office room is spotless clean - I just want anything that is effective. Something that actually works and can last a while. Any suggestions? [link] [comments] |
| One room significantly warmer than others Posted: 30 Jul 2020 04:59 PM PDT One of the rooms in my house gets significantly warmer than others. We termed it the Toy room when the kids were younger but its been a second tv room for the past 8-9 years. Kids are in high school and tv isn't what it used to be as they can watch what they want on their computer. I want to turn it into a formal office now that the wife and I will be working from home for the foreseeable future. But the room gets so much warmer than the others in the summer. I can't work in the room and I would hate the base the AC on the temp in that room because basically it would be on all the time. As it is, we don't turn on the AC in our house until 2-4 pm on most days (I live in SoCal). Are there any tricks for insulating the room better? It's odd to that that particular room gets warmer than others. It faces west but so does our kitchen. It heats up well before the sun hits it in the afternoon. It also shares a wall with the garage so only a small wall is exposed to the sun. And, the window doesn't even get full sun because of eaves and it doesn't face perfectly west. There is a good size attic. Anyway, any suggestions would be great. Thanks. [link] [comments] |
| Grading yard under 500 sf, what does it mean? Posted: 30 Jul 2020 06:42 PM PDT If you are grading a backyard and keeping it under 500 sf because if more, an engineering draft and township approval is required. Does moving dirt from a high area of the yard to the <500 sf low area count as more than 500 sf? Or do I have to buy dirt fill and add it on top of the <500 sf area? Thanks [link] [comments] |
| Architect required for interior rennovation? Posted: 30 Jul 2020 09:28 AM PDT I'm closing on a home next month and plan to renovate the main two floors (approx 2500 sq/ft). We aren't going down to the studs everywhere, but all flooring, kitchen and bathrooms (4) need to be updated. We want to keep existing footprint in most areas besides:
We're told the project could range from $300-400k+ in total, and the architects we've spoken with charge between 8-12% on top of that for design services. On one hand it seems crazy to skimp on the design expense for such a large project, but on the other hand I wonder if a good contractor and an engineer could accomplish the same outcome on their own. Any thoughts / experiences that can be shared would be appreciated! [link] [comments] |
| Detached garage - spray foam worth it? Posted: 30 Jul 2020 06:49 AM PDT I've a got a 20x24' two car garage and I spend a lot of time out there in good weather. Right now, it's completely uninsulated and far from air tight. Would it be worth the cost to get it spray foamed? I live in Ontario where it regularly dips down to -20C in the winter and in the summer it often goes above 30C. I'd like to keep it heated for as cheap as possible through the winter. Edit: Here's my thinking with spray foam over fiberglass: seals gaps, better sound deadening (running air tools is loud), harder for critters to make their way in, less prone to mold (?), etc. Just not sure if the cost difference is worth it (or what it would even cost). [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 30 Jul 2020 07:50 PM PDT You've probably heard this one before ... We have three bathrooms, one downstairs and two upstairs. Occasionally there is a rotten egg smell coming from one of the upstairs bathrooms. It's always from that bathroom. I have cleaned the drain traps, used drain cleaner, and tried vinegar and baking soda. It keeps coming back. I cranked up the heat on the water heater for a day, still it keeps coming back. I can't figure it out. I'm about to give up and call a plumber. [link] [comments] |
| How do I fix this swollen Trim thingy under bathroom sink? Posted: 30 Jul 2020 04:48 PM PDT |
| Posted: 30 Jul 2020 07:33 PM PDT We just bought a home and we noticed that the water smells like eggs. The house is well water, with a new whole house water filtration system. I tracked all of the piping from the well directly to the filtering system so know it's actually hooked up. Under each sink there is a p trap, and a vertical pipe with what looks like a vent? I've read those can stink but under the sink doesn't smell it's literally the water. Any ideas?? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 30 Jul 2020 09:52 AM PDT http://imgur.com/gallery/7C7a43p for pictures, any more picture needed I can provide and questions as well. [link] [comments] |
| Ice Maker Supply Line Keeps Breaking Posted: 30 Jul 2020 07:06 PM PDT I set up my ice maker a week ago and I've already gone through 3 ice maker supply lines (line that goes from the water supply to the fridge/ice maker). They keep getting pinholes in them and I don't notice until it's dripping down to the floor below and I'm tearing the ceiling open. 3 times in a week. Unbelievable. I've been using 1/4 in braided steel ice maker supply lines. Any ideas what could be causing this or if I should be using a different material supply line instead? Here's a picture: https://imgur.com/gallery/2BtiXBA [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 30 Jul 2020 02:25 PM PDT our energy bill has increased by about 40% since last year. i've called ComEd and asked them to evaluate the situation, and i have an energy consultation scheduled for this month. but i wanted to see if you all have any ideas on what we might be missing... - we live in the chicago area, so cold winters and warm, humid summers. - i have worked from home full-time for the past three years. ComEd suggested we are seeing higher energy use due to more people being at home due to COVID, but this is our norm. my husband is in construction, so he is not working from home, either. our work situation has been unchanged for the last three years. - last summer, we had our whole home reinsulated with spray foam in the walls and the attic at the recommended R-38 insulation. our garage door was replaced 2 years ago and i can't recall the r-value off the top of my head, but i know we got one of the more efficient doors with higher r-value. - we use energy efficient bulbs throughout the house, and we have replaced most of our appliances with Energy Star appliances. the only one we have not replaced is the dishwasher, which is about 10 years old. - our air conditioning unit was replaced 3 years ago, so it is basically brand new. - all the windows were replaced in the last 5 years. - we don't turn on any lights if we can help it during the day - i purposely work near a window so i use that as my light source. - we don't really watch a ton of TV, so the TV is not on during the day and only for a few hours, if at all, at night. - i have always been pretty adamant about unplugging appliances, if possible, when not using them to avoid vampire energy suckers - washer, dryer, printer, lamps, keurig machine, TVs, laptop, etc. - we did just have a baby in March, but we don't think that's attributing to the increase. during the summer we have always kept the AC around 72-73 degrees, and we can't really change that now because the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends keeping the room where infants sleep between 68-72 degrees for safety reasons. we do have a lamp in the nursery and a baby monitor, but i can't imagine that would be the reason for the 40% increase.... - when i called ComEd, the lady on the phone walked through our energy usage by day and said that according to her records we used the most energy on the 4th of July... which doesn't make sense because we actually weren't home all day, and it was the one day that we turned our AC up to about 76 degrees, because our dog's cage is downstairs and the lower level is typically cooler than the upstairs level. so, kind of weird that the day we weren't home was apparently the day we used the most electricity.... so there's a rundown of my house. do you guys have any ideas? anything glaring that may account for the increase in energy bills? we are just totally stumped but we feel like it may be something stupid. TIA and feel free to ask questions. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 30 Jul 2020 04:01 PM PDT So I've got an old shed in the yard that came with the house. To say that it's rotted out is an understatement. One wall is... absent... enough to walk through and we're pretty sure the roof is holding the walls up. What's the safest way to take something like this down? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 30 Jul 2020 03:38 PM PDT Hello, I'm not sure if this the correct place to ask about this and if not can someone please redirect me, thank you. I am trying to buy a filter for my room which is a 10x10 ft and happens to have so much dust and lint compared to my sisters room who rarely cleans. I'm not sure if it because I'm next to the a/c unit that's suck in the air because there's always dirt there but we always clean it. Does anyone know of an affordable electronic for this type of situation? There are so many out there and they all claim to be the best at something but I rather hear it from people who have had one and would you recommend it? [link] [comments] |
| Ugly Bathroom/Durastall Update Help Posted: 30 Jul 2020 06:24 PM PDT |
| You are subscribed to email updates from The Hivemind Improving Homes. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
No comments:
Post a Comment