Home Improvement: A robot vacuum has been one of my best purchases |
- A robot vacuum has been one of my best purchases
- Can I leave tree stump alone?
- For all you "How much does a bathroom remodel cost?" folks, this one is for you (detailed breakdown).
- Replace rotted patio post with treated lumber?
- Plumbing inspector wants to see "hard pipe" washing machine vent?
- In the process of replacing old aluminum windows and doors with vinal. There are gaps and sound insulation is the main reason I'm replacing them in the first place.
- I cleaned out my sprinkler valve box. Gallery inside.
- Why's this mold growing, and how do I know if it's black mold and what to do about it?
- Paint a front door (steel) black?
- XPost - Issues with new travertine patio
- Pest control advice
- Shower door misinstall
- Does this garage really need a center support
- “Popping” noise randomly from under the house
- What is the best way to go about installing Laminate flooring with an uneven surface?
- Take it down or leave it up?
- Bedroom door jams only at night
- Can't find studs to hang tv!
- Painting popcorn ceiling
- Desperate need of Bamboo Hardwood!
- Heat duct insulation question
- Experience with Big Flex or Mor-Flexx caulk?
- Can I put a countertop filtration system on my pull-down kitchen faucet?
- Beetles and Stinkbugs
| A robot vacuum has been one of my best purchases Posted: 25 Jul 2020 11:51 AM PDT I had it in my mind for a while and after some research (Vacuum Wars on YouTube) I went for a Roborock S5Max. This has saved us so much time and has had a significant impact on the cleanliness of our home as well as opening up some free time. They recently released a software update that supports multiple floors - with this update I can take the vacuum to a different floor, click go, then it thinks a little bit and identifies where it is and goes doing what it does best. As far as maintenance goes things are pretty minimal. You need to clean hair from the brush, clean the filter, clean the sensors, and empty the dust container. Replacement parts are cheap and so far the stock ones have held up really well, I expect them to last longer than the integrated maintenance calendar recommends. If you have thought about a robo-vac or are on the fence - go for it. The S5Max has been great for us, but based on your home and needs other vacs may be better. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 25 Jul 2020 05:36 AM PDT Took down two small trees right next to our foundation. The stumps are still there, but they're invisible from the street because of shrubs in front of them. Not an eyesore or anything, but is there any other reason these should be removed? Do they lead to disease in the soil or attract termites, for instance? Not crazy about an unknown contractor operating heavy equipment next to my foundation so I'd prefer to leave if it's not a major source of problems [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 25 Jul 2020 10:21 AM PDT Location: Dallas, TX area Total cost: $23.5k (as of today). Cost breakdown for the bid here + a few progress pics. The job itself is about $18,500. We've spent about $4k on fixtures separately. $1k for a double vanity from Wayfair, $800 for a fancy toilet that requires electrical (Amazon), $700 for a freestanding tub (Amazon), ~$500 on fixtures and LED mirrors (Amazon). We haven't ordered shower glass yet but given the needed measurements, we've priced one out and budgeted for $550. He wanted $1800 for custom glass, which is a fair quote but not happening. Tile has totaled about $500, the floor tile is big and cheap and the shower tile is black porcelain if I remember correctly. We saved $700 demo-ing ourselves. Project estimated timeline: 4-6 weeks. L O L. We are currently entering month #3 and a little over halfway done. We are meeting today to see if we can wrap this up by end of August. I just wanna take a bath in my tub man. Other bids: One guy said he could do it unlicensed and uninsured for $7k before materials. Lol. Another guy gave me $18k but couldn't pull a crew together. Size: 7.25 x 12 second floor A couple things:
I'll make a separate post chronicling the actual reno when it's complete. This was just a post about costs. Any questions, just let me know. [link] [comments] |
| Replace rotted patio post with treated lumber? Posted: 25 Jul 2020 07:36 AM PDT Several of my 4"x6" patio posts are slightly rotted at the base. The previous owners wrapped them with particle board at the base, which effectively acted like a perpetual wet rag that I believe contributed to the deterioration. The posts don't seem to actually sit on concrete, but are slightly elevated on the metal bracket that holds them. Is it worth it to spend a few more dollars to replace them with pressure-treated lumber? Or would standard, well-painted lumber suffice as long as I don't plan to wrap them? A picture of the worst post is below (which also had damage from being blasted by a sprinkler for a long time, I'm guessing). [link] [comments] |
| Plumbing inspector wants to see "hard pipe" washing machine vent? Posted: 25 Jul 2020 06:49 AM PDT I'm in the middle of a kitchen and bathroom reno that's down to studs right now. I've replaced the entire cast iron sanitary system with PVC from basement to roof. We're relocating our w/d from the basement to the main floor (single story house), and I tied into the old drain and vent, a separate vent that exits under the porch. During the rough inspection, done on FaceTime because he's like 80 years old and worried about COVID, the inspector wants to see a vent tied into the main stack. Totally reasonable and correct. But he said he'd "like to see hard pipe" for that vent. I can't find any local code rules that require this, so I'm assuming it's his personal preference. Has anyone dealt with an inspector who expects you to go above and beyond building code? I don't want to piss him off obviously but new construction is all PVC for one and two story houses. Any advice? I really don't want to deal with a metal vent. Thanks. Edit: so I now think he was referring to a dryer vent which I will install. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 25 Jul 2020 12:23 PM PDT I'm in the process of having my windows replaced. A big reason I'm having it done is sound insulation. The windows I'm replacing were single pane aluminum windows. While the windows and sliding glass doors were being installed I noticed there were gaps between the frame and wall. It looks like part of the frame for the aluminum sliding glass doors had a spacer that was covered up with stucco, so the frame ended up being a little taller than the new door leaving about a quarter inch gap on the top. I understand this will be filled in with expanding foam and covered with stucco, but will this gap affect the sound insulation? These are triple pane sliding doors. Here are a couple pictures to show what I'm talking about: [link] [comments] |
| I cleaned out my sprinkler valve box. Gallery inside. Posted: 25 Jul 2020 12:29 PM PDT So I had what I thought was one sprinkler valve box on the side of my house. It was in a low spot, completely full of dirt and mud and the lid was just sitting on dirt. I was raking the area to get rid of the low spot and came across some wires next to the box. Apparently I had 2 boxes next to each other. Both completely underground and fill of dirt. I decided I needed to fix this. Dug everything up by hand carefully. Placed drainage rock below. Replaced the boxes with the correct 12" high box. I had only 6" high boxes which are used as risers usually. So I went from about 4" below grade to 2" above which I prefer. It is right next to my foundation where noone walks so it won't be a tripping hazard. Pics attached. [link] [comments] |
| Why's this mold growing, and how do I know if it's black mold and what to do about it? Posted: 25 Jul 2020 10:50 AM PDT You see in the corners especially, it's kinda growing IN the silicon itself. But also on the tiles and inbetween tiles. I remember this first started happening when I cleaned all these corners, before there was any mold coming out (only soap and scum etc) and I used a toothbrush to remove the dirt from these corners, so im afraid I actually punctured the silicon, and water started entering and then mold started growing. That was actually a few months ago, and since then, I've used CLR to clean this mold twice (today was the second time, and the pictures after the cleanup so it was a little bit worse before I cleaned up today). However, the corners wouldn't clean, because the mold is actually in the silicon. I find it very disgusting when I showed and it kinda scares me, I'm worried there's mold growing behind and I have no idea if it is. What do you suggest I do? [link] [comments] |
| Paint a front door (steel) black? Posted: 25 Jul 2020 03:13 PM PDT Hello and thanks for reading. I want to paint my front door black but a neighbor said that black paint will cause the door to overheat and buckle. I live in Western Canada so we get sun but it's not Arizona hot. Does anyone have experience with this or know of a special paint I can use? [link] [comments] |
| XPost - Issues with new travertine patio Posted: 25 Jul 2020 08:47 PM PDT |
| Posted: 25 Jul 2020 08:29 PM PDT Have been in our home for 3 years. Given the plethora of bug sprays the previous home owners left behind I think they sprayed pretty regularly.... We haven't. My parents never did, and the houses I used to rent never seemed to be sprayed so I just never thought anything of it. Over the past few years the bugs have gotten increasingly worse. The house, outside, has numerous spiders. Lots of wasps, with one nest I need to deal with still (knocked some smaller ones already). Japenese beetles, stink bugs, and little crawly things that curl up and die. But now I am seeing (for the past few days) 10 or so carpenter ants a day in the kitchen. So I am concerned of a nest. I am concerned about spraying due to having a toddler and dogs. Anything to be worried about? I also contacted a couple of companies, Orkin and a local family business. Orkin wanted to charge quite a lot for a spray (I think like 600+?) and then want to come back every 3 months. The family business says they have a spray that lasts for a year, and would be good against all the above critters. They only charge $180. Too good to be true? At the time I didn't have the carpenter ants IN the house (that I knew of) so that might be a more costly investigation. Any guidance/experience here ? Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 25 Jul 2020 08:29 PM PDT I just had my 3/8" thick shower doors replaced by a glass shop but just noticed that the top hinge of the door is about 1/4" out of line from the bottom hinge. The door opens, but you can definitely see a slight bow in the glass. Is this within tolerance of the glass? Should I ask for a redo? [link] [comments] |
| Does this garage really need a center support Posted: 25 Jul 2020 08:26 PM PDT http://imgur.com/gallery/6sdH6In The garage portion of this building is roughly 22'x20'. Does it really need a center support? Judging by how horribly bowed the 2x6 somebody stuck in here I'm guessing the answer is yes. A really important question would be what are the alternatives to a standing support fight in the middle of the garage. It really bums me out that I might have to have a pole right where I would try to work. Are there any non expensive alternatives to the pole? And I will be replacing this horrible support with a proper one, but I'd just love for it to lot be so intrusive. [link] [comments] |
| “Popping” noise randomly from under the house Posted: 25 Jul 2020 08:26 PM PDT We have an old-ish house, built in 1952, cast iron pipes. Every so often (2-3 times a day) there's a "popping" noise, could also be described as how a suction cup sounds when you pull it off of something. I'm worried there's something wrong with the pipes but I haven't had any luck on google with those descriptions. The closest thing I have found is that maybe it's heat expansion in the pipes. This has been going on since we moved in a couple years ago. Any ideas? [link] [comments] |
| What is the best way to go about installing Laminate flooring with an uneven surface? Posted: 25 Jul 2020 08:23 PM PDT I want to install laminate flooring into the addition that was added to the back of my home. The floor is carpet now, and not completely flat across the room. Once I rip up the carpet what is the easiest and cheapest way of making the surface 100% flat, or if it's not too bad is it possible to just install the overlay and laminate without leveling? thoughts? I should also add that I dont mind if its laminate or Vinyl. Whatever will work better for my situation. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 25 Jul 2020 08:01 AM PDT First time posting, not sure if it's the right place. TLDR: I'd like to knock down a wall to open up downstairs and create a family room but not sure if I should because it will the loss of a bedroom. I'm stuck between two options and could use some advice. Does it make sense to tear down a wall and make a family room with tv and play area for kids at the cost of a bedroom? Or do I leave the wall up and just fill it with intended furniture and play area? It's important that it looks nice and open as well but not sure if losing a bedroom makes it worth it. FYI: The current living room is small and has a wood burning fireplace so I can't hang a tv or leave kids to play in that area. Losing the bedroom leaves us with 4 bedrooms remaining for the house. Homes around us have 3 to 4 bedrooms so it puts us at what's expected for the neighborhood. No plans on selling anytime soon so this may just be preference thing. I really want to make the first floor look nice and open but is it worth it? Thank you for your thoughts! [link] [comments] |
| Bedroom door jams only at night Posted: 25 Jul 2020 08:12 PM PDT I have solid core doors and one door only jams at the top at night. Throughout the day I can open and close it no without even a bit of rubbing but as soon as I go to bed and want to close my door it jams and I can't close it. I check the humidity levels throughout the day and it doesn't really change at night. It's so weird, I have no idea how to fix this. Any suggestions? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 25 Jul 2020 11:34 AM PDT I'm planning on hanging a 55 inch tv on a shared wall and I can't seem to find any studs. I've tried different stud finders, used the magnet method to find screws, the only thing I can find are what I assume to be horizontal furring strips that are about 14 inches apart. I also tried looking behind the power outlet and can't really see much https://imgur.com/a/zvktQdV Is it possible that the wall has no vertical studs? What would be my options to hang the tv? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 25 Jul 2020 01:44 PM PDT Hey everyone, I'm wanting to paint my popcorn ceiling, but I have a few concerns. My house was built in 1977 in Arkansas. Should I be concerned about asbestos? Also, what type of paint and brush are recommended to paint a popcorn ceiling? Edit: Thanks for the help everyone. I now have a white ceiling! [link] [comments] |
| Desperate need of Bamboo Hardwood! Posted: 25 Jul 2020 05:23 PM PDT My wife and I recently put in bamboo hardwood in our home. The plan was to use the same type throughout the house. Unfortunately with the pandemic, we were unable to finish 2 rooms. We approached our floor guy this week to finish and he gave us the bad news that he no longer had the floor in stock. It was appearing discontinued a few years back (we were never told this). We are reaching out to see if someone miraculously has any BHW (Bamboo Hardwoods) Manor II- Heritage that they are trying to sale. We would really appreciate any kind of help we can get! The link of the actual model is posted below: https://bhwfloors.com/products/product-Heritage.html Thanks so much [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 25 Jul 2020 05:12 PM PDT Why would I need this insulation in a Mediterranean climate (60-75 pretty much 365 data per year) and is the dirt on the insulation concerning? [link] [comments] |
| Experience with Big Flex or Mor-Flexx caulk? Posted: 25 Jul 2020 10:42 PM PDT |
| Can I put a countertop filtration system on my pull-down kitchen faucet? Posted: 25 Jul 2020 10:42 PM PDT Hello all! Our apartment came with this slinky sort of pull-down faucet. We were thinking of installing a countertop filtration system since it doesn't seem like it can accommodate our current Pur faucet-mounted one. The thing is, I'm not sure it can be installed but I want to double check with handier people than me. Our faucet looks a lot like this, and the system we're considering installing is an Aquasana AQ400-W (comments on it and alternative recommendations are appreciated too). Before you suggest it: we can't fit an under sink-one (which is what we wanted) because the (quartz?) counter does not have the holes for the hose to go through. Are we stuck using pitchers? Thank you for your help! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 25 Jul 2020 10:38 PM PDT Hello all. I have had an issue with various beetles, flying termites in an apartment. Next to one of the Windows is a spotlight, and at night it appears bugs are attracted to the window screen. The apartment has been fogged, cleaned, and professionally treated. However, I am worried that these bugs are getting in through this window. Over a dozen dead bodies had been vacuumed out of the sill today, and as this is being typed there are at least four different types of beetles and a stink bug on the outside of this screen. It would be a non issue if these insects did not continue to get inside and crawl amongst the bed (not to rest of nest from observation but merely travel place to place). Is there anything I can do to prevent these bugs from even attempting to come near this window or indoor the apartment at the very least? Some notes; this room is the only room in the apartment with AC. It has been treated with many over the counter "indoor products". The soft, old wood in the sill is not worth replacing so that is not an option. Why is it not you ask? The whole house was originally built late 1800s, remodeled in 1920s, and again in the 60s. It would be cheaper to tear down the house and rebuilt a new apartment for the tenant than replace all old wood. [link] [comments] |
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