Home Improvement: [OPEN DISCUSSION] Weekly thread |
- [OPEN DISCUSSION] Weekly thread
- Would I regret switching from gas to electric lawn mower?
- Weed
- Is only one coat of primer needed?
- Wireless wifi light switch?????
- Kitchen remodeling - Cost of refacing old cabinets vs new IKEA kitchen
- I turned my garage into a master bedroom
- How do I recreate this look?
- Snowblower recommendations
- Can someone help a new mom who is freaking out right now? Possibly sanded lead paint.
- Deck Staining Question-- Want low maintenance protection that looks good
- What conditions should be in a contract for a bathroom remodel?
- Best place to shop for flooring?
- indoor painting newbie - what am I doing wrong?
- What's causing these warped hardwood floors? Tell me how bad it is
- Air Conditioner Electrical Wiring question
- Setting up a nest
- Pumbling help! So dishwasher water is draining through drain vent pipe- getting everywhere- what do I do?
- Advice on how to fix vinyl gate corner?
- Help with humidity control in basement
- How to clean up ugly looking heat duct in basement
- Windows - ack!
- Help with Doorbell Low power
- Shower steamer
- Stacking a front-load dryer on top of a front-load washer by building a shelf to separate the two?
| [OPEN DISCUSSION] Weekly thread Posted: 20 Aug 2020 01:46 PM PDT Welcome to the (roughly weekly) Open Discussion thread.
We do this for a few reasons. We know some folks are hesitant to create a new post for a small question they may have. Well, this is the place to ask, and discuss. At the same time, with a growing community we find ourselves having to limit the posts that may be off-topic to the primary purpose of the sub (home improvement questions and project-sharing posts). These topics include home warranty companies, general painting advice, room layouts, or rants about companies, contractors, and previous owners. While these may be of interest, we are trying hard to provide a venue that will both allow, and constrain, the conversation. Thus, this thread. Thank you for participating.
Just a reminder to stay away from any personal or disrespectful commentary. From the sidebar:
If you haven't already, please review the sub guidelines.
Have fun and stay safe folks! [link] [comments] |
| Would I regret switching from gas to electric lawn mower? Posted: 20 Aug 2020 12:24 PM PDT My old gas lawn mower just crapped out and need to replace it. I'm really temped by the battery-powered mowers. Our yard is about a quarter acre. Most of the ones I'm looking at advertise "gas like power." Is that true? Would I regret switching? Should I just stick with gas? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 20 Aug 2020 04:37 PM PDT What is the best way to remove heavy weeds from a yard? These weeds are 7 feet tall. [link] [comments] |
| Is only one coat of primer needed? Posted: 20 Aug 2020 05:41 PM PDT Finally getting around to painting a couple bare wooden doors in the house. Was previously told to get water based primer and water based paint. Did one coat of primer on one side of a door this evening. You can definatly see the wood grain showing through, but if I am going to be painting it, do I need to do another coat? [link] [comments] |
| Wireless wifi light switch????? Posted: 20 Aug 2020 07:13 PM PDT First off, sorry for being dumb. I am trying to find a solution for a not so unique problem. I have a kitchen that has 1 light switch. It is by the carport door. But I always enter the front door. No light switch by the front door. I had a motion sensor switch that was cool , but it would turn off at the most unwelcome of times. So I am trying to find a light switch that I can hard wire into the one place but have a wireless second switch I can mount to the wall near the front door I could not find anything helpful on google. Basically one hardwire switch that works like a hard wired switch but it has a wireless transmitter that connects to a second battery powered switch I can mount anyway. Any ideas? Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Kitchen remodeling - Cost of refacing old cabinets vs new IKEA kitchen Posted: 20 Aug 2020 05:33 PM PDT I already posted this on r/remodel and I don't mean to spam, I'm just looking for some more opinions and ideas. Sorry if you're seeing this post twice! :) I just recently moved into my first home and I am looking at options to revive this very outdated kitchen (see photo). The open floor-plan of the home means you see this eyesore right as you walk in! Since I'm on a budget and can't afford a full custom kitchen remodel, these seem to be my only options: - OPTION 1: Ikea Kitchen - Tear it all down. Then put in an IKEA kitchen with a more open layout and the addition of a dishwaher (#1 in image). - OPTION 2: Reface current kitchen - Remove floating cabinet (#1 in photo) to open up the space and add a dishwasher (#2). Repaint cabinets. Repaint or entirely replace cabinet doors. Add new hardware and tile backsplash. Issues with current cabinets:
I'm pretty good with DIY, so I'm willing and able to do most of the tasks myself (except maybe the plumbing for the dishwasher). Also, I would keep the current fridge and stove for now, and replace them later on with stainless steel appliances. THE BIG QUESTIONS:
Any ideas/suggestions welcome! [link] [comments] |
| I turned my garage into a master bedroom Posted: 20 Aug 2020 03:44 AM PDT My husband and I bought our house in the southeast with the intention of completing this project. The location/lot was fantastic, the house was great, but a little small for our family, and the existing master was tiny. We did all the work ourselves, except for the carpet installation. It took about eight months, since my husband and I both work full time and only had weekends to work on it. Some weekends we had too much other stuff to do, and once you factor in vacations and the holiday season, and it really seemed to drag on forever! Total cost was around $10,000. The completed bedroom has king size bed, two desks, dresser, love seat, some small misc furniture, and walk-in closet. My husband and I are DIYers, but certainly not professionals, so we had to look up (and make up!) a lot along the way. There were times when I thought we were in over our heads, and days when I thought it was never going to be done, but the final product has exceeded my expectations! Here's an overview of the process (more details and photos in the link): Step 1: Remove the garage doors & build a wall. We learned about proper door and window framing, installed window flashing and house wrap, and cedar siding to match the rest of the house. Step 2: Electrical. This seemed to drag on forever. Luckily my husband works with electrical systems and was comfortable doing the work. Code calls for an outlet every 6 feet, and while the garage already had a few, we had to add a lot more. We also disconnected the garage door openers and just put a cover over them in case future owners want to use them again. We installed a new ceiling fan with light. Step 3: Install mini-split HVAC unit. I love this thing! We struggled with the installation a bit and ended up with a faulty unit that needed to be replaced. I would recommend just hiring someone to handle it if you aren't familiar with electrical and A/C installation. But once it's in it's the warmest or coolest room in the house (depending on the season). Step 4: Fix the ceiling. I did this while my husband worked on the electrical. You can see in the photos what it looked like before, but we decided to keep the existing ceiling, patch some seams, and add some texture to hide the imperfections. It would look a lot better if we had just replaced it, but we did not want to have to empty the attic. Step 5: Insulation on the new wall, and drywall throughout. The existing garage walls had paneling on the bottom half which we decided to remove, which meant new drywall on the bottom half of the entire room. This was a chore because we are not very adept at making smooth drywall seams. Step 6: Paint, trim, window sills - cumbersome but not difficult. We also built a little wall in the corner to hide our well water filter. I was worried it would look really out of place but it blends right in! We also cut a hole in the wall to allow access to the existing master bath. We did not find the door framing to be easy and still struggle with getting the door to close smoothly. Carpet was installed professionally at this point. Step 7: Closet. The utility closet was as gross as you'd expect. Dirty and infested with spiders. I had doubts that I would ever want to put my clothes in here! But once we ripped out the DIY workbenches, cleaned and painted, it looked much better! We installed a closet organizing system and put a few other little pieces of furniture in there. We had to build a wall with a door to hide and allow access to the water heater and hide the electrical/drainage from the mini-split. The closet is in between the bedroom and the exterior of the house. The work is not perfect so please be nice, but I'm open to feedback! I'm happy to answer questions or provide photos of anything I forgot (if I have them!). [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 20 Aug 2020 06:32 PM PDT I've been seeing these walls everywhere, and I want to install them in my home, but I don't know what material is used to create them. Are they pieces of wood attached to the wall or some kind of wallpaper? The wall on the left: https://imgur.com/gallery/3APT7G4 Thank you [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 20 Aug 2020 06:08 PM PDT I am looking for a snowblower. I live in toronto/canada area and snow is little too much.i have a 2 car drive way. My budget is about 500. Gas versus electric single stage versus 2 stage. Which company is good. Any advise would be appreciated. Thanks all of you. [link] [comments] |
| Can someone help a new mom who is freaking out right now? Possibly sanded lead paint. Posted: 20 Aug 2020 04:42 PM PDT So I just recently bought a home built in the 1940s. During our inspection, there were no concerns for lead when they checked, I'm assuming, the paint on the surface? Prior to moving in, my husband scraped and prepped and repainted the walls and trim. We hadn't refinished the doors and I started on one of them today. I sanded and noticed paint chipping so I scraped and found two different layers underneath. I went out to buy those lead paint test kits and it was positive. Now I'm worried about what could have been released when my husband prepped before painting because we have a baby. I've already contacted her pediatrician to do a lead exposure screening. Can people advise me on the next steps? Am I freaking out too much? Please help! [link] [comments] |
| Deck Staining Question-- Want low maintenance protection that looks good Posted: 20 Aug 2020 04:54 PM PDT Hi Reddit Im in a two year old house and need to stain my deck. Im debating about leaving the deck boards natural and just protecting them with a UV Thompsons clear water seal and doing the railings and trim in a reddish-cedar color. Would this look weird? I see people doing this with darker colors such as black, but never with a natural deck board and cedar trim. Ive always used Thompsons in the past and loved the easy maintenance of it. With stain, I hate the chipping and over time when outdoor furniture gets dragged on it, how it leaves marks and the whole thought of stripping it eventually. Aside from composite, what are my best options for low maintenance but making it look good and protected? Thank you! [link] [comments] |
| What conditions should be in a contract for a bathroom remodel? Posted: 20 Aug 2020 06:44 PM PDT I've read about homeowners who got burned because they did not include clauses in their contract to protect them. I am about to contract for a major bathroom renovation. Where can I find a list of the things that I need to include to protect me? [link] [comments] |
| Best place to shop for flooring? Posted: 20 Aug 2020 03:13 PM PDT Im looking to replace the flooring in my home. So far, I've only checked out Home Depot and Costco. I'm looking for something affordable but somewhat durable. I'm thinking we'll just get laminate. We looked into vinyl but it scratched pretty easily and the boards were thinner than laminate. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good place to shop for flooring? Or any opinions on laminate vs vinyl vs something else? [link] [comments] |
| indoor painting newbie - what am I doing wrong? Posted: 20 Aug 2020 04:09 PM PDT Hello! I was hoping to touch up a spot on my wall so I picked up a fresh can of the same paint that was used about 5 years ago on my apartment wall but after I rolled paint out on a 2x2 square, I'm seeing some discoloration and a difference in sheen. Weirdly enough the older paint has more shine! I know my first mistake was not just focusing on the small area I was trying to patch up and that I screwed up by getting ahead of myself and painting a 2x2 square to hit 3 of the small holes I was trying to touch up and that I'll likely just have to end up painting the full wall but curious if I did something wrong or missed a step! I cleaned the wall, put up a layer of primer, waited two hours and then applied the fresh paint (which resulted in this weird square). I guess I'm mostly just confused as to why the older paint has much more shine than the new paint! Any help would be greatly appreciated. THANK YOU! [link] [comments] |
| What's causing these warped hardwood floors? Tell me how bad it is Posted: 20 Aug 2020 05:22 PM PDT Hi Reddit, TL;DR: hardwood floors in front hallway adjacent to air vent (? not sure, not a home improvement savvy person myself) have seriously, and rapidly, warped in a matter of weeks. Suspecting some kind of pipe leak. What do you think is causing it and how big of a financial fix will it be? Take a look here: warped hardwood floors The longer version: I recently relocated to my home state to be closer to my aging parents and thanks to a global pandemic/social revolution/etc. am still living with them. My folks are in their late 60s and 80s and have lived in the same home for 40+ years without maintaining it really at all for various reasons. The current hardwood floors were last refinished over 20 years ago and have not been maintained, or even cleaned properly, in the decades since. So, yes, I know it's bad. The house also likely has major foundation issues -- doors are stuck, difficult to open/close, large cracks in ceilings/walls etc -- so wondering if that could be contributing to the floor issue as well. The floorboards in question have not been in great shape; one has been a bit warped for at least the last 10 years but more of a subtle, rounded lift in one floor board. Now, in a matter of 3 weeks more or less, there are two distinct areas where the floor boards have totally buckled and are now at an almost 90 degree angle pointing straight up, which, among other things, is suboptimal for my dad maneuvering around the house with his walker. Basically my main priority in cleaning up my folks' house is not to get it picture perfect or even market-ready; really we're trying to reorganize/clean up and put out little fires here and there to make the home as safe and sanitary as possible for them to enjoy their lives in for the next few years at least. That being said, they are about to spend 10k on a much-needed and very, very overdue tree removal that's been threatening the roof for years. So, I'm trying to get a sense of what we're looking at here and how bad it is. All input/diagnoses/advice welcomed! :) [link] [comments] |
| Air Conditioner Electrical Wiring question Posted: 20 Aug 2020 03:03 PM PDT Hello. I've been without AC for a week or so, and 5 days with no power. There was a pop and after some trouble shooting over days, the main panel was replaced. Power is back on but the AC don't turn on. They came out again and looked at the smaller sub panel / circuit breaker since it kept tripping. They did something but it did not repair it. An HVAC inspection showed the unit in good condition. Someone else is coming out to inspect the AC wiring between the circuit breaker and the unit. My questions: what possible problems might be going on here? How invasive is the job (cutting into drywall, does the city need to kill the power, etc), is it just one pathway from the unit to the circuit breaker, or more? It's over 100 in the house and the company is swamped with emergency calls and lack of parts due to weather and Covid, so it takes a lot of time and patience to get traction with this. I have zero intention of doing any kind of inspection or work myself, just trying to wrap my head around the next stage of work and what it entails. Apologies for any confusing descriptions and thanks for any information. I can do a fair bit of carpentry and landscaping but I know nothing of electrical issues. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 20 Aug 2020 04:48 PM PDT Hey guys I just bought a house (3100 sq ft) and it has radiant heat and forced air. The previous owners had it set up very separately. It has two old school thermostats for the heat on two sides of the house (we have 2 boilers) and 2 newer looking thermostats for the a/c (we also have 2 a/c units). Is it possible to put all 4 onto one nest while still having 4 "zones"? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 20 Aug 2020 04:18 PM PDT |
| Advice on how to fix vinyl gate corner? Posted: 20 Aug 2020 03:08 PM PDT Looking for advice on how to fix this. Tried duct tape, didn't hold. Don't want to replace the entire gate. [link] [comments] |
| Help with humidity control in basement Posted: 20 Aug 2020 06:53 PM PDT I'll preface this by stating that I'm renting a home in the southeast United States so options in regard to making major structural changes are off the table since I am renting. I have an unfinished basement that is about 700 square feet that is connected to a garage. It has cement floor and cylinder block walls. There are no air ducts connecting the basement to the rest of the house's ac/heating. There are no windows, and the only entrances are the stairs leading to the main level of the house and another door leading to the garage. Needless to say, living in the southeast United States makes the basement very humid for most of the year. The only way I control humidity currently is keeping my garage door open most of the day to let the air flow. I mentioned the issue to my landlord, but he has refused to do something too help with the humidity. What is the best way to go about controlling humidity in my basement? Would a dehumidifier work for this size of a space? [link] [comments] |
| How to clean up ugly looking heat duct in basement Posted: 20 Aug 2020 08:54 PM PDT Hello! I am purchasing a new home and this is the state of the heat ducts in the basement of the home. Is there any way to make this look better (i.e. is there an alternative material I could use? is there somewhere else this could be routed)? I would like to make use of the basement space but the placement of these ducts are really obstructive to the flow of the room. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 20 Aug 2020 08:41 PM PDT Hi. I need to replace a picture window in my house - and I guess the sill also - and I don't know what to choose. I want a casement french style window and I'd love a wood interior. I've read so many different things online that I don't know what to think anymore. Does anyone who knows about window installation have a window they recommend or any advice? Thank you!!! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 20 Aug 2020 04:55 PM PDT Hey /r/HomeImprovement I've been wanting to fix my doorbell for a long time, and finally realized the button was the problem. I decided to replace the whole thing with a Unifi Protect G4 Doorbell. I'm currently getting an insufficient power warning, which is to be expected. I live in an building built in the early 70's and I'm pretty sure I have the original chime. Here's where I'm stuck: I need to get to 16-24VAC, 20VA and according to my Multi Meter I'm maxing at 14v, but really hovering between 11v and 12v. In my previous home we had a seperate doorbell transformer, so replacing that was easy, but now I have this unit: A Nutone 5763. I know its all wired into a circuit, if I unplug the front socket wire from the chime the doorbell gets no power. Additionally when I did wire up the new doorbell, I could hear, what I assume was the transformer maybe? going a bit crazy like rapid clicking. What I don't know is what, if any single part, to replace in this unit? I would love some help doing this smart and safely. Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 20 Aug 2020 08:31 PM PDT Not very educated in this area. I need to know what are some of the best brands to buy thanks. [link] [comments] |
| Stacking a front-load dryer on top of a front-load washer by building a shelf to separate the two? Posted: 20 Aug 2020 08:20 PM PDT Like this and this. We bought a house that came with W/D. The dryer is old and gotsta go, but the washer is fine. I checked, and they no longer make the matching dryer version, so we're just going to get a different front-load washer. Right now the W/D are next to each other but we want them to stack. Thoughts on the sturdiness/safety of building a separating shelf? **edit fixed the link! [link] [comments] |
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