Home Improvement: Proud of my tiny kitchen remodel |
- Proud of my tiny kitchen remodel
- UPDATE: Copper Pipe Repairs with Pex? Thanks /r/HomeImprovement!
- Just a Reminder: All Wires Are Live
- Is this acceptable from a paid contractor? UPDATE
- The thickness of the drywall on my kitchen + dining room outside wall WTF
- Seal 2x2 mosaic marble before grout?
- Replacing doors only vs. doors + jambs
- Halo brand lights in hallway
- Help with kittenproofing a 2" interior door gap
- Tiny holes after skim coat dried
- Window Replacement -- So many choices
- New to the South; how can i best keep cockroaches from coming in from outside?
- Just DIY replaced my water heater
- Bathroom Model
- Cutting Back Eaves to Fit Trailer
- How to keep entire kitchen faucet from spinning in the sink hole with plastic locknut underneath?
- Installed new fan, now one of the previous light switches is a dead switch.
- Wooden Garage Door Decay
- New celling fan - junction box and level
- Home projects over the past year
- Door Lock Setup
- Any recommendations for replacing drop ceiling with better drop ceiling in gameroom covered in mouse crap?
- Remote controlled siren?
| Proud of my tiny kitchen remodel Posted: 30 Aug 2020 09:16 AM PDT I live in a third floor apartment that is basically an attic. The ceilings are sloping and the kitchen was a weird, dark cave when I bought the place. I've been working on it for the past three years, and it's finally in good shape! I did 90% of the work myself, and got help from my parents and hired someone to help with the final 10%. Things I did myself:
Edited to add details: The cabinets probably cost me around 2,500 at Ikea. Bodbyn Gray. Countertops were around 1,000, but I bought them from Home Depot — you can do it significantly cheaper with Ikea butcher block. Refinished OTOS and Waterlox H2O lox. The dishwasher, Whirlpool, was maybe 350. A pain to wire in myself. It's a weird space, but I feel like I've absolutely made the best of a tricky situation. Edit: for folks who want to see my ugly fridge and the view from the stove, feast your eyes: https://imgur.com/a/RfYyUvH [link] [comments] |
| UPDATE: Copper Pipe Repairs with Pex? Thanks /r/HomeImprovement! Posted: 30 Aug 2020 03:25 PM PDT So I posted Copper Pipe Repairs with Pex? this morning with the plan of looking ahead to the future, and moved on to replace an outside water spigot leaking from the pipe connection, which was backed by a busted shutoff valve that still let ~25% water through. Well low and behold, I finally "unscrew" the spigot to find out it's not a threaded connection and it was leaking because the solder had started to let go while I was trying to remove a NeverKink Garden Hose that apparently had corroded onto the spigot threads (read the recent reviews, I learned aluminum hose on brass spigot is bad!). Well now I think I have to call a plumber because from a handy-ness standpoint I'm at best an "unscrew part, replace with exact part, screw part back on" level DIYer, and soldering copper pipe is terrifying. Anyways my partner pointed out to me I had been talking about replacing house piping with Pex, so why not start here? When I came back to my computer I was thrilled to find a ton of response from r/HomeImprovement members to my post, many of whom touted the ease and simplicity of replacing copper with Pex. So I decide to bite the bullet and just go for it! Lowes' online ordering and pickup ended up being it's own debacle, to include suddenly being out of stock of the PEX hose adapter I needed for the replacement spigot I had ordered. I decided to press on regardless to at least replace the busted cutoff valve so I can turn water on in the house without it shooting out of the now spigot-less pipe outside. I took the advice of several posters here (thanks u/gerbonk, u/bjkroll, u/PianomanAKAPicasso, and u/TTPuddlePants !) and went with the SharkBite Push Connectors given my lack of experience and the fact that I needed something I knew I could confidently do today. And honestly it was a great success! Shutoff-Valve Before/After: https://imgur.com/a/Qfpp8Vy I used a SharkBite 1/2 in Push Connector, a length of blue 1/2in SharkBite PEX pipe, and a SharkBite 1/2in Ball Valve from Lowes. I also picked up the Shark Bite 1/2 in removal tool, De-Burr tool, PEX cutter, and a LENOX adjustable Copper Tube Cutter. For any other DIY-ers, the video Lowes has on https://www.lowes.com/pd/SharkBite-1-2-in-Fitting-Removal-Tool/1000182539 was incredibly helpful and it turned out to be just as easy as it looked. I had to use a little more muscle than I expected to push the pipe into the connectors, but while planning and shopping took hours the actual installation was like 15 minutes. I asked this question in my last post, but 5/8 in Outer Diameter Copper pipe turns out to in fact equate to 1/2 in pipe/PEX, so that worked out. No leaks! I'm feeling pretty pumped because to me this was a big step in home repair and improvement for me since messing with water or power always seemed like one of those things that had pricey consequences if done wrong. Now that I got all the PEX tools, I have to say I'm excited to finish the project to run PEX all the way to the foundation wall to install the new spigot, and start looking to update other pipes! Thank you r/HomeImprovement ! [link] [comments] |
| Just a Reminder: All Wires Are Live Posted: 30 Aug 2020 01:35 PM PDT I was taking out some old florescent under-cabinet lights during our kitchen remodel. I turned off the light switch, like I always would have when working with light fixtures. When I disconnected the wire nuts and yanked the Romex through the fixture it popped, sparked, and tripped the breaker. Luckily that's all it did. The problem was that the electrician had (apparently) wired the lights backwards. The lights were always hot, and terminated at the switch. TLDR: Turn off the breaker before touching any wires. [link] [comments] |
| Is this acceptable from a paid contractor? UPDATE Posted: 30 Aug 2020 09:00 AM PDT So, here's what it ended up looking like. No surprises there. We told him to tear it down and redo it correctly. I'm not sure what the GC thinks or why he brought these guys to do this job but we told him, if the guy has to tear it down 5 more times to do it right then thats what's going to end up happening here. Pics: https://i.imgur.com/x2BJprb.jpg https://i.imgur.com/AI0Njid.jpg https://i.imgur.com/nMeqJUM.jpg https://i.imgur.com/MSaXHAj.jpg I just wanted to say thanks for everyone's input. It definitely made it easier for us to make our point. Big thanks! [link] [comments] |
| The thickness of the drywall on my kitchen + dining room outside wall WTF Posted: 30 Aug 2020 07:36 PM PDT I knew it was thicker than usual when I was working on some things awhile back. Doing a full remodel now and saw the full thickness from the side. That's 2 layers of 1943 wallboard, plus plaster, plus another 1/2" Drywall. There used to also be paneling on top if this as well, which removed long ago. [link] [comments] |
| Seal 2x2 mosaic marble before grout? Posted: 30 Aug 2020 07:16 PM PDT Do we need to seal this tile before we grout? Just laid it and I am seeing mixed things online. Thank you! [link] [comments] |
| Replacing doors only vs. doors + jambs Posted: 30 Aug 2020 04:13 PM PDT We are interested in getting our doors and trim replaced and I am wondering how much better it is to replace both the doors and jambs versus putting new doors in the existing jambs? Has anyone put new doors into existing jambs and had a great fit with no issues? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 30 Aug 2020 06:23 PM PDT I've got two lights in a hallway and one is starting to flicker or not come on. I was thinking of removing the box and installing 2 Halo brand 6 inch lights. I'm looking at these two. 2 Halo light types I've never used these. Ceiling is 8 feet. Anyone have any thoughts on the textured which appears flat or the regressed style?? Which type is better suited for hallway? I've no idea how they look when on. Thx! [link] [comments] |
| Help with kittenproofing a 2" interior door gap Posted: 30 Aug 2020 02:01 PM PDT The door to my home office has an uneven 2" gap at the bottom. Until recently it wasn't an issue -- I used a big plush bean-stuffed draft blocker to keep sound from traveling to and from the rest of the house. However, I started fostering kittens and cats since I'm working from home for the next 6+ months. My first foster, a small full-grown cat, was able to squeeze under the door. So, I got this silicone draft stripping to try and prevent future escapes. It wasn't as rigid as I thought it would be, but it fooled the next fosters - a pair of kittens... until it didn't anymore. Does anyone have recommendations for a more rigid solution for extending the bottom of a door with such a huge gap? The products I've found are for smaller gaps and/or seem like something flexible a cat could squeeze through. Other info:
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| Tiny holes after skim coat dried Posted: 30 Aug 2020 07:06 PM PDT We had our bathroom ceiling skim coated to cover the popcorn ceiling that couldn't be scraped off. The guys did a great job however there is a small area of tiny holes that appeared after it dried. It's not very noticeable but I'm wondering if I could fill them in with a little spackle? Will this cause problems? Thanks in advance for any advice! [link] [comments] |
| Window Replacement -- So many choices Posted: 30 Aug 2020 07:59 PM PDT I'm replacing 22 windows and 3 patio doors in my home. The choices of window styles and materials is mind boggling. To narrow the field, I decided to focus on fiberglass instead of vinyl. I have two quotes at this point. Marvin Infinity: $66,206 - 35% Covid discount - 5% cash discount = $40,880. Slightly high pressure sales. Recommended a vinyl window when I emailed asking for price adjustment from double hung to single hung. Pella Impervia: $22,927. Met with owner, no gimmicky discounts, no high pressure sales, great reviews on BBB website. I went to Lowes to look at the Pella Impervia. The store display didn't impress me, but I don't think it was a representative sample. The gaps in corners seams looked large. The lock didn't work, and I wasn't able to open the window one handed. Questions: Does anyone have any experience with Impervia? Do the windows open and close smoothly and easily? Are Marvin Infinity windows worth almost double the price of Pella Impervia? [link] [comments] |
| New to the South; how can i best keep cockroaches from coming in from outside? Posted: 30 Aug 2020 09:17 PM PDT I've been in my new house for a few days and just!! really dont like the roaches! The house has been mostly empty for the past month, and I think the people living here before me were kinda pigs, so I assume with someone living here again theyll disperse a bit (would love if someone could confirm that.) I find them most often in my bedroom. Theyre large, and I believe theyre American cockroaches Some other precautions I'm already taking:
Is there anything else I can do? And can someone please confirm they will mostly eventually go away with all these precautions? I understand I might still get one every once in a while but this is just!! unsettling!! [link] [comments] |
| Just DIY replaced my water heater Posted: 30 Aug 2020 08:54 PM PDT Just replaced my leaking water heater (which was 30 years old!). Wasn't too hard, in fact - quite straight forward. The 50 gallon Rheem unit cost $620. Neighbor said it cost him 2.5k through contractor - WTF! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 30 Aug 2020 07:17 PM PDT Hello everyone, Our upstairs bathroom was the original one from 1980s. We hired a guy to come in and re-do the entire bathroom. He gutted the entire room, removed the bathtub, toilet, walls, everything. The bathroom used to be two rooms with a small door entrance and he knocked out the walls to make it one bigger bathroom and widened the entrance door. Phenomenal work. Anyway, he tiled the shower and floor and painted the walls. Everything was perfect, but then I took a close look at the detailed tile cuts and was unimpressed. What do you think? He tiled a week ago, and we have only paid him half of his fees. 1) Am I being ridiculously meticulous and over examining the tiling cuts? 2) Can anything be done or would he have to redo the tiling in its entirety? In the first image, notice the cuts around the edges, it looks a bit sloppy to me https://ibb.co/cLWG3wn The second image looks great from afar https://ibb.co/5YWpmHk This is the floor of the shower. Notice the cuts around the drain and the floor that meets the wall https://ibb.co/mvnrR6N Again, I have only paid this guy half of what we owe. Trying to see if I should negotiate down the price or see if he can fix it up. Curious on everyone thoughts since I am brand new to this [link] [comments] |
| Cutting Back Eaves to Fit Trailer Posted: 30 Aug 2020 07:05 PM PDT My wife and I recently bought a new travel trailer. The trailer is 96" which fits fine, but with the added power awning it is too wide. The awning lines up with the end of the eaves and won't fit. Can I cut the eaves back? What's the best way to do so? Pictures for reference: [link] [comments] |
| How to keep entire kitchen faucet from spinning in the sink hole with plastic locknut underneath? Posted: 30 Aug 2020 05:51 PM PDT https://imgur.com/gallery/66IoXXX My entire kitchen faucet fixture spins in the sink hole whenever I want to move the spout between each half of my sink. I can't tighten this plastic locknut (pictured) any tighter without stripping and breaking it. What can be done to fix this? It seems like weak, plastic lock nuts are a problem on a lot of kitchen faucets these days. Thinking about getting a new faucet that wouldn't have this problem too, but most hardware for securing faucets under the sink seems to be plastic. Any recommendations on that front if this can't be fixed? [link] [comments] |
| Installed new fan, now one of the previous light switches is a dead switch. Posted: 30 Aug 2020 04:47 PM PDT Hey all I'm not an electrician but I figure done of you can maybe answer this for me. The old fan we took out used one switch to turn the old fan on and off, and another for the light. The new fan we installed (Hunter co 44inch Dempsey collection white fan) came with a remote and only uses one switch to send power to the light and the fan. (Aka switch is off, fan or light won't run). The old fan had an extra red wire coming down from the ceiling which I assume worked the other switch. But that's not connected since it was an extra wire per the instructions and I just capped it. Is there a way to split power to the light and fan and use them both on separate switches? (I'm not sure if this is even possible because of the wiring harness for the lights from the fan). Aside from just having a dead switch the fan works and operates just fine with the one switch and remote. Thanks in advance. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 30 Aug 2020 06:56 PM PDT Hello everyone, First time home-owner. We purchased our home around 1.5 years ago and things are now starting to fall apart and I am learning to the basics of house upkeep and maintenance. I'm wondering what exactly my home inspection guy did when he examined the house, but too late now. Anyway, my primary concern is our garage door is wooden and quite old and there are a few issues with the door.
We used to get a lot of rain water that came into the garage due to flooding on the side of the house. I've since had french pipes installed, but I didn't do anything for about a year and I'm guessing all that rain water sitting in the garage contributed to both the mold and the decay of the door. I am brand new to both homeownership and reddit, so thank you for your responses. [link] [comments] |
| New celling fan - junction box and level Posted: 30 Aug 2020 08:30 PM PDT I will be installing a fan for first time in my life. Probably one of these with "flush" insall . I've already replaced the junction box to a solid metal one which uses the tension rod. Then I fixed the celling around it with joint compound and painted it all. It looks PERFECT. But then I realized that I haven't checked the level of the box itself … yeah.. duh And it is off. Not much, just enough for the bobble to move away to one end. So here is a question, are these fans adjustable? Is there any room for an error? Does it actually matter? From school I remember about the gyroscope effect so in theory even if the fan is slightly tilted, and all the blades are balanced, it should keep the axis no matter in which direction it points … right? Am I just worried too much? [link] [comments] |
| Home projects over the past year Posted: 30 Aug 2020 04:28 PM PDT Album of projects I've done on my house over the past year. Definitely more productive than expected due to the old covid isolation. Album: https://imgur.com/gallery/cOUzWlM The prior year and a half of projects (which starts from when I bought the house in the fall of 2018) is linked in the album. I posted that album to this sub about a year ago as well. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 30 Aug 2020 10:16 PM PDT Hi all, just moved into a new rental townhouse and not sure if i am going crazy but the other night and tonight it seemed someone was trying to open front door. I yelled and went down to look at the peep hole but saw no one.Not sure if its my mind playing tricks on me but i would rather play it safe. Can anyone recommed any door locks and bolt setup. I believe management would allow us to change just as long we change back before we leave. I also plan on getting a nest setup on the door, inside and out. Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 30 Aug 2020 08:01 PM PDT I bought a house built in the 80s that had some mice that were getting into the kitchen and using the basement drop ceiling for years. We've used extreme measures to eliminate the mice both accessing the ceiling and anywhere near the property and will main those measures for the life of the house. Needless to say if you are weak like me, you move a tile to do something and feel like throwing up. I'd like to replace all the tiles, but not so interested in drywall as i love having access to the drop ceiling for many reasons.
I will probably replace the floor as well in the coming months after the ceiling is satisfactory. Thanks in advance. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 30 Aug 2020 03:21 PM PDT My garage is next to a private alleyway that has open access to the street. We get random people walking up the alleyway and loitering around the garage for no good reason and regularly leaving litter and waste lying around. Unfortunately, planning permission from the council to install a gate is taking longer than anticipated. I have CCTV coverage of this area - Is there any sort of radio-controlled siren available on the market that can be activated from a remote to scare off any randomers? Unfortunately, this area is not covered by my house's wifi. [link] [comments] |
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