Home Improvement: Spent the day putting new floor on our stairs. Turned out a lot better than expected! |
- Spent the day putting new floor on our stairs. Turned out a lot better than expected!
- Surprise Gem under the carpet--ADVICE PLEASE
- So we decided to update the bathroom
- How to keep spiders out of the garage
- How do I fix this bullet hole?
- Brick house question
- Does Anybody Out There Make Hardwood Floors “Like They Used To”?
- Can my cabinet doors be salvaged?
- Replacing Light Fixtures as a Renter
- How to seal these holes?
- Can I regrout over old grout if I'm renting and don't necessarily care about it not being a permanent fix?
- Question about permitting if I want to replace the main support beam in my basement
- rotting deck advice
- No grass, just a hard ground with weeds everywhere.. best approach?
- Am I supposed to put caulk around the bathtub drain lever?
- Insulation help (Atlanta)
- Ecobee install...
- What type of gravel/rock in front of driveway?
- “Shed” door is warped and won’t close, are there any ways I can address it?
- I have circular light outlets in my garage on the ceiling. I am wanting installing some shop lights with a normal 3-prong cord. Do the normal 2 outlet single ganged outlets fit inside of a circular outlet box? Is there a different one that I should use?
- Looking for advice for kitchen redesign!
- Washing machine drain and dryer vent exhaust are 13 feet apart in the basement and I’d like the two machines to be side-by-side. Is it better to extend the exhaust or the drain?
- Water Softener help...
- Ceiling fan light turns on for a split second using wall switch but will stay on if using the fan switch.
- Is hand tight enough
| Spent the day putting new floor on our stairs. Turned out a lot better than expected! Posted: 02 Aug 2020 07:35 PM PDT My wife and I bought a house a few months back and ripped out the carpet from the stairs (don't have before pics unfortunately) but today I put our new floor on them. Pictures: In progress and finished. The final touch will be to put white quarter round over the gaps on the side and to fill all the nail holes with putty. I used floating bamboo floor for the run and 1/2" plywood painted white for the rise. Used floor glue and a nail gun to fasten everything. [link] [comments] |
| Surprise Gem under the carpet--ADVICE PLEASE Posted: 02 Aug 2020 05:36 AM PDT When Removing old carpet to install some flooring I came across this beautiful stone. Had been previously told it was concrete slab under the carpet. House built in 1930. Any advice on how to remove decades old glue without ruining the stone? [link] [comments] |
| So we decided to update the bathroom Posted: 02 Aug 2020 05:12 PM PDT We had the house built for us 28 years ago but with the exemption of a few upgrades everything was pretty much contractor grade. We did upgrade the bathroom once before, tiling over the Formica counter and replacing the tiled shower with Sun Valley Marble and new sheet vinyl flooring but all too soon that started to look aged and dreary. It was time for a complete remodel. https://imgur.com/a/be4gckx Our objective was to create a larger, easier to clean space so we started looking at a sill less wet room design. We wanted to get away from the shower doors, tracks and fiberglass shower pan that never looked clean after spending hours on them. My wife did some research on the internet and found the Shutler System which looked really good. It is not a do it yourself system as it can only be purchased and installed by a Shutler certified tile setter. Luckily the preferred tile guy that was referred to me was certified and gave me a fixed quote for the job that included demolition and disposal at a very reasonable rate so we were on. The demolition required stripping the existing subfloor all the way down to the joist and putting in new, lower support for the sloped floor pan. Living in a desert climate we had no problems with rot or mold. We had to bring in the plumber to relocate and lower the drain pipe for the new trench drain. We also removed the framing for the original floor pan as we wanted to move the wall behind the showerhead flush with the rest of the room. We found that the medicine cabinet in the bathroom on the other side got in the way of that, hence the slight bump out, but we did recover a lot of lost space. We also went with a 48 inch vanity to replace the 60 inch one which added to the illusion of being a bigger space. The toilet would probably fit better if it was a round bowl but I'm not as good of an aim as I once was so we went with an oval bidet style toilet. The tile is from Home depot and Lowe's. The jump in prices from them to the tile centers is huge, she originally wanted tile that was $4.95 a square but we got it for under $2 a square. She also wanted a light grey for the walls but I convinced her to go with the lighter tiles with a grey accent to make the transition and make the space look bigger. The shower curtain is there because we have very hard water and I never want to take down glass doors and acid clean them in the driveway again. If the curtain gets ratty just throw it away and get another one. [link] [comments] |
| How to keep spiders out of the garage Posted: 02 Aug 2020 07:17 PM PDT I live in the south east, there are a lot of bugs, especially when it's warm out. It's been about a year in my first house and since summer has started there have been more bugs getting in. I'm terrified of ALL bugs (even butterflies). I've noticed my garage has crazy amounts of spiders-daddy long legs and other assorted types, and some roaches here and there. I park my cars in the garage so they are opening and closing several times a day. I imagine this lets things in. Is there anything I can do to keep them out? Miracle sprays or treatment services? Will treating my actual yard help? [link] [comments] |
| How do I fix this bullet hole? Posted: 02 Aug 2020 05:09 PM PDT Hi. Any tips on how to fix this bullet hole? I didn't notice this bullet hole right away and it's gone rusty. It must have been about four months ago that this happened. This is an iron fence post in the front of my side yard. I'm thinking I should sand out the rust and use some corroseal that I have, then fill it in somehow, and use metal paint over it. But I'm at a bit of a loss on whether this is the correct approach or if it is how to fill the hole. I'd appreciate any advice on how to repair this and maybe make it look like I'm not in a war zone. Jokes about moving are cool but that won't really help me get this fixed. :) [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 02 Aug 2020 05:32 PM PDT Went to look at buying a house today. It is a brick house (so I thought)... I noticed that the bricks on the side looked loose or detached from the house. Upon further inspection I saw that the house had vinyl siding, but they just built a brick exterior around it... is this a major cause for concern? [link] [comments] |
| Does Anybody Out There Make Hardwood Floors “Like They Used To”? Posted: 02 Aug 2020 08:42 PM PDT We bought an old farmhouse that mostly has the original hardwoods, but a couple rooms were "updated" in the 70s. Everyone we've talked to says it's not possible to get floors exactly like the originals because they don't make them like that anymore, whatever that's supposed to mean. Also, it seems like in every HGTV show I've ever seen there's always someone remarking on how they love the original hardwoods because they don't make them like that anymore. Is that actually true? If everybody seems to want hardwood floors that are made like they use to make them, why does nobody make them anymore? [link] [comments] |
| Can my cabinet doors be salvaged? Posted: 02 Aug 2020 07:30 PM PDT Here are the eye sores in question. Here are the backsides with damage. What type of cabinet doors are these? Can I do anything to fix them or do they have to be replaced if I want them gone? They feel like vinyl or hard plastic. They are relatively heavy. As one of the photos shows, some of them have raised, warping (maybe) damage. [link] [comments] |
| Replacing Light Fixtures as a Renter Posted: 02 Aug 2020 06:00 PM PDT Hi folks! Renter here - we want to put some kind of fixture on top of these light bulbs. Our bathroom is super hot as is! We do not have access to our electrical box at this time - any ideas? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 02 Aug 2020 07:18 PM PDT Remodeled old brick row home with several penetrations through the brick including electric, phone, cable, and a PEX connection to the hose bib. Haven't had any issues yet with critters, but want to keep it that way. The cable access hole isn't sealed on the exterior, while the others appear to have some caulking or are hidden. Spray foam, silicone caulk, duct seal? Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 02 Aug 2020 04:45 AM PDT I had to sign a lease on an apt without getting to see the inside due to covid. The place was a lot more worn down than the photos and I'm trying to make the best of the situation by fixing what I can within reason given this is a rental. I've painted every single surface, decorated best I can, and have been slowly but surely scrubbing every surface into oblivion. Last stop is the tile floor in the kitchen.... I'm reticent to clean the grout because the cracks are so extensive I worry cleaning the remaining grout back to white will make these numerous cracks/crumbles appear more prominent. Given I only want a temporary fix, can I attempt to regrout over the existing grout to get an even and clean surface (even if the problems would eventually resurface)? Pics of some of the cracks, and an example of what it looks like in non-cracked areas. https://imgur.com/a/fSkzzt0 Edit: to the people saying this is a landlord problem, have him fix it, etc. - this landlord is an absolute nightmare and the most frugal person I've ever met. He wont fix ANYTHING, including a fridge door that wont stay shut, formica that is coming unglued in 100 different places, the list goes on. While I agree this is not my problem, the reality of the situation is that I have to live with this day to day and there is 0 chance the landlord will take responsibility if it involves spending even $1. So for my own comfort, I'm hoping with a little effort I can make the kitchen floor at least a little less gross. Thanks for all the good suggestions so far! [link] [comments] |
| Question about permitting if I want to replace the main support beam in my basement Posted: 02 Aug 2020 05:49 PM PDT I've been thinking about the possibility of having the main support beam in my basement replaced with an LVL so that I can get rid of the posts that are currently supporting the existing one. I am assuming that something like this would require permitting considering its within city limits and its structural. Beyond that though... what is generally required? Would I likely need I need a structural analysis done? And would I have to get an engineer licensed in the area to sign off on the design? BTW - I plan on calling the city to discuss this, but considering this is my first time looking into this I am trying to get an idea of hat to expect. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 02 Aug 2020 07:22 PM PDT Hi all, I moved into a new house last year and started tackling some deck rot today. This is a 10 year old cedar deck, which seems really quick for a deck this expensive to rot! The rotten wood is very damp, and mostly occurs on the joists and beams where they meet, as well as at the screw holes. I am dreading the idea of taking this all apart, as the vast majority of the screws won't back out of the joists... but maybe running a sawzall underneath would make relatively quick work of that problem. lots of the boards seem ok, so I am thinking my best option is to take off all the joists, deal with the rotted beams and then rebuild with what wood I can salvage. Why would this happen? The beams sit about 20 inches off the ground and the deck is closed in on all sides, which combined seems like a moisture trap without air-flow. The joist spacing is poor, and dirt collects very easily between joists and is a real pain to get out. in some spaces you cant even run a coat hanger between the joists. The builder used brown deck screws. I am unsure about weatherproof maintenance. The previous owner of this house/deck seemed to think the rot was a result of their renters not shoveling off the deck in wintertime, allowing snow to collect. This struck me as odd, since my family has always had decks and never shoveled them in winter... is this necessary? My best guess is that the poor spacing of the joists led to dirt and moisture buildup, which rotted out the boards. I am a little perplexed why the screw holes would rot, but they do seem to be pretty deep into the wood, well beyond the surface. This would result in some water pooling? This was going to be a simple job replacing a board or two and now it looks like a big gig. Am I on the right track or am i missing something? Do I really need to tear this whole thing apart!!? Thanks a million in advance! [link] [comments] |
| No grass, just a hard ground with weeds everywhere.. best approach? Posted: 02 Aug 2020 07:15 PM PDT Hi guys and girls. I have a piece of property in Minnesota that I took a bobcat to a few months back and cleared a nice spot to camp. Unfortunately, the soil is really odd. It only produces weeds and is hard and wood chippy in areas. I know that since I didn't plant grass, this might be obvious, so I am trying to figure out the best approach to it. I want to get rid of the hard ground soil that produces nothing but weeds. Anyone have any recommendations? Thank you [link] [comments] |
| Am I supposed to put caulk around the bathtub drain lever? Posted: 02 Aug 2020 07:46 PM PDT Am I supposed to caulk this thing: https://diy.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/diy/fullset/2005/2/19/0/detp208_4fa.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.1280.960.suffix/1420788709940.jpeg [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 02 Aug 2020 07:24 PM PDT I'm in the process of renovating a 1940s home in Atlanta and recently removed a bunch of old insulation that looked to be cotton in brown paper bags. There is black paper lining the back of the unfinished wall, presumably also from the 40s. Now that the old insulation is gone, I am trying to determine what type of insulation to replace it with. The specific room being renovated will be a bathroom. Any help would be much appreciated.photo [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 02 Aug 2020 05:26 PM PDT Those of you familiar with ecobees, C wire or PEK? I already have an extra wire from my old stat to the air handler/control board. Instead of going through with the PEK, can I just hook that extra wire directly to the C terminal on the control board and then to the C on the ecobee? It's the blue wire in the pic. [link] [comments] |
| What type of gravel/rock in front of driveway? Posted: 02 Aug 2020 01:32 PM PDT Finishing up front driveway/gate, and I'm planning to do a section of asphalt in front of the vehicle gate to street. However I'm not sure what type of rock/gravel is recommended to pack down in front of the rest of the driveway? Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| “Shed” door is warped and won’t close, are there any ways I can address it? Posted: 02 Aug 2020 05:07 PM PDT Hey guys, I'm a total newb to home improvement and woodworking, but looking to figure out some of the problems in my family's house and start getting the place shipshape! So the door to our shed/garbage room (on the outside of our house) warped a few years back after a storm, and the planks comprising the door warped and separated, and now the door doesn't clear the jamb and cant shut. Here are some photos I tried to take of it, I hope they're clear enough: https://imgur.com/gallery/38dusBo Even with something as simple as this, I'm totally out of my depth as to how to address it. I tried googling this issue and possible solutions and barely knew what to write. What is this kind of door called? Is it possible to force the slats to close together? Should I consider shaving off the upper corner of the door that doesn't fit? Looking for any and all information/links/resources you are willing to give, and thanks so much! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 02 Aug 2020 06:17 PM PDT Sams club has their shops light for $15 and so im going to install some of those to replace the 2 light bulbs in my garage. The light bulb sockets are round and are fitted into a round outlet box. I have a bunch of 2 socket outlets from doing other improvements already. Can i fit one of those inside the circular outlet box or is there something else that works in those? [link] [comments] |
| Looking for advice for kitchen redesign! Posted: 02 Aug 2020 01:23 PM PDT We're planning to re-do the backsplash and repaint the cabinets/change out the handles. What backsplash and cabinet colour would you choose? I'm getting overwhelmed with the different options! Originally I was thinking sage green cabinets and a white or grey subway tile backsplash, but now I'm not sure. Any advice is welcome. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 02 Aug 2020 05:20 AM PDT Also, the corresponding power outlets are near their respective drain / exhaust. The washer is a standard 15A Edison and it would be easier for me to extend that. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 02 Aug 2020 06:39 PM PDT I had a tankless water heater installed, and at the same time, had a water softener put in. The tankless heater is great. The softener, not so much. We are on a well, and I will also be installing an RO/DI unit to purify water for the aquarium I will be setting up. I plan to mix RO/DI water with the unsoftened well water to get the hardness I want for the aquarium, so I had a tap installed before the softener. We have had the softener installed for four days. Daily showers (two people), two loads of dishes, and five loads of laundry. I cannot imagine there is any significant amount of the water from before the installation still in the pipes, since they were drained down. There is no reservoir from before the installation for water to be in, the old water heater was removed. We've also used our regular amounts of cold water (drinking, cooking, flushing, etc.). Today I did some water tests (API GH and KH tests), and the "softened" water has identical general and carbonate hardness to the unsoftened water coming from the special tap. Hot and cold water give the same results. I also tested some distilled water, and neither test shows any hardness, so it isn't bad reagents. The total dissolved solids from the softener is higher than direct from the well (238ppm vs 212ppm). My TDS meter is cheap, so no guarantees on its accuracy - but it shows 3ppm on distilled water, and repeated tests of the different samples give the same results within 1-2ppm. The installers ran a regeneration on the system, per the installation instructions, and I ran another after my first set of water tests. Subsequent water test results are the same. The plumbing looks to have been done right, and all of the valves are in proper position to run water through the softener. There is plenty of salt in the brine tank, and the water level is below the salt. I am starting to suspect either a bad batch of resin (does that even happen?) or that the tank did not actually come loaded, even though it was supposed to. I never actually looked into it to see if there was resin in it, but it was heavy. Maybe that was just the weight of the tank. I have no experience to judge by. I *think* I have checked everything within reason before calling the plumbers back out here, but want to make sure. I would appreciate any ideas of what to check or do. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 02 Aug 2020 10:17 PM PDT So, this probably randomly accused over the weekend, but when I use my wall switch to turn on my ceiling fan, the light turns on for a split second and turns off. However, if I turn my light off (pull the ceiling fan light switch off while the wall switch is also off) then I turn the wall switch on then follow up by pulling the ceiling fan light switch on, it works perfectly with no problems. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 02 Aug 2020 05:08 PM PDT Im installing a new faucet and the water lines are kinda hard to tight w any tool. For what's worth, each line has 2 O rings [link] [comments] |
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