Home Improvement: I restored an Antique door for my house |
- I restored an Antique door for my house
- Upgraded mantel and transformed room.
- I recently bought a 1000 square foot house built in 1952. Found out there's not a single ground wire in the house.
- How to find a stud behind wood paneling?
- Can I use old rug pieces upside down for furniture pads ( newly refinished wood floors ) it there any reason not to ?
- How do I install a stacked washer and dryer into a small closet without access from the sides or above?
- How much does termite treatment cost? Did I overpay?
- Cracked Bathtub
- Is there a way to give pressure treated wood a durable and transparent finish?
- Weatherstrip prevents deadbolt from closing smoothly
- Did a random gas leak check on water boiler and it reacted
- Help with ceramic tile floor squeak
- Can I use regular home depot replacement windows as interior storm windows ?
- Order of Operations?
- Moving a strike plate
- Outdoor Faucet replacement troubles
- Leak in window pane
- Cultured Stone project on foundation
- Building half wall around support pole
- Advice on order of improvements when on a budget?
- Ceiling paint won’t adhere - need help
- Ripped out kitchen to find mold on wall behind sink
- Is tile a pipe dream in our situation?
- Fencing is a bit easier than I thought
| I restored an Antique door for my house Posted: 27 Sep 2020 05:41 PM PDT I bought a door that was made sometime around 1953 for $130. I put another ~$70 into it, so I have a beautiful door for my house for about $200! Here is the imgur album of the process. [link] [comments] |
| Upgraded mantel and transformed room. Posted: 27 Sep 2020 07:54 PM PDT We just moved into our home in April, height of the pandemic. We've done a lot of small projects here and there, but this is our first big inside undertaking. House was kept in great shape, but the family room had a severely out-dated, massive, built-in entertainment cabinet that was taking up an entire corner and had to go. And a deep purple color on the walls that made you feel closed in. It needed a spruce up. We are using the room as a play room, we have a 2 year old girl and twin boys who were 9 months when this started and will be turning one in October. Everything we did on this was either between 1 and 3:30 or after 9pm when the kids were (hopefully) sleeping. I did my best to document as I went but was nowhere near as good as I had hoped (I got the before picture from the Zillow listing). But take a look and let me know what you think. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 27 Sep 2020 05:55 AM PDT I know my options are to either hire an electrician to rewire the house or install GCFI + AFCI. I'm leaning more towards rewiring because I'm worried not having a ground with mess up my recording equipment. Any idea what I can expect to pay for a complete rewiring? Edit: Location is North Carolina Edit2: The panel is 200 amps. Some outlets have been upgraded to 3 prongs but they aren't connected to ground. [link] [comments] |
| How to find a stud behind wood paneling? Posted: 27 Sep 2020 04:30 PM PDT So I have one wall in my living room that is wood paneling glued to drywall (previous owners doing). my goal is to eventually remove it but for now I want to paint and hang some shelves on it. I think my stud finder might just be terrible but it seems very unreliable for finding a stud. Any suggestions? If it's just a better stud finder I might need can you recommend one? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 27 Sep 2020 08:18 AM PDT Sorry if this is stupid I am kind of desperate but also thinking I am clever but well, y'all know how that can end . Update : because it's Sunday we didn't have enough felt pads - one small area rug ( thoroughly vacuumed ) so far, is working out great , not so attractive and yes more work than I expected with the fraying and pieces FYI. If I had some time and patience it could be a permanent solution for sure. I ordered some felt pads too. I appreciate all your help and ideas ! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 27 Sep 2020 05:56 PM PDT Hi, I am rebuilding a bathroom and planned for a 32 in wide closet to install a stackable washer and dryer. I wanted it to be as narrow as possible but didn't think about how I would hook up the vent in the back of the dryer without have access from either side of the dryer, or above it as the two units are stacked. Is there any easy solution that I don't know about??? Thanks in advance. [link] [comments] |
| How much does termite treatment cost? Did I overpay? Posted: 27 Sep 2020 02:53 AM PDT First time homeowner here! I (23F) moved in to my place 1 year ago. I skipped the termite inspection during the buying period (which I now realize was a big mistake) because I've never lived anywhere where termites are a problem and so I didn't think they were seriously anything to look out for. Lo and behold... over the last year I started to notice more and more frazz coming out of the wall in my living room. I noticed it last October but didn't know the weird dust I was seeing was a sign of termites, so the problem may have been extensive. Finally, I had a termite inspector out a few weeks ago and he told me I had dry wood termites in my living room wall. Apparently the cheapest way to treat it was a $1000 contract that would include spraying a foam exterminating solution up into the wall and treating the pipes/exterior of the house with a subterranean solution that would kill any other termites in their likely location. Apparently the types of termites in my wall (dry wood termites) are a rare type of termite which he claimed his company was one of the few companies in my area that treats it specifically. He also said there was no way to inspect for damage in the dry wood without ripping off my walls but that things seemed to be intact. He also said the contract doesn't specifically cover follow up treatment for dry wood termites but that they would treat it anyways under the first year of the contract if I just called them up. I was pretty desperate to get rid of the termites so I caved and signed/paid/etc. The exterminator came on Friday and did the exterior treatment around the house. When it came to the internal treatment he said it looked like I only needed treatment in my ceiling (where the put-out holes were) in the specific area where there was a problem rather than the entire ~30 feet of my wall. He also said the inspector was wrong in saying that we could spray into the wall because my condo shares a wall with my neighbor (the wall is brick but is covered in drywall). Since I know literally nothing about termite treatment I decided to defer to his expertise and he treated that area instead. Now, two days later, I'm laying in bed wondering if I got duped. Is $1000 a lot of money for termite treatment? (I'm a grad student so to me anything over $20 seems like a crazy amount of money out of pocket. On the other hand, termites seem like something you should try and get rid of ASAP). Was letting the exterminator only treat the spot he thought was a problem a bad idea? In other words, should I have insisted he treat the entire wall and ceiling instead? Is the dry wood vs subterranean termite contract normal? I'm wondering if maybe I came across as just as naive as I truly am on this and the contractor talked me into signing a poor contract. For the high price I usually would have called in a second inspector, but I'm under strict self-isolation and literally the inspector/exterminator are the first people I've seen in person apart from Instacart delivery people in 2 months so I wanted to keep my COVID exposure low. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 27 Sep 2020 09:23 PM PDT Hello everyone! We renovated our bathrooms about 6-7 years ago and recently discovered tiny cracks in our bathtub. The bathtub is on the second floor and there is no water damage on the first floor. Is this something repairable? Is this something that won't worsen? Thanks for your help! Posted image in comments [link] [comments] |
| Is there a way to give pressure treated wood a durable and transparent finish? Posted: 27 Sep 2020 05:32 PM PDT My sister recently replaced the decking around her swimming pool. She loves the way the wood looks, and doesn't want to alter its appearance, but she obviously needs to seal it somehow. I suggested a semi-transparent stain, but I'm no expert. Any suggestions? [link] [comments] |
| Weatherstrip prevents deadbolt from closing smoothly Posted: 27 Sep 2020 06:47 PM PDT I recently built a detached shed/office which came with a french-style door. The weatherstripping seems to be a little too thick/dense that when I lock the deadbolt, I have to push the door a bit in order for the lock to engage. Normally not a huge deal but I just put a smart lock in that I would like to be able to trigger when I'm not physically there to push in. I was hoping that over time it would compress the weatherstrip enough that it wouldn't need the extra "push". But a month later with me keeping it constantly deadbolted, it's still sticking. Any tricks to getting this to fit a bit better? Or should I just replace the weatherstrip with something slightly less thick? [link] [comments] |
| Did a random gas leak check on water boiler and it reacted Posted: 27 Sep 2020 06:44 PM PDT I have a gas powered water boiler. I randomly checked inside this vent area and my gas sniffer reacted. Does anyone know what type of gas comes out of this? Thought it would be carbon monoxide 🤔 CO was not not on the list for gas that were detected by the sniffer. Being paranoid that gas could leak out of this 😅 If anybody uses the same gas sniffer : https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FSVCSSL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1 [link] [comments] |
| Help with ceramic tile floor squeak Posted: 27 Sep 2020 08:35 PM PDT A small, four tile section in our kitchen developed squeak this fall. The tile floor is older but in good condition. I am concerned the movement may lead to grout lines breaking and tile damage. I was able to access the subfloor and joists from the basement. There I screwed the subfloor boards into the backer board with a lot of 1 1/4" wood screws. This helped reduce the area of squeak but the noise is still there. The joists butt against the subfloor well in most areas except for one where wood is missing due to a knot. Picture here. This area seems the likely culprit as the affected tile is right over this joist. I am thinking about filling that area in with something and see if that helps. Would construction adhesive be a good start? Or should I try something else? Thank you for your advice. [link] [comments] |
| Can I use regular home depot replacement windows as interior storm windows ? Posted: 27 Sep 2020 08:34 PM PDT This is to control sound. I have been reading this forum seems to be common problem. The vinyl double paned windows that plygem or jeldwen make look affordable and i have about 6 incles of window sill inside my exteriod window. i was thinking that instead of a window insert that everyone seems to be recommending or some magnetic seal type thing, why not just get a full proper replacement window and mount it on the inside ? Any reason i should not do this ? fwiw i cannot find in stores of only any proper interior storm windows made of glass that are not fixed. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 27 Sep 2020 08:08 PM PDT I'm not sure the best order to do this in and would appreciate some guidance. We are removing tile countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms and replacing with quartz, painting the cabinets, and getting new appliances in the kitchen. Since the tile hangs over the cabinets, I think we have to remove the tile before the cabinets can be painted? But the demo of the countertops we are probably going to pay for with the install of the quartz since we have a newborn and removing the tile on the floor was the worst part of everything. Seeking input on that? It's $750 for the demo of the kitchens and bathrooms total (live in central California for reference). Then the appliances also need to be done but since the backsplash is going up to the microwave (OTR microwave), should we install that first? Or can we remove the microwave then install tile up behind that then install the new one after? Also what about the stove? It's a free standing range so it could be slightly different size than the one we have now (right?) so would we want that as well for the quartz install? Apologies if this doesn't make sense but I am so lost. Thanks in advance. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 27 Sep 2020 01:41 PM PDT I figure chiseling is in order to move the strike plate. What do I use to fill in the old strike place location? [link] [comments] |
| Outdoor Faucet replacement troubles Posted: 27 Sep 2020 05:02 PM PDT What I planned on being a 1 hour job to replace my outdoor faucet took several hours instead and ended up being a major headache. Looking for some advice here. I was replacing my front faucet today and when I unscrewed it and removed it from the house my worst fears were confirmed. The threads were corroded shut and the copper joint solder had come loose instead. Not a big deal but the kicker is the previous homeowners had the basement renovated and they didn't leave any access to the connection. To make matters worse it was connected right above where the main water line comes into the house. So when they built out the access bump out for the main disconnect and meter they closed the ceiling above it. Therefore, I had to cut the drywall open more than a foot away. Once I got access the next issue was the electrical wiring for the ceiling lights was right in the way. So all I was able to do for now was to cut the vertical piece where the 90 degree joint was using a hacksaw and install a shark bite end cap so I could turn the water back on for the night (had to use hack saw because they put it right against the joist so I couldn't use a copper pipe cutter). So now I'm thinking of having the plumber come out to install the new faucet but I'm not 100% he's going to be able to do anything but use another shark bite to connect a new 90 degree 1/2 NPT for installation. I can't imagine how he's going to get a torch in there without tearing out the top of the bump out. Looking for some guidance/ideas... Photos below, first shows the ceiling and bump out. Second shows the pip before I cut it off and put the end cap on. You can see the wires in the way and how far back it is. Note the hole where the faucet feeds through. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 27 Sep 2020 04:56 PM PDT I had a small leak in the window near bathtub today. It's glass pane don't know what it's called but you cannot open it. I see mold inside the window sil but not sure about outside. How fo I fix this issue. Can I buy a sealant and seal the outside? [link] [comments] |
| Cultured Stone project on foundation Posted: 27 Sep 2020 07:07 PM PDT I am going to be adding some cultured stone to the foundation of my house to complete a section that was not done by the builder when the house was built. I have put up a decent amount of this type of cultured stone before, but not over concrete. My question here is what is the best way to make sure the stone adheres properly to the foundation and drains/manages moisture in a wet climate correctly? The other areas of stone on the foundation have some flashing between the siding and the stone (see photo below). I have read that sometimes the stone can be applied directly to concrete - currently I have type N mortar which has worked very well with this stone in other areas. Should I try to apply the stone directly to the concrete? Attach (how?) metal lath to the foundation and do a scratch coat? Do I need to use a house wrap below the metal lath if I go that route? Am I missing anything? Foundation Section where stone is being added Example of flashing in other area Edit: photo link spacing [link] [comments] |
| Building half wall around support pole Posted: 27 Sep 2020 04:47 PM PDT I'm currently planning on a 42" tall half wall in my basement. I've got a steel support beam right in the middle of the room so it'd be nice to incorporate that into the wall since it's in the way of everything already. I'm just not sure how to go about how to frame around it. The pole is 3". I'd like to put a wood countertop on top. basement half wall I'm attaching a pic of a mock-up of what I'd like to do. Any input is appreciated! Thank you. [link] [comments] |
| Advice on order of improvements when on a budget? Posted: 27 Sep 2020 04:45 PM PDT Looking for recommendations please if there's an order for the following projects, we will have to space out each one 6-12mos apart for budgeting. We'd like to do approx 30sq ft granite countertops (replacing 30yr old flexible cheap stuff), install ceiling recessed lighting in living room, and full repaint walls and ceiling. All areas are on the same floor in a townhouse, and overlap bc open floor plan (kitchen counter transitions to living room paint). Is there an ideal sequence to do these? Maybe counters before painting in case the replacement isn't exactly the same dimensions, or could scratch paint? Electrical work for lighting before paint? Any suggestions appreciated 🙏 Edit sp TL:DR: paint, electrical, or counters...what order is best [link] [comments] |
| Ceiling paint won’t adhere - need help Posted: 27 Sep 2020 01:54 PM PDT I am mid reno and just finished drywalling. I put on the first coat of ceiling paint, and came back to sever cracking on the existing plaster. The new drywall looks fine - and the existing layer of ceiling paint was not cracked in anyway. I scraped, sanded, and primed the affected areas. But still every time I come back there is more cracking and more to peel away. I have scraped down to the original plaster in some areas. I am really at a loss here. This is the first time I've ever run into this issue - what do I need to do to get a uniform look on my ceiling? I have my flooring sub scheduled for Wednesday of this week so I am in a rush here. Link to Ceiling Pics: https://imgur.com/a/F6UdtsQ [link] [comments] |
| Ripped out kitchen to find mold on wall behind sink Posted: 27 Sep 2020 06:05 AM PDT Hello! This is my first post here. We bought our first house last year so are slowly getting through our to do list. We ripped our kitchen out as we are getting a new one in a few weeks and there is mold behind the kitchen sink/corner unit. I've attached a before pic, and an after pic from after I attacked it with mold spray. I couldn't get a lot of it off. We are getting the walls replastered but I'm worried there is an underlying problem here and I'll just be covering it up rather than fixing it? How do I get rid of it? Pics: pics [link] [comments] |
| Is tile a pipe dream in our situation? Posted: 27 Sep 2020 06:48 PM PDT So, I've been reading through this amazingly useful post, but as we started poking round our subfloor, we found 3/4" plywood on top of 14" high engineered truss joists spaced 24" on center. As the downstairs is open concept and we really only see one support post in the middle of the house and no beams cutting the width of the house, it looks like these joists run about 20' from side wall to side wall with no intermediate support. The house was built in 2005, but by a pretty cheap builder (DR Horton). The deflection calculators I've found all seem to look for solid wood joists, so while my expectation is that it's built too cheaply to support ceramic tile, I thought I'd throw it out to you guys to see if you could help me calculate the deflection to be sure. Our alternative if we need more support is that we could add 1/2" plywood on top of this in this small bathroom, but we were hoping to avoid redoing the tub/shower at this time, so not sure if that would even work to have the tub "sunken" by 1/2" plywood, thinset, uncoupling layer (DITRA), and the tile. We're quite new at this, and expected to try our first tiling project in a downstairs laundry room on slab, but a toilet leak and a needed subfloor patch have moved this one up the list. Any advice or resources would be appreciated. Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Fencing is a bit easier than I thought Posted: 27 Sep 2020 06:38 PM PDT Picked up a post hole digger for 150 from harbor freight, couple hundred bucks for lumber and pickets, and used my brad nailer. Got my first section up today. Aside from the post holes through rock hard clay, everything else was easy and fairly quick. https://i.imgur.com/Cz0dPLV.jpg [link] [comments] |
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