Home Improvement: My 1947 house would be the death of me... |
- My 1947 house would be the death of me...
- Terrible secret behind fake wall.
- Using cedar planks and stand-off pins to decorate the front of my house.
- How to stop air coming through light switches and outlets?
- Dog urine on drywall?
- "All retrofit windows suck."
- Ugly stair railing help: paint or replace balusters?
- I want to replace my 30 year old hardwood Floors with laminate. We have already had them refinished 10 years ago, the problem now is that they are so squeaky and look worn out. What would you recommend? Laying on top of existing wood floor? And if so, how do make sure my new floors do not squeak?
- I hate my bathroom's pocket door so much. I can't adjust it to fix a stupid gap and I'm having family over this weekend and am super embarrassed.
- Here's a puzzler: how do I drop my TV to a normal and pleasurable viewing height? Details in album
- My Sink Bubbles Back Up Every Night
- Can I use air tools with this compressor?
- Weird Question For Contractors
- Is there a name for this type of framing structure?
- How do I hook up my dishwasher?
- How Serious Should We Be About Asbestos In our Homes?
- Wiring exhaust fan in Chicago area - how to handle replacement install
- Budget friendly tongue and groove ceiling?
- Strange plastic/carcinogen smell in backyard
- Leaky window
- Best way to remove old paint from small amount of brick?
- How do I keep my paintbrushes from doing this?
- Was painting trim and had taped the stair, when I pulled the tape up, the paint came with it. How should I be painting the trim? What am I doing wrong?
| My 1947 house would be the death of me... Posted: 30 Sep 2020 01:57 PM PDT ....if it wasn't for this sub. Tomorrow I will worry about the foundation block mortar deteriorating, the patio stones coming unearthed, the massive drainage issues because the whole house is below grade, the crawlspace cave cricket infestation, the floors as uneven as a roller coaster, the broken Maytag dryer, the decaying front porch, the ripped and rotted crawlspace vapor barrier, the broken front screen door, the two rotted window frames, the roof shingle edges curling, the embarrassingly low level of attic insulation, the broken toilet handle, the broken closet door slide thingamabob, the possibly dying massive Tulip poplars hanging above the house, the 20 year old water heater shoved into the smallest water heater closet in recorded history that no plumber is willing to work in, and last but not least, because my yard hates me, the crazy poison ivy infestation. But tonight I will just grill a steak and be thankful this sub exists and others are in the struggle with me. Thank you all. P.S. should a catch basin go at the top point of a French drain, the middle, the end, all of the above, or just based on the specific application? [link] [comments] |
| Terrible secret behind fake wall. Posted: 30 Sep 2020 11:46 AM PDT I was just in my crawlspace under our manufactured home and discovered a terrible secret hidden behind a fake cardboard wall. When the previous owner expanded the deck, they left a 4 foot gap between the foundation wall and the start of the home that is just open to the outside under the deck. They built a cardboard wall around it in the crawlspace with a thin layer of insulation. I was under there sealing gaps for a mouse problem we've been having when I discovered this. How the hell do I fix this short of ripping the deck out and redoing it all? Thanks! Edit: so I guess my question is more about sealing this off to pests and water not so much about the structure. I have attached more photos that will show the area better and hopefully explain it better than I did originally. [link] [comments] |
| Using cedar planks and stand-off pins to decorate the front of my house. Posted: 30 Sep 2020 09:31 AM PDT My house is generally covered in fiber cement siding. Great stuff, I love it, but for some reason the contractors who flipped the home didn't use it on one area around the master bedroom. All they used was large flat sheets of fiber cement. Wasn't sure what to do with the area, so I started sifting through ideas. Wood shingles, brick, etc. Came to an idea of using wood to give it a more modern look. I was going to get a lot of 2x2 cedar planks (or make them out of 2x4 cedar planks), cut them to size, buy a lot of stainless steel offset posts (these are essentially mounting rods that hold something a little bit off the thing they're holding it to) and mount them vertically. I bought the cedar first. I can't remember the exact amount but it was about 80 board feet of cedar for I think around $300. I could buy about 2/3 of the planks in 2x2, but the supplier ran out so I had to get some in 2x4 to rip. I chose cedar for its excellent weather handling capability. Then I went hunting for the posts. This turned out to be pretty difficult, but I ended up finding a supply on eBay. I had to buy something like 122 posts, which set me back by about as many dollars. If you're interested, you can find them as "Standoff Pin Hardware". Then I went to work on SketchUp. I Took accurate measurements of that area, drafted them in, and tried to figure on a spacing that would look good (not too crowded) but also close enough that it didn't feel awkward. I was also looking for a spacing that wouldn't leave any weird gaps at the ends of the array. I also did a small 1:1 model of the posts on grid paperto see what they'd look like in final design. I landed on 4 inches on center with the edges having a 2" gap. I cut the boards to length. I had 20 or so long pieces (93"), 11 or so smaller pieces (83"), and 15 short pieces (13 or so inches, for under the window). I had to rip about 8 2x4 pieces, and then, since they now had sharp edges on one side, I had to route them with a 1/4" round bit along those edges. Then I had to core out holes for the posts. The posts are 19mm wide and 60mm long (roughly 3/4" x 4"). I bought a 3/4" spade bit and a drill press and went to work. Put the holes 12" from the edge in the long pieces, 12" from one edge and a couple inches from the other edge from the shorter pieces (to allow the posts to align across the larger and shorter pieces), and an inch or so from the edge on the short pieces (only one post would align with the others). I then stained the pieces, which took forever. 50 posts, 2 coats each. I went with a Redwood stain I found at Home Depot. Wasn't 100% sure the color would work well so I did one piece and put it up against the wall of my house to see how it would look. I liked the result so I kept going. The longest part of the project, actually, was waiting for the steel posts, which were being shipped over from China. It took about 20 days for them to get here, which is a veritable lifetime by shipping standards these days. But it was worth it. They look great. While I was waiting for those posts and had finished staining all the poles, I got to measuring out and marking on the side of my house. This was incredibly difficult, as it turned out. Since no house is actually 100% level, I decided to mark and measure relative to trim, so it at least looked aligned to the home's already present features. My goal was to have a completely event line of posts across the whole array. Trying to get something so even across that much distance on the side of your house is no small feat. I had to check and recheck and erase and mark again. But it paid off. When I was finally done, and the posts had come in I went to work. At first, since I wasn't sure the marks I made were completely right, I only mounted to the top hole and then looked where the bottom post ended up. Turned out I was right on the money, so I predrilled the rest of the holes, and mounted the poles in the span of one afternoon. Soon as I was done, my neighbor across the street came over and congratulated me on the work. I just loved the way it turned out but to also have it be something my neighbors like to look at is all the more satisfying. Here's the before/after pictures: https://imgur.com/gallery/hMZAs8p [link] [comments] |
| How to stop air coming through light switches and outlets? Posted: 30 Sep 2020 12:59 PM PDT I live in a building built in the 1950's and the apartment was recently renovated. On two walls (one against the building exterior, one not) all the outlets and light switches have air constantly blowing through them, rather strongly in some cases. To be clear, the air is not coming through the perimeter of the plate, but rather through the perimeter of the switches and outlets themselves in the plate. What can be done about this? Is there any product I can buy to block the air in the area where the wires are all connected to the switches and outlet? Obviously it needs to be completely safe and shouldn't be flammable or toxic for any air particles that still manage to come through. Any advice or guidance on the best possible way to solve this would be greatly appreciated. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 30 Sep 2020 08:55 PM PDT I have a senior dog with kidney issues. Even under stay at home orders and multiple walks a day, he still drips and often ends up going to the bathroom before he can get outside. I have carpeted landings and stairs. His biggest area tends to be at the bottom of the stairs (I will need to replace the subfloor when he crosses the rainbow bridge). I use a home carpet cleaner monthly and professional cleaning every few months. It does ok at neutralizing odors and removing stains but I recently started noticing splatter on my drywall and trim when I check my work under black light. Is it really just as simple as spraying vinegar or an enzymatic cleaner like nature's miracle and wiping the wall until the spot disappears? It doesn't smell but obviously I'd like to head off any problems before they turn into bigger problems and I'd prefer not to ruin my wall/paint in the process. The drywall is painted with flat paint and will be repainted eventually (again, once he crosses the rainbow bridge)... what type of product works on walls? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 30 Sep 2020 09:12 AM PDT Message I got from a reputable contractor: "All retrofits suck. There is no way to properly waterproof them. Stucco is porous. They are waterproofed by using silicone to the stucco. Where does the water go, that soaks into the stucco above the window? It runs down the inside of the stucco, against the tar paper, until it hit the top of the window, where it would normally flow to the outside. That's how waterproofing works. But with a retrofit, you have that outside trim fin to dam the water from exiting. Where does it go? Into the framing." Basically he's told me the proper way to replace a window is to not retrofit but to do a completely new install. A retrofit just sets you up for moisture and rot issues down the road. Thoughts? [link] [comments] |
| Ugly stair railing help: paint or replace balusters? Posted: 30 Sep 2020 07:22 PM PDT Note: I hope this is the right sub for this post, let me know if not or what other subs I should cross-post to. My house has these weird stair railings that look like they belong on a deck instead of indoors. The balusters are mounted on the wall next to the stairs (aka face-mount) instead of on the steps or a shoe rail. To make matters worse, the previous homeowners did a horrendously lazy job painting them. See album for details. Please excuse the awful duct-taped carpet. We are currently getting quotes to replace that which is why I need to decide what to do with the railing asap; I will need to fix it before new carpet is installed. I see 3 options for what to do with this thing:
As I said I can't actually do #1. Both #2 and #3 are doable, I just can't figure out which to do. #2 is cheaper, but more work for me. #3 is not too expensive either, and a modest amount of work, I'm just not sure if it will look right in my home. My plan is to go with a very light color scheme. BM Gray Owl paint on the common area walls with BM Decorators White trim. One more thing: for both options, I am considering painting the way they did in the example in #3, where the lower portion of the rail is white and the top is dark, making it look more like a regular indoor banister. What do you guys think of that? Which approach do you think would be best? Any advice would be appreciated, including ideas to improve this that I haven't thought of. Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 30 Sep 2020 03:53 PM PDT |
| Posted: 30 Sep 2020 03:06 PM PDT I just tried to adjust the stupid fucking thing and knocked it off of the rails. Took off the inside trim to adjust, fucked it up. Trying to see if I can throw a barn door over this or just put in a whole new door in a day. I have no experience with this stuff and am super stressed. Is there anyway to like ..pad the slit so i can hide the fact that it does not close properly? i don't know. [link] [comments] |
| Here's a puzzler: how do I drop my TV to a normal and pleasurable viewing height? Details in album Posted: 30 Sep 2020 08:08 AM PDT My apartment really only has one place for the TV in the living room, and it's above a fireplace (sigh.) Album for details: https://imgur.com/a/l1eCQoS Brainstorming ideas about how to bring it down off the mantle to a reasonable viewing height. My first hope was I could just mount it on an arm directly into the back of the "nook," but that whole space only has one stud in it (non-load bearing internal wall added after the building itself was repurposed from offices to apartments) So because I can't mount the TV to the wall in the nook, I'd have to build some sort of free-standing mount to bear the weight and support the TV. My idea for that....thing...is in my poorly drawn diagrams in the above imgur post. I'm really eager to hear your thoughts on this project, and if my idea is a good one or not, and if there's an easier or sleeker solution out there. Thanks! EDIT: rules on the side say to include lots of angled pictures, think I got that covered. I'm in CO, if that makes any difference... [link] [comments] |
| My Sink Bubbles Back Up Every Night Posted: 30 Sep 2020 04:22 PM PDT Title pretty much says it all. Every night at around 7PM my sink bubbles up from the bottom and fills itself with soapy bubbles, then it slowly drains. What the heck is going on here? How can I fix it? [link] [comments] |
| Can I use air tools with this compressor? Posted: 30 Sep 2020 07:42 PM PDT I got this air compressor Ingersoll Rand But a lot of the tools I see are above 5CFM, like a HVLP paint sprayed or an orbital sander. Would I be able to use these tools still? The PSI is fine but is below the CFM [link] [comments] |
| Weird Question For Contractors Posted: 30 Sep 2020 04:52 PM PDT I am looking to re do my kitchen in about 3 years but I want to really plan this out - try to see how much this would all call me to put away more and more. My issue is that I can't price the job myself to where I think it would be accurate so i thought maybe I could call a contractor from my area and have him come price the job but my concern is that I am not looking for 3 years to do it. I know I would probably slap 20k on top of the quote from today for 3 years down the road for inflation but more importantly I respect the trades work to waste sometimes time. I would like to think I'd go with said contractor as well Would this be rude to ask or okay? [link] [comments] |
| Is there a name for this type of framing structure? Posted: 30 Sep 2020 07:35 PM PDT Hi! My dining room floor slopes toward this overhang (link to photos below.. looks kind of like an RV popout), is anyone familiar with this type of framing and what might be causing sagging? Does fixing this involve joist work? I don't even know what it's called so Googling isn't helping. House is 1911 location PNW. Thanks for looking! [link] [comments] |
| How do I hook up my dishwasher? Posted: 30 Sep 2020 05:25 PM PDT I just bought my first home! It's an older home and has an area to hook up a dishwasher but did not come with one. My husband and I bought a used one but neither of us are sure how to hook up the wiring (and too be honest we can't afford to call a professional right now.) The floor has 2 wires (one is white and the other is black). The dishwasher has a lot of wires. Black, white, green, and then one with 2 green wires running into a copper ring thing? I know it's kinda vague but I genuinely just don't know anything about electrical stuff and I really don't want to burn my house down. Feel free to message me for pictures! [link] [comments] |
| How Serious Should We Be About Asbestos In our Homes? Posted: 30 Sep 2020 09:49 AM PDT I recently bought a 1940 home. There is asbestos in the basement tile, popcorn ceilings, drywall mud. I have vermiculite in my attic. The previous owner had vinyl plank flooring everywhere. I pulled it up only to find black mastic over hardwood maple flooring. I had everything tested and I am getting anywhere from 2% in the popcorn and 4% in the tile. I have already removed the basement tile with the proper respirator, negative air pressure, and soaking the floor. I want to do some serious remodeling. Finishing the floors and removing some sheetrock and ceiling. I watch remodeling shows and see the host working on older homes which I bet has asbestos, they are ripping down ceilings with old popcorn and jackhamering tile with a obvious layer of old asbestos tile vinyl under, and sanding floors with black mastic. My grandpa had Asbestosis from working at a mill for 30 years working mostly with asbestos fiberboard. He had trouble breathing at his later years but he also smoked marlboros for 40 years. He passed away in his 80's from a heart attack. I would take proper precautions when removing the asbestos contaminated material with plastic and respirator. But should I want to refinish the flooring the would create dust. Should I be taking more precautions, like air quality tests and hepa air filtration? Should there be worry if I see a cloud of dust come out of the popcorn ceiling if I change out a light fixture? [link] [comments] |
| Wiring exhaust fan in Chicago area - how to handle replacement install Posted: 30 Sep 2020 08:46 PM PDT I am in the process of replacing the exhaust fan in my master bathroom. After I took out the existing fan, I realized that the new junction box is several inches from the old exhaust fan, and that the rigid conduit isn't able to connect directly/flush to the box. I figured this project would be simple enough to handle for a electrical beginner but am realizing I could use some advice here. https://i.imgur.com/IiDOV1d.jpg Do I need to buy some flexible conduit in order to connect the junction box to the existing conduit? Or can I just forget about the conduit for this last stretch to the box? There is no grounding wire in the conduit so my understanding is that I need to have a complete encasement with the metal conduit in order to keep it grounded, but I'm not sure how important the ground is for a bathroom exhaust fan anyway. My guess is that I should buy some flexible conduit to bridge this gap, but since this is a pretty foreign concept to me I want to make sure I don't make this overly complicated for myself. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Budget friendly tongue and groove ceiling? Posted: 30 Sep 2020 08:34 PM PDT We're wanting to cover our vaulted popcorn ceiling with a white tongue and groove look ceiling. Our contractor said whatever we used needed to be pre-primed or the labor expense would dramatically increase. Is there any budget-friendly way to get this look? [link] [comments] |
| Strange plastic/carcinogen smell in backyard Posted: 30 Sep 2020 04:39 PM PDT So for a few days now my wife and I have noticed a strange smell when in our backyard. It smells a bit like burned plastic or something and we initially thought it was due to wildfires, since we have some haze from those, or from some apartments being constructed nearby. However, today I realized it's really just localized to our backyard and I can't smell it in front of our house or on walks in the neighborhood. Any idea what it could be? I built a paver patio several months back but otherwise we haven't done anything different to our backyard. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 30 Sep 2020 08:21 PM PDT We have a major leak on the first story window. There's no leak on the top story, so we think there was no flashing material installed when they installed the window. How would water get thru the stucco in the bottom window? What would be the route to fix it? Would the process be tearing out the window, stucco and place new flashing in? We can see damage from inside the window frame. Water is dried and the paint is saggy. [link] [comments] |
| Best way to remove old paint from small amount of brick? Posted: 30 Sep 2020 03:22 PM PDT I have brick steps and brick window ledges. It's a pretty small amount of brick to remove paint from so if it's a more time consuming method that requires less supplies I'm willing to do it. The paint on the brick steps is partially coming off from being walked on and from me spraying it with our garden hose. The paint on the window ledges can be scraped off pretty easily with a regular paint scraper. Just looking for middle of the road ideas on expense and time. I've seen drill attachment sanders, would that work for this kind of project? [link] [comments] |
| How do I keep my paintbrushes from doing this? Posted: 30 Sep 2020 04:14 PM PDT Wooster https://imgur.com/a/zHn7Aed Wooster pro. About 30 uses. Rinsed until water is clear. Lightly used paint comb. Small amount of pumice hand cleaner and then normal soap, rinsed again. Always hung up to dry in that stupid cardboard thing. This is my third one in a few years and they end up crispy with the bristles all splayed out like this. When they are new they are so soft and silky. What am I doing wrong? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 30 Sep 2020 10:09 AM PDT Was painting trim and had taped the stair, when I pulled the tape up, the paint came with it. How should I be painting the trim? What am I doing wrong? [link] [comments] |
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