Home Improvement: My first time refinishing a hardwood floor. |
- My first time refinishing a hardwood floor.
- Advice: Window Replacement Fiasco/Discount
- Roofer left section of roof undone and won’t return calls. Texas. My options?
- Metal roofs
- Will I be forced to remove a roof awning that was installed without a permit if I buy solar panels?
- If my dishwasher drain hose loops up in the side of the dishwasher, do I still have to loop it up again?
- Looking to confirm that a patio door was installed correctly
- Any good/bad experiences with "servery" pass-through windows in a kitchen?
- What should I do with this space?
- Can I leave painter's tape on before painting?
- Advice for first time homebuyers?
- Is solar worth it?
- Is this asbestos tiling? If so, what do I do?
- Suggestions for closet doors
- Question about bathroom remodel
- Help With Fixing a Sagging Door
- Getting outside smells through utility closet
- Knowing when to use hardwood filler?
- Exterior vs Interior Basement Waterproofing
- Fix cracks in garage foundation wall?
- Cluster of power outlets went out. Can’t figure out source of problem.
- Getting a new vanity Friday. Do I need to replace these hoses?
- Bathroom venting / fan problem
- Completely enclosed fiberglass water heater blanket?
| My first time refinishing a hardwood floor. Posted: 23 Sep 2020 03:30 PM PDT |
| Advice: Window Replacement Fiasco/Discount Posted: 23 Sep 2020 02:41 PM PDT We recently had really fancy Marvin windows installed in our small home. The install was 16k and the windows themselves were 22k. After the job was totally done and the windows were installed, during which our family had to live at my in-laws because of covid, it was discovered that ALL the windows had faint horizontal lines etched into them. They think it has something to do with the manufacturing. They are going to be sending a contractor out to replace the glass which means that they'll have to take out the drywall and replace it. We aren't going to pay for this. I think that we should get a discount on the windows. For a product that is SO expensive I really expected more of a white-glove turn-key situation. I didn't expect to be emailing back and forth with the vendor and have contractors visit my home to assess the situation multiple times after the job is done. Cleaning up after the mess that they left from the initial install was no small task. I don't look forward to doing it again. We're going to have to gather up our cats and go away for the 1-2 days this additional work is going to take. They are asking me what kind of discount I'm asking for and I wanted to ask for any feedback about what you all think is reasonable in this scenario. [link] [comments] |
| Roofer left section of roof undone and won’t return calls. Texas. My options? Posted: 23 Sep 2020 03:45 PM PDT I live in Texas and had my roof replaced. I paid the roofer most of the money owed because I thought the job was finished. I only owe him for some wood that was used on the roof and was to receive a separate bill for that. Later that day I noticed that a small area of the roof had been left unfinished and I called the roofer to report it. He returned and agreed that it had been overlooked and would send someone in a few days to finish it. Now he won't answer or return my calls when I leave a voice mail. Other than file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau do I have any options? The company has a good reputation and has been in business for many years. Thanks in advance for any guidance. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 23 Sep 2020 04:13 PM PDT We are in need of replacing our entire roof, and the sooner the better. We knew it was coming and we're at that point. I've had it suggested to me to get a metal roof. The thing is that the people who recommend them don't have one and usually say something along the lines of "well, so I've heard". We are in a modular home and it's our forever home, so I want it done right. I know NOTHING about metal roofs and the only experience with them is one that was on our school's science building. It was so loud when it rained! I live in central Michigan, so I don't get rain so much as snow, which I know is silent, but is that too much moisture on the roof? I literally know nothing about them and I don't know if I'm in a good area for them. I also have a couple of skylights in the house and would want them still. They're being replaced with new ones, but they are being replaced. I appreciate any insight on this, especially because I need to make a decision SOON. [link] [comments] |
| Will I be forced to remove a roof awning that was installed without a permit if I buy solar panels? Posted: 23 Sep 2020 03:44 PM PDT I have a large covered patio attached to my house that is not allowed in my city and I want to get solar panels. Since I built the structure without getting the proper permits, I want to know if anyone has been in my situation and what the outcome was. Will I get fined or will the structure have to be removed before installing solar panels? The sales person for the solar company says it will be fine because the inspector is only allowed to look at the solar installation on the inspection. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 23 Sep 2020 05:30 PM PDT I know the drain hose on a dishwasher has to go up to a certain height to avoid back flow. My drain that's attached to the dishwasher loops up about 2/3 the way up the dishwasher then back down where it will connect with another hose that goes to the sink drain. Do I need to loop that second hose up again or is the one loop sufficient? [link] [comments] |
| Looking to confirm that a patio door was installed correctly Posted: 23 Sep 2020 05:46 PM PDT Is anyone here familiar with Pella patio door installations? We just had a contractor install a Pella patio door and the attached picture is what he sent when finished. Here is a pic. The first thing that jumped off the page is that the sliding door is backwards, its not what we ordered. After further inspection, I see that block at the bottom which I understand to be a toe lock..... the fact that its on the outside tells me that the door was installed backwards. I called the contract and told him that. He called his guy that did the install and the guy is 100% positive that the screen door track is installed on the outside of the door and he said that never in his 20 years of doing this has he seen a screen door on the inside. As evidence, he pointed out that the black track you see in the bottom of the door is the screen track. He said he has no idea what that block is in the picture, but its not a lock.... maybe some kind of shipping block that should have been removed. I'm going back and forth with the contractor and he keeps telling me that the door is installed correctly but I'm not buying it. Anyone here with experience with these doors that can confirm if the door was installed correctly or not? [link] [comments] |
| Any good/bad experiences with "servery" pass-through windows in a kitchen? Posted: 23 Sep 2020 11:38 AM PDT We have a 5' wide space for a window behind our kitchen sink that faces the back patio. I couldn't find any standard Milgards that I liked, and fell down the rabbit hole of researching servery pass-through windows. I really like the idea of connecting our kitchen to the backyard patio with a window that opens nice and wide. There seem to be a few options. A 3-panel bifold could work to create a simple pass through, either with a larger sill elevated above countertop level, or flush. But I am leaning toward a gas strut window that swings up, which often have no sill at all, and so the countertop can smoothly extend outside as a bar counter. My biggest concern is potential for water leakage from rain & drafts with these things, especially without a sill. Are these known to have weatherproofing challenges? Also, is extending a quartz countertop extending a 8 inches outside of the house a stupid idea? It wouldn't get more than early morning sun. We live in a moderate climate in California, but we do get rain, though prevailing winds are typically from the other side of the house. Any other opinions on these types of windows or their manufacturers? The families in the photos look happy and clearly have no regrets, lol. [link] [comments] |
| What should I do with this space? Posted: 23 Sep 2020 04:35 PM PDT My wife and I recently bought our first home and we have this space above our basement stairs. The wall to the left is the kitchen; the space is pretty deep so we can't even utilize it for a lot of storage as after a few feet it is near impossible to get things out of there. Looking forward any ideas/suggestions on how to make the space more user friendly or to change the layout to use it more wisely. [link] [comments] |
| Can I leave painter's tape on before painting? Posted: 23 Sep 2020 02:31 PM PDT Hello! So, the boyfriend and I sprayed the bathroom with paint about three months ago. We're masters of procrastination, so the ceiling hasn't yet been painted. I'm going to roll it on, but I won't be doing that till this weekend. My question is, if I apply painter's tape now, can I safely leave it on until the weekend or might it peel the paint off if I leave it too long? I would imagine it would be fine but oh boy, I would hate to have to fix that. I'm using multisurface frogtape. Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Advice for first time homebuyers? Posted: 23 Sep 2020 03:49 PM PDT Longtime lurker, first time poster in anticipation of buying my first home- apologies if this isn't appropriate for this sub. My husband and I have submitted two different offers for our first home (we are located in a very hot market) and have reviewed the disclosure packages for each house, both of which were built in the 1950s/60s. Given the HCOL and aforementioned hot market in our area, we've had to offer close to the top of our budget to be competitive, while keeping in mind that any home of this age likely needs a good amount of maintenance and updating. My question is if we're setting ourselves up to get in over our head with maintenance costs- think new water heater, electrical upgrades, fungus removal/repair, plumbing upgrade, seismic retrofitting of the fireplace, and re-roofing all within the next few years. We both have a DIY attitude however all of the things we are noticing in the inspection reports seem too complex for us to take on without any prior experience. I guess I'm just looking for reassurance that we aren't making a huge mistake, and that certain aspects of home improvement can be spread out over time. Any advice is appreciated! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 23 Sep 2020 09:18 AM PDT Hi gang, So story goes like this, we bought a house in a rural area, did due diligence checked with agent and utility concierge service for utilities and services. The real estate site I used provided complimentary service through a utilities concierge who I let schedule my internet, home security, and waste disposal. We stopped at power utilities as they informed me as well as my agent that I had access to only one power company so it was just a matter of switching it over to my name. We close, everything is going kosher until our neighbor shows up as we are moving our circus into town, and she informs us that we are in fact not under the PUD we had been told and that we are serviced by a rural provider (PUD service ends a few streets down from us, apparently) so that instantly doubles my electric bill from about $170 a month to between $330 to $420. Awesome. So now I'm looking into alternatives and I'm awfully enticed by solar. We have a large South/North facing roof with a covered wrap around patio. Now I've heard nightmare stories about panels (or installers) ruining roofs and causing leaks, the previous owners just had a new roof put on last year, so the roof ought to outlive the panels, but I also don't want to discover down the road that I've effectively cut my roofs lifespan in half by installing panels on it. We are on a 1.88 acre lot, and have room for a free standing array and while most places I've looked say that free standing arrays are more efficient, they also say that they are more expensive to install on account of permitting and the additional required materials and labor. So, my question is, who out there has solar and how do you have it installed, what about battery backups, worth the extra investment? What are your experiences and how would you rate the efficiency? Edit: awesome feedback so far! Thanks so much! A little more info: I'm in Oregon, I'm fairly handy but don't have time for much as I work full time and I'm taking up running the books for my father's business as well (on top of having twin toddlers) so I'm looking mostly to have everything done through a contractor(s). I'm at work at the moment but hope to dig into the comments a bit more after I'm home tonight. Also, anyone out there in the Columbia county are a that's had free-standing solar installed, by chance? [link] [comments] |
| Is this asbestos tiling? If so, what do I do? Posted: 23 Sep 2020 03:59 PM PDT Possible asbestos tiles https://imgur.com/gallery/dMjIme3 Hi all, we just got our first home last December and moved in in March. We've been doing a lot of updating as the home was built in 1955 and the inspector we had told us this was possibly asbestos tiling, though he wasn't 100% certain. The tiles are 9x9 and are in the basement, a few are cracked and damaged. I appreciate any advice! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 23 Sep 2020 03:00 PM PDT I am updating my house located in Hayward, CA and my bedroom closets look like this on the outside. They are essentially like 2 sets of cabinets. The top set of smaller cabinets have a solid bottom (in other words, it's not just an open space w/ a shelf between the 2 sets of doors). Inside the bigger set of cabinets there is a rod running along the top for hanging clothes. I want to change the closets to have mirrored sliding doors and learned that the space for the closet doors will need to be framed etc. Some questions I have are:
I forgot to take photos of the inside of the closets and I'm visiting fam currently so I won't be able to post any for the next week or 2 until I'm back. Appreciate any suggestions! [link] [comments] |
| Question about bathroom remodel Posted: 23 Sep 2020 04:11 PM PDT Hi, first time poster! I'll make this short and sweet. Looking to demo out a bathtub and tile and reinstall new tub and tile. My question is: is it worth it to try and just demo out the tile while saving the Sheetrock behind? Or should I just cut out the Sheetrock with the tile and re-rock the wall. PS, lets say for hypothetical that money isn't an issue. Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Help With Fixing a Sagging Door Posted: 23 Sep 2020 06:23 PM PDT I've been trying to fix a sagging door for a few days now. At the top of the door, the door sags away from the hinge. I'm in the upper midwest. On the hinge side near the top hinge, the gap is 5mm, but near the bottom the gap is closer to 2 or 3mm. The gap on the jamb side is similar, 5mm near the middle and bottom, but 2mm near the top and eventually less than 1mm (it's touching the jamb). I've tried squeezing the top hinge. Based on how my door's attached, I've read that I can squeeze the 2 middle hinges away from the door towards the jamb to close the hinge gap. I've also read that I can pull the 3 odd hinges towards the door to close the hinge gap. I've tried both of these things with different sets of hinges, but It did not close the gap. I've also tried just replacing all 3 hinges and tightening the screws, but that didn't do anything either. My door has metal plates that the hinges screw into, so there's grooves for ½ screws. I can't drive 3 inch screws into the studs because of the metal. The metal doesn't appear easy to remove, and I'm renting my apartment. It's an outside door, so it's possible the door has been warped by heat (the door itself is steel or aluminum and is hollow).Because the door is metal, I can't plane the door. Am I doing this wrong? I also have some wooden shims, but am kind of confused where to put them to close this gap. Any help is appreciated, I'm new to home improvement (and working on doors). [link] [comments] |
| Getting outside smells through utility closet Posted: 23 Sep 2020 02:07 PM PDT I live in an area that sometimes has bad smells outside. The smells are leaking into the house, and I'm 99% certain they're coming through the utility closet. The closet has bifold doors, so there are plenty of air gaps for the smells to get through. At first I thought my p-trap was dry. I dumped water down it (before realizing the water softener will keep it plenty full). No improvement. Then I realized the furnace has a direct vent. The air supply line is directed out the side of the house, combustion byproducts go through the roof. I'm convinced the supply line is the source of the smells. Any tips on how to stop the smells from getting in? It's worst in the mornings. We go to bed with good air in the house and wake up with a smelly downstairs (where the utility closet is located). I'm frustrated and any suggestions are really appreciated. [link] [comments] |
| Knowing when to use hardwood filler? Posted: 23 Sep 2020 03:37 PM PDT So first let me say all of this is very new to me. We are in the middle of closing on a house (fingers crossed) that has hardwoods that have some small'ish gaps, say no larger than 1/8" that I noticed. However, there is carpet in the living room and hallway we plan on tearing up and we know there's the same hardwoods underneath (by looking under at the vent locations). Hopefully when I tear up this carpet I'll be delighted by the quality of the floor, but knowing there's these squeaky, pinchy gaps in other rooms, I am anxious to see. If I have to have them professionally refinished I will, but hoping to avoid that. Anyways, I have both been told and read that there can be issues with using filler in the cracks when as the wood can expand and shrink with the weather, but I have yet to see anything that tells me how to determine IF this should be done and WHEN you should do it? First saw this home a few weeks ago here in Washington so it was plenty warm, and my understanding is it would shrink, creating larger gaps, in the cold weather months. Temps have already been dropping here fast so should I wait until it warms up again in Spring/Summer to decide? Is there a general rule of thumb for how large of gaps in the hot months are large enough to warrant filler? Any help is greatly appreciated. [link] [comments] |
| Exterior vs Interior Basement Waterproofing Posted: 23 Sep 2020 01:04 PM PDT Doing continued research of the pros and cons of both systems. Nitty Gritty Situation: Block foundation walls. All 4 walls of foundation have large horizontal, stairstep and vertical cracks. Three walls are bowing out half an inch and one wall is bowing out an inch and has considerable shearing. This bad wall is next to the driveway which is pitched incorrectly. Efflorescence on all walls as well as crumbling in certain spots. (and mold, obviously lol) Some sort of leak is happening on one side of the basement but the origin is unknown at the moment (it was only ever enough water to soak through the carpet in a few spots). It could be from the wall cracks or from old termite treatment holes along the perimeter of the floor. I'm in Ohio, and I'm guessing the soil around my home has clay in it. But I'm not certain of this. The structural engineer I hired hasn't (or can't) really answer my questions ... he just said stay away from carbon fiber strips and go with steel on the bad wall. Grading of the lawn, sealing of interior cracks, sealing of the visible exterior cracks and removal/fix grading of driveway- then wait and see how things go. But, he said if I was really worried about mold I could do the interior system. He said most of the movement that was going to happen already (excluding the bad driveway wall) has since the home is over 70 years old. I've been in contact with interior and exterior waterproofing companies and they are basically telling me completely conflicting information. Interior guys say disturbing the soil around the home could cause further structural issues (like water flowing under the home I guess - maybe causing settling?). They said backfilling with gravel will just cause more water to enter the basement and I'd be looking at needing an interior drain anyway as well as steel beams on the other 3 walls in the next couple years. Exterior guys say it's negligent and dangerous to put weeping holes in a basement wall with that much bowing. They said doing so will speed up the rate of deterioration of the foundation. They said the only real way to help the pressure is to excavate around the home and replace what is there with gravel/sealing all exterior cracks fully/waterproof membrane of some sort, exterior drain, etc. Generally speaking, which way would aid in the longevity of the foundation? I want to live in the home for the next 20+ years and a complete foundation rebuild is out of my budget. Thanks for any insights. [link] [comments] |
| Fix cracks in garage foundation wall? Posted: 23 Sep 2020 02:11 PM PDT Hi all, I'd like to fix these cracks in the concrete on the side of my garage before winter comes, I am in Calgary Alberta Canada. I'm not really sure the best method to go about? I was thinking of buying some water resistant parging mix and spreading that all along. Or maybe a flex Crete type product over the cracks, then painting the concrete? I'd really appreciate any comments or suggestions please. Thank you! [link] [comments] |
| Cluster of power outlets went out. Can’t figure out source of problem. Posted: 23 Sep 2020 03:54 PM PDT So I was using a few kitchen appliances yesterday between two outlets, all within the load limit and not the first time, and suddenly the outlets all went dead along with other outlets they're wired to. I had just replaced one of the outlets a few weeks prior because one of the black wires heated up and broke the outlet. Thought everything was okay after replacing, but turns out not. I've already reset breaker switches, checked for any GFCI outlets that tripped, checked the connections on the outlets. I don't know what else could be the issue. [link] [comments] |
| Getting a new vanity Friday. Do I need to replace these hoses? Posted: 23 Sep 2020 03:14 PM PDT https://imgur.com/gallery/iZ5a0e1 They are presumably 50 years old and probably should be replaced. But should I replace only the flexible part, or should I replace the part between the flexible hose and the shutoff valve too? Do I replace it with a longer flexible hose or try to recreate what I have here? Any help is thoroughly appreciated. [link] [comments] |
| Bathroom venting / fan problem Posted: 23 Sep 2020 12:44 PM PDT We've owned a cape in Massachusetts for 3 years now and constantly had issues with an upstairs bathroom getting condensation on the walls and ceiling even after a 15-20 minute shower. We always use the bathroom fan, and let it run after use. https://imgur.com/qLt5kEA https://imgur.com/053bRRR Stats * house built in 1951 * bathroom was clearly renovated within the past 20 years * small bathroom, just over 33 sq ft * bathroom fan is by broan (google says it was manufactured in 2004) * 110 cmf I've gone up to the roof and checked the vent, it's in good shape and all clear. I went up in the crawl space to check the hose and it has a bit of a twist to it but looks in good shape (see photo). I'm planning to replace the unit with a new one however the 110 CMF is already more than enough given the space. What else would you check? Any other ideas? I figured I would post here to see if anyone else can help solve the mystery before going further! Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Completely enclosed fiberglass water heater blanket? Posted: 23 Sep 2020 04:29 PM PDT Are there any fiberglass water heater blankets out there that are 100% encased in vinyl/foil/poly/whatever? Most of the ones I find have some fiberglass sticking out somewhere, for example here: https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/31b9197e-0b2a-48c2-9c77-73c2c5548cb5.a93cf6619614dc0aef9b03f8aa8d1bd0.png?odnWidth=undefined&odnHeight=undefined&odnBg=ffffff Is there any kind of physics reason why it is bad to completely encase the fiberglass? Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| You are subscribed to email updates from The Hivemind Improving Homes. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
No comments:
Post a Comment