Home Improvement: Roofer punctured ac coolant line. Who's at fault? |
- Roofer punctured ac coolant line. Who's at fault?
- Electrical work
- 100 year old house all knob and tube
- Need Help Managing Neighbor's Water Runoff onto My Patio
- Is remodeling my parent's garage as a teen worth it?
- There's a musty smell coming in from the crack where the windows meet the walls in our house!
- Central air
- Could I put a storm door on my front door frame easily?
- Smoothest cabinet paint?
- 100 year old house - 3 way wiring question
- Question/theory about using cardboard or similar to provide an air space substrate when applying foam to roof decking in an unconditioned attic space.
- Dying Tree
- Best way to install kitchen knobs evenly?
- New roof material difference: 10k or 30k
- Concrete driveway replacement question
- How much improvement is too much to put into a home? Is there a point where you shouldn't pick the nicest fixtures or appliances?
- Scorched Floor..? How can I fix this..?
- What DIY home security technologies do you recommend?
- Some trouble with our floor installation - any advice?
- Garage Floor suggestion
- Replacing one railing on Trex Transcend composite deck
- How do I protect my deck? Husband pressure washed it and I think I need to apply some kind of sealer/stain. Plus there are new slats that are unstained.
- Noticed a crack all along my ceiling, should I be concerned?
- Confusion regarding scale buildup and low Total Hardness
| Roofer punctured ac coolant line. Who's at fault? Posted: 11 Sep 2020 04:45 PM PDT Had a new AC system installed a month ago. Had the roof redone today. Came home to a hot house and the wife telling me the AC stopped cooling mid day when they were here. Climbed into the attic to see the coolant line was literally touching the roof for about a 4 foot section on it's way down to the eave. The section where the line seems to be punctured looks like a new plywood sheet, so I'll assume the roofers saw the line. From the inside the issue isn't accessible because it's down in the eave behind the AC handler. From what I can see there is a roofing nail right where the insulation on the coolant line is first wet. Who is at fault- the terribly stupid AC guys who wasted a ton of time and my money or the roofers who should have seen the line? I'm sure as sh*t not paying for this. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 11 Sep 2020 02:52 PM PDT I'm hiring an electrician to wire my woodworking shop/ shed. For 60 amps of service. In order to save me some money, I volunteered to dig a trench from my house to the shop which is 150 feet away. Now I'm wondering, since I've gone this far in digging the trench, if I should go the extra mile and lay down the PVC conduit with copper myself. The electrician is charging me about $1000 to complete his end of the work. I've done plenty of electrical work having opened up my electrical panel in the past and wired several circuits for different parts of my home. However I have never dealt with a wire gauge this heavy before and I'm not entirely certain about configuring/choosing my breakers. Is this something I should attempt my self? Edit: to clarify is 6 gauge wire sufficient for 60 amps? Should I install a sub panel or direct circuits? [link] [comments] |
| 100 year old house all knob and tube Posted: 11 Sep 2020 02:41 PM PDT Looking at a house that's 110 years old and all knob and tube with 25 year old 200 amp breaker box mounted outside. Electrician came out and said he can redo all the electrical (basement and 2 floors) and put a new box on it for $14.5k. Wondering if I should go through with it, do a bit at a time or leave it. Thoughts? Advice? [link] [comments] |
| Need Help Managing Neighbor's Water Runoff onto My Patio Posted: 11 Sep 2020 07:42 AM PDT After real heavy rain yesterday, I discovered that a major source of the water pooling on my patio - then running out my front yard and ruining landscaping - was the runoff from my neighbors yard. Specifically, their patio and the terrain surrounding it appear to be funneling water into my yard. Pics of what is happening here: Runoff from the neighbor's yard: https://imgur.com/a/5tqePoX My (poor) patio: https://imgur.com/a/nsghwP2 Few things to note about my property: 1) underneath the patio is a drainage system diverting water to drains on either side of my house, which unfortunately can't keep up with this water volume; 2) underneath the mulch and landscaping, where the water is entering, is already a french drain and (maybe?) some concrete; and 3) none of my drain systems struggle to handle water in typical rain storms (e.g., my gutters are properly channeled, the patio draining system works effectively, and I don't experience landscaping damage). So my question is, what can I do about this? Do I need to install another french drain right underneath where the water is entering my yard? I'm afraid to attempt that because the soil is rather narrow there. Is there some sort of other landscaping I can implement to direct the water along the fence line so it can reach concrete to spill out, rather than over the patio? I don't necessarily have expectations for my neighbors to do anything, so I'm trying to figure out what I can accomplish to effectively handle this. ***Update/Edit: thanks for the suggestions everyone. Talked with my neighbor and agreed to work on diverting the water better together. Think getting it to move along the fence line on my side will be the best bet. [link] [comments] |
| Is remodeling my parent's garage as a teen worth it? Posted: 11 Sep 2020 11:40 AM PDT I am almost 19 years old, currently working and planning on starting community college soon. I don't personally have any specific plans to move out anytime soon, and I would love to get into using my parents' basically unused 2 car garage for woodworking projects and other fun stuff. I was thinking (since I live in Florida) that insulating the walls and doors, as well as air conditioning the garage might be a good move if I wanted to be in it for potentially multiple hours a day. Do you guys think this is a worth while decision at my age if I might move out at some point away from Florida to be independent? [link] [comments] |
| There's a musty smell coming in from the crack where the windows meet the walls in our house! Posted: 11 Sep 2020 12:39 PM PDT See pic! Smell is worse on hot or rainy days. We have newer windows and older windows, on all sides of the house, and the smell is coming from all of them! Worst is the bathroom ceiling fan that vents out to the attic. Also the hood vent above the stove, also venting out to the attic. Any ideas?? I can't stand the smell 😩 It would make sense to be mold or mildew, but the flashing seems to be installed correctly on all the windows. (Not to say it's not mold, but more to wonder, what to do about it?) Thanks!! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 11 Sep 2020 05:00 PM PDT How expensive can it be to have a professional company install central air in a home with no existing air ducts with half-slab basement? [link] [comments] |
| Could I put a storm door on my front door frame easily? Posted: 11 Sep 2020 04:23 PM PDT I want a glass door with a window I can open but keep the dog inside. I don't know what I expected but the frame seems narrow. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 11 Sep 2020 12:22 PM PDT My cabinets are painted (from factory) and I want to change the color up. My plan is to rent/buy a paint sprayer and I want the absolute best paint to keep the smooth factory finish. What do the pros use for cabinets? [link] [comments] |
| 100 year old house - 3 way wiring question Posted: 11 Sep 2020 08:03 PM PDT I have a light switch in my 100 year old house. I was attempting to replace the switch with a new switch then I realized that it's actually a 3 way switch. I have no idea where the other switch is actually. The problem is the wiring. The previous outlet had no markings for common so I removed it. I don't have any old pictures for reference. I followed some online videos for wiring up three way switches. But I realized something was off. With all wires disconnected and power on, there are two hot wires and one neutral. With all wires connected, there are two hot wires and the light is off. When I flick the switch, all wires are neutral and the light turns on. I detached all the wires and covered them with wire nuts to be safe for now. Is this some kind of weird wiring that they did back in the day? Are there diagrams of how they work? Thanks [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 11 Sep 2020 05:26 PM PDT Here's my current understanding for context and a brief description of the intended application: Open and closed cell foam provide very good R value per inch of thickness, closed cell being clearly better, and also providing mechanical reinforcement as well. The one downside is that if you apply it directly to the underside of the OSB/plywood roof decking, that any water leaks that may occur will be masked and can produce mildew and rot, as the foam will trap the water rather than allow it to drain away and dry out. Having watched a number of youtube videos about insulating unconditioned attics with rigid batts, they use a process whereby the add 1.5" spacers where the rafters meet the deck, to provide airspace to allow any leakage to drain away and dry. Taking that method as an inspiration, I envision a technique wherein you place the aforementioned 1.5" spacers at the junction of the rafters and underside of the roof deck, and then staple a sheet of some material, it could be cardboard, or a tough plastic or vapor permeable barrier fabric to provide a flat surface, then apply the foam to that just as you would to the underside of the roof deck, adjusting the amount of foam to accommodate the loss of the 1.5" of depth that the spacers consume. This would lose some R value compared to direct application to the decking, but would avoid the problems of trapping water between the foam and the decking which would lead to rot. After foaming with an air barrier, I'd also consider covering with 1" or 2" rigid batts to account for the thermal bridging from the rafters. The application I intend this for is the attic space in my new house, located in north Texas near DFW, so climate zone 3A, hot/humid. The house is just over 1 year old per the county appraisal website, having been sold to the original owners by the builder in July of 2019. It's standard open rafters with exposed plywood decking inside, and loose insulation blown in on the rafters over the living spaces with a fair amount of OSB decking, and the HVAC system suspended more or less in the dead center of the house. I wish to insulate the underside of the roof decking to alleviate the thermal loading in the attic space, and also intend to insulate all the open spaces over the inhabited space (garage is completely uninsulated) and install OSB, or possibly ZIP-R sheathing over the roof rafters over the inhabited space (unless that would cause moisture retention problems) to provide another layer of insulation. With my current understanding, this should work as intended, as I'm leaving a path for any water intrusion from the roof a path to drain, and not creating a circumstance where water will pool and rot decking or rafters. Thanks in advance for any feedback or experiences that you can share. Edit: added more details for clarity. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 11 Sep 2020 05:37 AM PDT Hi Everyone! New homeowner here and I have this sad tree in the front yard that wasn't really taken care of by the last owners. Is it too late to save it or is there something I can still do? [link] [comments] |
| Best way to install kitchen knobs evenly? Posted: 11 Sep 2020 03:42 PM PDT I have a lot of kitchen drawers, some side by side and others lined up from top to bottom. I fear that even if I measure everything twice, all the knobs will be slightly uneven compared to the drawer right above it or right next to it. What's the best way to achieve knob alignment? [link] [comments] |
| New roof material difference: 10k or 30k Posted: 11 Sep 2020 04:52 PM PDT Hello, I'm a first time homeowner living in a 1970's single-story, single-family home in Texas. I've had 3 quotes now from roofers, and would really appreciate some advice.
I'm really drawn to the higher end roofs. It makes sense to me that materials have improved significantly over the past decades. Both Power and THI offer patented shingles and weatherproofing that surpass the normal tar paper and 3 tab. My understanding is the reason some crews are able to offer < $15k is because their materials are ancient and bought at discount. Is there a tier of contractor that has access to these higher grade materials, but doesn't operate through the sales-pitch bid process like Power and THI? How much is this patented roofing really worth? I know the roof was replaced in 2007, and assuming it cost around $10k, lasting just over a decade, a $34k roof that's supposed to last 50 years seems like a good idea. I'm a huge proponent of Do it once, Do it right, and I can tell the previous homeowners certainly were not. I know I may not be here 50 years, but I would like to pay it forward. Am I getting played with these offers? Each higher end company has actual customers, so I'm not the first one to make this decision. I appreciate any wisdom on the subject. [link] [comments] |
| Concrete driveway replacement question Posted: 11 Sep 2020 03:03 PM PDT My concrete contractor called me today saying that if the soil under the concrete is super wet when they dig it out they will have to take off the layer of mud until it is dry, thus increasing the thickness for the new concrete from 4 inches to 6 inches which will increase the cost for me significantly. On youtube I saw contractors purposely wetting the dirt to get it to compact more, and also filling out uneven spots with road fill. No one is increasing the thickness of the concrete to offset the ground soil. My question is that is my contractor just trying to get more money out of me or is it genuinely a problem that requires the change in thickness? Thanks in advance for any inputs or experience [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 11 Sep 2020 05:01 AM PDT tldr: Should you consider the neighborhood/home values when adding nicer things to your home? Forgive me for the odd question. This is my first time owning and I don't know how home value works, or if I should even consider it in these types of decisions. If you buy a house in a neighborhood where avg home values are 150k, and you renovate and replace fixtures/appliances/etc with very nice high end stuff (not to flip....we just want some nicer models and plan to be here as long as we can), will that look bad when it's time to sell? Will we regret it? My thinking is I'm just focused on the models I've researched and liked the most, regardless of how they would change home value in the future (if at all). We purchased a home that we could really afford - less than 1x our yearly gross. We made a conscious decision to buy a fixer upper and make it our own, and this was how we could afford to do it. In the last 60 days we've done the following:
Things we are planning in the next 90 days:
And within the next year/2:
If we go to sell in 10 yrs, would it be weird to buyers that we have nice fixtures/appliances than the standard builder grade all over the area? Is it stupid to make decisions based on what we like and what makes us happy vs what is right for the home/duration we're here? Is this all just normal homeowner stuff and I'm just green to it all and don't know how it works? [link] [comments] |
| Scorched Floor..? How can I fix this..? Posted: 11 Sep 2020 07:41 PM PDT My wife and I have fallen on some hard times over the last 3 years and COVID really knocked us down when we were starting to pick back up financially.. So we downgraded and moved to a pretty small apartment that hasn't been updated since the late 70s/80s and I have an indoor greenhouse, I have used this indoor greenhouse at MULTIPLE homes/apartments over the last 6 years and I have never had this happen. I don't know what to do or how to fix it, any knowledge helps, I really cant afford to have this dinky shack apartment try and make me replace the entire floor when the building is practically falling apart to begin with. I had a germination pad on the floor of it for about 2 days, it gets up to about 95 degrees at its peak. Again, I never imagined this would happen, as i've done this in every home I've lived in. I am currently going to college under my GI-Bill studying Botany, I've always loved plants and joined the military to pay my way through college. Any knowledge helps! thank you so much redditors! [link] [comments] |
| What DIY home security technologies do you recommend? Posted: 11 Sep 2020 06:18 PM PDT I don't want to sign up for a monthly service or anything like that. What I would really like is some kind of sensor that is painfully loud of it gets tripped at night. Does anyone know of something like that, and what else would you folks recommend? [link] [comments] |
| Some trouble with our floor installation - any advice? Posted: 11 Sep 2020 05:13 PM PDT We are trying to install vinyl plank (tongue and groove) in our dining room. After pulling up the carpet, we found the floor was a bit of a mess- laminate from 1975 with bumps and holes and valleys and hills. We got some advice to try self-leveling underlay, but it turned out disastrous- twice. We talked to a professional who gave us several options and was very encouraging that we could continue our DIY project. I'm curious if anyone out there has tried any of the options he shared with us and any tips you might have for a couple of new DIY home improvement people. 1.) rent a floor buffer and grind down the underlay until it's smooth and even. 2.) Rip it up and start over by either pulling the old sub floor and replacing it (it's a wood sub floor). There was an option mentioned to try again with the self-leveling compound, but we really don't want to struggle with that again. We also wondered about laying new sub floor over the old or even over the compound- but we are not sure that's a good idea. What have others tried? What would advice would you give a couple of new home improvement DIY-ers? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 11 Sep 2020 04:22 PM PDT So I'm looking to do something to my garage floor. It's currently painted about 25+ years old so most has flaked off. There are a couple spots where the cement has like pitted. So I got a quote for a professional to do epoxy. For a solid color is 1600. No color chips which I would prefer but 2300 with chips and I can't justify that much.Garage is 600 sq feet. Just curious if Reddit thinks I should just pay for the professional or look into a diy kit and rent a diamond grinder to remove old paint? I'm mostly just going for looks as I have a shop for oil changes and repairs. [link] [comments] |
| Replacing one railing on Trex Transcend composite deck Posted: 11 Sep 2020 06:07 PM PDT Hello! I live in the midwest and had some hail damage to my deck rail. I was able to order just one replacement rail from a Trex dealer but I can't even begin to figure out how to get the old one off! I watched an assembly video for ideas but I'm still lost. The old one seems to be on tight! https://imgur.com/a/0SABrqT [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 11 Sep 2020 05:15 AM PDT I'm sort of worried about what product to use to match the existing color of the new slats but really just want peace of mind because I think when it was pressure washed maybe that exposed it more to the elements? Also my son has a water table on the deck so it gets a fair amount of draining water each day. If there's something that I can apply that will provide protection and even color coverage for new and old slats I'm all ears. I live in Florida so get a decent amount of rain and sun. Thank you! [link] [comments] |
| Noticed a crack all along my ceiling, should I be concerned? Posted: 11 Sep 2020 04:09 PM PDT Dining room cealing https://imgur.com/gallery/V6LbzjL Threw in a link to a picture of it,.kinda dark but you can see it and it spans from wall to wall. I'm a new homeowner and kinda worried, should I be? Edit: phew! Thanks everyone, I'm at ease now. I'll tape it and sand it when the time comes. [link] [comments] |
| Confusion regarding scale buildup and low Total Hardness Posted: 11 Sep 2020 04:06 PM PDT We moved into a home recently and these obvious signs of scale buildup in areas. The dishwasher was coated in white crust (making it non functional), white stains around all the faucets, and white crust in the shower heads. I was sure that we would need a water softener. Tested drinking water hardness to determine sizing of the unite with pool strips and it came out low: 3-6GPG. Bought drinking water test strips on Amazon. Multiple tests on hot and cold water showing 50mg/L or less than 3GPG. Seems like these levels don't require a water softener. Honestly not sure what the problem may be and whether a water softener will help me with my scale buildup problems. [link] [comments] |
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