Home Improvement: Check Your Dryer Vents Regularly - Prevent A Fire |
- Check Your Dryer Vents Regularly - Prevent A Fire
- Check your water supply hoses regularly to prevent a flood
- Our Kitchen Remodel
- YSK: Water heaters do require maintenance and you should replace your anode rods if it has been 5+ years, or if your water smells like sulfur/rotten eggs
- Halogen bulbs
- Washing Machine Outlet Box - 8 in center
- Can I use green board to patch a large section of drywall where green board wasn’t used?
- What is this?
- Might be buying a home with aluminum wiring. Some questions. (Florida)
- Walk out basement leaks where foundation meets wall; sheathing under siding has rotted
- Looking for some flooring recommendations and help
- What should I consider when buying a washer and dryer?
- Our bathroom sink was a little weathered and would get dirty really easily, and required almost frequent cleaning, so I decided to buff it to see if it would help. Spent about a half hour on it and I'm quite pleased with the results.
- Help picking materials for deck/platform underneath bell tent
- Pet proof closet with 2 sliding door
- New Homeowner, disaster situation, need help
- Sagging joist question
- How to reduce mildew smell in NorCal house?
- Sound proofing for condo near major highway
- Rustoleum Tub-Tile Kit on cultured marble surround
- Just purchased a portable washing machine with a "quick connect", or so I thought. But that's not what it has, and I need help figuring out what to do.
- Needing advice on replacing circulator pump on my boiler
- Electrical installation after insulation and vapor barrier installed?
- Help us give these beautiful floors the life and love they deserve
| Check Your Dryer Vents Regularly - Prevent A Fire Posted: 26 Oct 2020 10:47 AM PDT I had to move my dryer out over the weekend to do a plumbing job. I discovered that my 5' rigid vent with 2 elbows was very filled with lint. Not kidding, there is an elbow at the dryer, 5' of rigid pipe, and another elbow to the high flow vent cap. I tried cleaning it with the vacuum but a lot stuck. Since aluminum vent pipe is cheap, I replaced the whole thing. Also vacuumed the dryer out. I was surprised at such accumulation in just a 5' run. Check yours regularly. Clothes will dry faster and you might just avoid a fire in the process. [link] [comments] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Check your water supply hoses regularly to prevent a flood Posted: 26 Oct 2020 04:36 PM PDT The post about cleaning your dryer duct reminded me about checking your supply hoses/lines to washers, steam dryers, dishwashers etc. A few weeks ago I looked behind the washer to see if something had fallen behind it and noticed a large bulge on the hose. It looked as though it could rupture at any moment and even if I had been home it would have made a huge mess. I shut off the water and went straight to the hardware store and replaced everything with braided steel lines. So check those hoses and use the braided steel covered ones if you can. [link] [comments] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 26 Oct 2020 01:50 PM PDT We decided to remodel our kitchen without spending a crapload of money back in August and because there were a lot of DIY components it took much longer than I originally anticipated. Overall the total cost ended up being around $10K which I think is fairly cheap. Most of the savings came from not ordering new cabinets but instead closing the gap to the ceiling and painting them. Below is the rough breakdown of the cost for this project. Originally we planned to do everything DIY except the countertops, but in the end we did pay somebody to install the tile backsplash because of how exhausted we were and just wanted this to end. The hardest part of this was custom building the cabinet tops and the custom doors. The cabinet frames and walls were easy enough with just using a Kreg jig, but the doors required me to get a router and build a DIY router table in order to make a custom edge profile and the rabbet in back for plexiglass. Also, the angled half-lap criss-cross was not easy since I had no woodworking experience. They built cabinet tops are by no means perfect, but they are mostly for looks so I am ok with the imperfections especially since you can't see them unless you climb on the ladder for a close look. Location: Midwestern US.
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| Posted: 26 Oct 2020 12:28 PM PDT Especially with winter coming, you don't want to pay $$$$ for a technician or plumber to come out to replace your hot water heater in an emergency. They are known as "sacrificial" anode rods because the minerals in the water bind to it instead of the lining of the water heater, which cause corrosion and other sorts of issues. I live in an area with very hard water, and when I pulled mine out it was slimy, disgusting, and smelly. [link] [comments] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 26 Oct 2020 06:25 PM PDT Can you put halogen bulbs in enclosed fixtures? I hear they burn pretty hot af..and I wouldn't wanna burn down the house obviously . Don't care to use led or CFL so please don't recommend that. Was thinking of something like this Thanks! [link] [comments] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washing Machine Outlet Box - 8 in center Posted: 26 Oct 2020 07:16 PM PDT I am buying a duplex from my neighbor and helping him with some repairs first (he is a carpenter by trade so I'm trying to learn some things). The washing machine outlet box on one of the units needs to be replaced but it is apparently an older style with the water lines on ~8 inch centers. All we have been able to find are much smaller boxes. This will require more pluming work. Does anyone know where to get the older style or have suggestions to ease the plumbing work. Thanks in advance. [link] [comments] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Can I use green board to patch a large section of drywall where green board wasn’t used? Posted: 26 Oct 2020 07:11 PM PDT The only reason is I found some on FB Marketplace and HD and Lowe's won't cut it in store to fit in my car. [link] [comments] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 26 Oct 2020 05:13 PM PDT I have two of these raised concrete pads in my basement - 1920's Massachusetts 2family home. One is 24x30", other is 24x36". Both are about 6" high and next to the slop sink, both appear to have some type of rebar embedded. They seem too small to be intended for a laundry machine, but perhaps I'm mistaken. Any ideas, reddit? [link] [comments] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Might be buying a home with aluminum wiring. Some questions. (Florida) Posted: 26 Oct 2020 08:31 AM PDT Long story short, we may be putting in an offer on a home that we know has aluminum wiring and no grounding. We don't have the inspection report yet, but based on some other things we know about the place I have a couple of questions:
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| Walk out basement leaks where foundation meets wall; sheathing under siding has rotted Posted: 26 Oct 2020 07:18 PM PDT I just bought a house with a walk-out basement that leads to a courtyard that is below-grade and surrounded by retaining walls. The foundation of the house is only a few inches higher than the grade in the courtyard. There are drainage issues with the courtyard. It is graded and sloped towards drains, but I believe that the soil alongside the foundation cannot absorb and transfer heavy rain fast enough and it creates momentary pooling. We just experienced a leak for the first time; I ripped out the drywall and insulation alongside the leak to see that the bottom 2-3 inches of sheathing along the foundation have rotted away, allowing you to the ground outside through the wall. Some rats took advantage of this and made the wall their home. First of all, I know that the drainage issue needs to be addressed, and I believe trenching along the wall and installing a gravel french drain will prevent pooling. Worst case scenario, I install a sump pump instead of letting gravity do the work. As far as the siding and sheathing goes, I have no idea how to approach this. It's wooden siding and the sheathing is some sort of fibrous material. The siding is actually in good condition, it's the sheathing underneath that needs replacing, and also some sort of protection against the elements. From what I can tell the sheathing is directly exposed to the outside with no membrane, flashing, waterproofing, etc. Anyone have any idea what kind of contractor I would contact to remove the siding, replace the sheathing with appropriate measures to prevent it from rotting away again? Is this something a siding company could handle? [link] [comments] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Looking for some flooring recommendations and help Posted: 26 Oct 2020 09:30 PM PDT Moving to a new house in a few weeks and a major thing we are going to do is replace the flooring. It has original hardwoods from 1940 which we love, but we have two very energetic large dogs. I'm looking to go with a high quality durable plank flooring but one issue I'm concerned about is noise. The house we are in now originally had vinyl plank and the noise was unbearable, even just with the dogs walking on it. We replaced it with glue down vinyl plank. Has anyone had any luck with a locking waterproof vinyl plank that was not noisy or found a way to dampen the noise? TL;DR - dog claws make vinyl plank extremely noisy, is there a way to make the new vinyl plank flooring we are installing not noisy? [link] [comments] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| What should I consider when buying a washer and dryer? Posted: 26 Oct 2020 05:36 PM PDT First-time homebuyer here 👋🏼 and starting to think about purchasing a washer and dryer. It has to be front load, but other than that I have no clue what to look for. Buy new? Used? Warranties? Price? Brand? I would appreciate any and all recommendations from anyone out there. Thanks! [link] [comments] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 26 Oct 2020 07:48 AM PDT All wet sandpaper, I started with 1000 grit, and worked my way to 2500 grit. I finished with some metal polished I had lying around with a buff ball that I had chucked into my drill. A different polish designed for marble would probably work even better. [link] [comments] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Help picking materials for deck/platform underneath bell tent Posted: 26 Oct 2020 09:14 PM PDT We have a 16' diameter tent (similar design to this https://imgur.com/J4PlDfT ) we are planning on leaving up permanently in our backyard. Location is Southern California with sandy soil, so we get some rain that does muck up the ground a bit. I was planning on building an 18' x 20' deck to put the tent on, so it would be stable, level, and slightly warmer. What type of lumber would you recommend? Only a small amount of the deck would be seen, and just the front 2/3' will be walked on. Trying to do this on as much of a budget as possible, but also want to do it the right way. Thanks [link] [comments] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pet proof closet with 2 sliding door Posted: 26 Oct 2020 08:51 PM PDT I have a closet with 2 (mirror/glass) sliding doors (picture). The left door can slide to the right, and the right door can slide to the left. What's the best way to prevent pets from opening the closet door? I'm pet-proofing things in my home with different solutions, like the toilet lock and cabinet lock, but I couldn't find a solution for my closets. Any thoughts? [link] [comments] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Homeowner, disaster situation, need help Posted: 26 Oct 2020 01:16 PM PDT Please feel free to delete this if it's not allowed. I'm stuck in a really rough situation right now. I closed on my house on Thursday and have been moving into it. It's an older house, built in 1974. We took a normal VA loan and had an inspector and appraiser check the property for needed repairs. My wife takes a shower yesterday and finds that the tub upstairs isn't draining, the base of the toilet is seeping water, and the ceiling started leaking in the dining room. I call a plumber to come and check it out, $850 later we find out that a sewage line has completely rusted through on the bottom and is filled with dirt. They say that repairing the line will cost me $15k and leave my house torn up. I've already contacted my homeowners insurance and they haven't really helped. They put me in contact with a drying company but my adjuster hasn't answered when I called with the update from the plumber. Should I go ahead and have the plumbing company start with the repair? I burnt most of my savings on this house and don't have $30k to fix it if the insurance doesn't want to cover it. I just need some advice, please. [link] [comments] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 26 Oct 2020 08:31 PM PDT I have recently looked at two townhouses (two floor condo) with sagging floor joists. One with noticeable uneven floor on second floor, and cracking line in ceiling along joists. On first floor ceiling was also not level. Then again today at a different property, same thing only not as extreme. What is going on? Two different developments with same style units and same exact issue with joists? [link] [comments] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| How to reduce mildew smell in NorCal house? Posted: 26 Oct 2020 03:53 AM PDT Our apartment (Marin) is starting to smell musty and mildewy. It's hard to describe but it is I think the scent of damp wood in every room. Would a dehumidifier help this? Or do I need to check for mold instead? Not sure how to detect mold but am open to any options here. Thanks! [link] [comments] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sound proofing for condo near major highway Posted: 26 Oct 2020 02:15 PM PDT I bought a condo near a major highway back in June. My unit is angled away from the highway with only my laundry room and guest bedroom directly facing it. The master bedroom is furthest away from the highway. When I was looking to buy it, I only noticed the highway noise in the highway facing rooms. In the living room and master bedroom, I heard very little. After moving in, I was so happy that I was finally living somewhere quiet. Prior, I was living in a ground level apartment. I was frequently woken up by my upstairs neighbors walking around and my roommate getting up in the night. By mid September, it seemed like the highway noise got louder. I'm not sure if it actually became louder, or I just became more aware of it. Since then, it's been driving me nuts. It's all I can focus on when I'm trying to sleep. I bought a new white noise machine (the lectrofan evo) to try and mask the noise. I still hear the highway, though. I've looked into buying indow insets, but I have read varying things about how much they help. I've also looked into noise dampening curtains. I'm not sure how much that would help either. I have a wooden door with a window in the center that leads to the balcony from the bedroom. When I put my ear against the window and around the door, it sounds like most of the noise is seeping in around the door. What ways can I try to fix this? I think most of what is keeping me up is vibrations from large trucks and motorcycles going by. Is there anything I can do to help decrease this? Thank you! [link] [comments] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rustoleum Tub-Tile Kit on cultured marble surround Posted: 26 Oct 2020 06:58 PM PDT I am redoing a guest bathroom and the surround of the tub/shower is a brown cultured marble. I want it to be white, so I am using the tub/tile kit. I am not resurfacing the tub, just the surround. Can Rustoleum Tub and Tile work on cultured marble and how well should I expect it to hold up? [link] [comments] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 26 Oct 2020 04:44 PM PDT EDIT: How ignorant I am, didn't occur to me when I started on this panic - since I wrote the below, I was able to take the hoses off the rental and put them on my unit - they fit. So I can get one of those, no problem. I'm leaving this thread for posterity - I hate people who delete. :) So at this point, I'm fine. :) I live in an apartment. I was renting a portable washer through the complex but decided to purchase one. The one I landed on: Magic Chef 3.0 cubic foot (link to Home Depot, from whence I purchased it). Picture: https://ieh.im/i/201026-192916.png Here's the connectors it came with: https://ieh.im/i/201026-193024.png and https://ieh.im/i/201026-193103.png That's a problem, I think, because I have to hook this up to my kitchen sink. The one I'm renting has a drain/fill quick connect that looks like this: https://ieh.im/i/201026-193209.png - note that while the title says "magic chef", the description says "GE". So I don't know if this part would work for my machine or not. I can't find a similar part on any other site. I'm a computer geek. I am NOT good with household stuff at all. This was already a stupidly scary purchase for me because $400 is a lot of money for me. And I thought I did my research well enough - a quick connect was mentioned, so I stupidly assumed it had a drain/fill connector like the rental has. :( So I have a messy set of interconnected questions:
Actually, I suppose since the washer I have now is a GE, and the drain hose really looks very much like that - what are the chances it's the same damn part? I'll go ahead and post this because it's already late, but I will update this post later after my wife gets home and can help me see if we can temporarily install that hose from the rental onto the unit we just bought and see if it works. So maybe, if I'm lucky and that works, I need a little less help -- IF that works. lol. But also going ahead and posting this because any advice/experience/feedback you have would help reassure me, because right now I'm in a stupid mild panic about this. Let me fix website/server problems. I wish I had the budget to hire some "overpaid" appliance guy - overpaid in quotes because a professional in an area you have no experience in is worth it. lol. Okay, thanks for letting me worry and ramble and ask my questions. I appreciate the help. <3 [link] [comments] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Needing advice on replacing circulator pump on my boiler Posted: 26 Oct 2020 02:39 PM PDT I have a 25 year old boiler and I'd like advice on how to replace the circulator pump on it. It's not getting any power anymore. I've bought a replacement part for it but I'm not sure how to remove the old pump and nervous with plumbing. I've added some photos https://imgur.com/a/AhQyu5V/ First turn off the power. Then I believe I should turn off the main water line to the boiler. Then I should turn off the individual ball bearing valves that go to each zone. Now I would be ready to turn open the drain valve and drain what water so I could replace the circulator pump. Is this The right course of action? What's the knob in the second photo. [link] [comments] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electrical installation after insulation and vapor barrier installed? Posted: 26 Oct 2020 09:53 PM PDT The basement in my son's home had the outside walls (metal) framed, insulated and vapor barriers when he bought it new. How would one go about installing electrical in these seemingly close to finished walls? [link] [comments] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Help us give these beautiful floors the life and love they deserve Posted: 26 Oct 2020 09:43 PM PDT The floors in the house that we are purchasing have many scratches, stains, and scorch marks from a couch that cought on fire years ago. Itherwise, they are in good condition, relatively flat, look to have plenty of wood left to sand. These are solid wood but we are not sure of the species. The house was built in 1935 when there was a large lumber mill just 2 miles down the road that prided its self on its dense long leaf yellow pine flooring. I have been doing some research about how we can revitlize these before we move in. (Furniture in pic belongs to seller) This is my plan of action. I am aware of the risk of a diy floor job but my husband and I both have experience in the construction industry and woodworking that should help us. I would like your opinion and suggestions on how we can bring new life to these beauties!
Extra info: we live in south Alabama, we have too many pets so a lighter colored floor would be easier to keep looking clean, Im not concerned with making the floor perfect and removing its character but the previous owner has left many unsightly scratches from chairs and such that I would like to see gone. Also, we would like the scorth marks gone so that we can but a clear sealent on the floor. I dont have a oicture of the scortched areas because the seller has a couch in the location covering it. [link] [comments] |
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