Home Improvement: How many leaves can a 14" length of gutter possibly hold? |
- How many leaves can a 14" length of gutter possibly hold?
- Watch out for relatives during the contractor shortage
- The major bathroom reno that took over a year, and was full of distractions
- Gas fireplace pilot light is orange, not blue
- What is this called? And how do I get it open?
- New construction home... Will I regret not getting rough-ins for a ceiling fan/light in all the bedrooms?
- How can I make this old brick basement more attractive? (NJ)
- Electric Meter Between Walls?
- Cost of addition on 1st floor, vs. 2nd floor addition overhanging a patio
- Any idea of how to paint over flex seal liquid?
- New floor doesn’t look right. What do you think?
- Best way to heat a 700sqft Shed/Bedroom? - Is a Pellet Stove a bad idea(I already bought it :/)?
- Beeping inside a wall in my house
- Help figuring out how to optimize closet space?
- First time hiring a contractor questions
- Stuck pocket door
- How to freshen up my (new to me) kitchen?
- How do I level this subfloor for laminate flooring?
- Removing "stomped" ceiling
- GFCI breaker in unbonded main service panel
- Should I be worried about this gap? (Panicking)
- Ideas for making a sloped-bottom closet usable? (Denver)
- Grout cleaning help
- Changing a hard water supply line to a flexible line. Weird shutoff valve.
| How many leaves can a 14" length of gutter possibly hold? Posted: 15 Oct 2020 03:31 PM PDT 7 gallons, that's how many leaves (or mostly dirt because of the years of neglect that poor gutter went through). I should mention that's there's also no trees near the gutter. The husband left the tall ladder in our front yard after trimming our apricot tree and I got sick of looking at it so I put it away this afternoon. I decided to take the scenic route down the other side of the house and pop on up ye olde ladder to peek into the gutter to see if anything has blown in. Yup. The entire length was completely filled to the point of overflowing with solid dirt from the years of leaves hanging out up there. I know our house is just riddled with deferred maintenance (or shady coverups) but I still shake my head at the lack of even basic housekeeping done by the previous owner or tenant. We're partly to blame because we haven't cleaned it out in the 2 years we've been here but it seems like our time is filled focusing on the bigger, potentially dangerous things. Any time we're outside, we've been attempting to revive a highly visible planting bed of un-killable perennials that the previous people managed to gloriously kill just enough to create an eyesore (it's easier and faster to revive 80yo lilacs or really established sedum than start fresh... Make me feel a bit better about buying this money pit by telling me some stupid deferred maintenance things you've found. [link] [comments] |
| Watch out for relatives during the contractor shortage Posted: 15 Oct 2020 12:34 AM PDT My wife just told me my elderly mother in-law just got a quote to re stucco her her house for 36,000 dollars. The contractor told her after his discounts it would only be 24,000 dollars. People who prey on the elderly.... just stop. Edit- the point here is that the contractor makes it seem like they are giving her a screaming deal with his "discounts". There are no magic 12,000 discounts. He should give an estimate on what it would take to do the job. This would be the equivalent to a store marking up a television 33%, and then calling it a sale by asking for the normal retail price. Deception. Misleading. Edit #2- I guess just watch out for your friends and family for everything. We all know a brake job on a car does not cost 4,000. [link] [comments] |
| The major bathroom reno that took over a year, and was full of distractions Posted: 15 Oct 2020 06:53 PM PDT This is a long one. Here we go. August 2018 we bought the house with the intention of redoing this bathroom. We never used it once as we had a newerish one in the basement. Did I mention that I've never done any sort of reno like this before? The only thing I had done in the house so far was paint my cabinets. I consider myself handy enough and I have the confidence to fix stuff when it breaks. If I don't know how then YouTube will teach me. August 2019 I started demo. I gave myself 6mos to a year to complete it. Was not in a big rush since we had the other bathroom. I really underestimated myself here. There was a lot of downtime. I would sometimes go months without doing anything in the bathroom because I just hit a snag that I didn't know how to overcome. I went into this with no real design planning. I had an idea for a layout, but that was it. Everything else was on the fly. Since I was pretty much learning everything as I went, I would spend a good chunk of time researching the best ways to do something(plumbing, flooring etc) and I would only execute that plan when I was confident in myself not to fuck it up, which didn't always happen. Demo started in August, I would say that I fully finished the demo stage in November. This was mainly due to me being lazy, and my wife buying be a Switch and Breath of the Wild(big distraction. Would recommend). By January I still had my subfloor ripped open and was planning my plumbing layout. Once again, I spent a lot of time researching because the last thing I need is to fuck up the plumbing and not know it until the floor is down. Beginning of February is when I finally started cutting into the drainage and moving stuff in the subfloor. Then once again it stopped. In March we found out we were pregnant. Covid happened and in the beginning of April my wife got laid off. So with a new fire under my ass(incoming baby) and one less source of income coming in, I guess I might as well keep spending money on this reno. The subfloor finally went down. In June the Bathtub was purchased, water lines were roughed in with PEX. In July is when shit started picking up. I started to realize I was running out of time, and my poor pregnant wife was having to walk up and down 2 flights of stairs to get to the basement bathroom multiple times a night when this bathroom is right next to the bedroom. My dad started coming out to help out since the pressure was on now. By the end of the month all the drywall is up and mudded. Bath surround ready for tile. Tiling the bathtub took fucking forever(read). I totally overestimated myself. Since I was only doing this on weekends, it took a few weekends. By this point my wife was 8 months pregnant and it was a neck n neck race between me and the baby. September 21st is when the toilet finally went in for my poor wife. I had to get the floor tiled and grouted, and the baseboard done first. Oh and did I mention that I had a nursery room to do? Because why not? We started that mid September. Thankfully just paint and trim so it only took a couple of weekends to complete. But still, another distraction. This past weekend is when I finally got the bathtub properly caulked and sealed. Fixtures and curtain rod installed. And today I sit here in the hospital room with my wife and newborn daughter and I can say that she won the race on this one. I'd classify it about 99% done. I still have to install some fake floating shelves in the storage area, and put down one long tile for the floor transition. Those won't take long(probably another year at the speed I move) Here's the pics: Wasn't really tracking costs. I've got a ton of receipts from home depot that I really don't feel like diving through. Here's some rough numbers: Drywall/studs/subfloor - $500 Tile/underlayment/thinset - $800 Plumbing & fixtures - $700 Electrical - $100 Trim/shiplap - $600(this includes the bedroom) Bathtub & toilet - $600 Vanity - $1400(Wayfair, nuf said) Labour - my time is worthless Since this was a learning experience for me, there was a lot of wasted material(mostly plumbing) so the costs are skewed a bit. There was quite a bit of trial and error on some parts of this. Also I purchased a lot of new tools for this which I did not include in the costs above. Overall I'm very happy with how both rooms turned out. Though I must admit the tile around the bathtub can be much better. Shouldn't have used the levelers as I think they caused more problems than they solved. Oh well, live and learn. [link] [comments] |
| Gas fireplace pilot light is orange, not blue Posted: 15 Oct 2020 05:00 PM PDT I just noticed my gas fireplace pilot flame is orange and not blue. It's been orange for the past couple of days but fireplace still working fine. Do I need to be concerned about this...like is it REALLY a big safety issue? I did try shutting off the fireplace and blowing some air down the inlet which didn't change anything. It also took a lot longer to get the pilot light to stay on than usual but once on, it stays on. Thanks. [link] [comments] |
| What is this called? And how do I get it open? Posted: 15 Oct 2020 05:11 PM PDT |
| Posted: 15 Oct 2020 05:35 PM PDT We have central air, live in the mid-Atlantic, and aren't a big fan of fans. If we change our mind, how difficult/expensive will it be to hire a contractor later? It's about 225 per rough-in. Thanks in advance. [link] [comments] |
| How can I make this old brick basement more attractive? (NJ) Posted: 15 Oct 2020 12:23 PM PDT Hi Reddit! I'm a big DIY'er but this next project is giving me pause and I want to make sure I do it right. My home is an old colonial (111 years old!) with two small basements (one with exterior access only, one with internal staircase access only). Here are some pictures for context: https://imgur.com/a/IFR9rah Both basements have brick foundation walls (with white paint sprayed across EVERYTHING), exposed joist ceilings and rough, uneven concrete/dirt floors. They do have adequate electrical outlets and (poor) lighting but no sump pumps or running water. My first goal is improving the appearance and functionality of the exterior one. A little info: You can only access it through Bilco storm doors. It stays bone-dry during rain/heavy storms and we keep a consumer dehumidifier running with a condensate pump discharging outside. Humidity hovers around 50%. What would you do to make this basement more attractive and more functional? I'm interested in doing some track walls similar to garages with new overhead lighting and wall outlets. Should I take this time to install a sump pit/pump just in case? I'm planning to do as much as possible myself but am open to getting pro's in for concrete. I've just never dealt with such dirty/uneven concrete that I'm not sure if can do anything without breaking it up and re-pouring a new slab to build up from. Any tips of pointers would be greatly appreciated!! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 15 Oct 2020 07:24 PM PDT I have been settling into the house I closed on in July and knocking out some basic projects - mostly cleaning up mistakes the previous owners made or otherwise neglected. The next area I was looking to begin cleaning up is the electrical situation at the house, which amongst general cleanup would involve upgrading the electrical service to the house. A friend of mine who is an electrical engineer came over to help me out identifying some priorities - and we discovered that the utility meter could not be found on the exterior or interior of the house. Well, using some deductive reasoning and a variety of voltage testers/detectors we located and were able to (carefully) expand an access hole in a built in entertainment center/book shelf through which coax cables were run. For context, the overhead power enters the home through an exterior wall approx 30 ft from the location of the meter. Has anyone ever seen something like this? While not a residential electrician, the friend who helped out did warn that any permitted and inspected electrical work on the home may necessitate the electric meter be relocated to comply with the NEC. I can't imagine this was ever up to code frankly, as this makes it look that the addition to the house was built on top of the meter. Thanks for any advice or guidance. [link] [comments] |
| Cost of addition on 1st floor, vs. 2nd floor addition overhanging a patio Posted: 15 Oct 2020 03:08 PM PDT I'm looking at 2 possible additions.
Assuming all else is the same (sqft, PEM, etc.), is there a major cost difference between the two? [link] [comments] |
| Any idea of how to paint over flex seal liquid? Posted: 15 Oct 2020 03:21 PM PDT Hi guys. I recently used flex seal liquid rubber sealant on a couple area of my basement floor. I was not aware that it is not paintable until trying just now. Is there some sort of primer that will allow my basment floor paint to adhere to this stuff? Any other ideas? Thank you. [link] [comments] |
| New floor doesn’t look right. What do you think? Posted: 15 Oct 2020 07:16 PM PDT My sister-in-law just had new flooring installed and it's hard not to notice how uneven it all looks. Is this considered normal? [link] [comments] |
| Best way to heat a 700sqft Shed/Bedroom? - Is a Pellet Stove a bad idea(I already bought it :/)? Posted: 15 Oct 2020 08:32 PM PDT So for reasons I live in a Shed that's around 700 sqft and we renovated the walls to have proper walling. Currently I am using a shitty old woodstove and am trying to replace it, I bought a Pellet Stove but have read more reviews saying you can well die if the power goes out due to smoke build up. If the Pellet stove is properly vented and has a backup battery should everything be fine? I want a way to stay warm comfortably this winter and possibly a better woodstove is another option but I'm not too well versed with heating options. Money isn't much of an issue and I would like to properly heat my shed/room and survive! This is the Pellet Stove I purchased: https://www.castlestoves.com/Product/serenity-wood-pellet-stove-1 . If there is a way to guarantee safety with the pellet that would be best but otherwise I can see if a refund is still available if it's truly not safe. [link] [comments] |
| Beeping inside a wall in my house Posted: 15 Oct 2020 08:24 PM PDT Beeping sound coming from inside a wall near a Cat5 cable and a coaxial cable wall mount. Above that receptacle is a small vent. I was able to remove the vent cover and take a video inside the hole with my phone. The sound must be coming from a small black box that the cat 5 and coaxial cables are attached to. I turned off all breakers in the house and beeping continues so it must be battery powered. I don't see how I can get to it without cutting into the wall. Anyone know what this is and what to do about it? [link] [comments] |
| Help figuring out how to optimize closet space? Posted: 15 Oct 2020 09:41 PM PDT Hey, *waves* So, I'm dipping my toe into home reno and one of the first things on my list is improving the space utilization in our closet, particularly the top third of the closet. Our closets are filled to the brim upto a certain height (clother rack) above which it's all dead space. Imagine free space about 34 inches back to front and 29 inches from the top of the clothes rack to the ceiling. PIC I'm thinking I should be able to fit two shelves above that for general storage.
Is there a better way of utilizing this space? Looking for ideas... [link] [comments] |
| First time hiring a contractor questions Posted: 15 Oct 2020 07:13 PM PDT Hi r/HomeImprovement!! First time poster here, and first time hiring a contractor. I've had a read the FAQ and it is incredibly useful and I am hoping that I can build a bit on what I learned from the FAQ... I'm looking at two separate renos, approx 8,000$ and 12,000$ each for some window/flooring work to be done. We have gotten around 4-5 bids on each job and found two contractors with what appears to be reasonably large companies that have done a great job explaining the job/materials/basically guiding us through the process. The price seems reasonable after getting one of our friends who is knowledgeable about this sort of stuff to double check. We are in Canada and one company has an insanely good rating on homestar (something like 1000+ reviews and over 9.5/10 average reviews) and the other company suspiciously has a perfect 100% review on their own website, but has been referred by some trusted local contacts. The problem is now that after around 3-4 weeks of back and forth communication and negotiating final price, one party (12000$ job) is refusing to write a contract and the other party ($8000 job) is refusing to specify a completion date in the contract (but their contract has ridiculously specific provisions for us, including an additional 20% penalty if we back out of the contract after paying the deposit etc). The $8000 job qualifies for a government rebate by a specific date, but the sales representative is not willing to include the product specifications in the contract, which is needed to qualify for the government rebate. They are both asking for 50% deposit upfront, which will essentially cover 100% of the material cost. As mentioned before, I am new to this, and it's gotten very frustrating dealing with these guys. I am obviously very leery of providing a 50% overall deposit before any work is done, and even more so when these guys won't even commit to a completion date on contract, and the other party refuses to write a contract. I'm not in any clear rush to get the work done. I just purchased a house this year and hoping to live in it for a long time, so I want the work to be done well. I am so sick and tired of dealing with these guys. I am getting to the point where the contractors have made me feel like I am the one who is being unreasonable for not wanting to put a 50% deposit down. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 15 Oct 2020 04:26 PM PDT I recently purchased a home with a pocket door leading to the master bathroom. The previous owner tiled the bathroom floor on one side and installed hardwood on the other, trapping the pocket door from coming out. I can see the adjustment bolt but can't seem to turn it. Does anyone have any ideas for adjusting this door while recessed or possibly removing it without having to remove drywall. The reason I don't want to remove drywall is because my stand up shower is on one side of the wall and a door to my walk in closet is halfway where the pocket door is currently. Any help would be greatly appreciated! [link] [comments] |
| How to freshen up my (new to me) kitchen? Posted: 15 Oct 2020 06:21 AM PDT Good morning fine folks of r/homeimprovement! I just bought a house built in the early 90s. The kitchen is outdated, but I am using most of my discretionary funds for important fixes elsewhere in the house and I have minimal money left to update it. I was looking for ideas to freshen up the space a bit until I can save up for a reno. Any ideas on paint color/ hardware changes/ etc? The issue is the blue and white tile leaves me with little options for paint colors, so I am confusion on what would look best. I appreciate your time and suggestions! [link] [comments] |
| How do I level this subfloor for laminate flooring? Posted: 15 Oct 2020 08:59 PM PDT I am trying to install laminate flooring in my townhome and there is a joist in the hallway that seem to be raised up by about 0.5 inches. https://imgur.com/gallery/Zgfqupd I searched all over YouTube but I can't find any solutions on how to get this leveled. There was one video where someone suggested using an orbital sander and trying to grind the subfloor down but I feel skeptic about that. Most other videos suggest to use a self leveling compound but I have noooooo experience doing that and I'm worried I'll make things worse. Does anyone have any tips on how I can level this out before laying down laminate? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 15 Oct 2020 06:01 AM PDT Recently purchased a home built in 1986 and all the ceilings (excluding garage) have this texture. The ceilings are only 7'9" tall as homes in my area were built a little lower during that time due to the market and a recession. I'd like to remove this texture and install recessed lighting, opening up the rooms a bit. From what I can gather its likely joint compound that has been painted over (potentially latex based) and hasn't been touched in over 40 years. Here are the available methods: ScrapingInitially go over the surface with a scraper to open up some of the paint, use a garden sprayer to liberally soak areas and then scrape off the underlying sheetrock. Pros:
Cons:
Skim CoatingSand down as low as possible and skim coat with drywall mud Pros:
Cons:
Covering UpSand down as even as possible and install 1/4" sheetrock overtop Pros:
Cons:
Any opinions on these methods? [link] [comments] |
| GFCI breaker in unbonded main service panel Posted: 15 Oct 2020 02:39 PM PDT Ive just installed a 20a gfci breaker in my main service panel. Its a simple circuit that just runs about 5 feet away in the basement powering 3 parallel 20a outlets. They are all wired properly. Just about any load(300 watt led light for example) eventually trips the breaker. The heavier the load the faster it trips(300w led + space heater trips within seconds). I noticed that there is no bonding screw present in the main panel. Could this be a possible cause? I do plan on calling an electrician but would still appreciate input here. Any ideas what might be causing the trips? Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Should I be worried about this gap? (Panicking) Posted: 15 Oct 2020 07:16 AM PDT I am pulling up carpet to replace with floating hardwood, and found this gap between my slab and drywall on the inside of the house. I know an expansion gap is normal (house build in 1962), but this crumbling look has me concerned. Should I be filling this in and/or calling a professional? Foundation shows no damage or anything concerning on the outside of the house. [link] [comments] |
| Ideas for making a sloped-bottom closet usable? (Denver) Posted: 15 Oct 2020 12:42 PM PDT We just rented our first home and unfortunately have a closet that's a bit of a mystery to me. The bottom of it is sloped, and the shelf/rod is quite far back. We're hoping to figure out a way to make this more usable/accessible. Any ideas/tips for adding an additional shelf/rod closet to the front or for turning the sloped bottom at least into some sort of usable shoe storage method would be really appreciated! I'm a mechanical engineer so I'm somewhat handy but definitely a DIY/home improvement novice. We also don't really have power tools at our disposal unless we decide to rent some since we don't have connections in the area to borrow any, and don't exactly have a spare $600 for a new set. The sloped bottom and far back shelving of the closet is (Shown here) Thanks so much for any advice! :) [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 15 Oct 2020 07:30 PM PDT I just noticed that the grout on my side shower wall is very very brown, but I'm not sure what products I should use to clean it! Any tips would be helpful since I'm pretty bad with DIY stuff as a new home owner! Thanks [link] [comments] |
| Changing a hard water supply line to a flexible line. Weird shutoff valve. Posted: 15 Oct 2020 07:07 PM PDT Hello, and thanks for check this out. Here is the valve. https://imgur.com/a/vB4Kftd I'm not exactly sure what is going on here. I have don't have much plumbing experience, but I need to change that hard line to a flexible one. Should I just loosen the top of the shutoff valve there or is there something else going on? That valve doesn't look like any video I watched so I didn't get any help from YouTube where I usually would go for help. Any help is appreciated, thanks. [link] [comments] |
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