Home Improvement: [OPEN DISCUSSION] Weekly thread |
- [OPEN DISCUSSION] Weekly thread
- DIY Painting kitchen cabinets
- What the hell is this dial in my girlfriend's house? It seems related to electricity.
- Project Planning: AC for small 980 sq ft condo
- Advice to enclose outdoor pool?
- How do I cover dark paint?
- What do you guys do/use to make your house smell good?
- Help! Removing bajillion corks from wall
- Looking for any decent audiobooks/audio resources for someone new to home improvement.
- Simple Planning Software?
- House Falling Apart - Frugal Housing
- What type of countertops should I get?
- Skylight installation
- Sump Pump Question
- Cannot slide off doorknob after depressing tab doorknob neck
- Is it possible to use a regular locking doorknob and make it a deadbolt?
- Found tree roots in yard
- Replace front door hardware without changing every lock
- Advice for closet systems?
- Save the granite?
- Care of Drywall Knives
- Rust stains on grout
- I think my toilet tank has black mold. What should I do?
- Improper floating laminate floor
- New home build, I'm watching build for projects, but what is this special duct work for?
| [OPEN DISCUSSION] Weekly thread Posted: 04 Oct 2020 05:17 PM PDT Welcome to the (roughly weekly) Open Discussion thread.
We do this for a few reasons. We know some folks are hesitant to create a new post for a small question they may have. Well, this is the place to ask, and discuss. At the same time, with a growing community we find ourselves having to limit the posts that may be off-topic to the primary purpose of the sub (home improvement questions and project-sharing posts). These topics include home warranty companies, general painting advice, room layouts, or rants about companies, contractors, and previous owners. While these may be of interest, we are trying hard to provide a venue that will both allow, and constrain, the conversation. Thus, this thread. Thank you for participating.
Just a reminder to stay away from any personal or disrespectful commentary. From the sidebar:
If you haven't already, please review the sub guidelines.
Have fun and stay safe folks! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 04 Oct 2020 08:43 AM PDT Whether it was Covid or too much HGTV (flipping 101). My wife wanted to paint our cabinets white. Me being too cheap saying I can do that! Overall for 2 weeks and $300 it looks great. Check out the link. [link] [comments] |
| What the hell is this dial in my girlfriend's house? It seems related to electricity. Posted: 04 Oct 2020 09:33 PM PDT |
| Project Planning: AC for small 980 sq ft condo Posted: 04 Oct 2020 05:32 PM PDT Hi all, I have a small 980 sq ft 2 bed, 2 bath condo with a small patio. I would like to install AC because the only AC I have currently is a small and very old wall unit in the living room. Neither bedroom has AC. I live in an area where it is not uncommon for temperatures to go above 100 F. I've checked the CCNR's and it looks like I will need to clear this with the HOA board, which means I would like to have a tidy plan to present to them in terms of what I plan to do. I am also trying to budget for this project, which also means I need to get my ducks in a row. I would like central AC, but I don't know if it will be feasible with the HOA. Also, it is my understanding that this is the most expensive option as well. I do have central heat, though, and believe I can use the same ducts. I'm also looking into ductless air conditioning, but I'm not familiar with it and even after reading several explanations online, I'm still confused. So, I've made a list of questions (for now) that I'm hoping you all can help me with!
Thank you!!! [link] [comments] |
| Advice to enclose outdoor pool? Posted: 04 Oct 2020 07:03 PM PDT Hi all, I am in East TN. Winters aren't too bad but we can sometimes get some now. Summers are hot and humid. I have a Fiberglass pool in the ground with a concrete deck. Roughly 35 feet wide by 50 feet. What is the most affordable way to enclose this pool so it can be used year round comfortably? I would also like it to look at least somewhat nice. I've thought of Pole Barns, Solariums, etc. Really could use some advice. Thank you [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 04 Oct 2020 07:08 PM PDT So a relative painted our house a while ago and did an awful job. The color of choice (not mine) is a dark blue, similar to the one that's really popular on exterior homes in the US right now. Not quite navy, but more of a navy/gray? Anyways, it's a high gloss paint in our living room. He covered a super super soft pink. So soft you could only tell it was actually pink in certain lighting. Well the paint has peeled in some spots, and others he just did a sloppy job and there are massive blue streaks on our ceiling as well as adjoining walls. I can't post pics to reddit but instead of stopping at a corner, he did one streak onto the new wall. He ended up not coming back which leaves us with a half painted house. 2 walls have a dark, uneven streak on an almost off white wall. My ceiling also has some random streaks. How in the world do I get rid of this? My fiancé thinks we can just paint over it with white and not have to worry. I read somewhere to sand gloss paint to help new paint hold. Also, what do we do about the spots that are peeling? Will that affect the hold of a new paint? Tbh I would be happy with a white living room for now just to get rid of this color. [link] [comments] |
| What do you guys do/use to make your house smell good? Posted: 04 Oct 2020 11:04 AM PDT My house isn't messy because I'm constantly cleaning but the house has a "lived in" smell. We use those glad plug ins but they get expensive when I'm using about six at a time and they don't last very long. [link] [comments] |
| Help! Removing bajillion corks from wall Posted: 04 Oct 2020 11:18 AM PDT Corks! We just bought this house and the previous owners created this "wine room" that has thousands of wine corks glued to the walls with Liquid Nails! Some pop off easily, some don't. I don't expect many people to have experience removing wine corks from walls but any ideas how to approach this? Attempt scraping them off, or just remove the plaster along with the corks and drywall the room? We are doing extensive renovations anyways so I'm leaning toward having my contractor just demo and drywall but I am a DIY person at heart. [link] [comments] |
| Looking for any decent audiobooks/audio resources for someone new to home improvement. Posted: 04 Oct 2020 06:39 PM PDT Basically what the title says. I have begun reading what I can around here. But it would be nice to have a good audiobook or something like that that I could passively listen to while driving and putzing around. My skill level is at the "knows enough to know I don't know enough" level. I can swing a hammer and I am fairly handy in that I can usually resolve immediate issues with duct tape, bubble gum, and gumption when im backed into a corner. But at the same time i lack experience and basic knowledge. So yeah. Audiobooks or other resources to get me going would be greatly appreciated. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 04 Oct 2020 07:43 PM PDT Does anyone have any semi-dummy-proof software they like for space renovation planning? Looking to map out my garage and my shop (just placement of shelving, benches, etc. that I need to build), but I don't know autocad. Thanks in advance! [link] [comments] |
| House Falling Apart - Frugal Housing Posted: 04 Oct 2020 06:25 PM PDT I am not sure if this belongs here but here we go. My father has been living in the same double wide trailer house for over 30 years and it has come to a point where his health and safety is in jeopardy now. (Ceiling is peeling and has started to fall into itself in multiple rooms, central HVAC no longer works and he lives in the deep south with 100+ degree summers, floors and walls have started to rot in spots, and roof is no longer able to keep the weather from coming inside). At this point, I don't think the trailer house could even be salvaged. He suffered a stroke a few years ago, lost mobility in one of his arms and went through a depression that he never acknowledged (he is a typical "southern good ole boy"). He doesn't fully acknowledge how bad his house has become and has made no plans to repair it or find another place to live. He is very attached to the house due to old memories and the property it sits on has been in our family for decades. He will not move to a different location so I have begun to research options to build on his property. He is self-employed in a rural area and does not have the funds or credit to do this himself, nor would he choose to willingly. He is just existing in this house whenever he is not working and does not have a quality of life currently. It has been really hard to see him live like this and not even care about his own safety. I am seeking advice and resources to be able to either build out a small tiny house for him to move into or purchase a prefabricated shed to modify for him to live in. My brother and I have limited funds to do anything extravagant and want to build either a tiny house or modify a shed. The idea is for us to do it for him so that when the time comes he will have no option but to move into the new house since it will be done and ready to go without him having paid a cent. If anybody has any experience doing anything like this it would really be helpful to hear your thoughts or ideas. I have no experience in home improvement/construction. My brother has light experience in carpentry. We are at our wits ends. TIA and apologies for the wall of text. TL;DR: Seeking recommendations for a frugal / thrifty alternative for housing for my father since his trailer house is falling apart. (tiny house, prefab shed, yurt, anything that is cost effective) [link] [comments] |
| What type of countertops should I get? Posted: 04 Oct 2020 03:50 PM PDT Looking for something with little to no upkeep. Our kitchen is medium sized and we have a budget of about $3,000 for materials and labor. Medium sized kitchen and LCOL area [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 04 Oct 2020 05:43 PM PDT I might get skylights installed. I might get my roof replaced. Do these sentences have anything to do with one another? Should I get someone to install the skylights prior to getting the roof done? Or would I save money by having them done at the same time? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 04 Oct 2020 08:25 PM PDT First time homeowner here, please bear with me if it is a silly question. Is it normal for a sump pump to be totally submerged in water? I just checked my sump pit, it was filled up to 3/4 and the pump was totally submerged. Looks like the water was there for quite a while as it looked too dirty. The pump had two power cords so I pulled the back one (in the pic) and connected to wall outlet so the pump kicked in and pushed water out (saw the home inspection guy doing it to check the pump). The attached are the after pics but you can see the water line and the dirty pump. Is this normal? pump seems to be working fine but I'm concerned whether the auto trigger float thingy ain't working. Should I try pouring more water? The sump pit is sealed and I had to take the pics from the small hole that you see. Any help is greatly appreciated and thanks in advance! [link] [comments] |
| Cannot slide off doorknob after depressing tab doorknob neck Posted: 04 Oct 2020 05:32 PM PDT I have a privacy lock set on my bathroom and it needs replacing. From inside the room, on the knob, there is a little tab that I should be able to press to slide the doorknob off, but it still won't slide off. Anyone got any tips? [link] [comments] |
| Is it possible to use a regular locking doorknob and make it a deadbolt? Posted: 04 Oct 2020 06:31 PM PDT I'm trying to make a closet more secure but I don't want to draw attention to it. I've got a locking doorknob on it, but I'd rather a deadbolt. Problem is, I don't want it to look like a deadbolt. Any ideas on how best to accomplish that? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 04 Oct 2020 07:49 PM PDT |
| Replace front door hardware without changing every lock Posted: 04 Oct 2020 07:46 PM PDT The internals on my old front door hardware has failed and needs replacing. It was an old set like this with a handle below and deadbolt above. My wife would like to replace it with something that can lock from the inside as you're walking out the door without turning around using the key from outside, like this. What makes this more difficult is that we have seven other locks around our house that have the same key pattern as the existing deadbolt. I would like to avoid changing all seven locks just to add one. Is it possible to buy the set with two locks (deadbolt and handle) and have the new lock keyed to match our existing keys/locks? OR should I replace this with something like a "smartkey" set and then somehow rekey them with smartkeys? Thanks in advance for reading, I appreciate any support provided! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 04 Oct 2020 04:54 PM PDT Has anyone done DIY closet systems? I have 3 closets all different sizes that need to be "updated" and I'm looking to put some closet systems in. Not looking for the wire variety. Hoping for something like this Brands to seek out or to avoid? Stores purchased from? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 04 Oct 2020 07:34 PM PDT We are living in a home that we'd like to convert to a rental in a few years. I searched this sub and didn't find anything related. The previous homeowners did a lot of DIY, one of those being painting cabinets. I'd like to completely replace them with higher quality wood (they are flimsy, peeling, streaks, etc.). Can the granite be salvaged? I'm hoping to DIY the cabinets (RTA or IKEA) and just put the granite back down? Tile backsplash also would be staying. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 04 Oct 2020 05:52 PM PDT When your done do you scrub them? Then Dry and Oil? Or do you scrap them on the trough, and let a little mud dry, then sand them when your ready to use them? Mine keep rusting and I end up light sanding them. Do you care about a little rust in the first batch of mud? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 04 Oct 2020 05:51 PM PDT I am new to well water and the master bathroom grout is all orange around the bottom in the shower. I have tried 4 dif methods and have only been able to lighten it to a pale apricot from orange. Websites say "how to clean it" and it sounds cleanable. Does anyone know if this is a tear-out or cleanable and if retile the whole shower how do I really keep grout white? Any help would be appreciated!! TIA [link] [comments] |
| I think my toilet tank has black mold. What should I do? Posted: 04 Oct 2020 09:31 PM PDT First of all, I live in an apartment. I've had this issue for months but it's just now seeming to effect my health. My toilet bowl get this disgusting build up around the ring at the top of where the water sits in the bowl and streaks from where water feeds in from the tank. I've cleaned the bowl and the tank with vinegar and some bleach, but it came back. I showed my maintenance man the bowl a few months back and he said it was "normal" and to just clean it. This isn't normal. I've never in my life seen this kind of build up on toilets. [link] [comments] |
| Improper floating laminate floor Posted: 04 Oct 2020 05:40 PM PDT Hi all, first time poster here. I recently bought a house, and it has a single finished room in the basement. Unfortunately, the previous owners installed the laminate flooring improperly and it has some pretty significant bulging in the middle (likely forgot to cut clearance at the edge). Is there a way that I can fix this, or do I need to commit to completely redoing it? My budget is pretty small these days with all of my other project and any advice would be very much appreciated. [link] [comments] |
| New home build, I'm watching build for projects, but what is this special duct work for? Posted: 04 Oct 2020 02:27 PM PDT I have a new home build that should be done late November, I've been watching the build and taking lots of pictures from the moment it was just dirt. Everything has made sense so far except the ductwork just got installed and I have no idea what this special vent and ducting is for. Pics linked below. The vent box is located in the middle of the hallway and the ducting goes straight to the roof. The AC is located on the ground somewhere else and the blower unit is located somewhere else also, so I know this isn't a return duct. The inside vent fins themselves seem to imply one way direction of airflow from outside to inside. Is this just a pressure differential vent in the event of significant higher pressure outside the house? I tried Googling so many different things but I don't know what the keywords are for whatever this thing is! Anyone have any ideas? I don't think it's a mistake or anything I just want to know what the hell it is, lol. Thanks for any advice! [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