Home Improvement: Please help - contractor refusing to do this |
- Please help - contractor refusing to do this
- What in tarnation have I unearthed in my back yard?
- Lockdown entryway/mudroom project, Victoria Australia
- What’s the best saw (or other tool) the cut these bolts?
- Tools needed to replace baseboards throughout entire house?
- Haze on interior painted walls in basement - Driving me crazy, how do I fix this?
- Ventless dryer not drying clothes
- Replacing bathroom fan. Contractor says it looks like a modified table top fan is in there right now.....
- Best way to fill gap between vanity backsplash and drywall?
- Is this pony/knee wall load bearing? How can I tell?
- Couple month old fridge making dirt tasting ice cubes.
- Water heater replacement
- Bathroom fan sucks at sucking, fan problem or hose problem?
- Is it true that choosing coloured house paint is super expensive? And that white or grey is so much cheaper?
- Need to replace main breaker box. Is there a reason to choose one company/design of breaker over another?
- Customized garage cabinet and workbench install
- How to finish door trim
- Toilet Burping
- Shed floor vapor barrier?
- Any Tips to Clear Clog before Calling Plumber?
- How exactly does one outfit their attic for storage?
- Best paint color for bedroom walls? Paint ceiling?
- Putting down LVP in attic bedroom - moisture barrier question
- Patio Furniture Question
- How to approach door sill overhang?
| Please help - contractor refusing to do this Posted: 13 Oct 2020 12:43 PM PDT Hi all, I'm having my shower replaced. The contractor is using durock cement board for the shower walls. When I asked if he plans to apply redguard or a water proofing membrane, he refused. He said "you don't need that. I install 100 showers per year. the cement board and the tile is enough to keep the water out." I'm at a loss.. is he right? I thought it was mandatory. Help! [link] [comments] |
| What in tarnation have I unearthed in my back yard? Posted: 13 Oct 2020 02:12 PM PDT I'm doing a big back yard renovation right now, and I found this buried a few inches below the existing grade. It's like a very rough concrete column (rocks were falling out of the concrete as I dug around it) with some sort of rectangular galvanized sleeve with a cap (it got unearthed and crushed by the mini excavator I have on site right now). For background: This house was built in the 60s and with a septic system in the back yard. before being converted to city sewer in the 90s. This... thing... is not quite in line with where the sewer exits the house, but it is close. And kind of far away; about 30 feet from the house (only another 15 or so to the property line). Seems like it might have something to do with the old septic, but it's not at all where I would expect to find a tank. Maybe something to do with the old leach field? Edit: Boring conclusion. It was a concrete footing. I'm not sure what made me think it was septic related, but I'm always nervous I'm going to hit something important every time I stick a shovel in the backyard. This is the 9th footing (but first unexpected one) I've pulled out of this yard. [link] [comments] |
| Lockdown entryway/mudroom project, Victoria Australia Posted: 13 Oct 2020 02:00 AM PDT Stuck in Lockdown in Victoria, Australia - we managed to buy our first home just before lockdown hit, and settlement was incredibly stressful. Managed to move during the lockdown, but we weren't able to having any work done before we moved in. But, it's ended up making us a bit more hands on! After learning to paint and doing skirting boards in my office I decided I wanted to do some wainscotting or board and batten on a few walls; my partner didn't quite see the point, but once we got a little deeper into it she's happy with and wants the rest of the house done. First hurdle was the 1970s carpentry, the original skirtingboards had the biggest nails in them - put a nice dents in few walls getting them out; learnt to repair drywall too! Once those were cleared I had some 92x11mm finger jointed trim delivered, 22$ a 5.7m length. I ended up with around 8 lengths of theses. Cut everything to length and used a finishing nail gun and liquid nails for the walls. The first wall took me a weekend, between figuring out how to use a tape measure properly; and then taking a while trying to figure out how to use a drop saw to get accurate cuts. After that it took another weekend to finish of the rest, with more measuring confidence I was able to knock out all of the cuts at once and then nail everything in over a couple of shot sessions. Painted today and feeling it coming together, still the trim/board and batten to paint in gloss but super happy with our progress! Trim $176 Paint $40 Caulk $8 Liquid nails $20? I think I could do a room in a day now, and paint the following for time reference. [link] [comments] |
| What’s the best saw (or other tool) the cut these bolts? Posted: 13 Oct 2020 03:40 PM PDT |
| Tools needed to replace baseboards throughout entire house? Posted: 13 Oct 2020 09:02 AM PDT Current home has some hideous DIY base trim that one of the previous owners did. Looking to redo the whole house but room by room as we are currently living here and the place is furnished. What are all the tools that I will need? [link] [comments] |
| Haze on interior painted walls in basement - Driving me crazy, how do I fix this? Posted: 13 Oct 2020 07:00 PM PDT Hey everyone. This is my first ever post on Reddit so please excuse any poor reddiquette (or point it out). So in my bedroom I have been getting this haze (best word I can use to describe it) on my walls. I figured out the best way to get rid of it was to wipe it off with a damp sponge. Using a duster doesn't work, so I assume this is not dust. And using a spray cleaner and towel works, but towel isn't dirty at all after doing so. Which makes me assume the ways aren't just dirty either. Some areas (behind where bed is against wall) even has drips. If anything, and this is a side issue (or maybe related?), on both the sponge and towel after wipe down, I see a little bit of blue (color of the paint). Not like if I dipped them in wet paint, but just a dull layer. I also found this paint chips easy. I have chips near where the bed is against the wall. Could be maybe my hand hitting the wall while I sleep, like my nail or something. But regardless it is weird. I want to point out that after I wipe down the walls, this haze starts coming back within a week, and with every week gets worse. I'm not only posting this because it is annoying to clean and maintain. I want to know what's wrong here. Is it humidity? Is it mould? To give some background on room and temperature conditions. I live in NY. Bedroom is in basement. I have air conditioning but it does not work very well so I rarely use it. Basement has a living room area, 2nd bedroom, and bathroom, all of which do NOT have this problem on all of the walls. Same paint brand (not color) was used in all rooms. And lastly, I do have to say that after sleeping in the room all night with door closed or open and fan on, room still gets warm (or more humid) by morning. I can feel a difference walking in and out of room. I am attaching a link of photos. Each is described, but pictured are areas being a photo hung on wall with area wiped down around it, area above a shelf I have, and area behind where bed meets wall (bed is pulled out for picture). TLDR (do I always need to include this) - Haze appearing on interior painted walls in basement. Goes away with wet sponge wipe down, comes back in a week and gets worse. Problem does not occur in any other room of basement/house. Paint also chips and sometimes comes off on sponge (very lightly but still). What could this be? New to Reddit so help me out if I should post differently. Thanks people!!! [link] [comments] |
| Ventless dryer not drying clothes Posted: 13 Oct 2020 06:04 AM PDT I just moved into a condo in a very old building where dryer vents are not allowed. The condo came with an Asko ventless dryer that seems to be around 2-5 years old. Every time I put my clothes in the dryer, they get wrapped up really tight like a burrito and never get dry. It also makes the dryer shake violently and I'm afraid it will damage the wall of the closet it is in. I really thought there would be more information on how to deal with this online, but I can't find anything about it. I figured there must be some sort of thing that could go in the dryer with the clothes to prevent them from getting wrapped up, but I also can't seem to find anything like that. Does anyone know of a way to prevent this? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 13 Oct 2020 09:07 AM PDT TLDR: janky fan. Need recommendations for replacement (preferably from Home Depot, Lowes, or Minards) So if anyone has seen my previous post, you'll know the last owner of my home was definitely....a weekend contractor in his own mind. I popped off the grill on my top floor bathroom fan after it didn't seem to be living up to it's purpose. I had my electrician look at it while he was out and he said it looked like the past owner just modified a small table fan and threw it up there (so of course my home warranty isn't going to cover it.) Recommendations for replacement? The attic is directly above, I'm willing to pay extra for a better suction. Knocking the job out today, so I need to buy it from a big box. Pics in comments. [link] [comments] |
| Best way to fill gap between vanity backsplash and drywall? Posted: 13 Oct 2020 05:35 AM PDT We recently installed a vanity purchased from a big box store. It's quite nice (I was a little worried about quality, shipping etc.). But there is a gap between the small stone backsplash and the wall. The problem is 2 fold; the wall doesn't seem to be totally flat but the backsplash is also a little bit bowed. This is a half bath in a basement so this small thing doesn't really bother me but I do want to fill the gap to keep water out. I think the gap is wide enough at this point to caulk may just fall in. What's the best way to fill this? Picture vanity backsplash Thank you! [link] [comments] |
| Is this pony/knee wall load bearing? How can I tell? Posted: 13 Oct 2020 08:04 PM PDT Here are the pictures: Its a knee wall around our kitchen that I would like to take down to open it up. You can see the three sides of the wall are the hallway/entrance, kitchen, and the living room. Above the living room is the second story. above the kitchen/hallway is small attic space to the roof. The edge of the second story lines up with the wall. I can't see anything useful (atleast not useful to me) in the attic. I've ask a few people, and some said that there is no way a load bearing wall would use those decorative posts. And that is what I figured when I bought the house. But a couple have said it might be load bearing still. The city did not have blueprints as the house was build in 1964. Although I am part of LA county and someone said they I could try them. I am not sure how else to tell. In the one picture I opened the drywall to reveal a 4x4 at the corner. Which I don't think means much. I am planning to take it out as I feel confident it would not be load bearing. But is there anything worth checking aside from hiring someone to come look? Which if I did hire someone, what would they be looking for? Thank you so much! [link] [comments] |
| Couple month old fridge making dirt tasting ice cubes. Posted: 13 Oct 2020 12:32 PM PDT Hello. I have a relatively new fridge that for the first couple months was working like a charm. We installed the filter and they say it only has to be changed out once ever 9 months... However now we are finding the ice cubes taste like dirt. They're clean looking but noticeably gross. The water going to the fridge hits a tap first and it comes out tasting good from there so I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas what the issue may be? Thanks. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 13 Oct 2020 10:20 AM PDT I have a 75 gallon hot water tank that was installed in 2013. My condo neighbors downstairs say that we should all be switching out our tanks every 8 years to avoid possible leaks and master insurance costs, especially upper floor units. Though I understand why the downstairs neighbors might feel uneasy (we all do because the insurance premium is crazy), I am thinking that the tank is completely fine. We have a 2 full bath home occupied by just me and my wife, and the hot water has not run out even once. The gas bills range from $20-30 per month which includes our gas stove. Should I consider switching it out even though nothing seems broken? And do bigger tanks last longer? I have a pan with a sensor under the tank too, if there was a slow leak. And maybe a more dumber question- can the tanks suddenly burst from the bottom because of old age? If I really should change it at 8 yrs, I was browsing HD for tankless gas water heaters maybe to save some space because the 72 gallon takes up a whole closet. [link] [comments] |
| Bathroom fan sucks at sucking, fan problem or hose problem? Posted: 13 Oct 2020 06:06 PM PDT Hello, DIY newbie here, please go easy on me. The bathroom measures 7x5x8' + 3x2x8'. The bathroom fan is rated at 60CFM. According to Home Depot's formula ( Length x Width x Height x 0.13 = Minimum CFM rating ) the fan has adequate suction. However, after showers, the steam takes a while to clear. And, there are some 'steammarks' on the wall, so it's fair to say condensation is not leaving the bathroom fast enough. My dad thinks if we upgrade the fan to 90 CFM then the issue will go away. My concern is how can I verify whether the connection (from the fan to the outside) was done up properly? If the airway is not efficient, using a 90 CFM fan may not be enough. Thanks for your time. EDIT: My steps are too short. Even when placed on top a small table, my head barely peek through the hole into the attic. Here is a picture of my limited view. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 13 Oct 2020 08:46 PM PDT As above. I don't want everything to vve white and grey. Also is patching lots of holes in fibre cement walls Otherwise called sheet cladding. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 13 Oct 2020 06:08 PM PDT I currently have an old SquareD breaker box that needs to be replaced. I am going to be getting all new breakers at the same time, basically entirely re-wiring my house. I have always before purchased breakers based off the "get the one that fits your box" and have never thought to compare styles when it comes to starting fresh. Are there advantages/disadvantages to different breaker connection types? Do I just go for the one that is cheapest, or is there a reason to get other types? I'm not sure if the details here matter, but the sidebar says to include as many as possible. I'm planning on rewiring the house using mostly exposed metal conduit in the interior and romex under the house. It is a very small house (under 700 sq feet) currently have a 70A (!) supply, but will likely be upgrading during this project. I welcome both personal opinions, and links to sites that give comparisons between breaker types. [link] [comments] |
| Customized garage cabinet and workbench install Posted: 13 Oct 2020 03:48 PM PDT I've been on a decluttering and organization kick this year, and wanted to round out my lumber racks and french cleats in the garage with some cabinets. The goal was to get the most bang for my buck without overcomplicating the install. We're in the process of putting a concrete patio directly on the other side of the door, so this will be a light duty utility workbench, planting spot, and serving area for gatherings. (The real workbench is in the basement with all the big tools.) If you have any feedback on how to improve, please do share. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 13 Oct 2020 11:07 AM PDT Hi there, we moved in to a new home and the basement is partially finished. How would you recommend finished the trim around a door like this? door frame [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 13 Oct 2020 08:50 AM PDT So... my toilet burps. When I flush it, it sends a sweet hefty Poseidon's Kiss right up to meet you. If you aren't there to block the burp, lord knows where it will go. We have had a sewer scope done recently, and can confirm there is no issue there in the main line, but could be an issue with the plumbing in the bathroom itself? Any suggestions on how something like that can be fixed? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 13 Oct 2020 06:46 AM PDT I'm building a 10x16 shed with 2x8 floor joists and I'm getting ready to put the plywood floor down. I'm planning on using 3/4 tongue and groove, but I'm not sure if I should put a sheet of poly down between the joists and plywood. Shed is in northeast US and joists are 10" off of gravel. Any suggestions? [link] [comments] |
| Any Tips to Clear Clog before Calling Plumber? Posted: 13 Oct 2020 05:49 AM PDT Just closed on this house last week and the plumbing seemed to be fine until I started using the laundry sink in the basement. It started backing up into the adjacent standing shower drain. The order of the drainage in the basement from left to right is laundry sink, shower, sink and toilet, washing machine, main drain (and the upper level connects at this point). Everything to the right of the shower (meaning closer to the main drain) works fine. I had a sewer scope performed and it was clear from the main drain cleanout to the sewer. I've tried using a 25ft snake from the shower side. I can't get it all the way down. No real debris caught by it. I've tried using the same snake from the laundry sink's clean out. I can get all 25 feet in and I've gotten some hair and debris and that caused the shower to drain more quickly, but it's still backing up. I've tried using chemical drain cleaner twice, which only seemed to help a little. I've also tried plunging from the shower. Any other ideas or ways to make sure I use the snake better? My Dad seems to think I've maybe poked through the clog with the snake but not caught the whole thing. He doesn't seem to think it would be more than 25 ft away if it's not the main drain. [link] [comments] |
| How exactly does one outfit their attic for storage? Posted: 13 Oct 2020 09:14 AM PDT Here is a pic of my attic space. The fiberglass insulation is old and R-value is much lower than recommended. We're considering replacing it with cellulose or adding more fiberglass, haven't decided yet. I'd like to get this set up so that we can use it for storage space. Assuming the insulation level does not go above the top of the ceiling joists, can you simply lay OBS/plywood across them? Or do you need to have the boards elevated to allow room between the boards and the insulation? If we simply added more fiberglass on top of the existing, I'm certain the level would rise above the top of the joists. What are the options then? [link] [comments] |
| Best paint color for bedroom walls? Paint ceiling? Posted: 13 Oct 2020 09:02 PM PDT So I am currently having my new house being built and I am debating paint colors? To make the story brief I work a lot of night shifts so sleep during the day. So the master bedroom will have blackout curtains. But I was thinking of painting the walls a dark blue to help give the illusion of night and further help me sleep. And suggestions on paint color here? Also what about the ceiling? I've been told by quite a few people to not do it. But I have a tray ceiling in my bedroom and I just feel like it would be weird to not paint it a similar color to the walls. A white ceiling wouldn't go well with blue walls? Anyone have any insights? [link] [comments] |
| Putting down LVP in attic bedroom - moisture barrier question Posted: 13 Oct 2020 02:54 PM PDT Hello! I am in the process of laying down new Flooring (LVP) in my upstairs attic room. I ripped up carpet and subfloor is wide planks with some holes from knots in the wood. Half of the room had 1/4" or so MDF installed - which I also tore up (it was stained and nasty). I am planning on installing similar underlayment over the subfloor to be sure the vinyl doesn't eventually sag where the holes are. My question is - do I need to add this black tar paper stuff between the subfloor & underlayment? They had it down before (originally it was carpeted). I also have foam underlayment that will go down under the vinyl planks. So I have - original plank subfloor, 1/4" underlayment, foam underlayment & then the LVP. The foam me be overkill - but we need it especially for sound dampening. Any help Would be so so so appreciated. I am a bit overwhelmed and honestly not sure I can accomplish this :) thank you!!! Edit to add: just pulled up the last section - no tar paper and all of the subfloor is in perfect condition. So - my conclusion is to not use it. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 13 Oct 2020 03:48 PM PDT So, this is my first time posting to this sub. I hope this question fits. Also, how can a home improvement sub exist while simultaneously not allowing photo posts?! Anyway, I have this old patio set and the seats are heavy as can be. My guess is that the chairs had the same type of plastic slides as the table, but I was wondering if any of you creative folk had any suggestions on how to make these things easier to slide/move. I'm worried that plastic slides would get eaten up on the concrete in no time, but maybe that is the best way to go? The metal legs are solid (not hollow) if that makes any difference in suggestions. Thanks for any advice. [link] [comments] |
| How to approach door sill overhang? Posted: 13 Oct 2020 03:44 PM PDT https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/jao5m8/threshold/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share This is on a concrete foundation. I know I should have done something prior to installing the door, but getting a door installed with the help of a friend on his timeframe was paramount and ruled out any additional prep, beyond removing the old door. I've thought of bricks, pressure treated 4x4, building a mould and pouring concrete, etc. Just curious to know how others would approach this. If it matters, well probably tile or deck the existing concrete porch. Appreciate your thoughts! [link] [comments] |
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