Home Improvement: PSA for those with sump pumps: if your pump is CONSTANTLY running with or without rain, consider how low your pump sits in the pit. |
- PSA for those with sump pumps: if your pump is CONSTANTLY running with or without rain, consider how low your pump sits in the pit.
- I'm going to get to build a house for myself - what should I do/not do?
- Use bathroom fan exhausts that don’t let animals in.
- Example of why I hate having others do things; what's your story?
- What kind of wall board is this?
- It ain't pretty, but finally got rid of the pull chains in my workshop.
- Just installed a water softener - is normal for water to stay in brine tank?
- Hiding TV cables above a fire place
- What's the best way to remove subfloor from joists when it's been glued down?
- Should I exchange this new Toto Drake II tank I received?
- Can’t remove Frigidaire wall oven
- Installed new cabinets, sink lip is a hair higher than cabinet edge.
- Outdoor Spotlight Buzzing Sound?
- Food smells upstairs
- At some point the sill plate on a load bearing wall was replaced and I'm concerned that the studs weren't sistered properly. Does this need to be addressed?
- Small amount of water seeping up from the floor when washing machine is running?
- Do I put anything between insulation and drywall??
- How much work is it to keep mulch edging looking nice?
- Bay window chipping
- Hire architect vs Online House plans?
- Finished attics
- Vibrating noise when close bedroom door and ac is on
- After a few years, my light fixture was suddenly not working. I took it off the ceiling and found the ground wire was not connected. Upon connecting the ground wire, the fixture now works. Why? This makes no sense to me.
- Should I use primer before painting on old exterior paint?
| Posted: 31 Oct 2020 02:58 PM PDT For 3 years I was CONVINCED that my home was on top of a natural water spring because my pump ran 24/7. After having a drainage system installed in my backyard to direct water away the pump was still running just as frequently. After 3 professionals told me that I was on top of a spring and I would just have to deal with it and replace my pump often I did my own research. I found some people that had the same problem and one of the guys fixed it by elevating his pump about 12 inches. The problem for him was that the pump was pumping water from the natural water table and since the pump was below the normal water level trying to clear the water was a futile effort. So I did an experiment. I turned the pump off and measured how high the water raised in the pit over time. At first the water poured in and raised an inch every 5 minutes but eventually it stabilized at 12 inches from the bottom of the pit and stayed there for 6 hours. This has been a major point of stress for me because I didn't even think I'd be able to sell the house when buyers heard the pump working constantly and I was thrilled to realize that I'm not on a spring. All I had to do was raise the pump and the issue was solved. It took me forever to find this solution and the experts were no help so I'm hoping this might reach someone dealing with the same problem. [link] [comments] |
| I'm going to get to build a house for myself - what should I do/not do? Posted: 31 Oct 2020 07:35 AM PDT Some time within the next 5-7 years, I'm going to have the opportunity to build a home for myself. It will be in a mountainous southwest community (think Santa Fe / Flagstaff) so likely no basement. Given the experiences people have had here, what would you be sure to include? Make sure DIDN'T happen? [link] [comments] |
| Use bathroom fan exhausts that don’t let animals in. Posted: 31 Oct 2020 05:32 PM PDT I replaced a bathroom fan (and exterior vent) that we knew birds were living above for years. They got in from the outside vent (which didn't close when the fan wasn't running) and there must have been a hole in the exhaust coil they went through. After removing the old fan, I cleaned out the space — here are rounds 1 and 2: https://imgur.com/gallery/OEBPGAH [link] [comments] |
| Example of why I hate having others do things; what's your story? Posted: 31 Oct 2020 06:49 AM PDT Do you often times find yourself finishing the job? I had 2 1997 Pella Proline's fail on me; one sliding patio door and one window. Decided to replace rather than repair. I ordered about 3 months back and delivery was free with install, so I just went with it. The replacement Pella patio door and window arrived and they came to install Friday. The window was quick, but I knew the door was going to be a hassle. Sure enough, he had a heck of a time getting everything aligned so it would close. I was sitting back, kind of chuckling that I didn't have to do this. Everything looked pretty decent except the latch is a little tight. All in all, I was happy to finally have a usable door again. When leaving, he mentions the weatherstripping has wear and needs to be replaced. Okay, no biggie. Yeah, biggie. When he pulled the door, he must have pulled about 2 inches of weatherstrip off one of the corners on the bottom and side. You can literally see through it not to mention the draft of cold air. WTF! The only thing I liked about these doors was they were fairly weather tight. So, now I'm going to have to hack something in place until they come back and fix the dang thing (or just do it myself). [link] [comments] |
| What kind of wall board is this? Posted: 31 Oct 2020 05:31 AM PDT Looking to do some wall patches. Home is built in 1940s and I'm the second owner. Wall appears to very solid and smooth to the touch. No lathe just stud framing. Total width approx 3/4". Thoughts? [link] [comments] |
| It ain't pretty, but finally got rid of the pull chains in my workshop. Posted: 31 Oct 2020 08:16 AM PDT Got sick of the pull chains and my wife hated walking in the dark to scoop the cat in the basement so I put in some switches. It ain't pretty, but gets the job done. http://imgur.com/gallery/8bPJwOG [link] [comments] |
| Just installed a water softener - is normal for water to stay in brine tank? Posted: 31 Oct 2020 05:02 PM PDT I installed fleck 5600sxt yesterday and it appears water stays in the brine tank all of the time. I thought water only goes in there a few house before recharging.. Won't this dissolve all of my salt super fast? I put in 2 bags of salt. [link] [comments] |
| Hiding TV cables above a fire place Posted: 31 Oct 2020 06:42 PM PDT I'm looking to hide some tv cables above a fire place. Is there any issues that I should be careful of when doing this? Is there any chance of there being space between the chimney and the wall so I won't have to drill though studs? I'm currently planning on using this dual PowerBridge to go through the wall. This is my first project in my first home so any help will be greatly appreciated. [link] [comments] |
| What's the best way to remove subfloor from joists when it's been glued down? Posted: 31 Oct 2020 08:42 PM PDT I removed all the screws and the plywood still feels super solid. Can't feel it budge at all. My first thought is to use a skillsaw to remove strips and then try and pry from underneath. I'm avoiding using a heat gun as the floor is covered in cat urine or something that's been there since we moved in 4~ years ago. [link] [comments] |
| Should I exchange this new Toto Drake II tank I received? Posted: 31 Oct 2020 08:42 PM PDT New Toto Drake II tank has orange stuff on the inside of tank and a weird mark on back. Is this normal and they just allow it since it isn't visible on the front/outside? [link] [comments] |
| Can’t remove Frigidaire wall oven Posted: 31 Oct 2020 07:59 PM PDT I've got a Frigidaire wall oven — model GLEB30S9FSA — and I can't get it out of the wall to install a new one. I've found the owners manual and I apparently need a wall oven removal tool, but Amazon is out of stock and Frigidaire doesn't make them anymore. I think I'm supposed to put the tool in the little square holes to unlock some sort of clip, but I'm not super sure. Anyone have any experience they'd like to pass along? [link] [comments] |
| Installed new cabinets, sink lip is a hair higher than cabinet edge. Posted: 31 Oct 2020 07:59 PM PDT Will this cause a problem for the countertop installers? It's a 16th of an inch or less. [link] [comments] |
| Outdoor Spotlight Buzzing Sound? Posted: 31 Oct 2020 04:44 PM PDT Last summer we installed an outdoor motion-sensing spotlight very similar to this one. Recently, we noticed that when we turn it on, one of the lights doesn't turn on and instead makes a loud "buzzing" sound. It will occasionally turn on correctly without the buzzing after a few moments of being on. We thought it might be the bulb, but even with no bulb, that side still buzzes. The working side doesn't seem to buzz and never has any trouble turning on. Hoping to not have to change the fixture, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. Any ideas before we resort to that? Edit: Just wanted to add the bulbs are LEDs and if I remember correctly they came in the box. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 31 Oct 2020 02:18 PM PDT Does anyone else have an issue in their house where the kitchen food smells migrate upstairs? I can't understand it, since my kitchen exhaust fan goes directly outside. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 31 Oct 2020 06:12 AM PDT https://i.imgur.com/DHxuned.jpg The "sister" stud only goes up about 2 feet, the original stud is no longer making contact with the sill plate and there is no shim or stud forced in underneath it. To reiterate, this is a outside load bearing wall, and I'm concerned that this might not be sufficient? It was my understanding that the sister stud needs to span from sill to top plate and then be nailed/screwed to the top plate, sill plate, and neighboring stud? If I do re-resister this, it would effectively double the width of the stud... how would that impact insulating qualities? This affects 8 studs in a 14ft span on a walk out basement wall that's about 30ft long (a 14ft and 11ft wall with a door in between them). I opened up this wall due to leakage and this was one of many surprises I found... [link] [comments] |
| Small amount of water seeping up from the floor when washing machine is running? Posted: 31 Oct 2020 07:13 AM PDT So I recently noticed a little bit of water coming up through the cracks of my flooring when my washer was on. I looked all around the outside of the machine and didn't see any leaks. Any ideas on the cause? [link] [comments] |
| Do I put anything between insulation and drywall?? Posted: 31 Oct 2020 05:00 PM PDT I recently started working on a house that has had some work done to it, but needs plenty more. The outside is going to get new siding and wrapped with tyvek. It was suggested by someone to use tyvek on the inside as well between the drywall amd insulation. I did some internet searching and some people say this is a bad idea and I saw a couple mention of 4 to 6 mil plastic. House is located in Western PA...any recommendations?? [link] [comments] |
| How much work is it to keep mulch edging looking nice? Posted: 31 Oct 2020 10:08 AM PDT Working on revamping my yard and making it look nice! The landscaper just threw mulch on the grass when he planted the new bushes and I think it needs some edging. I like how this looks: https://imgur.com/a/jUemJub But how much work is it to keep looking nice? Will grass trimming fall in often and make the mulch look bad? Should I expect my lawn service to trim it when they cut the grass? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 31 Oct 2020 03:43 PM PDT https://imgur.com/gallery/wbd8R3n Any concern here folks? The wood underneath feels a bit soft. My (very excitable) dog sits up there a lot which is why the paint is chipped, but wondering how I fix this. Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Hire architect vs Online House plans? Posted: 31 Oct 2020 04:37 PM PDT Perusing a lot of online house plan sites and interested to hear pros and cons of anybody who has used one vs the other. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 31 Oct 2020 10:59 AM PDT I'm looking at houses with and without finished attics. Can somebody give me the dummy's version of what it takes to finish one? ALSO, isn't there a ton of wasted storage space in the typical finished attic (see example pictures)? Does anybody have examples of attics that utilize this apparent wasted space? [link] [comments] |
| Vibrating noise when close bedroom door and ac is on Posted: 31 Oct 2020 07:48 PM PDT Hi Had this issue since we moved in, but when we close the master bedroom door while the ac is running, we hear a vibrating noise intermittently. If we open the door, noise goes away. Any ideas? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 31 Oct 2020 07:43 PM PDT The title is best TLDR for this post, but here is more detail. WHAT HAPPENED: I have a barn with several simple light fixtures (the fixture being a plastic disk that holds one light bulb, similar to this picture). Over the years, the fixtures just stopped working one at a time until I had about four fixtures that would not work (tried several light bulbs to make sure it was the fixture and not a bulb issue). Finally got tired of it and climbed my ladder to take a closer look. Turning off the breaker first, I took off the plastic fixture. The only thing that caught my amateur's eye was the copper ground wire was not connected to the fixture. It was apparently never connected as it was folded up neatly in the top of the box. I pulled down the ground wire, wrapped it around of the open screws and tightened it. Flipped the breaker back on an voila, my light bulb is now working. I moved on to all other broken fixtures and found the same thing. Ground wire not connected. Connected it, and it now works. Taking down a working fixture revealed it too did not have the ground wire connected (again, this fixture was working). I left this fixture untampered with and put it back to the wall without connecting the ground. MY THOUGHTS: This strange pattern of none of my fixtures having the ground wire connected is really puzzling to me. I thought not connecting was not only a bad practice, but straight up dangerous? I had professionals do the electrical work in my barn (I know my limits). I don't understand why connecting the ground wire to the fixture would suddenly make it work again, especially as the already working fixtures also don't have the ground connected.
If helpful, here is a picture of my light fixture after I have attached the ground wire. https://imgur.com/NyOB6nF [link] [comments] |
| Should I use primer before painting on old exterior paint? Posted: 31 Oct 2020 07:32 PM PDT Should I use primer before painting on old exterior paint, or can I just put new paint on top of the old paint? Thanks. [link] [comments] |
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