Home Improvement: Hiring a contractor |
- Hiring a contractor
- Cut floor joist by accident with circular saw. Should we repair that?
- Heat Under Tiles in Bathroom
- Sewage line backed up, snake can’t reach the blockage and this is going to cost me some serious dough.
- House smells like raw sewage when we use the fireplace
- 2nd floor Supports are Cracked
- I accidentally flushed a little piece of plastic and now my toilet is acting weird. What can I do?
- Tips for Interior Painting
- What home renovations tend to return the full amount you spend on them or more?
- Weird marks on ceiling
- Need help know what this is?
- Getting Rid of Granite Stains
- Should this area on the chimney be closed off?
- Adding a shelf to existing cabinet
- Kichler Path light?
- Putting in alcove tub into wall with plaster/lath
- Filthy floors- what to do?
- Has anyone ever cleaned mud and sediment from a well?
- Good power tools brand?
- Tile underlayment for fireplace skirt
- Is cutting that 2x4 a dangerous thing?
- Replacing old plexiglass skylights. What type of contractor? Roofers? Window installers?
- What are these 1-inch holes in my concrete basement floor?
- Dining room chair leg broke on a bad angle.
- [Help] What To Do With Extra Windowless Room?
| Posted: 21 Nov 2020 04:50 PM PST It seems that a lot of folks on this sub Reddit are newbies who have not dealt with contractors and don't know the procedure to get a project done. I have owned a house a long time and have had many contractors do work for me. I'm pretty handy, but I know when I can do something and when to call in a pro. The following is my list to hiring a contractor. Please add your own suggestions to make the list even better.
3 Ask for references, check to see if they have Liability and worker's compensation insurance. Always hire licensed contractors. Check to see if there are complaints against them with the licensing agency and the better business bureau.
10 Most contractors are small business men and Do good work and take pride in what they do. However, there are a minority who just want your money and just don't care about the work quality. I hope this helps and other Redditors add to the list. Thanks [link] [comments] |
| Cut floor joist by accident with circular saw. Should we repair that? Posted: 21 Nov 2020 02:16 PM PST My friend was cutting out his flooring and, dummy, had the saw fully down and cut across a floor joist twice, about 12" apart, about 2 or 3 inches deep. I really know nothing about this stuff, but is there something we should do to repair that? Like maybe put on a aluminum or steel bracket over it? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 21 Nov 2020 05:15 AM PST My wife and I have a guest bathroom, and the roll in shower (previous owner had a handicapped son) has heat at the very corner of the shower. It starts at the corner meeting the exterior wall, and goes down 2-3 tiles. You can feel a mild warmth on the floor (at the very edge) in my office, which is on the other side of the shower. I wouldn't say it's hot enough to burn, but you can feel that it's pretty warm. I don't see any sign of water damage anywhere, or signs of standing / leaking water in the rooms. I actually had a plumber check for a slab leak about 1-2 months ago, because we had a moisture problem under our floors. It turns out that the house wasn't sloped right, and the water was standing during heavy rainfall. We've replaced all of that floor, but didn't see evidence of water coming through / near the bathroom that has this heat. Would this be a leak, even if we're not actively running water? We didn't run any water all night, and the water heater isn't hissing / showing signs of being "in use", yet the tiles are still warm. Any input would be helpful. For context, we do live in South Florida.. but I don't know if heat coming from outside could cause this. EDIT: I'm reading that it could be a hot line close to the surface, heating the slab, which then heats those perimiter tiles. For what it's worth, it almost seems warm in one spot, a tiny break (maybe a small tile or two), and then it's warm again. I'm no genius, but I suppose this could mean one or two things... A. It's leaking in two places B. There's two pipes and they're both a bit warm EDIT: I've done surface temperature testing now. It's 111.7-112 degrees Farenheight on the warm tiles. It then goes to ~80 degrees Farenheight at the very next tile (away from the wall), and gradually dips down further down the wall. There is another area at the wall of the shower where it goes up (say 105 degrees Farenheight for a tile), and then cools again until I get to the pipe right under the toilet. I assume the toilet doesn't have hot water coming through / out of it. What crazy thing could this be? My water bill has been normal since we've bought the house, and I had the flooring ripped up outside of the bathroom for a week. I didn't see any standing / leaking water in that time. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 21 Nov 2020 05:16 PM PST TLDR: plumbers couldn't snake my clogged drain line to the home, now they say they only way to fix the problem is to install clean out lines in my front yard costing me much more than I anticipated. So, I'm in the middle of doing a renovation project on my home anyway, but this was not on my list of things to do. I come back from putting away tools in the garage this morning and think to myself "wow, what smells so bad? It almost smells like sewage..." Sure enough, I walk down to the basement and find black water coming up out of my floor drain in the laundry room and filling my bathtub in the basement as well. I call a few companies and mr. rooter can get a tech out to me in an hour or so. I start frantically using my shop vac to pump out the floor drain, dump the bucket outside, and repeat. I probably did this around 10 times or so before the drain stopped overflowing. Then I move onto doing the same thing with the bathtub, and around that time the plumber shows up. The plumber takes the toilet off the upstairs bathroom (my home is a ranch style with the two bathrooms stacked, using the same drain line for both) and proceeds to use all of his line in the snake without unclogging the line. After about an hour, his manager comes to my house dressed in his normal street clothes and starts troubleshooting the issue with me and the plumber. He gets out his camera snake and goes about 140' out before the camera comes to the blockage. I also need to mention that in my state, the homeowner is responsible for the line into the street until it reaches the city tap. So this is my responsibility to pay for the fix. Their only solution at this point is to dig up my front yard and install clean out pipes so they can reach the blockage by going in from the outdoor pipes. I completely respect the manager, he came out to my home on his day off and spent 3 hours or so explaining the situation, walking me through what he believes needs to happen next, and even helped me fill out the paperwork for a small loan. This is going to cost me roughly 7K, and I'm just wondering if there's another way to clear the blockage? Anybody have anything like this happen to them? They're going to bring a jetter with them tomorrow to blast the line clean as well as install the clean out lines, but for tonight it looks like my wife and I are peeing in a bucket. [link] [comments] |
| House smells like raw sewage when we use the fireplace Posted: 21 Nov 2020 05:41 PM PST This has been a weird phenomenon that's been going on for around 2.5 years. Our fireplace isn't gas operated, so there's no chance of a gas leak, and the fireplace itself doesn't actually smell. The kitchen and living room however always smell like literal shit after around an hour or so of the fire going. Called several pest control people that have checked under the house, behind cabinets etc. no pest problem. Any ideas? [link] [comments] |
| 2nd floor Supports are Cracked Posted: 21 Nov 2020 02:42 PM PST So I am not currently a home owner or anything, but I would like to be soon! My wife and I were looking at a house and it really only has one concerning issue, and it's that a couple of the beams that support the second floor seem to have some issues. One looks like it has split and been repaired with a metal plate, and another looks like it was a log joined together with a couple pegs and it cracked around one peg. It's definitely making the floors above slope in. Here's some pictures: https://imgur.com/a/SYCvz5T The big question is just how big of a deal is it? Should it be a deal breaker for the house? Is it just a matter of fixing it in the next X months? How much/how hard might it be to fix it? My wife is very concerned that if we bought the house that the floor might fall through in a month. I am less concerned and see it as something to fix and maybe ask for a lower price because of it. She tends to be way more cautious and less inclined to repair, and I tend to overestimate how easy things are to take care of. Thanks in advance for all your help! (Also posted on r/homeowners) [link] [comments] |
| I accidentally flushed a little piece of plastic and now my toilet is acting weird. What can I do? Posted: 21 Nov 2020 07:24 AM PST We have a little $20 bidet installed and the front cover flap must've came off without me knowing when I was cleaning yesterday, and now when I flush the toilet the water level raises very high first and flushes very weakly. Is there anything I can do without having to hire someone? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 21 Nov 2020 05:38 PM PST I should be closing on a house in January. There's a few interior bedrooms that we'd like to repaint. The walls are in good shape and are currently painted, we just want to change the colors. Any tips for completing a first time DIY paint job? [link] [comments] |
| What home renovations tend to return the full amount you spend on them or more? Posted: 21 Nov 2020 03:33 PM PST I saw that fireplaces frequently do, and can even increase home value, often by around 6% but potentially more. I'm wondering what else falls into this boat. I've only found a few articles online talking about the highest return of your money when you sell, but the improvements they mention always seem to be less than 100% and none of them even mentioned fireplaces. I found that out on my own while researching them out of curiosity. Correct me if I'm wrong, but a fireplace seems like a no brainer if you plan on selling, can get some use out of it personally and in general for your area, don't overspend when adding it, and do the research on your local market to see how ymmv compared to the average. Thanks in advance! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 21 Nov 2020 07:59 AM PST Has anyone seen something like this? We just moved into this house and noticed these dark marks on the ceiling. They appear to be on the studs and extend the whole room. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 21 Nov 2020 06:58 AM PST Hello, First time poster on this reddit section. I am sorry if I am breaking any rules. I am also posting via mobile app. I am seeing some things oozing out between the tiles in the basement of my house. I am a first time home buyer and I do not know if this is anything serious? Link to the problem https://m.imgur.com/a/nCacme5 [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 21 Nov 2020 07:40 AM PST Our granite was installed a few months ago and was (supposedly) sealed property. Since then, we've had several stains on it. Things such as strawberries (wasn't even on there for more than 5 minutes), spaghetti sauce, and flavored water have all made their way inside of our granite with seemingly no way to get them out. Does anyone here have any products that they'd recommend? Baking soda and water/vinegar has done nothing to any of these. [link] [comments] |
| Should this area on the chimney be closed off? Posted: 21 Nov 2020 12:57 PM PST Chimney experts: should this be blocked off in some way? Mine is wide open. I had a squirrel get in my basement and I heard scratching through the fireplace. I suspect he got in through here. [link] [comments] |
| Adding a shelf to existing cabinet Posted: 21 Nov 2020 05:57 PM PST I have a cabinet that my wife's sister had built her when she lived in an apartment with limited cabinet space. In our house that we now own, this isn't a problem, so it's been sitting off to the side, collecting dust. Today I was going over some plans to build a workbench for my tools in the basement. Before I purchased supplies, I glanced over at this, and realized it's roughly the size I was going to build. The doors to the cabinet had fallen apart. I intend to keep using the drawers, but beneath that I would like to cut the framing for the doors off, and install a shelf across the middle of it. How should I go about doing this to make sure that the shelf is supported, as well as the drawers above it? Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 21 Nov 2020 05:42 PM PST Hi - I'm the second owner of my house and making my way through some updates to the landscape lighting. I have 1 "path-looking light" that is different than the rest of the psth lights. Here's a picture of the top of the device. It looks like a standard path light but doesn't appear to have a bulb. https://imgur.com/qQT4ABb Does anyone know what this is? Thanks [link] [comments] |
| Putting in alcove tub into wall with plaster/lath Posted: 21 Nov 2020 08:21 PM PST US-CA [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 21 Nov 2020 06:34 PM PST I moved into this house built in the 50's that has had many negligent occupants (it was filled with garbage, dirty diapers, ect when I moved in). It has hardwood floors that have paint, wax, and other crap SEALED UNDER VARNISH. I've scrubbed, vacuumed, and steamed but nothing works. I don't know where I would start with this but it drives me insane. COVID is really bad around here and I'm a college student so I'd prefer any DIY solutions but I am open to other ways of fixing this. I am somewhat OCD about cleaning so this is something that is a nonstop source of anxiety for me- please help! I also don't want to just slap carpet over it because carpets are filth traps, hardwood is more sanitary and is much prettier as well. [link] [comments] |
| Has anyone ever cleaned mud and sediment from a well? Posted: 21 Nov 2020 05:11 PM PST We bought a house last year with a shallow well. We have been doing a complete renovation and have not used any water it quite some time. We recently used some on an outside spigot (the main water line is disconnected from the house) and the water became muddy. Turns out our pump was sucking up mud and sand. We were able to free up the pump and installed a filter as well. Here's the big problem- the well is a shallow well and about 35 feet deep (as far as we can tell dropping a weight to measure). There is only 3 feet of water in there. And we've had a very wet summer-more than usual. The guy that cleaned our pump/installed the filter says we need to go down in there and clean the mud and sand out of the bottom to "release" it so the well can fill back up. He is willing to do this with a block and tackle system and $800. My question is- does that make sense? I obviously don't know anything about wells so anyone that can offer any insight or advice would be great. Thanks in advance! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 21 Nov 2020 09:50 PM PST Hi I'm looking fo a good christmas present for my dad. He does diys around the house quite often but currently has a set of crusty off brand power tools. Any recommendations for power tool brands and their products? [link] [comments] |
| Tile underlayment for fireplace skirt Posted: 21 Nov 2020 05:50 PM PST Hi all, The previous homeowner had plywood under the tile for the fireplace skirt. I was wondering if I should/could use cement board as the underlayment rather than plywood. Tia [link] [comments] |
| Is cutting that 2x4 a dangerous thing? Posted: 21 Nov 2020 05:32 PM PST I think these images are more explicative than my following description: https://imgur.com/a/4pkr5UY I want to build a box inside a wall to store shoes. I would need to cut a 2x4 that is supporting one of the floor beam. I am thinking that I could fix an horizontal 2x4 between the the two other remaining 2x4 to support some of the bearing. I am wondering if this sounds like a stupid idea? Is that 2x4 doing so much bearing work that it couldn't be removed? Update 1: I did the obvious that I should have done first and put my head in to see what is happening at the end of the floor joist. I took some more picture and did a top view drawing. It looks like the 2x4 I want to cut is supporting the rim joint, as are the two other 2x4 surrounding it. As for the floor joist, it is only fixed to the rim joint with nails. New pictures: https://imgur.com/a/0VRxF0M (Unsure if the coupled 2x10 (yellow in my drawing) are actually called a rim joint, or a header.) [link] [comments] |
| Replacing old plexiglass skylights. What type of contractor? Roofers? Window installers? Posted: 21 Nov 2020 11:32 AM PST My house has a pair of 2x4 plexiglass "bubble" skylights. They're probably original to the house so figure 30 years old. Like worn car headlights, they're cloudy and opaque and need to be replaced (the roof is far too steep for me to attempt a "headlight restoration"). The current skylights aren't curb-mounted but I'm wondering if I should switch to a curb-mounted style going forward. My real question, though, is what type of contractor is typically used for this type of job? I've spoken to roofers and to replacement window installers and both say they're willing to do it. If I switch to a curb-mounted style (meaning that the curb would need to be built), is a roofer the more appropriate contractor since it involves flashing? [link] [comments] |
| What are these 1-inch holes in my concrete basement floor? Posted: 21 Nov 2020 09:15 PM PST Working on finishing my basement, and came across some 1-inch holes in my concrete floor. There is one hole roughly in each corner of the room, and looks to be maybe 6 inches deep or so, and then it kimd of looks like it intersects another horizontal hole of the same diameter or it maybe just ends. Vacuumed out some legos, acorns, etc. that precious owners seem to have stuffed in it. Basement has no moisture issues. I am wondering if I should retain access to these in some way, or plug them up. Our radon levels are borderline, and I do wonder if these holes may be providing easier access for the radon to get into the basement. [link] [comments] |
| Dining room chair leg broke on a bad angle. Posted: 21 Nov 2020 06:58 PM PST One of the kids broke a leg on one of my dining room chairs. Its a terrible split and i have no idea how to piece it back together....usually I would glue and clamp but since it is such a long break im at a loss. [link] [comments] |
| [Help] What To Do With Extra Windowless Room? Posted: 21 Nov 2020 05:14 PM PST I have a windowless room in my basement that's just under 11'x11'. Any ideas what to do with it? It's got a drop ceiling at 7' high, and a layer of carpet. Looking for creative ideas! [link] [comments] |
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