Home Improvement: [META] Black Friday / Cyber Monday posts are NOT allowed. |
- [META] Black Friday / Cyber Monday posts are NOT allowed.
- In terms of Painting, you get what you pay for.
- What are these streaks that randomly appear on the wall?
- Need help with a water leak
- Foundation issue
- How does paint and primer in one compare to primng, then painting, over dark colored walls?
- Has anyone actually used the Rust-Oleum tile paint that I keep seeing ads for?
- Low hot water pressure in double-knob shower, and Cold water pressure and water pressure is normal everywhere else. What could be causing it?
- Patio Slope
- Row home basement flooding
- Easiest Repair Method for Hole in Wall
- New England Home Buyer - Minor??? Termites
- Moisture barrier for exterior basement wall?
- Kitchen countertop tips - Laminate, Solid surface, Granite, Quartz???
- Would this kill me? Cut wire leading straight to electrical panel.
- Driveway paving advice needed, first layer cracked
- Doorset replacement with extra holes issue and can't find a plate to make it work
- Can you put vapor barrier between subfloor and joists? Or staple to joists?
- Damaged ceiling drywall while walking in attic
- Non-Transparent Window Screens?
- Cost of adding curbless shower to current remodel
- Well pump cycling on every 30 seconds - normal?
- Mysterious small beeping box - anyone know what this might be?
- Need some help picking wall and cabinet colors please!
- Fixing an anchor hole and re-installing anchor - a few questions
| [META] Black Friday / Cyber Monday posts are NOT allowed. Posted: 13 Nov 2020 08:34 AM PST With the holiday season right around the corner, the mods would like to remind you that we disallow any sort of Black Friday or Cyber Monday posts in this sub. We invite you to participate in the subs dedicated to these deals posts, including but not limited to /r/blackfriday, /r/cybermonday, /r/deals, and /r/DealsReddit. You are also welcome to check out deals sites such as slickdeals.net. Any posts relating to Black Friday or Cyber Monday will be removed, and temporary bans will be issued as needed. We appreciate your understanding, and wish everyone a happy holidays from the Mods of /r/HomeImprovement . [link] [comments] |
| In terms of Painting, you get what you pay for. Posted: 13 Nov 2020 03:48 AM PST Painting has been part of the work I did for the past 10+ years. I worked for 3 large companies that sent me around in their trucks and vans. For the past year i've been working full time for myself. I've noticed a few things, and I wanted to share. Homeowners are the single biggest variable when it comes to work. I'm licensed and insured and so i charge a little bit more for my work... $350-$600 per room. the higher price includes multiple coats on walls, ceilings, and moulding. The work I do is flawless. I do all edging by hand. Rarely use tape. No brush strokes, no spots missed, clear cut edges all around, electric plates and other fixtures moved to paint properly. All floors covered with cardboard or rosin paper. This does take me one to two full days to finish, and i end up with maybe $220/day for myself after cost of paint, expenses, and gas for my own truck. About 90% of estimates I give turn into work. the other 10% are people who think $350-600 per room is too high. Those people end up hiring college dropouts who inspite of their best intention leave drips and messes and do horrible work. One time, when i first went off on my own, after a lot of nudging from the customer, and feeling pressured to make a sale, i agreed to paint someone's room for $150 and only ONE coat of paint, being very specific that it's not going to look perfect with just one coat. When I was done, she was upset, saying "I could have done this myself for free". Well no sht lady, that's what one coat looks like.... some people, I really don't get. There are also about 5% of homeowners who will be unhappy no matter what. I don't know if it's some sort of behavioral disorders or some sort of buyers remorse, but some homeowners will be upset and start sht AFTER the job is over no-matter how good it looks. Some people do this as a method of trying to save money on the job AFTER the fact, totally callously without seeing how they are basically trying to make professionals work for minimal wage or for free. Thankfully after dealing with hundreds of homeowners, i've gotten pretty good at picking up red flags during estimates and telling who is going to act like this. For people like that, you've gotta add a PITA charge, make the price very high, so they don't hire you at all. because shorting is only part of it.. if they make it personal they can end up leaving bad reviews all over or sueing you for no good reason, costing you lost days of work and a bad rep, or reporting you to BBB etc... Most homeowners are decent folks, but a small percentage of homeowners are incredibly obsessive and spiteful, i've seen it happen to other people. Best to avoid those types of customers AT ALL COST. Take a loss if you have to, but walk away. [link] [comments] |
| What are these streaks that randomly appear on the wall? Posted: 13 Nov 2020 03:25 PM PST We live in the north east and these random, disgusting streaks will seemingly appear out of nowhere. They are a brownish color and easily wipe away with some effort, but what are they? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 13 Nov 2020 10:42 PM PST Hey there guys, I've got a bit of a water leak problem. About two weeks ago my upstairs bathroom toilet started leaking into my downstairs bathroom ceiling. Got some major water damage that needs to be fixed. I replaced the upstairs toilet with a new wax ring, and the leak into my downstairs bathroom has stopped. However, a few days later I heard water dripping from the back wall of my downstairs bathroom, and since there's a hole on the other side where the water valve is, I was able to find water dripping from.... Uh, I don't know where exactly it's leaking from. I've never actually paid attention to this part of my house, but the entirety of the back wall of my downstairs bathroom is basically covered in mold and has water damage. So this leak that is happening seems to have been happening for quite a while, and oh boy, do I feel stupid. I'm not skilled in identifying what's what and was hoping for this community to help me find where the water is dripping from, and how to get it fixed. I've made a video and have linked it in the comments. I don't really know what I'm looking at, and could use some guidance. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 13 Nov 2020 05:07 PM PST 3/4 of my house is on slab and the rest is over the basement. So I thought. Turns out part of the house is an addition, done wrong. There is no pier/post in the back corner of my 2 story house. The house has been leaning that way for a while and we knew we were going to find the issue during the remodel we have started. (Part of the budget was expected to go to whatever issue it is.) They always say expect the unexpected, but I'm quite surprised there was absolutely nothing but dirt under this small portion of the house. Usually I'm not afraid of DIY and I have have poured concrete and cast in place footings before. This time with so much going on I decided to check out price of hiring someone to do it. Turns out they don't want to touch it with a 10 foot pole, and they said "there is nothing they can do because there is nothing to latch to or support." Well yea, that's why I called but here I am now wondering what I should do. I have thought about making temporary wall support and digging it out-to build a concrete wall 48" down (frost line) for it to sit on. It's really hard to get into a corner especially since it's winter here. I really don't want to put my whole project on hold till spring. Any suggestion at this point is helpful. [link] [comments] |
| How does paint and primer in one compare to primng, then painting, over dark colored walls? Posted: 13 Nov 2020 08:49 PM PST We are about to start painting the walls in our new home and two of our rooms have this dark blue color that needs to go. I feel like we need to use primer first to make sure the color doesn't come through our much lighter (almost white) paint choice. But, for the sake of time and my hatred for painting in general, can I expect good results from quality paint and primer combos similar to that of priming first then painting? [link] [comments] |
| Has anyone actually used the Rust-Oleum tile paint that I keep seeing ads for? Posted: 13 Nov 2020 07:09 PM PST I keep seeing ads for Rust-Oleum tile paint. "2 easy steps! Paint and seal!" These questions are keeping me up at night. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 13 Nov 2020 02:40 PM PST Hey all, thanks for your help in advance. I have a hot water knob and a cold water knob, but only my hot water has low water pressure. The rest of my home has normal water pressure as well. With that said I don't suspect it's the shower head. Does anyone know what I can do to fix the water pressure specifically on the hot water knob? I was quoted $200+ by a plumber and I can't afford that at the moment, just wanted to see if there was anything I could do first. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 13 Nov 2020 07:07 PM PST Recently paid to have a concrete patio constructed in my backyard, issue is once it was "finished" I noticed that the patio sloped about 2 inches down over the span of 20 feet along the house. When I pointed this out the contractor said it was for drainage purposes but everything I have read has seemingly stated its supposed to slope AWAY from the house for drainage purposes and should be level along the house. Am I wrong or is the contractor just trying to take me for a ride? Here are some shitty photos, sorry its 10pm where i am. If needed I can provide more pictures in the morning. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 13 Nov 2020 04:20 PM PST Hey all- first time poster to this board. I'm in a philly row home - lived here for the past 2 years. Recently my basement has puddles of water that smells like sewer. Our sewer line is a no where near the where puddles are occurring. Neighbor's landlord is unresponsive. Any guesses on what could causing this and how it can be remediated? Any help is appreciated. Thanks! Edit: images https://imgur.com/gallery/pKNlSpa [link] [comments] |
| Easiest Repair Method for Hole in Wall Posted: 13 Nov 2020 09:12 PM PST Hey Y'all, I have a towel rod that is hanging up in my condo that I am renting, and it has ruined the drywall and i'm looking for a very simple solution to repair this problem that will allow my towel holder to become useful again without having to do a major repair to the wall. In short; i am looking to see if there is any product out there that will simply allow me to patch this hole while still maintaining the dexterity that drywall provides. I am located in Michigan and this is a rental property without a dedicated maintenance man or landlord. it is operated by a management company. Link to damaged wall in bathroom: Damage Images Thank you to any and all feedback. Please let me know if there are any more questions that I can answer to best help with your advice. [link] [comments] |
| New England Home Buyer - Minor??? Termites Posted: 13 Nov 2020 09:01 PM PST Hey everyone. I recently got back my termite house inspection which included pest. I am located in New England, this house was built in 1977. The link for the relevant inspection photos is below. I was on the property during this inspection which had the normal house inspector and pest inspector present. They said this seemed to be an inactive termite situation as nothing looks like new damage. They suggested a treatment at the cost of the seller and repairs at the cost of the seller. (Negotiable). Neither individuals were alarmed at all and seemed that with another treatment and some repairs everything would be peachy. I am at home silently freaking out a bit. I have a structural engineer and GC coming to assess next week. It is expected for the seller to cover most if not all costs in some form. Whats everyones opinion on this? [link] [comments] |
| Moisture barrier for exterior basement wall? Posted: 13 Nov 2020 05:12 PM PST So my family is in the midst of some remodel of our 1970's home that is built into a hillside. Due to a confluence of factors I won't address here because they are being dealt with separately the buried wall has seeped water since we purchased the house. Depending on the amount of rain it can leave puddles in the finished basement floor. We have excavated the exterior wall to repoint the block's mortar and then plan to seal it with roll on sealer. From there the plan is to apply a moisture barrier of some kind, sock pipe, and gravel for drainage. The issue is I have no idea what we should use for the membrane!?! My dad who is spearheading the project is known for being very willing, but not for double checking the recommended uses. So far he has floated the idea of roof understatement, pvc shower liner, or pool liner. Are we on the right track at all? In case it matters we are in North East Mississippi where it stays rather wet. Average humidity is north of 70% and we get plenty of rain. The soil is primarily clay with some fill dirt around. Any help is appreciated! I'd really rather not have to dig that back out again. [link] [comments] |
| Kitchen countertop tips - Laminate, Solid surface, Granite, Quartz??? Posted: 13 Nov 2020 06:38 PM PST We recently went shopping for new countertops as we were getting our kitchen redone. We weren't sure if we wanted laminate, solid surface, quartz, or granite. We knew we wanted quality versus paying an arm and a leg, and then we met Tom at Lowes. Tom suggested that since we were taking samples of different products home to see what it looked like in our kitchen lighting he suggested we take the countertop samples and scratch them, cut them, stain them, do whatever we could to see how they would react. This was the best tip we received throughout our entire kitchen remodeling process. We knew granite would need to be resealed and we didn't want to do that. We knew quartz didn't need to be resealed so we liked that idea, but didn't want to pay the price. We liked how solid surface looked, and compared to some quartz it was comparable. But once we took the samples home and used a small knife to pretend we were cutting food on top of it or to scratch it like our small child would be scratching things on the counter it opened our eyes to what we needed to buy. Our final product is a reasonably priced quartz. Take those samples home to look at the lighting and to scratch the heck out of them and see that quartz got not one scratch versus the solid surface which was scuffed up quite a bit. I hope this helps someone. Best of luck to you all out there! [link] [comments] |
| Would this kill me? Cut wire leading straight to electrical panel. Posted: 13 Nov 2020 01:10 PM PST So I just moved into my home a couple of months ago and I'm exploring the basement just checking out all the boring utility stuff when I see an orange wire just hanging out like a happy camper. It's not capped, just has some electrical tape wrapping the end up and common sense tells me not to mess with it since I have to idea what it is. I follow it along the joists to my finished part of the basement where I trace it through the drop ceiling and it turns out it goes straight to my electrical panel. Uhhhh, cool. I have no idea what it is or what it was for, my best guess is I believe the previous owners had a generator, so maybe they just cut the wire and took it with them? The home inspector seemed surprised and said something about "a large breaker for something big" but I have no clue as to anything electrical. There is also a second smaller panel with nothing marked, no idea what this, I think it might be for landscape lighting that currently doesn't work, but again I'm unsure. Just a part of the mystery. Anyway, my questions are as follows...
[link] [comments] |
| Driveway paving advice needed, first layer cracked Posted: 13 Nov 2020 08:40 PM PST Contractor approached us, their work looked solid at another location. Typical cash only type place with day labor under the table ect ect. They came did about 2300 Sq. Ft for 7200$. Not a bad price, even helped me a ton fixing and installing the new fence line and posts. That included removal of all the previous layers, down to clay , they spread a layer of wet stone the first day then 3" of dry stone the next and finally 3" of type 6 the next. Rolled but not vibrated. Day after it has several spots it's starting to crack. They came back and gave me two options They'll bring the infared, re-heat it and seal up the cracks or pay for the material 4K$ and put a layer of type 7 finish grade over it in 9 days after it finished hardening up. The soil is shit, clay down to at least 7 feet as far as we've dug and wet. So I know it's never going to be perfect. This is also update NY with deep cold spells. Me question is should we wait longer for a frost heave cycle OR just have them reheat it now? Would the extra 1.5" of type 7 finish seal it up? [link] [comments] |
| Doorset replacement with extra holes issue and can't find a plate to make it work Posted: 13 Nov 2020 08:00 PM PST Hey guys, So I am looking to replace a doorknob set on my front door. I would really like to use something like this schlage set However, right now I have this plate on the inside due to extra hole. The deadbolt and knob are 10inches apart, which prevents me form using the one piece (as they all appear to be 5 inches apart). Any idea where I can find an aged bronze plate like the brass one in the pictures. I have searched a ton and only find ones for interior doors and not one that fits the entire knob assembly. Any help on even the term to search is greatly appreciated. [link] [comments] |
| Can you put vapor barrier between subfloor and joists? Or staple to joists? Posted: 13 Nov 2020 11:29 PM PST Long story short. Everyone, including home inspectors, kept telling me my entire house was pier and beam... So I bought my house's square footage in vapor barrier. Basically bought it the day I bought my house, including irrigation stuff to help redirect water. Come to find out... My house is actually 1/3 pier and beam lol. Anyway, I have some extra vapor barrier left over after I did my crawl space. My bathroom floor has soft spots. There's no leaking but I'm going to replace the following. Can I use this vapor barrier, in any other way, under the subfloor? Like between the subfloor and joists? Staple it to bottom of joists? Anything? Thanks, Chris [link] [comments] |
| Damaged ceiling drywall while walking in attic Posted: 13 Nov 2020 11:19 PM PST I stepped on drywall while in the attic, didnt fall through but noticiable from under the ceiling. Small crack. Dont know how to add pictures to the post. It looks like maybe extra paint can make unnoticeable. Any thoughts or experience. [link] [comments] |
| Non-Transparent Window Screens? Posted: 13 Nov 2020 02:33 PM PST I have a creepy neighbor that I really do not get along with (never have in 20+ years). Mostly everything is fine but our bedroom is on the second floor of the house with a window that directly faces his upstairs window. He is the type to just stare at us through his window. Usually, I always keep the blind down, but I like to keep the window open for the air. My question is this, is there any product out there for a non-transparent window screen that still lets air in? In my research I have come across many window films that are applied directly on the window to impede visibility, but that would force me to keep the window closed. If you use or know about this kind of non-transparent window screen, any recommendation you can offer would be most appreciated, thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Cost of adding curbless shower to current remodel Posted: 13 Nov 2020 11:17 PM PST Hi, we already signed a contract to do a remodel of our bathroom down to the studs in one of the nicer areas of Los Angeles for 17K (not including materials or vanity) and realized that we never specified that we wanted a curbless shower. The contractor says this will cost an additional $3800. This will include hot mopping the entire floor, installing new plywood throughout the entire floor, and relocating shower plumbing to accomodate a linear drain. Our home is on a raised foundation which I understand makes it easier to do. Just wondering if he is overcharging or if this is the market rate? One prior bid by a similar caliber company was also 17K by chance and it included the curbless shower, but that was also priced based on doing 3 baths including a more extensive master bath renovation instead of just one. Any help would be greatly appreciated! [link] [comments] |
| Well pump cycling on every 30 seconds - normal? Posted: 13 Nov 2020 07:22 PM PST Hey guys I appreciate the opinions here. We have well water and an array of treatment hooked up after the pressure tank - whole house filter, softener, and a soda ash injection system with mixing tank. I heard the well pump kicking on a lot while working in the garage by it while my wife was showering. So I decided to measure the time between cycles. It's cycling spot on between 29 and 30 seconds while the shower is running (2.2 gpm). Is that normal? I don't think it's ideal but I'm not sure if it's actually considered short cycling and bad. The pressure tank has air (checked the Schrader) and the pump controls are properly kicking on and off at 40/60 psi. Pump is also only like 5 years old. Im not sure if this is new or if I just never noticed. I appreciate the help! Edit: charged the tank up to 30 PSI - I know it should be 38 but my pump was taking forever so I figured I'd start here. Turned breaker back on and let the system refill. Now my tank is cycling every 5 minutes 20 seconds! Here's to hoping it holds - but is 5+ minutes normal? Now that's seems on the high side haha. [link] [comments] |
| Mysterious small beeping box - anyone know what this might be? Posted: 13 Nov 2020 07:20 PM PST Something in my basement has started beeping every 30 seconds. It starts beeping, then it goes on beeping every 30 seconds for 2 hours. This happens 2 or 3 times a day and is super annoying. With a decibel meter app on my phone, I think I've traced it to this small mysterious rectangular box that I found mounted on the wall behind my washer and dryer. The noise is around 80 decibels around this box whenever there's the beep. Image: https://imgur.com/a/C8Wuj20 (left image is zoomed out, right image is zoomed in) Has anyone ever seen something like this? Could it be some kind of alarm or sensor? The house itself is quite old and I have no idea what the previous owners may have installed there. I'm hoping I can identify what this is before I move the dryer completely and try unscrewing it. In addition to being behind the washer and dryer, this location is also close to the furnace and water heater. Thanks for any help or ideas! This beeping has become super annoying. [link] [comments] |
| Need some help picking wall and cabinet colors please! Posted: 13 Nov 2020 05:06 PM PST Hi friends, we bought a house this June and we're doing some minor renovation to our kitchen. The kitchen countertops are this sandstone-ish color scheme and the cabinets are white. We would love some help and input on what wall and cabinet colors would go well with these countertops. I really don't like the way it looks now but just can't figure out which colors would go well with it. Thank you in advance for the help! (wanted to post to imgur but was having trouble) https://www.amazon.com/photos/shared/U8KR_l2vTPuEy2I0I9nKHg.MvfNQoYSreRUDPYDbXzsog [link] [comments] |
| Fixing an anchor hole and re-installing anchor - a few questions Posted: 13 Nov 2020 10:51 PM PST I am mounting a cabinet that weighs ~85 lbs. It's is affixed in all 4 corners. One side is going straight into a wall stud. For the other, I have these #8 EZ anchors rated for 75lbs. I drilled a pilot hole to confirm the wall was hollow. I had a super hard time getting the anchor in and ended up hammering in the last cm, which, to no one's surprise, made the front of the hole too large and I was able to easily pull the anchor out by hand. Anchor & hole The cabinet is 2m tall so going up higher isn't an option. My questions are:
Any help would be super appreciated - thanks in advance! [link] [comments] |
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