Home Improvement: [OPEN DISCUSSION] Weekly thread |
- [OPEN DISCUSSION] Weekly thread
- potentially spicy post: unmarried female homeowner. will we get better treatment from contractors if my BF is their contact and pretends to own my house?
- PSA: Please don't BUY someone's old granite/ quartz countertops, thinking that you will save a bunch of money on a kitchen countertop project.
- Dark wood paneling
- Injection Injuries
- Light switch in room won’t work unless light switch in another room is off.
- Hi,, our building decided to renovate pipes to pvc.. I live in the 4th floor and it seems we have to break the whole shower just so the plumber can get access to the drain?? well, my question is, can i just cut a piece around the drain, let him do the work, and maybe renovate the waterproof drape?
- Noise cancelling windows for aircraft noise?
- Kitchen Backsplash
- Rain is coming on Friday. Should I paint with killz 2 primer before the rain comes?
- Can I double insulate my shop?
- schluter bar with tile butted to carpet?
- Whole house Hunidifer (2-part question)
- Cabinet Knobs and Pulls
- Running outlet off of Non-GFCI outlet downstream of GFCI?
- Complete dumbass here: Did I ruin my stud?
- Any suggestion on how i could weatherproof this window a bit better?
- Weird question - but I’m either going crazy or I am hearing a very low frequency buzzing in my house when it’s quiet.
- Best way to fix this?
- Buying the neighbor's house???
- Roofer is saying there was an “unforeseen cost”.
- How do I fix my tower rod if it pulled out of the wall?
- Clothes washer I can soak clothes in?
- Weird Paint Deformity? Advice Needed!
- Why does my interior wall have cross bracing?
| [OPEN DISCUSSION] Weekly thread Posted: 03 Nov 2020 11:37 AM PST 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: 03 Nov 2020 11:16 AM PST I bought a house. Some time later, my boyfriend moved in and enthusiastically waded into the home improvement world with me. He has been a wonderful godsend. I hate and fear electricity and plumbing, which happen to be his specialties. He hates and fears all other trades, so foundation, roof, walls, framing, masonry, and surface repair are my job. I know enough about them to get myself in trouble and have a intelligent conversation with a pro. We are getting estimates for stuff we don't want to or can't feasibly do (major foundation repair, tricky gutters, tree stuff etc.) I keep hearing "wow you're the homeowner??? Good for you!!!" "is there anyone else who I might want to talk to???" and I'm sooooo paranoid that I'm getting pink taxed. I have no doubt whatsoever that BF could learn the language and names of all the house bits that he needs to speak knowledgeably with these contractors, but he doesn't really want to and shouldn't have to. I like knowing these things and I like being taken seriously. His specialties are the same way for him, and this works for us. I'm dangerously stupid when it comes to electricity and he only just stopped calling joists "floor studs". Have you guys had an opportunity to notice differences in quotes and behavior depending on whether the client is perceived to be male or female? Should we interface with contractors as a couple? I've been talking to the guys alone and reporting back to BF, who has thoughtful opinions but leaves the decisions to me because I'm paying for it. TL;DR: BF and I have very separate skill sets. I'm the one with the relevant knowledge to what we're hiring out, but I'm afraid I'm not being taken as seriously as he would be. wringing my hands. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 03 Nov 2020 04:30 PM PST I have a small fabrication shop for granite and quartz, and I have had 3 different people call since covid-19 crap started, wanting me to repurpose random pieces that they had bought off CL, or FB marketplace. All 3 were very surprised by the cost of reworking them, and installing it. The reasons against doing this are many, from not knowing if the material suffered any stress damage during removal, to having to remove the adhesives from the previous installation, not to mention the danger to yourself in moving the pieces, without the proper knowledge or equipment. The cost savings will most likely be minimal. In my market, a base price granite/quartz can be installed for around $60/sq.ft., and less than 25% of that is the raw material costs. So, on a standard sized, 50 sq.ft. kitchen, only $750 is the cost of the slab. Unless you find one that fits exactly as it is, it's not worth much. If a friend asks if you want to buy their old granite, just politely decline, and if your friend has a friend who works with granite, so you think this sounds like a great idea, one of you might just lose a friend. Rant over. If anyone has questions about the process, or how to maximize the value of your project, while minimizing costs, just ask. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 03 Nov 2020 05:55 PM PST I am moving into an old apartment that has dark wood paneling in the living room. I wish I could paint them white but I'm renting so I definitely can't! Any suggestions on how to spruce this up? I'm assuming I can't hang pictures either but suggestions on a color scheme or theme. I am a female and I like earthy hippy vibes. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 03 Nov 2020 09:35 PM PST Anyone seen or ever had one? I was using my Graco X7 for the first time this weekend and had no idea how serious of an injury it is. In fact, I've decided to sell it since it's not worth the risk. Why isn't this a big warning on the outside of the box or talked about more? I know it's called a gun for a reason, but holy hello, had no idea how dangerous it was. [link] [comments] |
| Light switch in room won’t work unless light switch in another room is off. Posted: 03 Nov 2020 07:18 PM PST I discovered that my bathroom light won't turn on if the light is on in the bedroom. If I turn the bedroom light off, the bathroom light can be turned on. Also, once the bathroom light is on, I can turn the bedroom light on. It's confusing the hell out of me how this is wired. What should I look for in the wiring? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 03 Nov 2020 09:21 PM PST Hi,, our building decided to renovate pipes to pvc.. I live in the 4th floor and it seems we have to break the whole shower just so the plumber can get access to the drain?? well, my question is, can i just cut a piece around the drain, let him do the work, and maybe renovate the waterproof drape? because then ill just make a cut around the drain, save the whole door and shower and maybe glue the drape and fix it locally once the service is done.. what you guys think?? I think very little water depends on the drape anyway right? if it is really that bad than I redo to the whole shower?? thank you. [link] [comments] |
| Noise cancelling windows for aircraft noise? Posted: 03 Nov 2020 09:18 PM PST Hi, I am currently working on a place that is in between two flight path, I just want to know how well double glazed windows work on cancelling aircraft noise? I only lived in places with normal windows, so I am just a bit worry the aircraft noise is not easy to minimize. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 03 Nov 2020 08:34 PM PST So I am in the process of redoing the kitchen of the house I just bought with my wife. We already put in quartz counters, and are looking at doing a tile backsplash. Just wondering what y'all think about prep for the backsplash. I have read different things about whether I should put a waterproof barrier on the wall or not. I wanna make sure I do a good job, but unsure if this is necessary. There is just painted drywall where I plan on installing. Also, what kind of mortar/thinset to use? [link] [comments] |
| Rain is coming on Friday. Should I paint with killz 2 primer before the rain comes? Posted: 03 Nov 2020 07:46 PM PST Rain is coming on Friday. The barn had its panels replaced and they need to be prime and painted. Should I paint with killz 2 primer tomorrow (Wednesday) before the rain comes? or is it better if I don't? [link] [comments] |
| Can I double insulate my shop? Posted: 03 Nov 2020 11:05 AM PST I have a home shop in the Pacific Northwest. It is poorly insulated at the moment (not sure on the R rating) and I've recently added a large heater. Can I insulate the ceiling over the existing insulation? The roof does not have any sort of soffit or eave - any concerns about moisture? [link] [comments] |
| schluter bar with tile butted to carpet? Posted: 03 Nov 2020 04:45 PM PST Is there any reason to not use a schluter bar if i'm installing tile (fireplace hearth) that will butt up against carpet? If it's worth using do you account for the space of the grout in the total tile measurement (like do i account for the width of the bar when measuring the space)? Also in some of my tile layouts there are options that have about a 1.2" edge tile piece... that sounds like it's a bit too small to have on the edge of a tile install, is there a size that I should be shooting for when cutting? (tiles are 12x24") [link] [comments] |
| Whole house Hunidifer (2-part question) Posted: 03 Nov 2020 06:14 PM PST Bought a house ~1 year ago and for the upcoming winter I decided to get the whole house humidifier working (looks like it wasn't maintained by prior owner), and have a few questions as I near the end of my project:
TLDR: replaced water supply valve to whole house humidifier but too much water coming in making my humidifier leak. Can I reduce water supply by leaving valve at 45 angle / is it OK that water output from Humidifer that gets sent to sump pump gets absorbed into ground. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 03 Nov 2020 09:48 PM PST We are nearing the long-awaited end of a home addition project, and we had a number of new cabinets installed to match ones that we put in years ago. That means new knobs for the doors and pulls for the drawers... and it is a nightmare. We obviously couldn't find the same ones, and we cannot for the life of us find new ones that are suitable and affordable. As you can see on the knobs, they had a very large backing - 1.5 inches, and they have to be that exact size - any smaller, and the impression made by the old knobs will be visible. Any larger, and they'll overhang. We've found some relief through shopping for backplates to go behind the knobs, but the real kicker is the drawer pulls. They are cup-style and are 1.25 inches center-to-center. It is next to impossible to find anything in that size. We're looking for something in black (or something like an oil-rubbed finish) with a similar aesthetic, and which is affordable. We need 24 knobs and 8 pulls. [link] [comments] |
| Running outlet off of Non-GFCI outlet downstream of GFCI? Posted: 03 Nov 2020 06:00 PM PST Hey guys, not sure if this is kosher or not. I want to install an outlet in my garage. It will be fed off of a Non-GFCI outlet, and that outlet is fed off of a GFCI so it's downstream on the load end. Does that still give my new outlet GFCI protection? Thanks all [link] [comments] |
| Complete dumbass here: Did I ruin my stud? Posted: 03 Nov 2020 09:41 PM PST Had a brain lapse and accidentally drilled 1/2 inch hole into a stud trying to get a hole for my toggle anchor through plywood+drywall. There are two studs on both sides of it, (left 20 inches away, right 16 inches away), structurally, am I OK? I don't think this is a load bearing wall, but having someone come out and check it out. Measurements: Stud 1.5 x 3.5 (2x4) Drill Bit/hole: 1/2 inch Drill Depth: 2.25 inches into the stud Drilled right in the middle of the stud About 1/4 up from the floor. If I need to fix this, (I will hire someone, but just need something to ease my mind right now), do I just sister on some studs from the bottom to above where the hole is? Could I fill it with a dowel? [link] [comments] |
| Any suggestion on how i could weatherproof this window a bit better? Posted: 03 Nov 2020 09:38 PM PST http://imgur.com/gallery/rggWYjH I built my cats an outdoor enclosure outside a window but i live in Alaska and it's starting to get pretty cold. You can see in the photo what ive done so far. The cat door is in a 3/4" board. Ive put weather stripping on the window to fill the gap. Im looking for suggestions of what i could do to make it a little more weatherproof without obscuring the window too much. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 03 Nov 2020 12:50 PM PST ... I hope I'm not going nuts from quarantine lol. I hear a odd very low frequency buzzing sometimes when the house is quiet. But it is not consistent - it almost sounds like Morse code patter or something like that. My wife can't hear it but I have better hearing when it comes to low and high frequencies. I swear last night I could hear it through my bed and pillow. My house is from the 50s and has some "interesting" wiring throughout. But knob and tube has been replaced. My main concern isn't the sound, it's that it could be dangerous. Bad electrical wiring or arcing or something like that. But perhaps I am overreacting. Any advice would be much appreciated!! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 03 Nov 2020 09:10 PM PST Hey all, I'm trying to paint and fix some things in my bathroom. I just had my tub reglazed and after the old moldy caulking was removed it kinda left a small hole/crack in the wall. Before I paint I obviously wanna fix this but I'm not sure what to fill it with before I cover it with spackling. Any input would be awesome. Thanks [link] [comments] |
| Buying the neighbor's house??? Posted: 03 Nov 2020 03:09 PM PST My grandmother passed away last summer and I (and my brother) inherited her house. My long term boyfriend and I plan on living there within the next month or two. I've always had a lot of mixed feelings about inheriting this house. I feel guilty because I know the only reason that I'm getting this house is because my grandma passed away and it doesn't really feel like "mine," I will always look at it as my grandma's house. My boyfriend's family has helped me a lot with doing all of the renovations and answering a lot of homeownership questions that I had. My grandmother lives in a very "hip" section of town and his family has always made comments as to how I'm so lucky, etc and these type of comments always bothered me. My grandmother's house is an attached home. The neighbor is moving and my boyfriend thinks it would be a good idea for him to buy that house, because he and his family see it as an investment property. The idea would be that they would rent out the house and we'd be living next door to manage things. The house is selling for over $700K. The idea of this does not excite me, if anything it makes me feel very uncomfortable. I am still grieving my grandmother's loss and the idea of them wanting to own the adjacent home makes me feel strange. If my grandmother was still alive, they would have no interest in buying that house. My boyfriend says that he probably won't make an offer on the house because of my lack of excitement and when he said this to his mom she said, that I wouldn't be involved and that my opinion doesn't matter. I don't know if I'm looking too much into it, but my reasoning has always been homeownership so far has been a headache and a lot of emotional stress. Our plan has always been to move into my grandma's house and live there as a way to save money since the house is paid off. But if my boyfriend buys the neighbor's house then that's a $3,000 a month payment he'd have to make. Do you think I'm being too sensitive or do you think that makes sense to buy the house? [link] [comments] |
| Roofer is saying there was an “unforeseen cost”. Posted: 03 Nov 2020 10:49 AM PST In Florida. I am have a new roof installed. Had the estimator come out and he quoted me $24,325. This included all new facia, soffit (including vents), gutters, replacing some gables with hardi board and of course the metal roof. I received an email and an invoice from them saying there was unforeseen cost of $1000 for wall flashing, $25 a foot, 40 feet. I emailed them to explain where this is needed and what it actually is, not response yet. Can anyone give me some sort of input? Edit: Just want to make sure this doesn't sound fishy. [link] [comments] |
| How do I fix my tower rod if it pulled out of the wall? Posted: 03 Nov 2020 08:17 PM PST Hi there, The tower rod pulled out of the drywall. How would I go about fixing this? It's not fallen off but one side is pulled out roughly 3/4". The bottom bolt-thing is still in. Thanks!! [link] [comments] |
| Clothes washer I can soak clothes in? Posted: 03 Nov 2020 07:59 PM PST My washer needs replacing. Last washer I bought refused to let me soak clothes in it. It would drain all the water out. I want one I can let sit for an hour or two and the water will stay put. [link] [comments] |
| Weird Paint Deformity? Advice Needed! Posted: 03 Nov 2020 04:09 PM PST Hello everyone! I'm in the process of helping my parents redo my childhood bedroom into a guest room. One problem that I've noticed is the paint in 2 sections of the room is very weird. I really can't describe it well without a visual so please take a look: https://i.imgur.com/pHh0Tp6.jpg I don't know if any of the information I'm about to provide is helpful, but I'm just sharing to maybe help with diagnosing what's going on. This spot (along with the other) are on the same wall of the room. This is an exterior wall. The areas are right below where 2 beds met the wall. This room was painted over 10 years ago. The paint in these spots still feel kind of goopy and mushy even to this day. It's not hardened into the form you see. The silver color is the white/silver color showing through is the primer showing through. There are no other spots like this in the entire room. So what do you guys think? Worst case scenario I'm thinking is some sort of water damage coming in through the siding outside. However I'm not thinking that is likely as the spot has not gotten any bigger over the past few years/ since I noticed it. Additionally, (assuming this doesn't require replacing some drywall) how could I proceed with removing and covering it up? As you can see there is some texture where the paint sort of folded over itself, so it would lead to a very uneven looking spot. Let me know what you think! Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Why does my interior wall have cross bracing? Posted: 03 Nov 2020 04:08 PM PST An interior wall in the kitchen has cross bracing. It's not load bearing as far as I can tell. [link] [comments] |
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