Home Improvement: What are the common reasons a stud finder might throw a false positive? |
- What are the common reasons a stud finder might throw a false positive?
- PSA : Your tankless water heater may have an air filter that needs occasional maintenance.
- Built a fence on property line, neighbor is unhappy
- What are your most used but less common tools/equipment?
- Is it OK to leave a roof without shingles and tarp during winter?
- Can I drill a hole right here?
- UFFI - remove it or leave it? (Canada)
- Roofers said they couldn’t install gutter hangers under the shingles because the shingles were hard and would snap. Is the way they installed this ok?
- How to deal with exposed footing?
- Is it easy to remove DISH satellite dishes?
- Gas company wants us to pay $4,000 to upgrade our gas line for a new water heater. Options? Does this sound right? (Washington State)
- Need advice on buying the worst, but effective, smoke detector.
- Help with garage door bottom seal
- Tub faucet leaks when using shower head
- Whole house water carbon filter effective for reducing chlorine?
- [HELP] I was a bit sloppy mortaring some brick garden edging. Is there anyway to clean it off?
- Small amount of asbestos dust ALL over house. Please help!
- Three HVAC questions. SEER sweetspot, AC vs heat pump cost & heat pump with gas backup
- Painting kitchen cabinets cost?
- Is this Sunex socket set good / complete for a homeowner?
- Hardwood flooring help!
- Are there any standard size top freezer refrigerators with in-door ice dispensers?
- What are my options for Kitchen Tile Floor
- Crank out window screen not the easiest to close
| What are the common reasons a stud finder might throw a false positive? Posted: 09 Nov 2020 07:56 AM PST |
| PSA : Your tankless water heater may have an air filter that needs occasional maintenance. Posted: 09 Nov 2020 12:50 PM PST I had a GFCI pop a few times in my basement, I assume it was a the outlet going bad, but I cycled it a few times, as you do... and turns out it was on the same circuit my tankless water heater was on, causing it to reset a few times. Being used to a conventional water heater I was first surprised it wasn't on a dedicated circuit, but they're different beasts. After replacing the GFCI outlet I found my water heater was erroring on startup. Googling the error code I found that it was an intake error, so after a couple more searches I found how I could remove and clean the filter. It was dirty. Fortunately my fear of a dead squirrel in the intake was unfounded, but some dust, cobwebs, insect corpses were enough to trip the error on my water heater on reboot. I knew you had to flush the heat exchanger with vinegar, but I wasn't aware of the presence of an air filter. So it might be a good thing to add to your list if you, like me, didn't know that this was there. Fortunately my model, a Navien 240, has a really simple filter to pull and clean. It's 5 screws and a little water and paper towel to do. Older Navien models it's a little harder to remove the filter apparently, but still just a little screen filter. So, if the outdoor work is winding down, take 20 minutes to check and clean that filter to make sure you don't have any issues when you really need hot water. And... maybe on your outside intakes/outflows, consider adding some protection in case that rogue squirrel does find his way in. I'm going to add some coarse screening for both the water heater and furnace pipes after looking at them and trying to figure out what I would do if a tree-rat had decided to crawl in there and expire. [link] [comments] |
| Built a fence on property line, neighbor is unhappy Posted: 09 Nov 2020 12:02 PM PST This morning I had a fence built directly on my property line. I live in a townhouse complex with fairly small yards behind them, pretty much every unit has a fence, including the neighbor on the other side of him and across from him. I overheard my neighbors talking that they were upset that I did not ask them permission to install the fence before having it installed. The fence should not be in their property at all but it is directly on the line. In PA i think that you have to be 6 inches back from the property line, but our fence installer didn't say anything and the HOA approved the project. Before I had the fence installed I did not realize that I should get a surveyor to come out and mark the pins. It was not my intention to encroach on their land, but i would like to be prepared if they have an issue. I would prefer not to go to court, but should I be prepared and speak to an attorney? [link] [comments] |
| What are your most used but less common tools/equipment? Posted: 09 Nov 2020 07:19 AM PST Looking for some suggestions on what I can add to my Christmas list. I currently have a lot of tools: 2 drills, 2 impact drivers for when I have help, circular saw, recip saw, oscillating tool, jig saw, orbital sander, belt sander, mitre saw, hammer drill, wrench sets, socket set, ladders, 12 gauge extension cords, screwdriver sets and more I can't think of off the top of my head. Just wondering if there are any less common or known tools or pieces of equipment you find yourself regularly using or that come in really handy when you need them. For example I have a 90 degree driver attachment on my list. Anything like that you can suggest? Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Is it OK to leave a roof without shingles and tarp during winter? Posted: 09 Nov 2020 04:55 AM PST We decided to build an additional garage. The contractor built the structure (including the roof), installed the doors and windows, and then told us that it is too windy and cold to install the roofing shingles and tarp. He said he will come back when the weather is better. We completely understand because yesterday our wind speed is almost 42 km/h (26 MPH) and we dipped below -18 C (-0.5 F). They may not come back for a few weeks as per the contractor claiming it is too cold. The roof materials (look like chipboard or plywood) is now exposed. The contractor claim that this will not cause any problems because the type of wood boards they use outside in Canada can be exposed to snow and water. As long as the roof is not exposed for too long, we should be fine. Is this true? Winter is starting here and I don't think these "ideal" conditions going to happen until next Spring. But bu then, the roof wood materials will be exposed to the weather for a long period. I am not worried too much about money because I haven't paid even half of the project price, just only a small deposit. Less than 20% is paid off and they actually did everything except the roof tarp and shingles. Work they have completed worth wayyy more. They did not ask for more money until the project is completed. I am sure they will show up, but I don't know what they said about the roof being exposed to Winter snow and water/moisture is true. Is it OK to leave a roof exposed for a long period of time during Winter without any plastic or other cover? Will this cause issues years down the road such as mold or rot? Thank you. [link] [comments] |
| Can I drill a hole right here? Posted: 09 Nov 2020 05:23 PM PST https://i.imgur.com/C6LJh0S.jpg I'm hanging a mirror on a wall for a home gym. This is where the bottom mirror clip should go, because there's a stud right there. I'm a rookie. Can I drill in right here? Here being the tip of the pencil and wondering about the outlet place of course. [link] [comments] |
| UFFI - remove it or leave it? (Canada) Posted: 09 Nov 2020 07:31 PM PST First time home buyer here in Kitchener, ON, Canada. We've purchased a home knowing that it has one wall insulated with UFFI and got a great price for it because of this. We are considering having it removed which would cost about $10,000. Any insight as to whether or not this would increase the resale value of the home? I've been unable to find much online. We are not concerned about the potential but unlikely health effects, would more so want to do it for resale purposes down the road. We've been told that we would still have to disclose to any potential buyers that there was once UFFI in the home but could provide them with a certificate that it was removed. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 09 Nov 2020 05:54 PM PST I had a reputable company come out to install these gutters on my house and detached garage (photos are of the garage since it's easier to take pictures of). The foreman said the shingles were too stiff to lift without potentially breaking them so the had to install the straps over the shingles. I asked if the only issue would be aesthetics and he said yes. Since the house had not had gutters for a few years and really needs them (I just bought the house) I figured I didn't have much of a choice. As they were installing I did a little bit of research on the issue and read a bit on this subreddit that they should have put sealant on the nails. I asked them if they did that and they said they didn't but they could come back to do it another time but it wouldn't make a difference. I took a look inside the garage today and I could see where the nails protrude and I didn't see any water leaking while it was raining. Is this ok to leave as is or should I be calling them back to do some sort of fix? Thank you! [link] [comments] |
| How to deal with exposed footing? Posted: 09 Nov 2020 08:12 PM PST We originally planned to lay pavers wall to wall in our courtyard. After leveling the ground, a portion of the house has its footing exposed since we are on a slight slope, and a lot of messy concrete from the original pour as well as dirt underneath are visible. What's the appropriate way to address this before laying the pavers? [link] [comments] |
| Is it easy to remove DISH satellite dishes? Posted: 09 Nov 2020 06:21 PM PST Something I have been putting off this entire last year was removing the DISH satellite dish from the roof that the previous owners had. DISH even sent me a cardboard box (which now that I look at at, I don't know how this thing is supposed to fit in it). So is it a pretty straight forward process to remove the thing, or will DISH come out for free and take it down if I contact them? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 09 Nov 2020 03:24 PM PST Bought a house with a 20 year old water heater thats on it's last leg. It is installed in a tiny closet shared with the furnace and we can't upgrade the water heater to something bigger because it literally wont fit (we will have to take the door and trim off the closet to remove it). We bought a tankless water heater on sale to try and save space and money. Got 4 quotes from plumbers to install it, everything looked good, no surprises. They all said we would need to call the gas company and have the meter upgraded, but it wouldn't be a big deal. PSE sent someone out to measure our line, then emailed us with a $4028.74 quote to upgrade the line with no additional details. I called them, got some weird car-salesman talk comparing it to buying a bigger TV so we could watch football (?). They own the line up to our meter, so we can't shop for quotes. This is a LOT of money to me, more than I make in a month, and I wasn't expecting to spend almost $6500k total just to take longer showers. I'm at a loss, this seems crazy. I'm not sure what to do other than not upgrade our water heater at this time. We were also wanting to eventually build a garage with an apartment and have a gas fire pit as well. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!! Edit for details: When I called, they said my line was 5/8" and meter was rated for 300K BTUs. We have a dryer, furnace, water heater, oven and gas fireplace on the line. Apparently it is much cheaper to add a meter and gas line than it is to upgrade this size of one. Could I have a second meter installed for our future projects and run the water heater off that? [link] [comments] |
| Need advice on buying the worst, but effective, smoke detector. Posted: 09 Nov 2020 12:01 PM PST Today I lit a candle, and my smoke alarm went off, twice a week while searing dinner, my smoke alarm goes off. Sanding wood in the garage sets off my smoke alarm. My theory is that if I can get a smoke alarm that will alert me if there is a major issue that would be great, but I want it to take a lot more smoke. Anyone have any good options? [link] [comments] |
| Help with garage door bottom seal Posted: 09 Nov 2020 03:05 AM PST The seal on the garage door bottom is in need of replacement. I've searched for weeks and am unable to find the seal type that will fit my existing bracket. Another option I've explored is replacing the bracket as well. Unfortunately the bottom of the garage door is not completely flat. The flat portion is 1 inch wide with a small "lip" that adds about 1/4 - 3/8 inches. I can upload photos of the door bottom when I get home. Help in locating a replacement seal or new seal kit for my metal door would be much appreciated. EDIT: Here are additional pictures of the door bottom. I'll try what most people suggest and look to purchasing a new track+seal kit. Looking for OEM may be a dead-end and not worth saving a few bucks. I believe the option offered by North Shore may fit the bill. Ill update once its installed. [link] [comments] |
| Tub faucet leaks when using shower head Posted: 09 Nov 2020 06:49 PM PST Is it easy to replace the faucet part (used to fill the tub) since water is now coming out when using shower head? [link] [comments] |
| Whole house water carbon filter effective for reducing chlorine? Posted: 09 Nov 2020 07:22 PM PST We have a water softener that I recently had to replace the resin in. I understand that the old resin most likely failed prematurely due to the amount of chlorine in our municipal water. I would like to avoid that happening again and I have heard that adding a whole house carbon filter before the softener may reduce the chlorine content of the water. However I have not seen any data about how effective these filters really are at reducing chlorine. Does anyone have experience with this? Do carbon filters really absorb chlorine? [link] [comments] |
| [HELP] I was a bit sloppy mortaring some brick garden edging. Is there anyway to clean it off? Posted: 09 Nov 2020 09:31 PM PST |
| Small amount of asbestos dust ALL over house. Please help! Posted: 09 Nov 2020 07:50 AM PST Electricians came out and cut into the wall in multiple rooms, generating dust all over the house. thankfully the AC was off and has been off ever since, but it's still in every room. I didn't think about asbestos being in the walls, but my girlfriend brought it up and we got it tested. the joint compound ONLY is 2% Chyrsotile, no asbestos in drywall, texture, or insulation (i know, shocking.) So basically there is dust everywhere, but that dust only contains a small amount of asbestos. It's possible many of the cuts they made never even hit the joint compound. I have a remediation company coming out to make clean cuts in the drywall and safely prep it for new drywall to be installed. That said, the remediation company does not clean the entire house (unless I wanted to pay them a fortune for that), all they do is seal off their work area and specifically clean that area. so once they leave, I'll still have dust in the hallways, kitchen, etc. My plan is to clean it myself. Start by wearing a P100 filter respirator and simply wetting every single nook and cranny and wiping it down, while agitating the dust as little as possible. This should remove 95% of the dust once it's settled. Here comes my question. I'm planning to rent an air scrubber to deal with the rest. My question is, should I use it as only an air scrubber or should I go room by room setting up negative air pressure? What is the best way to operate these? My thinking is that I need to keep it running while sweeping, dusting, whatever, I just need to agitate the dust so that it becomes airborne. Is that correct? I don't know how it could suck dust out of the room while just sitting there, if the dust is in the micro cracks in the hardwood floor and comfortably seated on the wall. Is there a reason to even bother with setting up negative pressure, since dust is already in the whole house, or should I just operate it as an air scrubber? If I do go the negative air pressure route, would I need to tape off the air vents? [link] [comments] |
| Three HVAC questions. SEER sweetspot, AC vs heat pump cost & heat pump with gas backup Posted: 09 Nov 2020 07:05 PM PST I had a contentious meeting with a contractor today. Everything I said was wrong, I wanted to make sure I'm in touch. [link] [comments] |
| Painting kitchen cabinets cost? Posted: 09 Nov 2020 06:56 PM PST Hey all, just curious if anyone has any personal experience with having their kitchen cabinets professionally painted. We recently received a quote for $7000, which I thought was very high, and much more than what I was expecting. Our kitchen is medium size, and in total there are 45 drawers and cabinet doors combined. Curious to see if this price is close to what others have paid. For information, we're in central Missouri, and my in-laws just purchased all new cabinets for their home for less than 10k. Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Is this Sunex socket set good / complete for a homeowner? Posted: 09 Nov 2020 06:38 PM PST |
| Posted: 09 Nov 2020 08:18 PM PST Right before the pandemic hit we moved into a new house with the intention of replacing the carpet with hardwood floors. There are already about 1000 sqft of hardwoods but they need to be either replaced or refinished. Refinishing was the original plan but the cost difference isn't great enough to justify refinishing. The issue I'm running into is the engineered flooring I'm looking at is typically less than 3/4 inch thick. Which would leave me with an unsightly gap at each door jamb. They make them that are 3/4 inch thick but they are really expensive. I was hoping to keep the cost of the materials to around 4/sqft. Looking for any advice for where to shop or if I'm going about this the wrong way. Thanks [link] [comments] |
| Are there any standard size top freezer refrigerators with in-door ice dispensers? Posted: 09 Nov 2020 07:46 PM PST |
| What are my options for Kitchen Tile Floor Posted: 09 Nov 2020 03:55 PM PST Thanks in advance: Only in the house for 1.5 years and getting around to different projects. What are my options for the tile in the kitchen floor. I preferably would like just to clean the grout but not sure what to do, if anything, where the grout is missing. Willing to forward to a professional to complete, but also looking to see if this is something I can do myself. Can it be saved? https://imgur.com/gallery/xeGR47S I would say 90% of the grout intact, with spots missing here and there throughout the kitchen floor. [link] [comments] |
| Crank out window screen not the easiest to close Posted: 09 Nov 2020 07:20 PM PST Hello, so I have these window screens around the house and noticed that some of them are harder to close than others. The easier ones just snap back in as I turn the knob past a point, but the others have a hard time coming fully back in. They usually need a bit of momentum to be able to come back. What can I do to fix this? They open just fine Thanks [link] [comments] |
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