Home Improvement: Hot water heater or my marriage |
- Hot water heater or my marriage
- Who to call to fix leaking chimney and check gas logs? Chimney sweep, brick mason, roofer, or handyman?
- Buying New Construction in NH, Blower door test was a 3.0, but first "winter storm" generated Ice dams
- What can I do to get my septic field replaced?
- Long, slow tapping noise coming from drawers
- Squeaky hardwood floors
- Do I need to wait for my wood to dry before priming and painting pressure treated wood? NE Florida. See details.
- Using VR or CAD to visualize kitchen re-model?
- Home Depot Kitchen Remodel, this line item is breaking my brain...
- Replaced garbage disposal and now dishwasher won’t drain.
- Electric vs gas water heaters
- When turning the main water supply to your house back on, should taps be open or closed?
- [CA] do spiders like to come from the attic into the living area just to chill? We get random spiders in the house and have no idea where they come from. My theory is my supply vents don’t sit flush with the dry wall behind the grates and the gaps are providing access to these little critters.
- Bathroom paint problem
- Fitting rubber gasket between cast iron pipe and pvc.
- I have natural gas fireplace. The logs are covered with soot. Is this dangerous to my family's health even if unignited?
- Can I skim coat an already-painted wall? Any prep of the surface required?
- Hanging 80lbs heavy bag from the ceiling, in the garage...
- Do they make a dual purpose switch plate?
- New house: half bath exhaust fan vents to the joists about it
- Mortar Fail
- Quartz Countertop Experiences
- [wood stove] If standing timber is dead, is it ready to burn when its cut?
- Best/easiest way to add a power outlet to my fireplace...
- How to mount LG TV flush mount
| Hot water heater or my marriage Posted: 13 Dec 2020 07:31 PM PST My husband and I just moved to a (rental) house from an apartment so we have "house stuff" for the first time to deal with, including a hot water heater. I love hot showers and my husband is frugal. He keeps turning the hot water heater off during the day when we are not using it, but he keeps forgetting to turn it on so I can shower at night. I'm fine with us having it no higher than we need, but turning it on and off all the time is annoying. So tell me, does turning the hot water heater on and off every day really save that much money, or do I need to smack him and tell him to stop screwing with my showers? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 13 Dec 2020 02:11 PM PST Tl;dr Who should I call to fix a leaky chimney, install a chimney cap, remove or repair the old cast iron damper, and inspect gas logs? The cast iron damper just above the fireplace has rusted out along the edge, and some of the mortar has crumbled there as well. After a few hours of rain, water begins dripping down through. Here's video of the damper when it leaks: http://imgur.com/a/H7ucPme There's no cap on the chimney and I assume the damper needs replaced. We have gas logs that haven't been used for about a year and a half, so I'd like to make sure they are safe to use considering the leaking. Last year the roof was replaced with new step flashing at the chimney. Also a mason made a new chimney crown. (In retrospect I should have had them put a cap on at that time as well.) Should I call the mason or the roofers back, or look up more of a chimney/fireplace specialist? There seem to be a lot more masons and roofers in my area than chimney sweeps. Thanks for any advice. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 13 Dec 2020 05:13 AM PST Hi All, Working on closing on a new construction in NH this coming week, and I just had a home inspection done. Most of it went well and the inspector actually commended the builder for going above and beyond on some utilities. However, there were Ice dams present on a majority of the roof and the inspector said this shouldn't happen. The builder/agent is standing by the notion that they received a blower door test of 3.0, so there should not be anything wrong with the construction of the house. They are saying that due to the nature of the storm (snow, ice and freezing rain), this is why the ice dams were present and not because of improper ventilation/insulation. (the inspector is well known in the area and lives <5min away and said he had no ice dams on his house). How should I proceed with this? I'm worried because even though there is a builder's 1yr warranty, there is a clause that says damage caused by Ice dams is specifically not covered. I want the builder to remove that clause, but I don't know if that is unreasonable. How would you proceed if you are buying a house >$600k. Is this something worth walking away from the deal on? Edit : Images - https://imgur.com/a/dMjBcOL from spec sheet : Roofing 3' ice and water shield installed between sheathing and 25yr aristocrat shingles Added : R-38 insulating Thanks! EDIT 2: Thanks for all the comments! It's a lot to read thru and consider. Will continue to read these and respond as available [link] [comments] |
| What can I do to get my septic field replaced? Posted: 13 Dec 2020 04:06 PM PST Hello everybody. Idk if this is the right sub. I need some advice on a problem I'm having. I live in Wisconsin. I live in a rural area. So I'm on septic, not sewers. We've been having issues with the septic for like 2 years and it finally gave out. Called the people to come out and they said our septic field is no longer working, it's completely saturated and can't take any more. Our whole system is 40+ years old. Anyways, the people I called said we had to wait 2 weeks to talk to somebody about getting a new septic system installed on our property. $5-15k expense. Until then, we have to pay these guys $150 to drain our septic tank every time it fills. So that means no water softener which really sucks. Our water is terrible without it. No flushing pee. So the house stinks of rotting piss near bathrooms. Showers consist of jumping 8n and getting wet, turning off the water, Washing myself, turning it back on for a super fast rinse and done. No laundry. We gotta go to the laundromat. We can at least still use our own dryer. Dish machine for everything, no wasting water on hand washing. That means we can't use our non-stick cookware anymore or our wooden utensils. Only dishwasher safe stuff. Basically using as little as possible because water is extraordinarily expensive right now at $150 a pop for draining our tank. This is important. So they got back to us. And we talk and he says he put us on their list, and will get back to us in 11-15 months. And we can get start doing what we need to do. Excuse me what?? So i called the only 2 other companies I could find that service my area. They won't answer the phone during business hours. They don't call back from my voicemails. Nothing. So fast forward until I had to call the first company to drain my tank again. $150. I talk to the guy sucking out the tank and I tell him about the time frame his company told me, and he wasn't surprised at all. And I told him how nobody else would return my calls or answer the phone. And he told me that he hears that a lot. His company and the other companies are so backed up, they won't even talk to new customers anymore. Their backlog of customers is so long. That's why. He's like yeah, it will take over a year to replace your equipment. And I'm like meanwhile I have to keep paying you 150 dollars to keep draining my tank. By the time 12 months comes, the amount I spent on draining this tank will have amounted to getting a new system installed at this rate. And he's welp what are ya gunna do. That's the way it is. So I'm coming to reddit looking for advice on what to do. I can't keep paying $150 for septic tank drains. And I can't wait over a year for new septic equipment. And the laundromat costs are starting to add up quickly too. $3 a load. I don't mind living like this for a while until we can get it done. I expected this. But having to wait 12 months? I can't do this. I was planning on getting a loan and getting this done and out of the way as fast as possible. Living like this is horrible. The water tastes so bad without the softener that I can't drink it. So I've been buying bottles. And I haven't felt clean since before it happened. Taking a quick shower is fine. But you never feel clean when you shower in well water without a water softener. The not feeling clean is taking a toll on my mental health. What do I do? [link] [comments] |
| Long, slow tapping noise coming from drawers Posted: 13 Dec 2020 02:41 PM PST Hi, I've seen many posts about this but none seems to be exactly what I'm looking for. There's a very strange noise coming from my chest of drawers (or maybe even somewhere behind it). It's like a very annoying rhythmic tapping, first it starts off pretty fast and then it slows down until it disappears. It takes up to a minute and it happens every 10 minutes or so at any point of the day. I've ruled out mice, deathwatch beetles and paper mites, because the sound is nothing like it. The drawers didn't close properly so I thought it's the runners opening very, very, very slowly at first, but I taped them shut to see if it'll work and it didn't. But imagine something like that sound, very rhythmic and irritating. Please help, because I'm going insane. 😫 [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 13 Dec 2020 03:09 PM PST My 65 year old oak hardwood floors squeak when stepping out of the bedroom on the way to the bathroom. I have had this problem for years. Don't remember this problem when we bought 12 years ago. We ripped out the carpets when we moved in and refinished the floors. Now, we dread nocturnal bathroom visits. The basement ceiling is finished and we hate to mess with it. In the furnace room we notice T&G subflooring above the floor joists. I cant come up with a solution that doesnt involve a ceiling removal or carefully removing the hardwood , screwing down the subfloor and trying to redo the floor with the same hardwood. Any suggestions would be appreciated. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 13 Dec 2020 12:23 PM PST I just bought this https://i.imgur.com/uPW7Ekj.jpg https://i.imgur.com/7EU6tqA.jpg Do I have to wait before priming and painting, and if so how long? Question number two: how should I clean off and how much effort should I put into cleaning off bits of dirtiness on the wood before priming it? EDIT: Home depot paint guy said the way to tell how long to wait is to put a little bit of water on it, and if it beads up then you need to wait a couple weeks, but if it's soaks in then you're good to go. [link] [comments] |
| Using VR or CAD to visualize kitchen re-model? Posted: 13 Dec 2020 05:22 PM PST I'm planning on doing a kitchen and living room re-model and I'd like to play around with how we could structure the space. It involves removing or moving some walls. I've got some ideas but want to play with them spatially. Has anyone used VR or CAD tools to help with the visualization? If there's a way to scan the space using a mobile phone that'd be a plus. I'd like as consumer-friendly software as possible although if there's some learning curve I can take that. iOS, Mac, and web tools only. Thanks in advance. [link] [comments] |
| Home Depot Kitchen Remodel, this line item is breaking my brain... Posted: 13 Dec 2020 08:06 PM PST Wife and I are trying to remodel our kitchen and attached laundry room/pantry. Not changing any layout or walls, not moving any plumbing...minor electrical changes. Demoing to the studs, and replacing all cabinets (18 total) and countertops (80SF). Contacted a couple contractors, in our heads we we're hoping to spend around $20k (not including any appliances). One contractor wouldn't even come to the house until we had double that budgeted, another (that was nice and who we liked) came out and said he'd work within our budget but he was giving a similar ballpark, albeit without actually working up an estimate. At which point we decided, oK....let's put some sweat equity in...we'll get an estimate from Home Depot thinking that meant essentially we'd buy the cabinets & countertops through them and would hire someone to install. Just got our final estimate which ended up being nearly $36k. Basically $14000 for Kraftmaid (middle tier) cabinets, $8700 for installed Cambria quartz countertops (Fully realizing this is the highest cost tier and a place we will likely trim) and $13000 for the demo and installation ($5500/$7500 respectively). Not including any of the electrical or even the simple plumbing like connecting the sink. So, that didn't work out like we planned, but what's REALLY BREAKING MY BRAIN is the line item for JUST the demo. $5500.00!!! which just seems incredibly, incredibly insane to me. Initially we thought we'd do the demo ourselves, but that line item is making me think that I can't possibly be qualified to do it if it costs that much. At this point we're going to circle back to the first contractor and get an actual estimate from him to compare. Any feedback on any part of this scenario is welcome, because at this point I want to move back in with my parents and let them decide all the things again. But, I'm 47 with two kids so that wouldn't go over well (not to mention I live in SoCal and they're in TN). TL;DR The demo cost estimate is so unexpectedly insanely high. I want to DIY the demo. I had thought I had enough skill to tear down cabinets and countertops, but am now second guessing. Can I conceivably do this part myself? [link] [comments] |
| Replaced garbage disposal and now dishwasher won’t drain. Posted: 13 Dec 2020 11:23 AM PST I removed all internal components that are removable and cleaned out any trash or debris. Ran it again and still water sitting in bottom. Garbage disposal works and drains. Any ideas of what I should look for before removing and taking apart? Thank you u/azcowboy76 Fixed and another edit. 18 years. That's how long I have been a industrial/Commercial kitchen appliance, Commercial/Industrial laundry equipment, Commercial/Residential fitness equipment repair. I'm self employed with over 12 locations monthly preventive maintenance and service calls for 30 locations. I do very well compared to where I was 20 years ago. And this was my first home garbage disposal 🧑🔧🤷♂️ [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 13 Dec 2020 04:29 PM PST Hello all, Not sure if this is the right place or the right type of question but could someone tell me the pro/cons of each and if one is better then the other. Currently our water heating is coming right after the furnace and it's doesn't do a good enough job to fill a bath for my kids wondering if anyone has any recommendations? [link] [comments] |
| When turning the main water supply to your house back on, should taps be open or closed? Posted: 13 Dec 2020 07:01 PM PST If the water to the house has been off and you're ready to turn the main water supply back on, should the taps be open or closed when you do that? I'm just wondering if it's too much of a shock to the plumbing system If the taps were closed and if it were better to have them open and then go shut them all off. Thanks [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 13 Dec 2020 08:11 PM PST Does this make sense? Do spiders come through these areas normally to just chill on a wall or something? I'm wondering if it's worth it to fill all these gaps in with foam. Basically take the grate off the supply vents, great stuff the heck out of the gaps, then put the grates back on. Is that a common house hold taste people do? I've never heard of the need to do this but I can't think of any other place these guys are coming from. They're definitely not using windows, as ours are almost always closed. Any advice is appreciated. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 13 Dec 2020 04:44 PM PST https://imgur.com/gallery/Ww2NApw I recently repainted my bathroom and have begun to notice some strange drip marks in the paint. After a hot shower sometimes condensation is left on the walls above/around the shower, not sure what could be done about it and did not consider it a huge deal at first. The drop marks left however, even long after the condensation has dried, has a jelly like consistency to it and does not seem to dry like a typical paint droplet would. My first thought was I did not do a great job of cleaning the walls prior to painting. My second thought was the quality of paint I purchased wasn't the greatest, I went for not-top-tier paint to save some money... Maybe a dumb decision in hindsight... Any ideas? [link] [comments] |
| Fitting rubber gasket between cast iron pipe and pvc. Posted: 13 Dec 2020 11:37 AM PST I've been trying to fix a leak coming from my sink waste line. It originally had a rubber piece connecting the pvc to cast iron pipe, but I tore it off since the leak was coming from the cracked rubber. I bought another rubber piece from the hardware store but it's longer than the old piece. I'm not sure how to fit a gasket piece between a pvc and cast iron pipe. I don't have any experience cutting pvc so I'd rather not do that if I don't have to. Do you guys have any recommendations as to how to fit the rubber piece? https://zippyimage.com/image/xtZvV https://zippyimage.com/image/xt9dO https://zippyimage.com/image/xtC6I [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 13 Dec 2020 12:20 PM PST I will definitely get cleaned/serviced before we use it again, but is it dangerous just sitting in my fireplace? [link] [comments] |
| Can I skim coat an already-painted wall? Any prep of the surface required? Posted: 13 Dec 2020 08:19 PM PST I have an interior wall that I skim-coated, textured and painted (with acrylic latex paint) about 3 months ago. There was a slight mismatch in the texture of this wall and an adjoining wall. The mismatch was bugging me. But, even after a lot of Googling, YouTubing, and trial and error, couldn't figure out how to match the texture. I resigned myself with "close enough is good enough" and went ahead and painted it. Last week, I visited a local drywall supply store and the clerk explained how the texture was created. (I wasn't using the right tools!) So, now I want to redo the texture of the one I just finished. Since I'll need a smooth surface to apply the "correct" texture to, I'll need to apply another skim coat. Before applying the skim coat, is there anything I need to do to prepare the painted wall? [link] [comments] |
| Hanging 80lbs heavy bag from the ceiling, in the garage... Posted: 13 Dec 2020 05:40 PM PST Hello all, I was hoping to get some structural advice as I wasn't able to really find any clear answers through my research. I've currently hung an 80lbs heavy bag from the ceiling in my garage. From the attic side, I've stringed a 2x6 across 5 joists, then used a 2x6 on the garage side and strung/bolted it across 3 joists. A swivel was attached to the 2x6 stringer, which is then attached to a heavy duty 150lbs rated spring, which then the heavy bag is attached to. The heavy bag is also located in the corner of the room, house was built in the 70s, and I am on the west coast. The concern I have is when kicking the bag, I noticed that it shakes the ceiling considerably. Given that this is a house built in the 70s, I am very concerned it will do damage to the structural integrity of the home if I continue to use the bag. Is a heavy bag post that is bolted to the floor the only option? Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Do they make a dual purpose switch plate? Posted: 13 Dec 2020 05:33 PM PST I just built a new house and have one 4 gang box with 4 toggle type light switches. I want to change the third switch out with a WiFi or smart switch. But, and it's a big stupid but, I can only find these as a rocker type switch. I can't find a switch cover plate with toggle, toggle, rocker, toggle openings. So the question is do they make a switch plate which can be snapped out as needed, either rocker or toggle. Otherwise I need to switch out multiple toggles to rockers or switch the position of 3 and 4. [link] [comments] |
| New house: half bath exhaust fan vents to the joists about it Posted: 13 Dec 2020 09:08 PM PST This is a colonial house so 1st floor half bath is in the middle of the house. Can't access outside walls readily. I was thinking of following the plumbing vent line to the roof. However I know I can't fit 4" pipe through a stud. Bridging it with 2" is my only option. Anybody done this before? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 13 Dec 2020 04:36 PM PST I guess I had a bad batch of mortar mid-tiling 🙃 here ... super frustrated but happy that the rest is solid. Also I know my mortar is messy, it works out in the end. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 13 Dec 2020 08:53 PM PST I am redoing my kitchen and I want the countertops to be white (looking to get Calcutta). From everything I have read it appears quartz are very stain resistant, however, all of my friends who have white quartz talk about the awful staining they have experienced. Do any of you have similar staining issues? I understand all stones may stain and this might be more noticeable because it is white as opposed to a darker granite, but just looking for feedback on your experiences with white quartz countertops. Should I sack the quartz and go with a granite that is heat resistant and less noticeable to a stain?!? TIA [link] [comments] |
| [wood stove] If standing timber is dead, is it ready to burn when its cut? Posted: 13 Dec 2020 10:51 AM PST A generous friend who was clearing land gave me a a bunch of cherry, cut and split for burning. He just cut it down but he said the trees have been dead a while (year or so). Can I burn it right away or does it need more time? [link] [comments] |
| Best/easiest way to add a power outlet to my fireplace... Posted: 13 Dec 2020 04:03 PM PST Hi, New home owner and new handy man here :) Wondering how would I add a power outlet to my fireplace so that I can install my fireplace insert and use it so that the wire doesn't expose. I have no idea what's the best/easiest way to do this. I attached a photo, with my fireplace and the nearest outlet. Could people help? E.g. which fireplace brick should I break to see it's structure and eventually get my wire somehow... Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| How to mount LG TV flush mount Posted: 13 Dec 2020 11:50 AM PST I recently purchased a TV that includes a flush mount wall bracket (total weight 60 lbs). The bracket fits into a recessed area behind the TV, so that it is completely flush against the wall (Image 1). The mount is only long enough to span across a single stud (Image 2 - Green tape is where the studs are). I'm thinking about options on how to mount this TV Images here: https://imgur.com/a/j0O7MoT Option 1: Only attach 2x screws into studs and 6x screws into drywall using anchors. I have some screw in anchors that are rated for 50 lbs. I think this should be strong enough to hold. I've read that screws into studs can hold ~80lbs each. Also this mount will not be articulating. Options 2: Cut a piece of plywood that will span 2 or 3 studs. Thinking of getting plywood the same thickness as the drywall, making a cut-out in the drywall and attaching the plywood to the studs. Then attach the TV onto the plywoods. This seems like a very involved process, and have never attempted something like this. Will there be any issues trying to make it flush against the wall? Any help/tips/advice is appreciated! [link] [comments] |
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