Home Improvement: Update: I'm not crazy, chimney flashing still looks bad |
- Update: I'm not crazy, chimney flashing still looks bad
- Easy way to improve the look inside of your home
- Bathroom reno cost breakdown in Denver, CO
- How can I decrease sound from outside without replacing my windows?
- Unpermitted Work
- Typical compensation ($) amount for contractor install error.
- Searching for past home improvement post
- Mice/Rat Proofing
- Finally tying in the new copper to replace the old galvanized for the kitchen.
- Crack in ceiling
- Conflicting Recommendations from Septic System Inspectors and Installers
- Is this quote reasonable for a septic tank system replacement?
- Jumped right in
- Cracked ceramic tub in Illinois
- Crack in living room ceiling
- Do I need to take down my TV wall mount? (It’s only been up for 2 days.)
- Sump pump pit constantly filling with water
- Vaulted ceiling crack. Concerning?
- Smoke alarms - should I risk integrated batteries again?
- Any thoughts on how to remove this adhesive from my walls?
- Where do I find replacements for odd-shaped roof vents?
- Exterior Window Caulking
- Brown Sludge in water softener
| Update: I'm not crazy, chimney flashing still looks bad Posted: 11 Dec 2020 12:45 PM PST Original thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/kapqdv/am_i_crazy_or_does_the_new_flashing_around_my/ The company sent out a new guy this morning to discuss and "fix the issue". The worker agreed that the work the previous guy did was unacceptable, but he would fix it. IT STILL LOOKS BAD! WHY ME, GOD I don't dispute that it looks better than it did before, how couldn't it? But I'm simply unhappy with how it looks. I got more hemming and hawing about the shape of the chimney, how it isn't flat on the bottom because of the underflashing from the roof, so it can't be nice flat and flush against the chimney. I feel like I don't have the expertise to dispute these points but the fact remains that it doesn't look professional. It doesn't look like any of the work on their website. The worker was going through his phone showing me pics of other work he's done, and honestly none of it looked like this either. At this point I don't know what to do other than meet in person with the boss and see if he still vouches for this workmanship. If so I think he should feature these pics on his website to showcase it and let people know what they should expect. Thank you for reading my stress induced rant. I fully expect a similar response to my first thread, which was a universal mix of amazement, amusement, and pity for me. I'm officially soliciting further advise about dealing with this. [link] [comments] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Easy way to improve the look inside of your home Posted: 11 Dec 2020 10:18 AM PST As the we've settled into our home little things here and there drive me crazy, one of which was something we didn't do while we were painting and makes a world of difference. Changing outlets + covers... We did change all the covers to a nice bright white, however, I never did the outlets, some we never used, some were in bad spots. However, we're renovating our bathroom, we had crooked outlets, dingy and gross outlets and even painted over outlets, because F me it's too hard to just miss it right? I swear, new home owners, if you want an easy way to really bring a room together and make things look fresh and clean, replace your outlets + wall plates. It's such an easy task and really makes things shine. Here's what it looks like now, and how we started This is nothing new, just a friendly and helpful reminder, you wont regret it. Edit: the outlet and non-blue switch, yeah those were in the bathroom, about 4" from the sink, that got changed over to a GCFI... Also, my light switch is crooked, time to fix that. [link] [comments] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bathroom reno cost breakdown in Denver, CO Posted: 11 Dec 2020 07:57 AM PST I like to share the cost of my projects to help get estimates for new homeowners so here it is. About $6k total and took about 8 days to complete. I worked with the contractor to save some money here and there. Finding my own materials and doing some work was huge for me. I picked the price and the quality that I was comfortable with and I installed the toilet and painted between the contractor demo and vanity install. Overall, I'm very happy with $6k I spent on this bathroom to be able to use the bathroom quickly and for a chance to meet a reasonable contractor for future projects.
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| How can I decrease sound from outside without replacing my windows? Posted: 11 Dec 2020 12:20 PM PST I rent a house in what is typically a college neighborhood and I have lived here 4 years with minimal complaints. Last week someone with 3 children (ages about 8-13 it seems) moved into the house directly behind me. They are SO loud, and endlessly playing outside directly behind my house at all hours. I'm assuming they do online school during the pandemic because they are playing (and screaming) at any point from 9am until it gets dark outside. I rent and I don't want to do anything too expensive to reduce the sound. Ideally I would just have better windows, but I can't replace the windows. Is there anything I can do to reduce the sound I can hear from outside my house? It consists of so much screaming that my cat is on edge and hissing at the back door. [link] [comments] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 11 Dec 2020 07:06 PM PST So I decided to do some house work on my own. Tore down walls, remove fixtures, install a new HVAC system. I didn't know how to set up a gas line so I got that done professionally. They pulled permits and an inspector came, notices the other work I did and said I need permits for it. What do I do now? [link] [comments] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Typical compensation ($) amount for contractor install error. Posted: 11 Dec 2020 09:41 AM PST We had a contractor install 300sqft of flooring in our kitchen. The installer didn't clean off the tile quick enough when it was installed leaving significant grout haze. Its acrylic grout for lvt so its not easy to remove but is possible. With scrubbing it takes about 20-30 mins per tile. Our contractor essentially said that if he puts a guy on it, it still likely wouldn't be done as well as I'd like it and offered "reasonable" compensation instead. We can scrub it but it would take days. At this point, compensation seems like the only option and really is the only option that our contractor offered. We don't want to remove all the glued down tile and start over. How would we go about proposing a compensation amount? Is there a typical percentage of the overall costs that we should request? Should we consider the cost of the job, the labour, our time? [link] [comments] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Searching for past home improvement post Posted: 11 Dec 2020 06:51 AM PST Does anyone have the link to the (I thought) famous remodeling failure of the house that was featured here/on Imgur. Basically it was a house that a guy (I think in the southern states in America) tried to remodel himself, add another level via a garage where all the windows didn't line up, he put sockets on top of his cabinets, he flooded the outside of the house trying to dig up some new work, set fire to the outside housing siding by accident. I've searched around for it but can't find the post - apologies if this isn't the best place for it. A friend of mine is trying to do some DIY remodeling work and wanted to send him the link as a precaution to some of the ideas he's shared. [link] [comments] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 11 Dec 2020 08:34 AM PST Hi all. Just moved into an older house. Replaced the gas range this week and saw a lot of mouse damage behind the range and within the back of the range. Didn't think much of it since we have not seen any droppings or activity...figured it was old damage considering the range was almost 15 years old. Plugged the fairly sizable hole with steel wool and spray foam. Didn't think much of it. Just to cover my bases I checked on it 2 days later and sure enough the hole is back, fairly large making me think it is a rat. I set traps behind the range. I figured try to kill it then plug the hole, is this the right course of action? Once I do get the rodent what is the best material/combination to plug this hole about 2 inches wide? Thanks Edit: I walked the foundation and could not see any holes, there was a basement window open without a screen which has since been closed. Edit 2: wall behind the range is an interior wall [link] [comments] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Finally tying in the new copper to replace the old galvanized for the kitchen. Posted: 11 Dec 2020 02:47 PM PST | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 11 Dec 2020 07:07 PM PST Noticed this crack in my ceiling this afternoon, approximately 12-18 inches long. Should I be concerned or just house settlement? Also what professional would be the best to contact to get it looked at? [link] [comments] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Conflicting Recommendations from Septic System Inspectors and Installers Posted: 11 Dec 2020 09:10 PM PST Hello everyone, Intro to my project: I am buying a property in Edwardsville, IL. It has been vacant 3 years, and is currently 2 small bedrooms with an upstairs attic bedroom which is technically not meeting the requirements for ceiling height to be considered livable square footage. I'm planning to redo part of the roof to make this livable, and also adding a master suite to the property. Previously, there was an addition where the master suite was going but I think it was part garage, part porch. Problem: My septic system consists of what appears to be concrete tank with standard leach field. I had soil samples taken at the recommendation of a septic inspector. The inspector said he would not be able to get any good info because the septic hasnt been used for 3 years. He said that since the property was built in 1945, its septic is probably trash, and when we go to sell it, we will need a good report on the septic system to sell. After getting soils done, the soil sampling guy said we would probably need an aerator system, so I showed the report to a septic installer. He said it will not be up to code based on my soil samples, because the high water table and bad drainage rate means we have to replace everything with an aerobic aerator system to comply with current Madison County IL codes. My ask: Can you guys help me come up with a good plan to mitigate this problem, and what do you think it'll cost to convert to aerobic? Should I plan for $10K and just get it done with the rest of the rehab? Should I just try to use the existing septic system and worry about it at selling time? I'm worried that the septic installer/inspector is just trying to sell me on this stuff. SOIL REPORT: Lowest Loading Rate at leach field: 0.52 gdp/SQFT Limiting Layer: 13" (seasonal high water table) [link] [comments] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Is this quote reasonable for a septic tank system replacement? Posted: 11 Dec 2020 11:50 AM PST I am a little overwhelmed now that I may have to shell this amount of money unexpectedly. Any advice is much appreciated. [link] [comments] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 11 Dec 2020 12:40 PM PST So I dove head first into removing the existing floor in my basement, to make way for stall mats for my home gym! As with any diy project, I quickly realized it was a bigger undertaking than initially thought to be. As it would seem, the floors came before the walls, so removing the subfloor has become much more difficult. I've done some digging online, but really can't figure out where to go from here. I cant cut flush to the wall, so should I cut the wall, remove the floor and replace drywall? I'm guessing thats the only real way to keep this from being a shoddy diy project. Anyone have experience with this specifically? [link] [comments] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cracked ceramic tub in Illinois Posted: 11 Dec 2020 07:00 AM PST Hi All, I have cracked my master tub by the faucet(see images), have no idea how to fix this. does anyone know if this can be fixed or am i looking at replacement ?if you know some company that can fix this, i would be interested as well. rather not spent $5000 on a new tub if this can be repaired. Thanks for any feedback. [link] [comments] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 11 Dec 2020 07:27 PM PST Hi I came home and I noticed a crack in the celing I don't know what type of celing it is. And that is the only crack. House was bult in 2000. In Ontario Canada it is a fully detached. 2 storey. And the celing was painted 4 months ago. Is this a problem. I did notice after it was painted. Also what is the best way to fix It. And y would something like this happen. Thanks. Pictures [link] [comments] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Do I need to take down my TV wall mount? (It’s only been up for 2 days.) Posted: 11 Dec 2020 10:32 AM PST Hi everyone, These bulges and pops started appearing after having my TV wall mount up for 2 days. Do I need to take down my wall mount and remount a couple inches up/down/over? Thanks for your help! [link] [comments] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sump pump pit constantly filling with water Posted: 11 Dec 2020 05:45 AM PST We experienced some pretty heavy rain a couple times last week (I'm in South Jersey), but we've been without rain now for about a week and I noticed that the pit for my sump pump is still filling with water. I find this unusual because the pit rarely fills with water unless we experience heavy rain for long periods of time, and when it does fill, the water influx usually stops within a couple days. My worst-case-scenario-thought is that I may have a water line leak or sewer line leak, but I'd like to try to test for those somehow before I cave and have someone come out to look at my system. How would I be able run something like a dye test to see if the water filling the pit is coming from my sewer line? [link] [comments] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vaulted ceiling crack. Concerning? Posted: 11 Dec 2020 12:24 PM PST Pic: https://imgur.com/a/s7iqWH5 House built in 1987, PNW. There's a skylight near the crack. No sign of leak [link] [comments] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Smoke alarms - should I risk integrated batteries again? Posted: 11 Dec 2020 06:26 AM PST I live in an ancient wooden-framed house with sketchy wiring and open fires so I installed smoke alarms in every room: about 20 alarms in total. I picked sealed-unit alarms with a 10-year (non-replaceable) battery because I don't really feel the thrill of the hunt when it comes to tracking down the one alarm that starts intermittently chirping at 3 am. My plan didn't exactly work, because despite picking a reputable brand the batteries started to fail early. 3 years in, and already 25% of the alarms are dead, with no option just to swap in a new battery. Those alarms need replacing and I'm about ready to cut my losses and renew the lot. Mains-powered alarms are not an option for most of the house. Also, as I love fancy smart alarms like the Nest ones, I can't afford to buy a whole bunch of them. I'm hoping to fit at least a couple of the more-basic wireless-linked alarms (e.g. so that smoke in my kids' rooms will also sound the alarm in mine), but generally regular individual alarms will be okay. I'm in the UK, but I think most of the major companies sell their alarms internationally. Although I've been burned already, I'm not adverse to the idea of sealed-units so long as they're more reliable than the ones I've used. I already have heat sensors in the kitchen and bathrooms that don't need replacing, but for the rest of the house I'd welcome any recommendations or suggestions. Thanks! Edit: Thanks for all the responses. The detectors are made by Fireangel and the model number is ST-620. I only kept three of the failed detectors, but they're all well in date (they have an expiry date aside from the 10 year battery) and are from the same manufacturing batch (they have a batch code printed on them). [link] [comments] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Any thoughts on how to remove this adhesive from my walls? Posted: 11 Dec 2020 06:56 PM PST I have removed some old sound dampening and this glue is left. Any ideas on how to remove this? [link] [comments] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Where do I find replacements for odd-shaped roof vents? Posted: 11 Dec 2020 04:43 PM PST I have 5 low-profile vents that were installed when we re-roofed about 10 years ago (in AZ). These things are a disaster - they leak like a sieve whenever it rains. I thought the wind was driving in water, but we just had a light rain with no wind - and they still leaked like crazy. It looks like they were installed wrong (the metal flange on the bottom should be above the shingles) - but I don't think that is the core problem... The tops of these things are too shallow, almost level. With vents on the top, they just invite the rain to run inside... They measure 24" across by 14" deep. I'd like to replace them, but I'm having trouble finding replacement vents of that size (in a more traditional, leakproof shape). Anyone have any leads on where to look? Thanks! [link] [comments] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 11 Dec 2020 11:23 AM PST Hi guys, I'm thinking my house might have some air leakage going on, coming from exterior windows. I've been looking around, and am confused AF about if I should caulk this or not. Should I be caulking along the siding/window or leave it as is? I've seen comments about leaving room for expansion. Disregard the dirty siding, we just moved in :) Link to pictures: https://imgur.com/a/P43mu8U [link] [comments] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Brown Sludge in water softener Posted: 11 Dec 2020 10:07 AM PST My wife and I are about to close on a townhome which is ~15-20 years old. We noticed that there is a layer of brown sludge-like liquid at the bottom of the water softener which I've never encountered before. Image: Brown sludge in water softener Some googling suggests can be common in certain areas resulting from iron or manganese deposits over time, and that it can be corrected by cleaning out the reservoir with dish soap and a minimal amount of bleach. I'd love to get some extra perspective on this though; anything I should be concerned about? At minimum, it's made me scrutinize the place a little more since it's clear the current owners weren't bothered with the routine maintenance. [link] [comments] |
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