Home Improvement: Cheap assholes that flip houses can go to hell. |
- Cheap assholes that flip houses can go to hell.
- As a first-time homeowner I only wish I found out about Star Head or Torx Head screws sooner...
- As a new homeowner, I try to do one small repair or improvement (or plan for either) each day
- I just replaced plastic receptacle faceplates with steel ones and $3.27 never made me so happy
- Project you'll always hire out?
- Roofers caused roof damage, but we still have the second insurance check. - Question
- Can this kitchen faucet be reinstalled without the wide base?
- Apartment furniture?
- Installing baseboard.
- Just tore out carpet in our 110 year old house with the intention on putting in LVP. On a scale of 1-10, how bad is the subfloor?
- I will likely be buying a home in the next year or two, and presumably it will need renovations. I know nothing. How can I start educating myself now to be better prepared? More questions inside!
- Caulk, foam, or leave alone around this window?
- putting in shower door, need 13/16" shim.
- Home improvements
- Affordable garage floor upgrade
- Suggestions for soundproofing/dampening so neighbors truck stops waking us up?
- Should I be worried about these cracks?
- Old wood windows - caulk inside between frame and glass?
- Basement Pantry
- Going to tile Mom’s Florida room.. after cats lived in it.
- Door gap uneven and sagging
- Flooring and cabinet question
- New Black Door, Gap between Threshold and Floor Tiles
- Waterproofing basement question
| Cheap assholes that flip houses can go to hell. Posted: 24 Jan 2021 12:20 PM PST I'm seriously so annoyed, we bought our first ever house almost a year ago, we had an inspection done and got some things corrected, had a reinspection and all that and the inspector signed off. Since then our agent had to go back to them twice to repair things that were not listed as issues (and would not be obvious to an inspector) that we were able to prove they had knowledge of (we happened to call the same plumber they used who let us know that he made them aware of plumbing issues and sent us the documents. ). So all of that aside. I just today got to cleaning out a trash can that had been left beside the house. Side note, all of our grass died this winter and I don't mean it went dormant. I mean the entire backyard turned into straight dirt. When we moved in there was a moderately okay yard. It would need a little work see nothing serious. I open up the trash and there's 4 bags of ANNUAL grass seed... They seeded the back yard with annual seed prior to selling to make it look nice. . . WHY NOT USE FUCKING REGULAR ASS SEED? They saved maybe $50 to use grass that would die by the end of winter and not come back?! It's not a huge deal. But it's just they are too much. [link] [comments] |
| As a first-time homeowner I only wish I found out about Star Head or Torx Head screws sooner... Posted: 24 Jan 2021 10:24 AM PST my god they're so much more enjoyable to use than Phillips. they don't strip, the drive quickly and most packages of the screws come with their own bit so...if you haven't tried them i recommend doing so! [link] [comments] |
| As a new homeowner, I try to do one small repair or improvement (or plan for either) each day Posted: 24 Jan 2021 05:50 PM PST I've found this keeps my home improvement momentum going. It can be as big as laying tile in my bathroom remodel or as small as vacuuming out 30 years of dust from my cold air returns. I also count measuring for something or researching the best way to improve something. It's become the second job that I love to tackle each day. Do other people have tips on how to stay motivated with a mountain of tasks in front of you? [link] [comments] |
| I just replaced plastic receptacle faceplates with steel ones and $3.27 never made me so happy Posted: 24 Jan 2021 05:46 PM PST I bought a house last year and, for a number of reasons including Covid and extra time at home, I've been starting to work on the electrical system, automation, networking, alarm, thermostating and other small improvements that I can do myself. One thing that bothers me GREATLY is shoddy electrical workmanship. Despite being relatively new (2003) the house has a majority of electrical receptacles that wobble or creak, or whose faceplate cracked. I started inspecting them and noticed how the boxes behind them are quite tall, and even if the drywall was cut accurately to accommodate them, the traditional Leviton receptacle lips are not tall enough to grip enough drywall and make a firm contact. As a result, most of them wobble, a good half of them have started receding into their boxes and are only kept there by the faceplate (plastic!), and two of those faceplate cracked outright, with the receptacle left basically floating between the box and the faceplate. I've been researching solutions including spacers, box extenders and brackets, but the solution that I ended up trying, and seems the sturdiest, is using fully steel, single piece faceplates. They screw against the receptacle, pulling it forward and distributing its pressure on the drywall along the entire perimeter of the faceplate. They have great purchase and feel really sturdy. Once installed, there is zero wobble. I'm in love with them. With a toddler walking around like a barbarian, a small baby crawling, and a wife who does not always have "mechanical sympathy" toward things that can exhibit metal or plastic fatigue, I feel a lot safer with the new faceplates than with the old ones. I'm not posting links, but if you google "stamped steel round single duplex outlet wall plate" you'll find them, and they cost less then $10 for a pack of three. This is the simplest home improvement I've done, and the one that gave me the most immediate satisfaction so far. [link] [comments] |
| Project you'll always hire out? Posted: 24 Jan 2021 08:28 PM PST I'm a pretty hardcore DIYer, but there are a few things I will always hire out. Mudding drywall and painting (for a moderately sized area) are two that I will almost always hire out. Curious what tasks you fine folks typically hire out for. [link] [comments] |
| Roofers caused roof damage, but we still have the second insurance check. - Question Posted: 24 Jan 2021 06:12 PM PST So we had our roof replaced a few weeks ago. Insurance sent an initial check and we gave them our deductible with it. They've been (sort of) pestering us about the final check from the insurance company, which finally arrived yesterday. Today, we noticed some damage to the soffit in an area where 2 sections of roof meet. It also appears to have further damage, other than just the soffit. Previously, we had a trap set up by a pest control company that would allow bats to leave our attic, but not return. They destroyed this trap and discarded it in our yard. This area is in an area where we don't, typically, go. And while we should have done a thorough walk afterwards, it doesn't really matter at this point, because we know now and haven't given the final payment as of yet. For this bat issue, we spent quite a bit of time (and money) resolving this. It was to the point where they'd get into the house... So, what we'd like is to hold this check hostage until they repair the roof. We'd also like them to pay the pest control company to test to be sure bats didn't reenter our attic and reseal the hole they left. Is this unreasonable? Is there any legal reason I can't do this? I feel like we're lucky we found this while we still had the check, they would have likely picked it up tomorrow then ghosted us if we contacted them later (no reason other than a hunch and paranoia from reading other contractor horror stories). Problem is, they should have told us they were ripping it out, or ask about it... something. We could have another infestation and I don't want to deal with that. Any suggestions? [link] [comments] |
| Can this kitchen faucet be reinstalled without the wide base? Posted: 24 Jan 2021 09:18 PM PST Can this kitchen faucet be reinstalled without the wide base? I'm trying to figure out how to install a filter faucet through one of the holes this base uses. Faucet [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 24 Jan 2021 07:30 PM PST Hey folks! Moving into my first apartment by myself (female, late 20s), and struggling to find furniture that I like and am willing to pay for. Where can I find quality furniture that will last for more than just a few years? I would ideally like to have good furniture that I can sell in a few years when it's time to move into a house. Is West Elm any good or Article? Or are they just overpriced? Any recommendations? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 24 Jan 2021 06:46 PM PST Should I rent a nail gun and compressor for this operation. I'm replacing all of my baseboards after my new flooring is installed. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 24 Jan 2021 05:17 PM PST Located in Oregon. Very confused about the subfloor situation across our home. There seems to be multiple types of wood in varying orientations, some of the carpet padding was glued down, some was stapled, and most concerning there are a few patches of tile which has set off my internal asbestos alarm. I was planning on screwing down any loose and squeaky planks, and then sanding down or adding material to level out the floor before we work on installing the vinyl planks. However, I don't want to do anything to those tiles. Part of me thinks it might be easier to just screw down a 1/2" or so plywood subfloor on top of what we have now to solve the leveling issue and avoid messing with the potential asbestos. The kitchen flooring was redone by the previous owners and they have plywood underneath, so theoretically we could make the living room floor level with the kitchen in that case. Is plywood the way to go? Or am I overlooking something? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 24 Jan 2021 02:42 PM PST First of all, thank you! I read the side bar, but this might be a bit more basic than this sub usually sees. I am currently applying to jobs and looking at moving quite far where I currently am. Since buying a home isn't a fast process (and its probably better to do it when I know the city), I'll hopefully move sometime in 2021, get in a rental, and during that time in the rental, I will purchase a house (putting my timeline in 2022-2023). I have very specific taste and do not enjoy the cookie cutter "flipped" look that most houses are sporting right now. Obviously since I don't have a house (or even a city) in mind at the moment, I just would like some generic advice. I know that usually renovations reveal needed functional repairs, but lets focus, for the most part, on cosmetic/practical projects because I can't predict what I will find. I was pretty much an orphan growing up, so I've never really been around house repairs and know nothing about it. We're starting from the very bottom, but I'm motivated and a fast learner. I know I can't do a lot of hands-on learning until I actually am working on a house (and most stuff like this is trial and error), but I figure I can get well educated in the mean time. What do I need to know? Is there a room or project that's "easier" so I can lean my way into renovations? Are there tasks that are way more difficult than they seem? Is there a plan of attack that you usually recommend if one is doing the vast majority of the house? Is there something you didn't do, that you wish you did renovate? Or something that was a waste of time? If I hate pests, is there anything I can do during renovations to really pest proof my house (beyond fill holes/adequate caulking/filling/etc? Is there anything that is usually overlooked, or a really stupid mistake that most people make? I like things to be quality, so I just want to make sure I do it right. I have severe allergies and hate carpets, so I assume if I end up in a home with carpets, removing them is the first plan of attack. Is that right? Then paint, at least those rooms, and then re-floor (wood floors, no laminate or vinyl -- easier to have a contractor do it, or is it something that can be done by someone with only basic skills? I read its a lot more work than vinyl, and due to the cost of wood floors, maybe that's something better left to the experts as they're less likely to fuck it up, but I really don't know.) If this changes anything, I have a dog. Anything better or worse with dogs? If I buy a house without a fence, that is probably going to be repair #1 and I know that can be expensive. Any books or websites you recommend? This is all really just a free response, so I'm here to soak up anything and everything. If there's something on the sidebar that I missed, let me know and please except my sincere apologies. Thank you :) I appreciate you all taking me under your wing, I hope this isn't annoying, I'm really eager to learn and honestly, its super exciting to me. Edit: I should note, that I have zero intention to fuck with something like electric, so if there are rooms that usually need an electrician, I would love to know that. I'm weary around plumbing, but its more of a yellow-flag for me than a red flag, if its something that is allegedly simple. I, again, know nothing, though, and look forward to figuring out what I can and cannot handle and learning my limits. [link] [comments] |
| Caulk, foam, or leave alone around this window? Posted: 24 Jan 2021 09:21 PM PST Popped off the trim here to replace with one less gobs-of-painty. There's a tiny space between the wall and frame - should I fill it with something while it's open? [link] [comments] |
| putting in shower door, need 13/16" shim. Posted: 24 Jan 2021 09:07 PM PST I'm putting in a DreamLine Prism Plus Shower door and when I put in the door it needs to be on a 13/16" shim while I attach it to the hinges so that the bottom gasket can be installed after it's mounted. My question is what would you use for something that size. Since they are specific to the 16th of an inch I'm guessing my 3/4" wood won't be right. The shower looks something like this: https://dreamline.com/shower-enclosures/prism-plus-34-40-in-w-x-34-40-in-d-shower-enclosure_shen-2634340-01.html Thanks for any suggestions. Note that I don't have a woodshop or anything cool like that. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 24 Jan 2021 09:05 PM PST Been looking at doing some Home improvements in order to get my house in the market in a year or two don't know where to start just trying to get some ideas on where to start and easy jobs to do I have a two bedroom 1 bath house pretty much every room needs updated. [link] [comments] |
| Affordable garage floor upgrade Posted: 24 Jan 2021 06:51 PM PST I'm looking for ideas to affordably upgrade the concrete floor of my 2 car garage. I've been looking at those diy epoxy kits, but I'm skeptical about their durability and I don't want to go too cheap. I was thinking about using concrete paint with some sort of epoxy or concrete specific sealer. Can anyone point me in a good direction? For context: we do a lot of mechanic work, and furniture restoration and painting in our garage. So it needs to be durable against oil and the occasional solvent. I usually use the harshest of materials in the driveway but here and there strippers and paint thinner type solvents are used in the garage. [link] [comments] |
| Suggestions for soundproofing/dampening so neighbors truck stops waking us up? Posted: 24 Jan 2021 02:08 PM PST Our neighbor has a diesel truck with a modified exhaust that wakes us up every single morning at 6:20am. We've asked him nicely about options but he said it's street legal and needs the exhaust to haul his (massive) RV. I do not want to start a war by calling the police so I'm looking at possible options. The truck is VERY loud when it starts, and then it gets a little quiet but the idle is still very loud. Unfortunately, our bedroom wall is right next to his driveway. Another unfortunate thing is that our house is built ONLY with 3/4" foam outside. There is no wood sheathing, house wrap, or anything. It's basically vinyl siding, 3/4" foam, isolation, and then the inside drywall. Again I don't want to start a war with our neighbor (plus he has many, many friends) and I feel our house is built like garbage just making things worse. TLDR: Does anybody have any suggestions on soundproofing/dampening perhaps the bedroom wall facing our neighbors house? Should this help or would I also need to improve the roof, etc, etc. Thanks for any suggestions :) [link] [comments] |
| Should I be worried about these cracks? Posted: 24 Jan 2021 08:25 PM PST Me and my wife just bought a 100 year old home (moved in 2 days ago). After getting a house inspection it seemed there were only minor repairs but after reading some other stories about cracks in bricks I have started getting worried about this section at the back of our house: http://b3.ms/gPG9YBbPKA7J http://b3.ms/NPpnQ1KoznEZ http://b3.ms/6J09rVvxo94o. Should I have an engineer look at it? The inspector mentioned it in the review but only said to fill/repair cracks to avoid leaks. [link] [comments] |
| Old wood windows - caulk inside between frame and glass? Posted: 24 Jan 2021 07:58 PM PST I replaced a piece of cracked glass on an old wood single pane window. I cleaned out the old glazing on the frame, put on the new glass and applied new glazing all around the glass on the outside. Do I caulk the glass on the inside? The frame is old and the wood isn't smooth so there are little gaps here and there even though the glass was a good fit. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 24 Jan 2021 07:33 PM PST I just build a pantry closet in my basement. The back wall is an outside wall, but I did insulate with foam board insulation. The inside walls are not insulated. Is there anything else that should be done to ensure that the food I keep in there will be ok? Humidity is currently around 28%. I run a dehumidifier in the main finished part of the basement. The closet is built in the unfinished side where the furnace is. Any recommendations? [link] [comments] |
| Going to tile Mom’s Florida room.. after cats lived in it. Posted: 24 Jan 2021 07:02 PM PST Removing the carpet got rid of nearly all of the smell, but now it's bare concrete, and she wants to tile it. Is there any kind of sealer I can put on the cement so the smell won't ever come through, but the tile won't lift? She's 93, and doing great, but she'll be selling the place or giving it to me or my sister when she passes, and I want to make sure it's done right. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 24 Jan 2021 06:30 PM PST There are already 3 inch screws securing every hinge. The house was built in 2014 and it looks like the top of the door is bulging out and the bottom is recessed (both sides). [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 24 Jan 2021 06:11 PM PST Hey all I'm in the middle of a big kitchen reno and we've got some really conflicting info we have been given with when to install flooring vs when to put in cabinets. So we are putting in a wood look luxury vinyl plank flooring and the guy who im having help me install the cabinets said the flooring needs to be done first and my designer/flooring provider says absolutely not we need cabinets in first. The guy who is helping me with cabinet install was an installer for 30 yrs(now he's a nurse) says its due to toe kick differences. I honestly do not know who to believe or if it matters? Need help! [link] [comments] |
| New Black Door, Gap between Threshold and Floor Tiles Posted: 24 Jan 2021 06:05 PM PST So I'm finishing up the trim work and such on a new back door. I'm in the Dallas / Ft Worth area. The new threshold is a bit narrower than the old one, so now there is a gap between the threshold and the floor tiles. See pictures: I've been researching, and found that grout is a really bad idea (the gap varies from 1/2" on the left to 3/4" on the right), and that even caulk or sanded caulk is probably not ideal here. I've also investigated transition pieces, but none are shaped like what I think would work best - a 90 degree vertical side up against the threshold, that is tall enough to fill the gap, then is notched to overlap onto the tile. I finally decided I'd post something here and see if anyone here has any other suggestions / tips / ideas. [link] [comments] |
| Waterproofing basement question Posted: 24 Jan 2021 09:44 PM PST My house was built in 1952 and is located in Lodi California, the basement was framed by the previous owner at some point and I have never seen standing water down there; however, I am seeing efflorescence on the walls. Not a whole lot compared to what I've seen pictures of. Some of it I was able to brush off fairly easily with a standard brush while some of it was a little more difficult to remove so I'm assuming this is evidence of older efflorescence and newer efflorescence. I'd like to start building out my basement or at least planning how to finish it so my question is how do I go about water proofing it? My original thought was to use drylok or similar on the walls and floor but how do I waterproof behind the framing and is drylok even what I should be using in this situation? Thanks for the help [link] [comments] |
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