Home Improvement: Newer lumber bolted to original supports in attic |
- Newer lumber bolted to original supports in attic
- New house doesn't have coax cables run. Internet provider is coming Saturday. What are my options?
- Interior door knob that leads to basement isn't working and now the door is shut and can't be opened! HELP
- OK to do concrete work in the winter? Concrete patio, pergola pilings, fence posts...
- Sewer gas or dead animal in the wall?
- Steel vs wood backyard playground
- Can hear children stomping next door. Fully detached house.
- Drywall damage
- Putting vinyl tiles over asbestos tiles in basement?
- Who drafts the electrical plan?
- Blanket insulation for finishing basement?
- Wanting advice on lighting options, not sure if I'm in the right place.
- What is this thing in my bathroom wall?
- Does anyone know what this wire is and if I can cut it?
- Miter saw not cutting straight miters. Any ideas?
- I’m stumped
- I am gutting my kitchen, does it make sense to remove all the old 1940s BX wiring in the rest of the house?
- Leak under basement sliding glass door
- Any ideas what this 3x3 ft brick inlay was for in my basement floor?
- I screwed up and used the wrong great stuff (fire hazard??)
- Different kinds of flooring for an open floor plan?
- I tried to change a bulb and discovered this... Does anyone know what is it?
- Replacing LED light bulbs in basement but one works and one doesn't. Both work elsewhere in my house. Can anyone explain why?
- Got a letter from my insurance saying that my meter loop wasn’t giving out enough wattage, what to do?
| Newer lumber bolted to original supports in attic Posted: 06 Jan 2021 07:25 AM PST We bought our house about 3 months ago, and had what I considered to be a very thorough inspection, but it didn't mention this. We had a few issues with chimney and subsequent flashing, but nothing about support problems. I've been up in the attic multiple times, and just noticed that in one of the corners of the house, there is newer lumber nailed to the original lumber supports in several places. The original lumber looks fine, no cracks, splitting, rotting etc. So I'm not sure why they would have added the newer stuff to it. Here's an image of what I'm talking about: Anyone know why this would have been done? Thanks from a first time homeowner. [link] [comments] |
| New house doesn't have coax cables run. Internet provider is coming Saturday. What are my options? Posted: 06 Jan 2021 05:09 AM PST We bought a new house that is a complete renovation and full update. The one thing I'm not happy about is that we didn't realize there are no coax cables in the wall to hook up a router (cleanly). Our internet provider is coming Saturday to do our install and connection, but I'm nervous that 1) They won't run it to the room I need it in, and 2) They will do a shitty enough job that I can't make it decent when they leave. I'm told they will go through the siding with no care, then up the wall into the house. The problem is that I work from home and I HAVE to have direct access to the router for hardwired internet. That room, the office, is not on the side of the house, but rather the middle/front of the house. So I'm curious if they will run into that room and if not, what are my options? I can't have an electrician or whatever come by Monday if the provider doesn't run into that room on Saturday. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 06 Jan 2021 09:28 PM PST About a week ago I had family staying with us for the holidays. They stayed in our downstairs bedroom. The door (mainly rhe knob) that seperates the stairs from upstairs and downstairs started to act up. It wouldn't move when we went to turn the knob. Well today the door got closed and we can't open it at all. The knob turns about a quarter but doesn't appear to be retracting the latch. There are no visible screws on the side we have access to. I do not believe the door has a lock on it. What we've tried: 1. Removing the pins from the hinges and pulling the door off. It didn't work since the hinges have a bend in them to prevent the door from opening that side.
So what do you suggest? I said break the knob but my other half said no.... We do not have access to the other side of the door as all the windows to the basement are closed and locked. [link] [comments] |
| OK to do concrete work in the winter? Concrete patio, pergola pilings, fence posts... Posted: 06 Jan 2021 10:36 AM PST I'm planning a major back yard project with a new 20x20 stamped concrete patio, steel I-beam pergola over it, and a new privacy fence. I'm wondering if it is possible (or wise) to try to get any of this started during the winter, or if I should just wait until spring when it warms up. It's below freezing every night through the winter where I am, but usually gets above freezing during the day. It looks like contractors in my area will do it, but I'm concerned that if it doesn't cure properly, I might not really know right away, and could be left trying to get an install problem fixed 2 years down the line or something. Am I being overly-cautious to worry about this, or is it a totally normal thing to do concrete all winter? Maybe some parts (like fence posts?) are no big deal, but others are best left for warmer weather? I'm clearly clueless, so I really appreciate any advice I can get. Thanks in advance. [link] [comments] |
| Sewer gas or dead animal in the wall? Posted: 06 Jan 2021 09:31 PM PST We called a plumber because we thought we had a sewer gas leak from possibly a clogged or broken vent pipe after a roof replacement. They scoped our line and suckered us into a $8k jet/mill/liner job for the remaining cast iron piping besides the main line we already replaced this year via insurance claim. It's been 5 days, and the plumber comes into the room and smells it, sympathizes and then proceeds to give me vague answers about how the smell "could come from several places" after I argued that even if there were issues with the sewer line, the smell shouldn't be getting into the house. A pest control person and the plumber both checked the attic and didn't see anything. I was convinced it was sewer gas, but after about the 5-6th day now, I'm starting to wonder if it is in fact a rotting animal in a wall or obscured attic area near the master bathroom. So first of all, does it seem as wrong as it does to me that we called them for the smell and instead they've left us days without resolution, and did we get hosed with the liner job? We also replaced the hot water heater while we were at it because it was 20 years old. But, on one hand I feel like we might as well have gotten the liner thing done to avoid future problems (and cockroaches), but I feel more suckered than after leaving a car dealership. And the house still smells. What do y'all think? [link] [comments] |
| Steel vs wood backyard playground Posted: 06 Jan 2021 03:15 PM PST I'm looking to buy a playground kit for my backyard. Currently looking at Costco options for kits. There are two choices for materials:
Does anyone have any recommendations for which type of material to use in terms of safety and longevity? Thanks. [link] [comments] |
| Can hear children stomping next door. Fully detached house. Posted: 06 Jan 2021 04:49 PM PST I recently purchased a single family detached house (not linked), and I am hearing loud vibrational thumps are travelling in from the neighbours house that is approximately 3-4 feet away. I mostly hear the noise in the living room. My living room is directly adjacent to theirs, and I've recently asked the owners to have their children to stomp around to verify the noise. I confirmed it is coming from them. I believe it is coming from the hardwood floor in their home. I can recreate the same sound by stomping on my floor. Both floors and uninsulated, and we both have unfinished basements. This may be lending to the noise, as the floors seem very hollow. But I still don't see how it could travel into my home. Does anyone have any suggestions on solving this? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 06 Jan 2021 08:19 AM PST https://i.imgur.com/vab87Nj.jpg We are in the process of prepping our home to sell. We discovered this odd place of damage to the drywall behind our Tv stand when we moved it to paint. It doesn't appear to be wet or mushy. Could this be water damage? What kind of fix are we looking at here? Can we patch the place, sand and paint? Any advice is welcome! Thanks [link] [comments] |
| Putting vinyl tiles over asbestos tiles in basement? Posted: 06 Jan 2021 07:34 AM PST Just bought a house. Inspector says these tiles in the basement (https://imgur.com/WbmyPqy) are almost certainly asbestos, and that I should just put tile over them. Money is tight, because we just bought a house, so we want to DIY this. In principle it seemed easy, but now I'm thinking there might be some issues. We're thinking of using this tile: https://www.homedepot.com/p/TrafficMaster-Grey-Linear-12-in-x-24-in-Peel-and-Stick-Vinyl-Tile-20-sq-ft-case-SS2018/206403289 If I do this,
Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Who drafts the electrical plan? Posted: 06 Jan 2021 08:23 PM PST Of course the client has requirements, but on a home renovation, who typically drafts the electrical plan? The electrician or the client? [link] [comments] |
| Blanket insulation for finishing basement? Posted: 06 Jan 2021 10:23 PM PST I live in the Midwest and am going to be finishing myself (I hope). There is blanket insulation already installed and I was wondering if that would be fine to keep there or whether I should rip it out and use rigid foam. I looked up local insulation code, and it should be fine as long as I also have framing insulation as well. However, I don't know about moisture. I don't know if my basent has that waterproof coating on the outside or not, so I'm not even sure I know what I should do at all in terms of moisture protection. Thanks for the help! [link] [comments] |
| Wanting advice on lighting options, not sure if I'm in the right place. Posted: 06 Jan 2021 04:15 PM PST Amazon has basically let me down. I rent my apartment/ flat/ whatever. I'd like some wall sconces that are plug-in, and either take a standard bulb (whatever the standard bulb in the US is), or is a smart light, where I can change colo(u)r, brightness, etc. Otherwise, I'd take that socketed sconce where I could install smart bulbs into it. Preferably 2 each. Anyone have any leads for this? If I'm in the wrong place, could you please provide guidance or at least a better amazon search term? Thanks and, uh, improve on I guess. [link] [comments] |
| What is this thing in my bathroom wall? Posted: 06 Jan 2021 06:41 AM PST This is an inner wall. On the other side of the wall is a dining room. The water shut off is on the opposite side of the house. There's one more bathroom upstream from this. It almost looks like a shut off you'd find in the street but I've never seen it before so I figured I'd ask here. Any ideas? I can get a better pic if you want. Better photo: https://i.imgur.com/g0j9Oal.jpg Edit: seems to be a drain clean out? [link] [comments] |
| Does anyone know what this wire is and if I can cut it? Posted: 06 Jan 2021 07:32 PM PST Hello everyone! I just moved into my first house and so far this community has been invaluable for me- I feel like I've learned so much just from everyone else's posts! It's finally my time to ask a probably simple question, the previous owners left so many holes in the walls and ceilings and we're starting the long process of patching everything. We saw this hole in the ceiling of the hallway, with a thin wire going in it from the outside. It looks older and not like a cable for internet or anything so I wasn't sure if it would be ok to cut it and fill the hole in the ceiling/above the window or if its something important! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RzPGeAPOICh2Clm9veyho1eqWv7LSPfh/view?usp=drivesdk https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RrsfvFJdq8FtVj5KYTPHjdvbr9InrTUR/view?usp=drivesdk [link] [comments] |
| Miter saw not cutting straight miters. Any ideas? Posted: 06 Jan 2021 05:56 PM PST I'm doing paint grade pine baseboard work in a room and trying to figure out why my miters are slanted. It's like the blade is cutting more material off on the side furthest away from the fence. 90 degree cross cuts are perfect Here's what I've done so far:
Any ideas of other things to try? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 06 Jan 2021 09:38 PM PST I recently purchased my first home and today I wanted to take on running cat 6 cables through my attic to set up a wired network. Naturally, I wanted to run the first length of cable to my bedroom first, so I watched a few YouTube videos, bought my materials and went to work. My bedroom is an addition, so my first step was to crawl through the old gable vents to get to the area above my room (seen below). Looks fun, right? So here's where my problem is.. The entire floor of this section of attic is covered in this white material that's about 3 inches of some type of foam, with about an inch of what I can only describe as tar underneath. Underneath all of that is a gap, probably 6 inches or so deep that houses the rafters and all the electrical wiring. Because of this, I have no idea where the rafters or electrical wires are located. The only thing I can see is where the ducts go. I tried measuring from my vents to my walls to and drilling a couple holes to see if I could figure out where the walls are, but had no luck. I really don't want to keep drilling holes until I find the walls, but I'm not sure what other options I have. I'm also concerned, because I need to replace my electrical panel at some point (it's original to the house (1945)) and ground my outlets. Any ideas would be appreciated. Side note: I've never been in a creepier space in my life, and if you can't tell from the second picture, there are what appears to be piles of old dried feces all over the place. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 06 Jan 2021 04:26 PM PST Trying to add some more value to the home, about 1000 sq ft including the kitchen. Since some things will be open, and the basement is unfinished, I was wondering if it seems like a good time to upgrade all the wiring as well. An electrician also mentioned I could just add GFI to the existing BX and that would make it safer, and be more economical than replacing all the wiring. [link] [comments] |
| Leak under basement sliding glass door Posted: 06 Jan 2021 01:50 PM PST This is a ground level sliding glass door on an additiom that was built 2 years ago. When we get rain, this happens: https://i.imgur.com/Sf4ApOb.jpg I have more pics here: Sliding glass door https://imgur.com/gallery/IAXHYtc Pics are of the inside of the door in both corners and the outside of the door. I've done some research trying to figure out how to fix this but came up with nothing concrete. I was thinking maybe the grade of the yard isn't enough to keep the water off the door but I dont think that was it and don't want to break my back regrading only to find it was a waste of time. Any ideas? [link] [comments] |
| Any ideas what this 3x3 ft brick inlay was for in my basement floor? Posted: 06 Jan 2021 04:22 PM PST Getting ready to paint the basement floor in our house we recently purchased from 1883, moved a box to find a 3x3ft brick inlay that looks like it was once covered within the concrete floor. Any idea what this was for? It's a few feet away from where the bottom of the chimney structure stands. Here's some photos: [link] [comments] |
| I screwed up and used the wrong great stuff (fire hazard??) Posted: 06 Jan 2021 05:35 PM PST The guys that built this house never filled in the hole for the water line. So I put some outdoor great stuff. The issue is it's the same cabinet area with the gas insert. I took all I could out but I see via my inspection camera that I got some inside the wall. I'd have to take out at least a section of wall to get to it to clear it out any more but I happen to be near the end of doing work on that cabinet. I took some of the foam and went to see if it caught fire with a lighter. Yup. Shit. If any got on the fireplace It would be the back masonry part. No where near the gas. Am I being overly paranoid? I mean if rats nests could gather, spider webs and even a Plastic drink lid (from install day) and not catch fire. But if I need to take part the wall I will. But I rather not after last time, the dust caused a major staph infection in my dog last week. [link] [comments] |
| Different kinds of flooring for an open floor plan? Posted: 06 Jan 2021 01:47 PM PST Hello, I'm considering laying tile in my galley style kitchen while the rest of the surrounding flooring will be an engineered bamboo floor. I live in a narrow townhouse with an open floor plan. The kitchen opens into the living room on one side and the dining room on the other. It seems like most traditional tastes dictate that the flooring should all be the same in an open floor plan. But I've seen some pretty tasteful open floor plans with different flooring: typically tile in the kitchen and wood flooring elsewhere. Any thoughts? More importantly, has anyone with an open floor plan actually installed different kinds of flooring? Any regrets? Thanks! Something along the lines of this: https://www.courtneywarren.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/white-galley-kitchen-design.jpg And here's a photo of my galley kitchen: And here's a photo of my open floor plan: [link] [comments] |
| I tried to change a bulb and discovered this... Does anyone know what is it? Posted: 06 Jan 2021 05:57 PM PST I want to change my bulb to one of the smart hue ones to connect it to my Alexa setup, but when I took off the glass I ended up seeing an LED circuit board. It looks hardwired. Do I have any options? I'm generally fine with more complicated electrical projects :) [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 06 Jan 2021 01:51 PM PST The curly bulb works in the basement, the rounded one doesn't. I tested both elsewhere and they both work. All basement lights were working with these curly bulbs but one needed replaced. They were screwed in tight enough and I have no reason to expect faulty wiring but something to do with the bulbs. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 06 Jan 2021 11:35 AM PST "The inspection revealed the meter loop may have less than 60 amps of electrical service" Is this something I need to fix or my electrical company? Or/and is it something I can do myself or should I hire a professional? Thanks in advanced! [link] [comments] |
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