Home Improvement: [OPEN DISCUSSION] Weekly thread |
- [OPEN DISCUSSION] Weekly thread
- Master Bathroom Remodel. Completely gutted to the stud walls and rebuilt for about $20K. Before, After pics, budget, product links, floor plan and renderings included.
- *update* to spray foam situation
- For those of you with limited patio/backyard space - do you get more use out of an outdoor dining or lounge furniture?
- Advice/Suggestions on a bathroom shower retile.
- Should I be worried about these cracks? Best way to repair?
- Outlet above fireplace help!
- Cleaning old Brass Door hardware - success!
- Stud finders under $100
- Removing chalk line from ceiling
- Two Wall Tub
- [serious] Cement burn experiences?
- How do I go from exposed kitchen hinges to hidden soft close?
- [Question] Do I have to pay my contractor for their mistake?
- Are these double/triple joists in basement indicative of a load-bearing wall overhead?
- Is R19 spay foam enough for roof?
- Updating bannisters
- Popping/Crackling noise from inside wall
- Best insulation solution for cathedral ceilings?
- Drywall patch sturdiness question
- Rolling shutters
- How to fill these cracks / gaps?
- Tipping for great work
- Contractor ghosting us after contract signed and cabinetry ordered
| [OPEN DISCUSSION] Weekly thread Posted: 29 Jan 2021 08:59 AM PST Welcome to the (roughly weekly) Open Discussion thread.
We do this for a few reasons. We know some folks are hesitant to create a new post for a small question they may have. Well, this is the place to ask, and discuss. At the same time, with a growing community we find ourselves having to limit the posts that may be off-topic to the primary purpose of the sub (home improvement questions and project-sharing posts). These topics include home warranty companies, general painting advice, room layouts, or rants about companies, contractors, and previous owners. While these may be of interest, we are trying hard to provide a venue that will both allow, and constrain, the conversation. Thus, this thread. Thank you for participating.
Just a reminder to stay away from any personal or disrespectful commentary. From the sidebar:
If you haven't already, please review the sub guidelines.
Guess When We'll Hit 2,000,000 Subs Contest is active! Submit your guess here.Have fun and stay safe folks! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 29 Jan 2021 11:48 AM PST I recently had my bathroom remodeled as part of a major home renovation and hope you like it. I chose a wet room style bathroom to maximize the space which may be controversial for some. My location is San Antonio, Tx. Demo started in July and was completed October 2020. The TV is my favorite add-on as it's Alexa enabled. In the morning I tell Alexa to play music I like while I shower. It's also very nice to take a soak in the tub and watch Netflix. Some people don't like open showers because they're "cold" without a door to enclose the steam. I don't have this issue especially with the body jets. Album Contains floorplan, before picture, renderings, after pics, and actual budget Budget: Drywall: $2000Ceramic Tile: $5000Plumbing: $4169Electrical: $1400Cabinetry: $2780Fixtures: $2869Demo/Clean up: $1400 Links: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Scott-Living-Robinson-48-in-Coffee-Oak-Single-Sink-Bathroom-Vanity-with-White-Acrylic-Top/1000424059 $1250 no longer available Glacier Bay 1-Piece 1.1 GPF/1.6 GPF High Efficiency Dual Flush Elongated All-in-One Toilet in White $204https://www.homedepot.com/p/Vanity-Art-Montpellier-59-in-Acrylic-Flatbottom-Freestanding-Bathtub-in-White-VA6821/305086029 $639 https://www.homedepot.com/p/Crystorama-Trenton-1-Light-Black-Forged-Sconce-TRE-221-BF/306823368 $198 I hope I've covered everything. Edit: Thank you all for the feedback. Who knew a separate toilet closet was so controversial? [link] [comments] |
| *update* to spray foam situation Posted: 29 Jan 2021 04:44 PM PST Contacted contractor and brought up that article. He never refuted anything. I asked for more blown in. He said he's write up a quote but I responded that I was only ok with paying for materials. He agreed. They did that work yesterday. Upstairs feels a lot warmer already. Paid 850 for the extra insulation in the attic and they blew some into my den which has its own attic space. Lesson learned. R60 is r60 is r60. If your contractor wants to spray foam your attic, I think it's a good idea because it's a great air barrier. Just make sure they also follow up with blown in. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 29 Jan 2021 11:11 AM PST Decisions decisions! I don't have room for both. What do you use more? An outdoor dining area or lounge type furniture. Edit: I live in NE Florida [link] [comments] |
| Advice/Suggestions on a bathroom shower retile. Posted: 29 Jan 2021 10:44 AM PST Hello all - Wife and I are having our shower redone. In doing so; we want opinions on the tile choices we have made. We're keeping the flooring the same throughout the bathroom - and want to make sure everything blends/looks cohesive and does not clash. https://ibb.co/T0W3N7m https://ibb.co/gjytXSw We're purchasing all tile from Floor and Decor! Thanks for any input! [link] [comments] |
| Should I be worried about these cracks? Best way to repair? Posted: 29 Jan 2021 08:06 PM PST Home is only 4 years old, only 1 previous owner that barely lived here. Since moving in 6 months ago I've noticed these cracks along the stairs. Should I be concerned? What's the best way to fix? Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 29 Jan 2021 06:58 PM PST Hello, I recently purchased a 2004 home with a corner gas fireplace. I would really like to mount my tv above it bc I have a mount that can come down to eye level but the nearest outlet is on each side about 2 feet away (here is a picture for reference...https://imgur.com/gallery/HVsDdg6). I contacted a few different electricians to get an estimate but have not heard back yet. One did mention quite a bit of drywall would need to be removed/replaced to do so after seeing the image I shared above. We do have access to the attic and basement. Does anyone have experience with something like this? Is removing a lot of drywall the only way to achieve this? Thank you in advance! [link] [comments] |
| Cleaning old Brass Door hardware - success! Posted: 29 Jan 2021 11:59 AM PST Hey All, I spent a good part of yesterday cleaning off 9 decades of tarnish from my house's brass hardware. My hands are numb but I think the results turned out pretty great! Here's my method for anyone who is interested: 1 - baking soda/lemon juice paste on each piece for 30 minutes 2 - scrub off with warm water and brillo pad 3 - sand lightly with 120/ 220 grit sanding block to remove stubborn blemishes 4 - rinse/wipe clean and reinstall! Photos: https://imgur.com/a/OtJGksG [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 29 Jan 2021 06:12 PM PST Looking to buy a good stud finder that actually finds the studs, any suggestions on brands? [link] [comments] |
| Removing chalk line from ceiling Posted: 29 Jan 2021 09:42 PM PST Hi - HomeImprovement! I subcontracted an electrician to install some recessed ceiling lights in our home and he used a red chalk line to align the lights. He was under the assumption that we were painting the ceiling afterwards (we have some other remodel happening in the house) but our ceiling was recently painted and we were not planning on repainting! So long story short, we have an ugly red line on our ceiling - is there any way to DIY remove this or will I have to repaint. Appreciate some advice! Thank you! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 29 Jan 2021 09:27 PM PST Most tubs are a three wall alcove install. I'd like to do a two all install one short side, one long side with the other two sides being finished. Every google search comes up with three wall tubs. Anyone know where to find one or what they're called? Something like this: [link] [comments] |
| [serious] Cement burn experiences? Posted: 29 Jan 2021 07:02 PM PST I got some thinset mortar on my skin while working on a diy project and didn't think anything of it. My knees had the longest exposure of maybe a half hour and have definitive red burns on them, like bad carpet burn basically. My hands got a lot of exposure but I kept washing them off anytime it happened and so far they are just dried out, no signs of redness or burn. I finished an hour ago and took a long shower to rinse anything off, and my knees are bright red. I didn't think anything of it but I mentioned to a friend and they told me to go to the hospital. So I googled cement burns and now I'm extremely freaked out. I can't find anything about the timeline of the progression of cement burns, only that they get worse "over time". What does that timeline look like? An hour? Overnight??? How soon will I know if it's 'bad'? Is it less bad since it was a polymer hybrid thinset and not pure cement? It's been over an hour and it doesn't feel like it's getting any worse but I'm currently soaking in the tub terrified and desperately trying to find more information more or less having a panic attack. Edit: it's been over 3 hours now and it is getting less red over time so I'm taking that as a good sign. I did end up taking a vinegar bath and applying it directly to the burns, I don't know if it helped or not but I'd rather have it and not need it than find out too late. I've been exposed to wet cement and mortar before but never an actual burn and got overly lax with it. The first article I came across mentioned this injury is on the rise because of the DIY movement. Please please read up on cement burns so you avoid getting overly comfortable like I did. [link] [comments] |
| How do I go from exposed kitchen hinges to hidden soft close? Posted: 29 Jan 2021 07:33 AM PST I currently have exposed hinges on my kitchen cabinets, they're red oak. I'd like to make new doors as a hobby project and add soft close hinges. Issue is there's a lip inside where the face frame is. Photo in comments [link] [comments] |
| [Question] Do I have to pay my contractor for their mistake? Posted: 29 Jan 2021 07:11 AM PST Contractor replaced roof and siding from hail damage. Insurance covered all. All in all it was about $46,000. During the planning phase I communicated with the contractor that I would take care of the gutters (insurance was only going to pay 10% of loss there) and likely contact a gutter company to replace them through my insurance claim or I would simply not get them replaced and not get any money back from insurance for them. The time of build came for the roof and the roofers started to destroy and take down all the gutters. They were about half way done taking them down when I pulled up in the drive way and was shocked. I then texted the contractor and called him that this was not part of the agreement...the gutters were not to be touched. The rest of the conversations we had were verbal agreements. Contractor said that he made a mistake in the communication with the workers and that I would be getting all new gutters. He said not to worry, that he would find the gutter contractor (they are special custom gutters) that originally did them and that I wouldn't have to pay anything because they would work through my insurance. Gutters were completed by the gutter company. Name on bill was the contractor. Contractor paid the gutter company in full with their own monay. 2 months have passed and I now received a bill in the mail for $7500 from the contractor. Insurance only covered about $1000 of it. I contacted my contractor (I was reverted to their secretary) and asked them to explain this. They said that they did all they could with insurance and this is my bill and they would be expecting payment from me in full in the next 90 days. I asked for the contractor to contact me directly to talk about this. The contractor that I was working with (owner of company) originally has not contacted me back yet to discuss this. What legally can I do here? I can't pay this and don't think I should because THEY made the mistake of messing with the gutters when we agreed they wouldn't. Please help. Edit: Thanks for the replies....I've learned a very valuable lesson to have everything written down. My goodness. I don't think I'm going to win this one. I feel cheated. I trusted to a fault :/ [link] [comments] |
| Are these double/triple joists in basement indicative of a load-bearing wall overhead? Posted: 29 Jan 2021 03:11 PM PST Hi all, Long story short, we are looking at a major kitchen remodel, and the first step of that will be to combine our existing kitchen and dining room into one larger room. Currently, there is a wall that separate the two rooms. This wall runs parallel to the basement and second floor joists, so we assumed that it was not load-bearing. But, after looking at the joists underneath this wall in our basement, I now see that this particular wall is supported by two or three joists stacked against one another with 2x4's beside them. I know only a structural engineer can tell me for sure, but is this indicative of a load bearing wall? Edit: After reading the auto-mod note, this wall section is approximately 2x5 which implies to me that it is framed using 2x4's underneath and not 2x6's. [link] [comments] |
| Is R19 spay foam enough for roof? Posted: 29 Jan 2021 12:06 PM PST I posted this in the spray foam subreddit but it doesn't seem as active. Curious what your thoughts are here for those who understand spray foam well. I'm about to get my attic roof sprayed and although I've gotten a quote from a highly rated and reviewed company, I figured I'd do some DD here since I'm finding conflicting info online. 1) my roof is fairly new architectural singled slopped roof in South Carolina where it's super humid but mostly a 40-50 degrees in the winter (a few below 32 days a year max) and 80-100 in the summer. The climate isn't Florida but it's the next zone down from that. 2) I've been persuaded to go open cell for price and it has a better ability to block sound which is important for me since I'm a videographer and live near a school playground where kids can be yelling during the day. 3) attic truss system is 2x4 but my renovation contractor is going to sister 2x to increase the depth. The foam company says they need 5 - 6 inches of foam but more isn't better necessarily. They won't even give me a quote for say 7 inches. My thought was to make the cavity 7-8 inches deep to accommodate more foaming/electrical but haven't decided what is actually needed. 4) when pressed about more R value (since 6 inches would be only R18 or so), the sales rep says spray foam is 99% efficient and somehow that makes the R value adequate. In my mind, 99% efficient simply means an R value of 18 would perform as a true 18 where maybe batt insulation that is 70% efficient would mean R 35 would only actually be R25. Maybe efficiency means something different or spray foams ability to seal air movement makes it better; I don't understand. 5) I'm also reading that open cell against the OSB/plywood sheathing of the roof isn't good for moisture. I'm not sure if the moisture barrier is above the sheathing but under the shingles or if it's the moisture from inside builders are worried about but I want to make sure in SC this isn't an issue with using open cell against my attic roof. 6) finally, are there codes that need to be followed with this stuff and should I have an inspector come out and evaluate the work of the spray foam company? Would a spray foam company agree to this or uphold their warranty if the inspector said something wasn't done correctly? Should I get the inspector to look at the work order before anything is sprayed at all? Sorry for all the questions but I want to make sure I'm not making a huge mistake here. Again the spray foam company is highly rated (energy one America) but it seems strange to me that they aren't entertaining the idea of more insulation is better. Thoughts? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 29 Jan 2021 09:58 PM PST Looking to update our bannisters and likely paying a professional to do it, we just can't decide what method would be best.... all paint, stained, combo? The picture on the right are the stairs we are redoing, the photos on the left are not mine, but they are my inspo. We are leaning towards painting the spindles white and staining the rest to match our floors. Would love any thoughts for the best way to upgrade! Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Popping/Crackling noise from inside wall Posted: 29 Jan 2021 09:58 PM PST Inside of my wall is making a popping/crackling noise. It rises louder then fades to quiet and repeats, this has been going on for over 2 hours non-stop, it's been the exact same noise and pattern for those 2 hours. We turned the electrics off and the noise persisted aswell as the boiler off and again, the noise continued. I will have to phone the emergency line in the morning but any ideas what it might be until then? [link] [comments] |
| Best insulation solution for cathedral ceilings? Posted: 29 Jan 2021 09:57 PM PST I am planning to have an extensive remodel done on our master bedroom, adding a dormer, etc etc. Currently we have cathedral ceilings with some sort of batts stuffed in between the rafters. What is going to give me the absolute best insulation in those spaces after I have taken the drywall down and removed the batts? Should I have the spaces between the rafters absolutely filled to the max with closed cell spray foam? What sort of airflow considerations do I need to keep in mind for the roof decking? Currently the airflow is a typical soffit and ridge vent setup. [link] [comments] |
| Drywall patch sturdiness question Posted: 29 Jan 2021 06:06 PM PST Hello all! I have a small hole where my son ripped the one side of our towel rack out. If I patch this, will it be safe to remount the rack in the same spot, or is it not recommended? Thank you in advance. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 29 Jan 2021 09:38 PM PST Just curious to see if anyone has experience with rolling shutters. I want to do a self install, but have a storm door on one entry way. Is it possible to install over that or would it be best to remove that door? [link] [comments] |
| How to fill these cracks / gaps? Posted: 29 Jan 2021 09:33 PM PST |
| Posted: 29 Jan 2021 05:44 PM PST I hired a small company to install laminate on my stairs and repair a portion of laminate in a room that I did myself where I discovered a low spot in the slab. Both times I gave the worker an extra $50 because he worked hard, did great work, was prompt, honest thorough, and cleaned up so well it was like he was never there. He seemed surprised that I did this, i even brought him lunch for the stair job because it was an all day job. Is it uncommon in this business to give a gratuity when someone goes above and beyond? I know the guy I'm tipping is part owner of the company and gets to keep the profits of the business, but I feel like a little extra under the table is warranted when there are so many shitty contractors out there who delay, and make excuses for poor workmanship. What say you on the subject? [link] [comments] |
| Contractor ghosting us after contract signed and cabinetry ordered Posted: 29 Jan 2021 11:45 AM PST My wife and I are having our kitchen remodeled and we have been chasing our contractor for months. We haven't paid them anything, but we signed a very basic contract agreeing for the work to be completed in a "workman like manner." We worked with a designer recommended by our contractor and signed an agreement when we approved the design and ordered the semi custom cabinetry. We requested an invoice for the cabinetry and we were given a total price but nothing more detailed and our contractor told us that it was a package and pricing for individual components wasn't available. The last time we spoke with the contractor was before the holidays and we were told the cabinetry had been delivered and they'd let us know about delivery. We aren't sure how to proceed since we did sign contracts and order semi custom cabinetry, but we are unhappy with the long delay and lack of response after reaching out numerous times. We want to use a different company for the remodel bc if our current contractor is already this difficult when we haven't paid them a dime I can only imagine how much harder it would be once the work has started and money has changed hands. We have no issue paying for the cabinets, but I'm concerned about their condition bc they were delivered and have probably been sitting in a warehouse for at least the last three months. Any advice is appreciated! [link] [comments] |
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