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Home-owners...What are your current projects? (5 Viewers)

shuke said:
This is what the joint looks like.  How do I ensure I cut at the right length?  In order to get a two-way connector in there I am going to have to separate the ends enough to get the connector in there.

I have a regular tubing cutter, I assume it works for copper but I've only ever used it on PVC.
Click to expand...
Your friend has shared a link to a Home Depot product they think you would be interested in seeing.

3/4 in. Push-to-Connect Brass Coupling Fitting

https://www.homedepot.com/p/202270494

this is $8. Buy it. Measure and cut each side. 
 

does that line have play side to side? Can’t tell from the photo. If it does then you don’t need to be perfect. If it doesn’t you may need to be more strategic on the cut. You need to push the line into the sharkbite obviously to make the connection. 
 

as for your cutter, this is what I have. 

Your friend has shared a link to a Home Depot product they think you would be interested in seeing.

#101 Tube Cutter 1/4 in. to 1-1/8 in.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/100075014

makes good clean cuts on copper. 
 

Edit to add - looks like a 3/4 line - verify!

 
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Ron Swanson said:
That looks like someone tried to use CPVC cement to connect copper to PVC.  No bueno. I think you need a compression or sharkbite style connection to join the two. Can you cut the copper further back to get away from the flare?  And the cement goes inside the pipe for future reference.
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Ya - fire that plumber 

 
Wanted to redo the backyard into a Covid-induced oasis: took the old playset down (kids are now 11 and 16), remove wood chips in that half of the backyard, replace that dirt half, plus the 12’x16’ old rotting deck in the other half of the backyard, with a new deck. The new deck would basically be 13’x50’ long and all at ground level to step out onto from our den. We wanted to put a hot tub at one end as well, and already have the bbq and outdoor dining table area at the other end. 
 

Well, 3 contractors bid on the new deck and the lowest price was [ SF Bay Area pricing withheld to spare the weak of heart], and that was not including the hot tub.

so we took an alternate route where *I* would replace the existing, rotting deck myself (joists underneath all looked fine, so “just” tear out the old 2x6 deck boards and replace with new). We got a price to get pavers instead of wooden deck for the soon-to-be hot tub half of the back yard at 1/4 the price of the whole deck. So we went for it. Pay for pavers/hot tub half, and sweat equity on the other half. 
 

3 months later: refurbished hot tub fully operational, pavers installed, deck demoed and installed (and looks damn professional if I don’t say so myself), new door installed from hot tub area right into our playroom bathroom (GREAT on cold nights)....all for just under half of the deck-only contractor bids and we couldn’t be happier. 
 

the only damage was to my back after 6 out of 7 straight saturdays working kneeling or bent over to demo and install the deck. Having a nice relaxing thanksgiving weekend of laziness as my payback. 
 

but itching to get onto the NEXT project now ;)  

 
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Ron Swanson said:
That looks like someone tried to use CPVC cement to connect copper to PVC.  No bueno. I think you need a compression or sharkbite style connection to join the two. Can you cut the copper further back to get away from the flare?  And the cement goes inside the pipe for future reference.
Click to expand...
Good point.  This was a new build 15 years ago.  How did this pass inspection?

 
wilked said:
Your friend has shared a link to a Home Depot product they think you would be interested in seeing.

3/4 in. Push-to-Connect Brass Coupling Fitting

https://www.homedepot.com/p/202270494

this is $8. Buy it. Measure and cut each side. 
 

does that line have play side to side? Can’t tell from the photo. If it does then you don’t need to be perfect. If it doesn’t you may need to be more strategic on the cut. You need to push the line into the sharkbite obviously to make the connection. 
 

as for your cutter, this is what I have. 

Your friend has shared a link to a Home Depot product they think you would be interested in seeing.

#101 Tube Cutter 1/4 in. to 1-1/8 in.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/100075014

makes good clean cuts on copper. 
 

Edit to add - looks like a 3/4 line - verify!
Click to expand...
Just saw this but thanks.  Got a shark bit coupling, but since I had to cut the existing joint out, there wasn't enough to close the gap.  So I had to cut the CPVC back a little to add a coupling to get more to work with.

When I first turned the water back on, I ran a paper towel edge along the joints, and I swear I got a couple drops at the shark bite/CVPC joint.  But it has been fine since.

The only reason I noticed the leak in the first place was because this is the area of the basement our Christmas stuff is stored and I was getting the outdoor lights out.  This also led to me to realize our GFCI outlet was dead on the side of the house so I had to replace that today.  Also, it led me to see that my sump pump outlet was not aligned with the entry pipe going into the ground so I have to address that tomorrow.  Home ownership sure is neat.

 
joey said:
Wanted to redo the backyard into a Covid-induced oasis: took the old playset down (kids are now 11 and 16), remove wood chips in that half of the backyard, replace that dirt half, plus the 12’x16’ old rotting deck in the other half of the backyard, with a new deck. The new deck would basically be 13’x50’ long and all at ground level to step out onto from our den. We wanted to put a hot tub at one end as well, and already have the bbq and outdoor dining table area at the other end. 
 

Well, 3 contractors bid on the new deck and the lowest price was [ SF Bay Area pricing withheld to spare the weak of heart], and that was not including the hot tub.

so we took an alternate route where *I* would replace the existing, rotting deck myself (joists underneath all looked fine, so “just” tear out the old 2x6 deck boards and replace with new). We got a price to get pavers instead of wooden deck for the soon-to-be hot tub half of the back yard at 1/4 the price of the whole deck. So we went for it. Pay for pavers/hot tub half, and sweat equity on the other half. 
 

3 months later: refurbished hot tub fully operational, pavers installed, deck demoed and installed (and looks damn professional if I don’t say so myself), new door installed from hot tub area right into our playroom bathroom (GREAT on cold nights)....all for just under half of the deck-only contractor bids and we couldn’t be happier. 
 

the only damage was to my back after 6 out of 7 straight saturdays working kneeling or bent over to demo and install the deck. Having a nice relaxing thanksgiving weekend of laziness as my payback. 
 

but itching to get onto the NEXT project now ;)  
Click to expand...
Pics?

 
joey said:
Wanted to redo the backyard into a Covid-induced oasis: took the old playset down (kids are now 11 and 16), remove wood chips in that half of the backyard, replace that dirt half, plus the 12’x16’ old rotting deck in the other half of the backyard, with a new deck. The new deck would basically be 13’x50’ long and all at ground level to step out onto from our den. We wanted to put a hot tub at one end as well, and already have the bbq and outdoor dining table area at the other end. 
 

Well, 3 contractors bid on the new deck and the lowest price was [ SF Bay Area pricing withheld to spare the weak of heart], and that was not including the hot tub.

so we took an alternate route where *I* would replace the existing, rotting deck myself (joists underneath all looked fine, so “just” tear out the old 2x6 deck boards and replace with new). We got a price to get pavers instead of wooden deck for the soon-to-be hot tub half of the back yard at 1/4 the price of the whole deck. So we went for it. Pay for pavers/hot tub half, and sweat equity on the other half. 
 

3 months later: refurbished hot tub fully operational, pavers installed, deck demoed and installed (and looks damn professional if I don’t say so myself), new door installed from hot tub area right into our playroom bathroom (GREAT on cold nights)....all for just under half of the deck-only contractor bids and we couldn’t be happier. 
 

the only damage was to my back after 6 out of 7 straight saturdays working kneeling or bent over to demo and install the deck. Having a nice relaxing thanksgiving weekend of laziness as my payback. 
 

but itching to get onto the NEXT project now ;)  
Click to expand...
Sounds like you saved a small fortune, but sorry to hear about the back. No pain no gain!  Out of curiosity, when did the kids quit using the playground? Mine is about 9 and hasn't been interested in it for years.  I just keep it up for my neighbors kid.  I want to get rid of it and put in a shed.

 
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Punxsutawney Phil said:
Sounds like you saved a small fortune, but sorry to hear about the back. No pain no gain!  Out of curiosity, when did the kids quit using the playground? Mine is about 9 and hasn't been interested in it for years.  I just keep it up for my neighbors kid.  I want to get rid of it and put in a shed.
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Yeah, our youngest stopped using the play structure at about 8 or 9 years old, but he does not like change or giving away anything, so "guilted" us into keeping it a little longer. When we had a friend mention that he was building a playhouse for his daughter from recycled parts, we offered the playset to him and kept it "in the family", so our youngest was fine with it. 
with a likely permanent work-from-home status for my job for 2 or 3 days a week from here on out, I think a work shed/music room is the next main project we’ll do (but I won’t be doing that myself :)  )

 
Anyone patched cement blocks in colder temps? I've experience flooding in a <> 4 ft subterrain exterior stair well that is fully surrounded by cement block. I removed the stairs and noticed they hid a 1/2" crack/gap in blocks at the joint perpendicular to the basement wall. Pretty sure that's the source of water entry during heavy rains and fast snow melts. I was looking at DryLock and it advises 50-90 temps for application. Also considered mortar calking as a temp fix- I plan to waterproof from the exterior next year.

 
Got a contractor on the fence on helping us with a kitchen renovation. He and I have spoken and walked through the job. Estimating about $40k in appliances, flooring, tile, etc., leaving about $35k for labor. We'd really like this guy to do the job (he's done work for us before and did my friend's house and business kitchens). 

After initially being very interested, he's being non-committal. He seems a bit worried about finishing his current job and then wants to move on to a personal job at a second home. So, I'm thinking of offering him a $2,500 cash bonus for taking and completing the job between March 1 and April 30. 

Question for you all. Do people do this? Does it work? Is $2,500 reasonable? Too much? Too little? What else should I consider?

 
⚡DEADHEAD⚡ said:
Got a contractor on the fence on helping us with a kitchen renovation. He and I have spoken and walked through the job. Estimating about $40k in appliances, flooring, tile, etc., leaving about $35k for labor. We'd really like this guy to do the job (he's done work for us before and did my friend's house and business kitchens). 

After initially being very interested, he's being non-committal. He seems a bit worried about finishing his current job and then wants to move on to a personal job at a second home. So, I'm thinking of offering him a $2,500 cash bonus for taking and completing the job between March 1 and April 30. 

Question for you all. Do people do this? Does it work? Is $2,500 reasonable? Too much? Too little? What else should I consider?
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I would not be opposed to paying an on time bonus on a project like that but I would be very concerned to hire a contractor who doesn't seem committed to the job to begin with.  

 
BigJim® said:
Anyone patched cement blocks in colder temps? I've experience flooding in a <> 4 ft subterrain exterior stair well that is fully surrounded by cement block. I removed the stairs and noticed they hid a 1/2" crack/gap in blocks at the joint perpendicular to the basement wall. Pretty sure that's the source of water entry during heavy rains and fast snow melts. I was looking at DryLock and it advises 50-90 temps for application. Also considered mortar calking as a temp fix- I plan to waterproof from the exterior next year.
Click to expand...
Can you put a tarp over the top and run some space heaters to heat up the stair space for a while and then keep em going until the patch dries? Similar to how masons install brick during the winter with an enclosed space and continuous heaters going.

 
UOFI_316 said:
Can you put a tarp over the top and run some space heaters to heat up the stair space for a while and then keep em going until the patch dries? Similar to how masons install brick during the winter with an enclosed space and continuous heaters going.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the suggestion - definitely considered this although I was unclear if the specs are based on room temp or concrete surface temp. The well itself is only a 4x8 space. It has non-insulated composite wall planks/roof above block - so can probably warm the air even without a tarp. I'm not sure I could significantly increase the temp of the cement bricks (which have frozen ground behind them) even if I could get the temp above 50 in the structure itself. Certainly could not keep them above 50 for 48 hours after application as the specs suggest.

I was hoping possibly there is a surface patch that is more suited to applying as is. Really looking at this like a one season patch with more permanent fix from the wall exterior in the spring. I really don't need waterproof... some water entry is manageable. I plan to grab a 3/4-1 hp water activated float pump just in case, so I really only need to avoid more water than that can handle. Last time it was an issue I had non-stop flow and 16" of water in that space for 2 solid days, which had nowhere to go but into the house around the basement door. Also considering just calking the heck out of that door, but unsure if that accomplishes much if the well fills up to 4'.   

 
COVID has led to such a chain of infrastructure improvements at our house.

Got the driveway repaved and expanded back in late September.  The kids are in heaven as they can ride bikes and such a lot easier in the bigger space.

Had the garage floors refinished with Polyurea/flake about a month ago, and added some padded protectors for the columns - looks brand new.  Almost feel bad parking cars on it.

Today the guys will finish up the re-do of our paver walkway...should hopefully cut back on the weeds we got on the old one.  

Meanwhile, I've been working my tail off building the lean-to off my Shed, and building tons of shelving and organization in it.  I just finished running electric in 1/2" RMC out to the shed for lights and such, as well as some Cat6 for another Ring Camera.  Hopefully I can get that all hooked up to the sub-panel this weekend.  

Thinking about having somebody come out to look at installing a pool, but I'm hearing a lot of places are over a year out in installs and I'm not sure I want to wait that long...

 
It's been a while since I updated with pictures - but we got the 2 rooms in the basements framed in and the dry wall is now up! The past few days we've had mudders come through and its starting to look pretty nice!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-kKR20KKY05JJDvLZUqVYac0pqfOyGrD/view?usp=sharing

I didnt include any  mudding pictures, but those arent really special anyway. After everything gets finished mudded/sanded this week, Painting will take place around THursday or so!

Will report back at that time! 

 
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I’m struggling with the right replacement windows to go with, our home has the colonial windows with the grids and debating how much I need to spend going to nicer/larger profile grids or something more affordable but not too cheap looking. Looking at Marvin and Andersen, anyone go with something else they liked?

 
We moved into our new house over a year ago and have been sitting on some projects that needed to be completed in order to realize the vision that we had for it during the design process. We hired an interior decorator early on because despite liking what I see as finished products, my wife and I tend to struggle to actually design the spaces from scratch. Ultimately, we spent in inordinate amount of time on Houzz picking out pictures of rooms that we liked and the designer used those as inspiration for creating the whole house design that we are working to achieve. I'm pleased with the results and we are slowly (and expensively) getting the look that we want. 

We had the 9 mirrors sitting in the front foyer in their unopened boxes for close to a year. We bought the couch at an estate sale on Saturday morning and that was the catalyst for finally getting the mirrors installed. It's an $1900 Crate and Barrel sofa that we ended up paying $900 for. It has very little wear but will need a good cleaning. My wife did some spot cleaning on it and apparently it hides dirt well. I guess that's the purpose of getting an "oatmeal" color.

This is what we are trying to achieve for the room

Here is blank wall where we need to install the mirrors (opposite angle)

A few of the mirrors are up - it was after this that I decided to run to Home Depot and buy a laser level (cheap one, $29, from Ryobi that suctions to the wall - it worked fine). It's one thing to make sure that one row is level but since we were stacking the mirrors, it was important to ensure that they all were level to each other also

Installing the top row and the other brackets

Alright, it's coming together. Everything looks level from an eyeball perspective so that works for me (and luckily the wife)

Phase One is done. Now we just need a matching coffee table and rug.

We also need to get the vertical wall installed to separate the room a little more. 

Also need to figure out what we are going to put on the opposite wall. I'm thinking about a big piece of canvas art.

 
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Senor Schmutzig said:
We moved into our new house over a year ago and have been sitting on some projects that needed to be completed in order to realize the vision that we had for it during the design process. We hired an interior decorator early on because despite liking what I see as finished products, my wife and I tend to struggle to actually design the spaces from scratch. Ultimately, we spent in inordinate amount of time on Houzz picking out pictures of rooms that we liked and the designer used those as inspiration for creating the whole house design that we are working to achieve. I'm pleased with the results and we are slowly (and expensively) getting the look that we want. 

We had the 9 mirrors sitting in the front foyer in their unopened boxes for close to a year. We bought the couch at an estate sale on Saturday morning and that was the catalyst for finally getting the mirrors installed. It's an $1900 Crate and Barrel sofa that we ended up paying $900 for. It has very little wear but will need a good cleaning. My wife did some spot cleaning on it and apparently it hides dirt well. I guess that's the purpose of getting an "oatmeal" color.

This is what we are trying to achieve for the room

Here is blank wall where we need to install the mirrors (opposite angle)

A few of the mirrors are up - it was after this that I decided to run to Home Depot and buy a laser level (cheap one, $29, from Ryobi that suctions to the wall - it worked fine). It's one thing to make sure that one row is level but since we were stacking the mirrors, it was important to ensure that they all were level to each other also

Installing the top row and the other brackets

Alright, it's coming together. Everything looks level from an eyeball perspective so that works for me (and luckily the wife)

Phase One is done. Now we just need a matching coffee table and rug.

We also need to get the vertical wall installed to separate the room a little more. 
Click to expand...
Looks great man, nicely done!   Totally my :style:

 
that looks great schmutzig you did a nice job on the opposite wall i suggest a giant artistic rendering of looking glasses 1972 eponymous album cover and perhaps a giant record highlighting song numero dos on side 1 trust me there will be no one cooler than you unless and until you happen to get to brew town and encounter a brohan of a certain bromigo persuasion take that to the bank brochacho  

 
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SWC said:
that looks great schmutzig you did a nice job on the opposite wall i suggest a giant artistic rendering of looking glasses 1972 eponymous album cover and perhaps a giant record highlighting song numero dos on side 1 trust me there will be no one cooler than you unless and until you happen to get to brew town and encounter a brohan of a certain bromigo persuasion take that to the bank brochacho  
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Well that's definitely an option although I'm not sure it's the look I was after. And if it's not the look I was after, it definitely not the look my wife was going for.

Now it would be a statement piece, no doubt, for anyone walking through the front door, so there's that. 

How about a 10' tall version of this?

Let me bring it up and I'll let you know the response. 

 
Senor Schmutzig said:
SWC said:
that looks great schmutzig you did a nice job on the opposite wall i suggest a giant artistic rendering of looking glasses 1972 eponymous album cover and perhaps a giant record highlighting song numero dos on side 1 trust me there will be no one cooler than you unless and until you happen to get to brew town and encounter a brohan of a certain bromigo persuasion take that to the bank brochacho  
Click to expand...
Well that's definitely an option although I'm not sure it's the look I was after. And if it's not the look I was after, it definitely not the look my wife was going for.

Now it would be a statement piece, no doubt, for anyone walking through the front door, so there's that. 

How about a 10' tall version of this?

Let me bring it up and I'll let you know the response. 
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brohan that is the exact cover i was thinkin of take that to the bank bromigo

 
So we put on a new roof in early December (took 3 weeks!). Now on to the attic remodel. There's a ton of debris, dust, broken plaster, and other crap in the joist bays. I spent much of yesterday cleaning them out with a shopvac. I like the cleaner look, and the electricians may appreciate it. We will also put in bat insulation in here (and spray foam in the rafters). Wondering if it's worth the work to clean it all out. Dirty job. Somebody tell me this is a good idea please. 

 
Installed an LED mirror in my son's bathroom yesterday. Another project that I have been putting off. The bathroom wall consisted of tile-->drywall-->furring-->concrete block and I wasn't quite sure where the water pipes were behind the drywall. I eventually found an old video I took of the entire house before they put up the drywall and then estimated the measurements. 

After I finished, I realized that the  anchor I installed didn't even get all the way through the drywall so it was a moot point. Mirror is straight and the light works so yay me. 

 
Put this in the I'll never understand my wife ever....

Had a leak ended up with a stain in family room. I told her I'll clean and paint it but wanted to try something first.  I've been doing a bleach water mixture spray and got most of the stain out. Unfortunately it's not going to come completely out.  So I say I'll get some kilz and paint over the area, maybe we won't even paint it. She's like get primer and paint in one. I say I have the paint from when we painted. She's then like we need to paint the whole downstairs!!! I then say why don't we just try the area first. And she's like then will have a white square.

I finally snapped a white square on a white ceiling. It's going to be less noticeable then the big brown spot if we don't do anything!!!

Now she's pissed, lol  if the white square is terrible, we can freaking paint the downstairs later.... I don't understand how this is so hard to comprehend

I'll just paint it one day when's she's out she'll never notice

 
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Installed a new sump pump and backup pump with battery backup today.  
This unit is awesome.  It connects to the WiFi so now I have an app that always shows me status of the pump, if the power goes out, if the battery starts going bad, etc.  

For additional peace of mind also installed a see-through check valve.  

 
shuke said:
Installed a new sump pump and backup pump with battery backup today.  
This unit is awesome.  It connects to the WiFi so now I have an app that always shows me status of the pump, if the power goes out, if the battery starts going bad, etc.  

For additional peace of mind also installed a see-through check valve.  
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Can't tell from the pics.  If the backup has its own floats, check the preset levels.  Years ago I installed a sump with a backup and they each had backup floats.  The factory setting was actually main float, backup float, main backup, backup backup.  So when the main float got stuck it was actually triggering the backup pump.  It took until the low battery warning was going off that I realized for half the year I was really running the backup off the battery and not the main.  Pulled the thing out and looked at the levels of the different floats and figured it out.

 
UOFI_316 said:
Can't tell from the pics.  If the backup has its own floats, check the preset levels.  Years ago I installed a sump with a backup and they each had backup floats.  The factory setting was actually main float, backup float, main backup, backup backup.  So when the main float got stuck it was actually triggering the backup pump.  It took until the low battery warning was going off that I realized for half the year I was really running the backup off the battery and not the main.  Pulled the thing out and looked at the levels of the different floats and figured it out.
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I have three floats.  Main float, backup float, and high water warning float.  

I'm not really following what you are saying, but I tested today and everything seems to be working correctly.

 
joey said:
Hopefully this link works. Never used Google Photos before. Should be 2 amazingly average looking pics ;)

https://photos.app.goo.gl/i9AGdaJdD9hoeNs66
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I let the back rest up for a few weeks and then finished up the backyard project, extending the deck to go over the ugly brick/cement patio where the BBQ sits. I laid down this new section of deck 90 degrees from the other main section of deck to create an obvious, visual difference between the 2 sections of deck since there is a small 2" height difference between the two areas. Hoping this will stop anyone from tripping when they’re out there, not that it’s a high traffic area like the front yard/patio/house entrance is. Added 2 more pics to that google drive linked above. 

 
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shuke said:
I have three floats.  Main float, backup float, and high water warning float.  

I'm not really following what you are saying, but I tested today and everything seems to be working correctly.
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The sump I bought has a backup pump.  Each pump had a main float and a backup pump, so I have 4 total floats.   The main float #1 got jammed so it did not move, they way the floats came pre-installed was main #1, backup #1, main #2, backup #2.  It should have been main #1, main #2, backup #1, backup #2.  The way it came meant that once main #1 was jammed it was only running off the backup and eating the battery.  I have no idea if I bought a wonky version, or if all the pumps with backup floats come that way.  Figured it was worth it to mention.  If you still have questions feel free to PM Shuke.

 
Had an outdoor Christmas yesterday.  Towards the end I saw a sparrow fly into a small hole in the eave.  I knew the hole was there but didn't think it was big enough for a bird, guess I was wrong.   Family said to wait until spring to deal with it, let the bird have a warm place for the summer.  My thinking is F the bird.  If I put up a piece of screen that hangs down over the hole, will that allow the bird to leave but then not get back in??  I plan on going into the attic to see if there is a massive bird condo yet.  I had "replace and repaint eave/soffit" on my spring to do list already.

 
UOFI_316 said:
Had an outdoor Christmas yesterday.  Towards the end I saw a sparrow fly into a small hole in the eave.  I knew the hole was there but didn't think it was big enough for a bird, guess I was wrong.   Family said to wait until spring to deal with it, let the bird have a warm place for the summer.  My thinking is F the bird.  If I put up a piece of screen that hangs down over the hole, will that allow the bird to leave but then not get back in??  I plan on going into the attic to see if there is a massive bird condo yet.  I had "replace and repaint eave/soffit" on my spring to do list already.
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You mean like window screen?  I'm thinking you could get something stiffer like a wire screen and make a one-way valve.  Put it over the hole but attach it only on one side so the other side can spring open, so something from inside can push its way out but not get in.

 
So, I have a water softener and I noticed that my water pressure has been gradually decreasing to the point where if one person is running the tap and you're in the shower, you feel a dramatic decrease on both ends.  So, I bypassed the water softener and the issue went away so I thought "crap, I need to replace my water softener" so I started shopping around for a new one and I thought "I wonder how old mine is?"  I had it installed about 7-8 years ago and I thought "wow, I should get at least 10 years out of the thing, the water is not that hard here and there are only 3 of us, hmmm."

So, I did a bit of investigating and I found this video on YouTube.  The beginning is pretty basic, he talks about how it works, etc. but then he goes on to talk about maintenance and I thought "maintenance, hmmm, I've never done maintenance in all the years I've owned my water softener. . ."  So, I did exactly as the video instructed, I bought a bottle of Iron Out, followed the directions, ran a couple of manual Regens and it worked, my water pressure is way up and I feel like the water pressure issue is resolved for now (knock on wood.)

 
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I live in a manufactured home.

The two handle bath tub shower faucet needs replacing. Last time I did this the parts were all plastic and really never seemed right. Seemed very flimsy and as if the water pressure was just to much for it.

My question for you all- Are these things pretty standard? Can I walk into Lowes and tell them I want a two handle shower set  up and it will fit or do I need to know more than that?

Thanks

* Getting ugly here. My wife claims that it has been leaking for 5 years and she has told me about it. Tonight it finally broke spraying water every where. I do not recall her ever mentioning that this was happening. I have successfully kept this fact to myself but I can feel the pressure building if you know what I mean.

 
shuke said:
You mean like window screen?  I'm thinking you could get something stiffer like a wire screen and make a one-way valve.  Put it over the hole but attach it only on one side so the other side can spring open, so something from inside can push its way out but not get in.
Click to expand...
That was my thought.  Using window screen put two screws through it on top of the hole.  Bird can fly out, but won't be able to pull the screen away from the eave to get back in.  I was thinking wire screen would be too stiff for the bird to fly out of.  Dont need the bird to fly further into the attic.  I am hoping it is just within the insulation down to the eave.

 
prosopis said:
I live in a manufactured home.

The two handle bath tub shower faucet needs replacing. Last time I did this the parts were all plastic and really never seemed right. Seemed very flimsy and as if the water pressure was just to much for it.

My question for you all- Are these things pretty standard? Can I walk into Lowes and tell them I want a two handle shower set  up and it will fit or do I need to know more than that?

Thanks

* Getting ugly here. My wife claims that it has been leaking for 5 years and she has told me about it. Tonight it finally broke spraying water every where. I do not recall her ever mentioning that this was happening. I have successfully kept this fact to myself but I can feel the pressure building if you know what I mean.
Click to expand...
Can you take a photo of it? 

 
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Did my first real good improvement project today! We have this big double door on the living room that slides and leads to the backyard (which is really kind of on the side of the house - it's a little weird). Anyway, because our fence is low, you can just see into the living room from the street/sidewalk and after my wife went through like 80 curtain samples, we finally got the color she was ok with and so today I did the install.

Simple. Just three brackets, leveled and measured and drilled into the studs, and curtains are up! We had to also buy a ladder so now I have a ladder.

 
Finally getting around to painting my garage after 15 years. Need to spend some quality time patching up concrete in a couple of places and plenty of caulk is needed for hairline cracks. We’re spending the next couple of weekends prepping for paint. Once it’s done, we’re getting the floor professionally finished. Anyone have any experience getting this done? The stuff at the store seems like garbage and I only want it done once. 

 
We're getting ready to break ground on an ADU this week. Once that is done we'll move into it and then remodel our house (includes adding a bathroom, very excited to not have to share just one with the two women in the house). After that's done we'll look at building a new house and rent both of these out. It's going to be a very hectic year but fortunately I don't have to do any of the work, just pay for it lol. 

 
ELECTRICIAN GUYS...Here's a weird problem. 

One wall in my home has 2 light sconces along a stairwell. These lights can be turned off/on by 2 separate light switches at top and bottom of the stairs.

These lights stopped working. This wall has 2 outlets that still work, all the breakers are on.

Pretend you are talking to a small child.

 
The General said:
ELECTRICIAN GUYS...Here's a weird problem. 

One wall in my home has 2 light sconces along a stairwell. These lights can be turned off/on by 2 separate light switches at top and bottom of the stairs.

These lights stopped working. This wall has 2 outlets that still work, all the breakers are on.

Pretend you are talking to a small child.
Click to expand...
Other people might be able talk you through this without any tools, but I can definitely help you figure this out if you have a home depot or similar nearby and can pick up a non-contact voltage tester. 

 
The General said:
ELECTRICIAN GUYS...Here's a weird problem. 

One wall in my home has 2 light sconces along a stairwell. These lights can be turned off/on by 2 separate light switches at top and bottom of the stairs.

These lights stopped working. This wall has 2 outlets that still work, all the breakers are on.

Pretend you are talking to a small child.
Click to expand...
Anything notable other than they stopped working? 
 

as the poster above noted,  it a ncvt. Turn off the circuit that feeds the light in the panel. You know it’s off when the ncvt shows no voltage on the hot wire. 
 

open each switch one by one and check the connections. There should be 4 wires. Black red white green. Make sure they are secure. If not sure open them and reseat them. Check the two switches. The switches are the main moving parts so they are likeliest to fail.

If you still have issues, replace each switch. It’s like $2 each. Replace both and then recheck. 
 

if it’s still failing you might check the lights.  But chances are both lights didn’t fail at same time. Nows  the time to call a friend who’s handy. 

 
wilked said:
Anything notable other than they stopped working? 
 

as the poster above noted,  it a ncvt. Turn off the circuit that feeds the light in the panel. You know it’s off when the ncvt shows no voltage on the hot wire. 
 

open each switch one by one and check the connections. There should be 4 wires. Black red white green. Make sure they are secure. If not sure open them and reseat them. Check the two switches. The switches are the main moving parts so they are likeliest to fail.

If you still have issues, replace each switch. It’s like $2 each. Replace both and then recheck. 
 

if it’s still failing you might check the lights.  But chances are both lights didn’t fail at same time. Nows  the time to call a friend who’s handy. 
Click to expand...
Thanks for this. I did find something similar on YouTube and am messing with this tomo. This is about the maximum level of handyman that I am willing to deal with :lol:

Our house is built in the 50’s and has knob and tube electric work so anything in the walls and attic is no bueno.

 
Instinctive said:
Did my first real good improvement project today! We have this big double door on the living room that slides and leads to the backyard (which is really kind of on the side of the house - it's a little weird). Anyway, because our fence is low, you can just see into the living room from the street/sidewalk and after my wife went through like 80 curtain samples, we finally got the color she was ok with and so today I did the install.

Simple. Just three brackets, leveled and measured and drilled into the studs, and curtains are up! We had to also buy a ladder so now I have a ladder.
Click to expand...
Nice job.  These things always take up more time than I think they should.  I seem to always run into some type of snag when installing curtains/blinds.

 
Relatively new homeowner here. I want to hire a contractor to build a couple levels of retaining wall in my front yard and Im not 100% sure how this works. I just know this isn’t something I’m doing myself. 

Do typical contractors do both the design and construction or do I have to hire these separately? Googling some local contractors, this isn’t entirely clear. 

Also, with COVID being a concern, should I get a few bids or just rely on ratings/reviews people have posted? I want to minimize contact with as many people as possible but also want a good price obviously. 

 
I think you should ask for free quotes from a construction contractor. Then if they don’t ask for you site plan then this is a bad sign. They will usually ask for site plans to understand where the piping is. Not know your situation, you could have septic pipes, septic system, water lines, underground electric lines, irrigation, etc... if you need heavy equipment then they will need know where all of this is. Start there and they can explain the process for you. But if what they are saying or what they are asking seems light. Get another one to give you free quote. You more than likely need heavy equipment but need know if you can get that heavy equipment in right spot without nightmare. 

 
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