Home-owners...What are your current projects? (1 Viewer)

[belljr]

If the drywall is not soft I would just spray and clean with this Concrobium 25326 Mold Control Spray, 32 oz https://a.co/d/6lDAZLo

Don't use bleach. If the wall is soft I would just cut up to where it's not soft, patch, prime and paint. And call it a day

 

[UOFI_316]

I would remove a portion of drywall along the base. Sounds/looks like the water was leaking down the inside of the wall, under the wall, and then caught up between the baseboard and drywall. IF that is the case, you could have the same, or worse, mold on the back of the drywall. I would take out a piece 3" high and see what the backside looks like where the black mold is on the front. At that point you would have the sill plate exposed and could treat that if needed and then replace the drywall with new greenboard (or whatever the mold resistant stuff is). If/when I get around to finishing the basement I would put that stuff as the bottom few feet all around.

 

[Brony]

I would remove a portion of drywall along the base. Sounds/looks like the water was leaking down the inside of the wall, under the wall, and then caught up between the baseboard and drywall. IF that is the case, you could have the same, or worse, mold on the back of the drywall. I would take out a piece 3" high and see what the backside looks like where the black mold is on the front. At that point you would have the sill plate exposed and could treat that if needed and then replace the drywall with new greenboard (or whatever the mold resistant stuff is). If/when I get around to finishing the basement I would put that stuff as the bottom few feet all around.

I was kind of leaning towards this. I would hate to finish the project and then still have musty smell and woulda coulda shoulda . I also don't want to get into mudding a drywall joint but it's probably the right thing to do.

 

[matttyl]

I’d cut out that area, but only ~3 or so inches off the ground. Will allow you to see what’s behind there and know if that needs to be dealt with. If not, then patch the hole with one solid piece of 1x3 board, then trim over and you’ll never know it was there.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

In a prior life I was a mold remediation technician, certified and all. You 100% should remove any drywall , carpet, pad or any porous material that has mold on it. Nonporous surfaces such as concrete and metal cannot grow mold, however it can grow on the dust that is on top of the surface of those materials.

I would not call a mold remediation company unless you really want to unnecessarily spend thousands of dollars for what is essentially a demo and cleaning job.

All you need is a pair of gloves, a mask, a hammer, a prybar, razor blade and a HD trash bag. Tape measure, pencil, chalk line and another person would be better.

- Start at the bottom and pull the base.
- Cut the drywall 2” up from the floor. And remove any drywall in all directions until there is no mold on the back of it and then go a few inches past and then you can stop.
-Vacuum - ideally you want a hepa filter.
- Wipe everything down with a household cleaning product. Hydrogen peroxide is best but make sure you have good ventilation. You can even use soap and water. You can use bleach but just know that bleach does exactly that bleaches things, it doesn’t kill mold.

-If there’s any mold on the wood framing, sand it off or if it’s really embedded in the wood you may have to spray it with killz after it’s really dry.

Mold remediation is just really fine cleaning. That’s all it is. While you’re doing the demo try not to have any fans running so you don’t blow the mold/dust particles throughout the room and rest of the house.

Mold is only harmful to people with immunodeficiencies or compromised immune systems such as the elderly and infants. You could eat the mold that you see there and the worst it’s gonna do is make you sick. It won’t kill you.

If you have any questions by all means let me know I’d be more than happy to help.

Good luck!

 

[SWC]

you need to get rid of the moldy drywall and wood and treat 2x4s for sure but more than that you need to figure out where the water is coming from and stop it thats just going to keep happenin if you dont get it stopped take that to the bank brohans

 

[Fat Nick]

I'm getting tired of housework. Two things bugging me currently...

We had bees in the attic that started to dig through the drywall. We started getting a bubbling above my wife's sink. I dusted last week, and then last night went up in the attic, peeled back the insulation, and finished off the stragglers. Now...What do I do about the ceiling? It's a bubble about 2" x 1". Not overly noticeable unless you look at it. I could cut it out, patch it, and then repair and paint...but that's a lot of work. Or...I could just leave it and see how long it lasts.

Second piece - my yard looks like ****. We literally didn't get a drop of rain for all of July. Not a drop. August wasn't much better. I let it grow long to protect it as best I could, but there's big patches of completely dead grass. I just bought 160 lbs of grass seed, and when I get some free time, I'm going to mow it low, aerate, dethatch, and overseed it. A lot of work for a 2.5 acre yard....Praying that's enough to get the grass to take. No way I can do more to the soil given the size of the area I'm dealing with.

Once I get through those things, I'm done with house things for a while - we're gutting our 1st floor for a full renovation and blowing out the back wall to expand the kitchen in the fall/early Winter. Super excited for the project, but not looking forward to the bill...

 

[leftcoastguy7]

My neighbor was telling me that my home insurance company might pay a portion of the cost to have a large, decrepit tree on my property cut down and removed. The company would rather pay that than damages from when it comes crashing down.
Has anyone heard of this or is he pulling my leg.

 

[belljr]

My neighbor was telling me that my home insurance company might pay a portion of the cost to have a large, decrepit tree on my property cut down and removed. The company would rather pay that than damages from when it comes crashing down.
Has anyone heard of this or is he pulling my leg.

Never heard of that. That's considered property maintenance where I live. And if you don't take care of say a dead tree and it falls they might not cover that.

This may vary wildly by state and insurance?

 

[Dezbelief]

My neighbor was telling me that my home insurance company might pay a portion of the cost to have a large, decrepit tree on my property cut down and removed. The company would rather pay that than damages from when it comes crashing down.
Has anyone heard of this or is he pulling my leg.

Never heard of that. That's considered property maintenance where I live. And if you don't take care of say a dead tree and it falls they might not cover that.

This may vary wildly by state and insurance?

Might vary by state, I wouldn't expect it to be covered here either. Be prepared to pay the full cost, the insurance company will be on your case to remove the tree even if it's not covered.

 

[berndog]

Second piece - my yard looks like ****. We literally didn't get a drop of rain for all of July. Not a drop. August wasn't much better. I let it grow long to protect it as best I could, but there's big patches of completely dead grass. I just bought 160 lbs of grass seed, and when I get some free time, I'm going to mow it low, aerate, dethatch, and overseed it. A lot of work for a 2.5 acre yard....Praying that's enough to get the grass to take. No way I can do more to the soil given the size of the area I'm dealing with.

Hate to say it but you are fighting a losing battle. Your lawn will look awesome in the fall and early spring but after a couple weeks of hot dry weather you will be back where you started. I’ve been there more than once.
The resources (time, money, fertilizer ) to keep up turf grass greatly outweigh the rewards.
Start converting parts to natural areas. Take all the time and money you would spend on turf, grab a comfy chair and cooler and enjoy watch your neighbors working all weekend on their yard.

I know this isn’t for everyone but one of the better decisions I made and better for the environment

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Installing a new fireplace. Cost $8k+.

 

[Brony]

Thanks @STEADYMOBBIN 22 - good stuff and your advice was solid. Followed everything and the studs behind the drywall looked good. What I thought was going to be difficult on drywall install and mudding, was actually pretty easy. I've cleaned up that wall and I sealed up a minor crack in the basement floor, so I'm ready to roll with install.

A couple of weeks back, I had scheduled an estimate for contractor installation of the vinyl plank. They came out this week after carpet was already removed and provided an estimate for install of the flooring. $7+K for labor alone. Yikes. I'm locked into DIY for this and we'll see how it goes. Got 42 boxes of plank in my garage ready to put in starting next weekend.

 

[AAABatteries]

Installing a new fireplace. Cost $8k+.

Wat??

 

[leftcoastguy7]

My neighbor was telling me that my home insurance company might pay a portion of the cost to have a large, decrepit tree on my property cut down and removed. The company would rather pay that than damages from when it comes crashing down.
Has anyone heard of this or is he pulling my leg.

The company is coming on Friday to take down and haul away my 40 ft. tree. They want $3500 !!!
Are you kidding me? Doesn't that seem like a lot? Not a happy camper here.

 

[berndog]

My neighbor was telling me that my home insurance company might pay a portion of the cost to have a large, decrepit tree on my property cut down and removed. The company would rather pay that than damages from when it comes crashing down.
Has anyone heard of this or is he pulling my leg.

The company is coming on Friday to take down and haul away my 40 ft. tree. They want $3500 !!!
Are you kidding me? Doesn't that seem like a lot? Not a happy camper here.

Hard to say without seeing the tree but you’re paying for their equipment and expertise along with their time.

Did you get multiple quotes?

 

[Orange&Blue]

My neighbor was telling me that my home insurance company might pay a portion of the cost to have a large, decrepit tree on my property cut down and removed. The company would rather pay that than damages from when it comes crashing down.
Has anyone heard of this or is he pulling my leg.

The company is coming on Friday to take down and haul away my 40 ft. tree. They want $3500 !!!
Are you kidding me? Doesn't that seem like a lot? Not a happy camper here.

Hard to say without seeing the tree but you’re paying for their equipment and expertise along with their time.

Did you get multiple quotes?

And insurance in case it hits the house

 

[leftcoastguy7]

My neighbor was telling me that my home insurance company might pay a portion of the cost to have a large, decrepit tree on my property cut down and removed. The company would rather pay that than damages from when it comes crashing down.
Has anyone heard of this or is he pulling my leg.

The company is coming on Friday to take down and haul away my 40 ft. tree. They want $3500 !!!
Are you kidding me? Doesn't that seem like a lot? Not a happy camper here.

Hard to say without seeing the tree but you’re paying for their equipment and expertise along with their time.

Did you get multiple quotes?

I tried. No other company returned my phone call.

 

[AAABatteries]

With trees there’s a lot of factors involved. I can get 6-7 decent sized pines and a few smallish hardwoods cut down for that same amount but they are all healthy, easily accessed and from my understanding cutting down should be straightforward. My mom has two old giant oaks covered in Ivey that are going to cost 8-10k to cut down.

 

[AAABatteries]

Finally finished the last touches on the deck stairs and started staining the fence and painting the deck and stairs. Hoping to be done by the end of this weekend.

 

[The Z Machine]

Finally finished the last touches on the deck stairs and started staining the fence and painting the deck and stairs. Hoping to be done by the end of this weekend.

Just in time for summer!!

 

[brun]

Roof - Landmark shingles, CertainTeed -
 house foot print is about 1500sf.
Installed - a little >$13k

 

[AAABatteries]

Finally finished the last touches on the deck stairs and started staining the fence and painting the deck and stairs. Hoping to be done by the end of this weekend.

Just in time for summer!!

Actually the stairs were functional all summer and then I needed to wait like 6-8 weeks before staining/painting and then it was hot as balls and I said screw it and waited for cooler weather.

 

[belljr]

Finally finished the last touches on the deck stairs and started staining the fence and painting the deck and stairs. Hoping to be done by the end of this weekend.

Just in time for summer!!

Actually the stairs were functional all summer and then I needed to wait like 6-8 weeks before staining/painting and then it was hot as balls and I said screw it and waited for cooler weather.

This is why I spent boatloads on a trex deck

 

[AAABatteries]

Cross-posting from product you believe in thread -

Looking for some solar deck lights - not post covers as we don’t have posts. Anybody have some they would recommend?

 

[Fat Nick]

Cross-posting from product you believe in thread -

Looking for some solar deck lights - not post covers as we don’t have posts. Anybody have some they would recommend?

I know you said Solar, but in my experience you won't be happy with Solar. They might work well for a few years, but they quickly dim to almost unnoticeable in my opinion. Spend a little and get a decent 12v transformer and wire in some low-voltage lights like those from Volt or something DIY friendly.

 

[Philo Beddoe]

Just gutted our laundry room because my wife has been up my *** about it for 2 years. Whoever installed the tiles laid them over stucco mesh on top of ply sub floor. I want to fight someone.

 

[AAABatteries]

Looking for recommendations to put some ground cover down over the fall/winter and maybe longer. Longterm we may put in a pool but for now the lower part of my yard is hammock, fire pit and dog domain. I want to cover the bare area to protect the erosion and make it not constantly muddy. I’ve done pine straw the last 2 seasons and it’s fine but a pain to work with, doesn’t stay in place great but biggest PITA is when crap, mainly a **** ton of pine cones fall in it I can’t blow it without it going everywhere. The picture is just about 1/10 of what I need to cover and I’m not looking to break the bank so something like pine nuggets or rubber really isn’t a good option. Any suggestions?

Ground cover options

Imgur: The magic of the Internet

imgur.com

 

[Steeler]

I don't follow this thread but saw it and wanted to share my "projects" that I am not doing myself.

Pool heater broke which I had to replace, started a bathroom renovation and now my AC needs to be replaced. Lot's of money heading out the door at the Steeler residence recently/in the near future.

 

[Bracie Smathers]

If they are dry leafs maybe blow them or vac them up? I just let the leaves of stuff mix in with the mulch.

The insides of my arborvitae never seem to stop shedding. The best you can do is shake out the inside as much as possible before you put down mulch. These things are tiny though, why do you need to pick them out? They will decompose and mix with the mulch.

Funny, I thought about using my vacuum to get rid of some of the debris there now (the dry stuff but I am raking as much as possible and will cover what is there with the new weed mats. I'll post a pic at some point but one issue I have is that one side of my trees are near a fence so about 25% of my trees are bare to begin with. As far as the leaves go, many are currently mixed in with the rocks so mulch will assist in their decomposition or just don't worry about them?

Power brooming can deliver satisfying results

 

[AAABatteries]

Watched some of The House That Norm Built - the retirement special for Norm Abram. 43 years of teaching DIY - amazing legacy.

 

[⚡DEADHEAD⚡]

Need to update this thread with some pics. We've done a few fun things lately, including stripping a glass-paneled door. Previous owner painted over the door several times. 18 window panels. Did not look forward but found the BEST stripping material ever. Still took a few days but was totally worth it. Door has to be at least 60 maybe 70 years old based on how wavy the glass is. Really charming.

Had a couple very old Douglas fir boards planed and trimmed for shelves. 60 inches long, 13 inches wide, 2.5 inches thick. Came from my brother's garage. Cleaned up but kept them distressed. Poly'd them and they look great installed in the ideal spot.

Need some help with picking a fireplace insert (looking at a Mendota and it's a small fortune) and retiling the mantle. Anyone done this? Is getting the granite for this like getting granite for the kitchen? Just go to a supplier with dimensions?

 

[DallasDMac]

Random question. How hard/practical is it to add a second heating unit to a home? Our Texas home is a two story. Built as an "energy efficient" home, the builder in this subdivision only installs one unit. The issue is cold days. They are limited here, but still. When they happen, our downstairs is a freezer. The thermostat is upstairs in a sunny-side of the house facing room. Even on cold days, if it gets sunny out, that room heats up quicker than any other. I tried solar screens to help control that but it didn't do much. So even on cold days, when it is sunny, I'll set the heat to 74 or 75 up there and yet the downstairs is still quite cold. I have seen my wife in gloves this winter.

I heat pump is a single stage unit. So, I have been told, because it is a single stage unit, I can't really use valves and louvers to control the flow through the ductwork. I am now wondering, how much would it cost to make the house a two unit house, one up and one down, if it is even possible?

 

[Ron Swanson]

How about relocating the thermostat or using a thermostat that incorporates remote sensors?

 

[DallasDMac]

How about relocating the thermostat or using a thermostat that incorporates remote sensors?

All things I've considered. Thing with that is, if I move the thermostat downstairs, the upstairs becomes a sauna. I mean, I could likely do that without moving it by setting the heat to 78 or so. Just not optimal. I have my annual inspection next month. I'll ask some more questions but already had this discussion with them last year. It just seems there should be a way to push more airflow downstairs if nothing else.

 

[belljr]

Just buy a couple vernado room heaters for the rare times they're needed?

 

[Orange&Blue]

How about relocating the thermostat or using a thermostat that incorporates remote sensors?

All things I've considered. Thing with that is, if I move the thermostat downstairs, the upstairs becomes a sauna. I mean, I could likely do that without moving it by setting the heat to 78 or so. Just not optimal. I have my annual inspection next month. I'll ask some more questions but already had this discussion with them last year. It just seems there should be a way to push more airflow downstairs if nothing else.

The house is built? Then very difficult as you have run duct work in the ceiling/floor. It will be very expensive and likely require tearing up the floor/ceiling in multiple rooms.

 

[DallasDMac]

Just buy a couple vernado room heaters for the rare times they're needed?

Yea, I have two that I bought for my power outage kit after the blackout.

 

[ChiefD]

Where is your HVAC system now? Basement or the attic?

 

[DallasDMac]

Where is your HVAC system now? Basement or the attic?

If this was for me, attic. I'm in San Antonio, we don't have basements.

p.s. I decided it's just easier to move. In the process of looking for a single story house so this won't be a factor.

 

[Senor Schmutzig]

Now that I have some time on my hands (got let go from my job of 13 years in mid-December and have run out of things on my wife's to-do list, I think I may work on my low-voltage landscape lighting around the perimeter of our yard. I had an outside outlet installed and ran a wire under the fake turf we had installed last year so I have electricity. Now I just need to pick out a system that I like.

To Amazon I go....

 

[Senor Schmutzig]

Now that I have some time on my hands (got let go from my job of 13 years in mid-December and have run out of things on my wife's to-do list, I think I may work on my low-voltage landscape lighting around the perimeter of our yard. I had an outside outlet installed and ran a wire under the fake turf we had installed last year so I have electricity. Now I just need to pick out a system that I like.

To Amazon I go....

Yeah, the above hasn't happened yet....BUT....I have another project to work on...

I need to put up some shelving and cabinet in the garage but have been a little perplexed on how to make it happen.

The wall that I want to install the cabinets on is sheetrock attached to wood furring strips in front of the concrete block. Based on my expert googling skills, I think I am going to purchase a second-hand hammer drill so I can use Tapcon screws through the plywood-->furring strips-->concrete block.

Is that logic sound? I think it is....

 

[Instinctive]

Coming weeks:
1. Retaining wall for yard
2. Regrade and possibly turf the yard
3. Build outdoor grill station - electric pellet smoker, propane side burner, cabinets, drawers.

 

[The Z Machine]

Now that I have some time on my hands (got let go from my job of 13 years in mid-December and have run out of things on my wife's to-do list, I think I may work on my low-voltage landscape lighting around the perimeter of our yard. I had an outside outlet installed and ran a wire under the fake turf we had installed last year so I have electricity. Now I just need to pick out a system that I like.

To Amazon I go....

Yeah, the above hasn't happened yet....BUT....I have another project to work on...

I need to put up some shelving and cabinet in the garage but have been a little perplexed on how to make it happen.

The wall that I want to install the cabinets on is sheetrock attached to wood furring strips in front of the concrete block. Based on my expert googling skills, I think I am going to purchase a second-hand hammer drill so I can use Tapcon screws through the plywood-->furring strips-->concrete block.

Is that logic sound? I think it is....

Yes, you'll want to anchor into the block. Personally, I prefer drop in expanding anchors to tapcons. If you can use expanding anchors, consider it.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Now that I have some time on my hands (got let go from my job of 13 years in mid-December and have run out of things on my wife's to-do list, I think I may work on my low-voltage landscape lighting around the perimeter of our yard. I had an outside outlet installed and ran a wire under the fake turf we had installed last year so I have electricity. Now I just need to pick out a system that I like.

To Amazon I go....

Yeah, the above hasn't happened yet....BUT....I have another project to work on...

I need to put up some shelving and cabinet in the garage but have been a little perplexed on how to make it happen.

The wall that I want to install the cabinets on is sheetrock attached to wood furring strips in front of the concrete block. Based on my expert googling skills, I think I am going to purchase a second-hand hammer drill so I can use Tapcon screws through the plywood-->furring strips-->concrete block.

Is that logic sound? I think it is....

Yes, you'll want to anchor into the block. Personally, I prefer drop in expanding anchors to tapcons. If you can use expanding anchors, consider it.

What Z said. Expanding anchors will go into the open cavity in the block, then widen out so the entire block is providing resistance instead of just some threads.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Coming weeks:
1. Retaining wall for yard
2. Regrade and possibly turf the yard
3. Build outdoor grill station - electric pellet smoker, propane side burner, cabinets, drawers.

Items 1:What stone/brick/wood did you choose?


Item 2: How’s this coming about? I just regraded with 60 QY but I still need more.

To be fair I’m shooting for a nearly perfectly flat but still sloping yard.

 

[shuke]

Anyone ever install one of those retractable patio awnings?

 

[Osaurus]

Anyone ever install one of those retractable patio awnings?

Thought about it until I saw the cost for a custom awning for our lanai.

 

[shuke]

Anyone ever install one of those retractable patio awnings?

Thought about it until I saw the cost for a custom awning for our lanai.

Please elaborate.

 

[Osaurus]

Anyone ever install one of those retractable patio awnings?

Thought about it until I saw the cost for a custom awning for our lanai.

Please elaborate.

Got quotes between $15-20k 5 years ago. Went with 2 nicer umbrellas instead.