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

[shuke]

We bought our home several years ago, and it came with smoke alarms that are wired with 9v battery as a 'backup'. Whenever a 9v battery goes bad in one of the alarms, ALL the smoke alarms in the house go off. We quickly learned to change out the batteries every year, regardless of how much 'juice' still remains in them. Also, we have 15 foot ceilings in parts of the home, so I have to run out to the garage and grab the big ladder. Having all the smoke alarms go off in the middle of the night at the same time is PTSD inducing.

I had never heard of smoke alarms wired into the house. Is this common? Is it worth it to uninstall them? They sure are annoying.

Mine are wired but when one battery goes low only that one chirps..... I never had them all go off with a low battery in one

ETA - if you remove the battery they stop. The battery is there in case of a fire that knocks out the wired power.

Yeah, I wish mine only chirped when the battery is low. All alarms go off mega phone LOUD. They also do not stop when the battery is removed. They must all be unplugged to shut them up.

Mine are wired and when a battery is low only that one chirps. What you may be experiencing is that one of the units is defective. I've had this happen a couple times when the one in the hallway outside my kids' bathroom goes bad from accumulated exposure to humidity. When one goes off they all go off, it's hard to determine which unit is defective.

 

[unckeyherb]

Had a shower valve leak that turned out to be worse than we thought, so we are gonna do a whole bathroom remodel, which we planned on doing down the road but it makes sense to do it now.

Got 2 estimates so far, one for $30k and one north of $40k.

WTF?! 2 years ago we completely gutted and remodeled our kitchen and had tile floor put in the entire house and it was less than that. Why are bathrooms so damn expensive? Sheesh.

The cost of materials has gone up.

Anyone ever tackled a project like this on their own?
I can tille, plumb and do flooring so thinking about remodeling my master bath. The one thing that gives me pause is the shower pan and waterproofing. Anyone have a kit they recommend?

Tile-redi pans. Presloped and come in a million variations (center drain, linear on one end, integral seat). I spec these in apartment buildings I design all the time. Cake install.

 

[unckeyherb]

Got a call from my neighbor down the shore a few weeks ago. Said he walked by my place and heard an alarm and “water rushing”. Called the water department and had them turn off the water but it’s too late.

A pipe burst in the ceiling (don’t ask me why the builder ran all the water distribution in an attic, but they did). Most of the piping up there is insulated but this one wasn’t and it froze even though we have heat going. Ceilings are on the floor and all the wood floors and subfloors have to be replaced. Just a ****ing disaster.

Some of you may remember this house, I renovated it a lot, a couple years ago and kept up with posting in this thread. Needless to say the wife is devastated and I’m in claims hell.

 

[Snotbubbles]

Got a call from my neighbor down the shore a few weeks ago. Said he walked by my place and heard an alarm and “water rushing”. Called the water department and had them turn off the water but it’s too late.

A pipe burst in the ceiling (don’t ask me why the builder ran all the water distribution in an attic, but they did). Most of the piping up there is insulated but this one wasn’t and it froze even though we have heat going. Ceilings are on the floor and all the wood floors and subfloors have to be replaced. Just a ****ing disaster.

Some of you may remember this house, I renovated it a lot, a couple years ago and kept up with posting in this thread. Needless to say the wife is devastated and I’m in claims hell.

If you need a good adjuster, my son is the best in the area and my brother owns a water remediation company. Can get them to help you out.

ETA: Make sure you get your own adjuster. The insurance company will low-ball the hell out of you.

 

[unckeyherb]

Got a call from my neighbor down the shore a few weeks ago. Said he walked by my place and heard an alarm and “water rushing”. Called the water department and had them turn off the water but it’s too late.

A pipe burst in the ceiling (don’t ask me why the builder ran all the water distribution in an attic, but they did). Most of the piping up there is insulated but this one wasn’t and it froze even though we have heat going. Ceilings are on the floor and all the wood floors and subfloors have to be replaced. Just a ****ing disaster.

Some of you may remember this house, I renovated it a lot, a couple years ago and kept up with posting in this thread. Needless to say the wife is devastated and I’m in claims hell.

If you need a good adjuster, my son is the best in the area and my brother owns a water remediation company. Can get them to help you out.

ETA: Make sure you get your own adjuster. The insurance company will low-ball the hell out of you.

Thanks man, that’s great advice. I have an adjuster that I’ve worked with in the past-he’s really good. This is my first foray into a claim like this. Believe it or not, two days after my claim, the insurance company sent me a letter stating that they are canceling my policy. wtf.

 

[Judge Smails]

Remodeled the entire inside of the house. Paint, flooring, all new furnishings, electronics. Now starting complete remodel of the outside for curb appeal. Hardscape, landscape, paint, etc. Wanting all of this done before retirement. Interviewing contractors now

 

[The Z Machine]

Believe it or not, two days after my claim, the insurance company sent me a letter stating that they are canceling my policy. wtf.

I hope that doesn't change anything in terms of rectifying the issues.

 

[FarFromHome]

Had a new stand up shower installed. I got the quote of 8200 in summer. Like most companies they kept calling after the quote. I wouldn't answer. Finally answered during December. My mind told me this type business slows down at this time. Told them times are tough but if they could get job done for 7000 I'd green light it. They called next day and said they could. Felt like a victory and I love my new shower.

Wife wants kitchen cabinets painted. Should get a quote here within a couple weeks.

 

[Snotbubbles]

Got a call from my neighbor down the shore a few weeks ago. Said he walked by my place and heard an alarm and “water rushing”. Called the water department and had them turn off the water but it’s too late.

A pipe burst in the ceiling (don’t ask me why the builder ran all the water distribution in an attic, but they did). Most of the piping up there is insulated but this one wasn’t and it froze even though we have heat going. Ceilings are on the floor and all the wood floors and subfloors have to be replaced. Just a ****ing disaster.

Some of you may remember this house, I renovated it a lot, a couple years ago and kept up with posting in this thread. Needless to say the wife is devastated and I’m in claims hell.

If you need a good adjuster, my son is the best in the area and my brother owns a water remediation company. Can get them to help you out.

ETA: Make sure you get your own adjuster. The insurance company will low-ball the hell out of you.

Thanks man, that’s great advice. I have an adjuster that I’ve worked with in the past-he’s really good. This is my first foray into a claim like this. Believe it or not, two days after my claim, the insurance company sent me a letter stating that they are canceling my policy. wtf.

My son says in the PA, NJ, DE area All-State is the best insurance company to work with for water claims. I had Liberty Mutual, but I'm going to switch. If you don't have All-State, check them out for this property since it sounds like the way it is designed, water damage could be a recurring issue.

If you need any help with anything let me know. I had a water damage claim from the last heavy wind/rain storm we had a few months ago so I just had my property repaired and went through the claims process. I'm currently in the appraisal process since the insurance company tried to low-ball me so we had to get 3rd party appraiser come in to give us a number that they think the actual amount of the claim should be. I have my appraisal in March 14th.

 

[Runkle]

Probably time to beef up the security a bit, been getting increased warnings from the local PD. Emphasis now is that the crews use wifi signal jammers to approach the property and then cut the power at the meter (everyone in the area has the box outside the house rather than inside or in the basement). Since most people seem to be using Ring devices and locally-housed systems it's easier to break in by just turning off the electricity. Few people have remotely monitored systems now. Mine is remote and monitored, battery powered with a cell-phone link, so I should be more secure than most but the crooks won't know that until after they break in so won't help me much as a preventative.

From what I know about the B&E types, the keys are 1) look like more of a hassle than your neighbor's house, and 2) look like you have less stuff worth taking than your neighbors do. Not much you can really do to prevent someone who wants to get in from trying it, it's better to just look like a house they don't want to target. More obvious security, that looks hard-wired rather than store-bought wifi cameras, and no stuff outside like bikes, offroading gear, open garage doors, etc. One thing I've done is to get security service signs for a system I don't have off of ebay. Yard sign and stickers for the windows. Every system seems to have a known way around it but at least they won't know what brand I'm using and will use the wrong method if they try lol.

 

[Ron Swanson]

Probably time to beef up the security a bit, been getting increased warnings from the local PD. Emphasis now is that the crews use wifi signal jammers to approach the property and then cut the power at the meter (everyone in the area has the box outside the house rather than inside or in the basement). Since most people seem to be using Ring devices and locally-housed systems it's easier to break in by just turning off the electricity. Few people have remotely monitored systems now. Mine is remote and monitored, battery powered with a cell-phone link, so I should be more secure than most but the crooks won't know that until after they break in so won't help me much as a preventative.

From what I know about the B&E types, the keys are 1) look like more of a hassle than your neighbor's house, and 2) look like you have less stuff worth taking than your neighbors do. Not much you can really do to prevent someone who wants to get in from trying it, it's better to just look like a house they don't want to target. More obvious security, that looks hard-wired rather than store-bought wifi cameras, and no stuff outside like bikes, offroading gear, open garage doors, etc. One thing I've done is to get security service signs for a system I don't have off of ebay. Yard sign and stickers for the windows. Every system seems to have a known way around it but at least they won't know what brand I'm using and will use the wrong method if they try lol.

I put a padlock not too long ago on my meter box/main breaker for exactly this reason. They fit perfectly through the hasp.

 

[Runkle]

Probably time to beef up the security a bit, been getting increased warnings from the local PD. Emphasis now is that the crews use wifi signal jammers to approach the property and then cut the power at the meter (everyone in the area has the box outside the house rather than inside or in the basement). Since most people seem to be using Ring devices and locally-housed systems it's easier to break in by just turning off the electricity. Few people have remotely monitored systems now. Mine is remote and monitored, battery powered with a cell-phone link, so I should be more secure than most but the crooks won't know that until after they break in so won't help me much as a preventative.

From what I know about the B&E types, the keys are 1) look like more of a hassle than your neighbor's house, and 2) look like you have less stuff worth taking than your neighbors do. Not much you can really do to prevent someone who wants to get in from trying it, it's better to just look like a house they don't want to target. More obvious security, that looks hard-wired rather than store-bought wifi cameras, and no stuff outside like bikes, offroading gear, open garage doors, etc. One thing I've done is to get security service signs for a system I don't have off of ebay. Yard sign and stickers for the windows. Every system seems to have a known way around it but at least they won't know what brand I'm using and will use the wrong method if they try lol.

I put a padlock not too long ago on my meter box/main breaker for exactly this reason. They fit perfectly through the hasp.

Yeah I'm doing this too. I read sometimes it's an issue with the local fire department, in case of an emergency, but PD just put out an advisory to do it.

 

[DallasDMac]

I figure you guys could use a laugh so, total newb question...

I bought a vent hood that came with mounting brackets. The brackets have four holes where the hood will mount/hang. Basically, install the mounts to the cabinets, partially drive the four screws that will hold the vent, hang the vent on them, then tighten the four screws. Thing is, the holes are waaaaaay to small for the four screws. I have stripped two already trying to drive them in to the holes. Is the issue something as simple as I need a heavier screw driver? Or do I need a threading tool to enlarge the holes? Hard to believe I am having this issue when I am using the installation kit from the manufacturer, but here I am, hoodless. And clueless.

 

[Dezbelief]

One thing I've done is to get security service signs for a system I don't have off of ebay. Yard sign and stickers for the windows. Every system seems to have a known way around it but at least they won't know what brand I'm using and will use the wrong method if they try lol.

I know someone who renames routers to another brand name, throws off hackers sometimes.

 

[AAABatteries]

I figure you guys could use a laugh so, total newb question...

I bought a vent hood that came with mounting brackets. The brackets have four holes where the hood will mount/hang. Basically, install the mounts to the cabinets, partially drive the four screws that will hold the vent, hang the vent on them, then tighten the four screws. Thing is, the holes are waaaaaay to small for the four screws. I have stripped two already trying to drive them in to the holes. Is the issue something as simple as I need a heavier screw driver? Or do I need a threading tool to enlarge the holes? Hard to believe I am having this issue when I am using the installation kit from the manufacturer, but here I am, hoodless. And clueless.

Can you pre-drill the holes?

 

[The Z Machine]

I figure you guys could use a laugh so, total newb question...

I bought a vent hood that came with mounting brackets. The brackets have four holes where the hood will mount/hang. Basically, install the mounts to the cabinets, partially drive the four screws that will hold the vent, hang the vent on them, then tighten the four screws. Thing is, the holes are waaaaaay to small for the four screws. I have stripped two already trying to drive them in to the holes. Is the issue something as simple as I need a heavier screw driver? Or do I need a threading tool to enlarge the holes? Hard to believe I am having this issue when I am using the installation kit from the manufacturer, but here I am, hoodless. And clueless.

Are you drilling pilot holes prior to driving the screws? What are the screws being driven into? Anchors? Wood studs? Block?What tool are you using to drive the screws?

 

[belljr]

A vent hood should just have basic machine metal screws that screw in through holes you drilled in the cabinet top. They usually have some type of rubber spacer on the ends to stop from going through

 

[shuke]

I figure you guys could use a laugh so, total newb question...

I bought a vent hood that came with mounting brackets. The brackets have four holes where the hood will mount/hang. Basically, install the mounts to the cabinets, partially drive the four screws that will hold the vent, hang the vent on them, then tighten the four screws. Thing is, the holes are waaaaaay to small for the four screws. I have stripped two already trying to drive them in to the holes. Is the issue something as simple as I need a heavier screw driver? Or do I need a threading tool to enlarge the holes? Hard to believe I am having this issue when I am using the installation kit from the manufacturer, but here I am, hoodless. And clueless.

Are you talking about a bolt going into a threaded hole, or a screw going into a pilot hole?

If the former, it's possible based on your description, that when you "hang the vent", it is putting so much weight on the bolts that they are not lined up with the threaded holes and not able to start threading. If it's the latter, then drill a slightly larger pilot hole, but again maybe hold the vent up so it is not putting weight on the screws while you are trying to drive them. Pictures would help.

 

[shuke]

The back of our house faces west, and the sun makes it an almost unusable space during the summer. We got an awning last fall. I put up roll down screens on the sides to give us some additional privacy, but we have such ferocious wind they they weren't the answer. So now I'm building privacy walls on the two sides of the patio.

 

[The Z Machine]

Just power washed 10+ years of moss and dirt off my brick walkway. This is after grinding out the mortar, replacing 5 bricks, and repointing a bunch of areas where the mortar had degraded or was gone. It looks a lot better but there is definitely a mismatch in color with new mortar vsm old mortar. Also I bought some muriatic acid to try and clean the white lime residue that got all over the bricks.

 

[The Z Machine]

Oh and you should definitely hire out masonry... it's really hard work.

 

[DallasDMac]

I figure you guys could use a laugh so, total newb question...

I bought a vent hood that came with mounting brackets. The brackets have four holes where the hood will mount/hang. Basically, install the mounts to the cabinets, partially drive the four screws that will hold the vent, hang the vent on them, then tighten the four screws. Thing is, the holes are waaaaaay to small for the four screws. I have stripped two already trying to drive them in to the holes. Is the issue something as simple as I need a heavier screw driver? Or do I need a threading tool to enlarge the holes? Hard to believe I am having this issue when I am using the installation kit from the manufacturer, but here I am, hoodless. And clueless.

Are you talking about a bolt going into a threaded hole, or a screw going into a pilot hole?

If the former, it's possible based on your description, that when you "hang the vent", it is putting so much weight on the bolts that they are not lined up with the threaded holes and not able to start threading. If it's the latter, then drill a slightly larger pilot hole, but again maybe hold the vent up so it is not putting weight on the screws while you are trying to drive them. Pictures would help.

It's a screw in to a pilot hole. I'm not hanging the vent yet. You have to basically partially screw the screws in to the pilot hole before you hang the bracket. And I can't even get the screws started.

p.s. Can we post pics here now?

 

[DallasDMac]

I figure you guys could use a laugh so, total newb question...

I bought a vent hood that came with mounting brackets. The brackets have four holes where the hood will mount/hang. Basically, install the mounts to the cabinets, partially drive the four screws that will hold the vent, hang the vent on them, then tighten the four screws. Thing is, the holes are waaaaaay to small for the four screws. I have stripped two already trying to drive them in to the holes. Is the issue something as simple as I need a heavier screw driver? Or do I need a threading tool to enlarge the holes? Hard to believe I am having this issue when I am using the installation kit from the manufacturer, but here I am, hoodless. And clueless.

Are you drilling pilot holes prior to driving the screws? What are the screws being driven into? Anchors? Wood studs? Block?What tool are you using to drive the screws?

The holes are already there. Instructions say to screw the screws partially in to the hole and then hang the bracket. The screws seem waaaaaaay to thick for the holes. The brackets are metal.

 

[DallasDMac]

A vent hood should just have basic machine metal screws that screw in through holes you drilled in the cabinet top. They usually have some type of rubber spacer on the ends to stop from going through

My cabinets are recessed, so there is about a one inch gap between the "lip" of the cabinet and the cabinet bottom. This is exactly what the brackets are made for. I could mount wood shims and then mount the vent hood right to that. But the whole point of the mounting brackets is so you don't have to do that. It's an option however.

 

[shuke]

I figure you guys could use a laugh so, total newb question...

I bought a vent hood that came with mounting brackets. The brackets have four holes where the hood will mount/hang. Basically, install the mounts to the cabinets, partially drive the four screws that will hold the vent, hang the vent on them, then tighten the four screws. Thing is, the holes are waaaaaay to small for the four screws. I have stripped two already trying to drive them in to the holes. Is the issue something as simple as I need a heavier screw driver? Or do I need a threading tool to enlarge the holes? Hard to believe I am having this issue when I am using the installation kit from the manufacturer, but here I am, hoodless. And clueless.

Are you talking about a bolt going into a threaded hole, or a screw going into a pilot hole?

If the former, it's possible based on your description, that when you "hang the vent", it is putting so much weight on the bolts that they are not lined up with the threaded holes and not able to start threading. If it's the latter, then drill a slightly larger pilot hole, but again maybe hold the vent up so it is not putting weight on the screws while you are trying to drive them. Pictures would help.

It's a screw in to a pilot hole. I'm not hanging the vent yet. You have to basically partially screw the screws in to the pilot hole before you hang the bracket. And I can't even get the screws started.

p.s. Can we post pics here now?

Can't post here but can link to any online pic hosting site.

 

[shuke]

@DallasDMac got your PM. Do you have a set of calipers? I would measure the minor diameter of the screw and the hole. Looks like the hole may be too small so you could drill it out a little, just be sure you don't go larger than the major diameter of the screw threads.

 

[Fat Nick]

Probably time to beef up the security a bit, been getting increased warnings from the local PD. Emphasis now is that the crews use wifi signal jammers to approach the property and then cut the power at the meter (everyone in the area has the box outside the house rather than inside or in the basement). Since most people seem to be using Ring devices and locally-housed systems it's easier to break in by just turning off the electricity. Few people have remotely monitored systems now. Mine is remote and monitored, battery powered with a cell-phone link, so I should be more secure than most but the crooks won't know that until after they break in so won't help me much as a preventative.

From what I know about the B&E types, the keys are 1) look like more of a hassle than your neighbor's house, and 2) look like you have less stuff worth taking than your neighbors do. Not much you can really do to prevent someone who wants to get in from trying it, it's better to just look like a house they don't want to target. More obvious security, that looks hard-wired rather than store-bought wifi cameras, and no stuff outside like bikes, offroading gear, open garage doors, etc. One thing I've done is to get security service signs for a system I don't have off of ebay. Yard sign and stickers for the windows. Every system seems to have a known way around it but at least they won't know what brand I'm using and will use the wrong method if they try lol.

I put a padlock not too long ago on my meter box/main breaker for exactly this reason. They fit perfectly through the hasp.

When you say "meter box" do you mean the exterior box? I thought the power companies controlled access to that - am I wrong? They have a small wire clip on ours, I'm assuming to prevent you from tampering with it, but maybe that's all old now that they can read the meters electronically.

As for security at the box - It's been a concern of mine for a while. A few things I did...
1) If your internet line runs into your house there or at another place, make sure your line is in conduit all the way into the house. Since our alarm and my Ring Cameras run off the internet, I'm honestly more concerned about someone cutting the internet than the power. I put my line in EMT conduit from about 2' down in the ground till it's inside my garage so it's harder to cut.
2) As for power, buy a cheap UPC power back-up. I have my router (including the PoE switch that powers my Ring Cameras) plugged into one. It provides for about 15 minutes of operation after the power goes out. We now have a whole-home generator as well - the added bonus is the whole-home takes ~10 seconds to power on when we do have an outage, and those UPC's keep everything electronic up and running so they don't have to go through a re-boot cycle.
3) Lastly - If you have cameras, place one so it can actually SEE your power box/meter. I have one mounted on my shed that points to that corner of the house. That way, if someone does mess with that area, you at least get some footage of them before you lose your cameras.

Ultimately though, I agree 100% with the best tactics - just make your house look more secure and less desirable than your neighbors. I could 100% tell you how I'd go about attacking my own system, and I'm confident I could get into my own house without leaving much of a trace - but I also know the weaknesses. For someone driving up our street, they'll simply see 3 cameras and motion lights (and a dog) and likely go one more house down to our neighbors who have none of those things.

 

[Ron Swanson]

Probably time to beef up the security a bit, been getting increased warnings from the local PD. Emphasis now is that the crews use wifi signal jammers to approach the property and then cut the power at the meter (everyone in the area has the box outside the house rather than inside or in the basement). Since most people seem to be using Ring devices and locally-housed systems it's easier to break in by just turning off the electricity. Few people have remotely monitored systems now. Mine is remote and monitored, battery powered with a cell-phone link, so I should be more secure than most but the crooks won't know that until after they break in so won't help me much as a preventative.

From what I know about the B&E types, the keys are 1) look like more of a hassle than your neighbor's house, and 2) look like you have less stuff worth taking than your neighbors do. Not much you can really do to prevent someone who wants to get in from trying it, it's better to just look like a house they don't want to target. More obvious security, that looks hard-wired rather than store-bought wifi cameras, and no stuff outside like bikes, offroading gear, open garage doors, etc. One thing I've done is to get security service signs for a system I don't have off of ebay. Yard sign and stickers for the windows. Every system seems to have a known way around it but at least they won't know what brand I'm using and will use the wrong method if they try lol.

I put a padlock not too long ago on my meter box/main breaker for exactly this reason. They fit perfectly through the hasp.

When you say "meter box" do you mean the exterior box? I thought the power companies controlled access to that - am I wrong? They have a small wire clip on ours, I'm assuming to prevent you from tampering with it, but maybe that's all old now that they can read the meters electronically.

Yes, our meter is connected to the main breaker box that feeds subpanels throughout the property. The meter has a ring with a security tag on it but the breaker part of the box is easy to access unless locked. The only part the power company owns is the meter itself. I think this is a fairly common arrangement in the south but a lot of folks may not know there are one or more breakers there that can shut off your whole house.

 

[urbanhack]

Rebuilding a 10 foot section of wood fence with a gate. Also want to build a side walk arbor / trellis structure in the front of the house. I've got some nice vines that need to be moved out of their containers and into the ground. I thought this type of structure might be cool. https://s.turbifycdn.com/aah/outdoorwoodenfurniture/arbors-pergolas-76.jpg

 

[DallasDMac]

@DallasDMac got your PM. Do you have a set of calipers? I would measure the minor diameter of the screw and the hole. Looks like the hole may be too small so you could drill it out a little, just be sure you don't go larger than the major diameter of the screw threads.

I don't. But I can hold the drill bit up against the screw and eyeball it. I know to go by the width minus the threads. Due to the fact they replaced the install package once, I have two sets of mounting brackets. So I can experiment on one.

 

[Fat Nick]

Yes, our meter is connected to the main breaker box that feeds subpanels throughout the property. The meter has a ring with a security tag on it but the breaker part of the box is easy to access unless locked. The only part the power company owns is the meter itself. I think this is a fairly common arrangement in the south but a lot of folks may not know there are one or more breakers there that can shut off your whole house.

Got it - that's interesting. I didn't realize some places had a main breaker outside. Ours is inside.

 

[Runkle]

Yes, our meter is connected to the main breaker box that feeds subpanels throughout the property. The meter has a ring with a security tag on it but the breaker part of the box is easy to access unless locked. The only part the power company owns is the meter itself. I think this is a fairly common arrangement in the south but a lot of folks may not know there are one or more breakers there that can shut off your whole house.

Got it - that's interesting. I didn't realize some places had a main breaker outside. Ours is inside.

Yeah that's what I meant, all the circuit breakers are accessible from the outside of the house. For most houses around here (Los Angeles), anyone could walk up off the street and turn off power to someone else's house.

 

[DallasDMac]

@DallasDMac got your PM. Do you have a set of calipers? I would measure the minor diameter of the screw and the hole. Looks like the hole may be too small so you could drill it out a little, just be sure you don't go larger than the major diameter of the screw threads.

I don't. But I can hold the drill bit up against the screw and eyeball it. I know to go by the width minus the threads. Due to the fact they replaced the install package once, I have two sets of mounting brackets. So I can experiment on one.

I tried drilling out the holes, but 9/64 was to small, and 5/32 was to big. So one set if brackets is now unusable, leaving me one more try at getting it right. Or I go buy 5/32 screws?!?

 

[shuke]

@DallasDMac got your PM. Do you have a set of calipers? I would measure the minor diameter of the screw and the hole. Looks like the hole may be too small so you could drill it out a little, just be sure you don't go larger than the major diameter of the screw threads.

I don't. But I can hold the drill bit up against the screw and eyeball it. I know to go by the width minus the threads. Due to the fact they replaced the install package once, I have two sets of mounting brackets. So I can experiment on one.

I tried drilling out the holes, but 9/64 was to small, and 5/32 was to big. So one set if brackets is now unusable, leaving me one more try at getting it right. Or I go buy 5/32 screws?!?

I would take the brackets to hardware store with loose hardware and try to find screws that fit.

 

[Sand]

From what I know about the B&E types, the keys are 1) look like more of a hassle than your neighbor's house, and 2) look like you have less stuff worth taking than your neighbors do. Not much you can really do to prevent someone who wants to get in from trying it, it's better to just look like a house they don't want to target.

I have three fur laden alarms inside the house. They're loud and vigilant. And woe be to the poor sot who actually gets in - they're protective of their space.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Oh and you should definitely hire out masonry... it's really hard work.

I’ve been toying with the idea of doing some brick retaining walls, walkways and pillars.

 

[The Z Machine]

Oh and you should definitely hire out masonry... it's really hard work.

I’ve been toying with the idea of doing some brick retaining walls, walkways and pillars.

Don't. Hire an italian

 

[Fat Nick]

Oh and you should definitely hire out masonry... it's really hard work.

I’ve been toying with the idea of doing some brick retaining walls, walkways and pillars.

Don't. Hire an italian

Yeah - I'll echo this...stone work is really hard. I'll never do anything important myself. It's heavy, hard work, and so much of the difference between a good job and a crappy one is in the prep. I laid 6 pieces of bluestone down by our corner for a bench at the bus stop for the kids. Looked great. I thought I prepped the pad well, but after a few rains, the underlay stone washed out, and it's all uneven. It's just not as easy to make it stand the test of time.

 

[DallasDMac]

@DallasDMac got your PM. Do you have a set of calipers? I would measure the minor diameter of the screw and the hole. Looks like the hole may be too small so you could drill it out a little, just be sure you don't go larger than the major diameter of the screw threads.

I don't. But I can hold the drill bit up against the screw and eyeball it. I know to go by the width minus the threads. Due to the fact they replaced the install package once, I have two sets of mounting brackets. So I can experiment on one.

I tried drilling out the holes, but 9/64 was to small, and 5/32 was to big. So one set if brackets is now unusable, leaving me one more try at getting it right. Or I go buy 5/32 screws?!?

I would take the brackets to hardware store with loose hardware and try to find screws that fit.

I not only took it to the Home Depot, I opened the bag and took a screw out. Then went to the tools section and grabbed a screwdriver off the rack and screwed the darn thing in to make sure it would work. Hopefully I am good to go now.

 

[DallasDMac]

Oh and you should definitely hire out masonry... it's really hard work.

I’ve been toying with the idea of doing some brick retaining walls, walkways and pillars.

Don't. Hire an italian

Yeah - I'll echo this...stone work is really hard. I'll never do anything important myself. It's heavy, hard work, and so much of the difference between a good job and a crappy one is in the prep. I laid 6 pieces of bluestone down by our corner for a bench at the bus stop for the kids. Looked great. I thought I prepped the pad well, but after a few rains, the underlay stone washed out, and it's all uneven. It's just not as easy to make it stand the test of time.

I just laid four stepping stones. Dug out about a 2.5 inch deep path. Weed barrier cloth first. Next, an inch of crushed gravel. Next, an inch of paver sand. Then finally the stones. Capped it off with pea gravel all around. Apparently all my neighbors figure I did it so their dogs would have a new area to check out. So I guess my new final step will be a round of mulch/gravel adhesive to hold all the dang pea gravel in place. Sick of going out and leveling paw prints every day.

 

[Nugget]

Restoring a 10x20 deck with new boards and railing. Built in 1988. Not sure if it better to just to tear down and start over. If I get quotes, I imagine they will push for the replace. I don’t think I can replace myself without pulling permits. It extends from the back of the home over a walkout basement. As I typed this I think I talked myself out of going the DIY route.

 

[WVU Alum]

Restoring a 10x20 deck with new boards and railing. Built in 1988. Not sure if it better to just to tear down and start over. If I get quotes, I imagine they will push for the replace. I don’t think I can replace myself without pulling permits. It extends from the back of the home over a walkout basement. As I typed this I think I talked myself out of going the DIY route.

Restoring my deck. The main section is 11x32. Doing it myself. I’ve built a lot of decks. Just bought 50 2x6x16. Have them stacked for a few weeks to dry out.

 

[[icon]]

Looking into an outdoor kitchen.

In an effort to save money and minimize winterization hassles, I’m looking at installing the outdoor sink along the exterior wall adjacent to my kitchen sink.

This would allow me to tap into the supply and drain lines through the exterior wall.

QUESTION: Is this legal/code?

I’ve been told the primary concern is the roof vent capacity. Others have said the vent should be more than sufficient for another sink.

For winterization I’d disconnect the supply and drain lines at the exterior wall once the first freeze arrived.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Considering an above ground pool with a small wood deck around it. Would be level with the concrete patio I have.

Basically trying to decide between a $6k “cheap” job or go hard with a fiberglass pool which would balloon the project to about $15-20k.

I would be doing the install. lol at paying people $100k to dig a hole and connect some pvc.

Leaning towards the smaller project for now. Would be fine for our needs.

 

[The Z Machine]

Restoring a 10x20 deck with new boards and railing. Built in 1988. Not sure if it better to just to tear down and start over. If I get quotes, I imagine they will push for the replace. I don’t think I can replace myself without pulling permits. It extends from the back of the home over a walkout basement. As I typed this I think I talked myself out of going the DIY route.

Is your city super strict about permits and / or are your neighbors jerks? Not sure why a permit would be needed here.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Restoring a 10x20 deck with new boards and railing. Built in 1988. Not sure if it better to just to tear down and start over. If I get quotes, I imagine they will push for the replace. I don’t think I can replace myself without pulling permits. It extends from the back of the home over a walkout basement. As I typed this I think I talked myself out of going the DIY route.

Is your city super strict about permits and / or are your neighbors jerks? Not sure why a permit would be needed here.

I live in a Virginia town and was just gonna replace the decking. But the structure down the side of the house was so out of plumb/level, that that part had to have the joists removed and replaced. The posts were fine, but getting into the structure threw me into permit-land.

 

[belljr]

Restoring a 10x20 deck with new boards and railing. Built in 1988. Not sure if it better to just to tear down and start over. If I get quotes, I imagine they will push for the replace. I don’t think I can replace myself without pulling permits. It extends from the back of the home over a walkout basement. As I typed this I think I talked myself out of going the DIY route.

Is your city super strict about permits and / or are your neighbors jerks? Not sure why a permit would be needed here.

I live in a Virginia town and was just gonna replace the decking. But the structure down the side of the house was so out of plumb/level, that that part had to have the joists removed and replaced. The posts were fine, but getting into the structure threw me into permit-land.

meh - you are replacing an exisitng deck - i wouldn't think there was a need unless you were completely revamping the design but i could be wrong

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Restoring a 10x20 deck with new boards and railing. Built in 1988. Not sure if it better to just to tear down and start over. If I get quotes, I imagine they will push for the replace. I don’t think I can replace myself without pulling permits. It extends from the back of the home over a walkout basement. As I typed this I think I talked myself out of going the DIY route.

Is your city super strict about permits and / or are your neighbors jerks? Not sure why a permit would be needed here.

I live in a Virginia town and was just gonna replace the decking. But the structure down the side of the house was so out of plumb/level, that that part had to have the joists removed and replaced. The posts were fine, but getting into the structure threw me into permit-land.

meh - you are replacing an exisitng deck - i wouldn't think there was a need unless you were completely revamping the design but i could be wrong

Trust me: I'm in construction and I argued it - we weren't changing the footprint - and my town said "you need a permit". Cash grab, but whatcha gonna do?

 

[Kanil]

Think the next few weekends will be installing a French drain, a trench drain, and sun sail in the back yard.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Restoring a 10x20 deck with new boards and railing. Built in 1988. Not sure if it better to just to tear down and start over. If I get quotes, I imagine they will push for the replace. I don’t think I can replace myself without pulling permits. It extends from the back of the home over a walkout basement. As I typed this I think I talked myself out of going the DIY route.

Is your city super strict about permits and / or are your neighbors jerks? Not sure why a permit would be needed here.

I live in a Virginia town and was just gonna replace the decking. But the structure down the side of the house was so out of plumb/level, that that part had to have the joists removed and replaced. The posts were fine, but getting into the structure threw me into permit-land.

meh - you are replacing an exisitng deck - i wouldn't think there was a need unless you were completely revamping the design but i could be wrong

Trust me: I'm in construction and I argued it - we weren't changing the footprint - and my town said "you need a permit". Cash grab, but whatcha gonna do?

Why did you alert your town of your project?


Your new deck should be free standing and not attached to the house.