bucksoh
Footballguy
I caulked mine in the kitchen so water wouldn't get underneath. Then put on quarter round.
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Home-owners...What are your current projects? (6 Viewers)
- Thread starter wilked
- Start date
Punxsutawney Phil
Footballguy
I recent put in a heat pump for my pool, and pissed away 6hrs because the pump wouldn't prime when I got it all back together. Turns out the union I put in had the wrong size o-ring in it. Thanks Lowe's! I still have to wire it up, I have to put in a new sub panel.
After looking at my options to put as a base I ended up going with 11in concrete pavers. Seemed like the easiest and most economical. The composite pads weren't the perfect size, and I didn't want to pour concrete.
The water pooled in the area of the equipment, and since the heat pump is like an outdoor ac unit, I didn't want the inside staying damp, so I had to some grading & gutter work.
TLDR; the great deal I got on a heater has created weeks of work for me, but hopefully this weekend I can finally get the electrical hooked up.
After looking at my options to put as a base I ended up going with 11in concrete pavers. Seemed like the easiest and most economical. The composite pads weren't the perfect size, and I didn't want to pour concrete.
The water pooled in the area of the equipment, and since the heat pump is like an outdoor ac unit, I didn't want the inside staying damp, so I had to some grading & gutter work.
TLDR; the great deal I got on a heater has created weeks of work for me, but hopefully this weekend I can finally get the electrical hooked up.
wilked
Footballguy
This only came thru on PM for me, but thought I would share with othersshuke said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz7FngmNM00
shuke
Black Ice Skeptic
berndog
Footballguy
I would file a claim against his insurance company and go from there. It shouldn't be to difficult to get them to cut a check to repair/replace the damaged tile that you can use toward a new bathroom.
doowain
Footballguy
So, that didn't work. Line ran, GFCI installed. Fridge still kicked the dedicated line after 10-12 hours. To make myself feel better, I have convinced myself that it wasn't a complete waste to install the dedicated line for the fridge as it should probably be on it's own line anyway and the GFCI I installed has an alarm on it.
Narrowed down the issue to when the defrost heater kicks on. I manually kicked off the defrost cycle and the GFCI immediately tripped.
Ordered a new defrost heater (~$60) and will be replacing that. Hopefully that fixes it. Sigh.
In the interim, purchased a deep freeze for the basement so I have somewhere to store the 2000+ ounces of breast milk my wife has already overproduced for our baby girl (she's not even 3 months old). On the plus side, I get to see bare tittays around the house all the time. It's like we are newlyweds again.
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wilked
Footballguy
https://www.amazon.com/P3-P4400-Electricity-Usage-Monitor/dp/B00009MDBU/doowain said:
This might help diagnosis as well (good to have anyway, can tell you how much that fridge costs you per year, and other devices)
shuke
Black Ice Skeptic
kneeshooter
Footballguy
On a scale of 1-10 where do we rank replacing an exterior door? I would say I have moderate skills, although my wife would vigorously disagree
wilked
Footballguy
At the drain itself? Might just need a new bead of plumbers putty to seal it - really easy to do
wilked
Footballguy
pre-hung I assume. It's pretty easy if you've ever done basic carpentry. Will help to have a second person and I would give 4-5 hours for adjustments, patches, etc
jwb
Footballguy
doowain
Footballguy
New defrost heater fixed it. Been running a week without issue.
Defrost heater was causing a ground fault and this is a known issue with fridges 10+ years old. Apparently, the first time a fridge is plugged in, the defrost heater forms some kind of "protective coating" on it that develops cracks over time/use. That causes the ground fault. Previous owners never saw this issue as it was in their kitchen, which is not required to be GFCI protected.
For all the headache this thing caused, at least I have cold garage beer now!
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Buttonhook
Footballguy
What about for interior doors. We have old, cheap hollow doors and the wife wants to upgrade.
I was initially going to just buy new doors and try to hang them in the existing threshold and trim, but also realize that trying to cut/chisel in the hinges and handle can be a real pain, along with getting it to hang plum and fit in the existing opening.
Other option is buy an entire new pre-hung door, but this appears to be 3x as expensive as just buying the door, and we have up to 12 doors that could be replaced.
Any opinions if the additional cost for pre-hung doors is worth it?
belljr
Footballguy
No - one of the connections to the traps.
I think it needs teflon tape or another one of those inserts. The new disposal is a tad bigger so the originally plumbing doesn't line up 100% the same so I had to tweak the configuration.
I'll figure it out - its just annoying
belljr
Footballguy
wilked
Footballguy
Rewired everything last Monday. First time installing new can lights, went pretty easily really. Used Halos, straightforward. Also put Roxul Safe and Sound insulation in the ceiling. Kids bedrooms are right above it, so will be nice to be able to hang in the kitchen without them hearing us. Made a huge difference.
Hired out the new ceiling, contractor installed the boards earlier and plasterer comes in Wed. Then I replace the crown and get the paint brush out
So far into it for:
$800 (demo plus removal, was 2 ceilings worth of crap including lath and plaster)
$1000 (materials, lights, wire, switches, insulation, etc)
$200 (ceiling boards installed)
$300 (plasterer)
Will be close to $2500 by the end. Bit more than I hoped but not too bad.
Here's the before...once finished in a couple weeks will post the after. Basically is two rows of cans (3 on each side), and 3 pendants above the island. Seems like a lot of work for that but I think it will make a big difference
https://imgur.com/a/t27iS
wilked
Footballguy
For things like this I sometimes do this:
Find a good local handyman, tell him you want to upgrade a single door to real wood, with the caveat that you work together on it and he teach you how to do it. Pay him a little extra for this. Then do the other 11 yourself
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
What material is the new door? How old is the old one? Can you tell if it came as a prehung unit or was built on the job?
If you're not taking frame and all out and just want to replace the slab, order it pre-mortised for the hinges and lockset. You just need to measure from the top of the door to the top of each hinge and measure the hinge size. Do the same for your lockset pieces (the hole in the face of the door, and the plate on the edge, along with knowing whether your backset is 2 3/8" or 2 3/4"). Go to your local building supply house and they can order it for you. Oh, make sure the door is standard 6'8" in height.
If the house is fairly new, you've probably got standard measurements, but it's always good to make sure.
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berndog
Footballguy
Part of my shower frame in the master bath had rusted and I filled it with caulk last year as a temporary fix. I noticed it had failed last month so it was time to deal with it properly. This is an early 1990's bathroom with the brass fixtures and ugly linoleum that had yellowed badly. We really wanted to do a major renovation but couldn't justify the cost with 2 college tuitions on the horizon.
Here is what I did on a budget
New Frameless shower - custom cut, had to hire someone $1300
Got the shower pan resurfaced/painted -$200
Replaced portion of subfloor - used scrap plywood and luann
remove and re-grouted the shower tile -$10
Spray paint light fixture silver - $6
Vinyl flooring -$80
Quarter round -$20
New Faucets -$150
Replaced Toilet -$200
Painted the walls and vanity -$40
Removing grout is a dusty affair. I got a bit for the dremel and jumped right in without much thought except a mask and safety glasses. After about 15 minutes I had covered everything with thick film of dust. I grabbed the shop vac and had the hose in one hand the dremel in the other to control the dust but the damage was already done.
I was skeptical of the press and stick vinyl tiles but figured if I hated it I didn't have much invested. When you grout the tiles they actually look really nice. Obviously not as nice as tile but you can't beat the price.
When I eventually do a full remodel I will be able to use the shower frame, toilet and faucets which makes me happy. In the meantime for a budget remodel it looks really good and the wife is happy.
Here is what I did on a budget
New Frameless shower - custom cut, had to hire someone $1300
Got the shower pan resurfaced/painted -$200
Replaced portion of subfloor - used scrap plywood and luann
remove and re-grouted the shower tile -$10
Spray paint light fixture silver - $6
Vinyl flooring -$80
Quarter round -$20
New Faucets -$150
Replaced Toilet -$200
Painted the walls and vanity -$40
Removing grout is a dusty affair. I got a bit for the dremel and jumped right in without much thought except a mask and safety glasses. After about 15 minutes I had covered everything with thick film of dust. I grabbed the shop vac and had the hose in one hand the dremel in the other to control the dust but the damage was already done.
I was skeptical of the press and stick vinyl tiles but figured if I hated it I didn't have much invested. When you grout the tiles they actually look really nice. Obviously not as nice as tile but you can't beat the price.
When I eventually do a full remodel I will be able to use the shower frame, toilet and faucets which makes me happy. In the meantime for a budget remodel it looks really good and the wife is happy.
berndog
Footballguy
Speaking of interior doors anyone ever try paint them? In my old house I painted a couple with a brush and no matter how careful I was you could always see brush marks.
I'm thinking it would be better spray them but don't have any experience with paint sprayers. Can anyone comment on this approach or recommend a good sprayer?
I'm thinking it would be better spray them but don't have any experience with paint sprayers. Can anyone comment on this approach or recommend a good sprayer?
Buttonhook
Footballguy
Not quite that simple... see below
We are thinking about going with a heavier wood door (possibly solid) to replace existing light (plywood ?) doors. Wife screams like a porn star (
) so the more sound insulation the better.It's an "old" house and based on what I've seen so far it's not built well, with walls/floors not being square and plumb, so I'm guessing they are not prehung units.
Good call on getting pre-mortised doors, and before I do anything else I'll start taking some real measurements.
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Buttonhook
Footballguy
Good call. I've got plenty of friends in construction that can show me. Or I may just watch some videos.
While I'm concerned with the additional cost of prehung units, I'm wondering if the additional cost is worth it because it's faster than trying to hang just the slab, along with avoiding the risks of having the new slabs look like crap and not fitting properly in the existing thresholds. I'll ask around and report back.
shuke
Black Ice Skeptic
dschuler
Footballguy
Yes. It is hard to keep brush marks off of doors if you are brushing them and don’t have experience. I would recommend a water Bourne alkyd like Benjamin Moore Advance.
http://www2.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/for-contractors/the-best-paint-for-cabinetry-jobs
If you are painting a door that has imperfections, painting it will not make it go away. Therefore, it is imperative to really sand down anything that you see on the door that you do not like.
The type of brush can help or hurt you as well. A Purdy Ox-hair would be an excellent choice for fine brush strokes with an alkyd paint.
If you want to spray it, they make cup guns that are useful for small projects, but these can make a mess and you can get run lines if you aren’t careful.
Honestly, if you already have the paint and have it prepped, I would call a couple contractors to see how much they would charge to spray a couple doors in their shop if you drop it off. They already have a shop and space for such a project, already have the equipment, and don’t have to do the labor on the project except spray. It might be a better route.
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Kanil
Footballguy
Protect it... My "beer fridge/meat freezer" is now 3/4 full of juice boxes and cans of seltzer that my wife "got a really good deal on". :(
Cold Dead Hands
Footballguy
Mine is also full of every non-alcoholic beverage conceivable. My man cave is now a playroom, and my custom built bar is now a book and toy shelf. I still have a bathroom...
The Tick
Footballguy
Well, my HOA beat me down and I've changed my patio project to meet their dumb-### requirements and had the project approved. Concrete starts getting formed on Thursday, I'm really excited. Will be great to have a full patio in time for Spring.
Next project is likely going to be wood floors through the main portion of the house, will probably start looking at quotes/options for that in the coming weeks.
Next project is likely going to be wood floors through the main portion of the house, will probably start looking at quotes/options for that in the coming weeks.
Kanil
Footballguy
It's been buried in this post but we just did vinyl plank flooring in our house and it looks great. Super durable (200lb dog can't scratch it) and easy to install.
Fat Nick
Footballguy
Spray them if you can. If not, mix in some Floetrol. It kind of thins out the paint without impacting coverage. Basically lets the surface settle more. Helps a lot.
The Tick
Footballguy
I think I'm leaning towards the engineered hardware, but nothing set in stone yet. Also, I 100% won't be installing it, I'm not much of a hands on guy, ok, actually I'm just lazy, I'm probably capable of doing quite a bit if I really wanted to.
Chaka
Footballguy
Got a Navien 210, which was perfect because it is one of the few models that takes a 1/2" gas line, saved a lot of time and cash. Added a water softening system too and two reverse osmosis filters (one for our kitchen sink and one for our AirBnB).
Heating time is on par with the tank, we can add a recirculating pump if we want to speed that up but it hurts the savings you get with tankless. I am loving the limitless hot water and I am warming to the soft water in general, which isn't so easy because it just feels so different when you shower.
Still, very happy overall with the upgrades and I am confident we will get a lot of mileage out of the new system.
John Bender
Footballguy
I'm pretty useless when it comes to being handy but I'm certain I can do this myself - I just need some advice as to how.
The wooden fence in my backyard is in rough shape. One of the main posts in leaning heavy after the wind storm. I checked it out. The posts are placed into concrete and the concrete "blocks" are in the ground. For this particular post, the earth around the concrete block has fissured causing the entire thing to become loose and makes half my backyard fence lean inwards. In other words, the post is in the concrete, the concrete is surround by earth which normally keeps it upright, the earth around the block isn't tightly packed enough to provide support as intended.
I feel like just pouring more concrete around the existing concrete block won't work long term but that may be the best option?
Any ideas? Can post a pic if needed.
The wooden fence in my backyard is in rough shape. One of the main posts in leaning heavy after the wind storm. I checked it out. The posts are placed into concrete and the concrete "blocks" are in the ground. For this particular post, the earth around the concrete block has fissured causing the entire thing to become loose and makes half my backyard fence lean inwards. In other words, the post is in the concrete, the concrete is surround by earth which normally keeps it upright, the earth around the block isn't tightly packed enough to provide support as intended.
I feel like just pouring more concrete around the existing concrete block won't work long term but that may be the best option?
Any ideas? Can post a pic if needed.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
It would be optimal to remove it all and replace.
Pouring more concrete around the existing footing will fill in the gaps, but it won't adhere to what's there already - it creates what's known as a cold joint and there's really nothing to tie the two pours together.
However, we're just talking about a fence post here. It's not like it has major forces working against it all of the time. Not sure where you live, but the winds yesterday in many areas bordered on historic.
I think this is what I'd do if I didn't want to remove and replace. I'd dig 6" around the existing footing, making it as straight and clean as possible. Then I'd get my post level (tie it off to stakes if you have to). I'd then hammer in 3/8" rebar into the space you opened up - at least one at each cardinal point (the more you can put in, the better) and try to get it at least 6" below the bottom of the existing footing. Clean as much of the loose soil out as possible and pour your concrete. Leave the post tied off for at least a week to allow the concrete to set.
Chaos Commish
Footballguy
The advice above all works. I have 16 doors to paint (duplex). I have an airless (Graco - the cheapest one on wheels from Home Depot). I prefer it for big jobs and I could lean all the doors against the fence on a nice day and do them. I also have a compressor and this that works great for furniture, doors, smaller jobs. If you have a compressor it's a pretty handy little sprayer once you get the hang of it. Youtube is your friend. The mason jar thing works for me. But for the time saved with set up and clean up if I'm just painting a door or three, I'd use the right spray cans. Youtube again. I've done grage and bathroom cabinets and doors with them and it was a breeze. 3 six packs of cans was $60 bucks and no setting up the sprayers or cleaning up after them. Just cans to the trash. You can get a perfectly professional finish with them if you follow simple instructions.
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ragincajun
Footballguy
Had to disassemble a tub drain to remove a lego.
Chaos Commish
Footballguy
Man that's cheap. The only products (porcelain paint) I've seen that get good results with this are illegal (to purchase) in California. I guess they stink like hell for days on end? I have two over sized cast iron tubs that would be 3 grand to replace with their equals but they're almost 50 years old and show it. I've considered junking them and doing cheap fiberglass tub and surrounds and being done with it shiny new. I can get that done for about $1200 (if everything goes smoothly in this old fixer), but I'm considering getting the product in Nevada and doing what you had done. It seems fairly straightforward (youtube again). A diy show I watched restored an old clawfooted tub outside because of the stench but I'd rather leave my tubs where they are. God knows what difficulties I'll find pulling the 50 year old plumbing. Tell me a little more about this part of your project.
sho nuff
Footballguy
Redoing the family room.
Carpet needs to go...probably going to hardwood, but only if we can match it to the wood in the entry/dining room/office that leads into there. I really don't want to redo both rooms.
Don't want to go carpet again as you get to the stairs and have different carpet (and don't want to recarpet the stairs and upstairs too).
The next thing is I want to build up a sort of corner wall and put a ventless fireplace unit in there. When we built...we decided at the time we didn't want a fireplace (as it was going to be on one wall we didn't want it on or take away a couple windows we wanted on a different wall. Well, now we sort of want the look of the fireplace and don't really like the cheapy looking fireplace entertainment center like units out there. My thought is to build a half wall in a corner...be able to hide all the wiring for TV and Cable behind it, and have a fireplace insert built in to it. Maybe nice wood or tile/brick look around the insert. Ive got a concept in my head, just haven't put it to a real image yet. Then mount the TV and soundbar over it in the corner and arrange the new furniture around it.
Carpet needs to go...probably going to hardwood, but only if we can match it to the wood in the entry/dining room/office that leads into there. I really don't want to redo both rooms.
Don't want to go carpet again as you get to the stairs and have different carpet (and don't want to recarpet the stairs and upstairs too).
The next thing is I want to build up a sort of corner wall and put a ventless fireplace unit in there. When we built...we decided at the time we didn't want a fireplace (as it was going to be on one wall we didn't want it on or take away a couple windows we wanted on a different wall. Well, now we sort of want the look of the fireplace and don't really like the cheapy looking fireplace entertainment center like units out there. My thought is to build a half wall in a corner...be able to hide all the wiring for TV and Cable behind it, and have a fireplace insert built in to it. Maybe nice wood or tile/brick look around the insert. Ive got a concept in my head, just haven't put it to a real image yet. Then mount the TV and soundbar over it in the corner and arrange the new furniture around it.
Mario Kart
Footballguy
I'd like to get the following done but I can't do it by myself. I have windows in my basement that I want to replace with those like bathroom style clear blocks. I have six windows but do not know where to begin looking for installers. I've been told $100 a window but not sure where to start so I don't get screwed over.
shuke
Black Ice Skeptic
What size post we talking? Take a picture. I would concrete a new post in there, and go really deep. I assume most fence post holes are dug as deep as those used for decks etc.
Borden
Footballguy
Make sure to check if it’s okay to put those blocks into basement windows. A lot of times those window have to open and be a certain size to meet fire/building code. Even if the windows don’t currently open, it might not mean they are okay or up to code. Depending on your contractor they may or maybe not know, so they might not not be the best option for clarification on the issue. I obviously don’t know your house and you might be fine but just thought I’d give you a heads up since you might not be able to put those blocks in and it could lead to a larger than expected bill.
Mario Kart
Footballguy
It is currently and unfinished basement with no plans to finish it anytime soon. Many surrounding houses have the types of blocks I tried to explain, rather poorly. I'm going to assume everything would be fine. The "windows" are all about 18" wide and only 2' feet or so long. I can't think what they're called but they are all a good 6' above the basement floor. I was told it was an easy job, just something I don't feel comfortable doing myself.
Borden
Footballguy
I am pretty sure I know which blocks you’re talking about so I think you did a fine job of explaining. Something like this. Correct?
What I was talking about might only apply if there’s bedrooms or something downstairs. I don’t know. Just wanted to give you a potential heads up but hopefully all goes smooth.
Mario Kart
Footballguy
Yeah, those are the types. Are they easy to do or is it best to have someone do them? I'd be worried about insulating and making sure the seal is tight on them. Maybe some YouTube videos will help out.
John Bender
Footballguy
Here's a photo of the leaning fence post.
https://i.imgur.com/VGcNoJK.jpg
Also note, the ground in my yard is basically like sand and rock. It's hard as a rock (that's what she said). It's hard to fix this long term I assume with the current type of earth I'm living on.
https://i.imgur.com/VGcNoJK.jpg
Also note, the ground in my yard is basically like sand and rock. It's hard as a rock (that's what she said). It's hard to fix this long term I assume with the current type of earth I'm living on.
shuke
Black Ice Skeptic
Are the other ones leaning? Dig deep enough and I don't think it would matter the type of earth.
dschuler
Footballguy
We had a huge windstorm in DC this week. I have 3 sheets of shingles in my yard. Also have a couple shingles on the roof that look like they are severely shifted from the wind. Called the insurance company and they are coming out on Thursday. With a $5,000 deductible, I’m wanting a new roof. Anyone have any experience dealing with insurance companies on these issues?
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