So I have a very strange problem that I simply cannot figure out involving my roof or chimney. We have this very large chimney in our great room that is white stucco. Over the last couple of years, I noticed streaks coming down from where the chimney meets the ceiling. After a while, some ripples or bubbling started to appear on the chimney. I never see active water or any wet spots. Just very light streaks...but the bubbling is getting worse.
I've had my roofer over at least 3 times to check the roof and flashing in the area. I've had the chimney resealed and installed a new cap. The problem still seems to be there.
Any ideas as to what the hell could be causing the problem? The roof is only about 5 years old.
A GC I have been working with for about 10 years now was telling me about a similar issue. The problem was spotty over a period of about a year, and he had his roofer by to check it several times as well.
Finally, he had one of his workers stand on the roof with a hose sprayer and concentrate the spray on different areas around the chimney for about an hour or 2, while another guy was in the attic. They finally found the leak. It was the smallest of gaps in the flashing that would only be a problem if the rain was blowing in just the right direction.
It's a real PiTA to find, but in the Trades, there's a saying that "water doesn't lie". If it's there, it's got to be getting there somehow, so it will be simply a matter of persistence to find it. You may have to wait for the right kind of day to have someone get up there and do some testing.
Not sure if you're dealing with snow in your neck of the woods, as that can pose problems that normal rain water doesn't.
Yup. We have rain and snow. In fact, we just had about a foot and a half of snow.
The problem is, there is no attic in the area where the chimney is. It's just roof and chimney, so we wouldn't be able to find it that way. Ugh.
Do you have a good general contractor - besides the roofer? A good one will have a way to diagnose the issue.
if its just brick and stucco then it sounds like those materials are just saturated with moisture, much like Gus's groin.
its that moisture thats slowly leeching through and into and onto the surface. best bet is your going to have to wait for a long dry spell and then have it resealed.
Totally saturated.
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on February 06, 2021, 12:56:34 PM
if its just brick and stucco then it sounds like those materials are just saturated with moisture, much like Gus's groin.
its that moisture thats slowly leeching through and into and onto the surface. best bet is your going to have to wait for a long dry spell and then have it resealed.
Have what resealed though? I just had the entire chimney coated with some kind of a duracoat and the roofer has done the flashing several times.
any pictures?
was the inside of the chimney sealed or just the outside?
There can already be moisture trapped within the brick or the stucco, which got in before the re-sealing.
Quote from: Gusington on February 06, 2021, 12:32:35 PM
Do you have a good general contractor - besides the roofer? A good one will have a way to diagnose the issue.
Talking to a dedicated chimney guy probably wouldn't hurt either.
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on February 06, 2021, 02:20:32 PM
any pictures?
was the inside of the chimney sealed or just the outside?
Just the exterior. I'll post some pics.
Yeah Jamus, I have a dedicated chimney guy myself. I don't mess around with the furnace/fireplace/chimneys, etc.
(https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/145091823_10208428758472704_5030340412013613690_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=2&_nc_sid=8bfeb9&_nc_ohc=kGB1J-LubkwAX_rNLyX&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=0e469e74d8b64de5c7a6506371bcce55&oe=60438342)
(https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/145385609_10208428759192722_3601044917434722309_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=2&_nc_sid=8bfeb9&_nc_ohc=rv_H-8TTKnMAX_60X7c&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=45527add5cf4dcd62f4226b22cc206e7&oe=6043F07C)
(https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/146879153_10208428759512730_4633253129830996136_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=2&_nc_sid=8bfeb9&_nc_ohc=1o9Fm7UzexwAX-mSV3T&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=402c87f2577ba2140e9cce5f9c6db2a9&oe=60457DD9)
How hard is it to pop the outside soffit open and peak up in there?
Quote from: Myrmidon on February 06, 2021, 06:18:47 PM
How hard is it to pop the outside soffit open and peak up in there?
Hard. It's very high. It's not something I would do myself.
Ugh. Good luck, man.
-hate, hate, hate anything water problem related in a house.
I'd strip away all the dry wall and start over with green or purple board. I would also cut away about a foot of the ceiling drywall and replace that as well. you got a nice mess there.
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on February 07, 2021, 08:07:03 AM
I'd strip away all the dry wall and start over with green or purple board. I would also cut away about a foot of the ceiling drywall and replace that as well. you got a nice mess there.
Shouldn't we find the leak first?
while the leak is the primary problem all of that drywall is trashed. theres no 'drying it out'.
it should be replaced with purple board thats used in bathrooms and showers.
but if you want to live with mold.....
just my opinion.
Other than the ceiling, what drywall are you referring to?
the enclosure for the fireplace.
or is it stucco over lathing?
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on February 07, 2021, 11:55:19 AM
the enclosure for the fireplace.
or is it stucco over lathing?
It's stucco over cinderblock.
weird, usually theres a layer of extruded metal between the block and stucco.
anyway, in a perfect repair all of that gets removed down to the block. the block gets to dry out as best it can then sealed with at least 3 coats.
the next step would be to clad the block in purple board and then skim coat that in drywall compound. once all of that is done it gets painted.
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on February 07, 2021, 12:22:33 PM
weird, usually theres a layer of extruded metal between the block and stucco.
anyway, in a perfect repair all of that gets removed down to the block. the block gets to dry out as best it can then sealed with at least 3 coats.
the next step would be to clad the block in purple board and then skim coat that in drywall compound. once all of that is done it gets painted.
OK. When are you coming over to do this job?
:DD
You didn't read the fine print did you Star. Fixing JH's house is in the fine print when you join-up. :coolsmiley: When you want your grass cut again Jar? :P
I have done my fair share of water leak trouble-shooting during my work life. In my experience, as often as not, the water has traveled from one location to another.
As you have had sealing and flashing done in the obvious area without success, it seems reasonable to consider that the water may be traveling from another area.
I would wait until there has been enough dry weather to presume the chimney area has dried. Then as a previous poster suggested, I would water test that area only, just to confirm whether it is the source of the leak. If it is not then other areas of the roof should be tested working along the edges of the roof first. Then working backwards out from around the Chimney.
After the leak has been identified and waterproofed, then as another poster suggested, redo the inside area around the fireplace with marine grade drywall. Water leaks can be frustrating to track down. Before spending any more money on repairs, and as you do not wish to do the work yourself, use a well regarded contractor. Please do not do any more repair work without discovering the leak. It will most likely only cost you more in the long run.
Quote from: z1812 on February 09, 2021, 09:58:13 AM
I have done my fair share of water leak trouble-shooting during my work life. In my experience, as often as not, the water has traveled from one location to another.
As you have had sealing and flashing done in the obvious area without success, it seems reasonable to consider that the water may be traveling from another area.
I would wait until there has been enough dry weather to presume the chimney area has dried. Then as a previous poster suggested, I would water test that area only, just to confirm whether it is the source of the leak. If it is not then other areas of the roof should be tested working along the edges of the roof first. Then working backwards out from around the Chimney.
After the leak has been identified and waterproofed, then as another poster suggested, redo the inside area around the fireplace with marine grade drywall. Water leaks can be frustrating to track down. Before spending any more money on repairs, and as you do not wish to do the work yourself, use a well regarded contractor. Please do not do any more repair work without discovering the leak. It will most likely only cost you more in the long run.
This is all very logical and I agree.
The problem is I never see water inside. Ever. The ceiling and wall are never wet. I just see dry streaks and the paint on the concrete chimney is starting to ripple. How do you track down a leak when you never see the water!?
Just throwing out a random thought.
Have you thought about getting someone to drop a camera down the chimney and inspect it from the inside? How old is the house? Maybe the mortar inside the chimney has deteriorated.
Quote from: steve58 on February 09, 2021, 10:39:34 AM
Just throwing out a random thought.
Have you thought about getting someone to drop a camera down the chimney and inspect it from the inside? How old is the house? Maybe the mortar inside the chimney has deteriorated.
Have not done that. I'd be really surprised if that turned out to be the problem though. It is a solid cinder block chimney covered in stucco. If water was getting inside the chimney, wouldn't I see signs of that inside the house, like water running or pooling inside the firebox? There is no moisture in there. It is bone dry.
I see what looks like a fairly developed crack all up along the seam between the chimney and the roof, in those pix. So it's more than just dry streaks and paint ripples developing? -- even if that black crack (or mold?) effect developed first, they might still be related.
You may be looking at a steam pressure effect, from fireplace temps mixed with high humidity. How often does the fireplace get used?
I've never had to deal with that effect before in the buildings made by my family's small factory, but I have seen a lot of effects from normal climate temperature fluctuations combined with humidity, including pseudo leaks which aren't leaks at all though they can create problems that lead to leaks and scale up from there! If the seal between your ceiling and the chimney got broken somehow (seismic tremor or tornado passing nearby, I've seen that happen in the ceiling I'm looking at right this moment above my screen years ago), or was never sufficiently sealed to begin with, moisture from inside the house could be wicking into and behind the paint layer and then, converting to steam (from fireplace temps), it could travel around collect into dry pool effects pooching out the paint, shifting phases and moving around more as the fireplace gets used.
That sounds like science fiction, but I've seen weird things happen from cascading humidity effects! I wouldn't have thought your setup to be vulnerable to that: our buildings are made of wood with intentional dead air spaces for added insulation, and being made in West TN we get ALL THE TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY VARIATIONS :wow: :timeout: :hide: when putting the buildings together, which then can convert to real problems in the field over a period of ten or even five years. (Not usually, but often enough that we do photo-forensic studies at least once a year on average.)
But then I saw that black crack effect up along the joint line, and I instantly wondered how porous that might be; because if I saw that in one of our buildings, I would immediately start suspecting moisture infiltration from along that joint-line. We use the highest grade silicone caulking to religiously seal all our joints, even when the facings have no breaches (from lags or whatever holding them together), inside and outside the jointlines, JUST IN CASE. (Not sure you'd want to do that up there, but...)
I just recalled, I've seen the same paint effect over two ancient disused brick fireplaces in my home church (where I grew up), which now look like some kind of square wall-columns in our sanctuary but originally they were chimneys from back in the church's original structure (in the 1800s sometime I think). Over a very long period of time, the temperature variations inside the air columns of those covered-up chimneys, combined with small cracks in the joint seams developing naturally over time, starting giving us slowly developing dry run lines and paint pooching pockets. When we remodeled the sanctuary a few years ago, that was a key target to fix, which involved taking off all the paint over whatever was between the brick and the paint (not sure what that was, I was attending somewhere else at the time), and resurfacing and resealing everything before repainting over it. And that was an unused chimney (or two of them rather), which hadn't had fire in it for since before World War One at least!
Now personally I would have said, don't reface the chimneys, much less paint over them again, just clean the bricks and work around them (but of course seal up the chimneys as much as possible otherwise). Now that I recall, I DID say that when Mom was talking to me about the renovation work and showed me photos (she agreed with me). But they wanted to hide the chimneys again, so we're back to where we were. I'll be curious to see how long it lasts before we get those effects again.
I'd bet a Coke something like that is causing your effects, especially after hearing that so much effort has already gone into trying to detect and seal leaks on the outside, combined with never finding any wetness per se with the effects themselves.
About to post when I saw Steve's question and your reply. Sending a camera up through the chimney's interior would be an interesting experiment (that I'd want to try anyway for more evidence, positive or negative, to weigh theories), but like you emphasized the effects are bone dry.
Looking at that upper seam crack again, specifically on the right hand side, there seems to be a compression effect from weight above pushing down to create a (smaller but visible) right-angle crack angling out (at 90 degrees) from the rightward end of the seam crack.
Paint can ripple from compression effects over time, too (in this case as your cinderblocks very slightly settle under their own weigh), so that might be a contributing factor, though I'm still betting on 'dry' humidity effects coming from inside your house.
Quote from: JasonPratt on February 09, 2021, 11:09:13 AM
Looking at that upper seam crack again, specifically on the right hand side, there seems to be a compression effect from weight above pushing down to create a (smaller but visible) right-angle crack angling out (at 90 degrees) from the rightward end of the seam crack.
Paint can ripple from compression effects over time, too (in this case as your cinderblocks very slightly settle under their own weigh), so that might be a contributing factor, though I'm still betting on 'dry' humidity effects coming from inside your house.
Overall, I think the humidity theory is an interesting one, and now that I think about it, that might be something that someone mentioned, either the roofer or the chimney guy. I'm embarrassed to admit that I have not used the fireplace since I bought the home in 2015. By the way, the house was built in 1974.
How would one go about addressing the problem if it was in fact an interior issue with humidity? If that was the problem, why would it only be occurring on the chimney and not on any other surface in the home?
How well is that right side window sealed/caulked? Does the wind blow towards that side of the house? That overhang looks pretty wide, but with wind & rain, anything is possible.
^Wind is a good point - it can make water do things you would never think of, especially if a window is nearby.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on February 09, 2021, 11:18:00 AM
How would one go about addressing the problem if it was in fact an interior issue with humidity? If that was the problem, why would it only be occurring on the chimney and not on any other surface in the home?
I can think of two somewhat interrelated reasons.
1.) the special weight of that chimney has caused the crack along the seam joint above it, which would be the main source of infiltrating 'dry' humidity. (The right angle crack and, unless this is an optical illusion, the press-down of that part of the ceiling near that end of the crack, is evidence in favor of a vertical shift of some kind. The cinderblocks slowly settling could pull part of the ceiling down with it there. I've seen this effect happen MUCH more extensively in a 40+foot long multi part roof, progressively collapsing each roof piece in sequence, thanks to hidden interior damage to the first roof piece created during its offloading from a flatbed. Long story.)
2.) Even without using your fireplace, you've got a long cold column of air in there (it isn't a vacuum), which transfers temperature effects over time through the cinderblock and whatever surfacing you've got between the blocks and the paint. This was EXACTLY what happened with our (much more sealed up) chimneys at church. The effect would be (relatively) faster, I'd guess, if your fireplace was actively steaming some of that atmospheric moisture, on occasion: the molecules would speed up and they'd shift around more, creating more pockets.
In addressing the problem... I've heard that 'ironing' the paint (the iron can't be very hot of course, but it needs to be seriously warm) can help smooth out the problem, although I would definitely run that theory past
several other people first (and/or research the idea), since I don't have any experience with it myself. I think. (Part of my memory now thinks I recall doing that to wallpaper before. But wallpaper isn't paint. Different paint chemistries might make a significant difference, too, e.g. latex vs whatever.)
That crack at the fireplace-ceiling joint has ABSOLUTELY GOT to be cleaned out (there's probably mold in it) and sealed up, in ANY case; and if moisture was infiltrating behind the paint from that source, then naturally that will cease (for a while, until new stress cracks develop).
The obvious total solution to the problem (aside from new cracking at the ceiling joint which is probably just going to keep happening slowly over time), is to take all the paint and facing off the chimney, and then... well, naked cinderblocking will look Godawful, it isn't brick. I'm very unsure what to put over it. Lay actual bricks over it for decorative purposes?? Super-stained pressure-treated wood? (You aren't using the fireplace, so no fire risk, but for selling the house later you'd want to future proof it against someone using the fireplace, I'm unsure what kind of wood paneling would be appropriate for that, if any.)
I'm going to run all this past Mom and Dad and see what they come up with.
Quote from: Gusington on February 09, 2021, 11:49:21 AM
^Wind is a good point - it can make water do things you would never think of, especially if a window is nearby.
Very much agree, even if we're talking about atmospheric (and thus 'dry') humidity. Do you have one of those temperature-shooty things? (We've had a pair for ages, originally for use at work.) I'd check if there was a significant (lower) temp difference on the chimney surface, and then whether that difference continues or perhaps gradients over near the window.
I do notice that the cracked joint seam doesn't seem to continue over to the window, which adds weight (pun intended ;) ) to that being a settlement effect: the window isn't infiltrating moisture (even 'dry' moisture) from along that line.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on February 09, 2021, 10:21:02 AM
Quote from: z1812 on February 09, 2021, 09:58:13 AM
I have done my fair share of water leak trouble-shooting during my work life. In my experience, as often as not, the water has traveled from one location to another.
As you have had sealing and flashing done in the obvious area without success, it seems reasonable to consider that the water may be traveling from another area.
I would wait until there has been enough dry weather to presume the chimney area has dried. Then as a previous poster suggested, I would water test that area only, just to confirm whether it is the source of the leak. If it is not then other areas of the roof should be tested working along the edges of the roof first. Then working backwards out from around the Chimney.
After the leak has been identified and waterproofed, then as another poster suggested, redo the inside area around the fireplace with marine grade drywall. Water leaks can be frustrating to track down. Before spending any more money on repairs, and as you do not wish to do the work yourself, use a well regarded contractor. Please do not do any more repair work without discovering the leak. It will most likely only cost you more in the long run.
This is all very logical and I agree.
The problem is I never see water inside. Ever. The ceiling and wall are never wet. I just see dry streaks and the paint on the concrete chimney is starting to ripple. How do you track down a leak when you never see the water!?
Generally, when this is the case, you must open the inside walls in order to have a good look about.
Mom generally agrees (with the relatively 'dry' humidity theory I mean), having looked at the photos; and adds that it looks like there's nothing between the paint and the cinderblocking? Some areas have thicker and thinner paint, and the thinner paint has what looks like cinderblocking texture underneath. Anyway, cinderblocks are notorious for sweating (as she reminded me).
She also asked how thoroughly that covering on the front of your fireplace is sealing off the chimney, since otherwise you're going to get a flue effect, even with the chimney's metal lid closed (the metal lid being impossible to seal off airflow completely, as we ourselves know from long experience in our house ;) ), and the airflow is going to make the cinderblocking sweat more. The sweating isn't a problem for us, because our fireplace has open-faced brick: it probably happens, but with direct facial exposure to the atmosphere inside the house, the humidity just equalizes with the atmosphere.
What an interesting thread!
When you get your troubles addressed, JH, I have one I want to post up.
Who knew Starfury was Mr. Fixer Upper? :notworthy:
Star has done a lot of *ahem* interesting work.
...and who knew Pratts mom had so much construction street cred?
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nerdist.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F01%2FMB1_Result2.gif&hash=a7f3178c85d64cdebef283c20da0e5115144a852)
^That is probably where all this is headed.
If you need something demolished, I'll bring the grandkids by. Everything standing will be not-standing in under 30 min. And they work cheap....Cheetos and Dunking Sticks. :bd:
have you thought about simply removing the fireplace that you never use? it might be the cheapest option.
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on February 09, 2021, 03:59:48 PM
have you thought about simply removing the fireplace that you never use? it might be the cheapest option.
It's like the corner stone of the great room and a major feature of the home. No. That is not an option.
then may I recommend some prep work on your part.
watch this:
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/511H9elz94L._SY445_.jpg)
(https://www.turettarch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/AAAABYzdentV8H_uPRD4Xhqsq-FqJKgMjo5vpjbs1wnMghOKwsFsmuFy8ks4cKMCrj9wKCgG-lSUOWkTa0a_ShsBXjFpr_Xv.jpg)
at this point theres really nothing you can do until the weather gets warmer.
Quote from: Sir Slash on February 09, 2021, 03:56:03 PM
If you need something demolished, I'll bring the grandkids by. Everything standing will be not-standing in under 30 min. And they work cheap....Cheetos and Dunking Sticks. :bd:
I use to joke that you want to win a war just weaponize a ton of 2 yr olds and air drop them. I've never met a more destructive force.
Correct! And they're also smart enough to know when they get caught, to LIE about who did it. The perfect Sabotage Agents. O0
Ah, that reminds me, I'm not sure if Mom and Dad have ever seen The Money Pit, but if not they'd probably like it! (I think about this every six or seven years or so.)
In a totally unrelated subject, but when has that ever stopped me before, we just got done with a kitchen renovation my Wife's been planning for years and, naturally, now we are going to need a new water system put in. It NEVER ends. #:-)
So I have a question for the experts.
Our second bathroom is a disaster. It has these little square tiles, about 1" square, and they are designed to make hearts all around the edges. It is unbelievably ugly. There are the same tiles lining part of the wall in the shower as well.
I can't afford a total renovation of the bathroom at this time; talking to the contractor that did our other bathroom, it would be a complete "gut job" and probably cost in excess of $20k. What I'd like to do is either paint or otherwise cover the tiles both on the floor and on the wall in the shower. If I can cover them, and repaint the walls and ceiling, I could live with the bathroom for a while longer and get a professional to do the gut when my finances support something like that.
Doing a complete renovation myself is out of the question. I saw the contractors do my other bathroom and it's way too difficult for me to do at this point. I am just too unskilled to take on such a job.
This isn't a great picture, but it gives you an idea of what the floor looks like. The same tiles and pattern are on the one wall, the portion that is within the shower.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50947889431_1388629a4c_b.jpg)
That is a very flattering picture of the bathroom. Whoever photographed my house for its listing before I bought it is a real professional.
It looks a lot more like a dungeon in real life LOL.
And before you ask, I don't know what's up with that toilet and the controller on the wall. All that crap is removed and I just have a normal toilet in there now.
How about just covering it with a nice bathroom rug for now, for like 50.00? Painting tile would make it look even worse.
What about covering it with vinyl tiles?
please, both of you just stfu.... :pullhair:
this is actually a pretty easy vis-mod that won't cost more then Gus's hummering bird habit.
repaint the walls to an off white, almost white grey.
replace the light fixture with one thats not as large and either points up or gives omnidirectional light.
some shit like this:
(https://images.homedepot-static.com/productImages/93021f0f-f2e1-4542-9a23-0612c46b1cdc/svn/chrome-volume-lighting-sconces-1153-3-64_1000.jpg)
wait, theres a part 2
ok, so here Jarheads not that far off.
you can simply go over the tile with vinyl core waterproof laminate flooring. the tile is flat enough and a pad goes between the tile and the laminate.
some shit like this:
(https://doverfloorcovering.com/images/VersaTechUltra/VersaTech_Lyric_Blue_Room_Scene.jpeg)
it bridges the wall color with your shaker cabinets and counter top.
but wait, theres more.
but not much
That faux tile was what I was thinking, but I know there are limitations re: the underlying tile size.
You said something about a pad underneath it...I hadn't read about that before.
But that in essence is exactly what I was hoping to do with the floor if it's practical. Still not sure about the wall, though.
get rid of that ghetto ass blind in the window.
what you want is a cellular shade that goes up and down.
like this:
(https://www.blinds.com/SqlImages/776f0b83-2e83-ea11-947d-0a986990730e.jpg?quality=90&format=jpg&scale=both&width=500&height=500&mode=crop)
paint should be maybe $75 for a gallon.
floor with all materials about $300 max probably way less.
new wax ring for the toilet $15
new light $50 to $200
blind is about $75 to $100
Quote from: Toonces on February 15, 2021, 08:26:05 PM
Still not sure about the wall, though.
is a god damn battleship gray wall in a small space. stupid doesnt begin to describe that idea.
its the second biggest problem in that space after the 70s floor.
when the floor goes down the base boards and toilet come up.
replace the base boards with just a rectangular form wood thats 2.5 inches high. that will play off the cabinets style well.
if you want a new shitter this is the time to get it.
All of this is great, mostly because it steers Toonces away from painting the tile and making the bathroom look like a kindergarten.
for a $1000 he can have a new room.
good design isnt expensive.
The flooring Star's describing is almost an exact match for what the Wife choose for our kitchen through to the bedrooms in our house. I didn't care for it at first but now I've gotten used to it and like it much better than the old stuff. And it was easy and quick to put down and, like he said, not terribly expensive. O0
Awesome stuff.
I'll start working on this idea with my wife and see what we can come up with.
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on February 15, 2021, 08:22:11 PM
ok, so here Jarheads not that far off.
you can simply go over the tile with vinyl core waterproof laminate flooring. the tile is flat enough and a pad goes between the tile and the laminate.
some shit like this:
(https://doverfloorcovering.com/images/VersaTechUltra/VersaTech_Lyric_Blue_Room_Scene.jpeg)
it bridges the wall color with your shaker cabinets and counter top.
I'm not off at all. I'm directly on point. I used vinyl tile flooring in the basement of my first home. It was beautiful and easy to clean and maintain. I used real tile in a small half bathroom, but had the vinyl everyplace else. Its a very good option based on the circumstances you've described.
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on February 15, 2021, 08:31:25 PM
is a god damn battleship gray wall in a small space. stupid doesnt begin to describe that idea.
Now, if it looked like an actual shrine to a battleship with naval decorations...! :smitten:
vinyl tile is square with an adhesive back that you stick on the floor.
what I showed is a vinyl laminate floating floor that has a vapor barrier pad underneath it.
two very different things.
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on February 16, 2021, 04:43:00 PM
vinyl tile is square with an adhesive back that you stick on the floor.
what I showed is a vinyl laminate floating floor that has a vapor barrier pad underneath it.
two very different things.
Details, details. Same shit to a layperson.
ya and thats why the layperson goes out, tries to do it themselves and then spends twice as much after they mess it up and call a pro.
I may have been scammed today and I'm really upset and angry with myself over it. Last week my landline rang. I never pick this phone up because I rarely give the number out and it's usually junk or robocalls. Anyway, something compelled me to answer this call and it was a chimney company offering cheap cleanings and inspections. I told the very nice lady I never take these calls, but my chimney has been on my mind and so it must be fate.
Anyway, the crew comes today to do a $30 cleaning and look at this issue I've been having. The owner of the company was a real character right out of a mobster movie. Tiny little Italian guy from Brooklyn with a fast talking big mouth. Anyway, he looks at the main chimney, I show him the streaking and bubbling and he immediately thinks water is getting in to the chimney from the top. He goes to open the damper and the fucking thing comes right off. The whole thing was shot and rotted and the flap at the top apparently collapsed and fell a long time ago. So it looked like he solved this mystery pretty quickly and I'm pissed that none of the other chimney guys I had come look at the issue even bothered to take a look at the damper.
Then, the guy goes to inspect my boiler chimney, and here is where it gets shady. To make a long story short, he tells me the terra-cotta sleeve inside has totally collapsed and deteriorated and I need a new sleeve. He shows me how the pipes leading from the boilers and water heater are pretty loose and that this can be a ventilation and CO2 issue. Before I know it, they're installing a new steel sleeve and replacing all the pipes...what was supposed to be a $30 cleaning turned into a $3000 repair job. I can't help feeling that the sleeve and new piping wasn't really necessary for a chimney used for gas burning boilers. The quality of the work looks good, I just feel like I got taken for a ride, which is very rare. I guess I'll be happy though if he really figured out the main problem that's been eating me. Water getting inside the chimney from the top and all that water getting absorbed into the concrete like a sponge. Also pissed that I did all this work on the exterior of the chimney and none of those bozos looked inside.
Just frustrated...I work my ass off to get a little ahead and then all these little unexpected expenses chip away holding me back and dragging me down.
Lesson learned: never trust short guys from Brooklyn.
I've been there myself. Houses sometimes seem like they're out to get us, like they've got an evil intelligence about just when to hit you with something big when you think can kick back and cruise a little, maybe put a little away for vacation or X-Mas. Then, WHAM! Right in the nuts. And there are con artists everywhere, damned good ones. Still, JH, give yourself some time to get over the anger and then look again at whether you think the job's been done right and the price fair. Then you'll know more about whether to look these guys up for a refund. And maybe take a few of those guns you have with you if you do, it couldn't hurt. <:-)
^Funny you mention taking time to look at the work.
I've been looking at it for half the night and it does look good neat and clean. It also looks more efficient than what I had. For instance, the vent pipes from two boilers and the water heater ran into one line that was just kind of shoved into a hole in the concrete chimney. It wasn't secured or sealed. Now, they redid the vent pipes, sealed it into the new chimney sleeve and put in concrete around the new pipe. Prior to them doing this, the boiler room, and even my office located next door would get pretty warm when the boiler was running. I'm thinking because a lot of the heat from the boiler was escaping and not being vented out through the chimney...who knows...maybe I did really need it? :uglystupid2:
I've been there, JH, and nothing sucks as bad as feeling you may have been scammed.
From what it sounds like, the guys did a good job at whatever it is they did. Did you need it? Who knows?
While 3k is a lot of money, it's not like you're going to starve. IMO, even though this is much easier said than done, I'd say the money has already been spent, and your chimney sounds like it is well and truly fixed. Therefore, I'd let it go. The problem is fixed and maybe you overpaid, maybe you didn't, but at least now you have one less thing to worry about.
$3k is nothing for home repairs. sounds like you got good work on the cheap.
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on April 05, 2021, 11:51:38 PM
$3k is nothing for home repairs. sounds like you got good work on the cheap.
I was going to say, based on what I recall earlier 3K sounds about right for fixing the problem ultimately. The repairs sound kosher to me: the explanation explains a lot, including why our various theories didn't seem to fit the facts properly.
Yeah, if you had paid half the price and had half the job done, the worries alone wouldn't probably wouldn't be worth it. It took me a long time to learn to check out the license of people doing work on-line at the state's Dept. of Professional Regulation for any complaints or revocations and that sort of thing before hiring somebody. But that was only after getting screwed a couple of times.
Quote from: Sir Slash on April 06, 2021, 11:59:30 AM
Yeah, if you had paid half the price and had half the job done, the worries alone wouldn't probably wouldn't be worth it. It took me a long time to learn to check out the license of people doing work on-line at the state's Dept. of Professional Regulation for any complaints or revocations and that sort of thing before hiring somebody. But that was only after getting screwed a couple of times.
80-90% of my law practice is construction based. About 50-50 transactions and litigation. I know the business in and out and advise my owner clients to cross all the T's and dot all the I's before retaining a contractor do do anything. For some reason, when it comes to my own home, I frequently do not have the energy or patience to advocate as thoroughly on my own behalf. Twisted.
I'm going to assume the contractors had no idea they were working for a lawyer in construction.
we can make a show for hgtv where Toonces and his wife can be the property flippers, I renovate and Jarhead complains about the cost and wants to litigate the shit out of someone. YOU CANT HANDLE THE TRUTH ABOUT TERRACOTTA TILE!
Gus can guest star as the diy guy thats always hurting himself.
^I know this role well.
I want to be the creepy next-door neighbor who only appears from eye level up behind the wooden fence.
^Done. Again not much of a stretch!
I will see you out by the fence. :coolsmiley:
Probably not, I'm short.
Need to borrow my stepladder?
Maybe we need to start a new thread for other home-related trials and tribulations, but since this one already exists, Ima gonna vent here...
So today I was out mowing my yard for just the 2nd time this season, when the muffler and muffler bracket on my 2005 lawn tractor decide to just...fall off. Since they were located on the lower front of the mower, I had no clue until I ran over them. :tickedoff: Blades hit 'em and engine just died. #:-) Fortunately, engine still starts OK, and the blades still engage OK with no vibs. Looked under the deck and I don't see any knicks in the blades, etc, so I lucked out there, at least. The muffler/bracket didn't look rusted, so I'm not quite sure why they just fell off. I guess the screws just got loose and I didn't notice.
Just started to look for parts and looks like its gonna cost me $200+, which is better than a new mower, but still... :pullhair:
^Crap, that sucks in a National Lampoon/Griswold family sorta way.
Quote from: steve58 on April 08, 2021, 03:21:06 PM
Mower shit
Lol. A few days ago: mower works fine. Yesterday: split tire in front with tube bulging through and zero start - no "click," no nothing so assume battery went tits-up after wife was, "I couldn't get the key out, so I just left it there; don't know how it got out." and has no idea how the tire split, but she hit something hard enough to rotate the steering wheel on the shaft to where the "centered," wheels don't match the "centered," steering wheel if that makes any sense. And I just fixed the steering mechanism this past Sunday too.
That woman is a bane to anything remotely resembling technology.
'Women and machinery do not mix.'
-A Great Man
No joke. She bent the inside rim of a wheel on her car one time. The inside. And has gone through at least two engines with two separate cars.
I flinch any time I see her near the computer.
I think I have said this before but we are married to the same woman.
An hour ago I came home from dropping off one of our daughters at school to find The Wife futzing with the garage door...'It's stuck,' she says.
The unlock cord got caught on the top of her massive new SUV (which she got because a deer totaled her previous massive SUV, but that's a story for another day.)
I have evolved enough now to not lose my mind, climbed up to grab the cord and tied a knot so it would clear.
All this to say that the quote above is always relevant.
Quote from: Gusington on April 09, 2021, 08:50:16 AM
I think I have said this before but we are married to the same woman.
If your wife has the allergic reaction to persons who are just sitting (i.e. "Get up! Go Work! Now!") that mine does, then yes, we are indeed related in some fashion.
^I have learned to never sit and always be seen carrying something from one part of the house to the other. Same at the in-laws house.
Oh and The Wife is also terrible with computers and digital technology of most types.
My Brother!
I'm getting teary eyed.
Our ONLY Lawnmower shop went 'Tits-Up' recently and there was no one in town to get my mower ready for the mowing season. After asking around, I was pleasantly surprised to find a local guy who did an excellent job and was very reasonable in price. Not often I get a break like that and I'm positively keeping his number a secret. :coolsmiley:
Possibly expanded the thread title by this method? Will try the experiment...
Quote from: JasonPratt on April 10, 2021, 05:03:37 PM
Possibly expanded the thread title by this method? Will try the experiment...
I occasionally change a thread title. I've found the new title only remains until someone posts after you.
Finally got the parts (muffler/muffler bracket) for my lawn tractor and spent a couple hours this morning fixing it. Ended up having to take off the sides and hood, just to get to where I could work. Just finished mowing my yard (yay!), but it looks like crap since I missed a mowing...in the spring...right after I spread fertilizer. So now I got mulch, more mulch, and lots o mulch. Hopefully a little (lot) of raking and several mowings will fix that...
I did my first mow today out of sheer boredom. It's a couple of weeks early and about half the grass isn't grown yet, but it was therapeutic.
I also ditched my gas mower last year and have an old school push mower now, believe it or not.
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on February 15, 2021, 08:31:25 PM
Quote from: Toonces on February 15, 2021, 08:26:05 PM
Still not sure about the wall, though.
is a god damn battleship gray wall in a small space. stupid doesnt begin to describe that idea.
its the second biggest problem in that space after the 70s floor.
Hey, I'm re-bumping this because I'm getting serious about tackling this project in the next few weeks.
Straight up: this bathroom needs a complete gut and reconstruction, but I have a couple of higher priority projects that have to come first so this is a band-aid for a year until I have a bit more funds and patience to deal with a contractor.
This is the wall I was referring to previously. The same ugly tile from the floor is carried up into the wall within the shower. The shower is J-shaped with a glass portion for the lower part of the J, and sliding glass doors for the long part. It all needs to go, but that is simply beyond my capability.
Painting the stucco walls I can do. Put in some vinyl flooring I can do. But I can't replace this monstrosity, so I want to live with the shower as is, but somehow transform that tile-wall with the hearts into something I can live with for another year or two, even if it's a kind of ghetto fix.
Looking for specifics here; don't send me to Home Depot expecting me to know what the F I'm doing, because I don't. Explain it like you'd explain it to Homer Simpson, or Jeff in my avatar.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51163937358_8a0aa606f9_b.jpg)
You'll recall the other side of the bathroom looks like this. Note the floor tile:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50947889431_1388629a4c_b.jpg)
^ Note, that bathroom pic on the bottom is from the previous owner; I have no idea what that controller on the wall did with the toilet, but I'll bet it was pretty cool.
There are companies like Bath Fitter (https://www.bathfitter.com/us-en/) that can install custom fitted bath tubs/walls over your existing one. Never went that way myself, but, it may be an option.
Quote from: Toonces on May 07, 2021, 11:59:42 AM
^ Note, that bathroom pic on the bottom is from the previous owner; I have no idea what that controller on the wall did with the toilet, but I'll bet it was pretty cool.
I fear the previous owner tricked you because I can't see a bath in the bathroom ... :coolsmiley:
You know, I was dismissive of those bathroom drop in liners, and they are cheap as hell, but that might be the best option. I'm working awfully hard around that crappy sliding glass door thingy on my shower that's a total eyesore. It might be best to just rip that completely out, drop in a liner for the wall and tub, put up a J-shape shower curtain, and call it done until I can get the entire bathroom replaced. I don't think those plastic shells are all that expensive to get installed.
Alright, that was quick. I'm bagging the shell idea for now.
This is more or less exactly what I'm thinking of doing: https://notinggrace.com/changed-our-bathroom-tile-for-150-bucks/
Basically just painting over the existing tile. I think I do that with the floor and shower wall, change out the colors of the walls and ceilings like Starfury said, change out the blinds, and maybe pull out that crappy glass shower door and go with a J-shaped curtain rod and shower curtain, I can live with that bathroom a while longer. I can't tell you how much it disturbs me every time I see it.
I wish I had $30k to get that bathroom gutted, but I've simply got to get my backyard fence repaired, some additional landscaping I've been procrastinating on, and oh so much more.
Got here late today, but I was also thinking of researching painting the tile. So... like a thick laquer (usually clear-coat) to create a smooth surface over the tiles, and then painting that once it hardens? When you're done, if the original coat is thick enough, the tiles wouldn't be visible at all.
Okay, I see in the article they're just repainting the tiles, not truly resurfacing them. I was going farther than strictly necessary. ;) Using a two-element epoxy on the wall but not the floor.... okay, that's to keep it from running down the walls, it sets up super-quickly.
you cant resurface tile like that.
if I was Toonces I would slowly back away from that project for a moment.
certain types of projects have an inherent cascade effect. kitchens and bathrooms are at the top of the list.
nothing is superficial and it all costs money you didnt plan on.
you might think its simple to find a shower shell to drop into the space you have.
lining up the plumbing and drain with your shell is another story. and it snowballs way before that.
ya want to renovate a typical bathroom like the one shown....
prepare to drop at least $9k for some basic bullshit.
and no, most people should not try to dyi this.
^ Yeah, exactly.
I was discussing just "repainting" the tile and stucco in the bathroom and then told her we can keep the glass doors on the shower or I can take them off and put in a J-shower rod and curtain. And it turns into "well, how much did our custom glass doors cost in our other bathroom?" and suddenly she's talking about investing $1500 in a bathroom that we're going to gut in a year.
The repainting sounds like a hassle, but within my skill set. I can live with it a while longer with just a fresh paint, and covering up those bloody hearts. I can't imagine how that ever looked like a good idea.
Quote from: Gusington on April 17, 2021, 03:12:57 PM
I also ditched my gas mower last year and have an old school push mower now, believe it or not.
Youngish neighbors who moved in next to us at our prior house started with a reel mower. Took the guy half a front yard of an approximately 0.50 Ac. lot to get a gas powered one. Having said that, I'd like to try one out on our lawn at the place we live now.
I have sporadic grass over ~2 rocky, hilly acres and my push mower is my new best friend. Took one try to get used to how it works. I may get an electric mower, but I see no reason to ever go back to gas.
I am gutting the bathroom soon and I think the contractor is bailing on me, prices going up or doesn't want to do the job
how long ago did he give you a quote? materials are through the roof right now, when they're available, and he probably cant get the job done for what he quoted you.
The tiny tiles in the bathroom are a dirt & mildew magnet.
We had 3 bathrooms renovated this winter - one was gutted with a custom shower installation. Others were retiled with new toilets, cabinets & fixtures (including lighting).
We got the best contractor in the region - he charged 10% more. However, he had a crew of 12 for demolition and a smaller crew of installers. We did everything right (had all of the materials on hand, did not change anything (except where there was a plumbing fit issue), and did not bother the crew. 98% of the work was done in 4 days. The last tiny number of fiddly bits in one bathroom (replacing controls in one tub/shower) came a month later when the conversion kit came in - but the bathroom was 100% functional the entire time after the 4 day period.
I've found in construction that at best you can get two of these three: cheap, fast, good. If you try for all 3 - you get a disaster. We were willing to pay a 10% premium for fast & good - because we did not want this job lasting for months on end. As a result - this was about as painless as you ever hear of.
Dang Demjansk1942; hope that ain't your only bathroom if you do start demo.
I could recount stories of bad contractors but it might trigger ptsd in JH.
It was 2 months ago the quote, I ended up buying everything. Problem is, if I email, please respond back, if you can't do it, no problem, I'll just wait now
You guys think prices will go back down?
I signed the quote and mailed to them in March, it's not a contract so they are not obligated, correct?
no contract no obligation if no money was involved. but that might be different state to state and more of a JH question.
So we just had some new kitchen countertops+sinks installed today....solid surface so nothing fancy like quartz or granite. They look pretty nice. I ripped out the old laminate ones and sinks to save about $500. still need to hook up the bar sink/faucet.
JH, this made me wonder if your chimney/water problems ever got resolved?
I'm honestly not 100% sure. That contractor replaced the collapsed throat damper with a top damper. It is hard to tell if there has been any further deterioration since. Nothing entirely obvious.
Of course, a new problem I noticed the other day in very heavy rain, was a load raindrop sound that sounds like the rain hitting the top damper and echoing throughout the chimney. As annoying as that is, I hope that is, in fact, all it is. Obviously if its actually rainwater dripping inside the chimney, that would be much worse. I did open the fireplace up and look inside and it did look very dry, so hopefully no drops inside.
Always something...now we need to redo the walkway, repave the driveway, repair some landscape lights that got shorted out by a lightning strike and replace the doors to my main entrance, which with current lumber prices, is going to cost a small fortune. :uglystupid2:
Well, hopefully, they've got it fixed up for you.
OK, I've got an electrician-type question for all ye Grogs.
We just had some new countertops and sinks installed in the kitchen. Previous owners had installed a garbage disposal under the main sink. We never used it since we have a septic tank and I've read that septic tanks and disposals don't mix well.
The disposal was wired directly to a wall switch under the sink and as far as I can tell, the switch was on its own circuit breaker.
I have the circuit breaker off and the disposal is gone. Right now I have the wiring exposed and am ready to either just cap off the wires or just install an outlet since most new disposals are plugins (for any future owners).
I've been surfing the internet and I'm pretty sure I can go either route, kinda leaning towards the outlet. I've installed many a light fixture, even a dishwasher, but replacing a wall switch with an outlet would be a first. Just looking for a little feedback from some who are more electrical-savy. TIA
p.s. speaking of lightning strikes. Our neighbors are currently adding a MIL addition to their house. The contractors had parked a good sized tractor? with a rear scoop and a front loader right about at the property line last Thursday and not too far from both our Comcast hookup box. A few hours later our area gets hit with a bad thunderstorm (I'm talking purple on the radar bad). I'm looking out the front windows and see a lightning strike on the tractor's rear scoop. Fortunately it wasn't a real bad strike (for us), but bad enough to fry all our neighbors electronics. Unfortunately for them, their cable line was all above ground since their contractor had previously cut the line at the start of construction.
Seem to think that if you've the wiring, then an outlet would be a snap; power on one side, neutral on the other and ground hooked up. Get a good tester and there you go.
-think I've done a outlet before, but am hazy. Put up many a damn light as the Mrs. has a unnatural hatred to ceiling fans. Loves stupid, useless chandeliers, though.
LEDs can be tricky because of the frequency of the low voltage. if these were normal lights from 10 years ago it can be simple.
as for the outlet, just install a GFI outlet. its pretty much the same as installing a light switch and the instructions will be very clear.
Yeah, probably just going to go the outlet route.
So the lightening strike seems to have taken out more than just my transformers for the landscape lighting. It also killed some ports in my router and now one of the boards on my Samsung TV in my great room seems to have shit the bed. TV still works, but none of the HDMI ports are detecting any devices. It will probably cost me between $250 and $450 to repair. I can get a new Samsung or LG TV in the $600 range...
Decisions, decisions...
Definitely just get a new tv. And maybe consider moving because it sounds like Satan is your new roommate.
^That's comforting.
We had virtually the same thing happen a couple of years back. I had my computer and TV off and unplugged. Lightening hit the Powerline pole right outside the house and the surge came in through the Router, past my Surge Protector, and fried the Router, my computer, and F-'ed-Up the HDMI ports on the back of the TV. New computer, new Router, new TV, and new Surge Protector followed. Fortunately my local Computer Person retrieved all my info off the old computer and onto the new one. She told me nothing on Earth can save you from a direct hit by lightening. :'(
Not even Satan?
Quote from: Sir Slash on August 02, 2021, 10:32:14 AM
We had virtually the same thing happen a couple of years back. I had my computer and TV off and unplugged. Lightening hit the Powerline pole right outside the house and the surge came in through the Router, past my Surge Protector, and fried the Router, my computer, and F-'ed-Up the HDMI ports on the back of the TV. New computer, new Router, new TV, and new Surge Protector followed. Fortunately my local Computer Person retrieved all my info off the old computer and onto the new one. She told me nothing on Earth can save you from a direct hit by lightening. :'(
Yes. Sounds very similar. I consider myself lucky that more damage was not done.
I'm looking into a whole house surge protector now. They only run between $300 - $400. Not sure entirely how effective they are, but it has to be better than nothing.
Hmm didn't know that something like that was available.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on August 02, 2021, 11:32:34 AM
Quote from: Sir Slash on August 02, 2021, 10:32:14 AM
We had virtually the same thing happen a couple of years back. I had my computer and TV off and unplugged. Lightening hit the Powerline pole right outside the house and the surge came in through the Router, past my Surge Protector, and fried the Router, my computer, and F-'ed-Up the HDMI ports on the back of the TV. New computer, new Router, new TV, and new Surge Protector followed. Fortunately my local Computer Person retrieved all my info off the old computer and onto the new one. She told me nothing on Earth can save you from a direct hit by lightening. :'(
Yes. Sounds very similar. I consider myself lucky that more damage was not done.
I'm looking into a whole house surge protector now. They only run between $300 - $400. Not sure entirely how effective they are, but it has to be better than nothing.
When we moved into our home around 20 years ago, surprisingly our home was a magnet for lightening strikes and got hit a number of times. In one summer, we lost (3) TVs, computer, and other equipment. One of our family who is an electrician recommended the home surge protector and we immediately installed it. Since then, not a single issue for a fairly small price to install. Well worth it in my opinion. Of course now I have lost the excuse to upgrade my equipment as frequently:)
Is a whole house surge protector easy to install or is a professional needed?
Quote from: Gusington on August 02, 2021, 04:32:48 PM
Is a whole house surge protector easy to install or is a professional needed?
I am not handy enough to do myself, we had our relative who is electrician do. Didn't take him much time if I recall correctly.
^Thanks. Looking at them now, there are many to choose from.
Quote from: Gusington on August 02, 2021, 04:32:48 PM
Is a whole house surge protector easy to install or is a professional needed?
My buddy is an electrician. He told me for the price of a beer, he could do it in 7 seconds.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on August 02, 2021, 06:36:15 PM
Quote from: Gusington on August 02, 2021, 04:32:48 PM
Is a whole house surge protector easy to install or is a professional needed?
My body is an electrician. He told me for the price of a beer, he could do it in 7 seconds.
:-\ ??? Typos on the internet...can/could be so much fun. :-" :hide: >:D
Quote from: steve58 on August 02, 2021, 06:59:02 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on August 02, 2021, 06:36:15 PM
Quote from: Gusington on August 02, 2021, 04:32:48 PM
Is a whole house surge protector easy to install or is a professional needed?
My body is an electrician. He told me for the price of a beer, he could do it in 7 seconds.
:-\ ??? Typos on the internet...can/could be so much fun. :-" :hide: >:D
Ugh. Fixed.
Hmm maybe I could do it myself. I'll try drinking a few beers first.
Beer always helps. It can really help after you lose a TV and a computer to lightning. Or...like I'm having to do right now, replace the house AC unit. :hide: In August. :hide: :hide:
Does home owner's insurance cover damage from lightning strikes?
Mine did, but there's always a deductible. :hide:
plant a grounding rod in a bush down the street in a bush.
Or, in the annoying neighbor's yard next door? ^-^
thats to close to your own home.
The guys who installed my solar panels also put in a lightning arrestor on the electric company pole where I sell back to the co-op. They told me NOTHING could protect my electronic stuff from an immediate, direct strike. You put in the best protection you can afford and pray.
Quote from: solops on August 04, 2021, 10:17:13 PM
The guys who installed my solar panels also put in a lightning arrestor on the electric company pole where I sell back to the co-op. They told me NOTHING could protect my electronic stuff from an immediate, direct strike. You put in the best protection you can afford and pray.
That's what I've been told too. With a direct strike, you're screwed.
Years back lightning struck the roof of a building housing about 25 mental patients where I worked causing a fire to break-out in the attic. All the residents and staff had to be evacuated in the middle of a blinding rainstorm. I'm sure glad I was off work that night. <:-)
^Isn't that how the movie Halloween began?
Quote from: Gusington on August 05, 2021, 03:50:10 PM
^Isn't that how the movie Halloween began?
Yeah.... and, umm, "Sir Slash"?...questions percolate...
Maybe that's just how he handles his panzers.
;D
Michael Myers was on one of my wards I worked. So was Jason. For kicks, we used to switch their masks then wait until they passed each other in the hall. :2funny: It was a riot.....literally.
So my 7 (yes 7) siblings and I inherited my late mother's house. We just this week had gotten it ready and put it on the market. We've had a few showings, but no bites yet.
So today I get a text from my sister (power of attorney) who tells us, house is off the market because the water heater blew up (her words) and the basement is flooded. :tickedoff: And my oldest brother ended up in the ER because he slipped on the floor and busted his tailbone. #:-)
Not really sure why the WH blew since the house is empty and no one is living there. Just glad my brother wasn't hurt too bad and the "explosion" was the tank failing.
So now we get to deal with the insurance to get things right. ...and we thought this was going to be a quick sale. :pullhair:
The item I worry about most in my house is our water heater followed by our furnace. I have heard many stories about water heaters and furnaces just simultaneously failing, sometimes catastrophically. I have spent some nights just staring at the ceiling, worrying about both.
A few months ago, there was construction work going on on our across-the-street neighbors house for weeks. My wife and I thought they were painting/floors/etc. to sell it or rent it. Turns out a hose to the icemaker on the refrigerator let go and flooded the house; they had to replace most of the the floors, much of the walls, etc. It's just crazy how devastating one "little" water leak can be.
We had a similar family-oriented event after my Father died. My brother, sister and myself had to jointly fix-up the old family home and sell it followed by splitting the sale 3 ways. We damned near ended-up in a sibling-on-sibling war over who was responsible for what and who did more or less than the others. Take it from me Steve, everybody involved discuss roles and responsibilities in as unemotional and loving way as possible and come to a mutually agreed upon understanding. Our family still suffers from some of the ill feelings that occurred and this was never the way our parents wanted us to be. One house is not worth destroying a whole family's relationship over. My 2 cents.
Man. So sorry Steve. Hope it all works out all the way around.
Quote from: Sir Slash on October 02, 2021, 09:48:00 PM
We had a similar family-oriented event after my Father died. My brother, sister and myself had to jointly fix-up the old family home and sell it followed by splitting the sale 3 ways. We damned near ended-up in a sibling-on-sibling war over who was responsible for what and who did more or less than the others. Take it from me Steve, everybody involved discuss roles and responsibilities in as unemotional and loving way as possible and come to a mutually agreed upon understanding. Our family still suffers from some of the ill feelings that occurred and this was never the way our parents wanted us to be. One house is not worth destroying a whole family's relationship over. My 2 cents.
Wow, this is never easy to do.
So a day later and things are a bit better. Soaked carpet is up and surprisingly, we are still getting some showings, from some flippers. Guess a little water didn't bother them. Insurance guy says the WH is on us. ???
Slash, sorry to hear that. Hopefully, as they say, time heals all wounds. Yes there has been a hurt/annoyed/irritated/etc feeling or two or three through the process, but for the most part I think my siblings and I will still be together after all is said and done. We might get irritated sometimes, but there won't be no killings. :hug: Ma and Pa did a good job raising us. :bd:
Sounds like they did indeed. :clap:
So we (siblings and I) got a buyer for $10K over asking price...on an "as is" house that is as old as I am (we moved into the house that my parents designed and had built when I was 5 months old)...which I'll just say is 50++ years old. Hope it all works out and closes asap because...
...my wife and I are putting our house on the market on Monday. Its been about 16 years since we last went through this and I didn't like it then and don't like it now. Not a big fan of change, especially big ones like this. :pullhair:
why? IMO its a bad time to sell for the simple reason that you now have to buy back into a very over inflated market.
Because...four simple words: "Happy wife, happy life". :)
Recently, our house was thoroughly floored by a strong hurricane, because of which we had to do a complete renovation of the whole house. Of course, we weren't happy about it, but we had no other choice. It's good that we could send the children to live with my parents for a while, and we engaged in repairs with my wife and hired designers from Boutique Home Plans (https://www.boutiquehomeplans.com/) to decide on the best design ASAP, which will help avoid such incidents in the future. I'm glad that we turned to this company because their work was done quite quickly and accurately. The children were delighted with the new design and that they would finally have different rooms.
Damn, that's tough Russ. We have dodged the last 2 with only minor damage here. But I know, The Big One's out there somewhere, someday. :hide:
Wanted to throw a positive house upgrade in here. Just completed installing solar.
I have a 125% of my usage covered. Selling excess credits back and they don't look bad.
Did a lot of research incl a NPV analysis of opportunity cost.
Not for everyone but a good deal for me
Con
Always interested in solar but because of the woods around our house and the exposure (house faces north) I don't think we can do it...yet.
Quote from: RussEllis on March 18, 2022, 03:12:37 PM
Recently, our house was thoroughly floored by a strong hurricane, because of which we had to do a complete renovation of the whole house.
who gets hit by a hurricane in March?
C:-)
Wife and I are in the middle of having a house built (yes, even in this crazy ass fubar economy :idiot2:). Thinking about adding in a propane gas fireplace, mostly as a secondary heat source for cold weather power outages. Any of you grogs have one installed? Any problems, like excess soot, humidity? TIA.
The propane tank will be installed somewhere externally, yes?
gas would come from the mains under the street.
^What about in a rural area - lots of people where I live have external propane tanks where there are no utility connections.
Decide what the primary purpose is that will drive the features
1. Aesthetics - do you want something pretty to look at but its not your primary heat source
2. Resilience - do you want something that will heat the core of the house if you lose power
3. Efficiency - looking to wean off electricity or oil heat
If you are going for 2 you need to think basic propane stoves with no motor/blowers etc, for 3 you want something with blowers and heat exchangers, for 1 you can use a fireplace setup but you really wont get any benefits for 2 or 3.
I have a pellet stove in our main house, solar power for resilience (I will use a battery storage when we get our next car as bidirectional or vehicle to home charging is going mainstream), a wood fireplace and a propane stove at our condo. Of them all I love the wood fireplace the most all due to aesthetics crackling fireplace smell of wood etc. But in terms of cleaning, stacking wood and keeping the place warm it sucks donkey ass.
The propane stove is a good alternative as a backup energy supplier in case we lose the electrical heat in the condo and has its efficiency pluses but I really am not keen on it. I am planning on converting it back to a wood fireplace and building it so that we can have the option to have the wood fireplace switch to propane in the future. In order to do this spend the money on the flue and chimney setup. Propane stoves have a simple venting system but its not suitable for a wood fireplace due to the much higher heat and carbon monoxide produced by burning wood.
Con
PS We have an external tank for our propane stove
I hear you on the wood fireplace but after 20 years I have become so attached to it...I will never give it up.
The wife and I are also building a 3 season room and we wanted a new fireplace but unfortunately according to code we cannot have a fireplace in there. A pellet stove is another option, though.
Are the pellets hard to come by nowadays with the whole supply chain thang? Even before COVID I have buddies who found it hard to find those damned pellets.
Pellets are not hard to come by but consistent quality is lumpy especially if you go with big box store brands - looking at you Lowes and HomeDepot
I prefer a high quality consistent hardwood brand - my goto pellets are Barefoot made from sawdust left over from hardwood construction projects. Here is where it gets interesting - not many dealers for Barefoots where I am and if you have to look further away than that adds to the costs.
If you are only going to be heating the room when you use it you will probably only need 1 ton and many dealers have a 2 tom min order if they are going any distance.
Pellet stoves are also tricky in that the best thing you can do to have a good consistent trouble free season is clean that sucker out religiously at the end or before another burning season. I dedicate an entire day to cleaning out my pellet stove, including cleaning the venting pipe. I look like a character chimney sweep out of Mary Poppins when I am done. I have even had to use my kids to snake their arms into the pellet venting when my cleaning brush broke off in there.
A really good source for all things pellet/wood stove related is Hearth.com These folks have really helped me out over 15 seasons of owning a pellet stove. They have good advice on what brands to go with and how to keep it running smoothly.
^I am the same when it comes to our wood fireplace. Cleanliness = safety!
We have some great local shops around here for fireplaces and stoves, I could go there for pellets (hopefully) if we do get one.
We are/will be out in the country. We will have a 250 gal propane tank out in the yard somewhere. Not pretty, but necessary. Going to have a propane stove/oven. I just want to be able to keep warm in the winter during power outages, so we will also be installing a ventless propane gas fireplace insert in the family room and probably a smaller wall or portable propane heater in the basement. Just want enough heat to keep us and the pipes from freezing.
Online I've seen some people complain about soot with propane fireplaces. Doing a little research it seem more from improper setup/adjustments. We've had gas (natural) before when we lived in GA, just never had propane before. Just looking for any input from anyone who has it now or has had it...
^Propane is popular here in semi-rural NY, and safe as long as you keep your system clean and maintained, with proper outdoor tanks.
I couldn't believe it when I learned this, but many people DO NOT KNOW to store propane outdoors only. Never in a garage or basement.
Really annoying situation here.
So I have a workshop and armory in one corner of my house. It is basically two small rooms separated by walls and a door. It used to be a utility room with the water main and electrical box and a dark room for photography. I ripped out the plumbing in the dark room, cut down some of the built-in tables and cabinets and now use it mostly for gun, ammo and kit storage. The other room I use as a workshop. It has a tile floor, but no ceiling, no sheetrock on two sides and some exposed concrete foundation wall.
In any event, I finally spent a crap-load of money on some ModWalls from https://tacticalwalls.com/ (https://tacticalwalls.com/) in order to save some room, and because they look really badass. The ModWalls have pre-drilled mounting holes spaced 16-inches apart because most normal structures have studs spaced apart at 16-inches. After clearing out the space to mount them, I pulled out my handy stud finder and was shocked to find that none of the studs seemed to be spaced at 16-inches. In fact, they are pretty all over the place. This former dark room was obviously installed by the last owner on the fly and whomever framed it out played pretty fast and loose with the spacing.
So this leaves me with two options basically. One, find a space to mount them in the mostly unfinished workshop, which is not really where I want them, but that room does have some exposed framing with studs that are 16-inches apart. Two, try to mount them in the "dark room" as planned, but mount into studs on one side and just sheetrock on the other. I suppose I will have to use anchors, but how much weight can they generally support? These ModWalls are going to be holding rifles, handguns, a helmet and fully loaded plate carrier. I would say all together it could be 70-100 pounds.
Thoughts? Solutions?
No solutions, just some thoughts...
I think studs can also be spaced at 24 inches? Not a carpenter/builder, so I could be wrong.
I've found that stud finders tend to be hit and miss, literally. I've been using them in our new house to detect studs (to hang mirrors, etc), and what they'll "find" on the first pass, they'll miss on the second. I think I'm on my 3rd one. Returned the other two mostly because they were so inconsistent. One nice new feature of the newer stud finders is electrical detection...that part seemed to work better on the stud finders I've tried, than actually accurately finding the studs...
I've seen drywall anchors that are rated for 100 lbs, but never had to use them. I think you'll be OK using drywall anchors, but I'd try to hit studs wherever possible.
Quote from: steve58 on December 07, 2022, 05:16:47 PM
No solutions, just some thoughts...
I think studs can also be spaced at 24 inches? Not a carpenter/builder, so I could be wrong.
I've found that stud finders tend to be hit and miss, literally. I've been using them in our new house to detect studs (to hang mirrors, etc), and what they'll "find" on the first pass, they'll miss on the second. I think I'm on my 3rd one. Returned the other two mostly because they were so inconsistent. One nice new feature of the newer stud finders is electrical detection...that part seemed to work better on the stud finders I've tried, than actually accurately finding the studs...
I've seen drywall anchors that are rated for 100 lbs, but never had to use them. I think you'll be OK using drywall anchors, but I'd try to hit studs wherever possible.
Thanks. Yes, 24-inches is another possible spacing, but these aren't that either. lol
I have a really good stud finder that has a series of lights that actually lets you see the thickness/width of the stud. I know its reading accurately, because the opposite wall of where I want to mount the ModWalls happens to be in my boiler room, which is also partially unfinished and the framing on that wall is exposed so I can see the studs. They're all over the place. :idiot2:
16" spacing.... :DD
my first real question is are you installing this stuff yourself?
my second question is did you factor in the weight of your "tactical" walls along with the guns and whatnot?
one easy fix is to rip out the drywall and install half inch plywood screwed into the framing and hang everything off that.
very similar to a proper kitchen install.
you can also use the 100 lb rated white screw in anchors. Ive used them for years on wall mounted tvs and any valuable artwork.
set up a grid sized to the mounting points for your "wall", use them two feet apart vertically starting from the top and you'll be fine.
if you bother going the plywood route take the time and insulate the walls.
QuoteI've found that stud finders tend to be hit and miss, literally.
if youre hanging stuff like cabinets and floating whatever just use a small drill bit and go right across the wall, it gets covered anyway.
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on December 07, 2022, 06:50:41 PM
16" spacing.... :DD
my first real question is are you installing this stuff yourself?
my second question is did you factor in the weight of your "tactical" walls along with the guns and whatnot?
one easy fix is to rip out the drywall and install half inch plywood screwed into the framing and hang everything off that.
very similar to a proper kitchen install.
you can also use the 100 lb rated white screw in anchors. Ive used them for years on wall mounted tvs and any valuable artwork.
set up a grid sized to the mounting points for your "wall", use them two feet apart vertically starting from the top and you'll be fine.
if you bother going the plywood route take the time and insulate the walls.
This would be like me telling you to write your own will or litigate your own case. I don't want to turn this into a project. These things are highly modular and intended to be quickly mounted without reconstructing your walls. I'm not sure what a panel weighs but they're manufactured out of HDPE plastics so I'm assuming they are fairly light.
Here is a picture of a standard horizontal panel showing the mounting screw holes spaced 16" apart. Not sure what is so ROTFLOL about that?
(https://tacticalwalls.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/146105649_5529201647097785_6350392387943745582_o.jpg)
QuoteNot sure what is so ROTFLOL about that?
expecting most framers during the last 30 years to space them properly is whats funny.
you could get away with putting in a shit ton of dry wall screws into the pre-drilled holes but I wouldn't.
the 100 lb anchors work and putting them 1 foot apart vertically and 16" laterally is more then sufficient.
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on December 07, 2022, 07:35:13 PM
QuoteNot sure what is so ROTFLOL about that?
expecting most framers during the last 30 years to space them properly is whats funny.
you could get away with putting in a shit ton of dry wall screws into the pre-drilled holes but I wouldn't.
the 100 lb anchors work and putting them 1 foot apart vertically and 16" laterally is more then sufficient.
OK. If you're confident in the anchors than that's a good endorsement for me. I'll probably give that a shot. Thanks!
these are good:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/E-Z-Ancor-100-lbs-Philips-Pan-Head-Heavy-Duty-Toggle-LockSelf-Drilling-Drywall-Anchors-with-Screws-10-Pack-25220/100153998
these are also these:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/E-Z-Ancor-Twist-N-Lock-8-x-1-1-4-in-White-Nylon-Phillips-Flat-Head-75-Medium-Duty-Drywall-Anchors-with-Screws-20-Pack-25210/100140114
both require pre drilled holes. Im sure there are videos.
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on December 07, 2022, 07:35:13 PM
expecting most framers during the last 30 years to space them properly is whats funny.
Living in a 1870s/1880s made house, throw in "everything is out of square," too. Ugh.
Got to mow my new yard for the second time. Temps here in east TN really need to cool down so I won't have to mow it again until spring. :-\
Here in Fla, I haven't mown for several weeks, the longest time I can remember without mowing. With almost no rain the grass is just sitting there. No so the weeds however, they're growing like...you know. And a lot of stuff is blooming. :o
First panel mounted.
(https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/320706367_756288719160805_2559892810713602881_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=U9GpW2EaqTkAX9HzMSO&_nc_oc=AQnlzAvXbN8V15Yn3QZ-u8MbJ2SV90PeTk8TsNHVT3dL6186UcPDEPQPbH3stf6tMbE&tn=ubwjnf9b-x4Y2WOX&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC3YzNr4CDc0Z80T6CzCmpmVut9SGreICY8Yh3GfNQLNQ&oe=63A4E873)
Second panel up. Coming together nicely.
(https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/320744842_553612996277680_5008493117568922074_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=er1wptlzEtMAX9AQPli&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCz9NemBdV02d6BWbIAJoKu6CljmLTsI-HxAgK9cfgzxw&oe=63A4A04D)
:clap: :clap: :clap:
Not sure why I am even posting this but I need to vent somewhere. For the 2nd time in a year my area has been hit by a 'storm of the century' and for the 2nd time in a year a bunch of my neighbors and myself have to dig tons of gravel, rocks, dirt and tree limbs from our driveway because our state/town/village refuses to clear out some culverts that were f'd up in a repaving job last year, causing this overflow flooding onto our property. It may sound minor but both times this happened cost us 1000s of dollars in cleanup as the rushing floodwaters, rerouted onto our road, pour down into my neighbors driveway and then basement.
We got relatively lucky both times because we just have to repair the flood damage to a smaller section of our gravel driveway but other houses and properties have been royally f'd.
We are also lucky that we got our general contractor to put a crew together this morning with a bulldozer and plenty of stone and gravel to repair the damage before the temperature drops 40 degrees, but until the state/town/village repairs what they f'd up this is going to keep happening. It never happened until 2021 and the f'd up road repaving job :/
MERRY FUCKING XMAS
Quote from: Gusington on December 23, 2022, 01:37:01 PM
Not sure why I am even posting this but I need to vent somewhere. For the 2nd time in a year my area has been hit by a 'storm of the century' and for the 2nd time in a year a bunch of my neighbors and myself have to dig tons of gravel, rocks, dirt and tree limbs from our driveway because our state/town/village refuses to clear out some culverts that were f'd up in a repaving job last year, causing this overflow flooding onto our property. It may sound minor but both times this happened cost us 1000s of dollars in cleanup.
We are lucky that we got our general contractor to put a crew together this morning with a bulldozer and plenty of stone and gravel to repair the damage, but until the state/town/village repairs what they f'd up this is going to keep happening.
MERRY FUCKING XMAS
Your neighborhood should lawyer up and split the costs.
I have a best friend who is also a lawyer and he said that lawyering up in this case is most likely not going to be effective, but the threat of a lawsuit and some more media attention to the problem would be more effective. Keeping pressure on our town mayor and supervisor, as well as our state senator, was also recommended. All of which we took care of this morning while the heavy work goes on outside. My neighbor really got f'd and is besides himself (we're covering costs for him for now as the contractor and the neighbor hate each other...don't ask). The contractor crew did amazing work...our property looks untouched and they worked super fast.
Quote from: Gusington on December 23, 2022, 01:47:35 PM
I have a best friend who is also a lawyer and he said that lawyering up in this case is most likely not going to be effective, but the threat of a lawsuit and some more media attention to the problem would be more effective. Keeping pressure on our town mayor and supervisor, as well as our state senator, was also recommended. All of which we took care of this morning while the heavy work goes on outside. My neighbor really got f'd and is besides himself (we're covering costs for him for now as the contractor and the neighbor hate each other...don't ask). The contractor crew did amazing work...our property looks untouched and they worked super fast.
You need to find the right lawyer. I've handled a lot of cases against municipalities due to property damage and flooding caused by their negligence or refusal to maintain public roads and utilities.
PM sent.
That's a bitch Gus. My County did something similar to us a couple of years back, digging out the ditches along the street next to my house. Now our ditches are deeper than anywhere nearby and storm water drains TO us not away from us. Not a major problem until 19 inches of rain hit you in about 8 hours driven by 100 mile an hour winds. :hide:
Dang. All the best, mate.
Consistent, good road maintenance (to include drainage structures) is a thing of the past, I fear.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on December 23, 2022, 02:28:11 PM
Quote from: Gusington on December 23, 2022, 01:47:35 PM
I have a best friend who is also a lawyer and he said that lawyering up in this case is most likely not going to be effective, but the threat of a lawsuit and some more media attention to the problem would be more effective. Keeping pressure on our town mayor and supervisor, as well as our state senator, was also recommended. All of which we took care of this morning while the heavy work goes on outside. My neighbor really got f'd and is besides himself (we're covering costs for him for now as the contractor and the neighbor hate each other...don't ask). The contractor crew did amazing work...our property looks untouched and they worked super fast.
You need to find the right lawyer. I've handled a lot of cases against municipalities due to property damage and flooding caused by their negligence or refusal to maintain public roads and utilities.
Here the most they could get in a civil suit is the portion of flood waters received that did not get routed away from the home site due to negligence. The standard here is a 1 in 25 year rain event for road drainage. If this was a storm of the century then they would be lucky to get half of the damages. Still... it helps reduced the fiscal sting.
^It basically is due to negligence...the negligence of the town supervisor to remove an ancient, unused gas pipe when he was notified about it and then caused more problems.
Our Mayor has been great to work with and every day since then our DPW has been up there working to remediate. May not be enough for my one neighbor who wants to be re-paid (so he can repay us) but they have been doing a lot of work so far.
Additional work may have to wait until summer.
Quote from: Gusington on January 10, 2023, 01:24:02 PM
^It basically is due to negligence...the negligence of the town supervisor to remove an ancient, unused gas pipe when he was notified about it and then caused more problems.
Our Mayor has been great to work with and every day since then our DPW has been up there working to remediate. May not be enough for my one neighbor who wants to be re-paid (so he can repay us) but they have been doing a lot of work so far.
Additional work may have to wait until summer.
Your problem will be one of timing. In New York State when asserting claims against municipalities and government agencies, there are very strict Notice of Claim requirements that must be complied with as a condition precedent to commencing suit. Depending on when the flood event took place, you could very well already be out of luck. However, if there have been successive events, then you might still be in the game.
Assuming litigation is viewed as a viable and desirable option, of course...
Yes this was the 2nd time it happened in under a year. Before the past year it never happened at all.
On top of all this is the ongoing construction of The Wife's Fortress of Solitude (three season room) which is now in its third month and I am very ready for it to be done.
Construction in the winter, always a drawn-out plethora of challenges.
Quote from: Windigo on January 11, 2023, 11:27:31 AM
Construction in the winter, always a drawn-out plethora of challenges.
My experience as a construction attorney is that there are a drawn-out plethora of challenges no matter the season! :pullhair:
I guess I shouldn't be complaining...it keeps me in business. :notworthy:
I'll complain for you.
Construction Attorney? Is that because you're the one who has to build the case? :2funny:
Quote from: Sir Slash on January 11, 2023, 01:54:57 PM
Construction Attorney? Is that because you're the one who has to build the case? :2funny:
Yes. It is necessary to build the case pursuant to very carefully drafted plans and specifications in order to demolish my adversaries. It is very rewarding to hammer the opposition and put the nails into their coffins.
In reality, I've been trying to scale back on the litigation and have been focusing on the transactional aspect of construction...contract drafting, review and administration, etc.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on January 11, 2023, 11:48:35 AM
Quote from: Windigo on January 11, 2023, 11:27:31 AM
Construction in the winter, always a drawn-out plethora of challenges.
My experience as a construction attorney is that there are a drawn-out plethora of challenges no matter the season! :pullhair:
I guess I shouldn't be complaining...it keeps me in business. :notworthy:
I only had one issue with a new construction... the stamped concrete driveway was a frictionless surface in the winter... I insisted that they (the builder) comeback and change it on their dime... their solution was an epoxy/grit top coat. Worked well for the one year that I lived there.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on January 11, 2023, 02:18:19 PM
Quote from: Sir Slash on January 11, 2023, 01:54:57 PM
Construction Attorney? Is that because you're the one who has to build the case? :2funny:
Yes. It is necessary to build the case pursuant to very carefully drafted plans and specifications in order to demolish my adversaries. It is very rewarding to hammer the opposition and put the nails into their coffins.
and you wonder why people question your humor? :DD how did you miss it.
We had our house gutted, renovated and enlarged about 10 years ago and thank God it went perfectly. Same general contractor building The Wife Wing now so we are hoping for the more of the same. The difference is that I was living in my in-laws basement while the construction was going on, and my daughters were 6 and 4 years old then...both better and worse, I suppose.
So in addition to The Wife Wing being constructed we are jettisoning the old disgustingly sticky playroom carpeting that lined my daughters' study space and playroom and turning it into a 'theater room' with new silly-big tv and dog proof 'Lovesac' sofa with embedded subwoofer (!!!)
I think in my entire life I've replaced carpet once - I forgot how much of a pain in the ass it is moving everything out of the first set of rooms while the old carpet is torn out but damn is it satisfying seeing the new carpet in :tophat:
So the dog-proof sofa has a sub-woofer in it... :cool:
:Nerd: hahaha
We recently had our floors re-done. I went with the crew who moved all the furniture FOR YOU. Worth every extra penny. :ThumbsUp:
^The Wife and I fought about it. She won, we moved the furniture and in-wall shelving togther :/
Quote from: Gusington on January 25, 2023, 12:44:56 PM^The Wife and I fought about it. She won, we moved the furniture and in-wall shelving togther :/
so you pick it up, she tells you where to put it? :rollingpin:
^'I pick things up AND put them down.' I can also paint, wallpaper and do simple electrical/plumbing. Beyond that I am a knuckle-dragging knave.
wtf is actually wrong with you people.
Gus drops "Lovesac" and you go on about floors!
that fruit dont hang any lower!
so Gus, please do tell about your new Lovesac and the interaction of the sub-woofer with said sac.
you know which word to replace.
The subwoofer makes my Lovesac quiver like a bowl of Jell-o :ThumbsUp:
Cherry or Lime?
Rhubarb
Light at the end of the tunnel
We have been dealing with a massive basement flood that took place while we were away at Thanksgiving. Posting about it now since we are almost at the finish line of fixing it.
Ironically it failed due to a housing leak in the kitchen refrigerator icemaker filter on the main floor. Ironic because my current role is as a director of lifescience filtration division with about 30 R&D bioproduct engineers working for me. This makes me an expert witness in the failure mode and an object of much ball busting by my current organizations leadership team.
We had about a foot + of water pour into our dry finished basement over two days through left over and disconnected heating vents (house was built in 1890). With water removal, remediation, all the damage and new walls ceiling floor etc we will be in for about $50-75K. The damaging power of water is impressive.
Right now we are waiting for the new cement floor to cure and we decided to go with a staining technique for the cement followed by satin epoxy and wax to protect the floor. We decided that putting in new vinyl plank floors/carpet/linoleum (all types of floors we have tried previously) in a basement is just a recipe for future disaster. With water heaters, washers and dryers and twin boys there is always something happening down there that will inevitably lead to water damage. Until this event we had got away with some wet vac remediation but they found mold from the previous minor floods and we decided to rip everything for flooring out that water can get under.
The other thing we are installing is an automatic water shut off valve on the main line that can detect when a leak occurs.
Con
Congrats?
Maybe congrats
Insurance is paying it all including damages and is suing the crap out of the filter manufacturer (whose name I shall leave off).
I volunteered to be an expert witness and sent photos of the damaged filter to my R&D team who confirmed some technical aspects of possible root cause failure (the insurance company took the actual filter for their own testing but with some expert guidance on where to look). I gave my name and title to the insurance company to provide the filter manufacturer legal team to let them know that they really F'd up (our analysis is it was a bad batch of resin in mfg of the molding housing which is a major CAPA).
If one of my filters had failed in a similar way in a bioproduction plant we would be looking at north of $20M in damages depending on the molecule being manufacture and ancillary damage and shutdown time to the clean rooms.
Maybe turn your house into a bioproduction plant for future coverage :tophat:
isnt your lovesac already a bioproduction plant of sorts?
Very much so
Damn Con. That's tough. Glad it'll work-out for you in the long run though. And what Gus' lovesac does should be between him and his Significant Other(s). :dancingmonkey:
Look down here
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you cant use that so soon after I did.
thats just bad form and I expect better from you.
It's inevitable.
Just like Thanos. Wait, maybe not the best example.
Or maybe perfect...