[xxxrsxxx]

.

[SSM_DC5]

Any tips on removing 20 yr old vinyl flooring? It's coming up in flakes like if you tried to rip off an old insurance sticker off your licence plate.

[GIZZ]

Acetone or adhesive remover.

But how thick is it? Just cover over it? 20 years old should not have asbestos, but if it did I'd just cover it up.

[Hondaracer]

If you have to get it right down to the joists I’d just take a skill saw and cut it all out

I had FIVE layers of flooring in my kitchen which I’m sure one or 2 had asbestos lol.. I took a skill saw and set the depth and cut out 1x1 squares and used a crow bar to pop then all out, god what a nightmare

[SSM_DC5]

It's not very thick. Layers are just vinyl, glue and concrete slab. Maybe I'll try a heat gun.

[Hondaracer]

So to kind of display how much basic things can cost and what a headache they can be, I have a wall in my living room I had some wainscotting on and we grew tired of it so I ripped it off. By doing this you leave paint lines/caulking etc. which has to be patched and sanded etc. this took me 5 days of a an hour or more a night. There’s no proper way to do it other than floating out the entire wall, in thin layers. The best drywallers have to do as little sanding as possible. Somthing like this would probably be $1000+ to pay somone to do

https://i.imgur.com/UmEtwFF.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/nszzCur.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/zYAtSVC.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/lLfjZ0p.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Bnj0Fis.jpg

[SSM_DC5]

So are you one of the best drywallers like you described because seeing how your curtains didn't turn to white in your process is impressive. How did the craftsmanship of this house get your approval? The wiring in the left corner coming out of the baseboards, the massive gap in that same corner between the flooring and the baseboard. The crown molding at the top of that same wall doesn't have the seam hidden for using 2 pieces. All things I see in my own DIY lolFeelsBadMan

[Hondaracer]

I’m nowhere near any drywaller but I do everything I can not to sand lol. The wire in the corner is a sub output I ran under the flooring for future use

My house is 112 years old, joints open lol

[underscore]

These days at least half of the hassle seems to be just finding someone willing to do small jobs in the first place. You'd probably have spent half the time just doing that and then you still have to worry about if they're actually any good and then pay them lol.

[sonick]

I’m nowhere near any drywaller but I do everything I can not to sand lol. The wire in the corner is a sub output I ran under the flooring for future use

My house is 112 years old, joints open lol

Sub output is one line level signal , overkill to run it under flooring in the front where you'd probably have some sort of media unit for your reciever and your sources that would've hid the wires.

Also hope you ran a remote trigger 12v line along with the sub out coz you'll need that to turn on the sub.

If anything, running speaker wire to surrounds through the floor would've made more sense.

[Hondaracer]

Sub output is one line level signal , overkill to run it under flooring in the front where you'd probably have some sort of media unit for your reciever and your sources that would've hid the wires.

Also hope you ran a remote trigger 12v line along with the sub out coz you'll need that to turn on the sub.

If anything, running speaker wire to surrounds through the floor would've made more sense.

The TV is already on the wall where my back is for the photo. Also have a pull string with the sub output line to pull any future wires. I just had a long sun output available when I had the floor open so I ran it. Already have in-ceiling speakers in the room and wired for the fronts. It’s really just future overkill anyways, I’m using a wireless sub with wireless rears right now and my sonos amp powers the in ceiling speakers along with 3 other plays throughout the house

[donk.]

Was going to post these last year, so we will call this "what did you do to your rental last year" post

Picked up a rental unit a few provinces over, flew down with a buddy for x days with 4 bags of tools, repainted 50% of the house, new lighting, bathroom partial update, basement and steps coating, structural bracing, fake kitchen backsplash and faucet, rotten side steps partial replacement, gardening, rebuilt the water main, backyard clean up

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52841542103_d41cce4ccc_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ovqHuK)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52841542048_c3d9bd70e8_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ovqHtN)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52840529552_19d3a38067_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ovkwuY)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52841099471_00e2c93865_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ovorVa)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52841290809_078ce0070e_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ovpqN6)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52841099721_f7e98706a5_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ovorZt)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52840529377_9beea22ec8_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ovkwrX)

Unit has been rented since Oct, so far so good.
Was a good overall experience and massive learning curve, next time around things will go smoother, and im going to give more time for myself and whoever is helping to rest and enjoy the town.

[Bender Unit]

Anyone know/referral a Mold removal expert ?
Mold is growing into the wall from bathroom water leak

Asking for my friend.

PM if you know/referral

https://i.postimg.cc/xd7CKSfp/Whats-App-Image-2023-04-23-at-22-57-14.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/0jZ10pG5/Whats-App-Image-2023-04-23-at-22-57-15.jpg

[Koflach]

We just finished a small reno on our place. We had 4 different kinds of flooring on our main (carpet, hardwood, tile & linoleum) and replaced it all with vinyl plank. We also replaced the carpeted common area upstairs with vinyl. For the stairs we went from carpet to square edge vinyl nosing with white risers and 1/2x12 skirts running up the sides to tie into the baseboards. Some other details we did was replace the tired old baseboard with 1/2x8 on the main and 1/2x6 in the common area upstairs. We also replaced all the handrails with a new profile, went from wood brackets to metal and where we had spindles, we went from square wood to round black metal ones.

Really happy with the overall look.

https://freeimage.host/i/HUfP3B4
https://freeimage.host/i/HUfPAEQ

[carsncars]

...wrong thread. Oops.

[supafamous]

The paving stones in my driveway have settled a lot in the past year with water draining nearly into the garage and a couple stones chipping due to unevenness. Finally got around to levelling the left side before I ran out of sand and gravel (my doughy desk job body also cried mercy after the work). I was surprised how much sand and gravel went int - about 65lbs.

https://i.imgur.com/8ML40pA.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ARSNdKO.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/SCdpflC.jpg

[SSM_DC5]

I wonder why the water doesn't go into the ground through the cracks between the pavers. How much you pay for each bag of that?

[supafamous]

I wonder why the water doesn't go into the ground through the cracks between the pavers. How much you pay for each bag of that?

I don't think the water is supposed to go between the pavers as that causes the finer bits of sand to get washed away - there was just enough drainage that little bits of sand would get washed away causing the pavers to sink (on top of the car's weight driving on top). I think the landscapers used too fine a sand (they actually had to come back once before to fix the settling in the first month after I moved in).

The gravel I used was Quikrete base rock - a reasonably fine gravel that should stay in place (https://www.homedepot.ca/product/quikrete-base-rock-25kg/1000142976) with a bit of sand to even it out.

I think when I'm done I'm supposed to put "grouting" sand in between the pavers so that it's a solid surface (https://www.homedepot.ca/product/stone-mason-magic-sand-paver-locking-sand/1000144920) so that no water goes down to the base.

[SSM_DC5]

Look into roadbase. From your pic, it looks similar to me. If it works, go to Groundworks Construction Supply-Vancouver
(604) 322-6790
https://maps.app.goo.gl/h7rjTyfxTqcBEeYa7

It's like $5 for 5 gallon bucket worth of roadbase, but bring your own bucket. I got buckets you can borrow if needed.

[snowball]

I don't think the water is supposed to go between the pavers as that causes the finer bits of sand to get washed away - there was just enough drainage that little bits of sand would get washed away causing the pavers to sink (on top of the car's weight driving on top). I think the landscapers used too fine a sand (they actually had to come back once before to fix the settling in the first month after I moved in).

The gravel I used was Quikrete base rock - a reasonably fine gravel that should stay in place (https://www.homedepot.ca/product/quikrete-base-rock-25kg/1000142976) with a bit of sand to even it out.

I think when I'm done I'm supposed to put "grouting" sand in between the pavers so that it's a solid surface (https://www.homedepot.ca/product/stone-mason-magic-sand-paver-locking-sand/1000144920) so that no water goes down to the base.

Your builder not using permeable pavers in the lower mainland is a mistake with all the rain we get. A client really wouldn't care too much about dips and stuff as long as the water drains, damn these builders, all they think about is $$ without using any common sense.

[GLOW]

if it's impermeable, does it make sense to add a trench drain along the garage door to redirect water so it won't enter your garage again?

[supafamous]

if it's impermeable, does it make sense to add a trench drain along the garage door to redirect water so it won't enter your garage again?

Maybe? When it's level it drains pretty well as the driveway slopes gently to the right side (north) of the garage (the lot is east-west, garage faces west) so as long as it's level it works out pretty well. When the landscapers came in to fix it the first time they added a second drain to the right of the garage as well which helped (but only when the driveway is level).

If it keeps settling adding a small trench at the foot of the garage to the drain would probably be the solution.

Here's a video of the water flowing towards the garage: https://imgur.com/71fVPwt

[Euro7r]

Where do you people buy those big square cement blocks like 18x18 / 24x24.? I'm trying to put these in the back yard over the grass as stepping blocks leading to the garage. Right now it's grass. I looked at home depot costs like $15+ a pop. Looked on fb marketplace I see people selling like $10 in Surrey. Not sure if anywhere cheaper? Probably need a good dozen of them.

Was planning to dig a square hole to fit these in to flush it on the same level as grass. Do I need to put like sand under first? Thinking might be too wet or soggy when it rains if I lay it over dirt only?

Home reno noob, first time house owner. DIY projects lol

[underscore]

I got the ones for our patio from a landscape/rock supply place called Burnco, idk if you have them down there? But you must have the equivalent.

[Fafine]

You can call bc brick for a quote

There's also Northwest Landscape & Stone Supply (Burnaby)

[SSM_DC5]

Maybe? When it's level it drains pretty well as the driveway slopes gently to the right side (north) of the garage (the lot is east-west, garage faces west) so as long as it's level it works out pretty well. When the landscapers came in to fix it the first time they added a second drain to the right of the garage as well which helped (but only when the driveway is level).

If it keeps settling adding a small trench at the foot of the garage to the drain would probably be the solution.

Here's a video of the water flowing towards the garage: https://imgur.com/71fVPwt

Finding a way to let it permeate through the pavers seems more simple as the water just drains as ground water. With a trench drain, you still need to have proper slope so it drains into the trench. And trench is expensive. I put 18 ft trench that's plastic, but vehicle grade and it was around 1500 with a lot of the work done by myself. You'll also need to find the rainwater system to tap into so the drain actually drains away.

Where do you people buy those big square cement blocks like 18x18 / 24x24.? I'm trying to put these in the back yard over the grass as stepping blocks leading to the garage. Right now it's grass. I looked at home depot costs like $15+ a pop. Looked on fb marketplace I see people selling like $10 in Surrey. Not sure if anywhere cheaper? Probably need a good dozen of them.

Was planning to dig a square hole to fit these in to flush it on the same level as grass. Do I need to put like sand under first? Thinking might be too wet or soggy when it rains if I lay it over dirt only?

Home reno noob, first time house owner. DIY projects lol

Some times people give away the pavers for free. I always seem to be too slow because the person generally don't respond back and post disappears.

[unit]

we're debating about repainting the inside of our house before we move in.
it's sort of an off white, yellowish colour right now, we just want to paint the whole thing white.
of course things like doors and bathrooms would be a slightly glossier finish, and we'd probably paint the popcorn ceiling too.

is it worth doing on your own or way too much headache? i haven't gotten a quotation yet but for our 1300sf house, im guessing $5k-10k range for quotes, and maybe $1000 in materials to do ourselves before we move in.

way too much pita or worth it?

if we do it ourselves we know it's not gonna be as good of a job, but we're ok with it not being absolutely perfect. we just dont want to be too far in over our heads.

[blkgsr]

Landscape Center in Coquitlam

[Fafine]

we're debating about repainting the inside of our house before we move in.
it's sort of an off white, yellowish colour right now, we just want to paint the whole thing white.
of course things like doors and bathrooms would be a slightly glossier finish, and we'd probably paint the popcorn ceiling too.

is it worth doing on your own or way too much headache? i haven't gotten a quotation yet but for our 1300sf house, im guessing $5k-10k range for quotes, and maybe $1000 in materials to do ourselves before we move in.

way too much pita or worth it?

if we do it ourselves we know it's not gonna be as good of a job, but we're ok with it not being absolutely perfect. we just dont want to be too far in over our heads.

How much time and energy do you have?
Are you painting all the ceiling or just certain rooms?

The best part of DIY is you can try it yourself first. You can buy two gallons of paint and start painting the master bedroom ceiling and walls first. And then decide if you want to tackle it.

Mostly just depend on your time and energy.

[unit]

ceiling and all the walls, bathroom, doors, etc...
interior only, also probably not painting the garage.

that's a pretty good idea. start with a few rooms to get the hang of it, then do the living room and stuff after. i have my gf as a helper but all the actual roller work would prob be me. she could maybe paint baseboards, windows, etc.. and help with cleanup.

[sonick]

Painting ceilings suck ASS but definitely worth getting done.

We did it in both the past places we moved into and cursed ourself each time that we should have hired somebody to do it.

Because of how the light hits the ceiling, it's hard to get a smooth . And if you have popcorn ceilings it's even harder as the popcorn sucks up the paint so you have to get good coverage but be careful not to get the popcorn too wet. Then just also the strain on your arms and shoulders, takes way more effort than painting walls.

Walls takes work but is manageable diy. Ceilings tho I would recommend getting somebody else to do it.

[Hondaracer]

Yea f there is ambient light that gets in its very hard to get a good looking coat on a ceiling. When I repainted my suite when my last tenants moved out I figured I went over the ceiling twice fully but then the sun was setting and I could see all the roller lines uhg..

Really depends what you figure your time is worth. Personally I would never pay somone for a room or two, moreso because I hate the time it takes to arrange/work with someone pay them etc.

A whole house and I don’t have to think about it/don’t really have to be there or monitor them? It would be tempting to pay someone

[Fafine]

if you dont mind a bit more prep work and watching some youtube videos to learn how to operate and clean the machine- consider spraying the ceiling, walls, doors and trims.

Much quicker and looks mint, downfall is prep and a very small learning curve.

[SSM_DC5]

How much time would you give yourself to do the job before moving in? Do you plan on mudding anything or just start painting. Could be a solid week of work if you're doing it outside of your full time job. I painted my own place, but I found it quite therapeutic to mud and paint. I didn't like sanding though.

[unit]

we have lots of time since we have a month in my parents basement after we move out of our current place before we move into the next one.

i'd just fill in any holes and dents left by the previous owners, nothing too major.

it's a 1300sf rancher, never expected to hear that it would be that much work but now im scared lol

[underscore]

Start with the rooms that will be a PITA to do after you've moved in ie. the master bedroom, then see how you get through the rest.

[fliptuner]

Always do the master bedroom, main bath and kitchen, first.

[snowball]

f i hate painting, you always think it's gonna take half a day but ends up taking 3 days... per room.

[Great68]

It's the prep time that's underestimated and a killer. That is if you want to do a good job. Especially if the previous owner did a shit paint job with improper prep that you have to fix.

[SSM_DC5]

we have lots of time since we have a month in my parents basement after we move out of our current place before we move into the next one.

i'd just fill in any holes and dents left by the previous owners, nothing too major.

it's a 1300sf rancher, never expected to hear that it would be that much work but now im scared lol

That's plenty of time then. Like others have said prep time takes up quite a bit of time, especially if you are doing many different colours and finishes. Protecting things that you don't plan on painting like floors, cabinets, carpets. If you're only filling small holes and dents, then 1 evening is probably enough to do the whole place. Next evening, sand and hope you don't find more spots to fill.

Since you're moving into a new place and thinking about some drywall work and painting.... You might want to think about any upgrades that involve cutting your drywall and do them now. For example, opening up the drywall to add backing for wall mount tv and putting conduit in the wall so you can hide wires. Running Ethernet cables. Adding more outlets. Moving lighting fixtures.

[SSM_DC5]

If I wanted to change the swing of an interior door, but it's tapered, will that cause a problem with closing properly?

[Koflach]

Don't cheap out on the paint, go and buy some sherwin williams paint. It's expensive but worth the price as it is much higher quality than the stuff at Home Depot.

[bcrdukes]

Ditto. Cannot recommend off-the-shelf stuff from Home Depot or Rona etc. Get a good paint from Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams etc. My favourite is Sherwin Williams. Their paints have proven time over time it is top notch.

[roastpuff]

Both Sherwin and Benjamin Moore paints are good - if you buy their higher end stuff. I have the Benjamin Moore Aura interior eggshell and it was much better for coverage and toughness than the Behr stuff you'd get at HD.

[unit]

oh for sure. whether we get a quote from a contractor or do it ourselves, we're not gonna cheap out on a few hundred extra for better paint. they or we can do a 7/10 job on the painting itself but i want 10/10 paint.

[Ferra]

Both Sherwin and Benjamin Moore paints are good - if you buy their higher end stuff. I have the Benjamin Moore Aura interior eggshell and it was much better for coverage and toughness than the Behr stuff you'd get at HD.
Few years ago I painted with BM regal & aura.

I heard the professional use aura and it is also higher grade/more expensive, but I think the regal is much more forgiving for DIY painter.

The Aura dries so damn fast you barely have any time to roll back. The work time is like 2-3 minutes.
(I.e. if you try to roll back on a wall to even out the paint you only have a few minutes to do it because the paint start becoming tacky and you end up with lines & different texture to the rest)

[Euro7r]

I bought Behr paint on the weekend from Home Depot, going be painting soon, we'll see how the results turn out. My house doesn't let in a lot of sunlight, so likely won't even be able to see imperfections if the paint is shitty unless you literally examine with a flashlight LOL. We'll see how it goes.

[Spectre_Cdn]

Had good experiences with BM Regal and SW Duration Home. SW SuperPaint was harder to work with and had a poor finish (could also be user error).

[snowball]

I bought Behr paint on the weekend from Home Depot, going be painting soon, we'll see how the results turn out. My house doesn't let in a lot of sunlight, so likely won't even be able to see imperfections if the paint is shitty unless you literally examine with a flashlight LOL. We'll see how it goes.

As long as you got the Marquee or better, it will be fine.

[SSM_DC5]

If I wanted to change the swing of an interior door, but it's tapered, will that cause a problem with closing properly?

Anyone know? FeelsBadMan
I want to just chisel the spots to move the hinges and not have to buy new door and jambs.

[Koflach]

Anyone know? FeelsBadMan
I want to just chisel the spots to move the hinges and not have to buy new door and jambs.

Try calling a door company and asking them. If you call Westcoast Moulding in Surrey, they stock door jamb material and have people in house that should be able to answer your questions. Ask for David Cushenan in the door department when you call.

[Hondaracer]

Have you ever done anything like that before? Using a chisel to chisel out your hinge points is pretty tough and if you hasn’t done it before odds are you’re going to either go too deep or chip the frame away

If it’s just an average interior hollow core door personally I’d probably just buy a new pre hung. I’ve got a lot of experience with this type of thing and I’d be pretty hesitant to do it. If I was going to I’d definitely be looking into buying a jig or renting some sort machine which cuts those grooves out for the hinges as opposed to trying to cut it myself

[SSM_DC5]

I've changed out an exterior door to one with built in blinds and didn't touch the door frame. That required some work where the hinges go on the new door. I think I did pretty decent. Could have chiseled a little deeper as now it slightly scrapes on the latch edge.

I'd really like to avoid doing a pre hung because that means I need to rip apart the trim, caulking, repaint and I don't have a nail gun and shims to install a door frame.....Doing some hinge work and flipping the door slab just seems the most simple....as long as I know the door slab will still work before I start. I'd hate to do all the work only to find out that the door doesn't close properly.

[underscore]

Can you try to physically fit the door without any hinges on to see if it'll go into the frame properly before doing anything?

[coneZONE]

I've changed out an exterior door to one with built in blinds and didn't touch the door frame. That required some work where the hinges go on the new door. I think I did pretty decent. Could have chiseled a little deeper as now it slightly scrapes on the latch edge.

I'd really like to avoid doing a pre hung because that means I need to rip apart the trim, caulking, repaint and I don't have a nail gun and shims to install a door frame.....Doing some hinge work and flipping the door slab just seems the most simple....as long as I know the door slab will still work before I start. I'd hate to do all the work only to find out that the door doesn't close properly.

Which direction are you thinking of flipping it? If you’re changing left swing to right swing (or vice versa) you’re basically turning the door 180°. Most interior doors have a slight taper on the latch side. So after flipping the door, visually you’ll see a larger gap on the latch side when the door is closed, and you might find that the taper now rubs on the door frame, but that can be easily resolved by taking a 16th or so off with a belt sander or similar

Or you could flip it vertically and the taper wouldn’t be a concern, but now the door knob will be incorrect height. Unless it is smack in the halfway.

[unit]

anybody here upgrade the flooring in their garage?
when i was house hunting i saw a few that impressed me, one was just rubber tiles, another was an epoxy coating with paint chips in it that looked pretty cool.
just curious if anyones gone through the process of either diy'ing it or hiring it out, or just laid down tiles. just to make the garage look a lot cleaner since most old garages are all oil stained or cracked.

[SSM_DC5]

anybody here upgrade the flooring in their garage?
when i was house hunting i saw a few that impressed me, one was just rubber tiles, another was an epoxy coating with paint chips in it that looked pretty cool.
just curious if anyones gone through the process of either diy'ing it or hiring it out, or just laid down tiles. just to make the garage look a lot cleaner since most old garages are all oil stained or cracked.

https://www.revscene.net/forums/717051-epoxy-floor-installer-recommendations.html

[SSM_DC5]

Changing door swing was a success!!!:fuckyea:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53007253845_d99aace511_c.jpg

[Koflach]

Changing door swing was a success!!!:fuckyea:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53007253845_d99aace511_c.jpg

Why only two hinges? Even on 6'8" doors, they normally have 3.

[SSM_DC5]

Different standards 20 years ago? I dunno.

[sonick]

Anybody got a hookup on a relatively small quantity of river rock that will also deliver? Need about 0.5 cubic yards.

Started a few projects over the long weekend, dug up a border with the intention to put in river rock surrounding my patio:

https://i.imgur.com/G4sWXTg.jpg

And then my father in law started a project that we've been wanting to do in our master closet, to open it up to the bedroom and close off the door from the bathroom. That way my wife can get her clothes while I'm taking a shit:

https://i.imgur.com/48omQpK.jpg https://i.imgur.com/uh3v40X.jpg

[SSM_DC5]

What's the plan for the light switch location?

[sonick]

What's the plan for the light switch location?

Haha I just had that thought this morning.

Can easily be relocated to the outside bedroom wall since we have attic access.

[underscore]

Have any of you guys installed vinyl plank the opposite way you're supposed to? I started putting the last of the baseboards back on in my basement and noticed there's a gap near one end, between the 7th and 8th rows from the wall I started at. Redoing 7 rows that are already cut would be quick but I'm worried that after I get it out I might not be able to lay it back down going the wrong way.

[SSM_DC5]

https://youtu.be/T9tXSE96aTw

Looks easy. My laminate is pretty rigid and installing backwards was a lot more tedious.

[underscore]

I ended up being pretty painless to put back, the only hassle was the final row against the wall, I think because originally it was so tight. I ended up cutting the end piece shorter and using tape to hold the seams as I went along and it was good to go.

[SSM_DC5]

Show us your stair patterned layout so we can judge your lack of randomness.

[underscore]

Oh my patterning is definitely shit, and I have mistakes like this because I didn't notice how the manufacturer reused parts of the design :okay:

https://i.imgur.com/DHPtNQq.jpg

[sonick]

Anybody have advice on choosing bathroom faucet fixtures?

I know for showers you definitely want to choose something solid since it'll be roughed into the wall, but for faucets, does going by brand or spending extra for nicer stuff make that much of a difference?

Like as long as it's UPC and NSF certified and not shady unbranded Alibaba crap.

There's a faucet we like from https://www.vigoindustries.com/ which seems like a pretty legit brand despite being made in China, but even a lot of other well known brands also import their stuff from China.

The designers helping us with the bathroom are recommending a local brand called Pearl, as well as another one called Riobel. Both also seem to be made in China.

Tbh price of the Vigo looks to be close to the other stuff we just like the style, so it's not like it's a pure money savings decision to cheap out on it. Just not sure if it's overpriced for what it is.

[donk.]

Cheap stuff = you throw away the entire thing when it breaks (home Depot)
More expensive stuff = you can usually rebuild it with a cheap part (emco / BA / wolsley )


Otherwise personal preference, I stick with the cheap stuff that still looks good. You never know if your buying a middle man product that simply has 200% markup over the next one over direct from china

I prefer to spend money on other parts of the house, or better yet, car parts....

[SSM_DC5]

In my own experience going through renos and picking my own fixtures. It's all expensive and larger brand name items have been pretty good.

This is my bathroom faucet, chose it based strictly on design. It's originally matte black, but the base has shiny black parts. It wasn't like that when I bought it, but after about 2 years of use, it looks like that. I also have an issue with the ball valve. I lift up the lever to turn on the water and swing it left and right for hot/cold, well when i lift it up, it falls downs a little. That happened over time. I have double sinks, so after it started to fall down, i used started to use the second sink. The second sink still stays up strong so perhaps it was just the 1 faucet? I think it's the house brand or something, but I bought it from GR Marine at Big Bend.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53038188150_2f03d105b0_c.jpg


This is my hand towel rack from Amazon. The matte black finish is peeling off.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53037795601_67aaa6d702_c.jpg

My Delta kitchen faucet still has a uniform matte black finish, nothing like the issues you see above. Also Delta was really good with replacing a missing mixing valve for one of my shower fixtures. They sent it to me for free. Just a phone call to do it, didn't need to show any proof of purchase.

To take it one step further, my matte black handles for cabinets. They're richelieu and the finish is scratched off pretty easily. I haven't scratched off large chunks, but the lines so far look like stainless steel underneath the matte black finish

[Ferra]

Why only two hinges? Even on 6'8" doors, they normally have 3.
cause those doors are basically made of hollow cardboard and only weight a few pounds :lol

Even new built house have only 2 hinges for interior door unless you have upgraded doors

[Ferra]

In my own experience going through renos and picking my own fixtures. It's all expensive and larger brand name items have been pretty good.

This is my bathroom faucet, chose it based strictly on design. It's originally matte black, but the base has shiny black parts. It wasn't like that when I bought it, but after about 2 years of use, it looks like that. I also have an issue with the ball valve. I lift up the lever to turn on the water and swing it left and right for hot/cold, well when i lift it up, it falls downs a little. That happened over time. I have double sinks, so after it started to fall down, i used started to use the second sink. The second sink still stays up strong so perhaps it was just the 1 faucet? I think it's the house brand or something, but I bought it from GR Marine at Big Bend.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53038188150_2f03d105b0_c.jpg


This is my hand towel rack from Amazon. The matte black finish is peeling off.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53037795601_67aaa6d702_c.jpg

My Delta kitchen faucet still has a uniform matte black finish, nothing like the issues you see above. Also Delta was really good with replacing a missing mixing valve for one of my shower fixtures. They sent it to me for free. Just a phone call to do it, didn't need to show any proof of purchase.

To take it one step further, my matte black handles for cabinets. They're richelieu and the finish is scratched off pretty easily. I haven't scratched off large chunks, but the lines so far look like stainless steel underneath the matte black finish
I have similar experience with my bath faucet.

I went with a more expensive brand (Hansgrohe) on my shower faucet which been working fine for 5+ years of daily use.

I got a cheap no name import for my bath faucet...initially I was amazed at how well it worked and looked at less than 1/3 the price of the name brand stuffs...but last year the chrome coating started flaking off from the corners...and i can see the bare iron/brass inside on the handle now...
The branded shower faucets still looks perfectly fine and the shower faucet had 10x more use than the bath faucets.

Also the linear drain I got from amazon for cheap keeps getting these rust dots, where else the other branded one I got never had them. (The rust dots can scrub off, but still looks ugly)

the cheap ikea facuets i got for vanity is great tho...so I guess prices aren't everything.

[Ferra]

Anybody have advice on choosing bathroom faucet fixtures?

I know for showers you definitely want to choose something solid since it'll be roughed into the wall, but for faucets, does going by brand or spending extra for nicer stuff make that much of a difference?

Like as long as it's UPC and NSF certified and not shady unbranded Alibaba crap.

There's a faucet we like from https://www.vigoindustries.com/ which seems like a pretty legit brand despite being made in China, but even a lot of other well known brands also import their stuff from China.

The designers helping us with the bathroom are recommending a local brand called Pearl, as well as another one called Riobel. Both also seem to be made in China.

Tbh price of the Vigo looks to be close to the other stuff we just like the style, so it's not like it's a pure money savings decision to cheap out on it. Just not sure if it's overpriced for what it is.
I got a the vigo facuets for my kitchen in 2016 (when they were $150, now they charge $500 for the same model...lol)

after around 6 years, the faucets started "leaking"... I contacted them, sent the video and receipts, and they sent me a new faucets for free... so I guess that's a good thing

also I have the stainless finish on the faucet, it never rust, fade or tarnish, BUT it looks like they put some kind of of clear coat on the stainless steel which started wearing off after 4-5 years. (Under the handle that was constantly expose to water)

Pic of the faucet & kitchen, I got it because it looks big and chunky like those commercial faucets, and only $150 at the time.
The sprayer doesn't actually work well at all.
https://i.ibb.co/b14K52s/Full-Size-Render.jpg

[SSM_DC5]

^I'm in the middle of planning out an island like that. I got a ton of questions.

Size of island?
Inches of overhang?
Is it all custom cabinets?
Are those cabinets in the back side? with push to open instead of handles?
Do you have a dishwasher? If so, where is it?
I don't see any gfci plugs on the island.

[Ferra]

^I'm in the middle of planning out an island like that. I got a ton of questions.

Size of island?
Inches of overhang?
Is it all custom cabinets?
Are those cabinets in the back side? with push to open instead of handles?
Do you have a dishwasher? If so, where is it?
I don't see any gfci plugs on the island.
actually everything is from ikea diy except for the countertop
(ikea veddinge white door & blankett handle)

the island countertop is about 118" x 48" deep, there is back to back cabinet on both side of the island. (standard 24" cabinet at the front + 15" cabinet at the back, so the countertop has roughly 9" overhang)

The back side cabinet are push to open door, basically just storage
The front side are where all the drawers, sinks and dishwashers (next to the sink on the right)
There are power outlet inside the cabinet for the dishwasher & built in drawer lightings...but nothing outside on the island because of the waterfall edge. (I ran some wire and was going to put an outlet on the island toekick but I thought it looked weird so I didn't install it in the end)


Don't know how much price changed now, but all the ikea cabinet costed only $5K in 2016.
The quartz counter & waterfall edge cost >$6K even back then.

I had all the size and measurements planned out in sketchup. Ikea had their own software too but it was horrible to use..
https://i.ibb.co/Q8Wvzzt/island-base.jpg

btw, don't use those ikea plastic leg for the cabinet & island. They look like toy plastic and the countertop weight >700lbs...
I built a box frame with 2x6 lumber + plywood and just sit the cabinet on top.

[SSM_DC5]

Perfect! Almost every aspect is what I was planning! For the dishwasher on the end that meets the waterfall counter, did you put a cover panel there? Ikea's program auto-populates to put one there. But then it would need another cover panel for the 15" cabinet as a filler right?

I need to figure out a solution for gfci outlet because of code and I don't really want to put it on the waterfall sides. Toekick would be great if I meets code, which I have no idea if it does. I think I'll likely have to use 2-3 inches of filler and put the outlet between waterfall and dishwasher.

Does your flooring go under island?
Did you screw down your 2x6 to the floor? Then cabinet to the 2x6?

Did you happen to compare cost of 45 deg mitered waterfall vs 90 degree joint?

[Ferra]

Perfect! Almost every aspect is what I was planning! For the dishwasher on the end that meets the waterfall counter, did you put a cover panel there? Ikea's program auto-populates to put one there. But then it would need another cover panel for the 15" cabinet as a filler right?

I need to figure out a solution for gfci outlet because of code and I don't really want to put it on the waterfall sides. Toekick would be great if I meets code, which I have no idea if it does. I think I'll likely have to use 2-3 inches of filler and put the outlet between waterfall and dishwasher.

Does your flooring go under island?
Did you screw down your 2x6 to the floor? Then cabinet to the 2x6?

Did you happen to compare cost of 45 deg mitered waterfall vs 90 degree joint?
The dishwasher is actually not on the side, it is the 2nd cabinet from the left, inbetween the side cabinet and sink cabinet, so didn't have any cover panel there.

I had the wood floor installed first and it goes all the way to the wall so all the cabinet can just sit on top.

I measured out exactly where I wanted the island to sit and put a few L-bracket on the 2x6 frame attached to the floor, so it wouldn't move around while I am working on it.

I didn't know they offer 90degree joint for the water fall edge... It is the same amount of materials used....I don't think there would be any price difference between doing a 45' cut vs 90' cut for the countertop fabricator?
The only reason I see doing a 90' cut is if you need the waterfall edge as a leg support the top? Otherwise the mitre edge def looks nicer

[SSM_DC5]

I'm told 45 deg is more on site work with polishing and not every company has the machine to do 45 deg cuts. I'm assuming 90 degrees is just slap it together and run away.

[ssjGoku69]

after around 6 years, [...] sent the video and receipts, and they sent me a new faucets for free...

Do you have a system for storing receipts for that long?

[SSM_DC5]

Do you have a system for storing receipts for that long?

For myself, all my Reno related receipts are together. All fits in a 1 inch binder.

[6793026]

i go with moen. yes it's more expensive but man, you just call them, they get ur name, and BAM, replacement shipped to door free of charge.

It was the shower hose that cracked / o ring but they didn't care, just sent me a new hose without even us shippping it back.

[snowball]

Do you have a system for storing receipts for that long?

home depot email receipts my man

[Ferra]

Do you have a system for storing receipts for that long?
it was online purchase from homedepot so I found it easily from my emails

If it was paper receipt I'd probably lose it in a week.

[SSM_DC5]

Kohler faucets any good? Thinking about picking up the one in Costco flyer.

[Traum]

Kohler and Moen are the 2 brands that my plumber swears by. He pretty much recommends against anything else LOL~

[bcrdukes]

I've had good results with Hansgrohe, Kohler, and Moen faucets. Delta has been hit and miss for me.

[SSM_DC5]

Great I'll go with that then. Save myself $40 over a Moen I saw on sale.

[EvoFire]

Is Grohe and Hansgrohe the same thing? I had a Grohe kitchen faucet at my townhouse. It had a bad cartridge and handle when it came in new, the whole faucet needed to be replaced. It just one day stopped working after 3 years of use and we ended up replacing it with a Moen. Didn't have time to deal with replacing it through mail.

I was working with a plumbing company when reno'ing the house, and they said they stopped recommending Grohe because they've been having too many returns/RMAs. Sure they'll replace it when new but it's still a hassle for the customer.

[sonick]

They are different:
Hansgrohe Faucets: Best In-Depth Independent Review (http://www.starcraftcustombuilders.com/sources.faucets.Hansgrohe.htm)
Grohe fau$cets: Best In-depth, Independent Review (http://www.starcraftcustombuilders.com/sources.faucets.Grohe.htm)

Having been researching bathroom fixtures, the site above is a FANTASTIC resource for content and reviews around different bathroom fixture manufacturers.

[bcrdukes]

Grohe and Hansgrohe are different companies, but the founders are related to one another.

[Hondaracer]

Kohler and Moen are the 2 brands that my plumber swears by. He pretty much recommends against anything else LOL~

I’ll only buy Kohler going forward.

I purchased a pretty fancy Kohler kitchen faucet from Lowes, it was like $550 with a 25% off promo, so not a cheap peice

Fast forward about a year or so and it’s got this cheapo toggle switch from the spray modes, I phoned Kohler and the woman I got was able to resolve everything in one go, sent me all the replacement parts instantly, registered my faucet when I hadn’t previously etc.

Fast forward the part shows up and I didn’t realize I needed to remove a part from the old one and install it on the new one so I phoned them back, instantly sent me another peice, Albeit the same peice. I finally figured it out but they also told me that if there were further issues they would replace the $700 faucet all
Together.

I was tempted to just say it wasn’t working and get a total replacement but they’d been so good didn’t want to scam them lol

But my plumber said the same thing, best service and customer support hands down

[winson604]

When I moved into our newly built townhome 5 years ago I already expected some if not a ton of cheap stuff from the developer and while it was true all the units did get nice Kohler kitchen sink faucet, I looked it up and it was close to $900. Anyway it has the button on there where you can switch flows but that part of it is poorly made and within a year a lot of people's buttons got jammed. I called them and without any hesitation resolved the issue, sent replacement parts. In the end probably half the complex flooded called them around the same time for the same reason and they all had the same treatment.

[Hondaracer]

Yea I bet it’s the same stupid shit as mine

$800 faucet with a plastic toggle mounted on a plastic bracket. Stupid design

[sonick]

After putting in our patio last year the area surrounding it was just bare dirt with weeds. Finally got around to finishing it off.

Dug a nice deep trench lined with weed fabric (posted a few weeks back), then today finally got around to ordering half a yard of river rock and filled it in.

Really wanted to make sure we had clean lines between the grass and the rock, and hoping the effort of digging a good 3-5 inch deep trench will prevent future weeds.

https://i.imgur.com/Yw6mCrz.jpeg

[GIZZ]

Changed the garage seal, loaded it with steel wool. Not exactly happy with the 4" seal, I just ordered another 6".

Been fighting with wasps this past week. They are entering in the gap between the chimney and the Hardie board. After googling they only live 2-3 weeks I first started sealing them in, after noticing the wall buzzing I decided better to draw them all out before resealing. I bought doubles of every wasp trap Canadian tire has and also 2 wasp glue traps off amazon. I baited with the stuff Canadian tire sells, also added wet cat food. Amazingly all the traps are working. I think I caught the queen yesterday, it's 2-3 times as big as the others. I also found 2 more nests on my property. I've been hitting them with the backpack sprayer loaded with Dawn/water.

I loaded the crack with the foam wasp killer, its supposed to make the nest inhabitable in 48 hours. I'll wait until tomorrow, I plan to fill the cracks with steel wool and cover over with quikrete mortar repair caulk.

Always something to do. I see condo living on the horizon.

[SSM_DC5]

Sealing before getting rid of the wasps is a bad idea. Friends neighbour had an issue with wasps, friends dad thought he was being a good neighbour and sealed up the hole. Well shortly after the people in the house needed to move out temporarily because the wasps made a whole into the house and needed pest control to do their thing inside the house.

This guy Ramit has a show on Netflix, but I recently listened to this video on YouTube and he's against homeownership. Cliff notes: The gains people see in the purchase price vs the price they sold for is great and appealing, but what people don't factor is all the money they need to sink in to maintain the thing. He encourages renting because if there's a problem with the place, it's the landlords problem. Use the extra money you have from renting to invest in other things instead ie bonds, index funds, etc.


https://youtu.be/ORqd9QAC8OY?si=JJ2n_V4k17SG53gn

[GIZZ]

As I sat back and listened to the wall buzzing, I knew it was a mistake. I had them come down my chimney one summer, that was bad enough. Got it sealed up today. I'll just sit back and relax, wait for the next thing that needs fixing.

And some housing markets aren't appreciating like here. A friend just told me his alberta rental apartment is worth half of what's owing, horrible. But here, I think most have doubled up the past 10 years, who knew? I know people in the neighbourhood, they pay to get everything done. If I had to do that I'd have no money for anything else. I see the Netlix guy's point, I'll have to check it out.

[donk.]

And some housing markets aren't appreciating like here. A friend just told me his alberta rental apartment is worth half of what's owing, horrible.

Apparently the place I bought in Regina was sold for 250k 10 years ago, it heavily dropped in value since then.

Il report back in 10 years if it's halved or doubled in value

Alot of people in Vancouver are blind to the free capital gains they have made over the years

[unit]

we're getting our house painted and also the bathroom reno'd.
the shower tub is an older size standard, 30" x 30".
newer ones are always like 32" x 32" or bigger.

the old owner redid the shower not too long ago with a tile surround and glass shower door that's actually not too bad, but they re-used the shower tub, probably because of this exact reason.

without demoing and moving the wall and plumbing, and possibly having to deal with a load bearing wall, the only options are to re-use the shower tub (ew), or to do a tile floor.

i asked the contractor who is doing the painting if he could make some suggestions for me and he said he could just paint it and it would be completely fine. i have a hard time believing this. i can see it becoming dirty and worn, and also difficult to clean. the guy is insistent that it will be good, and he has been very good and picky about the paint job around the house so i trust his workmanship, but that just seems wrong.

if we can't find a replacement floor tub then im thinking im gonna get the floor tiled instead. would anyone actually go the other route and get it painted? money is somewhat important but im not penny pinching if it's going to look like shit in a year or two.

[EvoFire]

we're getting our house painted and also the bathroom reno'd.
the shower tub is an older size standard, 30" x 30".
newer ones are always like 32" x 32" or bigger.

the old owner redid the shower not too long ago with a tile surround and glass shower door that's actually not too bad, but they re-used the shower tub, probably because of this exact reason.

without demoing and moving the wall and plumbing, and possibly having to deal with a load bearing wall, the only options are to re-use the shower tub (ew), or to do a tile floor.

i asked the contractor who is doing the painting if he could make some suggestions for me and he said he could just paint it and it would be completely fine. i have a hard time believing this. i can see it becoming dirty and worn, and also difficult to clean. the guy is insistent that it will be good, and he has been very good and picky about the paint job around the house so i trust his workmanship, but that just seems wrong.

if we can't find a replacement floor tub then im thinking im gonna get the floor tiled instead. would anyone actually go the other route and get it painted? money is somewhat important but im not penny pinching if it's going to look like shit in a year or two.

My first thought was to paint/seal the tray. It'll give you a "new" surface to use and not feel icky anymore. If he uses a sprayer you'll get the uniform look and feel vs using a roller or brush.

My second thought was to cement and tile. We did this as we didn't want to be constrained by production sizes. It's also just nicer in general, but because of grout lines, keeping it clean is more work.

[Hondaracer]

When you say use a tile floor I’m assuming you’re meaning rip out the tub and put a stand up shower in?

[unit]

its a stand up shower already, it has a shower base/pan is what i meant.

[Fafine]

"if we can't find a replacement floor tub then im thinking im gonna get the floor tiled instead."

So remove old shower base and put in tiles?
I'd go this route if you have someone competent and can do proper waterproofing.

As for having it painted, I've had over 10 bathtubs refinished professionally. Looks and feel brand new after.

I've seen people try and DIY and paint their bathtub, shower bases with the canned epoxy paint. With proper prep and patience - itll look good.

[Hondaracer]

Personally I’d be very hesitant to just tile a floor and rely on the waterproofing/drainage to prevent a leak, especially if it’s an upstairs bathroom

My contractor has a guy who makes custom fiberglass shower bases to whatever size/drain location you need, I can get a contact for you if you want.

I don’t have a picture but I’ll take one when I get home of ours, it’s a custom base that was then tiled over, looks great and is virtually leak proof the way the drain etc. is configured

[Fafine]

Of course not just tile on floor, it'd be concrete base with a waterproofing membrane, and there's lots of different shower systems out there- kerdi being one of them.

But it gets expensive in comparison to just refinishing your current shower base.

[unit]

hmm yeah it would be either refinishing the base, or remodeling the bathroom to take a bigger base and putting in a smaller vanity. either the cheap way or the really expensive way, no sense in putting in a new 30" shower base, ripping out all the tile and redoing the shower just for that. the tile and shower door are actually not bad at all, if the rest of the bathroom was updated to match then i wouldnt even consider doing a renovation. only reason im hesitant to just go the cheap way and paint the base is because a 30"x30" shower is really damn small. i'd be a lot happier in the end if we got it to 30" x 36" or even 30" x 40" and then just got a slightly smaller vanity instead.

im just a bit concerned about cleaning a painted base. can you use a magic eraser on that?

[Fafine]

With refinishing, it'll look and feel like new - if done properly.
And you'd clean it like any other shower bases / tubs.

[sonick]

I'm gonna be doing a composite shower base for my upcoming bathroom remodel.

Not sure if that's the same as fibreglass.

But it's cheaper, easier to install, and easier to maintain than tile.

And looks nicer than acrylic shower base with the raised lip/surround

[SSM_DC5]

Put on your interior designer caps and show me your ideas for a man cave/entertaining area. Placement of lighting, outlets, wall mounted TV, speakers, receivers, game consoles, tables, chairs, couches, ping pong table, stripper pole, whatever else you may want in your man cave.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53085930828_dfaf0d6aea_w.jpg

[snowball]

Where do those doors go?

[SSM_DC5]

Top left, washroom to wash car parts
top right, closet to store car parts
middle right, entrance/exit

[Hondaracer]

This is my fiberglass shower base which was tiled over as I mentioned

https://i.imgur.com/kOTGKtm.jpg

[SSM_DC5]

Buttoned up the door that I was working on by filling in the old holes for hinges and strike and I changed the door trim.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53093184647_d4ea6d657b_w.jpg

[bcrdukes]

One of our Moen shower faucets started leaking after 3 years with minimal use which means the cartridge needs to be replaced.

Moen customer care was hit-and-miss. Digital/web-based support offered to send me one as a goodwill gesture as I was not the original owner / installer of the shower faucet set and I did not have the receipt, so they offered to send it to me for free but $15.00 shipping.

I called their toll-free number and was routed to their US-based care centre who offered to send me a new cartridge at zero cost.

If anyone is looking to purchase Moen products, I have a discount code that is good for anywhere between 20 to 75% off on their website. The discount code is good for 6 days from this post. Please PM me if you can benefit from the discount code and I will share.

Edit: I just browsed the portal. Some of their prices, depending on the product, even after discount, are not jaw dropping, so keep your expectations low. :p

[6793026]

^ yeah i went thru that.. the discounts were epic.. and it wasn't the models my wife wanted as well. Sure it's a great gesture and marketing to say the least.

[SSM_DC5]

Maybe you guys can aware me. For sliding shower glass like this...

https://www.bathworks.ca/MXC-CAB7219E3C751E40E56E35CE12E8863D90687514.JPEG?1630 008018219
https://www.bathworks.ca/Ajax-Barrie-Belleville-Kingston-St-Catharines/Maax-Canada-134955-900-084-000-Sliding-Shower-Door.HTM

The pic is pretty close to what my shower set up will be like, 2 sides of glass, the door section will be closer to the shower head rather than opposite end like in the pic. Does the chance of water leaking out make a difference if the sliding door part is on the inside vs outside of the shower? In the pic, the door slides inside the shower

[Hondaracer]

I have a similar design and my door is on the inside of the static glass

I think it kind of has to be otherwise when water hits the sliding door and it’s on the outside it’s just going to sit on the top of the basin or worse, just run outside of the shower base all together

[underscore]

That's either the same or very close to the shower door I have. Despite the box and the product pictures showing it like that, the instructions actually say to have it the other way around with the door at the same end as the shower head. You should be able to download the instructions and see which way it says to have it.

That in mind we installed it the way it is in that picture and haven't had a problem. Either way the sliding door will need to be on the inside otherwise I can't see how you wouldn't end up with water running onto the floor outside.

[GIZZ]

I filled 2 large green bins with branches off the spruce in my front yard, easier and less stress than I imagined. Branches were touching neighbours and my power, phone and cable lines. A few years ago one broke and took out my shaw, it's always been in the back of my mind to trim this.

[tiger_handheld]

Top left, washroom to wash car parts
top right, closet to store car parts
middle right, to the car

fixed.

[bcrdukes]

There is a hotel I stay at in Montreal that's close to our company's office and the design of the shower sliding door is on the outside.

Let me say that it is the worst design. Ever. I'd be lucky if water doesn't leak out onto the floor and flood. And that's with me proactively trying my best to avoid water getting on to the floor.

Every time I check out of that hotel, I pray to Jesus, Allah, and Buddah and clench my ass to make sure there isn't a hit against the damage deposit on my credit card.

[Traum]

Need some help and suggestions from the RS collective hive mind on how to proceed after a basement flooding event.

The atmospheric river we had on Monday resulted in a section of my brother's basement flooding. His house is an old bungalow in a long rectangular shape, and the water pooled at one end where the fireplace is. We actually have no clue how or where the water came from -- on Monday night when the rain was coming down hard, he noticed that water just started seeping out from the laminate floor, and it gradually pooled up to about the size of a queen / king size bed. It never got very deep, and they were able to soak the water up when the rain stopped on Tuesday.

Obviously insurance has been called, and a restoration company has come to take an initial look. The restoration work will proceed, and will probably take a few months to complete. We've gone through the very same process a few years ago when my parents' bungalow basement suffered a really bad flood, so we know the drill in how the restoration will happen.

But what we don't know and desperately need help with is on identifying the water breach and getting that fixed. With my parents' home, that was the easy part because our sump pit drain got clogged, so the atmospheric river water backed up and overflowed from the sump pit, flooding the entire basement in a good 2" - 3" of water. But in my brother's case, we honestly have no idea -- the sump pit is not at that end of the house, and it didn't overflow.

It'd be pointless to do the restoration work if we are unable to identify the breach because the same flooding will happen all over again at the next atmospheric river event -- or maybe even just from heavy rain. The restoration company has already indicated that they can only do the restoration work, and has no interest in performing any work to identify and/or repair the breach.

So we are stuck here because we literally have no clue on how we can even proceed. We are thinking we need to hire somebody who can help us identify some potential sources of the breach, and perform the necessary work to eliminate those potential causes. We know that would likely be educated guesswork instead of definitively identifying where the breach is, but we are not even sure who we can/should talk to to get the ball rolling.

I know we have a lot of trades / construction knowledge in RS, and I know we have a lot of experienced home owners that are far more knowledgeable and resourceful than I am, so I am hoping I can tap into your brains to help my brother out.

Thank you for your help in advance.

[underscore]

Has anything been demo'd? The water pooled there but it may have come into the house from somewhere else and stayed under the flooring or in the wall so you might need to chase it back a bit.

[Traum]

Nothing has been demo-ed yet as of yesterday, but the restoration person came for a look, and mentioned that they will very likely rip up the laminate floors in the entire (basement) living room to get to a point where the floors are dry. A certain amount of drywall near the floor will also be cut open to ensure there is no water damage up along those walls. At that point, it is possible that there will be more obvious signs of where the breach is, but the fact remains that the restoration company will not perform any remediation work to seal up the breach unless it can be counted within the scope of the restoration. So we are still going to need someone to help us fix the breach.

Based on what we've gone through with my parents' flood, the initial part here is gonna be a bit slow because the restoration company needs to do all the due diligence stuff to check for contamination and hazardous materials (asbestos among others, and I'm sure the drywalls will have asbestos simply because of the age of the house).

It is gonna be a PITA, and I don't envy the stress my brother will have to put up with.

[SSM_DC5]

Finally done :alonehappy:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53651656175_06797e67a7_c.jpg

[6793026]

gutted the house, added a lot of pot lights etc.

My electrician wants and say we do need a sub panel which will be $2000

i need to know wtf, is it legit, is 2k reasonable... can anyone provide insight?

[SSM_DC5]

Electrical work is finished and he/she wants to add a subpanel after the fact? Are you upgrading service at all? Ie, you currently get 100A from the city, but electrician wants to make it 200A

[sonick]

I've been putting an effort into my lawn this year to see how good I can get it. Bought a soil analysis test, bought lime to neutralize the soil, fertilizer to adjust for nutrients that were missing based on the soil test, some top dressing and seed.

Well it's been ok but not as great as I'd hoped. I had a few bare areas from dead leaves and grubs over the winter and those unfortunately did not fill in.

https://i.imgur.com/KoFwhXc.jpeg

However the areas with existing grass is looking pretty good.

Finally cut the lawn today after seeding about 4 weeks ago to see thr initial results of all my hard work and $$$ as well as cleaned my glass patio cover.

https://i.imgur.com/RUSLKcj.jpeg



Next on the plan this weekend is to power wash the deck and patio furniture.

[SSM_DC5]

Did you climb on top of the cover or cleaned from the ladder? It looks really clean!

[sonick]

Did you climb on top of the cover or cleaned from the ladder? It looks really clean!

Cleaned from the ladder. I think I saw the installers stand on the cover but I'm not sure what weight it could support. Would be way easier if I stood on it.

There are streaks for sure, if I was patient to dry and wipe the squeegee each time it would be cleaner, but I ain't got no time for that


But yeah I did it from the ladder, I bought two of these from Princess Auto last autumn and made a 12ft pole just for this purpose

https://i.imgur.com/rC65End.jpeg

[Gerbs]

Shower head + faucet is leaking will need to replace the cartridge behind the knob.

Anyone done this before or should I hire someone?



Bathroom fan is also rattling and noisy!

[jing]

If you can find the part numbers and can turn a wrench the shower cartridge is a very easy DIY. Bathroom fan may take a little more skill depending if it's a re/re of the same model or if you're changing our to something else but not outside the skillset of most RSers if you have experience tinkering with your car.

[SSM_DC5]

Cleaned from the ladder. I think I saw the installers stand on the cover but I'm not sure what weight it could support. Would be way easier if I stood on it.

There are streaks for sure, if I was patient to dry and wipe the squeegee each time it would be cleaner, but I ain't got no time for that


But yeah I did it from the ladder, I bought two of these from Princess Auto last autumn and made a 12ft pole just for this purpose

...

The last people that washed and painted my awning used planks like this to get on top.
https://b2194183.smushcdn.com/2194183/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/IMG_3523-scaled.jpg?lossy=2&strip=1&webp=1

Shower head + faucet is leaking will need to replace the cartridge behind the knob.

Anyone done this before or should I hire someone?



Bathroom fan is also rattling and noisy!

I've changed a few. Not all are the same. Delta was a one piece, just pull out the old and push in the new. I think the other brand was Moen, and that was 2 part a mixer and diverter. Had to make 2 trips to the store cuz I changing only 1 part didn't solve the problem.

It's pretty simple, just need some basic tools and know how to shut off the water. Some rough in valves can let you shut off right at your shower, otherwise you need to shut off your whole place. I had to shut off my whole house each time I did the shower valve.

FYI if yours is Delta, try to utilize the lifetime warranty. It was pretty painless to get them to mail me a replacement.

[6793026]

Shower head + faucet is leaking will need to replace the cartridge behind the knob.

Anyone done this before or should I hire someone?

Bathroom fan is also rattling and noisy!

can be done yourself. just make sure you have the tools and ensure any nuts and bolts don't fall into the drain LOL. it does happen.

as for bathroom fan, take it out, give it a clean wipe and 99% of the time it'll be smooth unless the barring is done .

[Gerbs]

This is in a condo and I've been advised 2x that I shouldn't do the shower faucet because if I fuck up I may leak into floors below me.

But watching this video, seems super easy. But worried about liability.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4ttaJzoHrI&t=260s&ab_channel=PatriotDIY

[6793026]

Electrical work is finished and he/she wants to add a subpanel after the fact? Are you upgrading service at all? Ie, you currently get 100A from the city, but electrician wants to make it 200A
they are still working on the wiring.
saying they need more space' they can totally use these dual circuits... say it might trip 100AMP wth

total BS. hot water tank (not even the instant heating ones), heat pump / aC, oven, dryer.. no EV.. 2600 sq ft.. 4 rooms.. ic an't see how we can trip 100AMP unless they wire like shit.

https://i.ibb.co/Lg0sn5B/1.jpg
100 amp house
hot water tank
oven
https://i.ibb.co/yqSd7hw/2.jpg

[SSM_DC5]

This is in a condo and I've been advised 2x that I shouldn't do the shower faucet because if I fuck up I may leak into floors below me.

But watching this video, seems super easy. But worried about liability.

...

If you have your own shut off to your unit. DIY. Water isn't going to leak to other floors cuz the golden part of the rough in protrudes into the shower area, so excess water will drip into the shower and not behind the wall. Since you have already shut off the water to your suite, worst case is you have no water until a pro comes in and fixes it if you happen to fail. I skimmed the video, but that chrome ring removed by the belt, I was able to remove with my bare hands. If I wasn't able to use my hands I'd try gloved hands for more grip. I have a spare delta valve, looks the same as the one in the video. It only does on or off, if yours can choose hot and cold, then it's a different valve. If delta won't send you a new valve and mine is what you need, you can have it.

they are still working on the wiring.
saying they need more space' they can totally use these dual circuits... say it might trip 100AMP wth

total BS. hot water tank (not even the instant heating ones), heat pump / aC, oven, dryer.. no EV.. 2600 sq ft.. 4 rooms.. ic an't see how we can trip 100AMP unless they wire like shit.

https://i.ibb.co/Lg0sn5B/1.jpg
100 amp house
hot water tank
oven
https://i.ibb.co/yqSd7hw/2.jpg

If space is the problem, tell them to use the tandem breakers. If they plan to keep it at 100A service and still adding in the new circuits, it'll trip anyways whether it's 1 panel or 2. My suspicion is that they just want more room to work instead of having to shove wires in a tight spot. Couple tandems should be cheaper than a subpanel, cuz you'd have to buy a breaker to put in the main to feed the sub.

[snowball]

I've been putting an effort into my lawn this year to see how good I can get it. Bought a soil analysis test, bought lime to neutralize the soil, fertilizer to adjust for nutrients that were missing based on the soil test, some top dressing and seed.

Well it's been ok but not as great as I'd hoped. I had a few bare areas from dead leaves and grubs over the winter and those unfortunately did not fill in.

https://i.imgur.com/KoFwhXc.jpeg

However the areas with existing grass is looking pretty good.

Finally cut the lawn today after seeding about 4 weeks ago to see thr initial results of all my hard work and $$$ as well as cleaned my glass patio cover.

https://i.imgur.com/RUSLKcj.jpeg



Next on the plan this weekend is to power wash the deck and patio furniture.

It's a 3-4 year process to start from scratch. I'm on year 3 now and there are still some patches and each year that passes the patchiness becomes less and less. It's a lot of work, especially if there's lots of shade, but patience is key!

I've also been working on a 10 year old apple tree for 3 years now, has also finally started to look good, thinking it will be ready in another 2 years.

[6793026]

https://i.ibb.co/TRRCt41/1.jpg
our house reno, have a low voltage line - cabinet lights etc

https://i.ibb.co/Mpq38dQ/2.jpg
wife bought this and ripped out wiring and wants to thread her own with this.

https://i.ibb.co/m6scXws/3.jpg
will it work?

we are just too embarassed to ask the general contractor to ask the electrician...

[underscore]

I'm confused on what you're trying to do, but in that last picture no. You can't use 12V wiring for 120V and absolutely do not hook up 120V to a 12V device.

[SSM_DC5]

I'm confused too. There green mark is where you want to put the down light? What's the wall in the 2nd photo for?

[Hondaracer]

Are they light switches or outlets beside the window?

If they are outlets you could just meret a jumper and install a new box where you want the light fixture and run the 120v from the existing box to the new light.

If you wanted to really half ass it you could even just drill a hole and fish the wire itself from the existing box and just tuck it behind the fixture lol.. presumably though that fixture has some sort of mounting box no?

[Great68]

total BS.


No, not BS.

Just as a start:
Hot water tank: 20A
Heat Pump: 30A
Electric Dryer: 30A
Electric Range: 50A

Those 4 items alone all running simultaneously at full capacity are already above your 100A service's capability....



100AMP unless they wire like shit.


How they wire has no impact to how much current a load draws.

[Hondaracer]

That’s also why you include diversity though

But I agree, you’re basically at your limit for 100a

[Great68]

Yeah for a service load calc it'd look like this:

Basic Load (General lighting & receptacles), 2600sqft house: 30A
Range: 25A (50% of 12000W rated range)
Hot water tank: 5A (25% of rated load when house has an electric range)
AC: 30A (100% of rated value)
Electric Dryer: 7.5A (25% of rated load when house has an electric range)

=97.5A

It really is right on the cusp of that 100A service.

My point is that 6793026 is really out to lunch with his comment that the electrician was telling him BS that additional loads risked tripping...

[Hondaracer]

If anyone is needing a custom door, I recently dealt with Terra Doors in south van, really great experience.

They built me a totally custom door for my suite for $650, whereas most place just wanted to stick me with a cut down 34 or 36 inch door, pre hung exterior flat panel door very high quality threshold and jam. Good experience overall with good communication through the entire process and even threw in free delivery given it made everything easier for both of us

[Hondaracer]

If anyone has a tumble/condensing dryer at home and you start getting drain/pump errors you probably have this issue:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EJjd7iJoFTQ&feature=youtu.be

I have a different model than he does but mine was almost exactly the same in terms of opening and the issue, the lint sludge in the trap at the bottom. Started getting pump errors after about 10 minutes of drying. Did this and vacuumed/wiped down the sump and venting inside. Works like brand new now

If you have any sort of ability using a screw driver you can do this

[BIC_BAWS]

If anyone is needing a custom door, I recently dealt with Terra Doors in south van, really great experience.

They built me a totally custom door for my suite for $650, whereas most place just wanted to stick me with a cut down 34 or 36 inch door, pre hung exterior flat panel door very high quality threshold and jam. Good experience overall with good communication through the entire process and even threw in free delivery given it made everything easier for both of usWho did you work with there?

That sounds reasonable. I need a custom door for my suite as well. The robbers broke the door around Christmas. We installed a metal gate, but a new door would be better.

Sent from my SM-G781W using Tapatalk

[EvoFire]

Need some help and suggestions from the RS collective hive mind on how to proceed after a basement flooding event.

The atmospheric river we had on Monday resulted in a section of my brother's basement flooding. His house is an old bungalow in a long rectangular shape, and the water pooled at one end where the fireplace is. We actually have no clue how or where the water came from -- on Monday night when the rain was coming down hard, he noticed that water just started seeping out from the laminate floor, and it gradually pooled up to about the size of a queen / king size bed. It never got very deep, and they were able to soak the water up when the rain stopped on Tuesday.

Obviously insurance has been called, and a restoration company has come to take an initial look. The restoration work will proceed, and will probably take a few months to complete. We've gone through the very same process a few years ago when my parents' bungalow basement suffered a really bad flood, so we know the drill in how the restoration will happen.

But what we don't know and desperately need help with is on identifying the water breach and getting that fixed. With my parents' home, that was the easy part because our sump pit drain got clogged, so the atmospheric river water backed up and overflowed from the sump pit, flooding the entire basement in a good 2" - 3" of water. But in my brother's case, we honestly have no idea -- the sump pit is not at that end of the house, and it didn't overflow.

It'd be pointless to do the restoration work if we are unable to identify the breach because the same flooding will happen all over again at the next atmospheric river event -- or maybe even just from heavy rain. The restoration company has already indicated that they can only do the restoration work, and has no interest in performing any work to identify and/or repair the breach.

So we are stuck here because we literally have no clue on how we can even proceed. We are thinking we need to hire somebody who can help us identify some potential sources of the breach, and perform the necessary work to eliminate those potential causes. We know that would likely be educated guesswork instead of definitively identifying where the breach is, but we are not even sure who we can/should talk to to get the ball rolling.

I know we have a lot of trades / construction knowledge in RS, and I know we have a lot of experienced home owners that are far more knowledgeable and resourceful than I am, so I am hoping I can tap into your brains to help my brother out.

Thank you for your help in advance.

Have you guys made any progress since? It's been a few months since it happened.

We recently did some work in the basement and your case made me think of two things that we were dealing with.

1. We had a small crack in the foundation, about 1 inch long. We learned that typically there's a waterproof paint that's added to the outside of the concrete foundation, at least for a house from our era. The crack meant the waterproofing at that spot was compromised. It wasn't a HUGE leak but the concrete surrounding the crack was damp during the atmospheric rivers. In the week that it was dry, the concrete dried off. We sealed it from the inside but it's not a true fix, it just keeps the water from coming through the crack, but concrete is porous so there will always be some moisture. The proper fix would be to dig up the concrete walkway that surrounds the house and properly seal it from the outside. I didn't want to embark on that right now as I simply don't have money.

2. We had to dig in the basement and we found ground water during the atmospheric river. We live on a hill so the ground water appeared on the deeper/more in the hill side of the house. We consulted some builders and engineers and they said if it's below the bottom of the foundation, it's not unexpected.

So combined those two things, you may run into a flooded basement without any visible source during very heavy rainfall.

[Traum]

It is quite a coincidence that you are asking just now. My brother's place has just recently finished the remediation work, and I helped him moved the final bits of furniture back down into the basement this past weekend.

After a LOT of asking around, they found a plumbing company that was willing to look into the work, and it turned out to be a *really* big mess. Their bungalow is ~60 yrs old, but we don't really know whether any renovations have been done to the any of the foundation concrete or drain pipes. As it turned out, however, the old drain pipes were all brittle and cracked, so there was definitely water seepage coming into the basement through that during heavy rain. On top, they found a crack in the foundation (on the outside, I believe) near where the drain pipe was, and they suspect that was likely allowing water to come into the basement as well.

As both a remedial and preventative measure, the plumbing company dug a trench all around my brother's bungalow, replaced the drain pipes, re-applied water sealing all around the foundation concrete, and covered everything up again. It was hugely expensive and took a long time because a lot of the work could only be done during good weather.

Based on what you said in #1, the fix that my brother had to do is likely the same "proper fix" that you mentioned. If your inside seal is working well enough, I would (naively) just leave it at that. Or potentially, if you are concerned, I wonder how viable it is to just dig up that side of the house a bit, and only re-seal the foundation around the vicinity of where the crack is found?

[EvoFire]

How much did it cost to dig and reseal? I didn't get a number, but it said that I can just patch it, dig up that 3 ft where the crack is. Thing is, the crack is 1" on the inside, it might be much bigger on the outside. Though at least it runs straight up and down and not sideways.

[Hondaracer]

Fuck yea what a mess and if your house is so close to the next that it has to be all hand dug that’s $$$$

[underscore]

Finally we're getting it painted, 11 years of staring at butter yellow is enough. It's hard to get an accurate photo of the new colour but we're really liking it so far.

https://i.imgur.com/9Wwl14w.jpeg

[Liquid_o2]

Is that teal? Bold move.

[Traum]

You DIY-ing this? My goodness... you're a god to me~ :bowdown:

[underscore]

Oh hell no, I have zero painting skills. Just doing my wheels was bad enough. We hired pros for this, it's lighter and less blue in person, but definitely a bold colour. We were thinking grey at first but 3 houses up the street did that recently and we wanted something more exciting. Picking a colour was hard cause almost everything is an improvement on the yellow lol.

[snowball]

Oh hell no, I have zero painting skills. Just doing my wheels was bad enough. We hired pros for this, it's lighter and less blue in person, but definitely a bold colour. We were thinking grey at first but 3 houses up the street did that recently and we wanted something more exciting. Picking a colour was hard cause almost everything is an improvement on the yellow lol.

What are they doing for prep? Always curious to learn how they keep the paint on after being covered in dirt and soot for so many years. Then I look at my neighbour, whose house is actively shedding and they had it painted in 2021.

[underscore]

They came by a bit before and pressure washed the whole place, I'm not sure what they're doing for the stucco now but I can hear them doing something before they spray. The wood trim was all scuffed up and sanded a bit before they brush it.

[Hondaracer]

I think it will look pretty good, somthing different that isn’t totally crazy lol

Reminds me of my parents Aerostar :lol

[underscore]

It's looking pretty sharp with the trim painted white.

The pic really does look like Aerostar green lol. I'll have to play around and try to get a more accurate looking shot.

[bcrdukes]

Never in a day of my life I would ever come across someone painting their house Aerostar Green. Just fantastic. :D

[68style]

Late to the party, but I'm digging this.

I might be rolling around in Kelowna in mid September... have to sus out this house now... I'll just ask around if anyone knows what path leads to the Aerostar

[bcrdukes]

Somewhat related, but I recall seeing a few articles where it mentions Conan O'Brien still owns his '92 Ford Taurus SHO in this exact colour.

[68style]

His SHO is like a dark forest green... or emerald... forget what they called it.

It's less blue/teal than this.

[Koflach]

Last month we had the blower fan go out on our HVAC system. It was great timing as it happened during the big heat wave during the second week of July, so we had no AC for a few days (i know, first world problems). A couple weeks later, we noticed a lot of water outside of our mechanical room and assumed we had an issue with our hot water or possibly a grey water back up. Nope, it turns out the fan going down caused the drip pan for our central AC do get a hole in it and we had a slow leak for over a week.

So, now we are waiting for insurance to do it's thing and we will get rid of the carpet/dated moulding in our basement for new vinyl plank and baseboard/casing to match the rest of the house. Hopefully, my work discount on building materials will bridge the gap between what they will cover for carpet and the cost of the new flooring.

EDIT: I forgot to mention, our AC is down again as we are waiting for the HVAC guy to come back and fix the tray as he isn't available until Tuesday. Good times.

[AzNightmare]

Finally we're getting it painted, 11 years of staring at butter yellow is enough. It's hard to get an accurate photo of the new colour but we're really liking it so far.

https://i.imgur.com/9Wwl14w.jpeg

How's it look now? Any updates with a more accurate colour?

[underscore]

I tried to play around with editing it a bit, I got it looking closer on my laptop but it makes everything else look a bit fucky.

https://i.imgur.com/GCYSsY0.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/vrDgDHm.jpeg

[bcrdukes]

Sweet Jesus. I love it. :sweetjesus:

[Traum]

Aerostar green... damn...

I used to work as a lot boy at Budget Rent a Car, and they had plenty of Aerostars, including some in that Aerostar green...

[bcrdukes]

BBQ @ underscore's place? :D

[Hondaracer]

I like it

Those garage doors are unfortunate though lol

I’d say just bite the bullet and get the white slab doors for the garage now and enjoy your need paint job to the fullest for the next decade lol

[snowball]

I think the trim would look better beige like the gutters?

[underscore]

I like it

Those garage doors are unfortunate though lol

I’d say just bite the bullet and get the white slab doors for the garage now and enjoy your need paint job to the fullest for the next decade lol

That's the plan, we skipped painting them because they're beat to shit and original from 1988 so due for a replacement anyways. Trying to get quotes has only been slightly easier than the paint quote. Everyone is so busy now it's hard to even get someone to call you back.

Gutters are getting swapped to white as well. Those are only 24 years old but they weren't done right to begin with. Weirdly swapping the soffits (?) costs twice as much as the gutters and downspouts so we *might* skip that for now.

[sonick]

That's the plan, we skipped painting them because they're beat to shit and original from 1988 so due for a replacement anyways. Trying to get quotes has only been slightly easier than the paint quote. Everyone is so busy now it's hard to even get someone to call you back.

Gutters are getting swapped to white as well. Those are only 24 years old but they weren't done right to begin with. Weirdly swapping the soffits (?) costs twice as much as the gutters and downspouts so we *might* skip that for now.

Not sure who you've reached out to for garage door but I used Casp Enterprises out of surrey on bcrduke's recommendation and was happy with them.

[underscore]

It looks like they don't have a branch in the Okanagan but I appreciate the recommendation.

[bcrdukes]

Casp is good, but yes, as you mentioned, they are only in GVRD. :(

[red kryptonite]

last aug i picked up some flooring during a closingout sale for my basement rental, then tenant decided to renew their contract for another year. so these been sitting, taking up room, collecting dust. fast forward 1yr later, finally got around to redoing the floors. shout out to my contractor buddy that did all the actual work, i was just the gofer.

https://tnstatic.net/attachments/thumbnail_img_5861-jpg.1041183/

[G]

Anyone have any recommendations for TV installations? Looking to wall mount a TV and hide wiring etc etc

[EvoFire]

I finally put my dryer back together after the water pump died. I bought a bunch of door/windows seals from home depot so I could do a better job of sealing the ducting in the dryer, so there's less leakage. Also cleaned up the condenser coils. First full run of laundry and it's performing significantly better than before.

The Whirlpool build quality was significantly lacking.

[unit]

Anyone have any recommendations for TV installations? Looking to wall mount a TV and hide wiring etc etc

depends on how fancy you want to get. at my apartment i hired someone to put an outlet on the wall behind the tv, just took a bit of fishing to get the wires up and a bit of electrical knowhow.

a slightly simpler solution is to use a kit like this. you still have to make a few holes in the wall and presumably behind your tv console you will route the power cable into a new wall port, then that port connects to another port behind your tv. it's not as elegant but if it's all hidden it doesnt matter.

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-xGp5qQqudEN/p_051WSIWP1W/Sanus-WSIWP1-W1-In-Wall-Cable-Management-Kit.html

lastly the simplest thing is to just put a little cable raceway on the wall that isnt as much of an eyesore as the black power and hdmi cables.

[BIC_BAWS]

Walked into HD to try to find some hoses, ended up getting a duct cleaning service. Not sure if it's a scam but $323 for duct cleaning on 14 vents, dryer vent cleaning (I try to make sure I remove any excess but there was a shit ton in there that was stuck), and furnace cleaning.

Probably a scam, but I'm treating it like fresh fluids when you buy a used car.

I was hoping (not with very high hopes) that the duct cleaning would solve my furnace overheating issues. But it didn't. I'm trying to tackle all the easy shit either myself or with someone else before calling an HVAC guy. I may... attempt to switch out the limit switch, but probably not cause it's hidden far away behind a bunch of shit. They really don't make these things easily serviceable.

Funny thing, I was switching out the flame sensor with just feel. My dad was like so it's like working on a car right? I'm like yep. Can't see shit, just gotta guess and feel.

[sonick]

Walked into HD to try to find some hoses, ended up getting a duct cleaning service. Not sure if it's a scam but $323 for duct cleaning on 14 vents, dryer vent cleaning (I try to make sure I remove any access but there was a shit ton in there that was stuck), and furnace cleaning.

Probably a scam, but I'm treating it like fresh fluids when you buy a used car.

I was hoping (not with very high hopes) that the duct cleaning would solve my furnace overheating issues. But it didn't. I'm trying to tackle all the easy shit either myself or with someone else before calling an HVAC guy. I may... attempt to switch out the limit switch, but probably not cause it's hidden far away behind a bunch of shit. They really don't make these things easily serviceable.

Funny thing, I was switching out the flame sensor with just feel. My dad was like so it's like working on a car right? I'm like yep. Can't see shit, just gotta guess and feel.

Doesn't seem too expensive for all those vents. Pls update us on how it goes, I have been dragging my heels on getting the dryer vent cleaned coz i hear it can be a fire hazard if not cleaned regularly.

[BIC_BAWS]

Oh I just had it done. Still think it's lowkey a scam, but I'm trying to convince myself it's the same as changing fluids on a used car - peace of mind that it's done.

The dryer vent cleaning ($50) is well worth doing as a lot was stuck inside of it, but it looks like you just need an air compressor and a really long hose. I'll probably DIY it next time, guy said that it should be done every two years or so.

I thought the duct cleaning was going to be a lot more intensive with a hose whipping the vents to loosen up build up, but it was stick a hose with 10lbs of pressurized air and call it a day. Anecdotally, the air intake to the furnace is a lot cooler to the touch compared to before, but my furnace continues to throw an overheat code LOL.

For reference:

https://i.imgur.com/T9KEKCV.png

I paid $100 cash on top of this for the dryer vent service + furnace cleaning (this part was a scam, he just blew compressed air in the furnace to loosen up the dust build up). And as per usual, multi point inspection is a gimmick.

[underscore]

Dryer vents you can also clear out with a leaf blower pretty easily.

[sonick]

I looked at doing it myself but the exterior vent cover at my place only opens like 1cm and I can't fit anything in there.

I didn't want to bother trying to spend a bunch of time removing the vent cover, so I think it would need to be vacuumed out from inside the house instead, which I can't DIY (or don't really want to)

[BIC_BAWS]

So the EI builder that reno'd my place prior to me purchasing outfitted the entire house with these pot/can lights that was likely discounted old stock because we can't find them available for purchase anymore anywhere, they're two pin not 3 pin, and they've all burnt out miraculously quickly.

My question is, is there an easy way to figure out if it's two pin instead of 3 pin from the product information? I purchased what I thought were replacements, but they're three pin and I can't rip the junction box out, it's fixed into the ceiling surrounded by some kinda of plastic wrap and insulation.

https://i.imgur.com/PiYDYlX.jpeg

Oddly enough, this pic that I ripped from reddit is from a guy in the US with the exact same flooring and lighting (mine says 4/19 too) as me. Also it turns out the light itself is 4", but the entire unit is 5".

[SSM_DC5]

Haven't opened one in a while, but I think the junction box is actually like a ballast in your car xenon system...... Might be hard to reach now, but you might need to get through that wrap and insulation eventually in the future. I recall my connector being keyed, but I forgot how many prongs.

[snowball]

So the EI builder that reno'd my place prior to me purchasing outfitted the entire house with these pot/can lights that was likely discounted old stock because we can't find them available for purchase anymore anywhere, they're two pin not 3 pin, and they've all burnt out miraculously quickly.

My question is, is there an easy way to figure out if it's two pin instead of 3 pin from the product information? I purchased what I thought were replacements, but they're three pin and I can't rip the junction box out, it's fixed into the ceiling surrounded by some kinda of plastic wrap and insulation.

https://i.imgur.com/PiYDYlX.jpeg

Oddly enough, this pic that I ripped from reddit is from a guy in the US with the exact same flooring and lighting (mine says 4/19 too) as me. Also it turns out the light itself is 4", but the entire unit is 5".

Are you certain they fixed the junction box? Were you actually able to grab it and made sure it's screwed in? Most builders just leave them sitting there because it's highly likely to fail. It won't be that deep, maybe 6" from where you unplugged it when you pulled it out.

I got the YUURTA brand from amazon, I just checked my leftovers, they are 2-pin like the one you have there. 3000K is closer to 4000k in my opinion with this brand FYI, the 4000k is VERY blue.

[6793026]

Oh I just had it done. Still think it's lowkey a scam, but I'm trying to convince myself it's the same as changing fluids on a used car - peace of mind that it's done.

The dryer vent cleaning ($50) is well worth doing as a lot was stuck inside of it, but it looks like you just need an air compressor and a really long hose. I'll probably DIY it next time, guy said that it should be done every two years or so.

I thought the duct cleaning was going to be a lot more intensive with a hose whipping the vents to loosen up build up, but it was stick a hose with 10lbs of pressurized air and call it a day. Anecdotally, the air intake to the furnace is a lot cooler to the touch compared to before, but my furnace continues to throw an overheat code LOL.

For reference:

https://i.imgur.com/T9KEKCV.png

I paid $100 cash on top of this for the dryer vent service + furnace cleaning (this part was a scam, he just blew compressed air in the furnace to loosen up the dust build up). And as per usual, multi point inspection is a gimmick.

it's not bad... i did mine for around that price. Keep in mind I was there hte whole time and i watched how he worked. I had a super bright flashlight so it was exciting to see what happened.

I did ask the guy, how are you diff from the IG brown guys
a) the compressor are all the same (it's just blowing air
b) the suction vaccuum was 'higher' power.
c) the solution is bio good solution 'meh'


i do have to say, we had a 2 yr construction so i could see why it was needed when i followed him around.

[underscore]

I had a busted sprinkler so I swapped it out and ran the system briefly to aim the new one. As I'm walking around the lawn checking the coverage I feel a super squishy spot in the lawn. It even feels springy from the water pressure so I figure great, a broken line. Not a huge deal so I grab the shovel and start digging. Instead of a broken line, I find this.

https://i.imgur.com/jkhAgit.jpeg

An entire sprinkler buried about 2-3" below the top of the dirt. That one leaked like mad obviously so I swapped it for a spare I had, swiveled it up so it was actually above the ground, and now I've got a little better coverage in that part of the lawn. I'm pretty sure that thing was buried for at least 18 years lol.

[bcrdukes]

Only ballers have sprinkler systems!

[red kryptonite]

only ballers water the grass :fuckthatshit:

[BIC_BAWS]

I lost the thread for home DIYs, but I'm looking for product reccos for wood staining for a fence. If it makes a diff it's heat treated fir? My only priority is protecting the fence from the elements.

[Traum]

I'm not sure if this counts as a recommendation or not, but I have used the HD house brand penetrating oil wood finish on my wood sidings before, and the results are only OK.

This is probably the product that I used before:

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/behr-premium-transparent-penetrating-oil-wood-finish-cedar-naturaltone-no-4001-3-79l/1001001148

The results are only OK in the sense that in the first year, the penetrating oil appears to have done quite a good job in keeping water from getting the wood wet. I think we are in year 3 or 4 not, and I am 100% certain the coating is no longer working. I'll need to find some time to repaint the whole siding again.

It's a little disappointing to me bcos the reviews I read suggested that the stuff should have lasted longer (in offering weather protection).

[Hondaracer]

I lost the thread for home DIYs, but I'm looking for product reccos for wood staining for a fence. If it makes a diff it's heat treated fir? My only priority is protecting the fence from the elements.

If it’s colored you want cloverdale paint shark skin is good

[BIC_BAWS]

tbh idk what I want, but I just want good... protection.

[roastpuff]

Varathane Polyurethane outdoor finish/stain.

[Hondaracer]

Anyone bought a new front door lately?

Just looking for a supplier, I install

[Euro7r]

Garage door spring snapped in half. Youtube DIY looks straight forward, but then people say online this is dangerous and lethal that it can kill you. As long as you aren't standing in front of the spring, would think it's safe to DIY? Parts is like $100. Would think hiring someone to do it be a few bills. Anyone replaced their garage spring before?

[Hondaracer]

It’s under HELLA tension, I’d be scared to fuck with it personally

[donk.]

Ive been occupied for the last 1.5 months:

Short version for you with ADHD:

Before:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54685855155_b33c0d96aa_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rjpivD)

After:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54685850715_68e727858e_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rjphc6)

Long version for those of you interested, photo heavy, 20+ photos below



Let me start off by saying a few things:

-The garage floor had shit all over it when we were buying, so i did not even realize it was 5 different slabs, and not a single pour. Rumor has it the complex ran out of money, and our set of houses were built last.

-There was a pipe blowout, so the ceiling is caved by a few inches in a corner, not to mention all the pretty stains.

-The concrete was in "bad" condition, when i called the epoxy company after sending them photos, they straight up told me over the phone "this is probably the worst floor we have seen in 10+ years."

-Budget: I had an idea of 5k for everything

Before:

Floor condition:
-The floor was rough, the 5 slabs had up to half an inch difference in height, some slabs are "arced" as in they are not flat, the slabs had holes, cuts, grooves, you name it. Also i should add it had a coating, spills, oil, all sorts of shit on it.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54685851455_2ea0b42649_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rjphpR)

Photo showing the height difference between two slabs, they literally poured cement between them for the transition.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54684700422_57ec902aee_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rjiofs)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54685850870_45390e337c_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rjpheL)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54685743678_0404978c7f_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rjoJnC)

I probably spent a week simply looking at just the floor at this point, debating what i wanted to do.

1. Leave it.
2. Paint it and call it a day.
3. Epoxy it.
4. Tile it.
5. Self level it then one of the above.

After hours of research, and debating how much of my back i wanted to put into this, i decided to order an epoxy kit + polyaspartic kit.
Originally i wanted to do white, but the epoxy guys convinced me to do black, as it would hide all the floor imperfections.
Looking back now, i wish i did do white. Painting a pile of shit white would have been fine.

While that was on order, i got to prepping the surface, clean surface = good bond.

At first, i made the mistake of reading that you should dry grind your floors. Man was this a bad idea. After spending 4+hrs dry grinding, everything in the garage was coated in dust, not to mention to cloud it made outside.

For the next x days, probably 2-4hrs per day, i wet grinded the floor. My dumb ass used a handheld with 4" disk. Why? Because im a jew, and didnt want to rent the 12" heavy duty roll around version. This was a mistake, should have paid, picked up, and used the full blown unit for doing 400sqft.

To my defence, i dont think the large unit would have worked too well anyways, since the floor was so messed up, a 12" disc would not get into all the grooves, edges, and misalignment of the floor.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54685851375_c1b9767c2c_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rjphot)

Then i poured concrete in all the cracks, gaps, etc, to make it somewhat level.
I also used that elastic fill shit, this was a mistake. It was hard to "grind down" and the epoxy did not like sticking to it.

At this point i probably spent about 20hrs prepping the floor including parts pick up, grinding, filling, grinding again, cleaning, pressure washing etc.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54685743573_15d642ee6e_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rjoJkP)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54684700292_dda6009e8f_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rjiodd)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54685851315_e71329f39a_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rjphnr)

Epoxy arrived, the guys convinced me to buy double what i needed, because my floor was in such poor shape.

It came on a god dam pallet

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54685519271_c6afe0acd2_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rjnzEx)

Anyways, at this point the epoxy was ready to be poured.
This was much more difficult that i thought it would be, but well worth the effort.
The epoxy guys state that you should not run a fan, as that can move dust around and blow things you dont want into your pour.
On the other hand, the P100 full respirator i was wearing, was not enough for the pour, my lungs felt funny for a few days afterward. Il add it to my asbestos, lead, and vermiculite diet. Looking back now, i would run 2, maybe 3 box fans 24/7 during this process.

After the epoxy coat + flake:
Probably about 4hrs total.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54685851085_7ce7a38a20_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rjphit)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54685851010_2bc83e3109_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rjphhb)

The worst part was the scraping, used a 12" metal scraper with 6ft extension to get all the flake off, my god was this a workout.
Maybe if the floor was flat it would not be an issue, but since mine was so messed up, the tool would catch edges, get stuck, etc.

Probably another 2hrs scraping.

Now for the polyaspartic coat, this went overtop the flake.
This shit dries FAST, they didnt lie in the instructions that you need to work fast. Good thing the gf was there helping me open boxes and tossing me shit. Not a solo job.
At the 400sqft mark, it started to set on me, just finished in time.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54684699967_254709f969_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rjio7B)

This shit also stank for several days. I think the epoxy was worse, but they both had a stank to it. Some people online have stated their pours never stopped smelling, probably bad product / open insulation in the house / open doors, who knows what.

Floor was now done, highly regretted doing it during the grinding process and flake scraping, but when it was done, my god what a difference. It also helped "fill" the differences between the slabs.

Onto the walls and ceiling:

Before:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54685519341_0a11669990_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rjnzFK)

Options were:
1. Paint
2. Tile
3. Click lock laminate
4. Glue on laminate

Keep in mind im a jew at heart, so i spent about 2 weeks at this point waiting for a deal to pop up online for some used but new shit.

I ended up buying 1300sqft of glue on flooring, for 700$.

I made a mistake buying all of it as glue on, should have bought the ceiling stuff as click lock.

I really wanted to do tile, but after doing tiling in the past, with the weight, mess, it was just not worth it.

Walls:

Probably spent about 20hrs on the walls, its all brad nailed down.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54685851575_a1c11e5fa7_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rjphrV)

Ceiling:

Probably spent about 30hrs on the ceiling, also brad nailed down.
Originally i knew the glue on stuff would be a problem, i just didnt realize how much of a problem it would be.
Furthermore, my ceiling material is dust like, can not be glued down. Anyways, i did a section of the ceiling when it was like 20C outside, looked "fine", the next day was 26C or 28C outside, my garage absolutely cooks due to no insulation. So all the flooring "melted" (expanded) and then drooped down. (and then returned back to flat once temps dropped)
Solution? Add more nails!

For Hondaracers expert builder eyes only:



It looked even worse before i added 3x nails into this, like a wave of laminate....

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54684700537_a6324b9921_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rjiohr)


While i was doing that, i wanted some accent lighting, and once again, my cheap ass did not want to install actual tile, so the solution was this.

-Build box out of wood
-Wrap it in vinyl fake stone
-Slap on a accent light
-Run power to motion sensor

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54684700127_785a4f0eea_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rjioan)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54685850690_2496179f39_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rjphbE)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54684699917_17be9bd9ab_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rjio6K)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54685760334_86b0b96f96_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rjoPjN)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54685743798_2e4fb57637_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rjoJpG)

All together:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54685519776_53e106505d_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rjnzPf)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54685850715_68e727858e_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rjphc6)

Total costs:
-Grinding, filling, etc 200$
-Epoxy / Polyaspartic 1600$ from powercoat. Could have gotten away with 1/3 less material.
-Walls / ceiling 800$
-9 Shelf film cabinet 160$
-New black shelving and racking 400$
-New lighting X5 250$
-Accent lighting and fake stone pillars 400$

Well below budget, but i still have tool chests, benches, metal/woodwork shit to pick up.

If you add the lift, thats an extra 2600$ used.

Total hours:
Probably around 80.

To finish:
-Baseboard trim
-Extend lift wood ramp, tires too big to fit on current set up
-Epoxy coat the wood ramp, to match the floor once complete
-More tool chests / workbench / upper storage / sink / AC install
-Paint the door / trim, etc




Bonus:

Did a basic bathroom reno, before:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54685519646_66e0439999_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rjnzM1)

After:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54685850705_07890c492a_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rjphbV)

-Glue on floor 150$
-Vinyl wrap top and cabinets 150$
-Sink / faucet 240$
-Shitter 250$
-Paint, trim, etc 100$

Add 10hrs for everything

Dont have the funds to spend 10k-30k on a proper reno, so cracktown special it was.

[jing]

Doesn't flooring go on the floor? :troll:

[donk.]

Doesn't flooring go on the floor? :troll:

Not when your as cheap as i am :badpokerface:

[Hondaracer]

That floor was fucked lol.. would have been tempted to just hire some labour ready crack heads and jack hammer the entire thing out, although that would have obviously cost a lot more

[SSM_DC5]

Garage door spring snapped in half. Youtube DIY looks straight forward, but then people say online this is dangerous and lethal that it can kill you. As long as you aren't standing in front of the spring, would think it's safe to DIY? Parts is like $100. Would think hiring someone to do it be a few bills. Anyone replaced their garage spring before?

After you finish the job, lend me the winding rods. I have some springs to wind :toot:

[donk.]

Ive been occupied V2:

Our place is top floor, absolute cooker mid summer, just beeeaaaming with sweat sleeping or eating dinner

Solution? Install a HP.

After some planning, i came up with a 3 ton (36,000btu HP), for approx 1000sqft+400sqft garage. (2nd bedroom no cooling)
9k bedroom
18k garage
18k living room

Took 2 months to get a god dam strata permit, and 3 days to install the majority of it.

Costs? Thats a secret, il let you do the math on supplier raw costs.

Before / in progress:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54725587721_e6c7f48342_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rnUWBT)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54725548761_0fda538a04_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rnUK3a)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54725765689_f44955a6e6_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rnVRwi)

Made the mistake of trying to run 3 sets of lineset, 4 tech cable, drain, and controls thru this god dam flex fortress.
Ended up cutting a slit on one side, and just "snapping" it overtop the section that was needed.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54725748753_8720ecb4f0_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rnVLui)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54725765679_6458d5f1ec_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rnVRw8)

Original plan was to run it all in the ceiling crawl space, then i learned its all god dam closed off. So it ran it ghetto as it was the only option.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54725563631_1f7c87af75_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rnUPsx)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54725546686_27819338fe_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rnUJqo)

Luckely for me, all of the areas, with exception of the hallway, are storage rooms, that i can just cover up with wood / drywall.

Hallway after covering with 5/8mdf and painting:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54725767174_4d0922e72f_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rnVRXU)

After:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54725886940_ae074086f1_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rnWtyQ)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54725886860_9177313549_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rnWtxs)


Living:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54725750048_92354cceaf_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rnVLSC)

Garage: dont have any heat or ac here. And the garage is the biggest cooker of the entire place since the ceiling space is non insulated.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54725549951_d3c542f56d_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rnUKoF)

Bed:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54724713027_4c5421a82f_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2rnQsAX)

Things i wish i did differently:

1. Run the bedroom unit to a different wall, so that i could run the drain by gravity. This would have meant having exposed piping (with covers), but at least i would not need the condensate pump, noisy bastard. Im going to buy a different one and move it elsewhere.

2: No way in hell am i fitting 3 sets of lineset, 4 tech cables, controls, and drain in 4.5" fortress (outside shielding) ever again.
I knew it "would fit" but my god is it ever minimal space to snap on the covers.
Should have run 2 fortress sets.

3. Braze rather than flare all the connections, should have known better. Pressure held, then when i pulled vacuum, i had 2 blowouts when i was re strapping some sections. No big deal, cut out and re braze.

At the end of the day, my god, what a difference, its the first time in my life i could actually install AC/HP in a place i live. God dam bylaws in other places.

[Eff-1]

2 months to get a strata permit is great. that's lightning speed lol.

[SSM_DC5]

What solutions are out there for water detection?
Specifically detecting water leaking out the washing machine. I got an overflow pan under my top load and some times as the tub sloshes around, water goes up over the top of the barrel and into the overflow pan. Is there a solution to cut the power to the washer if water is detected in the overflow plan?

[Fafine]

What solutions are out there for water detection?
Specifically detecting water leaking out the washing machine. I got an overflow pan under my top load and some times as the tub sloshes around, water goes up over the top of the barrel and into the overflow pan. Is there a solution to cut the power to the washer if water is detected in the overflow plan?

can get a new washing machine?

theres systems like these where itll shut off the water supply once it detects water
https://splashes.com/products/floodstop-fs34h90-washing-machine-leak-detection-kit-3-by-4-90-degree-hot-cold-valves-20010?variant=42078864605392&country=CA&currency=CAD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&tw_source=google&tw_adid=713834867898&tw_campaign=21715567813&tw_kwdid=pla-296731747429&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21715567813&gbraid=0AAAAApntndcODrz68vxY2AWAmrGPRtvq9&gclid=CjwKCAjwiY_GBhBEEiwAFaghvk-_7RmSJrdE-b7b0d04SaKgnLL1Oh19lGTOUZ1YjCxrqSM8qoWeWRoCuEkQAvD _BwE

or get one of these guys https://www.amazon.ca/Detector-Wireless-Notification-Security-Basement/dp/B07J9HZ5VN/ref=asc_df_B07J9HZ5VN?mcid=25cf953b3d953839b37c438 6b1481cad&tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=706725384624&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11049905875624814288&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9001563&hvtargid=pla-603863177485&psc=1&hvocijid=11049905875624814288-B07J9HZ5VN-&hvexpln=0&gad_source=1

pair it with these guys https://www.amazon.ca/Kasa-Smart-Monitoring-Compact-Certified/dp/B0BYGRLRS1/ref=asc_df_B0BYGRLRS1?mcid=ba904203fdf93ffbb5815ea c934bdc97&tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=706725384630&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16301776393194298478&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9001563&hvtargid=pla-2253200737437&hvocijid=16301776393194298478-B0BYGRLRS1-&hvexpln=0&gad_source=1&th=1

and youll have to manually shut it off through your phone once you get an alert

[RabidRat]

I remember finally completing our 2x mini split install in our house in California. We had no AC the whole first year, and it was fucking magical to finally not be suffering in the heat anymore. Life changing.

Feels super satisfying reading your thread. Kudos man!

http://i.imgur.com/zGHNzyG.jpg

[underscore]

Has anyone had their electrical panel replaced recently? I might need to get mine done soon and I'm wondering if there's anything I should/shouldn't look into getting.

[Great68]

Are you replacing your panel to do a service upgrade or something?