DIY Home Improvement Thread..

[PCS]

Sigh. Bad enough trying to repair things that people who think they know what they're doing have done. Now I have to fix stuff that someone who did know what they were doing did,(shortcut). Guy who previously owned this house is an electrician. I go to put in some new LED exterior lights and discover :yikes: that there is no outlet box in the present ones. :mad:

[Koolblue13]

change to a larger size orifice or drill it out a bit

You mean the gas burners themselves?

[dfitzo53]

You mean the gas burners themselves?

Well let's hope he wasn't talking about you... :paranoid:

[PCS]

Despite being against code,those lights look pretty darn cool when lit up. I'll be getting them up to code here soon though. That and replacing the porch light with something like the lights I just put up. Foundation work will start in a month or so. Budget wise,this is a relatively inexpensive fix. Once that is done and the roof bracing is redone,(looks like I'll have to do that too),we'll be able to start work on some interior stuff. :cool:

[PCS]

So in between now and the time we raise the floor,we decide to get busy on a few landscaping projects,(while working on the exterior of the house too). These of course,quickly expanded as we thought long term and started to get things designed. We go out back to get some of that prepped as well,and beneath a small pile of river rock we wanted to get rid of we find an old diy pond underneath. Complete with a tarp as a liner. :doh: Instead of removing the tarp and backfilling it with dirt,one previous owner decided to dump a whole lot of river rock in to it. Sigh. Years of water collection and organic decay,(won't even think about what else might have been in there. It was a bachelor pad at one time. :paranoid: ),combined for quite the...er.......mess. Lord that stuff stunk. So my fiance' and I decided no to walk away but to attack the area. Yikes. Removed what had to be close to a thousand pounds of rock,scooped out the very stagnant water and drug out not one,but a couple of tarps,(one in very good shape. We'll keep that one). The whole time we're doing this,the area became an living insect museum. Several different kinds of spiders and beetles,ants,worms,centipedes,every fly in the valley,and one snake,(that one succeeded and making me jump,but I recovered and relocated the little guy). I swear the smell was around for days.

The other landscaping project is taking place out front. We're removing all the grass,grading the area,and putting in pavers,gravel,and a variety of plants and flowers that will be primarily indigenous to the area. I'll be taking up the poorly done diy paver border/walkway along the back side of the house,(needs to be taken up anyway. Hardly any sand and a some poorly compacted dirt that has buckled and is now causing some drainage towards the house),and using it in the front. We're going to convert the again,poorly done sprinkler system into a drip system in the front as well. :whew: Then I'll tackle the back and the floor. And the garage,and the planters and..........

Edited March 31, 2013 by Park City Skins

[Bliz]

Looking for some advice on temperature balancing. My daughter's bedroom is noticeably warmer than the rest of the upstairs, by several degrees, even at night when you maybe wouldn't attribute it to just how much sunlight it gets. The run from the unit in the attic to her room is not particularly long. Of the 4 upstairs rooms, it's 2nd closest, but consistently the warmest in the summer. It's a newer house, built in 2001.

What I can do here? Will hiring someone to clean the vents be effective for this sort of problem?

Thanks.

Edited April 16, 2013 by Bliz

[pointyfootball]

Looking for some advice on temperature balancing. My daughter's bedroom is noticeably warmer than the rest of the upstairs, by several degrees, even at night when you maybe wouldn't attribute it to just how much sunlight it gets. The run from the unit in the attic to her room is not particularly long. Of the 4 upstairs rooms, it's 2nd closest, but consistently the warmest in the summer. It's a newer house, built in 2001.

What I can do here? Will hiring someone to clean the vents be effective for this sort of problem?

Thanks.

I'm not an HVAC pro, but I wouldn't think dirty vents/lines would be the primary reason for significant temp differences. Is it also the coolest in the winter? Are the supply lines sheet metal or are they those flexi-tubes they lay down (maybe her line is not straight). Ductwork correct size? Insulation good on all exposed sides? Anything that generates heat that borders her walls?

If anything, I would hire an HVAC guy on the side to get him to come out and advise. Good pro could probably figure it out w/in an hour or so of exploring attic & house.

[Stew]

There are thermostatically controlled dampers that can be installed to re-route cooler air to your daughters room.. Her room is upstairs, on the sunny side of the house, probably on a corner of the house? There are a ton of companies that offer similer products. get multiple estimates if this is the way you go.

http://zonefirst.com/

Another option is to get an attic fan cut into your roof or gable if you do not have one. Attic fans are really a goo investiment into your home because it exchanges the air in your attic (depending on the unit) about 20 times an hour or so, dropping the temp in the upstairs considerably in the summer. The also help prevent mold by keeping air circulating in your attic while preventing condensation from building on beams. It is a cheaper alternative to Zoning, and it really is a worth while product to purchase. It will also help out your ac system by helping reduce temps and in turn taking a little stress off your unit.

If you have any questions let me know. I used to work HVAC for a number of years and I still do it on the side as a hobby. Im ripping out my gas furnace/AC this summer and putting in a duel fuel gas furnace/AC system in my own place.

Edited April 18, 2013 by Stew

[Bliz]

There are thermostatically controlled dampers that can be installed to re-route cooler air to your daughters room.. Her room is upstairs, on the sunny side of the house, probably on a corner of the house? There are a ton of companies that offer similer products. get multiple estimates if this is the way you go.

http://zonefirst.com/

Another option is to get an attic fan cut into your roof or gable if you do not have one. Attic fans are really a goo investiment into your home because it exchanges the air in your attic (depending on the unit) about 20 times an hour or so, dropping the temp in the upstairs considerably in the summer. The also help prevent mold by keeping air circulating in your attic while preventing condensation from building on beams. It is a cheaper alternative to Zoning, and it really is a worth while product to purchase. It will also help out your ac system by helping reduce temps and in turn taking a little stress off your unit.

If you have any questions let me know. I used to work HVAC for a number of years and I still do it on the side as a hobby. Im ripping out my gas furnace/AC this summer and putting in a duel fuel gas furnace/AC system in my own place.

Thanks man. Good info. And you're right. Upstairs, sunny side on the corner.

WHat would the cost of an attic fan install be (ballpark)?

[Chew]

besides turning the water off, what else do I have to do to remove a toilet??? Wife and I will be putting new flooring in our downstairs half bath this weekend, and we have to remove the toilet and pedastal sink.

[Duckus]

I would like to put down a stone patio in my backyard. I consider myself handy, but never done a big project like this before.

Has anyone done this before? Any tips or online instructions you recommend?

The most basic installations appear to just use sand and stone - http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-lay-a-flagstone-patio/index.html

1. Clear the ground and level the area.

2. Compact the dirt and put down rock dust.

3. Put down sand.

4. Put stones down on the sand - level and adjust.

5. Fill joints with sand.

Seems like you would need 2-3 people.

I have seen other installations that are much more complicated and seem far outside my skill level - http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/intro/0,,213602,00.html

Edited April 18, 2013 by Duckus

[Stew]

Thanks man. Good info. And you're right. Upstairs, sunny side on the corner.

WHat would the cost of an attic fan install be (ballpark)?

I would estimate around 250.00 or so. maybe a little more depending on the model you get. they put it on the back side of the house, not facing the street. it will help. Also make sure she keeps her door open when she isnt in the room so ther can be that air exchange coming from the hallway.

[pointyfootball]

I would like to put down a stone patio in my backyard. I consider myself handy, but never done a big project like this before.

Has anyone done this before? Any tips or online instructions you recommend?

I've done a meandering brick paver sidewalk before. I think the "ThisOldHouse" one is complicated b/c they are setting the stone in cement, whereas you are thinking of setting in sand only. IMO if you are decently handy, have good knees/back, you can do it. Getting the base ready (digging out, leveling and compacting) takes the most amount of time. When I did the paver sidewalk, they were interlocking, which made it a bit easier I would think than using irregular stone shapes. When we finished, one person would spread sand and other guy used the power compactor to work the sand into the cracks which locked the pavers tight.

[artmonkforHOF]

I would like to put down a stone patio in my backyard. I consider myself handy, but never done a big project like this before.

Has anyone done this before? Any tips or online instructions you recommend?

The most basic installations appear to just use sand and stone - http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-lay-a-flagstone-patio/index.html

1. Clear the ground and level the area.

2. Compact the dirt and put down rock dust.

3. Put down sand.

4. Put stones down on the sand - level and adjust.

5. Fill joints with sand.

Seems like you would need 2-3 people.

I have seen other installations that are much more complicated and seem far outside my skill level - http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/intro/0,,213602,00.html

One thing not noted on your list is laying down a geotextile cloth after compacting the dirt. This will prevent weeds & other plants from rooting in the soil below and causing havoc with your patio stones. You still might get some plat life around your stones, but those will most likely be ones that are very looses rooted in the sand between your patio stones and should be easy to pull out and not cause any serious damage to the patio.

I'm thinking or redoing my driveway this year with compacted pea gravel. I don't want the stones to be loose hence the compacting, and have seen a product online called Gravel Lock and wondering if anyone here has heard of it or used it before.

The system consists of a pastic ribbon type of material that is weaved together to from an grid system. You lay this grid system down and then fill in the open parts of the grid with gravel then compact. Then, mix your top layer of stone (about 2") with a bonding agent and level over the gravel & grid system and finish with a top coat of the bonding agent. Part of the reason I want to use gravel is for site drainage, especially snow in the winter time. I live in an old ( built early 1900's) Victorian row home that for some reason I still can't figure out has a double width driveway when none of my neighbours have anything close to a driveway. Come winter time, I have nowhere to put the snow I have shovelled since I don't have any side or front yard space to speak of and thought if I could have some of the snow melt and drain through the gravel this would solve my problem of only being able to shovel half my driveway after heavy snowfalls.

The concerns I have about this system are (besides not having a local dealer):

1) when I first saw the system, I though the gird system was painted metal, only to find out it is similar to those fiber reinforced plastic straps that are used for packaging. My concern is that even if you spread the grid system out properly, what prevents the grid system from falling over or leaning when you dump the gravel in it? I am picturing dumping a truck load of stone on the grid and having the grid system not stay in place, if you have to fill up each grid cell individually to prevent the grid from collapsing, that sounds like a lot of work I might not be interested in doing.

2) To do a big area (like my driveway, which is approx 1,000 sq ft), wouldn't I need something the size of a concrete mixing truck to mix the top stone & the bonding agent? I am worried about seams and areas of the top stone not bonding together if I mixed the stone & bonding agent in smaller batches.

3) does anyone know the lifecycle of the grid system? I am expecting to have to top up and compact the top layer of stone every 5 years or so after initial installation, but would I ever have to worry about redoing the grid system? will the grid system hold up for 20-25 years?

below is a link to the product website I am talking about, the site lists many dealers in Maryland & Virginia and one in West Virginia, I was hoping an ES'er might know something about it. I guess the company that makes the grid system and the bonding agent is called CellTek Direct or CellTek geosyntheitcs and they are based out of Crofton Maryland. I am thinking of using the LSG-6 (6" high gird system for heavy duty traffic) for my double width and about 3 car length deep driveway and for an adjacent rock garden area.

http://celltekdirect.com/index.html

any insight on this product would be greatly appreicated.

Edited April 19, 2013 by artmonkforHOF

[PCS]

besides turning the water off, what else do I have to do to remove a toilet??? Wife and I will be putting new flooring in our downstairs half bath this weekend, and we have to remove the toilet and pedastal sink.

Hold on. :obvious:

Okay. Empty that sucker until it's all but dry. Can use a wet vac just to make sure.

Man there is some catching up to do in this thread. Just a word of caution to all of you. Don't underestimate the work some of you are trying to do. Another :obvious:

[PCS]

Greeeeeat. So right in the middle of the landscaping the front yard(s),project,the tankless water heater decides to basically reach the end of its lifespan and leak all over the floor. :mad: Why wouldn't it? :mad: again. So now it's time to get a new water heater,(going with a nice 40 gallon one),and move it out to the garage one wall away from where the tankless one is,(boy that sucker has had better days now that I've looked at it). So platform and small closet building I will go. Needless to say,it'll be "overbuilt."

[Major Harris]

Needless to say,it'll be "overbuilt."

Not possible. Lol

[PCS]

You know that's right.

[pointyfootball]

I have 3 projects I want to do within the next calendar year. Redo of porch posts/railings/concrete steps, replacement of decking/railing/screened porch on back of house and giving in to inability of grass to grow on side of house and installing natural tone walkway/stairs w/ shade beds. So, right now I'm in planning stage of porch remodel (8'x35' poured concrete). Previous owners painted the concrete, but it looks like crap, especially where it sees traffic. I'm open to ideas on what to do with it. I had previously (2-3 years ago) tried cleaning/etching and restaining/painting it, but it quickly peeled and looked bad. Anyone have this issue? Did you strip paint (if so, how)? Repaint or leave bare? Sanding and pressure washing don't work, and I'm not a big fan of chemical paint remover, which leaves sand-blasting, but even that sounds like a major job.

Thoughts?

[Elessar78]

Not possible. Lol

[PCS]

PJ may want to try that etching thing again and some concrete paint primer. Lot's of newer stuff coming out these days that does work pretty darn nice.

Okay. Water heater in,(I went convenient and bought a nice stand),and all up to code. Roof patched and appears to be holding just fine,(rained pretty good last night). Going to do some fine tuning with the patchwork around the flue,but overall,so far so good. Back to the landscaping project. Removing the remainder of the patches of grass under the trees and laying down landscaping weed block fabric and mulch. Going to lay in a little of the river rock from out back in there as well. One of the trees is going to get a circular tree seat,(my newest in a growing line of building projects),with a little color via some local flowers. The other will get a pretty good dose of color with more of the drought resistant,low water flowers and such. Garage bay window area is just about ready for plants too. We dug out about 6 inches of dirt and then,using a sifter my lovely and innovative fiance' built,sifted out a lot of the bigger rocks and other stuff out of it while placing it back in the area. It's bordered and just about ready to go. I'll be repurposing the left over gravel and such out in the back for the pathway next to the house. :whew: Once all that is done we can move to the front yard by the front of the house. 50 foot x 3 foot paver path with brick border,gravel and sandstone pathways,(couple of short ones),with random sections of flower and vegetable gardens. Converting the sprinkler system to a drip system for that area as well. :whew: again. After that,a driveway rescue,(I hope).

[mjah]

Speaking of driveway rescues, the original owner of my house was a dumbass and decided to pour a white concrete driveway in a neighborhood filled with asphalt driveways. It was a mistake for so, so many reasons. Resealing asphalt every now and again is nothing in comparison with the various forms of daily sadness one suffers with concrete. But ripping out a 50' x 20' reinforced concrete driveway and starting over with asphalt isn't worth the money.

I would happily settle for a black concrete driveway, however - were it at all possible to stain the existing concrete to a robust, lasting, consistent, relatively deep black shade. One which would stand up to the hot sun, frequent car parking, tree crap, etc. I'd be open to re-staining as necessary every 2-3 years. That would be better than what I've got currently, which drains nothing from the wallet but much from the soul.

So for those who are interested in answering a question from a relative concrete ignoramus: Is my dream possible?

I have seen some concrete stain products which advertise lasting, traffic-hardy results. Only a small subset offer a deep black color and/or any notion of durability in the presence of cars. I am wondering whether my local Home Depot and Sherwin-Williams are really the places to go in search of a take-no-prisoners concrete stain which will apply well to a high-pressure-blasted concrete driveway and then hold up to frequent vehicle parking and the elements of the mid-Atlantic.

In terms of actually applying it... happy to do the grunt work myself, assuming I'm not going too Don Quixote with my wish list.

[zoony]

Concrete is far, far superior to an asphalt driveway in every way

[PeterMP]

I have two old sheds. They are peelling, especially along the bottom. But isn't just the paint that is coming off so I can't just scrape/sand them and repaint. The outer surface must be some sort of laminate so that when the paint comes off, it is bringing off the top surface of the wood.

Anybody have any suggestions?

[GoSkins0721]

I have two old sheds. They are peelling, especially along the bottom. But isn't just the paint that is coming off so I can't just scrape/sand them and repaint. The outer surface must be some sort of laminate so that when the paint comes off, it is bringing off the top surface of the wood.

Anybody have any suggestions?

Are you sure this is wood & not Masonite siding?