Home Improvement Thread

Shyster
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Home Improvement Thread

Postby Shyster » Fri Jun 12, 2015 6:10 pm

I really need to re-do one of my bathrooms. The tile in the bathtub/shower leaked, and the bathroom was constructed using regular drywall rather than concrete board, so the wall essentially rotted away. I now have a hole covered up by a garbage bag and duct tape. The money for redoing the bathroom really isn't a problem, but that's the only bathroom I have with a shower, and the prospect of fixing it would be such a PITA that I've just been living with it. Never underestimate the power of laziness.

tifosi77
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Home Improvement Thread

Postby tifosi77 » Fri Jun 12, 2015 6:31 pm

Starting week three of kitchen remodeling hell. Cabinets are finally up. Floor goes down this weekend.

There are not enough take out joints in Beaver County to support much more of this.
This is the biggest impediment I face in redoing our kitchen. Our house was a flip, which means there's nothing really bad about the kitchen, but there's also nothing really good about it. It's just a big square that takes up 1/3 of the house's footprint. Inefficient use of space, too many upper cabs, appliances in the wrong places, etc.... But I just fear getting stuck in reno hell and going a month without a kitchen.

meow
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Home Improvement Thread

Postby meow » Sat Jun 13, 2015 7:16 am

We are going to start our kitchen in July. I'm not looking forward to it. I guess I'll be grilling our dinners until we complete it.

ExPatriatePen
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Home Improvement Thread

Postby ExPatriatePen » Sat Jun 13, 2015 8:14 am

I'm helping a friend get control of a 16,000 gallon, in ground swimming pool that went neglected for a couple of years.

What a challenge it's been

columbia
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Location: South Baldwin Yinzer Strokefest

Home Improvement Thread

Postby columbia » Sun Jun 14, 2015 11:34 am


mac5155
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Home Improvement Thread

Postby mac5155 » Sun Jun 14, 2015 5:16 pm

These work great for wine bottles as well.

RonnieFranchise
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Home Improvement Thread

Postby RonnieFranchise » Sun Jun 14, 2015 10:09 pm

Floor did not go this weekend,moved to Tuesday. Family moves to the In Laws tomorrow, the basement is my bachelor pad for a few days.

This thing needs to just be done.

robbiestoupe
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Home Improvement Thread

Postby robbiestoupe » Mon Jun 15, 2015 9:51 am

I nearly sent the fam to the in-laws yesterday. Was trying to replace a pressure balance valve, and the mf'er just wouldn't budge. This thing "apparently" just sits inside the shower valve, and the instructions told me to just pull the darn thing out. Uh-uh. 15 years of calcium deposits basically welded the plastic to the brass valve.

After an hour or so of sweat, swearing and applying liberal amounts of WD-40 and vinegar, I gave up and put the thing back together. Except now there was a leak as apparently some of the plastic around the o-ring broke. At that point it was either go nuclear and pull out all the stops to get this friggin thing out of the wall (hammer, drill bit, chisel, TNT), or we were packing up and I was calling a plumber. Finally got the stupid thing to budge and got the replacement in.

Now I know why plumbers get paid what they do. I feel like I'm competent enough when it comes to plumbing, but next job will not be done by me. Too much of a hassle and the potential damage is not worth it.

Kicksave
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Home Improvement Thread

Postby Kicksave » Mon Jun 15, 2015 10:15 am

I replaced a toilet flange yesterday.

columbia
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Location: South Baldwin Yinzer Strokefest

Home Improvement Thread

Postby columbia » Mon Jun 15, 2015 10:22 am

It looks good:

Image

shmenguin
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Location: people notice my car when its shined up

Home Improvement Thread

Postby shmenguin » Mon Jun 15, 2015 11:02 am

is it possible to pick a paint color and NOT experience complete panic at some point thinking you made the wrong choice?

mac5155
Posts: 13841
Joined: Wed Mar 25, 2015 12:47 pm

Home Improvement Thread

Postby mac5155 » Mon Jun 15, 2015 6:31 pm

I nearly sent the fam to the in-laws yesterday. Was trying to replace a pressure balance valve, and the mf'er just wouldn't budge. This thing "apparently" just sits inside the shower valve, and the instructions told me to just pull the darn thing out. Uh-uh. 15 years of calcium deposits basically welded the plastic to the brass valve.

After an hour or so of sweat, swearing and applying liberal amounts of WD-40 and vinegar, I gave up and put the thing back together. Except now there was a leak as apparently some of the plastic around the o-ring broke. At that point it was either go nuclear and pull out all the stops to get this friggin thing out of the wall (hammer, drill bit, chisel, TNT), or we were packing up and I was calling a plumber. Finally got the stupid thing to budge and got the replacement in.

Now I know why plumbers get paid what they do. I feel like I'm competent enough when it comes to plumbing, but next job will not be done by me. Too much of a hassle and the potential damage is not worth it.
Dude... Fill a bag with CLR and tie it on the shower head. Leave it sit for an hour. Whalah

robbiestoupe
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Joined: Thu Apr 30, 2015 3:27 pm

Home Improvement Thread

Postby robbiestoupe » Tue Jun 16, 2015 8:10 am

Dude... Fill a bag with CLR and tie it on the shower head. Leave it sit for an hour. Whalah
Yeah I contemplated running to HD to get some CLR, but I was already 2 hrs in to the project, I was alone with my 1-1/2 year old and he was napping at the time. Plus it was not on the shower head, it was on the shower valve (where the handle is) and it would have been hard to soak anything since I had no access panel behind.

But lesson learned. Plumbers will now be getting more business at my household.

Kraftster
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Home Improvement Thread

Postby Kraftster » Tue Jun 16, 2015 11:18 am

I replaced a toilet flange yesterday.
Nice. When you put the toilet back on did you use a new wax ring or one of those neoprene gaskets like the Sani-seal?

Kicksave
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Home Improvement Thread

Postby Kicksave » Tue Jun 16, 2015 11:22 am

I replaced a toilet flange yesterday.
Nice. When you put the toilet back on did you use a new wax ring or one of those neoprene gaskets like the Sani-seal?
The previous home owner, when they put in the new flooring, didn't adjust the toilet so the toilet sits below the floorboards. I used one of these:

Image
http://www.homedepot.com/p/DANCO-Perfec ... /204817386

There is a wax ring on the bottom.

Kraftster
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Home Improvement Thread

Postby Kraftster » Tue Jun 16, 2015 11:33 am

Interesting. I was able to double up on the sani-seals when I redid my toilet last year. For a stretch, I thought I was going to have to change the flange, and I was really dreading that. I'm looking at doing some work around the other toilet soon, which will necessitate a new gasket--hopefully not a new flange. I'll probably roll with the sani-seal again if there're no extenuating circumstances.

Miami Vice
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Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2015 10:48 am

Home Improvement Thread

Postby Miami Vice » Tue Jun 16, 2015 3:53 pm

Heres my list of projects from the last week. I'll get some before/after pictures up sometime

-paint kitchen
-refinish cabinets (needs moar wet sanding)
-install fridge
-paint master bedroom
-run cat6 drops between living room, bedrooms, office, kitchen, and a/v rack
-run hdmi and install drops between living room and a/v rack
-run hdmi through basement ceiling to bar and projector mount
-run speaker wire through basement and living room
-built crappy Ikea furniture

projects for weekend/next week (I'm taking a 2 week vacation in hopes of finishing by July 4th):

-finish painting living room (could be done tonight)
-install projector (mount is arriving today)
-build and install projector screen (material came yesterday)
-paint basement walls
-replace a few 2 prong outlets
-wall mount tvs/install outlet behind them
-assemble grill and lawn mower
-install washer and dryer

other plans with no timeframe
-carpet tiles for basement
-Nest thermostat
-battery backed up sump pump with wifi alert sensor

DigitalGypsy66
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Location: Iodine State

Home Improvement Thread

Postby DigitalGypsy66 » Wed Jun 17, 2015 12:46 pm

I've got a potentially embarrassing home improvement question.

We have a small deck made from pressurized lumber. The contractor that build our house tacked it on but never stained it. The deck was built in early 2007, and has had eight years of South Carolina sun, rain, and heat. Assuming that pressurized lumber meant I didn't have to do anything to it ( :face: ), I basically left it alone. I Thompson Water Sealed it in 2009 or 2010.

Now, I'm thinking something needs to be done with it. It has a lot of splinters and the nail heads are popping up out of the decking, making it treacherous to walk on it. Nothing is rotted, yet, and the support posts are in good shape. It sits on the side of the house that gets unrelenting sun from 1 PM until sundown, so we don't use it at all. I keep my grill on it.

Is it worth having it professionally pressure washed so I can stain it? Or is it too far gone?

In a perfect world, I would probably nuke the deck, move it, and screen it in. Where it's located now is just a hot, unshaded mess.

columbia
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Home Improvement Thread

Postby columbia » Wed Jun 17, 2015 12:49 pm

Go with screened porch. You won't regret it.

blackjack68
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Location: Across the River from Filthydelphia.

Home Improvement Thread

Postby blackjack68 » Wed Jun 17, 2015 1:07 pm

Hammer those nails back down and hit it with one of these.

http://www.homedepot.com/b/Paint-Deck-P ... vZc7gvZc4x

blackjack68
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Home Improvement Thread

Postby blackjack68 » Wed Jun 17, 2015 1:08 pm


robbiestoupe
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Home Improvement Thread

Postby robbiestoupe » Wed Jun 17, 2015 1:13 pm

Go with screened porch. You won't regret it.

DigitalGypsy66
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Location: Iodine State

Home Improvement Thread

Postby DigitalGypsy66 » Wed Jun 17, 2015 1:42 pm

Interesting stuff, blackjack. Lots of bad reviews on Home Depot for those Rustoleum products though. Operator error?

meow
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Home Improvement Thread

Postby meow » Wed Jun 17, 2015 4:30 pm

We used that Behr DeckOver product at one of our rentals. It was a bear to put down. It is like painting with oatmeal.

blackjack68
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Location: Across the River from Filthydelphia.

Home Improvement Thread

Postby blackjack68 » Wed Jun 17, 2015 4:44 pm

What was the finished product like @meow?

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